Chapter 1780: Sudden Enlightenment

Golden Sparrow Market, Northern Borderland.

The Golden Sparrow Market is a medium-sized market managed by three immortal cultivation families.

Chen Le was a Qi Cultivation realm cultivator and a rogue cultivator by origin. He usually made a living by hunting demonic beasts. His spiritual artifacts were often damaged, but he was reluctant to replace them. He typically had them repaired, only replacing them when they were completely unusable. He simply couldn't afford new ones.

One day, he was strolling through the streets. The shops lining both sides had many desirable items, but he couldn't afford most of them.

Chen Le arrived at a three-story, blue-colored pavilion. A plaque above the entrance bore three large golden characters: "Spiritual Weapon Pavilion." It was a weapon shop.

Chen Le walked in. After a while, he emerged with a look of deep disappointment.

"The price is too high," he muttered to himself. "I need to save some spirit stones to buy a few talismans. I'll be setting off to hunt demonic beasts again soon."

Chen Le mumbled to himself, shook his head, and continued walking.

He visited over a dozen weapon shops. Some charged exorbitant prices, some simply refused to do business with him, some offered poor quality, and some required ten days to half a month for repairs.

Before he knew it, dusk had fallen. The streets were bustling with people and very lively.

"Huh," he mused, "Green Lotus Hall, a newly opened weapon shop?"

Chen Le stood at the entrance of a small shop. It wasn't large, and the owner was a tall young man in a blue shirt. Judging by his spiritual energy fluctuations, he was a Qi Cultivation realm cultivator. The shop displayed some spiritual artifacts, none of which were of high rank.

He mustered his courage and walked inside.

"Do you repair spiritual artifacts?" Chen Le asked, as he took out a blue flying dagger that had lost its hilt and had two nicks on its blade.

The young man in blue nodded and said, "Of course. It's our grand opening, so it's fifteen spirit stones."

"When can I pick it up?" Chen Le pressed. Fifteen spirit stones wasn't an expensive price.

"We don't have much business right now," the young man in blue said with a smile. "I'll repair it for you immediately. You can pick it up in the time it takes to steep a cup of tea."

Chen Le's face brightened with joy, and he said, "Excellent, then I'll leave it to you."

The young man in blue called out, "Wife, please come out and look after the shop. We have a customer."

Soon, a young woman in a blue dress with exquisitely beautiful features emerged from the backyard. The young man in blue and the young woman in blue were none other than Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan. They had previously experienced the life of mortals and were now experiencing the life of low-level cultivators.

Wang Changsheng carried the blue flying dagger into the backyard while Wang Ruyan chatted with Chen Le.

A short while later, Wang Changsheng emerged, holding a gleaming blue flying dagger.

Chen Le's eyes widened. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would have thought he had bought a new spiritual artifact.

"My name is Chen Le," he asked politely. "May I ask for your name, fellow cultivator?"

"My surname is Wang," Wang Changsheng replied with a smile. "This is my wife."

"So you're Shopkeeper Wang," Chen Le said, handing over the spirit stones. "Here are the fifteen spirit stones. From now on, I'll buy my spiritual artifacts from you. If the quality remains this good, I'll recommend you to my companions."

Chen Le paid the spirit stones and left in high spirits.

Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan exchanged a smile, neither of them saying a word.

Five years later, at Green Lotus Hall.

Wang Changsheng was engrossed in a thick ancient book when Chen Le strode in. There was a terrible scar on his face, and his left arm was missing.

"Shopkeeper Wang, have the items I requested been refined?" Chen Le asked. He had been buying spiritual artifacts from Green Lotus Hall for several years, appreciating their excellent quality. It was a pity, though, that the shopkeeper was only at the Qi Cultivation realm and could only refine spiritual artifacts.

Wang Changsheng nodded with a smile and took out three light red spherical beads. "I refined these using a secret technique," he said. "Each one is comparable to a blow from a Foundation Establishment realm cultivator. Fellow Daoist Chen, please use them carefully; they are single-use items."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing," Chen Le said. "Thank you, Shopkeeper Wang."

Chen Le paid the spirit stones and left with the three red beads.

Wang Ruyan emerged from the backyard. She watched Chen Le's receding figure and let out a soft sigh, saying, "I wonder if he'll make it back alive."

Green Lotus Hall sold spiritual artifacts and talismans of good quality, attracting many Qi Cultivation realm cultivators. Over time, they gained a loyal base of repeat customers. However, some of these repeat customers suddenly disappeared. Before their disappearance, they had all purchased a batch of magical artifacts from Green Lotus Hall, naturally for hunting demonic beasts.

Some Qi Cultivation realm cultivators returned severely wounded, no longer able to hunt demonic beasts. They stopped pursuing the Grand Dao of Immortality, settling down to marry, have children, and live ordinary lives. If their descendants also had poor aptitude, they could only repeat their ancestors' path, while only a few cultivators with good aptitude managed to join a sect.

The lives of low-level cultivators were not easy, especially for rogue cultivators. Very few could rise to prominence. Over these five years, their old customers had been replaced batch after batch.

"Cultivation is like sailing against the current; one either advances or retreats," Wang Changsheng sighed. "This is his choice, and others cannot help him. If he wishes to go further on the path of immortality, he can only rely on himself." He was also speaking these words to Wang Ruyan.

Wang Ruyan nodded thoughtfully and said nothing.

One year later, at Green Lotus Hall.

Wang Changsheng was chatting with Wang Ruyan when Chen Le strode in. His aura was significantly stronger than before; he had clearly advanced to the Foundation Establishment realm.

"Fellow Daoist Chen... no, Senior Chen," Wang Changsheng said with a congratulatory smile. "Long time no see. I wondered why you hadn't visited our Green Lotus Hall. So you've advanced to the Foundation Establishment realm! Congratulations!"

"Thanks to the spiritual artifacts Shopkeeper Wang sold me," Chen Le said gratefully, "otherwise, I might not have survived, let alone advanced to the Foundation Establishment realm." Then, he changed the subject and said, "I have joined the Sun family. Are you interested in working for them? With your artifact refining and talisman crafting skills, if I speak on your behalf, you will certainly be able to join the Sun family. The Sun family has as many as three Core Formation realm ancestors, and it would be easier for you to reach the Foundation Establishment realm if you join them."

"Thank you for your kind offer, Senior Chen," Wang Changsheng politely declined. "We appreciate it."

Chen Le tried to persuade them repeatedly, but Wang Changsheng still refused.

"Alright!" Chen Le said. "If you change your minds, you can contact me anytime. I'll take my leave."

Chen Le bid farewell and left.

"He has taken the wrong path," Wang Changsheng remarked. "It's fine to rely on others when one is weak, but if one only thinks of relying on others, they will never amount to much."

Wang Ruyan nodded and said, "Everyone has their own path. Different paths can still lead to the same destination. It still depends on how he walks his path. If he takes a wrong turn, he can still correct it. What I fear is him stubbornly persisting and making mistakes all the way."

Half a year later, the Sun family had a conflict with another force, and Chen Le died in that conflict.

Green Lotus Hall subsequently closed down. As time passed, other cultivators gradually forgot about the small shop called Green Lotus Hall.

South Sea, Golden Gull Sea.

A giant blue turtle, over a hundred zhang in size, floated on the sea surface. Its head resembled a Qilin; it was indeed a Qilin Turtle.

Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan sat on the Qilin Turtle's back. Wang Ruyan was playing a piece of music, and melodious zither sounds drifted through the air. Wang Changsheng held a thick ancient scroll, reading it with great interest, while beside him, a delicate blue incense burner released faint wisps of sandalwood fragrance.

Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan had traveled the Dongli Realm for over twenty years. They had visited the Eastern Barrens, Central Plains, Northern Borderland, and Western Desert, experiencing different lives. Assuming identities such as mortals, knights, merchants, and low-level cultivators, they had gained many profound insights.

During this period, Wang Changsheng had consumed a fifth-grade Dragon Core and the Golden Marrow Bone Forging Pill, further strengthening his physical body.

According to the artifact spirit, the Golden Marrow Bone Forging Pill was to enable him to wield the Nine Flood Dragon Drum, an artifact that could only be wielded by body cultivators.

The Qilin Turtle's speed was not fast, but Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan sat on its back as if on flat ground.

After a while, the zither music became rapid and filled with a chilling, murderous aura.

Wang Changsheng turned to look at Wang Ruyan. He noticed she had closed her eyes, her brows tightly furrowed.

The zither music grew increasingly rapid, making listeners feel agitated and eager to immediately engage in battle with an enemy.

With a thought from Wang Changsheng, the Qilin Turtle stopped.

He flicked his sleeve, and eighteen Sea Stabilizing Beads shot out, transforming into eighteen beams of blue light that streaked outwards in all directions.

He chanted a spell, and a rumbling sound erupted as the sea surface immediately burst open. Centered around the Qilin Turtle, eighteen massive blue water pillars surged from the sea within a three-hundred-li radius. The eighteen blue water pillars shot high into the sky, converged, and formed a thick blue water curtain, encompassing the entire three-hundred-li radius.

"No one is allowed to approach this area," Wang Changsheng's voice resounded in the sky, clearly audible within a thousand-li radius. "Violators will be severely punished without leniency."

Wang Ruyan's eyes were tightly shut, and her face was somewhat ashen. She seemed to have encountered something that greatly angered her.

Waves of blue sound vibrations swept out, repeatedly striking the sea surface. The sea surface immediately burst open, and waves splashed everywhere.

Time passed gradually, and low-level fish demons surfaced one by one. Their bodies showed no external injuries, but their internal organs had all been shattered by the vibrations.