137: Chapter 137 Neighbors

The light spots on the Formation Plate weren't flickering randomly but pulsing rhythmically, like a guest knocking on the door or a clever probe.

Gu Changsheng was in no hurry to get up.

He tapped his fingertip lightly, and a water mirror appeared in the Void Realm before him. The image reflected the edge of the island, passing through layers of rock walls and Formations.

On the surging sea, a woman in a pale green dress was treading over the waves.

She didn't use a Flying Sword or any Magical Artifact under her feet. With every step she took, a crystalline water lotus bloomed beneath her, supporting her figure.

Steps blooming into lotuses.

This seemingly beautiful movement technique took on a different flavor in Gu Changsheng's eyes.

"She's stepping on the Spiritual Qi nodes."

Gu Changsheng narrowed his eyes slightly.

The woman's footwork precisely avoided the natural undercurrents and whirlpools surrounding Longevity Island. Every step landed on a key node of the water veins' flow, using the current's own force against it, consuming almost none of her own Spiritual Qi.

She's an expert.

The woman didn't directly enter the range of Longevity Island. Instead, she turned and landed gracefully on another deserted island less than twenty miles away.

That was "Turtleback Reef," numbered C-9528.

It was also a waste island with sparse Spiritual Qi and only a few bare boulders.

After landing, the woman looked around, seemingly quite satisfied with the desolation.

With a wave of her sleeve, several streaks of light sank into the ground. She then sat cross-legged on a relatively flat reef, closing her eyes to regulate her breathing, appearing as if she intended to stay for a long time.

"A neighbor?"

Gu Changsheng dispelled the water mirror, his brow still furrowed.

The Chaotic Star Sea is so vast, yet she chose to settle right next to me.

A coincidence?

Or a probe?

[Intelligence Refreshed]

[Target: Female Cultivator.]

[Action: Setting up the 'Three Talents Spirit-Hiding Formation'.]

[Intention: Looking for an absolutely quiet and inconspicuous shelter. With this place as the center, there are no high-tier Yao Beasts within a five-hundred-mile radius, fitting her logic of hiding in plain sight.]

[Evaluation: Like you, she has taken a fancy to this godforsaken place.]

Seeing the evaluation provided by the System, Gu Changsheng's tense muscles relaxed slightly.

As long as she isn't coming for me, it's fine.

"How can I allow someone else to snore beside my bed?"

Gu Changsheng murmured to himself, but he didn't immediately move to drive her away.

The opponent was at the Foundation Establishment stage and proficient in Formations. If a fight broke out, the commotion would be too great, easily attracting nearby Cultivators and even exposing the underground Spiritual Vein.

Observe first.

If she knows the rules, there's no harm in keeping her as a shield; if she doesn't... Gu Changsheng's finger rubbed the jade talisman controlling the Thunder Killing Formation, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

Then I'll send her to feed the fish in the sea... Three days passed in a row.

It was quiet on the neighboring Turtleback Reef.

The new neighbor also seemed to be someone who enjoyed peace. Aside from setting up Formations and building a simple stone house, there was no other movement.

Gu Changsheng sat in the underground cave, monitoring her every move through the System, feeling a strange sense of having met a kindred spirit.

On the morning of the fourth day.

A gentle wave of Divine Sense lightly touched the Labyrinthine Formation on the outskirts of Longevity Island.

"I am Shen Zhiwei. Having recently moved here, I've come to visit you, Fellow Daoist."

Her voice was cold, carrying a polite distance that kept people a thousand miles away.

Here she comes.

Gu Changsheng put down the Daoist scroll in his hand.

He didn't respond immediately. Instead, he first activated the Withered Wood Meets Spring Scripture, forcibly suppressing the sea-like vitality within his body and disguising himself as a man with depleted blood and floating Spiritual Qi.

His face instantly turned sallow, his eyes became sunken, and even his originally straight back hunched slightly.

If you're going to put on a show, you have to go all the way.

Gu Changsheng straightened his faded grey Daoist robe and then slowly cast a Mantra.

A gap opened in the Labyrinthine Formation.

He stepped into the Void Realm, rising into the air, and cautiously sized up the visitor from a distance of over ten yards.

Shen Zhiwei stood atop a floating reef.

Seeing her up close, the woman was extremely beautiful, not with a vulgar charm, but with a pure elegance like a deep-sea orchid.

However, her face was slightly pale, and although her aura was strong, it carried a faint sense of stagnation, clearly indicating she was injured.

"Cough, cough..."

Gu Changsheng covered his mouth, letting out a heart-wrenching cough as if he were about to cough up his lungs.

"I am Gu Changsheng, a Loose Cultivator. I've been in seclusion these past few days to heal my injuries and couldn't come out to welcome you. I hope Fellow Daoist Shen can forgive me."

He cupped his hands, his movements weak and powerless, and even his protective spiritual light flickered unsteadily.

Shen Zhiwei's beautiful eyes flickered, her gaze lingering on Gu Changsheng for a moment.

Early Foundation Establishment Stage?

And a sickly person with a damaged Foundation and not much Lifespan left?

A hint of doubt flashed through her mind, but she didn't show it. With a light wave of her slender hand, an exquisite jade box flew out steadily.

"Forgive my intrusion. A small gift, just a token of my respect."

Gu Changsheng didn't reach out to take it directly. Instead, he sent out a gentle burst of Spiritual Qi from a distance to support the jade box. After scanning it three times with his Divine Sense and confirming it was free of poison or curses, he took it into his hand.

"You're too kind, Fellow Daoist."

Gu Changsheng opened the jade box.

A refreshing fragrance instantly spread, even diluting the thick stench of bird droppings in the surroundings.

Inside the box lay a tin of spirit tea. The tea leaves were deep blue and shaped like miniature dragon scales.

"Canghai Dragon Scale Tea?"

Gu Changsheng blurted out, his face showing a timely mix of shock and greed.

This was a second-rank High Grade spirit tea, produced from Dragon Blood Wood ten thousand fathoms deep in the sea. An ounce was worth a thousand Spirit Stones, and it was often unavailable even if one had the money.

This woman is quite generous.

"You know your goods, Fellow Daoist."

Shen Zhiwei smiled slightly, though the smile didn't reach her eyes. "This tea has the effect of strengthening the Foundation and nurturing the origin. Perhaps it will be of some benefit to your injuries."

Gu Changsheng closed the lid, alarm bells ringing in his heart.

A female Foundation Establishment Cultivator giving such a heavy gift casually either has a grand scheme or... she simply doesn't care about such things.

[System Scan Initiated.]

[Target Locked: Shen Zhiwei.]

[Race: Human-Dragon Hybrid (East Sea Dragon Palace Bloodline).]

[Cultivation: Late Foundation Establishment Stage (Actually Perfection, but her Realm dropped due to using 'Dragon Blood Escape', and she has three 'dragon locking nailss' sealed within her).]

[immortal foundation: Cangxuan Decree (Water-attribute Top-grade immortal foundation).]

[Identity: Seventeenth Princess of the East Sea Dragon Palace. She fled after stealing a treasure from the Dragon Palace because she refused to marry the Young Lord of the Wan Sha Hall.]

[Evaluation: A Dragon that has swum too far and doesn't want to go home. Risk: Medium (As long as you don't expose her, she's more afraid of being discovered than you are).]

Gu Changsheng's fingers holding the jade box stiffened for an imperceptible moment.

Good grief.

The East Sea Dragon Palace is a top-tier power with a True Monarch presiding over it, its strength comparable to the Qingsong Daoist Academy.

This princess actually hid in this godforsaken corner of the Chaotic Star Sea and even became my neighbor.

"Thank you for the generous gift, Fellow Daoist Shen."

Gu Changsheng suppressed the storm in his heart, his face still maintaining a submissive look as he stepped aside and made a "please" gesture.

"My humble abode is simple. If you don't mind, why not come in for a cup of coarse tea?"

This was a polite formality.

According to the logic of a normal Cultivator, they would mostly decline a first meeting to avoid falling into the other party's Formation traps.

However.

"Then I shall trouble you."

Shen Zhiwei actually nodded. With a flicker of her figure, she landed on the bird-dropping-covered rocks of Longevity Island.

Gu Changsheng's mouth twitched slightly.

This Dragon Palace princess is quite bold.

The two arrived at the only stone table in the center of the island.

Gu Changsheng waved his sleeve, and a gust of wind swept away the dust on the stone stools. He then took out his set of chipped tea tools that he had used for many years.

"Please."

He lifted the teapot and poured a cup of ordinary spirit spring water.

Shen Zhiwei didn't show any disdain. She picked up the teacup and took a light sip, her movements extremely elegant and completely out of place in this harsh environment.

"Choosing this place for your cultivation, Fellow Daoist Gu, is... quite unique."

Shen Zhiwei put down her teacup, her gaze sweeping over the bare, strange rocks with hidden meaning.

"You're making fun of me, Fellow Daoist."

Gu Changsheng gave a bitter smile and pointed to his chest. "I damaged my Foundation in a fight years ago and am short on funds, so I can't afford to rent those islands with abundant Spiritual Qi. Although this place is dilapidated, it's cheap and no one bothers me, making it suitable for recuperation."

"Oh?"

Shen Zhiwei raised an eyebrow. "I also enjoy peace. I made some enemies in the East Sea recently and had to flee. I see the feng shui here is quite good, so I settled next door. I'll have to ask for your care in the future, Fellow Daoist Gu."

Feng shui is good?

Gu Changsheng glanced at the fresh bird droppings by his feet, then at Shen Zhiwei's clear eyes.

The two looked at each other.

A strange understanding filled the air.

Both were lying.

Both knew the other was lying.

But neither exposed the other.

"I wouldn't dare say I'll take care of you."

Gu Changsheng fumbled two wooden boxes with Spirit-Sealing Talismans from his Storage Pouch and pushed them over.

"Since we're neighbors, I don't have much to offer. These two 'purple star grasses', were something I luckily obtained in a Secret Realm years ago. Although they can't compare to your spirit tea, they are a small token of my appreciation."

Shen Zhiwei was somewhat surprised.

Although purple star grass is only a second-rank Spirit Medicine, it has miraculous effects on healing and is extremely difficult to preserve.

She opened the wooden box and saw two Spirit Medicines with intact roots, both over a hundred years old.

This poor Loose Cultivator is actually quite wealthy.

"Thank you."

Shen Zhiwei accepted the return gift, her attitude becoming a bit more sincere.

She hadn't come today to make friends but to confirm the threat level of this neighbor.

A Loose Cultivator at the Early Foundation Establishment Stage who was Foundation-damaged, greedy, and cautious.

He met her safety standards.

"Fellow Daoist Gu."

Shen Zhiwei stood up, smoothed her skirt, and her tone returned to its previous coldness. "I am a person who likes peace. If there's nothing important, I won't disturb your cultivation. Of course, if you encounter any trouble you can't solve..."

She paused, a faint pressure belonging to a superior emanating from her.

"As long as it doesn't affect Turtleback Reef, I will turn a blind eye."

Gu Changsheng hurriedly cupped his hands, looking relieved.

"That would be wonderful! I feel the same way. As long as no one tears down this Longevity Island, even if the sky falls outside, I, Gu, will never step out the door."

The two smiled at each other.

At this moment, two ostriches who had buried their heads in the sand to avoid the storm reached a certain unspoken gentleman's agreement.

Seeing Shen Zhiwei off.

Gu Changsheng stood at the edge of the Formation, watching the green silhouette disappear into the mist of Turtleback Reef.

"A neighbor at the half-step Purple Mansion..."

He wiped the submissive expression from his face, replaced by a playful smile.

"As long as the dragon locking nailss in her body aren't triggered, I'm afraid no one in this corner of the Chaotic Star Sea can touch this godforsaken place."

He turned and put the precious box of Canghai Dragon Scale Tea into the deepest part of his Storage Pouch.

"Coal Ball, go further away to do your business in the future."

Gu Changsheng kicked the black cat sunbathing by his feet.

"Our neighbor likes cleanliness."

The black cat gave a dissatisfied meow, rolled over, and continued to sleep soundly.

Gu Changsheng shook his head and restarted the grand Formation.

Whether the other party was a Dragon or a worm.

As long as she didn't hinder his cultivation of the longevity method, even if the King of Hell lived next door, he would still hand over a cup of tea and say 'good morning.'

Inside the underground cave, the Spiritual Qi boiled once again.

Gu Changsheng sat cross-legged, a pale blue tea leaf appearing in his palm.

He swallowed it directly.

Boom!

A pure burst of water-attribute Spiritual Qi exploded in his stomach, like a wild Dragon entering the sea, instantly washing through his entire body.

"Good tea."

Gu Changsheng closed his eyes, his aura rising steadily.

This Chaotic Star Sea is indeed a place where hidden Dragons and crouching tigers reside.

Just picking up a random neighbor brings an Opportunity to my door.