Immortality: Grinding Experience Starting as a Paper Craftsman

Chapter 147 Undercurrents Surge, Wind Rises in Dongzhou

The latest work by the author "A Monkey from Huaguo Mountain," titled "Immortality: Starting as a Paper Craftsman to Gain Experience," is exclusively released for the first time!

The snow from early spring has melted.

Under the eaves of the houses in Changning County, snowmelt gathers along the gray tile gutters and drips onto the bluestone slabs below, making a crisp sound.

Water droplets splashed everywhere, landing on the coarse cloth shoes of passersby.

At this time, a full three months had passed since the world-destroying lightning tribulation that shocked Dongzhou.

Over the past three months, Changning County has seemingly returned to its former bustling state.

The market on South Street was still bustling with activity, the sounds of vendors hawking their wares and haggling mingled together, and long queues formed in front of the steaming bun shops.

But in the shadows unseen by ordinary people, this small county town harbors deadly secrets.

The top-floor VIP room at the Yuelai Inn in the east of the city is always closed.

Occasionally, a gust of wind would blow open a crack in the window, revealing several traveling merchants sitting cross-legged inside, their auras chilling and their faces stiff.

Their divine senses were like invisible nets, relentlessly enveloping the county government office of the Demon Suppression Division day and night.

At a fortune-telling stall in the west of the city, a blind fortune teller held a few copper coins in his hand, seemingly divining for passersby, but his ears were constantly listening for even the slightest fluctuation of spiritual energy deep within the earth's veins.

A dozen or so sects, large and small, and hundreds of elite spies, like a pack of wild dogs that had smelled blood but dared not go forward to bite, stared intently at every corner of Changning County.

That Nascent Soul expert has indeed left; all sects have confirmed this through secret methods.

But how many trump cards did that powerful figure leave behind for Gu Yan before leaving? Just how strong is the formation in Changning County? How many times can Gu Yan use the Nascent Soul Law within him?

These questions became a thorn in the side of all the major powers.

They dared not act openly, but they were unwilling to give up Changning County, a treasure trove that had been proven to hold great opportunities. So they could only use this endless covert surveillance to test Gu Yan's bottom line.

……

In the study in the backyard of the Demon Suppression Division.

Gu Yan sat in front of the charcoal brazier, holding a cup of coarse tea in his hand.

The rising steam from the tea blurred his slightly pale, sickly face.

Song Hong pushed open the door and walked in, bringing with her a chilly aura.

She slammed a thick stack of account books onto the desk, her brow furrowed with barely concealed menacing intent.

"Junior brother, these bastards are going too far."

Song Hong lowered her voice and gritted her teeth: "In these three days, there have been seven fights in the South Street market. On the trade route outside the city gate, our three caravans were intercepted and inspected. Although no one was injured or robbed in the end, the goods were ransacked."

She sighed and said, "They're forcing us to take action and probe the strength of our Demon Suppression Division."

Gu Yan blew on the floating tea leaves, took a small sip, and remained calm.

"What did Senior Brother Xiao say?"

"Last night, Senior Brother Xiao drew his sword on the city wall and used his sword energy to force back two evil cultivators who were at the half-step Golden Core stage. But that was only a temporary solution. Those spies are like flies; you drive one group away and another comes in."

Song Hong frowned, her hand resting on the hilt of the knife at her waist.

"Junior brother, if we let them continue like this, the rules established in Changning County will become a laughing stock for everyone."

Gu Yan put down his teacup and stood up.

The hem of his dark robe swept across the ground as he walked to the window and pushed it open.

A cold wind, carrying the chill of early spring, blew against his face. He looked at the gray sky, a cold smile curving his lips.

"Rules have no weight if no one breaks them. They want to test my hand, so let them see it."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a deafening roar came from the south of the city.

Immediately afterwards, a black distress signal shot into the sky, exploding in mid-air into a blood-red plum blossom.

That was the highest-level alert issued by a captain of the Demon Suppression Division when facing a life-or-death crisis.

Gu Yan's eyes sharpened, his figure blurred, and he disappeared into the study as a blur.

……

The South Street market was in complete chaos.

The stalls on both sides were overturned by the violent spiritual power, and various fragments of magical artifacts and pills were scattered all over the ground.

Ordinary cultivators fled in terror in all directions, trembling under the eaves in the distance.

In the very center of the street, Xiao Chen knelt on the bluestone slab.

His black outfit was torn in several deep gashes that exposed bone, and blood flowed down his arms, dripping onto the Broken Karma Sword in front of him.

The sword emitted an extremely high-pitched and mournful sword cry.

Opposite Xiao Chen stood a burly man with a cross-shaped scar on his face.

The burly man was dressed in tattered clothes of a rogue cultivator, and the spiritual energy emanating from his body was already approaching that of a Golden Core cultivator.

His eyes were empty and lifeless, devoid of fear or pain; clearly, he was a puppet that had been created by someone.

"The rules of the Demon Suppression Division? You dare to lecture me!"

The scarred, burly man let out a roar like a wild beast, gripping a large, barbed, ghost-head-shaped sword with a ghastly green flame burning on its blade.

This strike sealed off all of Xiao Chen's escape routes.

The ghastly green poisonous fire, carrying excruciating pain that burned the soul, was clearly some extremely vicious sect secret technique.

At this moment, a dozen powerful divine senses hidden in the shadows also fixed their gazes on the battlefield.

They are waiting.

Wait for Gu Yan to appear, and wait for the so-called trump card left behind by the Nascent Soul stage expert behind Gu Yan to be triggered.

If Xiao Chen is killed without any reaction, then Changning County is just an empty shell, easily slaughtered by anyone.

Just as the giant, ghost-headed blade was less than three feet above Xiao Chen's head...

A figure suddenly appeared between the two of them, as if strolling leisurely.

Gu Yan held the folding fan in his right hand, put his left hand behind his back, raised his head, and looked at the descending blade.

He did not activate the Divine Demon Golden Core within his body, nor did he release any pressure beyond the Foundation Establishment stage.

He simply and very discreetly tapped the bluestone slab with the tip of his foot.

"Black Tortoise Formation, activate."

An immense, overwhelming force, as if the entire earth veins of Changning County had been turned upside down, descended upon the scarred strongman in an instant.

The burly man was suspended in mid-air, like a fly being struck by a massive hammer.

"Bang."

After a muffled thud.

The burly man's body slammed into the ground at ten times the speed he had used when he jumped.

The hard bluestone slab was smashed into a pit three zhang wide.

The burly man's legs were instantly pulverized into a bloody mist, and the ghost-headed broadsword in his hand was crushed in half by the terrifying force.

"puff."

The burly man spat out a mouthful of black blood mixed with fragments of internal organs, collapsing at the bottom of the pit like a lump of mud, a hint of fear finally appearing in his empty eyes.

Gu Yan stood at the edge of the pit, looking down at him.

He knew that countless eyes were watching him from the shadows, so his face revealed a perfectly timed expression of weariness and fury.

He abruptly closed the folding fan in his hand, pointed at the burly man at the bottom of the pit, and his voice, amplified by spiritual power, resounded throughout the entire Changning County.

"Before my master left, he repeatedly instructed me to refrain from committing murder and to preserve the original power of this city-protecting formation for self-defense. I, Gu Yan, am an honest man who wins people over with virtue, but you petty villains really think Changning County is a sick cat!"

Gu Yan spoke with great emotion, and even coughed twice on purpose, covering his mouth with his sleeve, pretending that the backlash from the formation had aggravated his old injuries.

He took out a bright yellow talisman from his pocket. The talisman was decorated with extremely complex patterns drawn with cinnabar and exuded a faint aura of destruction from a Nascent Soul cultivator.

In reality, this was just a fake that Gu Yan casually made with waste paper and a little bit of divine and demonic spiritual power, but in the perception of those spies, it was definitely a trump card left behind by a Nascent Soul cultivator.

"Since you don't follow the rules, then let's test the power of this Soul-Destroying Talisman on behalf of my master."

Gu Yan made a move to throw the talisman down.

The spies observing from the shadows gasped in shock. Several powerful divine senses that had been locked onto Gu Yan withdrew instantly as if struck by lightning, fearing that they would be tainted by the aura of a Nascent Soul cultivator.

The burly man at the bottom of the pit was indeed a puppet, but faced with the terrifying pressure of the Nascent Soul rules, his soul instinctively collapsed.

He tried to beg for mercy, but he couldn't even move his lips.

Seeing that the fire was almost ready, Gu Yan flicked his wrist and put the talisman back into his pocket.

"Killing you would sully my Changning County."

Gu Yan turned his head and looked at Song Hong, who had arrived with a large number of officers. His tone returned to its usual shrewdness and cunning.

"Sister Song, cripple his Qi Sea and strip him of all his storage bags and magical artifacts. Also, according to the rules of our Demon Suppression Division, damaging the street paving stones and frightening the people of the city will result in a fine of 100,000 low-grade spirit stones. If he can't pay, hang him on the city gate and let him bleed until he bleeds to death."

"Yes, junior brother."

Suppressing her laughter, Song Hong swiftly severed the strong man's meridians with her knife and dragged him away like a dead dog.

Gu Yan walked to Xiao Chen's side, took out a bottle of high-quality Rejuvenation Pills from his sleeve, and tossed it over.

"Senior Brother Xiao, you've worked hard."

Xiao Chen took the medicine bottle, nodded silently, sheathed the Broken Karma Sword, and gave Gu Yan a deep look.

There was no gratitude in his eyes, only deep awe.

He was closest to the enemy and knew better than anyone else that the power that overwhelmed them just now was not the source of any formation, but rather the supreme pressure that flashed through Gu Yan's body.

The riot was quickly quelled.

However, its impact was like a storm, quickly sweeping away all the spies lurking in Changning County.

They witnessed firsthand Gu Yan's composure in mobilizing the city's protective formation and personally felt the chilling aura of a Nascent Soul cultivator emanating from that talisman.

The conclusion was quickly relayed back to the major sects: Gu Yan possessed a trump card powerful enough to instantly kill a Golden Core cultivator, and the formation in Changning County could be activated at any time. Therefore, before this young master exhausted his trump card, Changning County should not be attacked forcefully!

The undercurrents that had been hanging over Changning County were finally forced to retreat deeper underground by this domineering blow.

Gu Yan turned around and walked back to the county government office.

He knew that this kind of trick of using someone else's name to make a big deal out of nothing could fool people for a while, but not forever.

As long as he doesn't leave Changning County, these old foxes' probing will never truly stop.

He needs a bigger stage to acquire more resources and to openly and legitimately improve his strength, instead of forever staying in this beginner's village.

Back in the side room, the tea had just cooled down.

Gu Yan picked up his teacup, about to drink, when a clear sword sound suddenly came from outside the door.

The sword's cry carried no murderous intent whatsoever; instead, it exuded an ethereal and chilling quality.

Gu Yan frowned, put down his teacup, and walked into the courtyard.

A streak of snow-white sword light pierced the clouds in the sky and fell into the backyard of the Demon Suppression Division like a shooting star.

The sword light faded, revealing a tall and slender figure.

The newcomer was dressed in snow-white clothes, with long hair untied, only tied back with a plain ribbon.

Her face was aloof and cold, like a fairy who had stepped out of the Moon Palace.

When those cool eyes saw Gu Yan, a hint of tenderness flashed across them.

"Senior Sister Shen."

Gu Yan quickly stepped forward, his face immediately plastered with that honest and warm smile.

"It's such a remote place as Changning County, how could I trouble you to make the trip yourself, Senior Sister? Please come in, I'll have someone prepare some top-grade spiritual tea right away."

Shen Youwei looked at Gu Yan's slick and mercenary demeanor and gently shook her head.

"No need for that. I've come here on the orders of the sect leader."

Shen Youwei did not go inside, but stood under the red plum tree in the courtyard. With a wave of her hand, three simple jade boxes flew steadily toward Gu Yan.

The jade box shimmered with a spiritual light, indicating that what was inside was extraordinary.

Gu Yan took the jade box with both hands and looked at Shen Youwei with a puzzled expression.

"These are rewards from the sect. On the left is a hundred-year-old jade marrow, which can help you temper your physical body. In the middle are three flawless foundation-building pills, which can help you stabilize your foundation. On the right is a jade slip containing the core inner sect cultivation technique of the Flowing Cloud Sect."

Shen Youwei's voice was cold and clear, as if she were reading an official document.

"The sect leader said that you have rendered meritorious service in guarding Changning County and have also encountered a great opportunity. The Liuyun Sect will not mistreat its meritorious officials. From today onwards, your monthly allowance will be the same as that of a true disciple of the sect."

Gu Yan's heart skipped a beat.

The old guys from the Flowing Cloud Sect completely regarded him as the link to that Nascent Soul expert.

The abundance of these things was intended to firmly bind him to the chariot of the Flowing Cloud Sect.

"Senior sister, I cannot accept such a reward without merit. The sect has suddenly bestowed such a generous reward upon me; I am truly humbled."

Gu Yan feigned surprise and repeatedly declined.

You shouldn't be afraid.

Shen Youwei looked directly at Gu Yan, her tone becoming serious.

"These rewards are not only for you, but also for the Eastern Continent Daoist Grand Competition a year from now."

"The Eastern Continent Grand Competition?"

Gu Yan was taken aback.

He had lived in Changning County for decades, and when he read through the classics, he had naturally heard of the name of this grand competition.

That was a grand event encompassing the entire cultivation world of Dongzhou, including all the top sects, aristocratic families, and even reclusive sects.

It is held every sixty years, and its purpose is not only to exchange ideas and discuss the Dao, but also to redefine the ownership of spirit stone mines and secret realms in various parts of Dongzhou.

In the past, such competitions were a stage for the geniuses and prodigies of various sects to compete, and had nothing to do with a minor official like him.

"The sect leader has ordered that in this Eastern Continent Grand Competition, the Flowing Cloud Sect must send all its true disciples to fight, and you, Gu Changsheng, must also go along."

Shen Youwei looked into Gu Yan's eyes and said, word by word.

"Why me? With my meager Foundation Establishment cultivation, wouldn't I be bringing shame to the sect if I went?" Gu Yan said with a wry smile.

Shen Youwei sighed and, unusually, offered a few more words of explanation.

"Because you are now a disciple of a Nascent Soul Grandmaster. If you don't go, what will the other sects think? They will think that the Grandmaster has abandoned you, or speculate that the Flowing Cloud Sect is feeling guilty. The sect leader needs you to wear the Flowing Cloud Sect's Daoist robes and sit upright on the grand stage of the competition to announce it to the world. Therefore, this is not only a competition, but also a show of strength between sects."

Gu Yan remained silent.

He saw through the schemes of the Flowing Cloud Sect's higher-ups.

They wanted to treat Gu Yan as a living Buddha, placing him before all the major powers in the entire Dongzhou.

As long as he sits there, those forces will have to consider the face of that non-existent Nascent Soul Master when dividing up the spoils.

This is an open conspiracy, and it also pushes him into the limelight.

At the same time, this is also the opportunity that Gu Yan has been looking for.

Changning County is too small. Although the spiritual energy has become more abundant after the earth veins have been restored, it is only enough to stabilize his Golden Core cultivation.

To think that one can go further without the help of external things is a pipe dream.

To gather materials for crafting higher-level paper figures and to seek the legendary opportunities to condense one's inner energy, one must leave this beginner village and venture into the truly vast world.

The Dongzhou Grand Competition is undoubtedly the best springboard.

"Since Senior Sister has already said so much, if Junior Brother still refuses, he would be ungrateful."

"Since Senior Sister has already said so much, if Junior Brother still refuses, he would be ungrateful."

Gu Yan put the three jade boxes into his storage ring, his silly smile fading, and his gaze gradually calmed.

"Please inform the sect leader that Gu Yan will definitely report to the Liuyun Sect Master Peak on time one year from now, and will never tarnish the sect's reputation."

Shen Youwei stared blankly at Gu Yan, whose demeanor had suddenly become calm and composed.

She nodded, made a sword gesture, and transformed into a streak of light, soaring into the sky.

"Junior brother, prepare well. The competition is fraught with danger; don't die out there."

The cold, clear voice dissipated with the chilly wind.

Gu Yan stood alone in the courtyard, letting a few red plum blossoms fall on his shoulder.

He looked out at the vast sky beyond the courtyard wall and took a deep breath of the crisp early spring air.

The divine and demonic golden core within the body sensed its master's fighting spirit and emitted an extremely deep hum.

The chess game in Changning County has ended.

Next, it's time to go to this vast Eastern Continent and stir up some trouble.