Cultivating immortality begins with formations.

Jiuling Mountains.

At this moment, the sky was overcast.

Dark, gray clouds hung low, pressing the ground low, foreshadowing an impending mountain rain.

Two beams of light swept from Cloud Valley into the vast mountain range, and after penetrating three hundred miles, they slowly descended from mid-air.

Jiang Zhi was dressed in a light blue silk outfit, her hair tied up, revealing a delicate and flawless face.

A gentle breeze rustled her clothes, perfectly outlining her figure.

Lu Yuan, dressed in a blue robe, stood next to her, looking like a perfect couple.

Looking at her beautiful face and figure, Lu Yuan would sometimes forget her age.

"Further ahead, it will be difficult to fly."

Jiang Zhi introduced the Jiuling Mountains to Lu Yuan, the newcomer.

"The Nine Ridges Mountains stretch across the northernmost part of the Azure Lotus Domain. The mountain range extends for tens of thousands of miles. The outer areas are mostly inhabited by first and second-tier demonic beasts. However, the deeper one goes, the denser the forests become, the heavier the miasma becomes, and the higher the rank of the demonic beasts also rises..."

"Even Foundation Establishment cultivators risk their lives if they venture a thousand miles, but we only need to stay within a five-hundred-mile radius and be careful, and we should be safe."

"If you continue to fly, both demonic beasts and cultivators will immediately become aware of it. Therefore, unless absolutely necessary, do not fly."

Lu Yuan listened attentively and nodded.

He doesn't come often.

Our understanding of the Jiuling Mountains is limited to what we read on paper.

The Nine Ridges Mountains are located in the Azure Lotus Domain, spanning thousands of miles. Not only does the Nine Ridge Market have an entrance, but other markets and immortal cities also have entrances.

Therefore, the first thing to be wary of is not the demonic beasts, but other cultivators.

However, since their trip was solely for the Starfall Sand, they would avoid areas where demonic beasts gathered, and naturally, there wouldn't be many cultivators there either.

Meteorite sand is not a star falling from the sky.

Instead, on the exposed mountaintop, the sand and gravel, imbued with spiritual energy, have been imbued with the light of the stars and moon over the years, emitting a trace of starlight.

The starlight contained in this gravel ore has many uses.

Medicinal uses, array formations, weapon crafting...

The Starfall Array that Lu Yuan had previously acquired at the auction also contained Starfall Sand as one of its main materials.

"There are about a dozen mountain peaks within a hundred miles to the west. We'll walk to them one by one."

Jiang Zhi had clearly been here many times before, and she led Lu Yuan through the mountains and forests.

They occasionally encountered a few demonic beasts, which they avoided whenever possible.

Along the way, they occasionally encountered groups of three or five cultivators, and both sides maintained a proper distance and did not get close.

……

Several days later.

"roar!"

A bloodclawed brown bear roared, echoing through the mountains and forests.

Holding the Golden Shadow Sword, Lu Yuan relied on the flexibility of the Five Elements Escape Technique to continuously harass and attack.

This Bloodclaw Brown Bear is a first-tier high-grade demon beast. Although it is quite strong, it is clumsy.

Before long, his body was covered in blood from the Golden Shadow Sword, leaving several sword wounds.

Jiang Zhi did not participate in the battle.

While keeping watch from the sidelines, she also extended her divine sense to the left and right, guarding against any demonic beasts or cultivators that might appear in the surrounding area.

For Lu Yuan, this trip into the Nine Ridges Mountains was a good opportunity to hone his swordsmanship.

Only during combat can one rapidly increase their spell proficiency.

Jiang Zhi was there to support him.

It can also focus on dealing with the Bloodclaw Brown Bear in front of it without any distractions.

Not long after.

With a single strike of the Sky-Splitting Sword Technique, countless golden lights burst forth, obscuring Lu Yuan's figure.

Bloodclaw brown bears are almost invisible.

The golden sword energy streaked through the air like a meteor, leaving a deep wound on the neck of the Bloodclaw Brown Bear.

With a loud bang.

Lu Yuan's figure emerged from the golden light. Behind him, the Bloodclaw Brown Bear's massive body crashed to the ground, kicking up clouds of dust.

"Your swordsmanship has become increasingly skillful, showing considerable improvement compared to the previous two days."

Jiang Zhi's beautiful eyes swept over Lu Yuan, and she smiled happily.

"If it weren't for Sister Jiang's support, I wouldn't have been able to fully commit myself."

Lu Yuan was also extremely happy.

After all, his lifespan is limited, and he can't possibly use all his lifespan to cultivate any kind of magic.

then.

Each wielding a sword, the two worked in perfect harmony and dismembered the monster.

The Bloodclaw Brown Bear's paws have dark red claws, making them suitable for crafting magical artifacts.

Bear bile can be used in medicine to refine elixirs that promote blood circulation and strengthen the body.

Even the fur on their bodies can be used not only as talismans but also to be refined into protective magical artifacts.

In short, every part of it is valuable.

Throughout their journey, whenever they encountered a first-tier demonic beast, Lu Yuan insisted that he deal with it alone.

The main goal is to hone combat experience.

His life as a beast of burden in the market town for the past ten years or so had left him with a severe lack of combat experience, which he was now taking the opportunity to make up for.

"Same as always, redistribute them back in the market."

"Um."

The biggest fear for cultivators who enter the Nine Ridges Mountains in a team is uneven distribution of resources, but neither of them had such thoughts.

Or perhaps...

The two men each possessed unique skills, and they didn't care about the things that ordinary rogue cultivators valued.

Keep moving forward...

Several hours later, it got dark.

Lu Yuan gazed at the steep mountain peak before him and began to spiral forward. Finally, amidst a sky full of stars, he reached the top of this nameless mountain.

The mountain peak stands alone and towering, appearing isolated and abrupt amidst the surrounding mountains.

Stepping on the rugged rocks, we gradually climbed to the top, where a breathtaking view suddenly opened up before us.

There was a flat rocky platform, about several tens of feet in circumference, barren of any vegetation, with only grayish-white rocks exposed, gleaming brightly in the moonlight.

The starlight and moonlight poured down, like scattered silver, covering the rocky platform.

Jiang Zhi bent her long legs and squatted down. Her slender fingers gently brushed the rock surface, picked up a few grains of sand the size of rice, and brought them close to her eyes to examine them.

"How is it?"

Lu Yuan leaned closer to ask.

Jiang Zhi's expression darkened. She dropped the sand in her hand and shook her head: "If we come back in six months, this will be considered meteorite sand, but now..."

"It can only be considered as a piece of broken stone with spiritual energy."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yuan also squatted down to examine it closely.

The gravel had a reddish tinge, but its luster was dull, lacking the translucent starlight.

"Can we wait?"

Lu Yuan looked up and asked.

Jiang Zhi shook her head.

Refining the Foundation Establishment Pill will take time; if we waste half a year here, it will probably be too late.

"Let's go and look around somewhere else."

Jiang Zhi was not discouraged, and pointed into the distance, saying:

"A few hundred miles further north, there is a cliff with steep walls and three sides hanging in the air, where the starlight and moonlight shine even brighter than here. I went there three years ago, when the meteorite sand there had been almost completely mined out, but in the past three years, perhaps new ones have been generated."

"Um."

Lu Yuan nodded, then asked, "Is there anyone else who knows?"

"Of course."

"Not only do many cultivators know about that cliff, but when I came here three years ago, there was a late-stage second-tier demonic beast luring it away. If my array master friend hadn't drawn the beast away back then, I wouldn't have been able to reach the top."

Jiang Zhi did not originally intend to go there.

She could do what her friend did back then: lure away the monsters on her own, allowing Lu Yuan to reach the summit and collect the meteorite sand.

However, if there were other cultivators present, the two would inevitably find themselves in danger.

Second-tier late-stage demonic beasts are nearly as strong as Foundation Establishment stage cultivators and are not easy to deal with.

Lu Yuan didn't want to run into them either, so he asked, "What about other places?"

"There are a few isolated peaks nearby. Let's go check them out first. If that doesn't work, we can go to that cliff."

Jiang Zhi suggested.

"As you say."

Lu Yuan also made a choice.

He didn't want to take any risks either.

If it weren't for the fact that there was no meteorite sand for sale in the market, he would rather spend a lot of money to buy it than risk coming here.

But now that we're already here...

Returning empty-handed is not his style.