After Fairy Qinglian departed, Ye Wuchen turned to Li Xue. "Venerable One, I will also be spending most of my time cultivating within the Dream Realm."
"Understood. Yun Xi and I will explore for a bit; I shall seek you out if anything arises," Li Xue replied. With that, she led Yun Xi toward the bustling downtown district of Hundred Flowers City.
Regardless of the time or space, most women enjoyed browsing shops, and goddesses were no exception. Thus, Li Xue and Yun Xi began their stroll through the mist-shrouded city. The streets were lined with a dazzling array of shops offering everything one could imagine: immortal artifacts, pills, talismans, pets, and raiment.
Li Xue’s Five Elements Flying Shuttle and Ice Soul Divine Needles were crafted from divine-grade materials. Under the meticulous refinement of Great Gods like Jin Sang and Lei Yan, they had long since become divine artifacts. She could continue using them after ascending to the Immortal Realm, and having grown accustomed to their operation, she had no desire to replace them. As for her other treasures from the cultivation world, they were no longer viable and had long been phased out.
Li Haoran had already prepared immortal armor and robes for her—spoils of war seized from the battlefields of the Immortal Realms. Although Li Haoran and Li Lin had only been in the Immortal Realm for a few decades, their collection of immortal-grade gear was not yet vast. While Li Haoran’s Divine Spirit World contained top-tier divine artifacts, using them at the level of an ordinary immortal would be a terrible waste of heavenly resources. Thus, they focused on collecting immortal-grade equipment first. One could not earn much simply by working odd jobs in the Immortal Realm; the most effective way to acquire wealth was to legally seize spoils on the battlefield while earning military merit.
The immortal sword Li Lin wielded was named the Fire Shadow Sword. Paired with his Pure Yang Immortal Essence, he had propelled the blade into the top fifty of the Immortal Sword Rankings. He also possessed a divine artifact called the Yuanyang Cauldron; though it was the lowest-grade divine tool in Li Haoran’s collection, it was still renowned on the battlefield. Combined with his Fanqing Immortal Armor, Li Lin had made a name for himself. Together with Li Haoran, they were known as the "Father-Son Immortal Slaughters."
As for the divine artifacts Li Haoran used himself—the Nine-Tailed Divine Whip, the Nine Yang Divine Cauldron, and the Fox Heart Divine Armor—he rarely revealed them in public. They were transcendent King-grade divine artifacts, far too eye-catching. Li Haoran had descended to the lower realms through a secret technique rather than reincarnation; even though his current cultivation was only at the Golden Immortal stage, his soul's realm was that of a Heavenly God. Once his power recovered, his status would naturally return.
The need to seize spoils was one of the reasons Li Haoran and Li Lin were so active on the battlefields. Of course, one had to possess sufficient strength, or they would simply become someone else's target.
Li Xue named her new gear the Luoxue Immortal Armor and the Yunyu Immortal Raiment as a way to remember her history. Consequently, her net worth was quite substantial. One must realize that even for a Heavenly Lord, owning a single divine artifact was a momentous feat.
Because of this, Li Xue and Yun Xi were purely window-shopping; they found ordinary immortal artifacts quite underwhelming.
The two arrived at the city's Western Plaza, which was even more crowded. Many independent immortals had set up stalls here, as one could secure a spot for three days for just five immortal stones. It was not much different from a marketplace in the mortal realm.
In the center of the plaza, a display board rotated through information and advertisements. This was a common, low-level illusionary art, yet it was far more sophisticated than the technology of Li Xue’s past life. If one were interested in a specific piece of information, they only needed to toss in an immortal stone to examine the details with their divine sense, or even be transported to a specific pocket dimension to experience it firsthand.
"Greetings, fellow goddesses," a young Common Immortal said, approaching the two of them.
The hierarchy of the Immortal Realm was divided as such:
*Loose Immortals* were those who failed their tribulation and cultivated via their Nascent Soul; they had to pass nine heavenly tribulations to become true immortals, at which point their realm would jump to Great Golden Immortal, granting them immense power.
*Common Immortals* (Fanxian) was the first realm after a cultivator successfully ascended, divided into early, middle, and late stages.
*Golden Immortals* were also divided into three stages; the late stage was referred to as a *Great Golden Immortal*.
*High Immortals* (Shangxian) were ranked by their military merit on the battlefield. The top hundred were honored as *Luotian High Immortals*, with the top ten being the most powerful.
*Heavenly Lords* (Tianjun) were divided into early, middle, and late stages.
*Nascent Gods* (Chushen) referred to immortals on the verge of ascending to godhood.
"Greetings, fellow immortal," Li Xue replied politely.
"May I ask if you two are looking for work? I have premium listings here. There are over a thousand positions in the manors of Luotian High Immortals and over a hundred in the palaces of Heavenly Lords. Whatever position you desire, we have it. We offer free guidance and excellent pay! Do either of you see something you like?" The immortal spoke eloquently, then pinched a seal to manifest a flyer. It listed hundreds of jobs: tea-serving sprite, herb garden guardian, celestial beast feeder, and so on.
Li Xue stared at the flyer, dumbfounded. *This works here too?* A distant memory surfaced—not from the cultivation world, but from the mortal world. She remembered walking across a pedestrian bridge and being stopped by recruiters asking, "Looking for a job?" or "High-paying positions available!"
"Pfft!" Li Xue couldn't help but laugh. Looking at the official recruitment boards in the plaza, it was obvious this little immortal was soliciting business privately. It was highly suspicious. However, Li Xue didn't lack immortal stones and had no need for a job. "Thank you, but we aren't interested," she said.
The young immortal blinked, nodded politely, and walked away.
Yun Xi frowned and sent a telepathic message: *“Mistress, I think that immortal is trouble.”*
Li Xue nodded and replied: *“As long as they don't provoke us, we shall ignore them.”*
The two continued their walk and arrived at the celestial pet market. Among the vast array of pets, many were beautiful and adorable. Seeing her mistress wandering aimlessly, Yun Xi asked, "Mistress, what are you looking for?"
"Oh, I was just wondering if there were any Jade Rabbits or the like," Li Xue said, thinking of the legends of the moon.
Yun Xi didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She had heard the myths Li Xue told Li Xiaoyin about Chang'e and the Jade Rabbit. While there were rabbit-type divine beasts in the God Realm—the Silver Rabbit Clan—they weren't as famous as the Nine Great Divine Beast Clans. As for whether they existed in the Immortal Realm, she wasn't sure.
"Since the Silver Rabbit Clan exists in the God Realm, there might be some in the Immortal Realm as well," Yun Xi said uncertainly.
"Haha, if there aren't any, then forget it. I'm not lacking for pets anyway," Li Xue laughed.
They browsed the materials market for a while longer until they received a transmission from Fairy Qinglian. Only then did they begin walking slowly back toward the Hundred Flowers Palace. Upon returning to the palace, Fairy Qinglian had opened the Lingyu Immortal Abode. It was one of the highest-grade abodes, boasting the densest immortal qi and the closest proximity to the palace—a privilege usually reserved for those who made significant contributions to the city. Of course, Ye Wuchen could grant it to whomever he pleased; even Emperor Hua could not interfere with the internal affairs of the Hundred Flowers Palace.
As Li Xue and Yun Xi turned down a secluded path, they shared a glance and continued forward as if nothing were wrong. Li Xue’s divine sense was naturally stronger than that of immortals at her level; furthermore, because she practiced the top-tier Snow Dance Divine Art, her perception was at least two realms higher than her cultivation. If she wished to hide her tracks, even a Luotian High Immortal might not detect her. As for Yun Xi of the Cloud Crane Clan, the four divine guards were experts in tracking and scouting.
Four Golden Immortals and the Common Immortal who had approached them earlier were tailing them.
*"Senior Brother, when do we strike? These two look like newcomers,"* one Golden Immortal whispered via transmission.
*"Indeed, we only need two more to complete the batch! Let's move quickly!"* another added.
*"What's the rush? Wait a bit longer and... wait!"* The leading Golden Immortal suddenly gasped in surprise.
The figures at the end of the path had vanished. The faces of the five immortals changed instantly. They summoned their artifacts and looked around warily.
"Fellow immortals, what business do you have following us?" Li Xue and Yun Xi hovered in the air, looking down at the five below with cold gazes.
The lead Golden Immortal’s eyes flickered. He cupped his hands and said, "You two have impressive skills. My greetings!" He then immediately signaled his companions: *"Do it! End this quickly!"*
The five simultaneously launched their artifacts at the two women.
Li Xue’s Five Elements Flying Shuttle flashed with five-colored light, forming a protective barrier around her and Yun Xi.
"It's a divine artifact!" one of the five cried out. Their eyes burned with greed. A divine artifact in the hands of two newcomers—one a Golden Immortal and the other a mere Common Immortal!
The five formed a formation, surrounding Li Xue and Yun Xi. The glow of their immortal artifacts pressed hard against the Five Elements Flying Shuttle.
Li Xue felt the pressure mounting. She continuously circulated her immortal essence to maintain the shuttle's barrier. Suddenly, Yun Xi’s body erupted in white light, and a pair of wings sprouted from her back. She scooped up Li Xue, and with a flash of her wings, she bypassed the encirclement. As she moved, she summoned a violent gale that sent the five attackers tumbling in all directions.
"What kind of immortal art is this?" one Golden Immortal asked, barely steadying himself after several mid-air somersaults.
"Terrifying!" another said, his heart pounding with lingering fear.
The leader’s face turned pale. He hissed to his companions, "Let's go, quickly! We've run into a master!"
"You want to leave? Do you think you can?" A cold voice exploded in their ears like a clap of thunder from the ninth heaven.
"Not good!" "Run!" "A Luotian High Immortal!" The five immediately took flight, fleeing in five different directions.
"Hmph! Audacious fools!" Fairy Qinglian appeared in the air, standing beside Li Xue and Yun Xi.
With a lift of her hand, Fairy Qinglian summoned a green lotus and tossed it into the sky. The petals bloomed at a visible speed, growing wildly until five petals shot out toward the fleeing men.
"Argh!" Five screams echoed from different directions. In the time it took for the lotus to bloom, the five had already fled over a hundred thousand miles, yet they were all intercepted by the petals and dragged back, imprisoned within the lotus.
Fairy Qinglian performed a hand seal, sending a streak of green light into the lotus. With a flick of her wrist, a screen of light appeared before Li Xue and the others. It was a projection formed from the memories of the five men. With a point of her finger, their origins and their goal in kidnapping Li Xue and Yun Xi became clear.
Li Xue was amazed. This was the power of a Luotian High Immortal, and that green lotus was undoubtedly a top-grade immortal artifact.
"North Yu actually dares to stretch its hands into Hundred Flowers City. How bold," Qinglian huffed. She then turned gently to Li Xue. "I apologize for the fright. It was my lack of foresight."
"Fairy Qinglian, you worry too much," Li Xue replied politely. This wasn't Qinglian's fault to begin with.
"The Lingyu Immortal Abode is ready. Please, follow me," Qinglian said softly.
As Li Xue followed her toward the abode, she listened to Qinglian’s explanation. It turned out the group specialized in targeting unregistered immortals. Through deception, lure, or force, they trafficked immortals to the North Yu Immortal Realm. Simply put, they were human traffickers.
Li Xue found it hard to believe that such things happened even in the Immortal Realm. She had expected murder and robbery for treasure, but this? It seemed that even in the heavens, one had to tread carefully; strength remained the ultimate law.
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Ascended Without Me: Cultivating with a Genius Son | Chapter 175 | Danger in the City | Novela.app | Novela.app
