I Am A Corpse Collector In The World Of Cultivating Immortals

Chapter 15: Breakthrough in Cultivation, Turmoil in the Grand Competition (Two-in-One, Seeking Collection and Recommendation)

Ps: Update first, revise later

"I was careless. I shouldn't have said that in the heat of the moment."

Returning to the attic, Chen Shen, who was preparing to refine pills, suddenly wondered if he had gone too far. His friendship with Lu Changqing was not false, but it seemed unreasonable to become so close after only a few months of knowing each other.

Lu Changqing would bring him fine wine and food every day, and Chen Shen remembered that. But if they were to look at it from a broader perspective, it was still a transaction. Chen Shen took care of his daytime duties, and Lu Changqing brought him food, which was only fair.

Lu Changqing might not have any ill intentions, but if someone with ulterior motives were to notice the pills and spiritual tools he refined in the small secret realm, it could cause trouble if they traced it back to him.

He might expose himself.

One must always be cautious and vigilant. With his weak strength, he had to be careful with his words and actions.

Considering the various possibilities, Chen Shen hesitated. In the end, he made up his mind: "There are already too many incidents of killing for treasures and betrayals. I can't take the risk."

The next morning, Lu Changqing looked puzzled as he accepted the jug of wine handed to him by Chen Shen.

"What about the things we agreed on?" Lu Changqing asked, feeling disappointed. He had stayed up all night, expecting Chen Shen to bring him a surprise.

But all he got was a jug of wine? And it was just the common Drunken Flower Brew found in taverns?

"Congratulations in advance on your triumphant return, Senior Lu!" Chen Shen smiled.

Lu Changqing couldn't make sense of it, so he could only nod and say, "Thank you for your kind words, Junior Brother."

After Lu Changqing left, Chen Shen's days became monotonous. Besides listening to the bell toll for collecting corpses, he spent his time cultivating at home.

Ding ling ling!

"Ever since Lu Changqing went on his training, the number of corpses he brings back every day has increased," Chen Shen muttered to himself as he walked along the road.

The dead were all outer disciples, ranging from the third to the fifth level. There were none from the sixth level.

The benefits these outer disciples brought him were already minimal.

The mid-grade spiritual roots couldn't be supplemented by these damaged and low-grade spiritual roots.

He had already learned all the Divine Abilities and spells, and gaining more insights wouldn't be of much use. They were ultimately just the most basic techniques.

"It's a pity that the sect has stricter control over life-and-death battles among inner disciples and above. They even prohibit conflicts leading to death in the small secret realm."

He sighed with regret, then his expression turned serious. "How could I have such thoughts? This is a sign of approaching demonic cultivation. No, I must remain calm and not pray for the deaths of sect members for personal gain. That would be evil cultivation."

In the following days, before collecting the corpses, Chen Shen would silently recite the Clear Mind Mantra.

This was a commonly used mantra for cultivating the mind and nurturing one's character. It could clear the mind and calm the spirit, promoting good deeds and suppressing evil ones.

But as the number of corpses delivered each day increased, the rewards from the system remained scarce.

Chen Shen became restless again, and the Clear Mind Mantra couldn't suppress his inner turmoil.

For two consecutive days, his face turned pale, and it seemed like he was truly starting to fall into demonic cultivation.

Ten days later, Chen Shen looked disheveled, his eyes bloodshot, and his aura became chaotic and unruly.

Under the setting sun, he sat in front of a newly erected grave, tightly closed his eyes, and kept reciting the Clear Mind Mantra.

But the chaotic aura within him grew stronger, faintly indicating signs of falling into demonic cultivation.

He didn't know how long he had been sitting at the grave, but the turbulent aura within Chen Shen unexpectedly began to calm down. Gradually, it returned to a state of tranquility.

He opened his eyes, and the dim pupils began to reflect the bright stars of the heavens, becoming radiant.

"It's not that I'm seeking quick success and instant benefits, but my thinking had gone astray," he murmured.

"I should definitely pray for the death of the high-ranking members of the sect, because that way I can become stronger. But my prayers are not spells, so what does it have to do with me? The stories of the martial world are their own, life and death are in their own hands. I just made a prayer, and the entanglement of cause and effect is not on me. If making a wish can be fulfilled, why bother cultivating immortality? Just lie down and relax."

Chen Shen's eyes became brighter, and his whole body was glowing.

"Cultivating immortality and seeking the Dao is essentially about competition. They compete for wealth, partners, and techniques. All I ask for is to bury their bodies. I have never intervened in anyone's life or death, so why should I reflect on myself?"

"The one I should be most grateful to is the system, the system that gave me everything. The prosperity of the sect has nothing to do with me. Without the system, I would have died in the hands of Ye Shuangman or Ma Ruhai long ago. Of course, I have to pray for their deaths, because that's how I can become stronger and protect myself. If this is considered evil cultivation, then I will become the greatest evil cultivator in the world!"

Chen Shen seemed to have gained enlightenment, realizing that one should be willing to die after hearing the Dao.

His aura began to grow stronger, and the spiritual energy around him continuously gathered here.

Seeking the Dao does not require a vast and boundless world, nor does it require being heartless. Chen Shen's eyes emitted a gleam of light: "In this lifetime, I don't seek grandeur, I only seek immortality!"

As he finished speaking, it seemed like he broke through some kind of restraint within his body, and his cultivation level rapidly increased.

Boom!

Chen Shen felt exhilarated, with a smile on his face.

He had just broken through to the seventh level, but unexpectedly, he broke through again and reached the mid-stage of Qi Refining at the eighth level!

Moreover, his foundation was stable, without any instability.

Chen Shen stood up and stretched his body, which hadn't moved for a long time.

Then, he walked towards the attic.

As a result, he saw Lu Changqing, who was full of energy, walking towards him.

Chen Shen greeted him with a smile on his face, "Congratulations on your return, Senior Brother."

"Junior Brother Chen, I have made a breakthrough. I have reached the fourth level of Qi Refining. How about that? Am I impressive or not?" Lu Changqing patted Chen Shen's shoulder, showing off incessantly.

"Let me tell you, I obtained a lot of treasures in the small secret realm this time."

After chatting for a while, they each went home. Lu Changqing needed to sort out his gains, while Chen Shen needed to cultivate.

One day, while meditating in his room, Chen Shen suddenly frowned. He heard a rumbling sound.

Ah~

It seemed like a woman's voice.

Chen Shen pulled up the curtain on the second floor and happened to see a woman with a flushed face and a seductive look walking out of the opposite room.

The woman seemed to notice him and even threw a flirtatious glance at Chen Shen.

Then, Lu Changqing, with a beaming face, walked out of the room and waved to the woman.

Huh?

He noticed that someone on the second floor opposite was staring at him. Lu Changqing blushed instantly, his face turning red all the way to his neck. After a while, he said, "A peaceful cultivation life needs a bit of excitement, right, Junior Brother Chen?"

The latter nodded, indicating his understanding.

For several consecutive nights, Chen Shen could hear faint moans coming from the underground palace.

Later, after drinking, he found out that Lu Changqing and his senior brothers had taken them to the Hehuan Tower. The other disciples had experienced it before and didn't think much of it.

But Lu Changqing was still a novice, as if he had opened the door to a new world and couldn't stop himself.

Going to the Hehuan Tower for an overnight stay was quite expensive, so he called the female cultivators who took private jobs from the outer sect.

The price was very favorable.

In the blink of an eye, another month passed, and Chen Shen celebrated his second Spring Festival in the Cangwu Immortal Sect.

Many disciples who were involved in worldly matters had taken leave to go home, including Lu Changqing.

But when he went to ask Sun Steward for leave, he was unsuccessful. The reason was that Heaven Burial Mountain needed someone to guard it and he couldn't take leave.

In fact, Chen Shen understood in his heart that the Immortal Mountain was too high and mortals couldn't walk down on their own. Sun Steward didn't want to arrange a cultivator to take him down the mountain.

There were many mortals in the Immortal Sect who could go home for the New Year, but the prerequisite was having a good master.

Lu Changqing was eager to go home, but he left too early and couldn't help.

Chen Shen hesitated for many days before deciding to go back to Cang Country to take a look, but he was ruthlessly rejected.

"Forget it, I'll just stay at Heaven Burial Mountain to cultivate." He turned and left.

And so, time passed once again.

When everything revived, Lu Changqing returned and Chen Shen's cultivation had reached the late eighth stage.

"Junior Brother Chen, I heard that you didn't go back, so I specially brought some local specialties from our hometown."

Lu Changqing stood in front of the attic door and shouted.

The two of them had a delicious meal, and Lu Changqing, slightly intoxicated, said that he wanted to give up his bad habits and use all the spirit stones for cultivation.

The next night, Chen Shen heard the sound of the bed opposite shaking, from around seven or eight in the evening until the sky was slightly bright the next morning.

The intervals were very short!

It was really a long-awaited rain after a long drought, so strong!

Over half a month later.

The annual outer sect competition was in full swing, and Lu Changqing went out early and returned late, with fewer bad habits.

And Chen Shen successfully cultivated his cultivation to the late eighth stage using the resources allocated to inner sect disciples.

He casually asked the other person about the reason for his reduced habits at the dinner table.

Lu Changqing slammed the table: "What do you mean by habits? How could I be that kind of person?"

Then he said again:

"Now that Senior Brother is aiming for the top three in the competition, we are thinking of ways to bring down the only competitor."

It turned out that there weren't many outstanding people in the outer sect this year, with the highest being at the mid-stage of Qi Refining, a total of four people.

His eldest brother was also at this level.

Two of them followed the grandson of that elder and were rumored to have been given a middle-grade spiritual weapon, almost securing the top two spots.

Lu Changqing's eldest brother and another person could only compete for the third place.

So even before the finals, there were some conflicts between the two, and their respective subordinates wanted to take down the other's leader.

"What is meant to be mine will come to me, why force it?" Chen Shen didn't quite agree with this approach.

He felt that either don't do it, or do it decisively.

The grandson of the elder was a playboy and had a bad reputation in the outer sect. He was probably a troublemaker and lawless person.

It would be better to gather evidence of the grandson's wrongdoing and send it to Lin Shujin.

Let Lin Shujin, who hated evil, take care of the elder's grandson, and then join forces with the other competitor to bring down the top two, each taking a seat, and let his own subordinate compete for the third seat.

Chen Shen subtly conveyed his thoughts, but unexpectedly surprised Lu Changqing: "Junior Brother Chen, I didn't expect this!"

The other person looked Chen Shen up and down several times: "Usually, you seem like a gentle little brother, I didn't expect you to be so ruthless."

"I was just joking, how could you guys provoke the grandson of the elder? Last time, Lin Shujin stood up for his own maid, but this time there's no benefit involved, so he definitely won't take action. You mustn't take it seriously."

Chen Shen defended himself, he was a well-behaved and upright young man.

"How could that be? We're not idiots, why would we provoke Jin Ao, the elder's grandson? Are we looking for death?" Lu Changqing shook his head.

A few days later, he returned to Heaven Burial Mountain with injuries.

"Senior Brother Lu, did you guys have a fight?" Chen Shen exclaimed in surprise.

It's really youthful and energetic, just doing it when you say it.

Although Lu Changqing's mouth was bleeding, he was in a good mood: "Someone has already implemented your idea."

"What? I just said it casually, and you guys actually did it," Chen Shen exclaimed.

His idea was quite risky, not to mention the danger of collecting evidence against Jin Ao. The most crucial part was Lin Shujin.

Whether that prodigy was truly jealous of evil or just standing up for her maid, if the other party ignored it, everything would be in vain.

Lu Changqing smiled and shook his head: "It wasn't our people who did it. I deliberately leaked this idea to the opposing group, and it seems that a few idiots really wanted to do it."

Another five days passed, and this time Lu Changqing's injuries were even more severe than last time, covered in blood.

With an unpleasant expression, he said, "I was careless. Those brats didn't dare to deal with Jin Ao at all. Everything was just to make us vigilant."

"How many died?" Chen Shen could tell from his demeanor that it was another bloody battle.

"One. Those people are like a bunch of mad dogs, desperately trying to kill our big brother. We fought to the death, and a fellow disciple who had a good relationship with our big brother ended up getting his throat cut while trying to block a sword."

Lu Changqing gritted his teeth, filled with killing intent.

"If it weren't for the law enforcement disciples arriving, I would have made sure the main culprit stayed there too."

After Buddha Bole arrived, they could only scatter, otherwise it would be troublesome if they were caught.

Chen Shen looked at the heavily injured Lu Changqing and thought to himself, if it weren't for the law enforcement disciples, you would have stayed there too.

"Let's focus on healing first, and leave other matters aside for now." He helped Lu Changqing into the house and comforted him.

The next night, Lu Changqing left Heaven Burial Mountain.

The reason was that the finals were approaching, and in order to prevent that senior brother from being assassinated or injured, everyone who followed him would be on guard day and night.

Chen Shen couldn't persuade him, so he could only watch the situation develop.

Fortunately, everything went smoothly, and neither of the big brothers were attacked before the finals.

In the afternoon of the finals day, Lu Changqing returned to Heaven Burial Mountain with good news, bringing a lot of delicious food for Chen Shen: "My big brother has entered the inner sect. From now on, I, your brother, have inner sect disciples supporting me."

"Congratulations, senior brother!" Chen Shen sincerely congratulated him.

In order to send that big brother into the inner sect, several lackeys had died.

But it seems that the big brother was quite capable and actually made it to the top three.

"I won't be coming back tonight, my senior brother has gone to report to the inner sect. We've arranged to meet at the outer sect tonight. Let's drink together next time."

He was truly a sincere person, the first to bring good news to Chen Shen and even brought food.

However, not long after nightfall, Chen Shen, who was hiding in the underground palace practicing, heard footsteps on the ground.

"Lu Changqing?" He hid in the room and peered at the figure outside, furrowing his brows.

Then, pretending not to be asleep, he walked out of the attic.

"Huh? Senior brother Lu, aren't you celebrating?" Chen Shen asked in surprise.

On the other side, Lu Changqing walked over with a dim look in his eyes, as if he had lost his soul.

It wasn't until Chen Shen called him three times that he snapped out of it.

"Oh, junior brother Chen, you're still not asleep? You should rest early, we still have work to do tomorrow," Lu Changqing smiled.

He was about to leave and return to his own attic, but he found that Chen Shen hadn't left and was still standing there watching him.

Sighing, he said, "Then, junior brother Chen, would you like to have a drink with me?"

"I would be delighted," Chen Shen smiled and nodded.

After drinking a few cups, Lu Changqing suddenly burst into tears:

"That bastard Han Jun is a heartless wolf. He never thought about avenging Xiaoma. He abandoned all of us who risked our lives for him."

Han Jun was the big brother he had been following, and Xiaoma was the disciple who blocked the sword for Han Jun.

(End of this chapter)