I established the Eternal Immortal Clan by taming beasts.

The Whirlpool Dragon Turtle let out a long sigh, a sound that seemed to carry a thousand years of time.

It slowly turned its head, which was covered with ancient patterns, and its deep, pool-like eyes fell on Lin Che again, with a solemn air of entrusting him with a heavy responsibility.

"Young monk," its thoughts were calm and clear, "If you wish to enter this cave, you only need to fulfill one condition."

A hint of doubt flashed in Lin Che's eyes.

In this perilous world of cultivation, he had long been accustomed to not readily believing any seemingly easy gifts.

However, he did not show much doubt, but calmly asked, "What are your conditions, senior?"

The vortex dragon turtle's gaze passed over Lin Che and landed on the armored alligator snapping turtles in the lake, who were stretching their necks and nervously looking at them.

Its eyes revealed a deep concern and reluctance from an elder to a younger generation.

"I have no other worries in this life, except for these children."

Its thoughts carried a faint sadness: "Although I live a secluded life, I am somewhat aware of the changes in the outside world."

Over the years, cultivators have appeared here one after another, clearing land to build cities, hunting demonic beasts... I fear they will not have a good end after I leave."

It paused, then refocused its gaze on Lin Che, its expression earnest: "If you promise me that you will protect them from outside interference after I leave, you may enter this cave."

Its choice of Lin Che was not a spur-of-the-moment decision.

Having lived for a thousand years, and being a cultivator and spirit beast, he considered himself to have some knowledge.

Judging from the close connection between Lin Che and the two spirit beasts, and the fact that he could communicate fluently with them, this boy must have cultivated some kind of profound beast-taming technique.

In this way, cultivators and spirit beasts are complementary, and the other party should be able to treat his people well.

More importantly, when it activated its supernatural powers, it could vaguely see a burgeoning fortune emanating from this young man.

The fact that the noble-blooded firebird followed was clear proof of this.

It was by chance that they were able to find the cave just as the formation began to loosen.

Entrusting their descendants to such fortunate individuals might lead them to a brighter future.

Lin Che carefully sensed the thoughts transmitted by the vortex dragon turtle, and the sincere and selfless concern for its offspring seemed genuine.

After a moment of contemplation, he solemnly promised, "I promise you, once I have established a family and a stable foundation in this region, I will accept and protect them."

In his eyes, these alligator snapping turtles were by no means a burden, but rather a foundation for the future of the family.

Although their bloodlines are only of medium grade, and they may not be suitable as the natal spirit beasts of the core clan members, establishing ordinary contracts is definitely not a problem.

The original beast-taming inheritance contained not only the main techniques, but also several secret arts.

One of the secret techniques is called Life Sharing, which can transfer a portion of the damage to spirit beasts.

These armored alligator snapping turtles, skilled in defense, will become an excellent protective barrier for their people.

Seeing that he had agreed, the Whirlpool Dragon Turtle's eyes flashed with a hint of relief, but then it posed a question that surprised Lin Che: "Since you want to establish a family, why not just choose Shattered Star Lake?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Che was overjoyed. Just as he had expected, there was more to this place than he had imagined.

Without the support of spiritual veins, how could so many Foundation Establishment stage Ironclad Alligator Turtles be nurtured?

He suppressed his thoughts and waited for what was to come.

The Whirlpool Dragon Turtle said no more, and the dormant demonic power within its body began to slowly circulate.

As it was propelled, the calm surface of the lake below began to churn, gradually forming a deep whirlpool that revealed a strange water eye beneath.

Lin Che immediately probed with his divine sense, and then a look of realization appeared on his face.

A pure and rich spiritual energy is continuously emanating from that water eye!

It was the aura of a second-tier spiritual vein.

"I see!" A glint flashed in Lin Che's eyes. "This place doesn't lack spiritual veins; rather, they are hidden spiritual veins!"

The biggest obstacle hindering the development of this place is the issue of spiritual veins!

Recalling the map of the Chuyang City development zone, the Shattered Star Lake area has a superior environment, and now that the existence of the spiritual vein has been confirmed, it is undoubtedly an excellent choice for establishing a family!

Although the hidden spiritual veins are not outwardly visible, cultivators have their own methods to guide and manifest them, transforming them into the foundation of their families.

"That's right, this is the best place to establish a family!"

"In that case, I'll leave them... in your care." The Whirlpool Turtle's voice carried a sense of relief mixed with its final lingering concern.

"There's no need for any grand oaths or vows; I believe your promise."

As it spoke, it opened its mouth and spat out a jade tablet that emitted a soft glow and was engraved with cloud patterns. The tablet slowly appeared and floated in front of Lin Che.

"This is the key jade token controlling the second-tier superior-grade Cloud Mist Locking Array surrounding the cave. It is now given to you. With it, you can come and go freely."

Lin Che reached out and took the jade tablet. It was warm to the touch, and a stream of information flowed into his mind—the method to control this formation.

This formation has been maintained for hundreds of years by the power of the hidden spiritual vein below. It can not only generate a natural fog that covers the island to confuse the view, but its core concealment and defensive power is concentrated around the cave, making it undetectable to outsiders.

He followed the incantation and manipulated the jade tablet.

At the entrance to the cave, light and shadow shifted, and the hazy barrier slowly dissipated, revealing an ancient stone gate.

However, Lin Che did not rush to enter.

He turned to look at the massive Crimson Flame Tiger beside him and gave it a mental command: "Go in and investigate first."

The Crimson Flame Tiger let out a low growl. Although somewhat confused, it still strode steadily into the cave.

At the same time, Lin Che activated the Myriad Beasts Paying Homage to the Ancestor Technique, connecting his consciousness with the senses through the soul imprint left in the Crimson Flame Tiger's body, sharing all the scenes within the cave.

The Whirlpool Dragon Turtle watched this scene unfold, a hint of admiration appearing on its weathered face.

Even so, he remains as cautious as ever; this young man is indeed extraordinary.

Through the Crimson Flame Tiger's vision, Lin Che could clearly see the interior of the cave.

It is quite simple, even spacious.

In the center, there was only the remains of a cultivator who had been sitting cross-legged for countless years, his bones white and exuding a tranquil aura.

Beside it lay an antique-style storage ring and a wine gourd that looked quite old.

Lin Che controlled the Crimson Flame Tiger and carefully scanned the remains with his divine sense. He confirmed that the remains had been completely extinguished and that not even a trace of the remnant soul remained. Only then did he feel slightly relieved.

Then, he remotely retrieved the storage ring and carefully used his true essence to erase the faint marks left by the previous owner.

He didn't immediately use his divine sense to investigate. Instead, with a thought, the system's detection function was activated. Invisible ripples swept through every inch of space inside the ring, carefully examining each item to ensure there were no hidden restrictions or traps.

Lin Che finally breathed a sigh of relief after the system reported "no abnormalities".

"Well? I haven't deceived you, have I?" The vortex dragon turtle's voice came with a hint of laughter.

"Alright, hurry up and go in. I also want to find out in my final days why my master was willing to stay here until the end of his life. That old fellow never explained it to me until his death."

Lin Che nodded and exchanged a glance with the Burning Heaven Sacred Sparrow behind him.

The Heavenly Sacred Sparrow understood, folded its wings, and guarded the cave entrance without following them inside.

Lin Che stepped into the cave and first picked up the wine gourd. It was slightly heavy in his hand, and when he shook it gently, he heard the sound of liquid sloshing inside.

He would naturally not drink such an unknown substance rashly.

Holding the wine gourd and storage ring, he turned and walked out of the cave.

He handed the wine gourd to the vortex dragon turtle and said, "This gourd of spirit wine must belong to an old friend, so let's return it to its rightful owner."

The vortex dragon turtle was clearly taken aback, a flicker of emotion flashing in its enormous eyes.

It extended its front paws and gently lifted the gourd with a soft spiritual force, then pulled out the stopper.

Instantly, a refreshing aroma of wine, carrying the fragrance of a hundred flowers, filled the air, invigorating the senses.

"It is... Drunken Flower Wine..." Its thoughts trembled noticeably as it drifted into distant memories.

"It's been so many years... I never thought I'd smell this scent again... Thank you so much."

It controlled the spiritual power, causing the amber-colored wine to transform into a thin stream that slowly flowed into the giant mouth.

Every drop of wine seemed to stir up long-forgotten memories, bringing a touch of hazy reminiscence and melancholy to its majestic eyes.

Lin Che did not disturb its moment of tranquility; he focused his attention on the storage ring in his hand.

He immersed his consciousness in it and began to take stock of what kind of "secrets" this ancient cultivator who passed away here had left behind.