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

Chapter Forty-Three: Paying Homage to Li Huayuan! Compensation!

"It's time to pay my respects to my master."

Zhou Ding stood at the entrance of his newly opened cave dwelling, gazing at the Taiyue Mountains shrouded in mist in the distance, secretly making plans in his mind.

I've been on the Foundation Establishment stage for a while now, and the sect registration is complete.

If Li Huayuan knew that he hadn't paid a visit to Li Huayuan after leaving seclusion, he would surely be displeased.

It could even affect the future relationship between master and student.

After all, he is now the other party's disciple.

Although it's just a nominal appointment, the master-disciple relationship is already established, and the proper etiquette must not be neglected.

Moreover, according to the original story, Li Huayuan had consumed half of his spiritual medicine. As a Core Formation Elder, he would feel somewhat embarrassed and would definitely offer extra compensation or guidance.

This serves both as a way to appease and to maintain the dignity of the teacher-student relationship.

"This is a perfect opportunity to get my hands on those golden pages."

A glint of light flashed in Zhou Ding's eyes.

The golden pages are a crucial element in the complete inheritance of the "Qingyuan Sword Manual".

This item is located in Li Huayuan's cave, but because its mysteries cannot be deciphered, it has been kept hidden away.

It was useless to others, but to Zhou Ding, it was a priceless treasure!

With that thought in mind, Zhou Ding didn't delay any longer. His Cloud-Stepping Boots flashed with a faint blue light, and his figure transformed into a streak of blue light, speeding towards the eastern part of the Taiyue Mountains.

……

Li Huayuan's "Green Wave Cave" is located in a huge sacred mountain.

The towering peak is shrouded in mist year-round, with waterfalls and springs cascading down its slopes. From afar, it resembles a magnificent ink wash painting.

Zhou Ding passed through layers of clouds and finally stopped in front of a cliff.

Before our eyes, a colossal waterfall, hundreds of feet high, cascades down the steep cliff like an inverted Milky Way, roaring as it plunges into the bottomless azure pool below.

The waterfall sprays up a mist that refracts rainbows in the sunlight, and the sound of the water is deafening.

Behind the waterfall, where the water curtain obscures the view, a dark cave entrance can be vaguely seen – that is the entrance to Li Huayuan's cave.

Zhou Ding landed on a blue stone by the pool in front of the waterfall, took out a communication talisman from his pocket, whispered a few words, and threw it out.

The talisman transformed into a streak of fire, passing straight through the waterfall's curtain of water and disappearing into the cave behind it.

He stood with his hands behind his back, waiting quietly.

About an incense stick later.

The massive waterfall suddenly rippled, as if an invisible hand had parted the water at its center, creating a circular opening about ten feet in diameter, just large enough for a person to pass through.

Immediately afterwards, a beam of light flew out from the hole and landed in front of Zhou Ding.

The newcomer was a monk in his early thirties, dressed in a yellow scholar's robe, with a thin appearance and a short beard.

Upon seeing Zhou Ding, his face immediately broke into a warm smile, his laughter preceding any words, and his voice booming like the beating of a gong:

"This must be Junior Brother Zhou, right?"

Zhou Ding was slightly taken aback, then cupped his hands in greeting: "It is indeed I. May I ask who you are, Senior Brother...?"

"Oh dear, look at me, I was so happy I forgot to introduce myself!"

The cultivator slapped his thigh and replied quickly, "I am Yu Kun, the eldest disciple of my master. You can call me Senior Brother Yu! My master is waiting for you in the cave and specifically sent me out to meet you!"

As he spoke, he enthusiastically grabbed Zhou Ding's arm, his eyes scanning Zhou Ding up and down, clicking his tongue in amazement: "I've heard of your reputation, Junior Brother. You contributed the most to the Crimson Forbidden Land, seventy-two spiritual herbs, breaking a fifty-year-old record! You're truly a genius! You've only been out for a year and you've already reached the Foundation Establishment stage. That speed, wow..."

"Back in the day, it took me a lot of effort to reach the Foundation Establishment stage. I used three Foundation Establishment Pills and almost lost my pants! You have no idea, I was so poor back then that I couldn't even afford food. I was eating Bigu Pills every day. That was the feeling..."

"Oh dear, look at me, I always get so talkative as soon as we meet! Junior brother, please don't be offended, I just can't control my mouth. Please come in, please come in!"

Zhou Ding was stunned by his barrage of words, and didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

As described in the original work, this Senior Brother Yu Kun is indeed a complete "chatterbox".

Upon meeting, he launched into a long, rapid-fire monologue, his enthusiasm almost overwhelming.

However, he remained respectful and bowed slightly: "So it's Senior Brother. Junior Brother greets Senior Brother. I hope Senior Brother will take good care of me in the future."

"Of course, of course! We're all fellow disciples, so it's only natural to take care of each other!"

Yu Kun laughed heartily and patted Zhou Ding on the shoulder: "Junior brother, this way please. Watch your step. This water curtain looks spectacular, but there's actually a hidden world inside. Our master put a lot of thought into setting it up..."

He continued rambling on while enthusiastically leading the way, flying first into the hole behind the waterfall.

Zhou Ding took a deep breath and followed closely behind, his figure disappearing into the water curtain.

Beyond the waterfall, instead of the damp cave one might expect, lies a spacious and bright corridor paved with white jade.

On the walls on both sides of the corridor, every few feet there is a fist-sized luminous pearl embedded in the wall, emitting a soft and steady white light that illuminates the entire passage in every detail.

The air is filled with a faint sandalwood scent and pure spiritual energy, bringing peace to the mind.

Yu Kun led the way, his mouth still running nonstop, from the amusing stories of the early days of the cave dwelling, to the embarrassing incidents of his fellow disciples, and then to the loving daily life of his master and mistress... The amount of information was enormous, and his speaking speed was astonishing, like a flood that had been released and was unstoppable.

"Junior brother, look at this jade disc. Master bought it from the Yuanwu Kingdom's market at a high price back then. It's said to be able to calm the mind and focus the spirit, and placing it next to you during cultivation is extremely effective..."

"That path over there leads to my master's wife's herb garden, where she grows rare and precious medicinal herbs. She treasures them dearly and doesn't even let us in normally..."

"By the way, junior brother, where did you choose for your cave dwelling? Is the spiritual energy still plentiful? Is there anything you don't understand about your cultivation? Although I'm not very skilled, I entered the sect quite early, and I can still share some experience with you..."

Zhou Ding followed behind him with a perfectly appropriate smile on his face, occasionally chiming in with a word or two, but inwardly he was secretly astonished.

This senior brother talks an unusual amount.

After passing through the long white jade corridor, a bright and open space suddenly appeared before me.

A giant cave hall appeared before them.

The hall floor was paved with smooth, mirror-like black marble, and four thick, coiled dragon pillars supported the dome. The dragons carved on the pillars were lifelike, each holding a bright, fist-sized pearl in its mouth, emitting a soft glow.

A babbling brook flows through the hall, its water crystal clear, with several colorful fish swimming leisurely in it.

On one side of the hall, there was a medicinal garden, where many spiritual herbs were planted, filled with spiritual light and fragrant aroma.

On the other side, several white cranes were strolling along the stream, their postures elegant. When they saw someone coming in, they merely raised their eyelids and continued to peck at their food.

Seeing Zhou Ding looking around, Yu Kun immediately switched to his explanation mode, recounting everything as if it were his own treasure: "This coiled dragon jade pillar was brought from the far north by my master, it took a lot of effort... This stream is drawn from underground water, and it's used to raise spirit carp from the cold pool, they taste extremely delicious... Those spirit cranes are raised by my master's wife, they are very intelligent, and they can even dance..."

Zhou Ding sighed inwardly.

This is the true cave dwelling of a Core Formation cultivator.

Apart from the spiritual spring, my own cave dwelling was utterly shabby compared to this place.

……

Deep inside the hall, on a large, carved rosewood chair sat an elderly man with a pale gold Taoist robe, long silver hair, and a gaunt face.

It was Li Huayuan.

He wasn't deliberately radiating pressure at the moment, but the profound and unfathomable aura of a Core Formation cultivator still made Zhou Ding, who had just entered the hall, feel an invisible pressure, as if he were facing a towering, unshakeable mountain.

Beside Li Huayuan sat a beautiful woman who appeared to be about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. .

She wore a light purple silk dress, had a beautiful face and fair skin, and her eyes and brows exuded the gentle and graceful beauty unique to women from the Jiangnan water towns.

She smiled gently as she watched Zhou Ding walk in, her gaze as soft as a spring breeze.

Zhou Ding dared not delay. He quickly walked a few steps, stopped a foot away from the seat, bowed deeply, and showed utmost respect.

"Disciple Zhou Ding greets Master!"

Li Huayuan nodded slightly and raised his hand to help him up: "Yes, get up."

Zhou Ding straightened up and stood with his hands at his sides.

Li Huayuan sized him up a few times, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes: "Your aura is stable, your foundation is solid, and the purity of your magical power far surpasses that of ordinary early Foundation Establishment cultivators. It seems you've put in a lot of hard work during the Qi Refining stage; your foundation for Foundation Establishment is very well laid."

"Thank you for your praise, Master. I will not dare to slack off," Zhou Ding replied respectfully.

A faint smile appeared on Li Huayuan's face, clearly pleased with Zhou Ding's respectful attitude.

He turned to the side and pointed to the purple dress beside him. His tone softened somewhat:

"This is your master's wife, you've met her before, haven't you?"

Zhou Ding quickly turned to the woman in the purple dress. He bowed again and said, "Disciple Zhou Ding greets Master's Wife!"

She covered her mouth and chuckled softly, her voice gentle and pleasant, like a spring breeze: "No need for formalities, please get up. I've heard from Huayuan that he's taken on an extraordinary disciple this time, and seeing him today, I can see he's no ordinary person. His foundation is indeed very solid."

"You flatter me, Master's wife. I am unworthy of such praise," Zhou Ding quickly replied modestly.

"Sit down and let's talk," Li Huayuan said, pointing to a prayer mat that had been prepared nearby.

Zhou Ding sat down as instructed, maintaining an upright posture and keeping his eyes straight ahead.

Li Huayuan picked up the teacup beside him, took a sip, and slowly said, "Your ability to establish your foundation so quickly is indeed beyond my expectations. To go from leaving the forbidden area to successfully establishing your foundation in just one year is a rare feat even in Huangfeng Valley. It seems that besides your hard work, you also had some good fortune."

"I was just lucky," Zhou Ding said.

"Luck is also a part of strength."

Li Huayuan put down his teacup, his gaze falling on Zhou Ding with a mixture of scrutiny and satisfaction: "You haven't forgotten your roots, and you came to report immediately after leaving seclusion, which shows that your character is quite good. What I value most in my disciples is this kind of character."

"I am deeply grateful to my master for accepting me as his disciple. I will never forget this kindness," Zhou Ding replied flawlessly.

Li Huayuan nodded, seemed to hesitate for a moment, and then continued, his tone becoming more solemn:

"Now that you have established your foundation, you are now my true disciple. There is something I need to make clear to you."

Zhou Ding felt a chill run down his spine, knowing that the real show was about to begin.

"Of the spiritual herbs you brought out from the forbidden area, I took half of them." Li Huayuan looked directly at Zhou Ding, making no attempt to hide anything. "These spiritual herbs... are of great significance to your master's wife."

He turned his head to look at the person beside him. A hint of tenderness flashed in his eyes, and his tone softened: "Your master's wife suffered an injury in her early years, leaving her with a chronic ailment that causes her unbearable pain when it flares up. Several of those spiritual herbs are the main ingredients for refining healing pills. I've been searching for them for many years but haven't been able to gather them all. This time, I'm so grateful to you."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Ding immediately stood up and bowed again, saying, "This disciple dares not take credit. It is an honor for this disciple to be able to help Master's wife."

He spoke these words with utmost sincerity, without a trace of reluctance.

A hint of approval flashed in Li Huayuan's eyes.

This disciple is quite sensible.

"Sit down."

He waved his hand, his tone becoming even gentler: "I have always been fair in rewarding and punishing. You have done a good job this time. Those spiritual medicines are indeed of great help to your master's wife's old ailment. I cannot take your things for nothing."

He paused, then looked directly at Zhou Ding: "Speak, what compensation do you want? Cultivation techniques, magic weapons, pills—whatever your master can provide, I will try my best to satisfy you."

Zhou Ding's heart skipped a beat.

That's exactly what I've been waiting for!

But he remained calm and composed, showing no sign of excitement, and only pondered for a moment.

If you blurt it out, it will seem like you planned it all along.

Then, he raised his head, his gaze firm and sincere:

"This disciple dares to ask for a cultivation technique suitable for myself, and I hope that Master will grant my request!"

"The cultivation technique..."

Upon hearing this, Li Huayuan nodded slightly and did not ask any further questions.

He stood up and said to the person beside him, "I'll take him to the library."

She smiled gently and said, "Go ahead, I'll have someone prepare some spiritual fruits. We'll have the child stay for a simple meal later."

Li Huayuan nodded and then led Zhou Ding away from the hall, heading deeper into the cave.