Immortal Freeloader 89 (Patreon)

[Cultivation Difference Bonus - 50; Pampering Bonus - 75 (Capped)]

[125x Return - Calligraphy Lesson - Major Immersion]

[125x Return - Verdant Brush Talisman Technique Lesson - Minor Immersion]

[125x Return - Nataba Formation Technique Lesson - Major Familiarity, Minor Accomplishment]

[125x Return - 429 Qi Strands]

As I left the palace, I was used to having a set of notifications to accompany me, but this time, I had two more gifts. One was my new sword in an ordinary sheathe to hide its extraordinary nature, and the other was a large bag, filled with jade stones for laying down formations, and talisman papers.

Two objects I needed the most, giving me confidence that I could improve the formation I had created for Pearyin significantly. As usual, I went to a cave before activating the rewards I had received, sublimating the lessons I had received.

The feeling of constant improvement was fascinating.

“If only I received more spirit stones as a reward,” I muttered. Pearyin gifted me a hundred spirit stones, which would be enough to jump-start a second garden back at the formation. Unfortunately, I couldn’t use them without making her suspicious about their sudden disappearance.

So, I had to rely on the reward. I decided to pull one of them from my Inventory, to see what the difference was. However, the moment I reached it, a large rock, similar to a small brick appeared in my hand, containing a hundred strands.

“Alright, now I see why the return was like that,” I said with a big smile, happy with the way System paid back even as I put the spirit stone into my storage ring. A hundred and twenty spirit stones of that size meant more than ten thousand strands of Qi.

More than enough to establish the formation and serve Pearyin’s needs at the same time.

I thought about reaching into my inventory and pulling the other sword, but I decided to delay it. Yellow Grade artifacts were enough for the cultivators to massacre each other, I didn’t want to tempt fate with a Black Grade sword unless I had no choice.

I had the storage ring, but treating it as absolutely safe was a dangerous assumption. It was much better to keep it in my Inventory as a trump card, if I faced a threat I couldn’t deal with two Profound Peak artifacts, and hundreds of Yellow Grade talismans that I could create thanks to my new paper delivery.

With everything done, I went to Pearyin’s cave. She was meditating. “Good morning, sweetie,” I greeted her.

“Good morning, master,” she answered as she stopped meditating, and stood up to give a traditional curtsy.

“Start gathering your stuff, we’re going back to Markas,” I said.

I expected a comment or a question, but she just nodded before she started packing her very limited personal effects. I shook my head. Even now, I was still surprised by her excessive obedience. While she busied herself packing, I collected the talismans I had spread around, noting that the Qi in the cave had already drained. Surprising, as I calculated the purified Qi should have kept her going for another day at least.

And, since I could see there was no leak, it meant her absorption had quickened.

“Give me your hand,” I said, and she did so. I probed her cultivation, and saw that her dantian was finally complete, which was far stronger than mine or Aisnam’s, though it was not a surprise considering the amount of Qi she had consumed to finally reach the first stage of Qi Gathering, significantly more than a cultivator required to reach to the Peak of the Qi Gathering realm.

I let her hand go, expecting her to ask a question. She did not. “You have finally reached the first stage, congratulations,” I said.

“I … I did,” she whispered, her expression split between elation, surprise, and worry. Understandable, particularly with the unique circumstances of her cultivation, progressing automatically without her involvement.

Even for me, meeting her consumption was a challenge. And I was cheating shamelessly.

“Perfect,” I said as I carefully uprooted the spirit plants and put them into my storage ring.

“Let’s go,” I said, and we started traveling toward Markas. The journey allowed me to observe the speed of her Qi-starvation. Luckily, while the amount of Qi she needed had increased, her improved cultivation had also come with a stronger body, giving her more time before her Qi starvation turned deadly.

We didn’t talk much as we moved, using the opportunity to test the benefits of her new cultivation. While she didn’t have any Qi in her dantian — all available amounts already absorbed by her first gate to boost her cultivation — the passive improvement she had received alone was enough to show the incredible nature of her cultivation.

In raw power, she was stronger than me, though it wasn’t as shocking as her comparison with Aisnam. Their passive improvement was close enough that I wouldn’t be able to say which one was stronger without direct competition.

A shocking result considering there were seven minor stages between them, which was supposed to be impossible to surpass.

I continued observing her as we covered the distance, but she soon noticed the many forts between the capital and Markas. “What’s going on?” she asked.

“Tiger Fist army preparing to attack Markas,” I started before giving her a rough breakdown of the situation. However, I didn’t mention what I had been doing to protect Markas at first, watching to see if she was alarmed by it.

I wanted to see how she would react to the distress of the city she had once lived in, but she seemed not to be particularly torn up about it. However, considering she had been living as an indentured servant there, maybe it was my mistake to expect patriotism from her.

“Do you need me to do anything, sir?” she asked.

“No. I have everything in hand,” I said. “I just want you to stay in the formation I prepared for you and cultivate… Speaking of it, we’re already there,” I said.

She gasped. “All those flowers. They are beautiful, sir.”

“Good, it’s going to be your new home,” I said as I pointed at the valley, and opened the formation, allowing her to walk in. “Now, the rules.”

“Your wishes, my command, sir,” she said, dedicated.

“Excellent. We have only three of them. The first rule: never reveal yourself unless you have no other choice. No matter what happens outside,” I said. “The formations will prevent anyone from accidentally coming here, so don’t believe if anyone visits, faking distress.”

She nodded.

“Good. Let’s move on to the second rule. If anyone manages to discover you, tell them an immortal had taken you as a disciple, and he set up the valley for you to cultivate until he returns. If they insist on attacking, activate the defenses and kill them.”

Another decisive nod, showing that she was far more comfortable with the idea of killing than I was.

“Excellent,” I said as I carved her a small sigil out of stone, and imbued it with my Qi before passing it to her. “This is a part of formation, and it’ll allow you access to formation. Don’t lose it, or you can’t walk out.”

She nodded again.

“Excellent,” I said. “Now, why don’t we walk into your new home,” I said, and together, we walked into the valley, which had nothing but a nice spring. The moment we walked into the formation, the Qi the formations had collected gathered around her, filling her body. Her face lost its tenseness.

While she looked around, I grabbed a piece of wood. A slash of my Qi dagger, and it turned into a nice plague. I carved a name to it, using my dagger. Normally, carving on wood required specialized equipment, but as my Calligraphy improved, I wasn’t limited by such pedestrian concerns. Everything could be a tool.

The benefits of Major Immersion were incredible.

There were only two words to it.

Seeking Immortality.

Pearyin gasped as she saw the text, which was not an exaggeration. The words carried the full weight of my Calligraphy skill, creating an oppressive feeling. “I want you to build an extra cottage. No need to put any furniture inside, but hang this plague inside. If any intruder manages to break in, they might be intimidated.

After all, there were many tales of seclusive masters walking around the world. I didn’t know just how common it was in reality, but I was more than happy to use it as a shield at the last minute.

“I will do so, sir,” she said, and immediately started working. She didn’t have any tools but a small knife, but she didn’t need any either. Not when she could casually break trees with a punch. She was getting stronger.

”Good, feel free to decorate the valley as you wish. It’s going to be your home from now on,” I said. Meanwhile, I turned back.

I still have formations to set. And, with the spirit stones I received from the System, I finally had the materials to do so.