21: Chapter 21 Level 2 Cave

The next morning, just as the sky was beginning to brighten, Li Qing bolted upright from his hard bed, his eyes wide open, gasping for air.

He had barely closed his eyes all night, sitting cross-legged on the bed, channeling his Spiritual Qi with all his might, single-mindedly determined to successfully Cultivate the Earth Spirit Shield he had just obtained yesterday.

Yet, no matter how he mobilized the Spiritual Qi within his body or how he circulated it according to the Spell mantra, the earthy-yellow spiritual light that should have condensed before him remained invisible, not even a trace appearing. The Spiritual Qi in his Dantian was like a stone sinking into the ocean; there was absolutely no reaction.

"Damn it! I can't Cultivate it!"

The frustration Li Qing had bottled up all night exploded instantly. He blurted out a curse, his voice echoing in the small guest room, almost shaking the dust off the rafters.

He slammed his fist onto the bed, his face filled with disbelief and irritation.

Throughout the entire night, he had tried over a hundred times, tossing and turning from late night until dawn. Whenever his Spiritual Qi was exhausted, he would meditate to recover, and once recovered, he would try again. Yet, the Earth Spirit Shield was like an insurmountable wall; no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't grasp the method. Not to mention successfully Cultivating it into shape, he couldn't even perform the most basic channeling of Spiritual Qi.

Li Qing frowned, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing his Dantian area. After a long silence, he muttered to himself:

"Could it be that one must Cultivate the Five Elements Art to be able to Cultivate the corresponding Spell?"

This was the only possibility he could think of. The Earth Spirit Shield was a supporting Spell; surely one had to first Cultivate the corresponding Five Elements Art to lay the foundation before proceeding to Cultivate the Spell. Otherwise, even if he had it in his hands, it would just be a useless piece of paper.

Upon realizing this, the frustration in Li Qing's heart eased slightly, though it was replaced by a sense of helplessness. Could the Incomplete Manual of the Five Elements Art even be Cultivated?

"Forget it, I won't worry about it for now."

Li Qing shook his head, pushing the troublesome matters of Cultivation to the back of his mind. The most important thing right now was to leave Anyang City immediately.

Having been scammed once the previous night, Li Qing had become extra cautious. Every extra moment he stayed meant more danger; he had to leave immediately.

Stepping out of the inn, Li Qing looked around to confirm no suspicious people were following him. He immediately signaled for a carriage, gave the address for the central area of Anyang City, and ducked inside.

An hour later, the carriage arrived at the most bustling central area of Anyang City. There was a constant flow of people, and the plaza where the teleportation Formation was located was packed tight.

Li Qing paid two Spirit Stones and got off. He immediately saw the long line in front of the teleportation Formation, stretching from the teleportation platform all the way to the entrance of the plaza. It was packed with people, mostly Cultivators like him preparing to leave Anyang City, as well as many merchants carrying goods.

He sighed helplessly and had no choice but to obediently join the end of the line.

The line moved very slowly. Each teleportation required a full group of people, as well as the payment of Spirit Stones and registration of information. Half an hour passed in a flash, and his legs were starting to go numb before it was finally Li Qing's turn.

The Middle-aged Cultivator in charge of guarding the teleportation Formation wore a uniform robe and had an expressionless face. He cast an indifferent glance at Li Qing and asked:

"Where to?"

"Pingjiang City."

Li Qing didn't hesitate at all, stating the destination he had already decided upon.

Choosing Pingjiang City was the result of Li Qing's careful consideration.

This city was neither too close nor too far from Anyang City; it was neither the nearest nor the farthest, hitting just the right middle ground.

He wanted to intentionally take a detour so that Boss Scar and his group couldn't track his movements. If Boss Scar could guess his intentions, he would probably be so angry he'd jump up and down, cursing inwardly:

"That brat is just wasting time. Once you left Anping Market, I couldn't find you anyway; why run so far for nothing!"

"Twenty Low-Grade Spirit Stones."

The Middle-aged Cultivator stated the price in a flat tone.

Li Qing didn't haggle, obediently counting out twenty Low-Grade Spirit Stones from his pouch and handing them over.

The Spirit Stones felt cold to the touch; they were the universal currency of this continent and the foundation for a Cultivator's Cultivation. These twenty Spirit Stones made his heart ache slightly.

After paying the Spirit Stones, Li Qing stepped onto the teleportation Formation and stood still alongside a dozen other Cultivators.

Soon, a pale blue light lit up at the four corners of the teleportation Formation. The patterns intertwined and flashed, and a strange force instantly enveloped everyone.

Li Qing felt his head spin. The surrounding space seemed to be twisted and folded. The scenery before his eyes blurred into a mess, his body felt light and airy, and he couldn't even distinguish directions. All that remained in his ears was the humming sound of space.

After just a few breaths, the dizziness vanished abruptly, the light dissipated, and everything returned to calm.

Li Qing steadied himself and looked around, discovering that he was now in the plaza of a brand-new city. Three large characters were carved on a stone tablet—Pingjiang City.

"That was fast!"

Li Qing couldn't help but exclaim inwardly. The convenience of the teleportation Formation far exceeded his imagination. If he had traveled on foot, it would have taken at least half a month to get from Anyang City to Pingjiang City, but the teleportation Formation had arrived in just a few breaths.

He didn't linger in Pingjiang City; this still wasn't his final destination. Although Boss Scar's influence couldn't reach here, there were too many Advanced Cultivators. It was always better to be cautious.

Li Qing hailed another carriage and headed straight for the port of Pingjiang City.

The port was filled with all kinds of flying ships, varying in size and style. The smallest could only carry a few people, while the largest could hold over a hundred. The hulls were carved with complex Formation patterns, with Spiritual Qi flowing through them.

Li Qing bought a ticket for the nearest ship and boarded a medium-sized flying ship. As the ship slowly ascended and passed through the clouds, it soon arrived at Xiuchun Market, which was under the jurisdiction of Pingjiang City.

Xiuchun Market wasn't large, but it was very refined. The market was well-planned, with shops, residences, and a bazaar all available. The foot traffic wasn't too high, which fit Li Qing's need to keep a low profile and hide.

He went straight to the management office of Xiuchun Market, found the manager, and proposed renting a courtyard.

The manager enthusiastically introduced several properties to him. Li Qing looked through them and finally selected a well-located courtyard—not in a remote area on the edge of the market, but closer to the central area, offering better security and convenience.

The courtyard was also very spacious, with two sections, front and back, and three large bungalow rooms. It had good lighting and was kept clean. The only drawback was that the price wasn't cheap; it cost ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones per month.

But Li Qing didn't hesitate. He paid one month's rent immediately. After getting the key to the courtyard, he quickly slipped inside and closed the door. Confirming no one was around, he moved his mind and entered his Portable Cave Abode.

The Immortal Cave was still in its familiar state. Li Qing first counted his remaining Spirit Stones. After accounting for what he had earned and what he had spent, he had 282 Low-Grade Spirit Stones left.

Looking at the Spirit Stones in the pouch, Li Qing took a deep breath, his gaze turning firm.

It was time to upgrade the Immortal Cave.

A cold System notification sounded in Li Qing's ears:

"Do you wish to upgrade the Immortal Cave?"

"Yes, upgrade!"

Li Qing said without hesitation.

As soon as he spoke, a dazzling golden light suddenly erupted from the ground of the Immortal Cave, sweeping through the entire space. The golden light was brilliant but not blinding, and warm Spiritual Qi filled every corner.

When the golden light dissipated, Li Qing rubbed his eyes. It seemed like nothing had changed.

He quickly opened the panel:

[ Immortal Cave Lv2 ]

[ Effect: Exclusive space, free from disasters and difficulties. ]

[ Immortal Cave Lv3 Upgrade Requirement: Qi Refining Stage 7, Low-Grade Spirit Stone × 1000. ]

[ Unlocked Buildings: training room, Talisman room, Pill Refining Room, Artifact Refining room, Formation room ]

Looking at the five newly unlocked buildings, Li Qing was stunned for a moment, then shook his head, unable to laugh or cry:

"It actually unlocked five buildings. Looking at these attributes, it wants me to develop in all aspects! This is giving me too much credit!"