Immortality and Cultivation: I Have Three Times the Lifespan

Chapter 15 The State of the Mortal World

In the depths of winter, the mornings at Biyue Lake are shrouded in a leaden gray chill. The biting north wind sweeps across the open water, howling and stinging one's face.

The withered grass on the lake shore was covered with white frost, and the distant mountains were also draped in white.

However, on this vast body of water, thanks to the spirit-locking arrays laid out by the various branch spiritual veins, the lake did not freeze like ordinary lakes.

A faint spiritual energy circulated within the array's base, keeping the water surface rippling, only the noisy competition of shrimp for food was gone.

At this time, most waters are in the off-season for fishing, and ebony boats are quietly moored in their respective areas, where fishermen who do not intend to go out are focusing on their cultivation.

The silence here gives the place a sense of winter's desolation and tranquility.

Only in a few core or mid-section areas, flashes of light and surges of magic occasionally appear, indicating that a few intermediate and advanced fishermen and farmers are still working diligently.

Once a first-tier spirit beast is classified as a high-grade beast, the higher the grade and the longer its maturation period, the greater the reward.

"Splash!"

A three-zhang-long ordinary wooden boat broke through the thin mist and slowly rowed toward Port No. 1.

Yang Changsheng stood at the bow of the boat, his simple gray shirt fluttering in the cold wind.

Upon entering the third level of body refinement, he was completely unaffected by heat or cold. His internal energy and blood circulated naturally, keeping out the biting cold and leaving only the crisp air to breathe.

If one is a Qi Refining cultivator, one must reach the fourth level, where one's magical power surges spontaneously to form a protective light barrier in order to accomplish this.

Of course, if you have the money to buy a lower-grade robe, there's no need for this; the array engraved on it comes with many small functions such as keeping warm, relieving heat, and cleaning.

He remained calm, his gaze sweeping serenely across the familiar lake surface, before steadily mooring the small boat at the designated berth.

Stepping onto the cobblestone dock, the cold wind seemed even more biting.

Yang Changsheng walked straight to the port management office, took out two round spirit beads from the slightly worn cloth bag at his waist, and handed them to the low-level Lu family steward on duty.

This is the parking management fee for two months, not much, because with the Lu family's strict rules, no one messes up, so there's no need to put in much effort.

Moreover, the items on his ship were worth only three spirit pearls in total, so no one would covet them.

Leaving the management office, he continued walking toward the huge bulletin board in the center of the market.

"I hadn't noticed before... but there are a lot of people doing odd jobs during the fishing moratorium."

He could see from afar that a lot of people had already gathered there. Most of them were novice fishermen and farmers like himself, or wandering cultivators who had lived at the bottom of the market for a long time, all looking for short-term jobs to earn cultivation resources.

The crowd was buzzing with discussion, adding a touch of worldly life to the otherwise quiet morning, but also revealing a sense of unspeakable hardship.

Ordinary cultivators at the bottom are no different from mortals, busy every day. The former are busy with the daily necessities of life, while the latter are busy with that faint path to immortality.

"Brother Changsheng! Over here!" A rough yet honest voice rang out.

Wang Ergou's towering figure stood out in the crowd, a smile on his dark face as he waved his large hand vigorously.

He only had the cultivation level of the first stage of Qi Refining, so he couldn't be as resistant to heat and cold as Yang Changsheng. Instead, he was wrapped in a thick cotton-padded coat and wore a mink hat, which made him look even more robust.

Yang Changsheng nodded in acknowledgment and walked over.

In front of the bulletin board, several men were talking about recent events.

"Have you heard? There's been another accident at the Ziyun Mountain mining area!" A middle-aged fisherman with a weathered face said in a low voice, his voice filled with lingering fear.

"They say half the mine collapsed, and evil energy rushed in, killing Chen Laoliu, who was at the third level of Qi Refining, instantly! When they dug him out, his body was blackened! His wife and children were crying and wailing... Was that little bit of money he earned by risking his life enough to buy his own death?"

Some people said that, with questions and helplessness, as a close brother who had risked his life for him, he naturally had to take care of his family, even if it was a burden.

"That's right. Mining brings in spirit stones quickly, but it's a life-or-death endeavor! If the malevolent energy enters your body without any healing pills, at best your cultivation will regress, at worst you'll die on the spot. The mine managers only care about the ore, they don't care if you live or die. They don't care about injuries, it's written in black and white!"

Immediately, someone chimed in, their voice trembling with emotion and a sense of shared sorrow, for their brother had also died in the same way, like a weed by the roadside.

On the other side, several seemingly fierce rogue cultivators were arguing, their topic revolving around the demon-hunting mission.

"Hey, Liu Laosan, where are the two missing members from your team last time? We agreed to split the materials equally, so why did we get less in the end?"

A man with a scar on his face crossed his arms, speaking in an unfriendly tone with a mocking smile.

The cultivator known as Liu Laosan stiffened, his neck stiffening as he retorted, "Scarface Li, stop spouting nonsense! Being chased by a second-tier demonic beast, escaping is already a miracle! Losing manpower is common; who's to blame for the material losses? If you think I, Lao Liu, cheated you, next time you can lead the team yourself!"

His voice wasn't quiet, but within the market area managed by the Lu family, both sides only glared at each other, not daring to actually fight, and could only engage in verbal sparring.

"Sigh, life is tough for everyone!"

Wang Ergou sighed softly beside Yang Changsheng, rubbing his dark, reddened face with his large, dark hands.

For cultivators at the bottom level, without skills or powerful backers, the only way to earn more spirit stones is to risk their lives. Of their 160-year lifespan, many don't even live past half of that.

Even so, most people will not back down, but will go to the mortal world to enjoy the wonderful feeling of breaking through the cultivation realm, and the comfort of being nourished by spiritual energy on a daily basis.

After experiencing the splendor of the immortals, no one wanted to stay in the mortal realm where spiritual energy was scarce.

Yang Changsheng silently watched his fellow cultivators struggling to make a living. The plight and risks of the lower-level cultivators were laid bare before him.

With skills in alchemy, talismans, artifacts, and arrays, and with all these skills reaching a divine level, a rogue cultivator is nothing more than a speck of dust that can be crushed by the wind at any moment.

He subconsciously touched his chest, his desire for the inheritance of all arts and crafts growing stronger.

Besides the spirit pearls left over from buying small items last night, there were also three talismans lying quietly there, including two first-grade low-rank fireball talismans and one first-grade mid-rank golden light protective talisman.

This was secretly given to him by Liu Xiaoying when the party at Zuixianlou ended yesterday.

The girl's cheeks flushed slightly, her eyes darting away, and she only uttered a soft, barely audible sentence: "Brother Changsheng, be careful on the road."

As Yang Changsheng felt the unique coolness of the talisman paper and the fluctuations of spiritual energy contained within it, a long-lost warmth welled up in his heart, and ripples spread across his Dao heart.

When traveling to unfamiliar territories, this gift, worth nearly seven spirit stones, is especially precious among low-level cultivators who live in resource-scarce and treacherous environments.

He remembered this favor and would repay it many times over sooner or later.

"Those who accepted the job at Liu Family Spirit Field, gather here!"

In the distance, a slightly arrogant voice rang out, breaking the noise in front of the bulletin board.