Begin your practice with the crane-shaped stance.

Chapter 108 Bewitching

Upon witnessing this dramatic scene, Master Guyue was first taken aback, then couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Her laughter was crisp and melodious, and combined with her current gentle and graceful appearance after her disguise, she lost some of her haughty demeanor and gained a touch of the vibrancy of an ordinary woman.

However, the smile only lingered on her lips for a moment before she quickly suppressed it.

Master Guyue's expression returned to calm, though a hint of paleness lingered between his brows.

He was attacked and injured by several cultivators of the same level, and at one point he had to use extremely sophisticated methods to suppress the strange fire to prevent the Sacred Heart Lotus from having problems.

This has caused her current state of mind to be extremely unstable.

But as her blood and qi surged under intense pressure, a strange ripple swept through her heart.

Looking back, she realized that during that day and night of running and fleeing, she laughed more times than she had in all the previous years combined.

Since embarking on the path of immortality, she has been single-mindedly seeking the Golden Core Dao, constantly cleansing her mind with the icy and heartless energy of Taiyin, making her as cold and hard as ten thousand years of black ice.

But now, having gone through thick and thin with Xia Dong, she has experienced the seven emotions and six desires of a "human being" for the first time in a long time.

Master Guyue pondered to himself that for a cultivator who practices the Great Dao of Taiyin, such worldly fluctuations in his state of mind were definitely not a good thing.

But that kind of fresh, down-to-earth, subtle warmth doesn't seem too bad.

Xia Dong, standing to the side, looked at "Brother Snake" lying motionless on the ground, and his lips twitched slightly.

Although he knew that the giant snake was feigning death to survive because it sensed a life-or-death crisis, he still couldn't bear to look at its pathetic state.

As Snake's good friend, Xia Dong defended it without batting an eye.

"Please forgive me, senior." Xia Dong said earnestly and seriously, "It's probably because your cultivation of the Taiyin Dao is too profound. The spiritual pressure you released just now was chilling to the bone. My snake brother is not yet intelligent and acts only on instinct. He probably mistook it for the arrival of winter and, under the stimulation of his blood and qi, directly fell into hibernation."

Listening to Xia Dong's serious nonsense, Master Guyue glanced at him indifferently.

He nodded slightly, not wanting to waste any more energy on the snake that was pretending to be dead.

Master Guyue flipped his hand and took out an exquisite array plate and several small flags that faintly shimmered with spiritual light from the storage bag at his waist.

"These are the array plate and flags for the Five Elements Bewitching Array." Master Guyue handed the array tools to Xia Dong, his voice regaining its usual coldness, but revealing a hint of weakness that was hard to conceal. "Although we are temporarily out of danger, this place still needs to conceal its energy. Take these and set them up around the cave according to the Bagua directions."

Xia Dong solemnly accepted the array flags and array plates that were shimmering with a faint light with both hands.

As his fingertips touched the cool surface of the array plate, a surge of excitement welled up inside him.

Although he had never formally studied array formations, he had heard of the famous "Five Elements Bewitching Array".

Compared to the crude illusion array he had previously seized from the assassins of the Wusheng Sect outside the abandoned mine, the array plate that Master Guyue took out was of a much higher grade.

Ordinary illusion arrays can only create simple illusions, but this Five Elements Bewitching Array can not only create multiple illusions, but also trap the enemy.

If any external enemy tries to break in, they will be trapped within the array's space, disoriented and unable to distinguish directions. What's even more remarkable is that this array also has the miraculous effect of guiding the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and partially functioning as a "spirit-gathering array."

For Xia Dong, who desperately needed to conceal his lair and was extremely reliant on spiritual energy for cultivation, this was simply the perfect choice for a protective formation.

The fleeting eagerness in Xia Dong's eyes naturally did not escape the notice of Master Gu Yue.

Seeing Xia Dong admiring the array plate in his hand, Master Guyue's pale face remained calm as he slowly said, "Consider this array plate as payment for my stay in your cave for a while."

She paused, then changed the subject: "However, the Five Elements Bewitching Array is quite powerful, and activating it naturally consumes a lot of energy."

Ordinary low-grade spirit stones are simply insufficient; mid-grade spirit stones must be used as the array's core, and they must be replaced periodically. This—"

"I'll pay for it myself." Before Master Guyue could finish speaking, Xia Dong answered without hesitation.

His tone was extremely decisive, without the slightest hint of reluctance. What a joke! He could not only afford the mid-grade spirit stones needed to maintain the array's operation, but he also considered it an extremely worthwhile deal.

Top-tier formations like the Five Elements Bewitching Formation are often unavailable in the markets of cultivators outside, even with plenty of mid-grade spirit stones.

Now that I can get a set of protective formations for my own mansion for free, what does it matter if I have to pay a little spirit stone for daily expenses?

"What a generous person." Xia Dong lowered his head and put the array plate into his pocket, secretly pleased with himself.

Even the smallest thing that slips out between the fingers of a great cultivator is of great benefit to him now.

This is a real windfall.

Everyone says it's bad to be a woman's lapdog, but that's because they haven't met a super rich woman like Gu Yue Zhenren!

Afterwards, Xia Dong walked to the spirit field outside the cave and decisively removed the simple illusion array that he had set up earlier.

He possessed the "Lingnong Gong" and had been cultivating in seclusion in the deep mountains of Tiger Hill for a long time. His familiarity with this land was already at the level of an old married couple.

The flow of energy from the earth's veins beneath their feet, and the distribution of every hidden acupoint, were as clear and distinct to Xia Dong as acupoints on the meridians of the human body in traditional Chinese medicine.

Using this uniquely keen sense, Xia Dong swiftly drove the array flags of the Five Elements Bewildering Array into the ground one by one according to the eight trigrams.

After determining the general location, he did not rush to activate it. Instead, he closed his eyes and used the "Ling Nong Gong" to carefully sense the intersection and fusion of the array and the earth's energy.

When he encountered a point where the flow of Qi was slightly sluggish, he would patiently make minute adjustments to the positions of the flags and the array plate.

After everything was arranged perfectly, Xia Dong took out a mid-grade spirit stone and steadily embedded it into the core groove of the main array plate.

As spiritual energy was injected, the array plate emitted a deep, resonant hum, and the Five Elements Bewitching Array officially began to operate.

This advanced formation is extremely ingenious and reasonable in its design.

Xia Dong realized that the formation only needed to maintain the most basic illusion and the effect of gathering spiritual energy by drawing on the earth's veins, and the consumption of the enormous spiritual power contained in the mid-grade spirit stone was negligible.

Only when an enemy forces its way into the formation and fully unleashes its "trapping" power will the consumption rate of spirit stones increase dramatically.

This discovery put Xia Dong, who was always meticulous and valued resources, completely at ease.

As the energy of the formation was fully deployed, the new formation's coverage area was more than ten times larger than the previous one. It not only perfectly encompassed the entire cave and spirit fields, but also tightly covered the surrounding dense forest and pools.

If an outsider were to peer into the formation from outside, they would only see a thick, swirling miasma, eerie and unpredictable, with no clear view of the surroundings. But inside the formation, the view and energy flow are completely unobstructed. A gentle breeze blows, the grass and trees are serene, and everything is as usual.

Not far away, Master Guyue watched all this quietly. His gaze shifted from the newly completed protective array to the neatly cultivated, thriving spiritual field.

Looking at the neatly arranged spiritual plants, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes.

"Did you plant all these spiritual plants yourself?" Master Guyue's voice was calm, yet it carried a hint of surprised inquiry.

Xia Dong patted the dirt off his hands, turned around, and nodded naturally: "Yes, I did it myself in my spare time. I hope you won't find it too embarrassing, senior."

"You are indeed diligent." Master Guyue nodded slightly, praising him generously.

Looking at Xia Dong's calm and reserved demeanor, Master Guyue pondered to himself.

In the world of cultivation, those with exceptional talent are as numerous as carp crossing a river, but most are restless and impatient; on the contrary, it is this diligence and temperament that can endure the solitude of the deep mountains and work diligently that is even more precious.

With his extraordinary temperament, coupled with my future support in terms of cultivation techniques and resources, this kid's future achievements, no matter how bad, won't be too bad.

Even if we take a step back, True Person Guyue was certain in her heart that even if Xia Dong was a pig with no comprehension, as long as he had spiritual roots and could cultivate, she was determined to use a massive amount of resources to force him to reach the Foundation Establishment stage.

In her view, by doing this, she was not only living up to the lineage of Xuantian Temple, but also repaying Xia Dong for his unwavering loyalty and shared hardships with her when they were on the brink of life and death at the bottom of the Crimson Fire Mine.

Master Guyue withdrew her gaze from examining the spirit field, pointed with her slender finger to the cave where the giant snake usually coiled not far away, and calmly instructed, "Go and tidy up. I will be recuperating in that cave for the next period of time."

"Yes, sir," Xia Dong replied readily.

He turned and walked up to the enormous snake that was still pretending to be dead, and kicked its thick scales without any politeness: "Brother Snake, stop playing dead. The senior won't skin you alive. Get up and get to work."

Upon hearing the commotion, the giant snake keenly realized that the terrifying human cultivator, Master Lonely Moon, was indeed not emitting any killing intent, and thus felt as if it had been granted a pardon.

It slowly opened one eye, then suddenly opened its vertical eyes, its huge body scrambled to its feet, and followed Xia Dong sheepishly back to its usual cave.

Xia Dong stood at the cave entrance, directing the giant snake to use its thick tail and massive body to clear away all the large rocks and debris scattered throughout the cave.

Then, he drew the heavy, black, rusty woodcutter's knife from his waist, and with a flick of his wrist, he flattened the uneven rock walls and ground inside the cave with astonishing force.

To ensure the great cultivator's comfort, Xia Dong took several photos with low-level water talismans. Clear water flowed through the cave, washing away the foul odor of the demonic beasts that had lingered there for years. He then used fire talismans to dry the cave.

This whole ordeal took up most of the day, but they finally managed to clean up the originally rough snake hole, making it dry and tidy.

When Xia Dong emerged from the cave, Master Gu Yue had already been meditating on a blue stone beside the spiritual field for half a day. The surrounding spiritual energy was slowly converging on her, flowing into her body through her breathing.

But once this spiritual energy flowed in, it was like a mud ox sinking into the sea, never to come out again. She herself was like an invisible black hole that devoured spiritual energy.

After a while, Master Guyue slowly opened her eyes. After half a day of recuperation, some color had finally returned to her pale cheeks, and she looked much better.

Xia Dong secretly observed and found that the "girl next door" look had not faded after the real person was disguised.

He couldn't help but wonder: Was the senior deliberately pretending to be young, or was this her true nature all along?

However, he suppressed the thought after it only briefly crossed his mind.

A woman's true nature is the hardest to guess. Trying to guess can easily offend people, especially a high-level female cultivator who can crush you with one hand. It's best to have less curiosity.

Before Master Guyue could speak, Xia Dong, with great tact, went to greet him.

He possessed an extremely high level of "self-awareness as a low-level cultivator" at this moment.

The arrival of Master Guyue is a great honor that brings glory to this humble cave dwelling, and he is determined to provide the best possible hospitality.

After all, the woman in front of him was a true "rich woman".

As long as he keeps her happy, even the scraps of food that slip through the fingers of a great cultivator would probably be worth more than the fortune he has accumulated over several years of hard work refining pills and drawing talismans.

"Senior, the cave has been cleaned up." Xia Dong said respectfully, offering, "I'll make you a pot of green corn rice, and then catch two spirit fish from the pool to grill with the rice. What do you think?"

Master Guyue glanced at him and uttered a single word: "Fine."

With her Foundation Establishment stage cultivation, she had already practiced abstinence from grains for many years, so naturally she didn't need to rely on such low-grade spiritual rice and fish to satisfy her physical needs.

But after a period of life-or-death escape, she suddenly felt a longing for the mundane world and the occasional indulgence in food and drink, which seemed like a good option.

With permission granted, Xia Dong immediately got to work quickly and efficiently.

Before long, an enticing aroma of rice mixed with the oily fragrance of grilled fish filled the formation.

After Gu Yue Zhenren picked up the bowl and chopsticks to taste the food, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. Xia Dong's cooking skills were unexpectedly good.

Especially the two grilled spirit fish, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, cooked to perfection, with a few simple spices that brought out the natural sweetness of the spirit fish.

Perhaps it was because he had experienced too much life-and-death struggle and deceit in the past day and night, and was extremely exhausted, that sitting in the quiet mountain cave and eating such a steaming hot meal gave Master Guyue a sense of peace and tranquility, as if life was wonderful.

In short, accompanied by the cool mountain breeze and the fresh fragrance of the spiritual plants in the spiritual field, this was the most delicious and comforting meal that Master Guyue had eaten in many years.

This simple meal unexpectedly brought back a taste of "home cooking" for Master Guyue, something he hadn't experienced in a long time.

This down-to-earth, reassuring atmosphere was something she could never feel from those foolish disciples on Lonely Moon Peak.

Recalling Pei Hongling and the others' double-dealing and scheming, she felt utterly bored.

Well, to be fair, Qin Wan isn't exactly an idiot.

Following his thoughts, Master Guyue's gaze involuntarily fell once again on Xia Dong, who was neatly clearing away the dishes not far away.

Thinking of the calm and reserved young man and Qin Wan's past marriage contract, for some reason, this usually aloof and detached great cultivator felt an extremely strange feeling for the first time. It was like a mother-in-law in the secular world looking at her son-in-law, finding him pleasing and suitable no matter how she looked at him.

"Perhaps, once this storm has passed, let these two young people give it another try?" A thought flashed through Gu Yue Zhenren's mind.

I wonder what they are thinking?

However, she quickly nipped this absurd thought in the bud.

Why would a Foundation Establishment cultivator who is cultivating the Great Dao of Yin and is at the critical stage of Core Formation want to get involved in this matchmaking?

Love and affection in this world are nothing but fleeting clouds, utterly inexplicable.

Having eaten and drunk his fill, Master Guyue completely calmed his mind and cut off the chaotic thoughts in his head.

She nodded slightly to Xia Dong, turned and walked into the snake cave that had been cleaned and tidy, sat down cross-legged, and officially began her secluded healing.

After nightfall, all was quiet in the deep mountains.

As a bright moon hung high in the sky, a strange scene quietly unfolded outside the Tiger Hill Cave.

Although Master Guyue was clearly inside a deep, semi-enclosed cave, the moonlight falling from the sky seemed to be drawn by some irresistible force, and actually took a turn in mid-air.

Large swaths of silvery-white, cool moonlight pierced through the miasma barrier of the Five Elements Bewildering Array, converging in mid-air to form a dazzling stream visible to the naked eye, continuously flowing back into the cave.

Under the vast and abundant moonlight, the originally dark and gloomy cave began to shine.

Silver light flickered at the cave entrance, and from a distance, it looked like a bright, flawless moon, inlaid on the dark mountain, exuding a sacred and lofty majesty.

The giant serpent hiding near the spirit field keenly sensed the dramatic change in the energy of heaven and earth.

It quickly swam over, and seeing the radiant cave entrance, it naturally dared not go in and disturb the terrifying human cultivator.

But it did not leave. Instead, it cleverly perched on the open ground outside the cave, raising its huge head and greedily absorbing the pure moonlight that overflowed from inside the cave.

For the great serpent, tonight's moon was not a full moon, and the concentration of moonlight was insufficient for it to expel its inner core for deep purification.

However, Master Guyue was a great cultivator of the orthodox Xuanmen sect. The lunar essence that she forcibly captured with her profound skills naturally contained a trace of unfathomable Xuanmen artistic conception.

This ethereal feeling, along with the moonlight, entered the body, continuously cleansing the serpent's chaotic demonic energy.

This nourishment benefited it greatly, and even its cold, vertical pupils gained a hint of lively clarity.

For the next few days, Master Guyue quietly recuperated in the snake cave deep in Tiger Hill.

In her spare time, she would occasionally offer Xia Dong a few words of advice, helping him to sort out his own path of cultivation.

Master Guyue was naturally aloof and didn't talk much, but those few words were always incredibly accurate, cutting through the fog that had been building up in Xia Dong's heart like a sharp blade.

To describe this feeling, although it wasn't quite as exaggerated as "not speaking to a true person is like looking at the moon from the bottom of a well, but hearing a word from you is like a mayfly seeing the blue sky," Xia Dong felt enlightened after spending just a few days together and receiving your careful guidance. It would be no exaggeration to describe it as "breaking through the maze."

Through repeated inquiries, Xia Dong gradually developed a strong intuition: Master Gu Yue's profound knowledge and vision of cultivation were far beyond what could be fully encompassed by the ordinary phrase "Foundation Establishment Realm".

Seemingly seeing through Xia Dong's amazement and doubt, during a casual conversation one morning, Master Gu Yue took the initiative to explain why he was able to have such profound insights into the realm.

"Do you think that the reason I was able to subdue that old bald monk Cixiang in one move in the main hall of the Thousand Households Office was because my magical power far surpassed his?" Master Guyue asked calmly, sitting cross-legged on the bluestone.

Xia Dong was slightly taken aback, then nodded honestly.

The scene of that overwhelming and crushing defeat truly left a deep impression on him.

Master Guyue gently shook his head: "Actually, the difference between Cixiang and me in terms of the depth of our spiritual sense and magical power is not so great that Cixiang could be subdued by me in one move, or even have a fatal backstab planted in him silently."

She looked up at the spirit field outside the cave, her voice cold and deep: "The reason he was defeated so miserably is that he didn't even touch the threshold of the mysteries of the laws of heaven and earth. In my opinion, he has a lot of powerful magic, but he doesn't know how to use the principles of heaven and earth. In reality, he is just a water buffalo with brute force, and he can only be slaughtered by me."

Xia Dong listened intently, holding his breath, afraid of missing a single word.

Master Guyue withdrew his gaze and said solemnly, "Remember, the higher we cultivators reach, the less weight our divine sense and magical power take up. At higher levels, focusing solely on external techniques and pursuing deadly spells is a step down. It's better to cultivate oneself, constantly examining and mending the flaws in one's foundation of cultivation. Only when one is perfect and flawless can one go further on the path to immortality."

At this point, she paused slightly, then steered the conversation towards Xia Dong's main cultivation technique, saying calmly, "Take the 'Mysterious Yin Scripture' you cultivate, for example. Don't be fooled by the fact that this technique has very few killing and magical abilities attached to it, and that it only repeatedly emphasizes how to gather the energy of heaven and earth to refine oneself. In reality, this is the true orthodox Xuanmen sect that points directly to the Great Dao."

A hint of genuine admiration flashed in Master Guyue's eyes: "Every practice path in the 'Mysterious Yin Scripture' is a testament to rigorous training, with each word being both difficult and easy. Its strength lies in its extremely solid foundation and its balanced and harmonious nature."

To help Xia Dong understand more intuitively, she unusually compared it to the cultivation methods of her own sect: "For example, the Qixia Qi-gathering method of my Qixia Immortal Sect," she said, "although in the early stages of cultivation, it can greatly aid cultivation by utilizing the purple qi of the morning sun, allowing for extremely rapid progress. But that's ultimately only a temporary solution. In the final stage, cultivators must return to their origin, expending great effort to gradually peel away and dispel the violent and impure aura attached to that purple qi. Only by rediscovering the true nature of the primordial energy of heaven and earth, and achieving pure and flawless magical power, can one truly succeed in foundation building—"

Xia Dong listened quietly, his admiration for Gu Yue Zhenren's realm growing ever stronger.

Master Guyue paused slightly at this point, casting his deep gaze towards the heavy miasma outside the cave.

"These past few days must have brought about tremendous changes and many major events outside." As she spoke, she lightly flipped her delicate hand and took out a dark red talisman from her storage bag.

As soon as the talisman appeared, it emitted a faint bloody and malevolent aura. The cinnabar patterns on the talisman's surface seemed to flow faintly like living things, exuding an extremely strange and powerful spiritual energy fluctuation.

Master Guyue flicked his fingertip, steadily placing the talisman in front of Xia Dong, where it hovered. He said calmly, "This Heavenly Demon Blood Escape Talisman was obtained by me years ago after slaying a wicked demonic master. Once activated, it instantly burns blood and qi, transforming into a streak of blood-red light to escape at incredible speed—even an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator couldn't catch you. Take it for self-defense."

Xia Dong's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly and solemnly accepted it with both hands.

He examined the life-saving trump card, which emanated an eerie spiritual energy fluctuation, and was secretly delighted. With such a miraculous talisman in hand, his confidence in protecting himself had undoubtedly increased.

"Get ready to go down the mountain and gather information to see what the situation is like outside," Master Guyue continued to instruct.

At this point, she added, "I've been stuck at the Foundation Establishment stage for a long time. If I were to form my core next, the resulting disturbances and commotion in the world would be immense. If things are peaceful outside, it could actually cause trouble. So, the more chaotic things are outside, the better for me."

"This junior understands." Xia Dong carefully put the Heavenly Demon Blood Escape Talisman away from his body and replied in a deep voice.

In fact, even without Gu Yue Zhenren's mention, Xia Dong was filled with curiosity about the situation after the battle at the Crimson Fire Mine. The Eagle Wolf Guards of the Great You Dynasty, the demons of the Wusheng Sect—who knows what their fates are now?

More importantly, when Master Guyue mentioned that old bald monk Cixiang, it didn't make Xia Dong feel wary. Instead, it was like a feather gently stirring up some kind of desire deep in his heart.

Zhao Ting had once revealed to him that after Ci Xiang went mad and exploded, he transformed into a powerful ghost at the Foundation Establishment level in that underground palace.

To others, it was a terrifying evil spirit to be avoided at all costs; but to Xia Dong, who possessed the ancient bronze bell and was extremely eager to improve his divine sense, that vengeful ghost was simply a "divine soul medicine" that had not yet been refined!

If he could find an opportunity to refine the ancient bell into a high-grade Yin Spirit Pill, his spiritual cultivation would surely experience a qualitative leap.

With that in mind, Xia Dong didn't delay any longer.

With a thought, he took out the "Divine Sense Mask" that Master Guyue had previously given him from his storage bag and put it on his face.

As a cool spiritual energy fluctuation emanated from the mask, Xia Dong's face instantly distorted and reassembled, becoming an ordinary, unremarkable face, and his temperament changed accordingly.

Immediately afterwards, he locked the immense martial arts energy and blood belonging to the Transcendent Realm within his body tightly inside his internal organs, not letting a single trace leak out.

At this moment, he exuded only a trace of righteous and peaceful Xuan Yin magic power. Anyone who saw him would only regard him as an ordinary, law-abiding rogue cultivator from the Xuanmen sect, and would never associate him with Xia Dong, the captain of the Eagle Wolf Guard.

After confirming that his disguise was flawless, he saw Master Guyue nod slightly, indicating that his disguise was quite good.

Xia Dong bowed to the Lonely Moon Immortal and bid farewell.

"Senior, please rest and recover. I will now go down the mountain to gather information."

Then, with a swift movement, he flew out of the miasma of the Five Elements Bewitching Array like a light bird, and sped away along the hidden mountain path towards the bustling world outside.

>