Chen Xia did not collect protection fees from reserve disciples and junior elders the first chance he got.
The reason was simple.
He was too lazy.
So he decided to do it the second time.
There was no rush for this matter. After all, the reserve disciples and junior elders had nowhere to run. He could take it slowly.
He just leaned in his cave dwelling, head crooked, with an untouched chessboard in front of him. No one knew what he was thinking about. He just looked at it somewhat desolately.
And a little lonely.
Other than Pan Dadao and Zhang DaoMing, really no one else had come looking for him.
Chen Xia was also too lazy to go out. He just stayed in his cave, lying flat on his back. Occasionally when he got tired of lying down, he would also go out for a walk.
But there really wasn't much meaning to it. It was just the same people, the same things. He couldn't get involved either.
This made Chen Xia involuntarily think of a problem.
When cultivating to the end, would it always be like this?
It was far less interesting compared to when he first arrived in Weixi Town. Those years as an inspector were really the most interesting to Chen Xia.
Especially going out on the streets with other inspectors to collect protection fees. That was truly fascinating.
Unfortunately, there was no going back.
Whether it was Weixi Town or being an inspector, they were long gone.
He himself was gone too.
Now the little cosmos had changed again. Perhaps it was because Chen Xia had broken through to the Reverse Sea Realm. The fortune and spiritual energy in the little cosmos was even more abundant.
There were even cultivators at the Mahayana Realm.
Chen Xia, however, did not bother looking closely or want to see the stories in the little cosmos anymore.
One story could indeed provide considerable insight, like experiencing all the sour, sweet, bitter and spicy flavors.
But Chen Xia did not want to taste the sour, bitter or spicy now. He only wanted the sweet.
Let the little cosmos develop on its own. If cultivators capable of moving mountains and reversing seas appeared in the future, that would also be his fortune.
Chen Xia did not want to manage these things. Occasionally taking a look was only to make sure the little cosmos was safe.
Even now, the little cosmos still worshipped Chen Xia's statue, though the title had changed and was not as long-winded.
It was directly called the Grand Ancestor Emperor of Cultivators!
This meant Chen Xia was the progenitor of all cultivators in the little cosmos.
The latter Grand Emperor was more describing his elevated status.
Additionally, Chen Xia discovered a very interesting situation. The little cosmos was now more deeply connected with him, but more distantly connected with the immortal realm.
To the point where cultivators from the immortal realm could no longer descend into the little cosmos.
This was equivalent to the little cosmos becoming Chen Xia's inner core. The two supported each other.
When Chen Xia became stronger, the spiritual energy in the little cosmos would become more abundant, which would in turn nourish Chen Xia.
Now there were signs of an endless stream of spiritual energy in Chen Xia's body that he simply could not use up. The returning spiritual energy never stopped either.
24 hours a day of high intensity output.
When Chen Xia truly reached the Great Sage Realm, perhaps he could directly take out a cosmos to suppress people!
Of course he couldn't do that now. He still had to develop slowly.
Other than the little cosmos, Chen Xia also researched some metaphysical arts. The first was the Blood Sacrifice Soul Destroying Art. He had not improved it at all since learning it.
After researching and tinkering with it for half a day, he finally came to a conclusion.
No dice.
No matter which direction he tried to optimize it from, it was very difficult. There was always the suppression of the Heavenly Dao, simply not letting Chen Xia attack the old man.
Chen Xia had also anticipated this result, so he did not dwell on it. Instead, he optimized the cyclic limbo in the Profound Chaos Scripture, making the invocation gestures more diverse.
For example, he could now cast it by snapping his fingers, tapping his toes, or clapping.
Don't ask what's the point.
Just say, isn't it cool?
This summed up his research on arts these days. Chen Xia concluded it in one sentence.
Bored out of his mind.
Fortunately, he had plenty of time and was qualified to be this free. This kind of thing was a luxury for other cultivators, but for Chen Xia, it was somewhat frugal.
In the past, he had wasted time just spacing out. Now he even had to research some arts.
But Chen Xia only did this occasionally.
Otherwise, with his longevity and high strength, if he also worked this hard, what would other cultivators do?
He had to leave them a way to survive.
In the third month, Zhang DaoMing came looking for him, knocking on the door of the cave dwelling. There was rare delight in his tone.
"Chen Xia, open the door quickly! The money is here!"
The cave door slowly opened and Chen Xia in green clothes walked out. He glanced at Zhang DaoMing, then saw there was also a tall elder behind Zhang DaoMing.
"This is Elder Gao Zongming from the Domain Auction House. He wants to meet you and came specially." Zhang DaoMing introduced.
"Hello." Chen Xia nodded politely in response.
He was always very polite, even saying hello before killing someone.
"Hello. Did you really refine that Profound Ice Spirit Pill yourself?"
There was disbelief in Gao Zongming's tone. In his view, Chen Xia's appearance and age meant he was at most an entry-level alchemist. How could he refine a high-level pill like the Profound Ice Spirit Pill?
"Just casually refining." Chen Xia's tone was plain. There was a faint smile at the corners of his mouth, as if he was describing something ordinary.
Gao Zongming's brows furrowed as he looked to Zhang DaoMing beside him, hoping to get something out of him.
But Zhang DaoMing's expression was just as plain as Chen Xia's.
Because he knew Chen Xia really was just casually refining. It couldn't even be called casual refining. It was just casually frying.
So much so that Zhang DaoMing still remembered what Chen Xia had said.
"Is alchemy really such an inconvenient thing?"
This sentence had even become a psychological shadow that Zhang DaoMing could not erase even now.
Seeing both remain silent, Gao Zongming's frown deepened. His tall figure bent down slightly as he slowly said,
"If you really refined it, I have a pill here that I hope you can refine. May I ask if it is convenient? As payment, I will give you 20,000 spirit stones as the fee, as well as 30% of the spirit stones from the pill auction."
Zhang DaoMing's brows rose beside him.
20,000 spirit stones plus 30% commission, at least 30,000 spirit stones. It showed Gao Zongming was sincere.
Chen Xia shook his head. "I can refine it, but I cannot guarantee refining the specific pill you want."
"What do you mean?" Gao Zongming was puzzled.
If he couldn't specify what was refined, how could that be called an alchemy grandmaster?
"I mean what I refine could be better." Zhang DaoMing answered beside him.
He had witnessed with his own eyes Chen Xia use materials for refining Great Mist Ice Pill, but ended up with a Profound Ice Spirit Pill.
"But... but the materials are just those materials. How could it be better?"
Gao Zongming was completely confused now.
"Just say whether you can accept it or not?" Chen Xia asked back with crossed arms.
Of course he could accept it!
Gao Zongming immediately nodded. "Of course I can accept it, but can you really do it?"
Chen Xia reached out his hand. "Come look for me in ten years. I need time to prepare properly."
He wanted his fortune to reach an optimal level. Having refined the Profound Ice Spirit Pill earlier, he did need a break now.
Gao Zongming understood too. He even felt ten years was short for Chen Xia's preparation. Usually alchemy grandmasters needed thirty years or more to refine pills.
After Gao Zongming left, Zhang DaoMing gave Chen Xia 10,000 spirit stones, saying his debt was repaid and this was extra.
Additionally, the fire-element dao sword Zhang DaoMing had borrowed from Chen Xia was returned.
Zhang DaoMing said he wanted to buy his own flying sword.
Chen Xia asked why.
Zhang DaoMing's reply was simple.
"Because there are no more swords in the Sword Tomb."
"Hahaha."
The culprit laughed drily twice.
Later, Zhang DaoMing also left. Chen Xia turned and walked into the empty cave dwelling, stopping at the entrance.
Solitary.
That year, deep in winter.
Chen Xia counted down the days to New Year's, hanging red lanterns all over his cave dwelling. He pasted an upside down fu character for good fortune at the entrance.
Carrying a stool, he sat alone at the entrance, half-leaning against the wall, gazing at the desolate night.
Just after midnight, New Year's Day arrived.
Chen Xia put away the stool and extinguished all the red lanterns. Sitting in the dark cave dwelling, he closed his eyes.
In the darkness, he said to himself.
"Happy New Year."
The story told of Nezha creating chaos in the seas.