Mortal: My name is Ma Liang, and I also possess a magic brush.

Ma Liang randomly found an inn in the market and stayed there.

Once inside the room, he closed his eyes and focused his mind, flipping through the information recorded by the magic pen, a smile involuntarily creeping onto his lips.

These pills are enough to support his cultivation to the peak of Foundation Establishment.

"Tomorrow I will find a cave to rent and focus on seclusion."

He secretly made up his mind that he would not leave seclusion until he reached the peak of Foundation Establishment.

As he was pondering this, Ma Liang suddenly felt a wetness on his cheek. When he opened his eyes, he saw that it was Jingzhe rubbing against his face.

He chuckled, "You little rascal, are you hungry again?"

Just as he was about to take out the Spirit-Feeding Pill, he suddenly remembered a new elixir he had recorded during the day, and immediately began to draw it on his sleeve with his magic brush.

In the blink of an eye, a pill materialized and popped out, which he then offered to Jingzhe's lips.

"Come on, Jingzhe, try this. The shopkeeper said it's much better than the Spirit-Nourishing Pill."

Jingzhe leaned closer to smell it, and then swallowed it in one gulp.

The pill dissolved instantly upon entering his stomach, and Jingzhe rolled off his shoulder. Ma Liang quickly reached out to catch it, only to find the little guy curled up in a ball, as if asleep.

"This pill is incredibly potent..."

Ma Liang suddenly realized what was happening and carefully put Jingzhe into his spirit beast pouch.

It seems that given Jingzhe's current condition, this elixir is still too potent.

Ma Liang also took out a pill and swallowed it, then circulated his cultivation technique to refine the medicinal power and began to cultivate.

The night passed in the blink of an eye, and the sky outside the window was bright. He got up and stretched, and Jingzhe also jumped out of the spirit beast bag, and even curled up on the ground and yawned, just like him.

Seeing its drowsy state, Ma Liang knew that the medicine from last night was too potent and that Jingzhe had not fully absorbed it.

"Awakening of Insects, if you haven't rested well, go and take another break."

But Jingzhe wasn't having it. She climbed onto his lap, then onto his shoulder, and turned her head to look out the window, as if she wanted to go out for a stroll.

Ma Liang was amused: "Are you perhaps a female snake? Why do you enjoy shopping so much?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Jingzhe bumped her head against Ma Liang's shoulder, as if she were protesting in a spoiled manner.

"Alright, let's shop around for another day. After that, I'll rent a cave to go into seclusion. You also need to use this time to intensify your cultivation, understand? You can't be playful anymore."

As if he understood what Jingzhe said, he nodded decisively.

Ma Liang then took it for a stroll through the market again, but this time, when he entered each shop, the shopkeepers were no longer as enthusiastic as before, letting him wander around. They would only reluctantly answer when he asked a question.

Ma Liang knew that he had already left a bad impression on the market vendors that he was "just browsing and not buying".

After wandering around for less than half a day, he stopped and said, "Alright, that's enough. There's no point in wandering around anymore. Let's go rent a cave dwelling."

Jingzhe also sensed the cold atmosphere in the shop and obediently huddled inside his clothes.

The man and the snake then set off for the rented cave dwelling on Kui Xing Island.

So, Ma Liang arrived at Dengxian Pavilion.

The staff here were very welcoming and led him to a sand table.

"May I ask what kind of cave dwelling this fellow Daoist would like to rent?"

Ma Liang surveyed the islands marked on the sand table and asked, "Are there any secluded and quiet places?"

"There are a few places."

The staff pointed to three islands at the edge of the sand table, "These three places are quite quiet, with few cultivators coming and going, but the spiritual energy here is a bit thin."

"It's alright, as long as it's quiet."

Like Han Li, he harbors a major secret: his ability to draw with the divine brush must never be exposed, and a secluded place is the most suitable location.

He randomly picked one of them: "This one will do."

"Alright, fellow Daoist, please follow me to complete the formalities."

After the rental certificate was processed, the staff member said, "Fellow Daoist, please follow me."

Ma Liang responded and followed, the two of them flying towards the chosen cave.

The two flew to the selected island, where they were greeted by a serene and tranquil environment, with no one around.

The staff member pointed to the island and introduced, "Fellow Daoist, this is the outermost island of Kui Xing Island. Very few cultivators come and go here; it's very quiet. There's another even smaller island nearby, with a similar environment."

Ma Liang looked in the direction he pointed, his gaze falling on the layout of the neighboring island.

The prominent platform and the stone gate behind it looked increasingly familiar.

He suddenly realized: This is the cave dwelling that Han Li rented in the animation.

"What a coincidence, we've become neighbors with Han Li." Ma Liangmian remained expressionless, nodding to the staff and saying, "This place is excellent."

The staff member took out a jade token and handed it over: "I'm glad you're satisfied, fellow Daoist. This is the restriction token for the cave dwelling. You can use this to open the stone door."

Ma Liang accepted the jade token and put it away. The staff member then cupped his hands and said, "Then I will not disturb your cultivation any longer. I wish you progress in your cultivation and that you will soon ascend to the Great Dao!" After saying that, he flew away.

Ma Liang held the restriction token and shone it on the stone door. With a loud "boom," the stone door opened.

He stepped inside and found the cave spacious and clean, with a clear pool of water, an alchemy furnace, and all sorts of facilities, just to his liking.

After taking a quick look around, Ma Liang walked out of the cave.

Relying solely on the cave's own protective barriers is not secure enough; several layers of formations must be set up for peace of mind.

He scanned his surroundings with his divine sense, and after confirming that no one was around, he took out the scroll from his back, unrolled it, and began to draw the array.

First came five defensive formations, nested one after another, and finally a killing formation was set up, completely enveloping the entire cave.

The light of the array activating flashed by, completely obscuring the view inside and outside the cave, making it impossible for anyone to discern anything inside.

After doing all this, Ma Liang took out spirit stones and inserted them one by one into each array position to maintain the long-term operation of the array.

After doing all this, Ma Liang returned to his cave and released Jingzhe.

"Alright, from now on, it's just the two of us in this cave. Let's cultivate diligently and see who progresses faster!"

The insect, Jingzhe, circled on the ground, its head held high, looking eager to try its luck.

Ma Liang hung the storage bag filled with Spirit-Nourishing Pills and various spirit beast enhancement pills on its body, and pointed to the stone chamber next to it: "That small stone chamber over there is yours. I'm going to start refining pills."

Jingzhe seemed to have been aroused by a competitive spirit, and carrying the storage bag, she went straight into the stone chamber.

Ma Liang walked to the alchemy furnace. "Let's refine some Soul-Gathering Jade Marrow Pills first. We'll need a lot for later cultivation, so we need to prepare enough."

He took out his magic brush and began to draw out the spiritual herbs needed to refine the elixir, officially embarking on the alchemy process.

After Ma Liang went into seclusion, the day and night outside the cave seemed to be fast-forwarded. The sun rose and set rapidly, and clouds hurried across the sky. Occasionally, cultivators would fly over the island, but no one paid attention to the cave in this remote corner.

Time flies, and two years have passed in the blink of an eye.

On that very day, a beam of light shot down from the horizon not far from Kui Xing Island and disappeared into a deserted island in an instant.

A moment later, Han Li slowly emerged from the stone cave on the deserted island, gazing at the unfamiliar world. "Is this the new world?"

A few days passed quickly, and Han Li arrived at the rented cave dwelling under the guidance of the staff of Dengxian Pavilion.

"Fellow Daoist, what do you think of this cave dwelling?" the staff member asked.

Han Li looked around and said, "Not bad."

"Fellow Daoist, if only you had come two years earlier," the staff member said with a smile, pointing to the neighboring island. "That cave dwelling over there is a bit bigger than this one, and it would be perfect for two cultivators to share. It's already been rented out."

Han Li looked in the direction he pointed, and his divine sense quietly probed the area. Immediately, his heart skipped a beat.

The array outside the island was nested in layers, with restrictions so tight they were almost impenetrable.

"This person is quite cautious..."