Chapter 66: We Independent Cultivators Really Have It Hard

Chen Ye waited patiently until the bone-chilling screams from within the cave had completely faded, then stepped onto the warning formation outside the cave entrance.

As his foot came down, the formation was instantly triggered, emitting a faint ripple of spiritual power.

Not long after, three cultivators walked out of the cave side by side.

Lu Fusheng spotted Chen Ye at a glance, and a brilliant smile instantly spread across his face, his enthusiasm making it seem as though they were old, close friends.

"Daoist Chen, you've emerged from seclusion already? I was thinking that since you expended so much mental energy upon entering the valley, you should have rested for a few more days."

While speaking warmly, Lu Fusheng raised his hand to beckon Chen Ye, and the four of them found a spot to sit beside the flowerbed outside the cave.

Chen Ye pretended to know nothing of what had happened inside the cave, calmly chatting and drinking tea with the three of them.

Lu Fusheng had nothing good to offer as a host; it was merely rough stone chairs and a stone table, and the tea was ordinary, yet Chen Ye felt a long-forgotten sense of comfort welling up in his heart.

He had not had such leisurely times for a long while.

Before, when drinking tea with Su Chunyi, he had first worried about saying the wrong thing and having his head chopped off, and later, the affairs of Cui County had kept him from settling his mind.

Now, sitting with a few friends and chatting leisurely, it felt like something from a past life.

Although they had only just met, all four were independent cultivators, and once they began discussing matters related to cultivation, they quickly grew familiar, like old friends of many years.

After some pleasantries, Chen Ye formally introduced himself to the other two cultivators; they were Hou Lu and Chang Shou.

Hearing the two men's names, Chen Ye found them amusing.

"Longevity" and "Abundant Prosperity" both carry auspicious and beautiful meanings; combined with Lu Fusheng, the three names together perfectly formed "Fortune, Prosperity, and Longevity," truly a remarkable coincidence.

Chen Ye had originally thought the three had gathered here purely by chance, but he did not expect Chang Shou to suddenly smile self-deprecatingly and explain, "To be honest, I was not originally named this. But after meeting this young brother Lu Fusheng, I saw that he had entered the Qi Sea Realm at such a young age, and I thought he must be a person of deep fortune, so I decided to borrow some of his luck and changed my name."

Hou Lu, listening from the side, quickly nodded in agreement, saying, "That's right, that's right; you really shouldn't disbelieve this. After Brother Chang changed his name, his days have gone smoothly, and even his cultivation has become much smoother. Seeing this, I changed my name too. Now that the three of us are gathered together, we have Fortune, Prosperity, and Longevity all complete."

Chen Ye found it novel and interesting to hear this, and couldn't help asking curiously, "Is it really that magical?"

Chang Shou, the eldest, was the most uninhibited; tapping his teacup, he said, "Don't disbelieve it. For cultivators in the Qi Sea Realm, living to two hundred years is the limit. For us ordinary independent cultivators, most exhaust their lifespan without ever being able to fill the Qi Sea."

"I originally thought I would be the same, unable to break through before my lifespan ran out. But since changing my name, the speed of my cultivation seems to have truly increased. I am already one hundred and seventy-four years old this year, and I even have a chance to attempt the Gao Sha Body Refining."

Lu Fusheng refuted, saying, "That's all stretching the truth; if this effect were real, all the ascended elders should be named Fortune, Prosperity, and Longevity."

Hou Lu said, "You're just lucky and won't admit it, probably afraid we'll be jealous. Brother Chang can say it's self-consolation; when his mood is good, his cultivation is faster. But what about me? After I changed my name, I had great luck too!"

"The second day after changing my name, I discovered an elder whose lifespan had run out; he had sat in meditation and passed away in a cave. According to the rules of the Hundred Seas Valley, since he had no family or disciples, I buried this elder and received his inheritance. Good heavens, it was worth a full two hundred Cang Zhu!"

Chen Ye's smile became somewhat awkward.

He had heard Lu Fusheng say that renting a pill furnace in the Hundred Seas Valley for one day required ten Cang Zhu, and the pills that could be refined using such high-grade furnaces often took half a year or more to produce.

The pills he had casually given away when he first entered the valley were worth far more than several hundred Cang Zhu.

And the pills in his hand were merely daily items carried by disciples of the Incense-Burning Sect.

For them, having a chance to break through when their lifespan was nearly exhausted was considered immense luck; accidentally finding an elder's inheritance, a mere two hundred Cang Zhu, they regarded as "heavenly luck."

This is what it means to be an independent cultivator.

They are not necessarily stupider than others, nor necessarily lazier than others, but simply because they lack pills and exquisite secret techniques, they can only waste away in the long river of time, squandering their entire lives in vain.

It is no wonder Lu Fusheng was so servile when he saw the disciples of the Incense-Burning Sect.

For independent cultivators, a single treasure casually bestowed by a disciple of a famous great sect might change their fate, or even concern life and death.

Chen Ye pondered silently that if he had not encountered continuous miracles along his path, he would probably still be working hard every day slaughtering pigs and cattle to refine Blood Pills, and would have to be constantly on edge, fearing encounters with "righteous cultivators" like Wei Changsheng who would easily strike and injure others.

In the high great sects, those who can cultivate to immortality are one in ten thousand; but for independent cultivators, those who can live past two hundred years are rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.

Just like that elder who sat in meditation and passed away whom Hou Lu encountered, he likely never broke through the Qi Sea Realm in his lifetime, and exhausted his lifespan in the cave.

Chen Ye couldn't help recalling a poem he had read in his past life:

"Fly light, fly light, I urge you to a cup of wine."

"I know not the height of the blue sky, nor the thickness of the yellow earth."

"I only see the cold of the moon and the warmth of the sun, coming to fry human lifespan."

Thinking thus, Chen Ye felt a mixture of emotions in his heart.

He truly could not laugh, so he silently lowered his head, took a sip of tea, and pretended to savor its bitterness.

The three of Fortune, Prosperity, and Longevity did not notice this; they were still enthusiastically introducing the Hundred Seas Valley to Chen Ye. Most independent cultivators were like them, finding a place in the valley to close off and cultivate in seclusion, and aside from a few close friends, they had little interaction in daily life.

However, every so often, there would be a gathering in the valley for mutual exchange, trading needed techniques and heavenly treasures.

Chang Shou introduced, "Brother Chen has arrived at a convenient time; not long from now there will be a gathering. I heard that the five Righteous Sects will all send disciples to participate; if you're lucky, you might obtain many good things."

Lu Fusheng said enviously, "Brother Chen doesn't need to mooch off our excitement like us; he already has a good relationship with the disciples of the Incense-Burning Sect."

Lu Fusheng still remembered that when Chen Ye entered the sect, two disciples of the Incense-Burning Sect had warmly come to greet him, while he himself had been completely ignored; the difference was obvious at a glance.

"Really? The Incense-Burning Sect?"

"That is truly enviable."

Seeing that all three were like this, Chen Ye hurriedly explained, "Brother Lu misunderstood; my relationship with the Incense-Burning Sect is actually not good. The two who came that day were not friends, but came to trouble me."

The three of Fortune, Prosperity, and Longevity all wore amused smiles upon hearing this.

It was not uncommon for the Incense-Burning Sect to trouble independent cultivators, but they had never heard of them needing to smile and feign cordiality while causing trouble.

Were these disciples of great sects, who looked down on everyone, really so humble?

The Incense-Burning Sect only needed to spread some news, and Chen Ye would be unable to move a single step in this Hundred Seas Valley.

Chen Ye feared that if the three of Fortune, Prosperity, and Longevity misunderstood and used this to seek connections with the Incense-Burning Sect, they would truly come to great misfortune.

Chen Ye could only emphasize, "The three of you really must not misunderstand; my relationship with the Incense-Burning Sect is indeed bad. I am even afraid of implicating the three of you; I had a conflict with Wei Changsheng of the Incense-Burning Sect..."

Chen Ye explained the matter of his grudge with Wei Changsheng in detail, leaving the three of Fortune, Prosperity, and Longevity greatly shocked.

They did not expect such a tortuous story; then this grudge was quite deep. They also did not expect Wei Changsheng to be so unreasonable, striking to kill without giving anyone a chance to explain; did he really think the lives of independent cultivators were not lives?

Chen Ye helplessly said, "Looking back now, I was somewhat rash at the time; I only thought that with the support of the Qinghe Sword Sect, I could offend this Wei Changsheng, but I did not expect him to chase all the way into this Hundred Seas Valley."

Lu Fusheng said, "Brother Chen, what fault is there in slaying demons and monsters? The only fault lies with that Wei Changsheng being arrogant and domineering; can such a person still be considered a disciple of the Righteous Path? He is not even as good as us independent cultivators."

Hou Lu chimed in as well: "In recent years, the reputation of the Incense-Burning Sect has indeed grown worse. I heard they have even stopped holding their once-a-decade Heart-Questioning Ritual; perhaps they are trying to become a path of heterodoxy."

Chang Shou, being older, was not so radical; he merely stroked his beard and sighed deeply: "Where exactly is the line drawn between Righteous, Demonic, and Heterodox paths? Except for the Qinghe Sword Sect, everyone seeks immortality, and immortality knows no distinction between good and evil. The Righteous Path has many rules but few disciples, making inheritance difficult. We of the Heterodox scattered cultivators live in freedom and ease, yet lack resources, making cultivation arduous. There is no strategy in this world that achieves both."

Chen Ye also felt some emotion; the path of cultivation is indeed arduous, especially for scattered cultivators.

Just as all four were sighing with lament, Chen Ye suddenly heard that familiar voice coming from behind him.

"I have finally found you."

Chen Ye turned around and saw Mo Sui Xin appear behind him, looking at him with cold eyes.