Immortality: Grinding Experience Starting as a Paper Craftsman

Chapter 53 The Shadow Demon Surrenders, A Two-Sided Strategy

The waste disposal site under the cover of night was even quieter than usual.

Gu Yan sat cross-legged beside the pile of discarded bamboo that he had already drained most of, his aura obscure and unclear.

Seven layers of Qi Refining.

While he might not be considered a master in the cultivation world, he was absolutely outstanding among the outer sect disciples.

If you add his master-level paper-crafting skills, Gu Yan's overall combat strength is now enough to even stand up to a typical early Foundation Establishment cultivator.

But he didn't want to be exposed at all.

"The tallest tree in the forest is bound to be felled by the wind. In this world of cultivation where old silver coins are everywhere, playing dumb to outsmart others is the way to go."

With a thought, Gu Yan activated a minor auxiliary spell he had previously memorized from the Scripture Pavilion: the Withered Tree Concealing Breath Technique.

This is a complementary technique to the "Evergreen and Decaying Technique," which allows one to simulate one's aura as that of rotten wood, making it extremely difficult to detect.

Combined with the previously learned "Turtle and Snake Breath Convergence Technique," the two are now one.

As his spiritual energy circulated, his sharp aura, originally at the seventh level of Qi Refining, quickly subsided, finally settling steadily at the early stage of the sixth level of Qi Refining, making him appear weak and frail, as if he were about to collapse.

"Perfect."

Gu Yan patted the dust off his clothes with satisfaction.

Even if a Golden Core cultivator were to scan him with their divine sense, they would only think that he was a useless person whose foundation had been damaged by excessive cultivation.

Having resolved the hidden dangers of the main body, Gu Yan's thoughts drifted into the distance.

He was thinking about his clone, the Blood Swordsman, who hadn't yet found a foothold.

Since breaking through the formation at the Netherworld Pool that day, the Blood Swordsman has been hiding in a Yin vein deep within the Cloud Dream Marsh to consolidate his cultivation.

"We can't let him live like a wild man forever, can we?"

Gu Yan rubbed his chin, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.

Now that the main body has already established itself in the Flowing Cloud Sect, shouldn't the clone also find a backer?

As the saying goes, a cunning rabbit has three burrows.

If we bet everything on the Flowing Cloud Sect, and the sect collapses one day, or our identities are exposed, we'll have no way out.

The most dangerous place is often the safest.

Moreover, the Blood Swordsman does indeed lack the corresponding demonic inheritance; the techniques he had previously acquired were either unsuitable for him or too flamboyant in their style.

Think about this.

Gu Yan thought of Li Tianxing, the young master of the Blood River Sect, whose Yin energy had been mostly devoured by the Blood Swordsman.

The Blood River Sect suffered heavy losses at the Netherworld Pool this time, with not only a large number of disciples dying, but also several Foundation Establishment elders being lost.

The Blood River Sect is currently facing a severe shortage of manpower and urgently needs to replenish its combat strength.

The Blood Swordsman, with his Foundation Establishment cultivation, also practiced a domineering technique that devoured Yin energy, making him even more demonic than a demonic cultivator.

If such a talent were to voluntarily surrender, the Blood River Sect would be laughing in their sleep.

Moreover, the Blood River Sect, a demonic sect, values ​​strength above all else and does not regard origin.

As long as you can fight, as long as you're ruthless enough, you can rise to the top.

This is much easier to get by than the Flowing Cloud Sect, which emphasizes a clean background and has strict rules.

"While the righteous path focuses on developing its strength, the demonic sect seizes resources. This is what we call doing both things well."

Gu Yan thought about it more and more and it seemed feasible.

He closed his eyes and used his divine sense to contact the Blood Swordsman, who was a hundred miles away.

……

On the edge of Yunmengze, there is a desolate valley.

The Blood Swordsman slowly opened his merciless blood-red eyes.

His dark red armor gleamed with a chilling luster under the moonlight, and the Yin energy swirling around him was so dense it seemed almost tangible.

Upon receiving the command from his main body, he did not hesitate at all. With a flicker, he transformed into a blood-red afterimage and sped towards the Blood River Sect's base.

His goal was clear: not to become a lowly disciple, but to become a respected elder or guest minister.

Only by standing at a high vantage point can one truly access the core resources of the Blood River Sect and better coordinate with the main body's plans for the righteous path.

……

The next morning.

As usual, Gu Yan carried two large bags of processed high-quality talisman paper pulp and swayed as he went to the servants' hall on the front mountain.

Today is the day to submit the task at the end of the month.

A long queue had already formed at the entrance of the miscellaneous servants' hall, with many servants pushing wheelbarrows piled high with all sorts of spiritual materials.

Some were complaining that the task was too heavy, while others were worried about having their spirit stones deducted.

When it was Gu Yan's turn, the person in charge of the inspection was still Manager Ma.

Manager Ma was sitting with his legs crossed, sipping tea, not even lifting his eyelids: "Name, mission."

"Gu Changsheng, Qingzhufeng Waste Disposal Site, hand over two thousand catties of bamboo pulp."

Gu Yan gently placed the two storage bags on the table, making a dull sound.

"Two thousand catties?"

Manager Ma paused for a moment, then put down his teacup.

In a godforsaken place like Qingzhu Peak, you'd be considered diligent if you could grind a thousand jin a month.

This kid actually exceeded the target by a factor of two?

He opened the storage bag suspiciously, picked up a little bamboo pulp, and rubbed it.

The next moment, Steward Ma's eyes widened.

The bamboo pulp is as smooth as grease, without any impurities, and even has a faint, cool scent.

This is hardly a substandard product made from scrap materials; it is clearly a top-quality item that can be used to make mid-grade talisman paper!

"You polished this?" Manager Ma looked at Gu Yan in disbelief.

"Reporting to the Immortal Master, I used to do this in the mortal world, so I'm quite skilled."

Gu Yan smiled innocently and handed over a small cloth bag that he had prepared beforehand. "This is some wild ginseng that I picked in the mountains. It's not worth much, but I'm giving it to you to help you recover, Immortal Master."

The cloth bag contained not wild ginseng, but two mid-grade spirit stones.

Steward Ma accepted the cloth bag without batting an eye, his chubby face beaming with a wide smile.

This kid is not only capable, but also sensible.

Even if such a person were to be a menial worker, they would be a top-notch one.

"Good! Very good!"

Manager Ma wrote "Top Grade" in Gu Yan's evaluation column with a stroke of his pen.

"Given your excellent performance, your monthly allowance will be doubled. Also, from now on, you can dispose of the waste from Qingzhu Peak however you like; you don't need to report everything."

This is the effect Gu Yan wanted.

With that statement, Manager Ma would turn a blind eye to any trouble he caused at the scrap yard in the future.

"Thank you for your guidance, Master Ma!"

Gu Yan accepted the spirit stones with profuse thanks and was about to leave.

Suddenly, a shrill voice came from the side:

"Hey, isn't this Junior Brother Gu? Looks like you've had a good harvest this month."

Gu Yan felt a chill run down his spine and turned to look.

Wang Meng, accompanied by two henchmen, was seen blocking the intersection with ill intentions.

His gaze swept greedily over the bag of spirit stones Gu Yan had just received, and he sneered, "Now that you've made a fortune, shouldn't you settle your tea bill for this month? Besides, this bamboo pulp of yours looks quite good; you must have used some kind of secret recipe, right? Why don't you show it to your senior brother?"

Upon seeing this, the surrounding servants and disciples all lowered their heads and made way, fearing that they would get into trouble.

Gu Yan looked at Wang Meng's confident expression and the smile on his face gradually faded, turning into a meaningful calm.

"Senior Brother Wang, the tea fee is no problem. But this secret recipe..."

Gu Yan paused, his voice low, only audible to Wang Meng: "That's a prescription used on a dead person. Are you sure you dare take it, Senior Brother?"

Wang Meng's expression changed, and he was about to lash out when he felt a strange chill rise from the soles of his feet, making him feel inexplicably uneasy.

Why does this kid's gaze suddenly look like he's looking at a dead person?

"Stop playing tricks on me!"

Wang Meng roared, his voice trembling with fear, but he didn't dare reach for the bag again. He just glared at Gu Yan fiercely: "I'll be checking the rooms tonight. You'd better have your things ready. Otherwise... hmph!"

After saying that, he left in a hurry with his men.

Gu Yan watched his retreating figure and gently flicked her sleeves.

"Ward rounds?"

"Perfect timing. My newly trained paper puppets are just missing a target to test their skills on."

Gu Yan withdrew his gaze, and as if nothing had happened, he walked slowly towards the direction of Green Bamboo Peak with his hands behind his back.

Tonight, Qingzhu Peak is destined to be anything but peaceful.

Meanwhile, a hundred miles away at the entrance of the Blood River Sect, a blood-red figure stood proudly, coldly uttering two words to the demonic cultivator guarding the mountain:

"Enter the sect."