Mortal Cultivator: Lin Tianzun

Chapter 53 Opening up a cave

After locating the Eye of the Spiritual Spring, Lin Fan became convinced that this location would become a crucial place for his retreat, cultivation, and breakthroughs. To fully utilize this unique resource, he resolved to meticulously build a dedicated cave dwelling there.

As soon as the thought came to mind, the Star-Shattering Sword hovered before Lin Fan, its blade gleaming with a cold light, as if announcing its sharpness and extraordinary power. Lin Fan's hands formed hand seals at a rapid speed, like a phantom, and he muttered something. Streams of spiritual energy, like fine threads, tightly wrapped around the flying sword. Fueled by the full force of his spiritual energy, the Star-Shattering Sword instantly transformed into a dazzling streak of light, whistling swiftly towards the nearby mountain wall.

"Boom!" With a deafening roar, countless rubble from the mountain wall flew in all directions like brilliant fireworks. Lin Fan concentrated on controlling his flying sword, darting back and forth across the mountain wall. Each swing stirred up a powerful surge of spiritual energy. As time slowly passed, one secret room after another gradually took shape. The rooms varied in size, each measuring several feet square, spacious and well-organized. The walls were smooth, like a mirror, and the floor was solid and stable, providing an ideal environment for Lin Fan's future retreat and cultivation.

After completing the chamber, Lin Fan turned his attention to the construction of the hall. He increased his spiritual energy output, and the Star-Shattering Sword's radiance grew ever more dazzling, slicing through the mountain wall with increasing speed. After a grueling battle, a hall spanning ten feet suddenly appeared before his eyes. The hall was magnificent, its dome soaring into the clouds. The walls were covered in sword scars, as if quietly telling of the past where a peerless swordsman had roamed. In the center of the hall stood a massive stone table and several stone chairs, meticulously carved from a single block of rock. Their simple and imposing form exuded a rich, timeless aura, as if bearing the weight of history.

However, Lin Fan wasn't satisfied with this. He knew the importance of spiritual medicine to cultivators, especially near the spiritual spring, where cultivating them was particularly effective. So, he cultivated several acres of medicinal herbs on the side of his cave. He used his spiritual energy to till the soil until it was soft and fertile. He then channeled clear, sweet water from the spiritual spring and carefully watered the field. After completing this, Lin Fan pulled various precious medicinal herb seeds from his storage bag and carefully spread them across the field, his eyes filled with anticipation and longing.

Watching the cave he had built gradually complete, Lin Fan felt a sense of accomplishment. He knew that from this moment on, he would embark on a brand new journey of cultivating immortality. With the aid of the Eye of the Spiritual Spring, he had every confidence that he could further enhance his strength and steadily advance on the path of cultivation.

Lin Fan reached into his storage bag and pulled out the formation flags. As he handled them, a faint surge of spiritual energy emanated from them, as if resonating with his own. He then pulled out a handful of low-level spirit stones. These stones emanated a faint yet pure spiritual energy, like twinkling stars.

He carefully circled the cave, pulled out several formation flags emitting a thin white mist, and carefully placed them around the perimeter. He also buried a dozen low-level spirit stones underground to provide energy. In the blink of an eye, a simple maze formation was set up.

Lin Fan rapidly formed hand seals with his hands, muttering to himself. Obscure spells flowed from his fingertips, as if he were conversing with the mysterious forces of heaven and earth. As the last seal took shape, the enigmatic formation that had previously hidden the cave was instantly activated. The formation flashed with light, and when it faded, wisps of thin white mist rose like a soft veil, completely concealing the entire cave.

However, this formation was not of high rank. While it looked quite intimidating from the outside, it had a powerful disorienting effect on ordinary beasts and mortals, causing them to lose their way and become completely unaware of the cave's existence. However, for those cultivators with advanced cultivation and keen spiritual perception, this formation was like paper, having little effect. With just a little perception, they could easily discern the secrets within and see through this obscuring fog.

Lin Fan knew that this maze formation was merely a temporary solution. To truly protect his cave, he would need to travel to the Tianxing Sect and purchase several advanced formations. However, the world of immortal cultivation was always fraught with danger and lurking peril. Embarking on a journey rashly was like walking into a tiger's mouth. Before setting out, he must cultivate several powerful magical powers.

However, he still had to put the double-eyed rat back first. So, Lin Fan returned to the Eye of the Spiritual Spring, gently lifted the double-eyed rat in his hand, flew ten miles out of the cave, placed it on the ground, and then returned to the cave.

After some thought, Lin Fan set his sights on two magical powers. One was the incredibly sharp sword beam ability. When unleashed, it unleashed unparalleled sword beams, like streaks of lightning streaking through the sky, seemingly capable of ripping through the very void, its power astonishing. The other was the sword and shield defensive ability. The resulting sword and shield were indestructible, capable of completely blocking out enemy attacks like an impenetrable fortress.

Having made up his mind, Lin Fan immediately sought a quiet spot, sat cross-legged with his five hearts facing the sky. He took a deep breath, channeling his spiritual energy, and began to comprehend the key to his sword-light supernatural power. As spiritual energy surged through his meridians like a surging river, a faint blue light gradually emerged from his fingertips. The light, like a wisp of silk, gradually condensed into a small sword-light. While seemingly fragile, it emanated a chilling edge, as if proclaiming its own extraordinary power. Lin Fan dared not slack off, immersing himself in cultivation, constantly honing and tempering the sword-light, striving to unleash its ultimate power. Once his sword-light training had yielded some results, Lin Fan immediately turned his attention to the sword-shield supernatural power. He formed seals with both hands, and the spiritual energy within him surged towards his palms like a surging wave. Soon, a sword-shield emanating a chilling aura slowly took shape before him. The sword and shield gleamed with a cold, sharp light, each pattern imbued with immense defensive power, as if to demonstrate its indestructibility. Lin Fan experimented repeatedly, adjusting his spiritual energy output, making the sword and shield increasingly stable and indestructible, like loyal guardians protecting him. Thus, Lin Fan raced against time, immersed in the cultivation of these two magical powers, fully preparing for his upcoming trip to the Tianxing Sect.

Three months passed in a flash, and Lin Fan had mastered the use of both his sword and shield abilities with unerring ease. Now, with a single thought, the razor-sharp sword gleam could be unsheathed in an instant, piercing the sky like lightning, carrying an unstoppable momentum. The indestructible sword and shield could also materialize at will, firmly protecting him and shielding him from the elements.

At this moment, Lin Fan stood in the center of the cave, his expression solemn. He reached into his bosom and carefully extracted an ancient bronze mirror. The edge of the mirror was engraved with intricate and mysterious runes. The traces of time made it look mottled and weathered, yet it exuded a mysterious power. But the moment Lin Fan's fingertips touched the mirror, an ancient and powerful force trembled slightly, as if answering his call. He then picked up a string of black Buddhist beads. Each bead was round and soft, emitting a subtle aura of tranquility and peace, yet concealed an unknown power, as if waiting to be awakened. Both the bronze mirror and the beads were precious magical instruments, hard-earned.

In addition, there's the top-tier flying sword bestowed upon him by Chen Minghui—the Cold Star Sword. This sword, with its unique shape and slender blade, resembles a pool of autumn water, radiating a chilling light that seems capable of freezing everything in the world. The fine veins on the blade resemble poems engraved by time, each pattern imbued with powerful spiritual energy, seemingly telling its legendary story.

Lin Fan took a deep breath, sat cross-legged, and began to cultivate the three instruments. During this long and arduous process, Lin Fan immersed himself completely, establishing a strange and close connection with the three instruments. At first, the ancient bronze mirror didn't react strongly to the constant influx of Lin Fan's spiritual power, only occasionally shimmering in circles of light, as if slowly awakening from a deep sleep. As the cultivation deepened, the runes within the bronze mirror began to flicker and pulsate, and an ancient and mysterious power gradually unleashed, like a great beast awakened from its thousand-year slumber.

He slowly channeled his spiritual energy into the bronze mirror. Instantly, it shimmered, a mysterious wave spreading outward. Immediately afterwards, a translucent curtain of light extended from the mirror. This curtain, seemingly thin but in reality sturdy, was adorned with flowing runes, emitting a strange luster. It was the same defensive power that had so effectively worked before. Lin Fan experimented with channeling his spiritual energy to alter the curtain's form. It could transform with his will, becoming as solid and heavy as a shield, providing all-around protection; or it could transform into a dynamic band of light, delicately enveloping his vital limbs for focused protection.

Lin Fan then aimed the bronze mirror at a fallen dead tree nearby, silently chanting an incantation. A faint light emanated from the mirror, striking the tree with pinpoint accuracy. Instantly, the tree seemed bound by invisible ropes, unable to move. This was the power of the Imprisonment Divine Ability. Lin Fan observed with interest, experimenting with adjusting his spiritual energy output, discovering that the intensity and range of the imprisonment could be controlled to his liking. At full strength, his spiritual energy was powerful enough to trap a cultivator in the middle stage of Foundation Establishment. However, if he deliberately restrained his energy, he could silently restrict an opponent's movements, enabling a surprise attack at a crucial moment.

To test his rebound ability, Lin Fan placed a bronze mirror before him and unleashed a sharp blast of energy from the Star-Breaking Sword. In the blink of an eye, the moment the energy made contact with the mirror, a dazzling flash of light flashed, and the energy, originally destined for the mirror, unexpectedly returned the same way, even faster and more powerful. With a loud bang, it shattered a distant boulder, sending shards flying. Lin Fan was both surprised and delighted. This rebound ability not only returned the attack intact but also amplified its power, making it a truly miraculous skill in actual combat.

Looking at the black Buddhist beads again, as the ritual progressed, their Buddhist artifact properties became increasingly apparent. Whenever Lin Fan's soul felt weary and he immersed himself in the gentle glow of the beads, he could feel a warm and mellow energy slowly flowing through his mind, like a spring breeze caressing his heart. Fatigue instantly dissipated, and his soul felt deeply nourished, as if revitalized by the Buddha's light. The beads also possessed unique defensive properties. When Lin Fan faced danger, the beads automatically floated in front of him, forming a golden light curtain. This curtain emanated a sacred aura, repelling and weakening any evil forces that approached, as if shielded by a sacred barrier.

As for the Frost Star Sword, under Lin Fan's meticulous refinement, it became even more exceptionally sharp. The cold light on the blade grew increasingly fierce, as if it could freeze everything in the world for a moment. Gently waving the Frost Star Sword, one could feel a chill in the air, as if frost were falling. Wherever the blade passed, tiny cracks seemed to be cut through the air, as if unable to withstand the sharp sword energy. Not only was the Frost Star Sword incredibly sharp, but when Lin Fan infused it with spiritual energy, a layer of faint blue sword light surrounded the blade. The sword light flickered and danced, imbued with powerful attack power, as if ready to tear through the enemy's defenses.

After countless days and nights of unremitting effort, Lin Fan finally succeeded in refining these three magical instruments. Now, these three instruments were in tune with his mind and became his most solid support on the path to immortality. They gave him more confidence and strength when facing unknown challenges, as if he had a sharp blade that could cut through thorns and an indestructible shield.

After resting peacefully in the cave for several days, Lin Fan felt his spiritual energy overflowing, his condition reaching peak condition. Standing outside the cave, he gazed up at the sky and took a deep breath. Then, his spiritual energy instantly surged, and he transformed into a dazzling red light. With overwhelming momentum, he soared northward at lightning speed, preparing to travel to the Tianxing Sect to acquire a more powerful formation to protect the cave, embarking on a new journey and facing unknown challenges.

(End of this chapter)