Mortal: Starting by looting Han Laomo's entire herb garden

Han Li hesitated for a moment, then tentatively asked, "Senior Brother Lu, I have another question to ask you."

Lu Yan glanced at him and said, "Speak."

Han Li lowered his voice: "Is there a cultivation technique that allows a Core Formation elder to disguise themselves as a Qi Refining disciple and infiltrate the forbidden area?"

Lu Yan raised an eyebrow, then shook his head: "If you want to advance beyond the Core Formation stage, you'll have to start over."

"Rebuild?"

Lu Yan said calmly, "Some sects have special techniques that allow cultivators to dissipate their cultivation and start over. For example, the 'Plain Maiden Reincarnation Technique' of the Hidden Moon Sect allows cultivators to be reincarnated and start cultivating again."

Han Li was shocked. No wonder Nangong Wan was able to enter the forbidden area; he never expected her to possess such a technique.

The world is truly vast and full of wonders.

Lu Yan added, "The wonders of this Pure Maiden Reincarnation Technique go far beyond this. With each reincarnation, not only will one's cultivation level change, but even one's appearance will change."

"As her cultivation level recovers, her appearance will change from a young girl to a young woman, and after reincarnation, she will return to being a young girl."

Han Li was stunned. What would Nangong Wan be like when he saw her again in the future? Would she be bigger? Or smaller?

Lu Yan continued, "Not only that, it is said that if a person who has cultivated the Pure Maiden Reincarnation Technique touches her when she is seriously injured, her cultivation will be completely drained."

"Hiss..." Han Li gasped, his cultivation completely drained. What a vicious technique.

Han Li continued, "It seems that those above the Qi Refining level will not be able to enter the forbidden area."

Lu Yan shook his head: "That's not the case. If one's cultivation reaches the late Nascent Soul stage, it is possible to force one way in."

Han Li understood. Only those in the late Nascent Soul stage could force their way through. He hadn't expected Senior Brother Lu to know so much. It seemed he could come to him for guidance more often in the future.

Time passed by as the two chatted. After returning to Huangfeng Valley, Lu Yan first greeted Fatty Lei, and then stayed in his cave to cultivate and prepare for Foundation Establishment.

Three months later.

Lu Yan sat cross-legged on the futon, his body surging with spiritual energy.

He took a deep breath, circulated his cultivation technique, and channeled the last bit of spiritual energy into his dantian.

Within the dantian, the originally misty spiritual energy began to condense, gradually forming a drop of liquid true essence, radiating spiritual energy several times more concentrated than before.

Foundation building period.

Lu Yan opened his eyes, exhaled a long breath, and felt the surging power within his body. A slight smile appeared on his lips.

The foundation-building stage has begun.

Lu Yan didn't rush out, but instead spent a few days stabilizing his cultivation level.

After that, he went to the Qilin Pavilion, which is a place in Huangfeng Valley that specializes in renting and selling spirit beasts.

There is a small beast here called the Double-Eyed Rat, which is naturally sensitive to spiritual energy and is best at finding spiritual veins and springs.

"Please wait a moment, Martial Aunt." Upon hearing this, the female disciple in charge of the area returned shortly with a small gray beast about the size of a palm.

"One spirit stone a day, please take it, Uncle."

Lu Yan handed over a spirit stone and took the little beast.

The two-eyed mouse squatted in his palm, its two eyes darting around, its nose twitching, looking quite clever.

Lu Yan carried him away from the Qilin Pavilion on his sword, flying towards the Taiyue Mountains in the direction of the Yuanwu Kingdom.

The two-eyed rat circled in front of him a few times, then suddenly stood up and squeaked in one direction.

Lu Yan's spirits lifted, and following the little beast's instructions, he landed in an inconspicuous cave. Parting the dense vines, the view suddenly opened up before him.

A clear spring lay quietly deep within the cave, faintly radiating spiritual light. The surrounding spiritual energy was several times denser than that of the outside world; it was a spring with a spiritual eye.

Lu Yan's lips curled up, and he was about to step forward when his gaze suddenly sharpened.

Around the spring, several medicinal herbs were planted neatly.

Jade Marrow Fungus, Heavenly Spirit Fruit, Purple Monkey Flower... Each plant is over a thousand years old, in perfect condition, clearly having been carefully cared for.

Lu Yan was taken aback for a moment, then understood.

It's probably because after Junior Brother Han's herb garden was robbed last time, he didn't dare to accelerate the growth of spiritual herbs in the Hundred Herbs Garden anymore.

However, cultivating spiritual herbs requires a certain amount of spiritual energy, so he must have found the Spirit Eye Spring here under the guidance of the Twin-Eyed Rat.

But since we're already here, it would be impolite to leave without taking something with us.

He reached out and plucked a piece of chalcedony fungus, then put it into a jade box.

They pulled up another Heavenly Spirit Fruit plant.

Then I pulled up another purple monkey flower.

He quickly swept away several thousand-year-old spiritual herbs, and then his gaze turned to the Spirit Eye Spring.

If you are the first to discover this place, you can even claim it as your cave dwelling.

But now that Han Li knows about this place, if he finds out that it has been occupied and he can't take it for himself, he might expose it to gain benefits.

Lu Yan only wanted to cultivate quietly and discreetly, and did not want to become the target of public criticism.

As for the Spirit Eye Spring, he couldn't take it away with his Foundation Establishment stage cultivation; he could only do so when he reached the Core Formation stage.

Lu Yan's eyes darted around, and he had an idea in mind.

Half an hour later, he appeared in Lei Wanhe's cave.

The stone door opened with a rumble, and Lei Wanhe was still sitting at the stone table drinking tea. Seeing Lu Yan enter, he casually said, "Foundation Establishment? Not bad, not bad. What brings you here to see your master?"

Lu Yan cupped his hands in greeting: "This disciple has discovered a spiritual spring in the Taiyue Mountains and wishes to offer it to Master."

Lei Wanhe paused in his tea-serving hand, then looked up at him.

"What did you say?"

"The Spring of Spiritual Eyes," Lu Yan repeated. "This disciple found it using the Twin-Pupil Rat."

Lei Wanhe put down his teacup, his fat face jiggling. He stared at Lu Yan for a while before suddenly saying, "You went out and all you brought back was a Spirit Eye Spring?"

Lu Yan nodded.

Lei Wanhe took a deep breath.

What the hell is this incredible luck? I've lived in Yellow Maple Valley for so many years, how come I've never encountered anything like this before?

He stood up, paced around the cave twice with his hands behind his back, then turned to look at Lu Yan: "Is the location remote? Has anyone discovered us?"

Lu Yan said, "The location is very remote, in a cave near the Yuanwu Kingdom. However..."

He paused for a moment, then said, "When I discovered it, there were signs that someone had planted spiritual herbs around the spring. The soil was freshly turned, so someone must have gotten there first. I just don't know who it was, or if they will ever go back."

Lei Wanhe frowned: "Has anyone cultivated spirit herbs before?"

"Yes. But it's all been picked over, leaving only some pits." Lu Yan said without changing his expression, "This disciple guesses that some rogue cultivator may have accidentally discovered the spiritual spring, planted a batch of spiritual herbs there, and recently harvested them."

Lei Wanhe pondered for a moment, then suddenly smiled.

"You're quite honest, kid." He glanced at Lu Yan. "So, you're afraid that the spiritual spring already has an owner and you can't protect it, so you're thinking of offering it to your master?"

Lu Yan smiled and said, "Master is wise. I have only just reached the Foundation Establishment stage. If that rogue cultivator returns, or if the news gets out and attracts attention, I will not only be unable to protect myself, but I may also get into trouble. It would be better to offer it to you, Master, and I can get some benefits in return."

Lei Wanhe laughed heartily, his chubby body trembling with laughter.

"Alright, you've got a good eye!" He patted Lu Yan on the shoulder. "Come on, take me to see it. If it's really as good as you say, I won't treat you badly."

Half an hour later, the master and his disciple landed in the cave.

Lei Wanhe pushed aside the vines and went inside. Standing by the spring, he took a deep breath, his face full of barely suppressed joy.

"Okay! Okay!" He squatted down, scooped up a handful of spring water, and squinted at it.

He stood up, looked at the fresh pits around the spring, frowned slightly, and then relaxed.

Regardless of which rogue cultivator it was, now that the item is in my hands, it belongs to me.

He turned to look at Lu Yan and lowered his voice, asking, "Who else knows about this?"

Lu Yan said, "There is only one disciple."

Lei Wanhe nodded in satisfaction and patted him on the shoulder: "Well done. Keep this to yourself and don't tell anyone. I'll use my magic to move the spring water away now, lest something untoward happens."

Lu Yan nodded: "This disciple understands."

Lei Wanhe glanced at him again, then took out two jade bottles from his storage bag and handed them over.

"This bottle contains Qi-Nourishing Pills for Foundation Establishment stage cultivators; enough for you for half a year. This bottle contains Qi-Replenishing Pills, used to replenish spiritual energy in critical moments. Take these."

Lu Yan took the jade bottle and put it into his pocket: "Thank you, Master."