65: Opening up cave dwellings

The underground here indeed contained a decent source of Spiritual Qi, which ordinary Foundation Establishment Disciples would surely find satisfactory.

However, after Lin Feng activated the heaven-stealing vine for careful detection, he shook his head slightly. The Spiritual Qi here was acceptable, but it seemed... not the best.

He instructed the Spirit-Seeking Mouse to continue searching. After several consecutive locations, whether due to incompatible Spiritual Qi attributes or interference from the surrounding environment, Lin Feng felt unsatisfied.

Just as he was contemplating whether to return to “Jiyun Peak” and settle, he inadvertently passed through an area named “Qixia Mountain Eastern Foothills”.

Many fellow Disciples had already established Immortal Caves here; it was not a secluded area. However, after using the heaven-stealing vine to probe, its Spiritual Tendrils pointed toward the most unassuming peak among them, named Baoyue Peak.

This peak appeared dim on the Spiritual Map, seeming unremarkable among the surrounding mountains, and had likely been repeatedly investigated and abandoned by fellow Disciples.

'Hmm?' Lin Feng's heart stirred. 'The heaven-stealing vine is reacting to this spot?'

Following the sensation, he arrived in front of Baoyue Peak. The mountain indeed looked ordinary, with sparse bamboo shadows, and the Spiritual Qi felt merely adequate. The Spirit-Seeking Mouse seemed agitated here, letting out confused chirps toward a spot on the mountainside, apparently unable to judge accurately.

Lin Feng focused his mind and fully activated the heaven-stealing vine's perception. Gradually, he noticed a subtle anomaly: although the Spiritual Qi on the mountain's surface seemed mediocre, deep within the mountain body, there appeared to be a hidden Spiritual Source of refined spiritual energy.

'So that's it... It's right under my nose.' His mind cleared instantly, and he immediately made a decision.

The Spiritual Sword at his fingertip accurately pierced into a naturally occurring, tiny fissure in the rock layer. After penetrating several feet, the sword tip touched a layer of Rock Shell that was unusually tough yet warm and smooth.

"Pop..."

An extremely faint crisp sound came from deep within the rock layer. That layer of Rock Shell was precisely punctured by a small hole, and an incomparably pure stream of Spiritual Qi mixed with warm water vapor slowly diffused out.

Lin Feng immediately sealed the small hole with a swipe of his joined fingers. He understood clearly now: behind the stone wall, there must be a hidden Spiritual Spring of extremely high quality, whose miraculous outer Rock Shell completely locked in the Spiritual Qi.

He no longer hesitated. The Spiritual Sword pointed out again, controlling its force, and slowly cut along the small hole to widen the entrance. Throughout the process, the Spiritual Power fluctuations were suppressed to the minimum, and the sound of rock cracking was barely audible.

A moment later, an entrance was quietly opened. Spiritual Qi, thick as milk, rushed out, but it was confined to a very small area near the entrance by a Spiritual Power Barrier he had prepared earlier.

Upon entering, the scene opened up. A milky-white Spiritual Spring, about ten feet in circumference, lay quietly in the center. At the spring eye, the Spiritual Liquid surged slowly like paste. The entire Cavern was shrouded in mist but unusually quiet, as all the Spiritual Qi was perfectly locked within by the natural Rock Shell.

"What a fine Hidden Spiritual Spring."

Only when he was inside the Cavern did he truly relax, sensing the pure Spiritual Qi that was nearly liquefying.

'If not for the heaven-stealing vine, this kind of Treasure Land might never have seen the light of day.'

Next, he meticulously trimmed the Immortal Cave with Sword Qi, carving out a Cultivation Chamber and a living chamber, and properly preserving the Spiritual Spring Pool in the center of the Cultivation Chamber.

Stepping out of the Immortal Cave, his mind stirred, and he gave an instruction to the Spirit-Seeking Mouse, which was still curiously peering at the entrance. The little fellow chirped, transformed into a gray shadow, and darted toward the Registration Office.

Next, Lin Feng took out the Formation Flags and Formation Plate for the “Minor Maze Formation.” After a brief inspection, he shook his head slightly. Although this Formation could obscure ordinary sight and confuse the Divine Sense of low-level Cultivators, its defensive power was truly limited and it could hardly resist intentional probing by Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivators.

Lin Feng recalled the “Minor Inverted Five Elements Formation” he had comprehended during the last Formation Grand Competition. Although this Formation was not top-tier in the Sect, it was several times stronger than the Maze Formation. It combined offense and defense and could disturb the minds of others, making it difficult for ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivators to easily break through.

He no longer hesitated, skillfully driving the Formation Flags into the rock layers surrounding the Immortal Cave and the underground Spiritual Vein Nodes according to specific directions. As the last Formation Flag fell into place, the entire Formation hummed and suddenly activated.

In an instant, the scenery around the Immortal Cave entrance blurred and twisted. The Five Elements Spiritual Qi became chaotic and confusing, and a Spiritual Light Shield quietly formed, firmly protecting the entire Immortal Cave within.

Lin Feng breathed a slight sigh of relief: 'Resources are limited right now, so I can only set up this Minor Inverted Five Elements Formation. When my cultivation improves later, I can try that ‘Heavenly Dipper Nine Palaces Formation’.'

After Lin Feng had completely set up the Immortal Cave, he took out the Sect Mountain Range Spiritual Map. His Divine Sense sank into it, finding the dim light point representing Baoyue Peak, and imprinted the Immortal Cave's location information onto it.

The light point on the Spiritual Map representing Baoyue Peak flashed slightly, seemingly receiving the information, and then returned to its original state.

After Lin Feng injected his Divine Sense into the Spiritual Map and selected Baoyue Peak, the Executive Disciple at the Registration Office was stunned for a moment when he saw the record, muttering with a shake of his head: “Why would Senior Brother Lin choose Baoyue Peak, which has such poor Spiritual Qi? How strange...”

Once the Immortal Cave was completely established and the Formation was running smoothly, Lin Feng began a month-long Seclusion.

His cultivation steadily consolidated under the nourishment of the Spiritual Spring, making his Early Foundation Establishment Stage Realm incredibly solid. What pleased him even more was that Cultivating his Sword Art here deepened his understanding of the Heart Sword. When he emerged from Seclusion, he felt refreshed, his Spiritual Power abundant, and his condition better than ever before.

After stabilizing his cultivation, refining the Medicinal Pills required for the Foundation Establishment Stage became the top priority. Lin Feng knew that future Cultivation would require massive consumption, and relying on others or Sect exchange for everything would not only consume Contribution Points but also make him easily constrained by others.

Therefore, he carved out an Alchemy Chamber inside his Immortal Cave. However, a clever wife cannot cook without rice. To refine Foundation Establishment Stage Medicinal Pills, merely having a Pill Furnace and Spiritual Plants was far from enough; the most crucial elements were the complete Pill Formulas and Refining Insights for various Medicinal Pills.

During the last Sect Grand Competition, he had already met most of the Prodigies within the Sect who excelled at Alchemy.

He feared that even these Prodigies would be powerless regarding the Pill Formulas for Foundation Establishment Stage Medicinal Pills, and he would need to seek out an Elder of the Spirit Pill Pavilion.

After all, Su Sizhu having a Pill Formula was likely because she was the granddaughter of the Spirit Pill Pavilion Grand Elder.

Lin Feng couldn't help but shake his head and smile bitterly, knowing that the Path of Alchemy was definitely not easy. Perhaps he could try finding Elder Wu, who managed the Pill Formula Register at the Spirit Pill Pavilion, to see if he could acquire some Pill Formulas from him.

That day, he stepped out of his Immortal Cave for some air, only to see a Communication Talisman trembling slightly outside the Formation.

Taking it into his hand, it was a routine announcement from Shang Gong Hall, mentioning that several Core Formation Stage Elders were recently concerned about the Cultivation status of newly promoted Foundation Establishment Disciples, and subtly asking if he was interested in becoming a Disciple under a certain Elder.

Lin Feng held the Communication Talisman, slightly startled.

Since he now possessed this Hidden Spiritual Spring and his Cultivation was smooth, he truly did not wish to get entangled under a certain Elder too early, adding unnecessary restraints and trouble.

After pondering for a moment, he did not reply immediately but simply noted the matter down for the time being.

Lin Feng summoned his Flying Sword and flew toward the Sect Market, planning to purchase some Alchemy Materials.

However, the atmosphere in the Market was different from usual. Disciples gathered in small groups, talking in hushed tones, their expressions lacking the usual leisure.

“Did you hear? Those people from the Chiyan Sect attacked again in Luoyun Valley the day before yesterday. Senior Brother Wang and the others almost suffered a loss...”

“More than that. Many Junior Martial Uncles left the Sect in a hurry last night. It's said that conflict has flared up again at the Border.”