Chương 42: Occupying the Spirit Eye Spring! Establishing a Cave Abode!

Establishing a Cave Abode!

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Establishing a Cave Abode!

……

In front of the council hall.

Two Qi Refining disciples on duty stood idly on either side of the hall entrance, whispering to each other.

Upon hearing the sound of something cutting through the air, the two looked up at the same time and saw a streak of azure light approaching from afar and quickly landing on the stone steps in front of the hall.

The light faded, revealing a young cultivator dressed in a blue robe with a composed demeanor.

The two disciples were taken aback at first, then sensed the spiritual pressure that was completely different from that of the Qi Refining stage.

That was the pressure of a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Although it was well concealed, it still made them instinctively feel a sense of unease.

The two hurriedly stepped forward and bowed in unison, saying, "Disciples greet Martial Uncle!"

Zhou Ding nodded slightly, hummed in agreement, and glanced at the two of them.

That respect and awe were written on his face without any attempt to hide it.

Zhou Ding was not greatly disturbed.

This reverence stems from strength and status.

It was earned through his life-and-death experiences and painstaking cultivation; it is only right and proper.

"I want to see the sect leader," he said calmly.

The two disciples dared not delay and quickly said, "The sect leader is inside the hall, please come in, Uncle-Master!"

Zhou Ding nodded and stepped into the council hall.

……

Inside the main hall, Sect Leader Zhong Lingdao was bent over his desk, handling sect affairs.

Although he was a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator and the head of Huangfeng Valley, he had been preoccupied with trivial matters over the years, and his cultivation had stagnated. Knowing that he had no hope of forming a Core, he devoted his mind to managing the sect.

Hearing footsteps, he looked up and saw a figure in blue walking in from outside the palace gate.

Upon seeing who it was, Zhong Lingdao's eyes lit up.

"Junior Brother Zhou!"

He quickly stood up, a warm smile on his face, and hurried over.

Zhong Lingdao was deeply impressed by the young cultivator before him.

A year ago, during the Blood Forbidden Land Trial, Zhou Ding single-handedly obtained seventy-two spiritual herbs, breaking the previous record. This not only helped Huangfeng Valley win the bet against the Hidden Moon Sect and Qingxu Sect, but also impressed his Uncle-Master Li Huayuan, who immediately accepted him as a disciple.

Now, a year later, this junior brother has indeed successfully established his foundation, and his future is limitless.

"Congratulations, Junior Brother Zhou, on your successful Foundation Establishment! The path to immortality is within your reach!" Zhong Lingdao said with a cupped-hands smile, his tone sincere.

Zhou Ding bowed slightly in return, saying, "Thank you, Senior Brother Sect Leader."

Although Zhong Lingdao is only in the late Foundation Establishment stage, he is still the sect leader and senior brother, so the proper etiquette cannot be neglected.

"Junior Brother Zhou, have you come today to register for Foundation Establishment?" Zhong Lingdao asked.

"That's right." Zhou Ding nodded.

"After reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, according to the sect rules, we need to come and register. I hope Senior Brother Sect Leader will take the trouble to do so."

"That's how it should be, junior brother, please wait a moment."

Zhong Lingdao turned and went into the inner room. A moment later, he returned carrying a palm-sized, pure white jade tablet.

The jade tablet was densely filled with the names of many Foundation Establishment cultivators from the past generations of Yellow Maple Valley.

In front of Zhou Ding, he took out a gold-lacquered brush, dipped it in specially made vermilion ink, and solemnly added two large characters to the blank space at the end of the jade tablet—

"Zhou Ding".

The moment the writing was completed, a faint flash of light appeared on the jade tablet, then returned to calm.

"Alright." Zhong Lingdao put away the jade tablet, then took out three mid-grade spirit stones shrouded in spiritual energy from his storage bag, as well as five palm-sized cyan flags shrouded in a thin white mist, and handed them to Zhou Ding.

"This is a common practice within the sect, a reward given to all newly promoted Foundation Establishment disciples."

Zhong Lingdao explained, "The three mid-grade spirit stones are a one-time gift, and you can receive one more each year thereafter without having to take on any miscellaneous duties. These five 'Mirage Flags' can be used to set up the simplest small illusion array. After opening the cave, they can prevent mortals and wild beasts from intruding. As for the truly powerful arrays, you will need to purchase them yourself in the future."

Zhou Ding accepted the spirit stones and the tracking flag, put them into his storage bag, and bowed to express his gratitude: "Thank you, Senior Brother Sect Leader."

"Junior Brother Zhou, you're too kind." Zhong Lingdao waved his hand and smiled, "If you need anything in the future, feel free to come to me. We are fellow disciples of Huangfeng Valley, and we should naturally look after each other."

Zhou Ding nodded in agreement, exchanged a few more pleasantries, and then took his leave.

……

After leaving the council hall, Zhou Ding did not return to the small courtyard on Xuankun Mountain, but flew straight towards the gate of Huangfeng Valley.

He had already determined the location of the cave dwelling.

This is the very place where the Spirit Eye Spring is located!

Back when he was still in the Qi Refining stage, he discovered the hidden Spirit Eye Spring by chance.

At that time, although he had the desire to take it over, he did not dare to act rashly because his cultivation was not high enough. He simply left Xiao Jin in the spring to absorb spiritual energy day and night.

Now that he has successfully established his foundation, he naturally wants to transform this precious land into his own cave dwelling!

About half an hour later, Zhou Ding arrived at the depths of the Taiyue Mountains, that familiar mountain region.

He landed in front of a cliff covered by vines, parted the layers of vines to reveal a narrow opening that could only allow one person to pass through.

This is the passage that Xiao Jin discovered back then.

Zhou Ding stepped into the cave and walked inward along the winding passage.

After walking for about several dozen feet, the view suddenly opened up before us—it was the sealed cave that was enclosed by the mountainside.

The cave was still filled with a thick, milky-white spiritual mist, which was formed from the pure spiritual energy emanating from the Spirit Eye Spring.

The spring in the center, about the size of a bowl, still gurgles out clear water. The pool is full but not overflowing, and the surface is filled with a misty, dreamlike atmosphere.

Zhou Ding took a deep breath and felt an incomparably pure spiritual energy surge into his lungs, instantly invigorating him.

"Great place!"

He was extremely satisfied.

Cultivating in such a blessed place can increase cultivation speed by at least 30%!

Over the years, the accumulated advantages will be immeasurable!

Zhou Ding immediately set to work and began to modify the natural cave.

He took out the golden blade and used its light to cut through the cave wall, transforming the originally irregular cave into a regular square.

Several stone chambers of varying sizes were also carved into the cave wall.

A quiet room, located next to the Spirit Eye Spring, is convenient for absorbing the purest spiritual energy during cultivation.

A large hall used to receive visitors.

A medicinal herb garden, cultivated in the area with the richest spiritual energy, where spiritual herbs can be transplanted in the future.

There's an alchemy room and a weapon-forging room. We don't need them right now, but we'll need them eventually.

The renovation lasted for a full day and night.

When the last stone wall was repaired, Zhou Ding looked at the newly renovated cave and felt a sense of satisfaction.

This is the first "home" that truly belongs to him in the world of cultivation.

Next, it's time to set up the formation.

Zhou Ding took out a set of array flags from his storage bag, a total of sixteen flags, each with faint golden runes flowing on its surface.

This formation is called the "Minor Golden Light Formation." He seized it from the storage bag of a Tianque Fortress cultivator after killing him in the Crimson Forbidden Land.

This formation is quite powerful. Once set up, it can form a golden light barrier that can easily withstand attacks from ordinary early Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Following the method of arranging the formation, Zhou Ding drove the sixteen formation flags into the mountain wall at the entrance of the cave.

Once the last flag was in place, he activated it by making a hand seal.

"Buzz—" A pale golden light curtain instantly appeared, enveloping the entire entrance to the cave.

On the screen of light, golden runes flowed faintly, radiating a resilient spiritual light.

Zhou Ding took out another jade tablet and refined it with a drop of blood.

In the future, when entering or leaving the cave, simply hold this token, and the formation will automatically open a door.

After doing all this, Zhou Ding patted the spirit beast pouch at his waist.

With a flash of gray, Xiao Jin's robust, tiger-like figure appeared in the cave.

As soon as the little guy came out, his golden vertical pupils stared intently at the Spirit Eye Spring, his eyes filled with longing.

Zhou Ding smiled slightly and pointed to the spring: "Go ahead."

Xiao Jin cheered and leaped into the spring.

The pure spring water submerged its body, leaving only half of its head and its golden eyes exposed.

It squinted contentedly, its pores opening wide as it greedily absorbed the pure spiritual energy from the spring water.

Zhou Ding looked at Xiao Jin enjoying himself in the spring pool and a relaxed smile appeared on his face.

The Spirit Eye Spring greatly benefits Xiao Jin's cultivation.

Now, this spring of spiritual light belongs entirely to him.

Xiao Jin can cultivate within it day and night, and break through to the second level of demon beast as soon as possible.

And he can now cultivate in peace here, without worrying about being disturbed.

Zhou Ding turned around and glanced at the newly built cave dwelling—a quiet room, a hall, a medicine garden, an alchemy room, and a weapon-refining room, all complete.

He stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the world that belonged to him within the cave, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Finally, we have a decent cave dwelling.