I Just Wanted to Live, but I Somehow Became Better Than the Main Character
Chapter 23: All Kinds of Opportunities

Long Tian picked up the book, flipped through a few pages with a puzzled look, and realized- it wasn’t clickbait. The contents were genuinely about delivering spirit pigs and postpartum care. It even included methods for reviving near-death newborn piglets. Pure practical knowledge. As expected of a deluxe edition- any professional spirit pig breeder would give it a thumbs-up for its expertise.

‘… What kind of opportunity is this supposed to be?’ Long Tian was speechless. He had thought it might be some kind of pill recipe or a high-level cultivation technique.

‘Hmm…’ the Fallen Immortal Elder murmured thoughtfully. ‘Maybe this place used to be a spirit pig farm, and the herbs planted outside were meant as their feed. Looks like your Heavenly Luo Sect had an elder who was an expert in spirit pig husbandry.’

Long Tian was about to put the book back, but the old man quickly stopped him. ‘Take it! Why don’t you want it?’

‘I don’t raise spirit pigs,’ Long Tian said, his face full of disdain.

‘That’s where you’re wrong. Spirit pigs may be common, but they share traits with many spirit beasts. Learning about delivery and postpartum care doesn’t mean you have to use it on spirit pigs- it can apply to other spirit beasts as well.’

Long Tian thought for a moment and agreed. Better to have the knowledge and not need it than to be clueless when the situation arises.

He stored the book in his jade pendant’s space, then stepped outside to dig up some soil to take back for growing spirit herbs.

‘Huh? I didn’t notice it earlier, but there’s a trace of spiritual energy over there.’

Walking to where the Fallen Immortal Elder had sensed the spirit energy, Long Tian dug about a foot deep and uncovered a slightly battered but intact shovel buried in the soil.

“Rank 3 mystery grade! Good stuff!” Long Tian’s eyes lit up. Even though it was a shovel, it was way better than the human grade sword he’d been using. With this shovel, he could now block attacks from mystery grade weapons- his human grade sword would’ve shattered on contact.

Originally, Long Tian had wanted to raise his cultivation and use powerful hand-to-hand techniques to crush Bai Gui and his group. But now, with this shovel, he believed that as long as he picked the right moment, he could take them down one by one.

If nothing else, a good swing with this thing could definitely crack a skull open.

Though he hadn’t found anything that directly boosted his cultivation, getting a medical book on spirit pigs and a mystery grade shovel was already a decent haul.

Fate.

Long Tian didn’t go after Bai Gui right away. Instead, he pressed further into the secret realm, wanting to find more opportunities.

After traveling a few more miles, the Fallen Immortal Elder sensed another hidden formation. Once it was dispelled, a cave appeared. Inside were numerous traps, which Long Tian carefully avoided until he reached the innermost chamber.

There, a mysterious beam of light shone onto a simple stone pedestal, atop which sat a somewhat familiar-looking rustic box.

Long Tian dispelled the restriction and opened it- yet another book. And the title was rather unique.

[Battle Horse Continent] [Volume 1]

Could it be a horse-taming technique?

Long Tian quickly opened it and realized that it was a storybook. It featured cultivators, but unlike his world, their spiritual power manifested as horses, and they fought by battling with their horses. The protagonist wasn’t powerful, but his horse was extremely fast, allowing him to escape pursuit from stronger enemies, because his enemies’ horses couldn’t catch up to his.

‘What kind of opportunity is this? So many traps just to protect a storybook? Sure, it’s interesting, but it’s hardly worth this level of defense.’

The Fallen Immortal Elder fell into deep thought, muttering, ‘Something’s not right.’

He pushed his soul power to the limit.

Three meters!

Don’t underestimate that distance- that was immortal-level soul power, and it pierced through everything nearby.

‘I see now. The book is a decoy! The real treasure is hidden behind the stone wall!’

Long Tian used his magical shovel to smash through the wall and, sure enough, found some pill bottles hidden inside. Inside were a few perfect grade Spirit Gathering Pills, over a dozen high grade pills, and about than thirty mid grade pills.

While Long Tian could refine these pills himself, free loot was still free loot. He still felt that this opportunity was a little lacking.

‘Don’t be greedy,’ the Fallen Immortal Elder warned. ‘Maybe these pills don’t mean much to you, but to most Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators, they’re incredibly valuable. Especially the perfect grade ones- not everyone gets to pop one every time they cultivate like you do.’

Long Tian thought it over- what the Fallen Immortal Elder had said was true. Maybe he was being a bit greedy, thinking that he could find a lot of amazing resources here.

…

Next secret spot.

Another box, roughly the same size as the last one.

Long Tian could already guess what was inside- a book.

But what kind? That, he was curious about.

He opened it. The title was bold: [Jiang Hu Horse Hunter]

‘Horse hunter? Is this a sequel to the last storybook?’ Long Tian flipped through it. Nope- completely different type.

It described a creature called a Dreadlone, with a foul mouth that sprayed at any human that it saw. Its fatal weakness was an organ called “horse”, which would flee its body at high speed. Jiang Hu Horse Hunters cleaned up Dreadlones by hunting these “horses”.

As Long Tian read, the Fallen Immortal Elder scanned for hidden items again. Soon, he found something- this time underground.

Long Tian dug with his magical shovel and unearthed a few more scattered pills and a rank 5 yellow grade dagger.

…

Eventually, Long Tian reached the center of the secret realm.

There was a lake. In the middle, an empty little island- nothing on it.

There’s likely something special about it.

Just as he approached, a massive turtle head burst out of the water. If Long Tian hadn’t reacted fast enough, it would’ve swallowed him.

A late stage Crystallization Realm spirit beast- the strongest existence in the realm.

‘You’re no match for it with your cultivation level right now. Leave.’

The Fallen Immortal Elder didn’t need to tell him- Long Tian already had that idea.

The turtle looked incredibly grumpy and irritable. Long Tian wondered if it was just grumpy because it had just woken up, or if it was the beast-avoiding incense that was irritating it.

Shaking his head, Long Tian left the central area. No way he’d risk his life to go on a potentially empty island.

He found a cave, entered his jade pendant space, and began attempting to break through to the 9th layer of the Foundation Establishment Realm, using the pills he’d collected and the spirit herbs he’d gathered along the way.

Since he had already made up his mind to finish off Bai Gui’s group, it was better to be fully prepared.

…

‘Blocked the protagonist from obtaining a mid-level opportunity- +60,000 transcend points.

‘Blocked the protagonist from obtaining a minor opportunity- +20,000 transcend points.

‘Blocked the protagonist from obtaining a minor opportunity- +30,000 transcend points.

‘Blocked the protagonist from obtaining a mid-level opportunity- +90,000 transcend points.’

Hearing the system’s periodic notifications, Ye Yong felt very nice.

He had no idea he could’ve actually earned even more transcend points. Though he was taking everything the protagonist should’ve gotten, just like in the novel, what the novel didn’t mention was that the elders had actually prepared two types of opportunities. The first one was rich, and the second one was a bit worse. The second opportunity was prepared because they didn’t want the fated person who came by later to leave empty-handed.

Even if Ye Yong knew this, he wouldn’t think much and would just say that the male lead was indeed the male lead- the child of heaven. Miss out on the best opportunities? He’d still find small ones.