102: Cause and effect are severed.

The quiet room was dustless, and time passed silently.

In the secret chamber beneath Listening to Rain Pavilion, Gu Changsheng sat cross-legged on a bed of Profound Ice Jade.

Three years.

Three full years had passed since that bloody battle on Lingyun Peak.

In these three years, the outside world had been turned upside down, with rivers of blood flowing. The friction between the Eastern Barren Cultivators and the Southern Border Demonic Cultivators had escalated into a full-scale war.

News of Cultivators falling reached them every day.

But Gu Changsheng was like a stone sunk into a deep pool, not even a bubble emerging.

Except for having Zhou Tong deliver his monthly Cultivation resources, he had never stepped out of this secret chamber.

Hoo.

Gu Changsheng exhaled a mouthful of turbid Qi, which condensed into a white streak in the air, lingering for a long time.

"Still a little short."

He opened his eyes, which held no trace of the tranquility of years of seclusion, but rather a rare hint of vexation.

Early Foundation Establishment Stage Perfection.

The Azure Origin spiritual power in his body had long accumulated to its peak, and the spiritual liquid in his Dantian was as viscous as mercury. With just a gentle push, he could break through that thin barrier and enter the Middle Foundation Establishment Stage.

Yet, every time he tried to break through, a figure's back would inexplicably appear in his mind.

Lin Yi.

That resolute, iron-willed figure who had flown north on his sword.

And that gray Storage Pouch, which he had pressed to the very bottom of his Storage Ring.

"Karma."

Gu Changsheng murmured, his fingers gently tapping his knee.

The System panel did not display any red risk warnings, meaning there was no external enemy lurking.

But this hurdle was not external; it was internal.

Cultivating Immortality means Cultivating the Heart.

He had taken someone else's things, accepted this Karma that could change his fate, yet he had cast their entrustment to the back of his mind.

Normally, this might just be a minor issue, but at the critical moment of breaking through a Realm, this speck of dust would be infinitely magnified, turning into a giant rock blocking his Dao Heart.

His thoughts were not clear.

"Forget it."

Gu Changsheng stood up and stretched his stiff joints, his bones cracking like popping beans.

"Since I can't avoid it, I'll go and settle this worldly affair."

He flipped his palm, and that dusty gray Storage Pouch appeared in his hand... Below Black Iron Peak, near the Mine Slave Camp.

This was the edge of the Taiqing Sect's outer perimeter. Although not as rich in Spiritual Qi as the Inner Sect, it was much better than the actual mine slave areas.

Several rows of neat gray-tiled huts were situated on a relatively flat slope, surrounded by even a few vegetable patches growing mundane vegetables.

Although the air still carried the smoky scent of the mining area, the suffocating stench was gone.

A middle-aged scholar, dressed in a faded scholar's robe with a sallow complexion, slowly walked across this peaceful slope, fanning himself with a broken folding fan.

Gu Changsheng suppressed all his aura, restricting his cultivation to the third layer of Qi Condensation, disguised as a down-and-out Loose Cultivator scholar.

Following the vague address Lin Yi had left in his memory, he turned into a clean alley.

At the end of the alley was a tiled house with a small courtyard. The courtyard, though not large, was quite tidy.

A half-person-tall jujube tree grew in the corner of the wall, with some unripe small fruits hanging among its branches and leaves. Under the eaves hung several strings of dried chili peppers and corn, giving it a touch of Mortal life.

"Yi'er's father, slow down, watch the threshold."

A gentle, concerned female voice came from inside the house.

Gu Changsheng paused slightly and quietly released his Divine Sense.

The furnishings inside the house were simple but complete, and the materials used were solid. A couple who appeared to be in their early sixties were sitting at a square table in the main hall.

The man's hair was already graying, but his spirit was still good. He was looking at a somewhat damaged ledger-like book in the light from the window, his fingers gently tracing it.

The woman had a kind face, her hair meticulously combed. She was bending her head, mending a faded old garment that had been washed, her stitches fine and dense.

Although their clothes were not silk, they were clean, neat, thick, and warm. Their complexions were rosy, indicating that they were clearly not lacking in food or clothing, nor did they show any signs of illness.

On the table sat a pot of coarse tea, two ceramic bowls, and a small plate of peanuts.

These were Lin Yi's parents.

Gu Changsheng understood.

It seemed that although Lin Yi could not personally arrange things before he left, he must have left some valuables or entrusted someone to secretly look after them, at least freeing the elderly couple from the bitter sea of being mine slaves, and providing them with a stable, well-fed old age in this relatively secure "settlement area" where they could shelter from wind and rain.

Immortals and Mortals walk different paths, but this bond of kinship and the effort to care for them ultimately left a trace of human warmth on the edge of this cruel Cultivation World.

Gu Changsheng felt no great emotional stir, only a calm sense of "as expected."

He did not knock on the door, nor did he intend to reveal himself.

Since Lin Yi chose to make arrangements in secret, there must be a reason for it.

If he were to appear rashly, he might break this layer of protection and attract unnecessary attention. For the two elderly people, peace and stability were the greatest blessings.

Gu Changsheng's finger moved slightly.

An invisible spiritual power barrier quietly unfolded, enveloping the entire small courtyard, ensuring that the subsequent actions would not leak out.

"Sleep."

He chanted silently in his heart.

A simple calming spell, carried by the gentle breeze, silently seeped into the house.

The old man reading the ledger and the old woman sewing simultaneously let out small yawns, their eyelids growing heavy. Their work fell from their hands, and they leaned back slightly, soon emitting even, steady breathing as they fell into a deep sleep.

Gu Changsheng's Divine Sense moved again, and the gray Storage Pouch appeared out of thin air on the only Eight Immortals table in the house.

The pouch opened.

Several sets of brand-new, thick, soft, and well-tailored cotton clothes and trousers, several packets of high-quality cured meat and dried wild game carefully wrapped in oil paper, a small bag of refined rice, a stack of excellent quality silver ingots and some Broken silver (broken silver) exchanged for Mortal currency, and some Medicinal Pills usable by Mortals, were neatly arranged on the table.

On top, pressed down, was an unsigned letter.

The content was very simple, only a few words: "Your son is well outside, with many opportunities and smooth Cultivation. Do not worry."

"Sending back some expenses with this letter. I hope my parents take care of their health, do not overwork, and live peacefully. Do not search or ask; I will return when the time is right."

The handwriting was sharp and upright, faintly exuding a restrained keenness. Even a Mortal unversed in Cultivation could feel the peace and certainty of the letter writer.

Having done all this.

Gu Changsheng did not linger, turning and merging into the shadows of the alley.

He did not go far, but stood under the dense shade of an old locust tree a few dozen feet away, quietly waiting.

Half an hour later.

The effects of the medicine in the thatched hut wore off.

The old woman was the first to wake up.

She instinctively reached for the water bowl by the bed, but her hand touched the pile of soft cotton clothes on the table.

A suppressed gasp broke the silence of the night.

Immediately after, came the faint glow of an oil lamp being turned up.

The two elders, with trembling hands, held the family letter, discerning each word by the dim lamplight.

"It's Yi'er... it's Yi'er's handwriting!"

"Old woman, look, Yi'er hasn't forgotten us... he's still alive..."

Suppressed sobs came from the thatched hut.

It was crying from extreme joy, and also an outpouring of years of grievances.

The old couple hugged the pile of cotton clothes, as if holding their long-lost child, crying like two helpless children.

Standing on the treetop, Gu Changsheng felt a soft click in his spiritual platform.

Crack.

Some invisible shackles had broken.

That stagnant feeling that had lingered in his heart, hindering his thoughts from flowing freely, vanished into thin air at this moment.

It was replaced by an unprecedented clarity and transparency.

"Mission accomplished."

Gu Changsheng withdrew his gaze, without a trace of lingering attachment.

He was just a messenger.

And a passerby who settled Karma.

Lin Yi's filial piety had reached them, the elderly couple's later years were secured, and his promise was fulfilled.

As for the future?

Each person has their own destiny.

Gu Changsheng's figure flickered, turning into a breeze, and disappeared into the vast night... Listening to Rain Pavilion, secret chamber.

The heavy stone door slammed down, isolating all worldly clamor.

Gu Changsheng sat back on the jade bed, cross-legged.

At this moment, his state of mind was perfectly harmonious, like an ancient well without ripples.

"Is this what 'clear thoughts' means?"

He smiled slightly, then his eyes narrowed.

Since the Heart Demon was gone, if not now, then when?

Whoosh.

Gu Changsheng waved his sleeve.

Hundreds of Mid-Grade Spirit Stones flew out, falling into specific positions, instantly forming a small Spirit Gathering Array.

The Spiritual Qi concentration in the secret chamber surged rapidly, quickly turning into a faint white mist.

But this was not enough.

Gu Changsheng flipped his palm, and a jade box with a Spirit Sealing Talisman appeared in his hand.

He peeled off the Talisman and opened the lid.

A fruit, entirely emerald green and shaped like a baby's fist, lay quietly within, exuding intoxicating vital essence.

heavenly spirit fruit.

This was a top-tier foundation establishment spiritual object taken from the Ling Family's treasure vault back then, containing vast wood Origin, and was the best tonic for Cultivating the Withered Wood Meets Spring Scripture.

"Swallow."

Gu Changsheng opened his mouth and inhaled.

The heavenly spirit fruit transformed into an emerald green stream of light and entered his abdomen.

Boom!

It was as if a volcano, dormant for a hundred years, erupted within his body.

A massive and terrifying vitality instantly filled his limbs and bones. The originally calmly flowing Azure Origin spiritual power instantly boiled like ignited oil, raging wildly.

Pain.

The excruciating pain of his Meridians tearing apart.

But Gu Changsheng's expression remained unchanged, not even a frown.

He formed hand seals and chanted the incantation of the Withered Wood Meets Spring Scripture.

"Wither and flourish in order, life and death in Reincarnation."

"Wood can generate fire, fire perishes in earth, earth generates metal, metal restrains wood..."

As the Cultivation Technique circulated, the skin on his body rapidly withered and cracked, becoming rough and gray like old tree bark.

This was the 'Wither' state.

The vitality within his body was extremely compressed, condensed into a single point in his Dantian and Qi Sea.

One breath.

Two breaths.

Three breaths.

The moment that desolation reached its peak.

"Open!"

Gu Changsheng roared in his heart.

That vitality, compressed to its extreme, suddenly burst open.

Withered Wood Meets Spring!

His withered skin instantly peeled off, revealing skin as fair and resilient as a newborn baby's.

A vibrant green light radiated from his body, illuminating the entire secret chamber like an emerald world.

Inside his Dantian.

The spiritual liquid lake, which was originally only a shallow layer, was now rapidly expanding.

Ten zhang.

Twenty zhang.

Fifty zhang!

It only slowly stopped after expanding to a hundred zhang in circumference.

Above the lake, azure mist steamed, and a faint, illusory towering tree swayed within the mist—that was his Dao Foundation phenomenon, the Longevity Wood.

Buzz.

A powerful Divine Sense fluctuation swept outwards from Gu Changsheng.

It penetrated the secret chamber, passed through Listening to Rain Pavilion, and even extended several miles into the forest.

The rustling of wind, the falling leaves, and flying flowers were all under his control.

His Divine Sense range had doubled!

Gu Changsheng slowly opened his eyes.

Two streaks of green light flashed in the darkness, like lightning cutting through the night sky.

"Middle Foundation Establishment Stage."

He clenched his fist, feeling the spiritual power surging like a river within his body, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

Not just the growth of spiritual power.

More importantly, his Lifespan.

The Withered Wood Meets Spring Scripture was already adept at preserving health, and after breaking through to the Middle Stage, his Lifespan limit had increased by at least ten years.

Living longer was the absolute truth.

"Stable."

Gu Changsheng was not in a hurry to leave seclusion.

He spent three full months thoroughly solidifying his rapidly increased Realm until that sharp vitality was completely restrained and became unadorned, only then did he summon the System panel.

"Check recent intelligence."

During his three years of seclusion, although he hadn't left, the daily intelligence refreshes had never stopped, though he mostly just skimmed them.

Now that he was out, it was time to see the state of the world.

[Intelligence 1: High-ranking officials of the righteous and Demonic Paths secretly met at 'Soul Severing Valley.' Both sides reached a truce agreement, establishing 'Wuyin Marsh' as the boundary, with mutual non-aggression.]

[Intelligence 2: The demonic army began to withdraw in batches, with the main force retreating to the Southern Border's Hundred Thousand Great Mountains. It is reported that this is to deal with an ancient ruin about to emerge deep within the Southern Border.]

[Intelligence 3: In this great war, seven-tenths of the Taiqing Sect's Outer Sect Disciples died, and three-tenths of the Inner Sect Disciples were lost. With a large number of resource vacancies, the Sect is about to initiate a new round of 'Immortal Ascension Assembly' to recruit cannon fodder... no, new blood.]

[Intelligence 4: True Disciple Wen Yuechan broke through to the Middle Foundation Establishment Stage half a year ago and was appointed as the Young Peak Master of Hundred Herbs Peak.]

After reading the intelligence, Gu Changsheng couldn't help but let out a cold laugh.

"As expected."

"The lower ranks fight to the death, blood flowing like rivers, only to end up as mere bargaining chips at the negotiating table of the higher-ups."

"What 'righteous and demonic cannot coexist,' in the face of profit, it's all nonsense."

Those Disciples who died fighting for the Sect's honor on the front lines probably didn't know until their dying breath that their sacrifice was merely to secure a spot for the higher-ups to enter an ancient ruin, or to protect the mining rights of a certain Spiritual Vein.

This was the Cultivation World.

Cruel, realistic, and unreasonable.

"Fortunately."

Gu Changsheng stood up, patting the non-existent dust from his robes.

"Fortunately, I played it safe."

If he hadn't decisively chosen to go into seclusion and avoided this meat grinder, even with the System by his side, he would inevitably have gotten tainted on that chaotic battlefield.

Now it was good.

The war was over, and order was being rebuilt.

He, this "unremarkable" Foundation Establishment Cultivator, could once again live a stable life, and incidentally enjoy the benefits of the post-war resource redistribution.