I am in Yellow Maple Valley, and I have a demonic beast clone!

Chapter 148 The Foundation of the Number One Person in the Chaotic Star Sea!

Stepping into the distorted white light gate, a slight dizziness and a sense of spatial displacement followed, similar to the feeling when passing through a long-distance teleportation array, but much milder.

Zhou Ding felt a blur before his eyes, and when his vision refocused, he found himself in a space completely different from the desolate island outside.

The first thing you feel is the rich, almost overwhelming spiritual energy of heaven and earth!

The purity and abundance of this spiritual energy far surpassed any spiritual vein Zhou Ding had ever seen, and was even several times stronger than the top-tier cave he rented in Tianxing City!

Within the spiritual energy, there seemed to be a trace of ancient, refined, and indescribable strange Daoist charm. With each breath, one could feel the pores of the body opening up, and the magical power subtly tending to accelerate its own circulation.

Looking up, one sees a rather spacious underground cavern.

The cave ceiling is over ten feet high and is inlaid with dozens of fist-sized strange stones that emit a soft white light, illuminating the entire space as if it were daytime.

Beneath our feet was a smooth, light blue jade floor, so shiny it was like a mirror.

The interior of the cave was not naturally formed; it was clearly carefully carved and arranged, with a simple and grand style that subtly conveys a sense of returning to simplicity and following the natural way.

Not far from the entrance to the cave dwelling is a meticulously planned area, from which a rich spiritual energy and vibrant life force emanate.

That was a medicinal herb garden, about three acres in size!

The herb garden was shrouded in a faint, almost transparent aura of spiritual energy, with mysterious runes flowing through it—clearly an extremely sophisticated energy-gathering, energy-locking, and nourishing barrier. Over countless years, this barrier continued to operate slowly, maintaining the vitality within the herb garden.

The herb garden was not filled with exotic flowers and rare herbs as Zhou Ding had imagined; instead, it appeared rather empty.

There were only a dozen or so medicinal herbs of various shapes, sparsely but very regularly distributed among them.

Each medicinal herb exudes astonishing spiritual energy and a rich medicinal fragrance. Its plant shape, leaf patterns, and flower and fruit colors are all extraordinary, revealing a sense of the passage of time and spirituality.

"Dragon-patterned fruit! At least three thousand years old!" Zhou Ding's gaze instantly locked onto a small tree less than three feet tall in the center of the herb garden. Three fist-sized fruits, covered with natural dragon scale patterns and golden in color, hung on the tree. Their fragrance was invigorating.

"Heavenly Crystal Snow Lotus! The growing conditions are harsh, yet there are four of them here, all over two thousand years old!" They were four snow-white lotuses rooted in a corner of the herb garden by the spiritual spring. The petals were crystal clear, as if carved from ice crystals, and a misty cold air rose from the lotus heart, condensing into tiny ice crystal snowflakes.

"And there's Blood Jade Lingzhi, Seven-Colored Glazed Grass, Earth Element Ginseng—" Zhou Ding scanned them one by one, his heart racing uncontrollably.

These dozen or so spiritual herbs are all rare and precious treasures in the cultivation world. Any one of them would be enough to cause a frenzy of competition among Core Formation cultivators, and even Nascent Soul stage monsters would be tempted.

And these plants have been growing here for at least a thousand years, with the Dragon Pattern Fruit and the Heavenly Crystal Snow Lotus probably being close to four thousand years old!

As expected of the cave dwelling and medicinal garden of an ancient powerful being! Even after countless years, nourished by spiritual energy, it has still nurtured such a treasure!

The value of these elixirs is immeasurable. Whether taken directly or used as the main ingredient in high-level pills, they will greatly benefit his future cultivation.

Without delay, Zhou Ding went to the edge of the herb garden and carefully observed the spiritual energy shield.

Although the light barrier had restrictions, its main function was clearly to gather and lock away spiritual energy, and its protective power had weakened considerably over the long years. He tentatively cast a spell, which landed on a certain node of the light barrier.

The light barrier rippled slightly, cracking open a gap just wide enough for one person to pass through, from which a rich aroma of medicine and spiritual energy surged out.

He slipped inside and carefully began from the edge, using specific harvesting techniques and a specially prepared jade shovel and box to dig out these precious thousand-year-old medicinal herbs one by one, roots and all, ensuring that no roots or spiritual essence were damaged. He then quickly sealed them into a specially made jade box covered with talismans and stored them away carefully.

Throughout the entire process, his movements were gentle yet swift, and he dared not be careless in the slightest.

In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the once vibrant and thriving herb garden was reduced to bare spiritual soil and the still-functioning spirit-gathering restriction.

Zhou Ding left the herb garden with satisfaction, and the protective light barrier slowly closed.

Passing through the herb garden, a wide jade path leads ahead.

On the stone walls on both sides of the passage, there are some blurry murals and ancient characters, which seem to record some kind of cultivation experience or the ultimate truth of heaven and earth, but they are too old and many places are mottled and unclear.

Zhou Ding glanced at it quickly, not having time to examine it closely, as he was more concerned about the core of the cave dwelling.

At the end of the passage, a more spacious hall suddenly opened up.

The cave hall was decorated simply yet elegantly. In the center was a futon, and in front of the futon was a low table with a tea set that had long since lost its luster.

On the left is a row of jade bookshelves embedded in the stone wall, but unfortunately they are empty. Presumably, the jade slips and classics stored there back then were taken away or disposed of by the cave owner long ago.

On the right is a tightly closed stone door, with faint array patterns flickering on it.

At the innermost part of the cave, near the stone wall, a jade bed carved from a single piece of warm jade came into view. And on the jade bed, a figure sat cross-legged!

Zhou Ding paused, his mind instantly sharpening, his divine sense like the most vigilant tentacles, instantly enveloping the figure.

He was an elderly man dressed in a simple gray Taoist robe. The robe was of an ancient style, unlike what people wear today.

The old man had white hair and beard, a gaunt face, and his features still faintly revealed the otherworldly air he once possessed. However, his skin was now dry and clung tightly to his bones, giving it a dull, stone-like color. His eyes were closed, and he was completely lifeless, clearly having passed away many years ago.

He sat quietly cross-legged on the jade bed, his body slightly leaning forward, one hand hanging naturally on his knee, the other seemingly forming a peculiar hand seal, pointing towards the ground in front of him. There were no fluctuations of spiritual energy around him, nor any signs of corpse transformation or remnant soul; only a pure desolation that had settled over a long period of time.

"This is... the Heavenly Mirror Hermit?" Zhou Ding was shocked. This Nascent Soul stage expert, who was famous thousands of years ago and was known as the "Number One Person in the Chaotic Star Sea," had actually passed away here, leaving behind only an immortal remains.

He did not immediately step forward, but instead pushed his divine sense to its limit, like mercury spilling onto the ground, carefully examining the area within three feet of the old man's remains, as well as the entire jade bed and the surrounding area.

It was confirmed that there were no residual soul fluctuations, hidden restrictions or traps, or vicious curses or corpse poison.

Everything was peaceful, and it seemed that this was really just the remains of a powerful being who had been sitting in meditation for countless years and whose body had been preserved from decay due to the special environment of the cave and the nourishment of the jade bed.

Zhou Ding felt a little more at ease, but he was still not completely relaxed.

He slowly stepped forward, stopped about ten feet away from the jade bed, and solemnly bowed to the old man's remains.

No matter how brilliant or extraordinary the person was in life, they have now turned to dust. This gesture of respect is both a sign of respect for the person who came before and a way to settle the karmic debt of this treasure hunt.

After performing the greeting, Zhou Ding's gaze fell on the old man's hand hanging down at his knee.

In that withered hand, a dark-colored storage bag, neither gold nor wood, with an extremely antique style, was tightly clutched.

The storage bag's watch face faintly glowed with an almost imperceptible aura, revealing its extraordinary nature.

On the ground beside the low table in front of the old man, there were three items scattered: a palm-sized bronze mirror with slightly damaged edges; a jade talisman with a dull color and cracks; and a dark, fist-sized, inconspicuous stone.

Zhou Ding first enveloped the storage bag with his divine sense and carefully examined it to confirm that there were no restrictions or self-destruction talismans on it. Only then did he carefully use his telekinesis to take the ancient storage bag from the old man's hand.

It feels slightly heavy when you hold it, and has a unique texture.

He didn't check it immediately, but instead held it in front of him and examined it several times with his divine sense. After waiting a while and seeing that nothing unusual had happened, he finally breathed a sigh of relief and put the storage bag into his hand.

He then looked at the three items on the ground.

The ancient bronze mirror and the broken jade talisman had lost most of their spiritual power, indicating that they were probably magical artifacts or tokens frequently used by the Heavenly Mirror Hermit during his lifetime, and their spiritual essence had been severely diminished over the long years.

The black stone showed absolutely no spiritual energy fluctuations, as if it were an ordinary object.

But since it could be carried by the Heavenly Mirror Hermit and even scattered around the place where he passed away, it must have been no ordinary item.

After carefully inspecting the items, Zhou Ding put them away together.

After doing all this, he did not leave immediately, but carefully explored the entire cave again, including the empty bookshelves and the tightly closed stone door, to confirm that there were no treasures or hidden spaces that he had missed.

Finally, his gaze returned to the remains of the Heavenly Mirror Hermit on the jade bed.

This great predecessor left his most important legacy and some of his belongings here, waiting for someone destined to take them. This is already an immense favor from him.

The death of a person is a great loss; they should be laid to rest in the earth.

Zhou Ding left the cave and found a secluded spot on the other side of the island, nestled against the mountains and facing the sea, with a decent view. He used his magic to carve out a simple tomb, carefully moved the remains of Tianjing Sanren out, and placed them inside.

There was no coffin or burial goods. Only an uncarved boulder stood in front of the tomb. Using his finger as a brush, he infused it with sword intent and carved six simple characters on the stone: "Tomb of the Hermit of the Heavenly Mirror," as a token of respect.

After doing all this, he returned to the cave entrance, to the rocky ground where the Xuanbing Yinlin Python had been subdued.

The area is relatively open, and although the entrance to the array he had previously cracked has been closed, the residual array fluctuations can still provide some concealment.

He sat down cross-legged, gesturing for Xiao Jin to stand guard beside him.

Taking a deep breath to calm his slightly agitated emotions, he placed the ancient storage bag he had taken from the remains of the Sky Mirror Hermit in his palm.

There was no divine imprint on the storage bag, perhaps because its owner had long since passed away, and the passage of time had erased everything.

Zhou Ding easily separated a wisp of his divine sense and probed into it.

The storage bag's interior space was much larger than he had imagined, measuring a hundred feet in diameter, far exceeding what he currently used.

There weren't many items inside, but everything was arranged neatly and spotlessly, clearly showing that the owner was extremely particular about things during his lifetime.

The most eye-catching feature is the three jade slips of different colors floating side by side in the center of the space.

One is pale gold, one is jet black, and one is translucent milky white.

The jade slip itself possesses an inner spiritual light, and it is clear at a glance that it is no ordinary item.

In addition, three items floated quietly beside it: one was a neatly folded, seemingly soft silver cloak that shimmered with starlight-like fragments; another was a delicate, translucent, nine-tiered, crimson tower, each tier carved with different auspicious beast patterns; and the last was a short spear, entirely dark blue, neither gold nor wood, about a foot long, with a cold glint at its tip that seemed capable of piercing the void.

None of the three items leaked any spiritual power, yet they exuded an astonishing, ancient, profound, and restrained spiritual pressure that made one's heart tremble.

Zhou Ding's heart began to race again. He composed himself and first focused his divine sense on the three jade slips.

First was the pale gold jade slip.

As his consciousness sank in, a massive amount of information instantly flooded his mind—the "Qiankun Array Manual"!

Four ancient and vigorous characters were imprinted on my mind like a brand.

Following closely behind is a vast and profound collection of knowledge about formations, including formation patterns, explanations of restrictions, and the integration of the principles of heaven and earth with formations. Its vastness, its ingenuity, and its Daoist charm that points directly to the origin of formations are all in no way inferior to the first volume of the "Tianyuan Formation Canon" that Zhou Ding had previously studied!

If Xin Ruyin obtains this classic text, given her talent in formations, her achievements will be limitless in the future!

"The Qiankun Array Manual—Excellent! This item and Ruyin are a match made in heaven!"

Zhou Ding was overjoyed and carefully imprinted the information from the jade slip deep into his mind. He then carefully put it away, intending to give it to Xin Ruyin when he returned.

Next was the jet-black jade slip.

Divine sense probed in.

The Nine Treasures Wonderful Golden Technique!

This is none other than the core cultivation technique that made Tianjing Sanren famous!

This technique points directly to the path of Nascent Soul, and is extremely exquisite. It is an unparalleled treasure, especially for cultivators with metal-type spiritual roots!

The cultivation method not only elaborates on the key points of cultivation, methods for breaking through bottlenecks, and supernatural secrets for each realm from Qi Refining to Deity Transformation, but also includes the method of refining the unique natal magic weapon, the "Eight Gates Golden Light Mirror," the required materials, and detailed methods for nurturing, controlling, and fighting enemies!

The Eight Gates Golden Mirror is said to be able to set up a golden array, combining offense and defense with infinite mysteries. It is one of the greatest reliances of the Heavenly Mirror Hermit as he roams the chaotic star sea!

"The Nine Treasures Golden Secret, the Eight Gates Golden Mirror—" Zhou Ding's eyes gleamed.

This technique, along with the method for crafting the corresponding natal magic weapon, is of immeasurable value.

He himself does not possess a metal-type spiritual root, and his main cultivation method has already been determined. This technique is more of a reference for him.

However, Xin Ruyin possesses both metal and wood spiritual roots, and the purity of her metal spiritual root is quite high!

If she were to switch to cultivating the "Nine Treasures Wonderful Gold Technique" and refine the "Eight Gates Golden Light Mirror" as her natal magic weapon, her future would be limitless!

It might even be possible to glimpse the realm of the Nascent Soul!

This legacy seems tailor-made for her!

Without the slightest hesitation, Zhou Ding also imprinted the contents of the "Nine Treasures Wonderful Gold Manual" and solemnly put away the original copy.

This technique, along with the "Qiankun Array Manual," will be the best gift for Xin Ruyin, enough to lay a solid foundation for her path to the Great Dao.

Finally, there was the translucent, milky-white jade slip. Sinking into it with divine sense, the information revealed was: "The Art of Concealment!"

This is an extremely mysterious and strange supernatural technique. It is not a method of attack or defense, but a top-level concealment technique that allows one to hide oneself in the gaps of the void and completely isolate oneself from external perception!

When cultivated to its highest level, one can hide without a trace right under the enemy's nose, and even temporarily evade the lock-on of heavenly tribulations!

It involves the exquisite use of spatial power and the ultimate control of the soul, which is mysterious and unpredictable.

"Concealment Technique!" Zhou Ding's heart skipped a beat, followed by a surge of immense joy!

This secret technique was practically tailor-made for him! He possessed a divine sense far surpassing others of his level, and his control over his own magical power and aura was extremely precise, making him an ideal candidate for cultivating this technique.

More importantly, he possesses the trump card "Little Gold" and the treasure-hunting technique "Heavenly Hearing Technique". He is destined to walk in various dangerous places, ruins, and even surrounded by powerful figures in the future. A top-level concealment and life-saving divine ability is even more important than many offensive magic weapons!

With this "Concealment Technique," combined with his powerful divine sense and resourcefulness, he will be much more at ease in his future endeavors, and his safety will be greatly enhanced!

"Good! Good! Good!" Zhou Ding exclaimed three times, suppressing his excitement as he deeply imprinted the contents of the "Concealment Technique" into his mind. He had to comprehend and cultivate this secret technique as soon as possible.

The three jade slips, each a priceless treasure, correspond to formations, cultivation techniques, and secret arts respectively, almost perfectly matching his and Xin Ruyin's needs, and also revealing the comprehensiveness and high level of the Heavenly Mirror Hermit's inheritance.

After calming himself down, Zhou Ding turned his gaze to the three ancient-looking items floating in the storage bag.

He first took out the silver cloak that shimmered like stars.

The cloak felt soft and cool to the touch, as thin as a cicada's wing, yet as heavy as a thousand pounds.

Upon probing with divine sense, a piece of information naturally emerged: "Star Concealment Cloak," a top-tier ancient treasure, made primarily of Void Star Sand and Illusion Moon Silkworm Silk, supplemented with various spatial materials.

Once activated, it can use the power of stars to distort light and fold space, achieving excellent concealment and protection, and can also slightly increase escape speed.

This treasure may not have the best defensive capabilities, but its ability to conceal itself, combined with the "Concealment Technique," is like adding wings to a tiger!

Next was the nine-story crimson pagoda. The pagoda was warm to the touch, and faint sounds of wind, fire, and thunder could be heard emanating from it.

The "Nine Flames Exquisite Pagoda" is a top-tier ancient treasure containing a nine-layered true fire array. It can be used for both offense and defense. When attacking, the true fire burns the sky, and when defending, the pagoda is as solid as a rock. It can also trap enemies inside the pagoda and refine them with the true fire.

It is a multi-functional ancient treasure that combines offense and defense, and possesses immense power!

Finally, there was that dark blue short spear. The shaft was neither gold nor wood, and its touch was icy cold. A cold glint appeared at the tip, and staring at it for too long felt like one's soul was being pierced.

The "Soul-Breaking Spear" is a top-tier ancient treasure that specifically targets the soul. Its attacks are invisible and intangible, swift and unpredictable, and often have a remarkable effect when facing enemies, especially against cultivators with weak soul defenses or those who practice sinister techniques.

"Star Concealment Cloak, Nine Flames Exquisite Pagoda, Soul-Shattering Spear—three top-tier ancient treasures!" Zhou Ding stroked these three treasures, whose spiritual light was restrained yet contained terrifying power, and was filled with emotion.

As expected of the number one person who once dominated the chaotic star sea, the Heavenly Mirror Hermit!

Even the relics he left behind after his death are incredibly profound.

These three ancient treasures each have their own focus and complement each other's functions. They are enough to greatly increase the strength of any Core Formation cultivator, and can even be used as a trump card for ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators!

In addition to the dozen or so thousand-year-old spiritual herbs and the three top-tier inheritance jade slips, the gains from this exploration of the "Heavenly Mirror" ruins far exceeded Zhou Ding's initial expectations!

This is not only a huge resource that is more than enough to support his cultivation to the Nascent Soul stage, but also a golden road paved for his and Xin Ruyin's future path!

"Senior Tianjing Sanren, I will forever remember your kindness." Zhou Ding bowed solemnly once again in the direction where the remains had been buried.

What I have gained this time is more than enough; it can even be described as an incredible stroke of luck.

He carefully put away the three ancient treasures, but did not refine them immediately. This place was not a safe place, and he would wait until he returned to his cave in Tianxing City to slowly refine them.

He stood up and looked around the desolate island. The inheritance had been obtained; this place was no longer suitable for him to stay.

>