It wasn't until the marketplace was in sight that Chen Li finally stopped, gasping for breath.
He calmed his chaotic Spiritual Power.
Took a deep breath.
And then, with a composed expression, walked towards his home.
After making numerous turns and finally reaching his home, he shut the door, grabbed a jar, and gulped down a large amount of water, barely managing to suppress his still somewhat violent heartbeat.
For an urban worker who works a 996 schedule and had never even killed a chicken just over a month ago...
For an urban worker who works a 996 schedule and would get goosebumps just from seeing a snake just over a month ago...
For an urban worker who works a 996 schedule and wouldn't dare to walk down a dark alley without streetlights just over a month ago...
Walking alone in the wilderness of this strange and ghostly world was indeed a bit too thrilling.
But beyond the nervous excitement, there was some exhilaration.
"No wonder it's said in books that 'the genes of hunting and adventure are rooted in the blood of men.'"
Such activities truly made one's blood boil with excitement.
It was just that his heart couldn't handle it.
If he were to go again next time, he definitely should not go alone; it would be best to find a reliable and experienced companion.
He knew far too little about this world and was ignorant of the various dangers it held.
For instance, among the creatures he encountered in the wild today, he had no idea which were poisonous and which were not.
Maybe an inconspicuous insect that looked harmless carried a deadly toxin.
Maybe a moment of carelessness could have him capsized in a gutter.
Thinking of this, he resolved that he would not venture out like this for at least a month.
Taking advantage of it still being before noon.
He finished drinking the water and hurried back to his bedroom to begin meditating and regulating his breathing.
No matter what, he couldn't waste the one Evil-Repelling Talisman he had today.
...
Three hours later.
Chen Li exhaled a breath of turbid air and slowly lowered his hands.
Then, out of habit, he opened the game panel and glanced at it, his body suddenly froze.
"Huh! Finally rose a point."
What was originally 'Qi Cultivation Third Level: 32/100' had become 'Qi Cultivation Third Level: 33/100'
When was the last time?
Chen Li began to count on his fingers.
"It should have been thirteen days ago."
"That means, if one year here is also 365 days, to reach Qi Cultivation Fourth Level, you would need..."
Chen Li counted on his fingers... but he ran out of fingers and hurriedly stood up and walked to his talisman-making room.
He did the math with the brush.
About 2.3863 years.
"Even if I give myself some leeway and don't put pressure on, I should be able to reach Qi Cultivation Fourth Level in at most three years," Chen Li thought excitedly:
"If I want to reach Qi Cultivation Fifth Level..."
He did the math again with the brush.
About 3.6 years.
Round up to four years for good measure, it takes four years to advance one level.
In just 27, at most 30 years, he would be ready for Foundation Establishment.
In thirty years, he would only be... 70 years old.
"By then, I should still be in my prime, right?"
"No, that's not the right calculation! Currently the proficiency of Longevity Skill is only at 'Proficient'; once it reaches 'Expert,' the cultivation speed will clearly be faster..."
He set down the brush.
And felt a sense of reassurance in his heart.
"Talisman drawing, talisman drawing!"
He stepped out of the talisman crafting room and glanced at the sky, regretfully noting the overcast day, which made it difficult to tell the time—but he estimated it was around noon.
He returned to the talisman crafting room.
He entered a meditative state and refined his heart while chanting blessings.
Following the formal ritual, he added his own twist by silently uttering a phrase.
"Let a myriad of luck befall me!"
He picked up the brush, dipped it in the 'blood ink,' and as soon as his brush touched the paper… he finished drawing and completed the talisman.
Another one was successfully crafted.
......
Three days later.
Marketplace.
While managing his stall, Chen Li noticed that there were many more people today, including quite a few cultivators who flew down from the sky on their swords. The foot traffic was at least more than twice the usual amount, making the marketplace extraordinarily lively.
"Elder, why are there so many people today?" Chen Li asked the old Loose Cultivator selling herbs next to him out of curiosity.
"The Longevity Sect is holding their tri-monthly auction today. Naturally, there are more people—all from different places," the Loose Cultivator said indifferently after glancing at Chen Li's stall.
The elderly Loose Cultivator looked to be around sixty, though he was probably older, dressed in a robe that was neither new nor worn out. His neatly trimmed half-white goatee and clean appearance gave him the air of a poor but devout cultivator.
"I see, who are those people over there?" Chen Li gestured with his head.
A large group dressed in uniform blue Daoist robes was chatting not too far away—cultivators from an unknown sect, perhaps?
"They should be from the Returning True Sect," the humble Daoist said, his eyes revealing a hint of envy as he had nothing else to do and looked in that direction.
"You sure are knowledgeable, Elder. By the way, is it difficult to join a cultivation sect?" Chen Li asked curiously.
"You? Don't even think about it. Aren't you already over forty? Dream on at your age. Maybe if you were on the later stages of Qi Cultivation and about to achieve Foundation Establishment, you might have a chance, but otherwise, you can forget about it," the meager Daoist glanced at him.
What does he mean 'over forty'?
What does he mean 'at your age'?
I'm clearly only forty.
Chen Li, feeling somewhat irked for no apparent reason, decided to ignore the elder who was trying to use his age to his advantage, as customers were arriving at his stall.
Due to the much heavier traffic than usual, business was particularly good today, and he sold all three 'Evil-Repelling Talismans' even before the sun was high in the sky.
Chen Li simply took out the 'Featherweight Talismans' and 'Amulets' he had bought a few days earlier and marked them up by one Spirit Stone over the original price.
And to his surprise, they sold.
He made an extra two Low-grade Spirit Stones just like that.
...
Walking home, Chen Li felt the eleven Spirit Stones in the inner pocket of his chest and his steps became lighter. He was immersed in the joy of his earnings.
He was completely unaware that he had already become a target.
As he brushed past a cultivator, he suddenly felt an emptiness in his chest.
He immediately snapped out of his reverie.
Chen Li, whose muscles were finely honed to react swiftly, acted before the other could pull away—a hand as solid as steel instinctively grabbed the perpetrator's wrist firmly.
"Fellow Daoist, it seems you have taken something of mine," Chen Li said, unwilling to initiate a conflict but offering the other an out.
However, often kindness is mistaken for weakness.
Especially in slum areas filled with all sorts, for many Loose Cultivators, robbery and murder were as commonplace as eating and drinking.
"Fellow Daoist, please forgive my poor vision this time. I'll return it to you right now. Please let go of me first," the cultivator said, a forced smile on his face, a glint of malice in his eyes while his free left hand secretly moved towards his waist.
Chen Li breathed a sigh of relief, about to release his grip.
The next moment, he keenly sensed a ripple of Spiritual Power. His skin crawled, and he felt the breath of death upon him. In a split-second, 'Spiritual Power Finger' was instinctively activated.
His counter was faster than the attack!
"Boom!"
An entire left arm exploded at the shoulder.
A cloud of blood erupted.
The Loose Cultivator, his face a mask of disbelief, let out a piercing wail and jerked violently.
Chen Li, reacting instinctively, released his grip and watched in a daze as the other swiftly fled, soon disappearing around the corner.