Lying Low While Cultivating Immortality in Two Worlds

The small town in the early morning carried a touch of quiet calm, with wisps of mist and cooking smoke curling upward.

"How rare, this sense of peace..."

Fang Qing walked along the bluestone path, gazing at the rows of courtyards and circles of wooden fences. A deep sense of contentment filled his heart.

From the earlier incident with the Heaven and Earth Spirit Fire, he had assumed that layer upon layer of schemes in the background would spark endless fighting and deaths among the cultivators. It would be like raising Gu insects, nurturing a fated child only to harvest him later.

Yet in reality, Miaofeng Bright Son had simply strolled over once, and every family had politely handed the spiritual fire over without fuss.

This was the might of Purple Mansion. Or rather, the might of Sangji, the future Dharma King!

No matter what calculations the Purple Mansion forces had, on this tacitly acknowledged territory of Sangji, every opportunity naturally belonged to him.

That was why everything had gone so smoothly.

"When the time comes, heaven and earth lend their strength together. When fortune departs, even heroes lose their freedom."

He continued walking until he saw a thin, small shadow slip out from the Fang family back gate. The figure darted to the neighboring wall not far away and knocked lightly.

Before long, a little girl leaped over from the other side of the wall. She possessed a bit of cultivation as well and looked delicate and adorable, though a trace of worry lingered between her brows.

"Mingxue, eat this. These were made at my house with spiritual grain."

Fang Wuchen grinned foolishly as he pushed several pastries into her hands. "Have you been hungry lately? Did that wicked old woman refuse to feed you again?"

"Pfft..."

Yue Mingxue laughed. "My family is a cultivator household, not some mortal one. No matter what, they would not let anyone starve. They have simply cut off the supply of spiritual items. She still has several older brothers and younger ones at home. Before, relying on the family head and the ancestor’s favor, they always received cultivation resources. They even got a share of the Azure Mulberry Spirit Dates."

But now that the family head and the ancestor had all died in battle, such good fortune was gone.

Especially after the engagement, the Yue family no longer wanted to support her. After all, she was already considered water poured out.

"How can they act like this? It is too much."

Fang Wuchen said, "I... I will go beg my father right now."

"This is my family’s business, and I have not even married in yet. What can your father say?"

Yue Mingxue shook her head.

The two children huddled together on the steps, slowly eating the pastries.

Yue Mingxue had good upbringing. She carefully gathered every crumb, wiped it up with her finger, and ate it.

At that moment they heard footsteps. They looked up and saw a youth in a yellow-red monk’s robe approaching. He wore an oddly cropped short haircut. "You two young benefactors..."

Bang!

The main gate was yanked open, startling both children.

It was Old Tian, the Le family’s long-term laborer.

His wrinkled face was twisted with rage. "You little slut, why are you not working yet?"

Old Tian grabbed Yue Mingxue and tossed her back into the Yue family courtyard, then kicked Fang Wuchen. "Brat, get back inside..."

Fang Wuchen scampered back into his own house like a rabbit, only daring to peek through the crack in the door.

Old Tian turned around and put on an obsequious smile. "This old man pays respects to the master. What instructions does the master have? This old man will do everything in his power."

"Hmm?"

Fang Qing’s lips curved with a faint, ambiguous smile as he looked Old Tian up and down.

His divine sense swept over the man, and his heart stirred. 'This person isn't right, Dao Foundation? No, late Qi Ingestion stage, but he used a spell to conceal his cultivation and original appearance.'

His divine sense far surpassed Old Tian’s current level. Under close inspection the man could not detect anything, and even his true face was laid completely bare.

'He is actually an acquaintance!'

'Tian Jinchen!'

Fang Qing naturally recognized him. Strictly speaking, this person had quite a connection with him.

Back then, at San Ji’s exchange meeting, he had met the man’s grandfather.

At the time the Tian family had been nothing more than a spiritual-farming household, even poorer than the current Fang and Hu families.

Yet somehow, whether by fate or Purple Mansion arrangement, the Tian family grandfather later obtained the inheritance from a sword cultivator’s cave dwelling. Tian Jinchen and his sister then cultivated the [Lou Metal] path and became sword cultivators.

In the end they were captured by Purple Mansion and used in the "mutual killing" method to rapidly form a Dao Foundation, serving as the "key" to open the Yanbo Blessed Land.

After the Yanbo Blessed Land, Tian Jinchen seemed to have received the legacy and sword of the former Spiritual Master Yanbo before vanishing without a trace.

The next time news of him surfaced was during the demon army’s southern invasion. Tian Jinchen had appeared in Beixuan Commandery, slaying demon generals one after another and earning a resounding reputation.

'How did he fall to such a state... To dissolve a Dao Foundation without killing him must be a Purple Mansion method.'

'Was this person simply used up? Or is there another arrangement?'

Fang Qing had his own views on fated children. Fate could not contend with divine abilities, and moreover luck was not fixed; it was constantly consumed.

Tian Jinchen might have had decent fortune at first, but after being captured by Purple Mansion, rapidly forming a Dao Foundation, and opening the Yanbo Blessed Land, most of his luck had already been spent. Then came the fierce battles against demon generals in Beixuan, where every walk between life and death further depleted his own fate with no replenishment. In the end he was probably like a chewed-up sugarcane stalk, no longer worth tasting to the Purple Mansion forces.

'This person’s Dao Foundation and personal sword, most likely ended up as a dowry for someone else.'

'They left him alive either to continue tormenting him or because one meal was not enough. They want him to propagate a family or pass down a lineage so they can feast on him for three lifetimes. That is how Purple Mansion cultivators make full use of people.'

'In any case, it is surely not for the sake of plotting against the Yue family or the Fang family.'

'When he drove the two children away earlier, he still showed a trace of righteousness. Coming all the way to Xituo Commandery to take refuge also shows he has grown wiser.'

In any case, Xituo Commandery belonged to the Esoteric Hidden-Treasury lineage. Purple Mansion immortal cultivators would never be allowed to act freely here.

'What a pity. If this person and I were both still in the Minor Huan Sea, I could divine his fate for him.'

Seeing Tian Jinchen now stirred an inexplicable impulse in Fang Qing. He vaguely sensed that this man would become a crucial key, linking together certain people or objects.

This might also be why the Purple Mansion forces had allowed him to flee into Xituo.

'But... why here of all places, and why involving the Yue family and the Fang family?'

A trace of worry rose in his heart, yet his face showed only a cold sneer. "You old wretch, your bones are already soft and loose. You are not even good material for refining Buddhist artifacts... and you still dare to approach this Buddha? Get lost!"

With that he delivered another heavy slap.

Smack!

The slap rang out loud and clear, yet Old Tian simply kowtowed repeatedly. "Many thanks for the master’s favor."

"Scram!"

Fang Qing kicked the old man aside, then strode out of the small town without bothering to greet the Zeng family. He directly piloted the Fire Luoba Bowl and left.

'From the looks of the Withered-Bone Emerald Fire incident, things have not reached that point yet.'

He put distance between himself and the Zeng family, traveling all the way to the edge of Xituo Commandery. He found a random stretch of land surrounded by mountains, with forests and springs, then burrowed straight into the ground. With [Nu Earth] mana circulating, earth escape proved extremely convenient.

He tunneled deeper until he could go no farther, then used his mana to carve out a simple cave residence. After that he divined his own fortune for this crossing and received three auspicious hexagrams in a row. Only then did his figure flicker and vanish.

Minor Huan Sea.

Taibai Island.

'The Wusheng Temple side can be left to Xu Hei to watch. There is no need for me to return.'

'In a few years various probes will surely arrive. That will keep Miaofeng Bright Son and the others busy enough.'

Inside his own cave residence Fang Qing converted to the Blue Sea Technique and cultivated silently.

Raising late-stage Foundation Establishment mana to perfection was no overnight task. It required constant, unwavering effort.

Through Xiang Dahu, Qin Ruxue, and Yu Xiang’er he kept a crystal-clear view of the situation across the Minor Huan Sea.

He even learned that Zhan Hongxiu now carried the infamous label of “master-slayer” and was being hunted by Sanyuan Island.

The reason he knew so many fine details was not information gathered by Xiang Dahu, but intelligence from Yu Xiang’er!

"That newly advanced Jiang family Foundation Establishment cultivator has openly defected to the Sea-Destroying Alliance. This time he received their full support and brought several demonic-path Foundation Establishment cultivators to set an ambush together. Only then were they able to kill the Greenwater Rogue Cultivator."

"Of course, on the surface Sancai Market still claims neutrality. Lu Lingfeng is the one managing things and has publicly accused Zhan Hongxiu of colluding with demonic cultivators and murdering her own master."

As for evidence?

Once you wore the same pants as demonic cultivators, evidence could be fabricated however you liked.

Besides, Minor Huan Sea cultivators did not place much weight on such matters anyway. It was basically survival of the fittest, with the winner taking all.

Now that Sancai Market was occupied by the Jiang family’s Foundation Establishment force, hunting down a mere Qi Refining cultivator was perfectly reasonable.

Thinking of this, Fang Qing took out a piece of jade and divined for a moment. "Hmm? She actually faces a death tribulation? Could it be that I pushed her too hard before and caused her to lose too much luck? It even feels as if she might not survive."

'If this woman dies, will all my previous investment go to waste?'

'Although I already recovered my capital and earned quite a bit extra, it would still be unpleasant.'

With a thought, Xiang Dahu arrived outside the cave residence to pay his respects.

"Young Master!"

Seeing Fang Qing emerge, Xiang Dahu bowed respectfully.

"Enough. Take this jade and go bring Zhan Hongxiu here. The woman may not have much time left."

Fang Qing sent Xiang Dahu away, then glanced toward the Blue Sea Sect mountain gate. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, though a new batch of Foundation Establishment cultivators had appeared. “Linghu Qiuye” who had explored the secret realm last time was clearly among them.

Deep sea, somewhere.

"Demonic woman, drop the second-rank demon core!"

"Chase her! That woman carries a Foundation Establishment opportunity!"

"I always thought that Hong Yuanzi was suspicious. Only after breaking her concealment technique did I realize she is the wanted demonic cultivator Zhan Hongxiu!"

A group of late-stage Qi Refining experts shouted and yelled, piloting flying artifacts or using escape techniques as they pursued the fleeing red shadow ahead.

Whoosh!

Talismans and flying swords shot toward the red shadow, but Zhan Hongxiu simply patted her beast-taming bag.

A millstone-sized azure-green giant turtle appeared and raised a water curtain that blocked every attack.

Streams of pitch-black water thunder then smashed toward the pursuing cultivators.

"Trouble!"

Zhan Hongxiu’s heart sank at the sight.

Back then she had barely escaped the marketplace only to discover that Lu Lingfeng had twisted the truth, turning her into a wanted demonic cultivator. Yet she had no way to fight back. To seek revenge she needed real strength!

Therefore she had taken the alias Hong Yuanzi, joined a demon-hunting team, and risked the deep sea to hunt second-rank demon beasts.

A few days ago she had finally slain a second-rank demon fish and successfully extracted its demon core. As expected, the team turned on her. She had no choice but to use techniques such as the Myriad Longevity Turtle. Although she secured the demon core, her identity was exposed and she was now being chased by numerous bandit cultivators and rogue cultivators.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!