Cultivation of Immortality: Start by Improving Spiritual Root Qualifications

Chapter 920 Fifth-Order Spiritual Spring, Transforming the Cave Dwelling!
Upon hearing this, Que Ming was overjoyed.

He immediately took out a jade token: "This is the token of an elder guest of my clan. Fellow Daoist, please keep it safe. You only need to inject a little magic power to refine it."

After speaking, he took out a square wooden plate from his sleeve, its surface gleaming white, with naturally formed patterns and a faint glow of spiritual light.

“Now that Fellow Daoist Zhou has joined my Que Clan, according to custom, he should choose a spiritual island as his cave dwelling.” As Que Ming spoke, he pointed his finger at the center of the wooden plate, and a beam of azure light shot into the sky.

The surface of the wooden plate ripples like water, gradually revealing a three-dimensional miniature map.

Countless islands were scattered across the map, their outlines defined by blue light. Most striking was the majestic island in the center, a miniature version of Tianque Island.

"This is the 'Thousand Island Compass' that has been passed down for ten thousand years by my clan. It can provide a direct view of all the spiritual islands under the jurisdiction of my Que clan."

Que Ming tapped his finger, and dozens of golden dots lit up on the map. "These are all fifth-tier spirit islands, six of which are still uninhabited."

Zhou Xun looked closely and discovered that the brightness of these light spots varied.

Que Ming pointed to the six brightest ones and flicked his finger, and the phantom of an island appeared in mid-air.

"This island is called 'Qingxia Island,' located three million li southeast of Tianque Island." As Que Ming explained, the illusory image gradually enlarged, revealing details of the island.

"This island is three hundred miles in circumference, has a fifth-grade low-level spiritual vein, one hundred acres of spiritual fields, thirty acres of medicinal gardens, and twenty Foundation Establishment disciples are stationed here year-round."

In the illusory image, a verdant mountain peak can be seen in the center of the island, with clouds and mist swirling around its waist, and the outlines of several caves can be vaguely seen.

At the foot of the mountain, neat rows of spiritual fields stretch out, with the spiritual rice swaying in the wind, creating layers of green waves.

"There are also three thousand-year-old Jade Spirit Tea trees planted on the island, which can produce two ounces of spirit tea every year, which is very beneficial to the spiritual consciousness of Nascent Soul cultivators."

"I wonder if Elder Zhou has any thoughts on this?"

Zhou Xun focused his gaze and saw that the island was indeed quite nice. However, it was too close to Tianque Island, only three million li away. Even with the speed of a Nascent Soul cultivator, it would only take a day to reach it.
He really didn't have any ideas.

Seeing that Zhou Xun did not respond,
Que Mingbu flicked his finger, switching to another island, and continued his introduction.
"This is 'Xuan Gui Island,' named for its resemblance to a black tortoise."

The second island's phantom image is even more peculiar. It is oval in shape, with five peninsulas extending from it, truly resembling a tortoise's feet and head. The island has a gentle slope and a clear blue lake in the center.

"The island's spiritual veins have reached the mid-grade of the fifth rank, making it especially suitable for cultivators using water-attribute techniques. The lake is rich in 'Mysterious Yin True Water,' and a pot can be harvested every ten years, making it an excellent material for refining water-attribute magic treasures."

As Que Ming spoke, he suddenly lowered his voice, "There is also a sixth-order spiritual herb, 'Nine-Turn Mystic Ginseng,' being secretly cultivated on the island, but this herb still belongs to my Que family!"

Upon hearing the mention of a sixth-grade spiritual herb, Zhou Xun's expression stirred.
He also understood that he shouldn't interfere with this island, so he took the initiative to speak up:
"Please continue, Patriarch!"

Seeing that Zhou Xun was so sensible, Que Ming was very satisfied and continued to speak.

When the location of the third island is revealed,

Zhou Xun's gaze was instantly drawn to it.

This island is isolated overseas, nearly a hundred million miles away from Tianque Island. It is already on the edge of the Que Clan's sphere of influence, and there are only a few scattered low-level spirit islands around it.

It is extremely secluded, and you don't have to worry about being disturbed by others at all.

Que Ming understood and immediately pulled up a detailed image of the island: "This is 'Silent Spirit Island,' which is indeed the most secluded place. Although the spiritual veins on the island are only fifth-grade low-level, they are pure and stable. The only drawback is that it is far from the main island, making it inconvenient to travel back and forth."

"Distance doesn't matter. Once I've set up the teleportation array, it'll all be the same!" Zhou Xun said calmly.

He was quiet by nature and naturally did not want to be disturbed. This place was located on the edge of the Que family's territory, which suited him perfectly.

"By the way, this spirit island is located on the edge of our clan's territory and is not far from the Thousand Islands Chaos, so the security is probably not that good!"

The Chaotic Thousand Islands is the domain of independent cultivators in the Wandao Lake region, occupying more than one-fifth of the entire Wandao Lake area. The forces within it are complex and intertwined, including demon cultivators, evil cultivators, and even spirit races.

Zhou Xun wasn't worried about this. As long as the magic array was set up properly, and a teleportation array was added later, it would be impregnable unless a Void Refinement cultivator intervened!

“I want this one,” Zhou Xun decided immediately. He needed a place to cultivate away from the hustle and bustle, and distance actually became an advantage.

As for the chaotic Thousand Islands, they are more suitable for him to acquire resources in the future.

Que Ming nodded.
"Since Elder Zhou is so fond of this island, then I will designate its ownership."

After saying that, he lightly traced a line on the wooden plate with his finger, and the light spot on Silent Island immediately turned from gold to red, indicating that it had been claimed.

After putting away the Thousand Islands Plate, Que Ming suddenly changed the subject:
"I've heard that you are an expert in setting up teleportation arrays?"

Zhou Xun put down his teacup and said frankly, "I have indeed dabbled in this area. Although I cannot set up a teleportation array that spans billions of miles, teleportation within hundreds of millions of miles is not a problem."

Upon hearing this, Que Ming's eyes gleamed brightly.

He rose and paced a few steps inside the hall, then suddenly turned and said:

"To be honest, our clan has always wanted to build a teleportation network within our territory, but we lack array masters who are proficient in this art. Now that you have joined us, this matter is finally within reach!"

Seeing Zhou Xun remain silent in thought, Que Ming quickly added, "If you are willing to take charge of this matter, it will be equivalent to a two-thousand-year family mission. The clan will provide all the necessary materials. What do you think?"

The hall fell silent for a moment, with only the wafting aroma of tea.

After a moment's thought, Zhou Xun said, "I agree to this matter. However, I have other important matters to attend to at the moment, and I'm afraid it will be ten years before I can officially begin."

"No problem!" Que Ming clapped his hands and laughed. "We've waited a thousand years, what's another ten? Come, let me offer you a cup of tea instead of wine!"

For cultivators like them, ten years is less than a single period of seclusion.

Then, the two talked for a long time about their cultivation experiences.

Que Ming, a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, shared his insights into cultivation, which greatly benefited Zhou Xun.

Especially when discussing the Law of Thunder, the golden pattern between Que Ming's brows flickered, and a wisp of purple lightning condensed in his palm. The lightning seemed to have a spirit, flowing endlessly between his fingers.

"My Que family's ancestral 'Heavenly Thunder Scripture' places the utmost importance on the true meaning of thunder." Que Ming let the lightning dance in his palm.

"If you are interested, you may freely browse the first three floors of the Scripture Pavilion."

Before I knew it, the sun was setting.

Zhou Xun declined the invitation to stay overnight and left the council hall with Sun Yuanxuan.

Before his departure, Que Ming specially gifted him a jade slip containing detailed information about Silent Spirit Island.

After leaving Tianque Island, Zhou Xun had a thought, and the Thunder Wings behind him unfurled.
"Young Master, shall we go to the new cave dwelling now?" Sun Yuanxuan asked curiously, examining the token projection.

Zhou Xun nodded.

"Not bad!"

A faint flash of lightning streaked across the sky behind him, then quickly disappeared into the horizon.

Two weeks later, an island shrouded in a thin mist appeared ahead.

As dusk fell, the setting sun gilded the ancient trees on the island with a golden edge, making them look like a traditional Chinese ink painting from afar.

“We’ve arrived.” Zhou Xun put away the flying boat and stood in mid-air. He took out his token and waved it at the island, and the mist covering the island immediately parted to create a passage.

The moment you pass through the fog, a rich spiritual energy rushes towards you.

The island is filled with ancient trees reaching for the sky, and vines hanging down, exuding a spiritual charm everywhere.
Soon, the two landed slowly on the jade plaza at the foot of the main peak. More than ten disciples were already lined up to greet them, led by a middle-aged man in gray robes who was in the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm.

"Junior Que An pays respects to senior!" The middle-aged man led the group in a respectful bow.

"Are you the island's garrison commander?"

Zhou Xun nodded slightly, his divine sense sweeping across the entire island.

Pavilions and towers were scattered across the mountainside in a well-organized manner, and thousands of acres of sacred fields were divided into neat and orderly plots.

The group ascended the crimson jade steps, the air filled with the fragrance of rare and exotic flowers and herbs. Que An introduced them to Zhou Xun from the side.

Upon reaching the summit, a magnificent palace stands tall.
In the square in front of the palace, thirty-six red copper pillars are arranged in a specific orientation, and each pillar is topped with a spirit stone the size of a fist.

Zhou Xun recognized that this was part of the island's protective formation.

Over the next half day, Que An led Zhou Xun on a detailed inspection of all the facilities on the island. The spirit fields, herb gardens, cultivation rooms, and alchemy workshops were all extremely well-maintained.

Zhou Xun was secretly pleased; the choice of this training ground was excellent.

As evening approached, after everyone had finished their introductions, Que An hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

"Senior, we..."

As disciples guarding the island, their responsibility was to protect and watch over the uninhabited spirit island. Now that the island has a master, their mission is naturally complete.
However, since they were stationed here, they inevitably relied on cultivating many spiritual herbs and spirit beasts.
At the same time, the rich spiritual energy of the fifth-tier spirit island is a rare opportunity.

"It's alright. If you're willing, you can stay and manage the temple for me. However, the position of manager will naturally be taken by me, your concubine!"

"Of course, I've met you, Madam!"

Que An immediately bowed to Sun Yuanxuan, who was standing to the side, completely disregarding the fact that he was at the Nascent Soul stage while Sun Yuanxuan was only at the Core Formation stage.

This left Sun Yuanxuan somewhat at a loss for words.
"Alright, you may leave now!"

Zhou Xun waved his hand, and in a flash, he led Sun Yuanxuan to the spiritual eye of the entire spiritual vein.
People have already created cave dwellings here.

However, Zhou Xun didn't like the layout, so some changes were necessary.
With a small armor of the Earth element, it's naturally not difficult.

He slapped his waist, and a beam of yellow light flew out, transforming into a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy, none other than Xiao Jia!
"I've met the master!"

Xiao Jia bowed respectfully.

"It's time to get to work!"

As an earth-attribute spirit rat, the Xuanjia Armadillo is most adept at such repair and construction tasks.
He then began to move and fill in the gaps under Zhou Xun's command.
Half a day later, the basic shape of a cave dwelling appeared.
The pavilions, terraces, waterside pavilions, artificial hills and strange rocks, along with the various functional buildings surrounding them, are basically designed according to the style that Zhou Xun and Sun Yuanxuan like best.

"How was it?" Zhou Xun asked with a smile.
"That's good. We can transplant the spiritual plants here. It's just that this cave is located on a mountaintop and there's no spring water, which is a bit lacking!" Sun Yuanxuan sighed.

"That's easy!" Zhou Xun smiled slightly.
With his left arm around Sun Yuanxuan's stunningly slender waist, he flashed forward, and the two appeared outside the mountain peak.

With his hands forming a hand seal and pointing towards himself, Zhou Xun's eyes emitted beams of golden light.
It was his ethereal blue-light pupils.

Suddenly, Zhou Xun's gaze fell on a certain spot, and he smiled slightly.
"found it!"

With a flick of his sleeve, Zhou Xun unleashed a streak of azure sword light that pierced the air, circling several times around the mountainside before slashing down with a deafening roar. Amidst the shattering of rocks, a clear spring gushed forth, refracting the sunlight into a rainbow of colors.

"This is... a fifth-tier spiritual spring?" A look of surprise flashed in Sun Yuanxuan's beautiful eyes.

“Excellent, I plan to channel this spring into my cave!”

However, what still needs to be addressed is the waterway. A pathway for the flow of spiritual springs needs to be created inside the mountain, connecting to the spiritual pool in the cave.

With a thought, Xiao Jia quickly shrank to only two inches in size, then burrowed into the spirit pool and headed towards it.
In just over ten breaths...

A waterway, approximately an inch in diameter, was formed.

Then Zhou Xun formed hand seals, and spiritual energy surged throughout his body.

He flicked his fingers repeatedly, and golden runes disappeared into the waterway.

The spring water suddenly twisted as if it were alive, and followed his guidance, it flew into the air and transformed into a crystal-clear water dragon, flowing upstream along the waterway.

Finally, it surged out from the center of the spirit pool, and wherever it passed, moss grew and spiritual mist rose, meandering among the artificial mountains and strange rocks.

"Young master, your skill is truly divine!"

Back in her cave, Sun Yuanxuan looked at the scene before her and couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.

"If we buy a few more spirit fish and plant some water lilies later, it will be even more perfect!"

“Leave this matter to me!” Sun Yuanxuan said with a smile.

“Alright!” Zhou Xun moved and arrived at the mountain peak above the cave. This was the highest point on the entire island, where one could see hundreds of miles of sea stretching out before them.

"This is a good spot!" he shouted.
"Xiaojia!"

"Rebuild the Tranquil Pavilion according to the design of our Forgotten River Lake!"

Xiao Jia nodded.
A beam of yellow light shot out, transforming into a thick yellow fog that enveloped the mountaintop.

It's being pulled and shifted; something seems to be forming inside.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the thick fog dissipated, and a brand-new stone pavilion suddenly appeared, with a winding stone path leading down beside it.

A direct route to Zhou Xun's cave!
"Not bad!" Zhou Xun nodded in satisfaction.
With a flick of his hand, he produced a Spirit-Feeding Pill and flicked it into Xiao Jia's mouth.
This was specially crafted by him, designed specifically for earth-attribute demonic beasts, and is most suitable for Xiao Jia to consume.

Xiao Jia swallowed the Spirit-Feeding Pill, and a faint yellow light emanated from his body, indicating that he could continue working.

Zhou Xun smiled slightly and reached out to pat its head: "No rush, there will be plenty of opportunities for you to show your skills in the future."

He turned and stepped into the Tranquil Pavilion. The stone table and benches inside were already in place. Although they were a bit rough, they were simple and natural.

Zhou Xun lightly tapped his fingertip, and a wisp of alchemical fire flew out for refinement, while simultaneously inscribing array patterns.
Introducing pure spiritual energy from within the cave.
In this way, one can enjoy the scenery while also engaging in seclusion and spiritual cultivation in the future.

Just then, a gentle breeze came from behind.
looking back,

Then you can see Sun Yuanxuan with skin as white as snow, eyebrows as dark as ink, wearing a plain gauze dress, revealing her jade-like ankles as she walks!

Zhou Xun's heart skipped a beat, and he smiled:

"Moving into a new house is definitely something to celebrate!"

Sun Yuanxuan blushed, naturally understanding what Zhou Xun meant.
"Young master, this is the place—"

He then lay down and placed himself on the stone table.

Zhou Xun laughed heartily and waved his arm.
The veil of gauze cascaded down around the pavilion, and a thin mist slowly enveloped the mountaintop!

“Young Master, this…this cave dwelling has just been completed, and there are still many things to do…” Sun Yuanxuan’s cheeks were flushed, and her voice was barely audible.

Zhou Xun lowered his head and whispered in her ear, "No rush, everything can be dealt with tomorrow."

This is the meaning of the saying, "When you think you've reached a dead end, a new path opens up before you."
(End of this chapter)