194: Chapter 194 Neighbors Come to Visit

Li Qing closed the stone door of the Immortal Cave, and the surroundings instantly became quiet.

The entire Immortal Cave was peaceful, with only the faint humming of rich and mellow Spiritual Qi slowly circulating. As he inhaled it, it felt warm and long-lasting, flowing through his limbs and bones, leaving his entire body's Meridians feeling comfortable and relaxed.

It was truly worthy of being built upon an Intermediate Spiritual Vein; the Spiritual Qi was even more abundant than in his Portable Cave Abode.

One had to admit, the monthly rent of one hundred Mid-Grade Spirit Stones was truly worth it.

If not for the special effects of the training room, Li Qing would have really wanted to go into seclusion and Cultivate right here.

Li Qing paced slowly inside the Immortal Cave, intending to familiarize himself with his upcoming place of seclusion.

The spacious cultivation platform was flat and orderly. The stability-enhancing Formation patterns hidden deep within the ground were invisible to the naked eye, yet they could firmly lock the Spiritual Qi within the area. When a Cultivator sat here to Cultivate, the Spiritual Qi would not leak out recklessly, significantly increasing cultivation efficiency.

He first walked to the seclusion chamber on the right. Pushing open the stone door, he saw that the interior was extremely airtight, with layers of Formations stacked around it. Not to mention outsiders probing with Divine Sense, even if people were fighting fiercely at the entrance of the Immortal Cave, he wouldn't sense a thing inside. It was most suitable for breaking through to a new Realm, polishing Cultivation Techniques, and refining Medicinal Pills.

Afterwards, he went to the storage room on the left. The room was spacious, with fixed defensive Formation bases embedded in the four corners. It was fireproof, waterproof, theft-proof, and shielded against Divine Sense, making it perfect for storing Spirit Stones, Medicinal Pills, and Magical Artifacts. There was no need to worry about treasures being lost or probed by others.

Finally, there was the small herb garden deep within the Immortal Cave. The soil was dark and fertile, containing abundant spiritual essence, and it connected directly to the West Mountain Spiritual Vein deep underground. Without needing deliberate care, it could maintain a continuous supply of Spiritual Qi for nourishment. It was more than enough for planting a few low-grade and mid-grade Spiritual Plants commonly used for Alchemy.

Li Qing had already planned to transplant some Spiritual Plants from his Portable Cave Abode and plant them here as a cover.

Li Qing was very satisfied and was just about to activate all the Formations to enter his Portable Cave Abode when—

Knock, knock, knock—

A moderate knocking sound suddenly came from the stone door of the Immortal Cave, breaking the silence inside.

This knocking was very disciplined, neither hurried nor impatient. It didn't sound like someone looking for trouble or revenge, but rather like someone who had come specifically to pay a visit.

Li Qing's footsteps paused, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

He had only just moved into the No. 17 Immortal Cave, not even a short while ago, and he didn't know anyone in the West Mountain Immortal Cave area at all. How could someone suddenly come to visit?

His heart instantly grew a bit more vigilant.

Heiyuan City was a lawless place where Loose Cultivators gathered. It was a mix of good and bad people, and hearts were unpredictable. The survival of the fittest was the only rule here, and there was absolutely no such thing as harmonious neighborhood relations.

He was a newcomer, and for someone to show up right after he rented an Advanced Immortal Cave was definitely no coincidence.

Li Qing suppressed the thoughts in his heart, remaining calm on the surface. He quietly spread out his Divine Thought, carefully probing through the stone door's Formation.

Standing outside the Immortal Cave was a Middle-aged Cultivator wearing a green Daoist robe. He had an ordinary face with long, narrow eyebrows and appeared to be about forty or fifty years old.

This person had a tall and straight figure, with a steady and reserved aura. The Spiritual Qi around his body was thick and solid, without the slightest hint of instability. His cultivation level was clearly at the Foundation Establishment Perfection Realm.

Moreover, the other party restrained his aura extremely well. He was clearly an old Loose Cultivator who had been lingering in Heiyuan City for many years and was well-versed in the art of concealing his edge.

Li Qing understood in his heart that this must be a neighbor living in a nearby Immortal Cave.

It was just that he hadn't expected the other party to come knocking immediately after he had just moved in. News of neighbors in this West Mountain Advanced Immortal Cave area spread far too quickly.

After steadying his mind, Li Qing walked slowly to the stone door. He didn't open it immediately but spoke in a deep voice through the Formation:

"I do not know, Fellow Daoist, what is your business?"

The Middle-aged Cultivator outside the door was slightly stunned upon hearing the young voice from inside the cave, but then a kind smile piled up on his face, and his tone was very easygoing:

"I live in the No. 18 Immortal Cave next door, and I suppose I am your immediate neighbor. Just now, I perceived that the Formation of the No. 17 Immortal Cave had been restarted, and knowing that a new neighbor had arrived, I came specifically to pay a visit and get acquainted. Since we will both be Cultivating in the same area of Immortal Caves in the future, it would be good to look out for one another."

The words were spoken very politely and flawlessly, presenting the posture of a friendly neighbor.

Li Qing pondered for a moment and did not reject him from afar.

Since they were neighbors, and he would be in seclusion and Cultivating here for the long term, they would inevitably bump into each other. Refusing to see him entirely would seem deliberate and easily lead to suspicion.

With this thought in mind, he waved his hand, and the stone door's Formation unlocked in response. The thick stone wall slowly opened inward.

"You are too kind, Fellow Daoist. Please, come in."

The Middle-aged Cultivator smiled, cupped his hands in thanks, and stepped calmly into the Immortal Cave.

The moment he entered, his gaze swept across the layout of the cave as if casually, with a look of familiarity in his eyes. Clearly, he was long accustomed to the configuration of the West Mountain Advanced Immortal Caves.

But when his gaze finally fell upon Li Qing and he carefully perceived Li Qing's true cultivation aura, the calm smile on his face froze for an instant, and a look of thick shock and disbelief quickly flashed in his eyes.

Mid-stage Foundation Establishment?!

This new neighbor who had just rented the top-tier Advanced No. 17 Immortal Cave was actually only at the Mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation level?

At this moment, the Middle-aged Cultivator's heart was completely unsettled, and a stormy sea instantly churned in his mind.

Others might not know, but he had been rooted in the West Mountain Immortal Cave area for years and was well aware of the rules here and the backgrounds of the residents!

In the entire Heiyuan City, there were only thirty-two Advanced Immortal Caves in total. They were the top-tier places for cultivation with the densest Spiritual Qi, the best protection, and the strongest privacy in the entire city. They were also symbols of status and wealth, which ordinary Loose Cultivators were simply not qualified to touch.

These thirty-two Immortal Caves had unwritten, invisible rules; almost no low-level Cultivators ever moved in.

Among them, Immortal Caves No. 1 through No. 10 had the purest Spiritual Qi and were closest to the underground Spiritual Vein. They were all occupied and rented year-round by the Core Formation Masters in the city, so there was simply no chance for Foundation Establishment Cultivators to get involved.

As for the remaining No. 11 to No. 32 Immortal Caves, their specifications were a notch lower, but the threshold was still frighteningly high. Those who could rent here long-term were at least at the Peak Foundation Establishment cultivation level, and the majority were veteran powerhouses at the Foundation Establishment Perfection.

Just pulling out any one of them, they were all old Loose Cultivators who had been struggling and fighting in Heiyuan City for many years, possessing deep family backgrounds and formidable strength!

Mid-stage Foundation Establishment?

If placed on the streets of Heiyuan City, they could only be considered mid-level Cultivators. Not to say they were everywhere, but you could grab a handful of them.

But these people simply did not have the Spirit Stones to rent Advanced Immortal Caves. Most of them rented Intermediate Immortal Caves or Low-level Immortal Caves.

After all, the monthly rent for an Advanced Immortal Cave was as high as one hundred Mid-Grade Spirit Stones. Ordinary Peak Foundation Establishment Cultivators had to be frugal and grit their teeth to afford it; they simply dared not rent it long-term!

A mere young man at the Mid-stage Foundation Establishment, on what basis, where did he get the confidence to directly rent a West Mountain Advanced Immortal Cave?

And looking at the activation status of the Immortal Cave, it was a new rental that had just been paid for, definitely not a sublet or borrowed!

The Middle-aged Cultivator maintained a gentle expression on the surface, but in his heart, he had already begun to calculate wildly, and his eyes had quietly changed their tone.

Something was wrong, something was very wrong.