Chapter 6: Promotion

He has already been promoted to Level 2, yet the other party still gives him a sense of oppression. He suspects that this middle-aged man's realm is certainly not low. Even if he does not wish to respond, he cannot easily offend him.

Chen Taizhong does not plan to sell these fish and meat; he intends to consume them himself

He walked for nearly two hours before approaching the patch of grass. Unexpectedly, a rustling sound emerged, and a large creature, standing 1.5 meters tall and measuring 2.5 meters in length, staggered out. Its eyes, the size of copper bells, fixed intently on him

What a farce! Chen Taizhong scoffed inwardly and closed his eyes to continue his meditation. Upon arriving in the celestial realm, he truly understood what it meant to be surrounded by abundant spiritual energy; he could not bear to waste even a moment of time.

Thus, he smiled faintly, "Meeting is fate; having eaten your roasted rabbit and assisting the young friend in protecting the law, that is merely a small effort. Yet, I did not know that the young friend is actually a practitioner of the Qi Dao... It seems I have acted unnecessarily."

Chen Taizhong naturally enjoyed it all by himself. However, just as he was putting the last piece of fish into his mouth, someone in the distance shouted, "I say, leave me some... the price is negotiable!"

The soil of the Red Valley is red, reportedly containing a large amount of iron. However, in the realm of immortals, very few use mortal iron for refining weapons, so not many pay attention to this place. Instead, it is the frequent thunderstorms that attract a considerable number of Thunder Deers to thrive and reproduce here

He looked around and discovered a small thicket of bushes by the river, about one kilometer away from here. He then walked over, carrying the iron pot, hoping to find shelter there

As this fish was being grilled, there were some indistinct figures around. When it was nearly done, one could even hear the sound of drooling, yet ultimately, no one rushed forward to ask for a taste.

In the next moment, the middle-aged man rushed to the fire pit and saw a pile of fish bones on the ground. He was taken aback at first, then stamped his foot and pounded his chest as he spoke, "I said... I already told you the price was negotiable, so why didn't you leave me some?"

Out of curiosity, the middle-aged man did not hurry to leave; instead, he stood aside and watched. He wanted to see whether the young man, having absorbed so much spiritual energy, would advance to the second level of the wandering immortal or achieve the legendary breakthrough across levels.

However, you have arrived late, and it is futile to say anything further

This valley is vast; with his eyesight, he could not see the boundaries at all. Moreover, the valley is filled with grass and shrubs that are more than half a person tall, making it impossible to see anything within.

The meaning is quite clear; I have already arrived at the thicket. You should go wherever you need to go. If you lack awareness, do not blame me for not showing you respect.

The middle-aged person observed all of this; even though the other party had expelled some spiritual energy, the amount of pure spiritual energy absorbed was still immense, yet it had only resulted in a mere one-level increase

The cultivation method he practices is generally not influenced by external factors, except during critical moments, and he is not afraid of interruptions from outsiders; he perceives the reactions of middle-aged individuals very clearly

The Thunder Deer naturally understands this. Thinking of this, he even felt a bit proud. Silly Tiger, you can continue to wait slowly. As for me, I will find a less dense patch of grass—just enough to hide.

Unexpectedly, when he was still seven or eight hundred meters away from the thicket, a person emerged from within, with several branches stuck to his body. He raised a hand towards him, and an ice arrow struck the ground one meter in front of his face and the book.

That night, he was resting two hundred meters away from the riverbank, as usual lighting a large fire, cleaning and gutting a fish weighing over three pounds, and roasting it over the fire—also using seasonings from the Earth.

Then could you help me roast some wildebeest meat? A middle-aged man took out a leg of horse from the storage bag

At this point, he no longer considered whether he could hunt the Thunder Deer. With wild beasts and hunters surrounding him, he was not in a hurry to hunt the Thunder Deer for at least a while.

Chen Taizhong sat there, completely motionless

The spiritual energy in the wilderness, though not comparable to that of inns and daily rental houses, is still vastly superior to what exists on Earth. Coupled with the nourishing properties of wild beast meat, the question of whether to return to the city becomes rather insignificant.

Ironclad Tiger! Chen Taizhong recognized this creature, and relevant information surfaced in his mind— a powerful entity among the Level 5 wild beasts, with average attack power but exceptionally strong defensive capabilities. It can armor its fur, and even a typical Level 6 wandering immortal may not be able to kill it.

In the next moment, he thought to himself, both the Ironclad Tiger and I can ascertain that this is the optimal hunting ground, so how could the Thunder Deer be unaware of it

He then set up a large pot, resembling a turtle shell, which blocked the view of others. Meanwhile, he took out a set of fishing gear from the Xumi Ring, methodically organized it, and began to sit by the river to fish

After the other party completed their功行, he let out a light sigh, slowly opened his eyes, and couldn't help but ask, "What kind of inheritance is this?"

"When you spoke, I was left with just that piece in my hand," Chen Taizhong replied expressionlessly. He had a good impression of this person, but... this is my food, whether I sell it to you or not is up to me

In the desolate wilderness, the middle-aged man shook his head, acknowledging that the courage of the young friend was indeed considerable. He was aware that his actions were somewhat taboo, yet having acted in this manner, he had his own justification.

He then took a stroll through the surrounding vegetation, and when he returned, he was carrying a large bundle of plants on his back, with the branches and leaves spread out, measuring at least four to five meters wide

This voice sounds familiar. After Chen Taizhong thought for a moment... What? Isn't this the middle-aged man from yesterday?

Without a word throughout the night, early the next morning, as dawn broke, he awoke, carrying a large pot, and headed straight for the Crimson Valley where the Thunderous Deer resided

The middle-aged man stared blankly for a while, and only then did he move his mouth slightly, saying, "Is it really necessary to be so exaggerated just for being promoted to a Level 2 Immortal?"

In the Red Valley, there are many places along the river where the branches and leaves are lush, but there are also many open areas. Chen Taizhong believes that the Thunder Deer would also consider the places with dense foliage to be not very safe

The terrain by the river is also varied; in some areas, there are lush patches of grass that provide good cover. Chen Taizhong looked around and selected a spot, then carefully made his way there, with a large pot on his head.

However, later in the afternoon, a ferocious wild beast appeared in the river. The third fish that Chen Taizhong had caught was about to be pulled to the shore when, suddenly, he loosened his grip. A beast over three meters in length emerged from the river and snatched the fish from the hook.

This auspicious piece of land has been taken by this fellow, Chen Taizhong sighed in anger. However, no conflict occurred between the two predators, which can be considered a stroke of luck amidst the misfortune

It merely took two symbolic steps forward, watching him leave. Once this person had retreated over 200 meters away, it let out a roar and proudly burrowed into the grass.

Staying here for three to five days, there should be some food to fill the stomach, right? In fact, for him at this moment, while this task certainly offers financial gain, it is also essential to emphasize the importance of cultivation alongside making money.

Next comes the long period of lurking. Chen Taizhong examined the surroundings carefully and finally chose the riverside: regardless of the level of the wild beasts, they will inevitably need to eat, drink, and relieve themselves. There is only this one river in the valley; is there any doubt that they will come to drink water?

Chen Taizhong looked him up and down twice before vaguely replying, "I practice the way of Qi."

Those who do not believe in evil are fortunate; by the afternoon, he had caught two breams that spouted water, one weighing over 3 pounds and the other nearly 5 pounds

Chen Taizhong sought a high vantage point, employing both concealment and breath-holding techniques, silently surveying the valley.

Reaching level 3 to level 4 in the Immortal Journey is a threshold, marking the transition from the beginner stage to the intermediate stage

"My inheritance is also incomplete," Chen Taizhong immediately replied, "There is nothing here worth your concern, and besides, he calmly asked, 'Weren't you about to leave just now?'"

Thus, he planted the vegetation in the open area by the riverbank, creating an environment where the plants were relatively sparse, which did not appear too obtrusive.

After speaking, he raised his hand in a gesture of farewell and turned to disappear into the darkness

I must go set the trap, there can be no further delay. A soft laugh echoed in the darkness, the voice gradually fading away. "Those who only show reckless bravery are not good hunters."

He gazed around for a long time but could not discern where the Thunder Deer might be. However, he still had other tasks to attend to—he took out some paint from the Xumi Ring to apply a protective coating to the large iron pot

He joyfully dragged two fish onto the shore, knowing that this was also a weak wild beast of the *illustration* level. Just this amount of fish meat should be able to sell for around two spirit coins in the city.

Chen Taizhong did not rush to the third level; the spiritual energy he absorbed, after being refined within his body, expelled a considerable amount of impure spiritual energy. This process repeated for approximately two hours before he stabilized his second-level realm

However, since it is like this, he devised his own plan—can I not carve out a hunting ground for myself?

Then, he must go against the current.

The armored tiger did not pursue him; the intelligence of a level 5 wild beast is not to be underestimated. It sensed a certain degree of threat from this person.

He also came from the first level of the wandering immortals. Upon witnessing the influx of spiritual energy, which was so thick it seemed almost tangible, he was truly astonished. Such an abundance of spiritual energy was enough to elevate one from the third level of wandering immortals to the fourth level.

The techniques of the airway are indeed formidable, the middle-aged man nodded, his voice tinged with a hint of regret, "Unfortunately, it is truly rare to find a complete lineage of airway transmission nowadays"

Chen Taizhong shook his head, finding it somewhat amusing, as if they had designated hunting grounds here, with each family having its own sphere of influence

He felt utterly powerless, silently lamenting in his heart, yet maintaining a composed expression on his face. After a standoff between him and the tiger, he gradually began to retreat.

"This person... I haven't chased you away either," Chen Taizhong murmured softly. The place he chose is a well-established and relatively safe area, devoid of overly ferocious wild beasts

Chen Taizhong pulled up the fishing line, only to find that the steel wire had been bitten through by that fellow

However, the fishing gear on Earth is truly not very effective; the fishing line has been bitten through repeatedly. In a fit of anger, Chen Taizhong simply tied the fishing hook to a steel wire—he did not believe that you could continue to bite through it.