I Idle in the World of Immortal Cultivation
Chapter 48: Bone One's Return and News of the Talisman
The day after eating the meat, Yue Long, for the first time, didn't rush Lin Luo to go to the market.
She crouched by the spirit field, holding a handful of Glow Mushrooms but not picking them. Her rabbit ears were up, her eyes fixed on her phone screen. Merit +1, merit +1, merit +1 – the wooden fish was still knocking, but she wasn't looking at that.
She was looking at Bone One's interface.
Lin Luo leaned against the stone wall, his eyes half closed. He knew Yue Long was peeking at his phone, but he didn't call her out. There was nothing to hide about Bone One's battle – just the black-gold skeleton crouched behind the ruins, shooting its crossbow, the Ironback Centipede thrashing in the rubble.
"Master."
"Yes."
"How long has Bone One been fighting?"
"A day and a night."
"Still hasn't won?"
"The centipede's shell is hard. If the bolt doesn't hit a joint, it doesn't do much damage."
Yue Long thought for a moment. "Then why doesn't it switch targets?"
"Once it's set to idle, it doesn't switch. It fights until death."
Yue Long opened her mouth, wanting to say, "Isn't that stupid?" But she looked at Lin Luo's expression and swallowed the words. She rephrased. "Then should we help it?"
"How?"
"Cheer it on?"
"It can't hear."
"Then light an incense stick for it? Pray it hits a joint."
Lin Luo opened one eye and looked at her. "It's a skeleton. It doesn't worship Buddha."
"Then I'll worship. Ask Buddha to bless Bone One's aim."
"You're a Buddhist cultivator. You just pray to yourself."
Yue Long blinked. "Oh, right. I'm a Buddhist cultivator." She pressed her palms together, closed her eyes, and mumbled. "Namo Amitabha, please let Bone One's next bolt hit the centipede's joint. This devout woman, Yue Long, offers ten merit points."
Her phone buzzed.
[Yue Long · Merit -10. Current merit points: 1240.]
[Bone One · Crossbow accuracy temporarily increased by 5%, duration 30 seconds.]
Yue Long's eyes went wide. "Master! It actually worked!"
Lin Luo glanced at his phone, the corner of his mouth moving. "Yes."
"Did you already know that Buddhist cultivators could buff their teammates?"
"Guess."
"You're teasing me again."
"No. A real guess."
Yue Long took a deep breath and stopped asking. She stared at the screen for three seconds. Bone One's bolt shot out. The arrow sank into a gap in the Ironback Centipede's joint. The centipede's body arched violently, dark green blood spraying from the wound.
[Ironback Centipede · Status: Severely wounded. Left front joint damaged. Movement speed reduced by 30%.]
[Bone One · Win rate updated: 64% → 72%.]
Yue Long's rabbit ears sprang up. "It hit!"
"Yes."
"My merit worked!"
"Yes."
"Can you say something else!"
"Good shot."
Yue Long smiled. She handed the phone back to Lin Luo, stood up, and brushed her skirt. "Master, are we still going to the market today?"
"Yes. You haven't done your good deed yet."
"After I do it, will Bone One have won by the time we come back?"
"Not necessarily."
Yue Long thought for a moment. "Then I'll do it fast. Come back early to watch it fight." She turned and ran, her rabbit ears bobbing behind her. After two steps, she turned back, snatched the phone from Lin Luo's hand, and stuffed it into her sleeve.
"I'll hold it for you. Watch as we walk."
Lin Luo didn't stop her. The two left the mine and walked toward the market.
---
Today's good deed came quickly. Yue Long saw a child crouched in front of the wonton stall, crying. She went over and asked. The child had lost the money for a candied haw stick. Without a word, she took two spirit stones from her sleeve and handed them to the child.
"Don't cry. Go buy two sticks. One for yourself, one for your mother."
The child wiped his tears, took the stones, and ran off.
Yue Long crouched by the wonton stall and took out her phone.
[One good deed a day · Completed.]
[Merit +10.]
[Sect contribution +10.]
[Current sect contribution: 80.]
She put her phone away, ate a bowl of wontons, then pulled Lin Luo back. "Master, hurry. Bone One is almost done."
---
Back at the mine, a message had popped up on Bone One's interface.
[Ironback Centipede · Defeated.]
[Bone One gained experience: Large amount.]
[Bone One cultivation: Body Refining Layer 6 → Body Refining Layer 7.]
[Drops: Ironback Centipede Carapace ×12, Centipede Venom Glands ×2, Demon Beast Core (Golden Core) ×1, Demon Beast Essence Blood ×3.]
Yue Long stared at the line "Body Refining Layer 7" for several seconds. "Master, Bone One leveled up again."
"Yes."
"It's leveling so fast."
"Because it keeps fighting."
Yue Long thought for a moment. "Then I need to keep doing good deeds. Can't stop."
"Up to you."
Yue Long handed the phone back to Lin Luo. "Master, are we going to the Artifact Refining Peak now?"
"Yes. Deliver the bones."
"And the carapace?"
"Yes. Peak Master Chen likes new materials."
The two left the mine and walked toward the Artifact Refining Peak. The sun was already high, making people drowsy. Yue Long walked ahead, her rabbit ears up, her steps light.
"Master."
"Yes."
"Do you think Peak Master Chen will jump for joy when he sees the carapace?"
"Yes."
"What about when he sees the venom glands?"
"He might cry."
Yue Long smiled. "Why cry?"
"Because the venom glands can be used to coat blades. If he coats his dagger with poison, its power will double."
Yue Long thought for a moment. "Will he ask us for the glands?"
"Yes. So we don't give them away for free. Trade them for equipment."
"Master, you're really good at business."
"Just doing it while idling."
---
The Artifact Refining Peak came into view. This time, the young disciple at the entrance didn't stop them. As soon as he saw Lin Luo in the distance, he turned and ran up to report. Peak Master Chen came running down from halfway, his apron covered in metal shavings, still holding a file.
"Lin Luo! You're here again! What did you bring this time?"
Lin Luo tossed him the storage pouch. Peak Master Chen caught it, opened it, and his eyes lit up.
"Ironback Centipede carapace? And all twelve pieces? The hardness – even higher than the Ironback Wolf King's bones!" He pulled out another bottle. "Venom glands? Live? Where did you get these?"
"My skeleton hunted them."
Peak Master Chen looked at him, then at the carapace, and didn't ask further. He carefully put the carapace and glands back into the pouch and hugged it to his chest.
"What do you want?"
"The Shadow Cloak. The one we talked about last time. Now upgrade it. Use the centipede carapace as lining, and poison the needles with the venom."
Peak Master Chen's face twitched. "The Shadow Cloak isn't even finished yet, and now you want an upgrade? Do you know how hard centipede carapace is to work with?"
"No."
"Have to soak it in spirit liquid for three days and three nights to soften it!"
"Then soak it."
Peak Master Chen took a deep breath. "Fine. Cloak with lining, plus poison needles. But you'll have to add something."
"Add what?"
"Materials. The carapace and glands are mine, the cloak is yours. Fair trade."
Lin Luo thought for a moment. "Add a pair of knee guards."
"Knee guards? What do you need knee guards for?"
"So my knees don't hurt when I kneel to chop wood."
Peak Master Chen stared at him for three seconds. "You're joking."
"No. Serious."
Peak Master Chen gritted his teeth, his jaw muscles bulging. "Fine. Knee guards. A pair. But the cloak will be ten days late."
"No rush. The inn isn't renovated yet."
Peak Master Chen turned and walked away, hugging the pouch. After two steps, he turned back.
"Oh, by the way. That talisman at the Myriad Treasures Pavilion – it's down to fifteen hundred."
Lin Luo's eyebrow moved. "Fifteen hundred?"
"Yes. Liu Ruyan came to the Artifact Refining Peak last month to order a batch of magical tools. We chatted. She said if it doesn't sell soon, she'll have to send it to headquarters. And headquarters would just destroy it, so she might as well sell it cheap."
Yue Long interrupted from the side. "Peak Master Chen, are you close with Liu Ruyan?"
"Not close. She came to order tools. I gave a price. She bargained. I cursed at her. She cursed at me. We made a deal. That's it."
Yue Long opened her mouth. "Did you win the argument?"
"No. She's tougher than me."
Peak Master Chen left.
Yue Long stood on the stone steps, her rabbit ears turning. "Master, fifteen hundred."
"Yes."
"You said you'd buy at a thousand."
"Wait a little longer."
"Until when?"
"Until it's a thousand."
Yue Long thought for a moment. "What if someone else buys it?"
"They won't."
"Why?"
"Because no one wants it."
Yue Long took a deep breath. "Master, you've used that line before."
"Say it again. Reinforce the memory."
Yue Long stopped asking. The two walked down the mountain.
"Master."
"Yes."
"Do you really think Liu Ruyan will lower it to a thousand?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because she's tougher than Peak Master Chen. Tough people don't do losing business. If she can sell it for a thousand without a loss, she will."
Yue Long thought for a moment. "Then why doesn't she sell it now? Someone would buy it for fifteen hundred, right?"
"Who?"
Yue Long opened her mouth. "…Me."
"Do you have spirit stones?"
"…No."
"Then there you go."
Yue Long said nothing.
---
Back at the mine, Rat One was squatting by the spirit field, digging in the dirt with his little paws. The Green Spirit Fruit pit he had buried had already sprouted – a tender green shoot poking out of the soil, glowing faintly under the sect gathering array.
Yue Long crouched down, her rabbit ears drooping. "Master, it sprouted!"
"Yes."
"How long until it bears fruit?"
"A few years."
Yue Long's rabbit ears drooped even lower. "A few years…"
"Just keep idling. A few years will pass quickly."
Yue Long didn't speak. She gently touched the tender shoot with her finger. The shoot trembled, as if responding to her.
"Rat One, take good care of it."
Rat One squeaked twice, squatted beside the sprout, and pressed his little paws on the soil, as if guarding it.
Yue Long stood up and brushed her skirt. "Master, I'll go make soup."
"No soup today."
"Then what are we eating?"
"Salted meat. The kind we brought back yesterday."
Yue Long's eyes lit up. "I'll slice it!"
She ran to the stove, took a few pieces of salted meat from the clay jar, sliced them thin, and arranged them on a plate. The meat slices were dark red, the fat already solidified, their surface shimmering faintly.
She brought the plate over and put it in front of Lin Luo.
"Master, taste it."
Lin Luo picked up a slice and put it in his mouth. He chewed a few times. "Salty."
"Salted meat is supposed to be salty."
"Yes. Just right."
Yue Long smiled. She also took a slice, chewing slowly, her rabbit ears twitching with each chew.
"Master."
"Yes."
"After Bone One's cloak is done, can the inn open?"
"Still need renovation."
"How long will that take?"
"Old Liu said ten days."
"Then it can open in ten days?"
"Yes."
Yue Long thought for a moment. "Then in ten days, when the inn opens and the talisman drops to a thousand, will you buy it?"
"Yes."
"Do you have enough spirit stones?"
"Yes."
"After buying it, will you still have money for the renovation?"
"Yes."
Yue Long stopped asking. She finished the salted meat, took the plate away, and crouched by the stove to wash it.
As she washed, her rabbit ears slowly went up.
"Master."
"Yes."
"Do you think Sister Xiao's investiture ceremony is today or tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow."
"Will she be nervous?"
"No."
"Why?"
"She's braver than you."
Yue Long thought for a moment. "True. She dared to bargain with a half-step Scatter Immortal. I wouldn't dare."
"You wouldn't dare either?"
"No."
"Then you dared to steal my phone?"
Yue Long's hands paused. "…That was taking. Not stealing."
"Taking without asking is stealing."
"I asked! I said 'I'll hold it for you'!"
"I didn't agree."
"You didn't disagree!"
Lin Luo didn't speak. Yue Long dried the bowl, put it away, walked over to him, and sat down. She took the phone from her sleeve and stuffed it back into his hand.
"Here. I'm not looking anymore."
"Angry?"
"No."
"Then why are you giving it back?"
"Afraid you'll say I'm stealing."
The corner of Lin Luo's mouth moved. "Next time you want to look, just say so."
Yue Long's rabbit ears twitched. "Really?"
"Yes."
"Then I want to look right now."
Lin Luo handed her the phone. Yue Long took it and opened Bone One's interface. The black-gold skeleton was running through the ruins, its target a new Golden Core Layer 4 demon beast. The win rate showed 60%.
"Master, doesn't Bone One ever rest?"
"No."
"Isn't it tired?"
"Skeletons don't get tired."
Yue Long stared at the screen for a moment. "Master."
"Yes."
"Will Bone One ever stop?"
"Yes. When it reaches a level where it can't fight anymore, it will stop."
"When will that be?"
"When Golden Core demon beasts don't give enough experience."
Yue Long thought for a moment. "Then when will it go fight Nascent Soul demon beasts?"
"When it reaches Body Refining Layer 9."
"How many layers away is that?"
"Two."
Yue Long handed the phone back to Lin Luo and leaned against him. Her rabbit ears slowly drooped, resting on his arm.
"Master, Bone One works so hard."
"It doesn't feel that way."
"I do."
Lin Luo didn't speak.
Yue Long closed her eyes. Her own phone rested on her knee. The chibi figure hit the wooden fish again and again. Merit +1, merit +1, merit +1.
Rat One poked his head out of his grass nest, squeaked twice, and ducked back in.
Just keep idling.
---
(End of Chapter 48)
Current Status
Main Account · Lin Luo
Cultivation: Foundation Establishment Layer 3 (Displayed: Qi Refining Layer 1)
Nine Cycles Mystic Art: Third Cycle (progress 0.3%)
Lightning Prison Indestructible Body: Second Layer
Defense: 1000
Attack: ~400
Spirit Stones: 5150 (900 owed to inn)
Possessions: One jar of salted meat, Ironback Centipede carapace and venom glands given to Peak Master Chen
Plan: Wait for Peak Master Chen's equipment (Shadow Cloak + knee guards), inn renovation (ten days), wait for talisman price to drop to 1000
Alt Account · Bone One (Demon Cultivation · Black-Gold Skeleton · Assassin Form)
Cultivation: Body Refining Layer 6 → Body Refining Layer 7
Status: Idle battle · Ancient battlefield, target Golden Core Layer 4 demon beast, win rate 60%
Alt Account · Blood One (Demon Cultivation · Blood Clan)
Cultivation: Qi Gathering Layer 8
Status: Hidden – Demon Abyss second layer
Alt Account · Rat One (Beast Cultivation · Treasure-Seeking Rat)
Cultivation: Spirit Gathering Layer 6
Status: Guarding the Green Spirit Fruit seedling
Sect · Idle Sect
Sect Leader: Lin Luo
Members: Yue Long, Su Xiaoxiao
Level: 2
Idle Bonus: +15%
Sect Contribution: Yue Long 80, Lin Luo 0
Idle Sect Disciple · Yue Long
Cultivation: Foundation Establishment Layer 2 (Human) + Essence Gathering Layer 1 (Buddhist)
Merit points: 1240 → 1250 (after deducting 10 for offering)
Fudo Myoo's Resolution: 0.20%
Sect Contribution: 80
Today's good deed: Gave a child money to buy candied haw sticks
Spirit Stone balance: ~1100
Possessions: Silver-white wrist guards (mid-grade magical tool)
New skill: Merit offering (temporarily increases teammate's accuracy)
Idle Sect Disciple · Su Xiaoxiao
Cultivation: Qi Refining Layer 3 (refined)
Status: Phoenix Kingdom · Central Temple, investiture ceremony tomorrow
---
(End of Chapter 48)