I only want immortality.

Spiritual sites are the key to the survival of each sect.

The world naturally produces spiritual energy, but it is mostly thin, chaotic, and mixed with foreign substances. It is not difficult for cultivators to refine it, but it is too tedious and inefficient. Prolonged cultivation is not conducive to breakthroughs and makes it even more difficult to reach higher levels.

Only the sacred caves are blessed by heaven and earth, where spiritual energy gathers, is pure and of high quality, and flows endlessly.

The spiritual cave is located in an area where spiritual herbs, medicines, and minerals are abundant and of superior quality compared to the outside world.

Sects and families can only have enough resources to support a large number of disciples and clansmen by establishing themselves in the surrounding areas, thus leaving those rootless and unaffiliated cultivators far behind.

Before this, Li Pinghe had never associated this basic object, which was most common in various sects, with the Dao Foundation.

Because it is so common, it is something that is unattainable for independent cultivators, but for sect cultivators, it is so common that they would never associate it with the Dao Foundation.

It wasn't until Han Xianghe said that the Qinghe Sect, which had swallowed the Xiye Sect, would soon have five Dao Foundation cultivators.

At that moment, he suddenly realized the truth, as if waking from a dream.

This was just an ordinary sentence, and even Han Xiang and he themselves didn't realize there was anything wrong with it. But to Li Pinghe, who was observant, it still revealed a great deal of information.

Why was Han Xianghe so certain that if the Qinghe Sect swallowed the Xiye Sect, it would gain two more Dao Foundation cultivators?

Why did the Nine Yang Sect only think about holding out and not coming out when the Qinghe Sect had already occupied the Thousand Hands Sect? It seemed that they were certain that the Qinghe Sect would soon return to Wuling.

If viewed in isolation, nothing will be apparent, but if the two are connected, the answer becomes clear.

That's a sacred cave!

Only the Spirit Cave remained in its original location after the Nishino Sect was destroyed.

Only the Spirit Cave, because it cannot be taken away and is related to the foundation of one's Dao, allowed Han Xianghe to be certain that the Qinghe Sect would return to Wuling.

If this inference is correct, then many questions can be explained: why new Dao Foundations quickly appear within a sect after a major Dao Foundation dies of old age, and why the number of Dao Foundations in a major sect remains constant at a certain level.

"The spiritual cave is related to the foundation of the Dao... no, it should be said that the spiritual cave determines the number of foundations of the Dao."

At this moment, countless memories from the past came together in Li Pinghe's mind.

"The foundation of the Dao cannot be achieved simply by wishing for it; the spiritual cave plays a crucial role in this process."

"So, the spiritual caves of the Qinghe Sect can only accommodate three Dao Foundation Establishments, while those of the Xiye Sect and the Tianzi Sect can only accommodate two... In other words, the number of people that different spiritual caves can accommodate varies, and it is related to the quality of the spiritual cave?"

"That explains it. The quality of spiritual caves in the Song Kingdom is generally ordinary, which is why none of the seven sects in the Song Kingdom have produced Dao Foundations."

"That's why when I sought guidance from those disciples of major sects in the past, they all evaded the question. Even Lu Mingchen of the Qinghe Sect was under a restriction, and I was unable to get the information out of him even when I tried to entice him with methods of bewitching his mind and spirit."

"This is because once independent cultivators and small sects without high-grade spiritual caves realize that the key to building a Dao foundation lies in these spiritual caves, the major sects will likely never have a peaceful day."

The more Li Pinghe thought about it, the clearer it became.

Major sects can certainly suppress with brute force, and they have that ability, but the consequence of brute force is the same as the last emperor of the Great Xia Dynasty.

He possessed thirteen states under heaven and even called himself "Emperor Jiang," yet he still suffered a crushing defeat and died, his body dismembered by others.

Therefore, the best approach is not to suppress with brute force, but to simply block these messages.

All those who had established their Dao foundations, all those who had vested interests, and all those who had the potential to achieve Dao foundations through this method, became accomplices in the information blockade, firmly sealing the secret of achieving Dao foundations within the mouths of a very small number of people.

"This is why the entire Jingnan Kingdom was relatively peaceful before; no one wanted to force others to fight to the death and reveal the secret of Daoji to the public."

However, all of this changed with the upheavals in the core region of the thirteen states.

"The Spirit Cave..."

Li Pinghe gazed at the Taoist palaces embedded in the cliff face of Baiyun Mountain and remained silent for a moment.

There is still a chance to obtain a Dao Foundation Treasure, but how can one possibly acquire a high-quality, unclaimed spiritual cave?

Are there any such sacred sites in the entire Song Kingdom?

Furthermore, the foundation of the Dao achieved in this way is mostly the Earth Immortal Dao, but it is unknown whether it has the same obvious advantages and disadvantages as the Human Immortal Dao.

"What I know is still far too little."

Li Pinghe sighed softly, but his resolve remained unwavering.

He wasn't afraid of a bleak future, but rather of having nowhere to go. Now that he had a direction, even if it meant death, he would die on this path.

My heart remains unchanged.

……

Half a month has passed in the blink of an eye.

"Master Uncle".

Chen Xu returned from outside, looking rather unwell.

"Cui Minghao of the Baoxia Sect and Jin Daxu of the Chenjiang Sword Sect visited you a few days ago and then went to the main hall to discuss matters with Han Xianghe for several days, but they didn't invite you, Senior Uncle. Are they excluding us? What does the Jiuyang Sect mean by this?"

Li Pinghe sat upright on the wooden couch with his eyes closed. Hearing this, he did not open his eyes, but spoke calmly:

"The Nine Yang Sect's invitation to everyone is like hosting a birthday banquet, so naturally an old man is needed, but the actor performing the opera cannot be an old man."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xu seemed to understand something: "They invited my senior uncle here so that you could be the birthday celebrant? No wonder you haven't paid any attention to anything since you arrived."

Li Pinghe spoke calmly:

"Old man, just do what you're supposed to do. When they need you, they'll come to you naturally. Calm down and wait patiently."

"Yes, Master Uncle is right."

Chen Xu nodded quickly.

"By the way, has no one from Lotus Valley arrived yet?"

Li Pinghe suddenly opened his eyes and asked.

"no."

Chen Xu honestly replied, "Since the incident at the Thousand Hands Sect, there has been no news from Lotus Valley."

"That's just their nature."

Li Pinghe didn't ask any more questions. It wasn't surprising that the cultivators of Lotus Valley were eccentric and capable of doing such things.

As they were talking, Li Pinghe suddenly let out a soft exclamation, got off the wooden couch, and went to the window.

Just then, a streak of light, carrying a sense of urgency, flew straight into the main hall of Baiyun Mountain.

"Uncle-Master, something must have happened."

Chen Xu walked up behind Li Pinghe and also saw the scene, his expression becoming more solemn.

"It's time."

Li Pinghe said in a low voice.

Before long, Lü Kong, the eldest disciple of the Nine Yang Sect, flew over hastily, his expression unusually solemn, and invited Li Pinghe to come forward:

"Senior Li, there's been some activity from the Qinghe Sect. My master requests your presence."

"Lead the way."

Li Pinghe waved his sleeve.

The group quickly went to the main hall of the Jiuyang Sect.

"Uncle-Master Li."

"Mr. Canglang".

"Senior Li."

As soon as Fang Yi stepped into the main hall, all the cultivators who were sitting stood up and bowed. Regardless of whether they truly acknowledged Li Pinghe's status, no one in the hall dared to refuse him at this moment.

Li Pinghe looked around at the assembled cultivators and saw only a few familiar faces. He sighed inwardly but did not act impolitely. He cupped his hands and bowed to the cultivators, saying, "I am old and frail. Please make yourselves at home."

"Uncle-Master Li, please take a seat."

Han Xianghe stepped down from the main seat, helped Li Pinghe, and sat down next to the main seat.

Li Pinghe did not refuse. With his qualifications, there was probably no one more qualified than him in the entire Song Kingdom.

After Li Pinghe sat down, Han Xianghe's expression turned slightly solemn, and he said briefly:

"Uncle-Master Li was resting earlier, so he was unaware that the Qinghe Sect had been peaceful for some time, but last night they launched a surprise attack, capturing several of my Jiuyang Sect's markets. Now, my Jiuyang Sect only has one market left outside, Panlao Mountain Market. If this market falls, it will not only cut off my Jiuyang Sect's external procurement, but it will also affect the Baoxia Sect and Chenjiang Sword Sect. Half of the Song Kingdom's territory will be in danger!"

"We originally intended to settle this peacefully, but now we have nowhere to retreat. Uncle-Master Li, I intend to unite everyone's strength, head north to Panlao Mountain, and use the market town as our base to have a showdown with the Qinghe Sect!"

Upon hearing this, Li Pinghe quickly reviewed the geomantic map of the Song Dynasty in his mind and soon understood the current situation.

The market is the most important asset of each sect besides the spiritual cave. It is used to buy and sell materials, collect rent, and, like tentacles, firmly control the surrounding territory, protecting the sect's stability.

Once the market is occupied, sects will be unable to purchase or exchange the cultivation resources they need. This may be bearable in the short term, but in the long run, no one can endure it, and morale will collapse.

It seems that after failing to force the Nine Yang Sect to surrender last time, the Qinghe Sect is now simply taking a step-by-step approach to erode their power and create internal pressure, causing the Nine Yang Sect to collapse without a fight. At the same time, it also puts pressure on the other two sects that are closer to the Nine Yang Sect, which can be described as killing two birds with one stone.

"They're really treacherous. It seems the Qinghe Sect has done quite a bit of research on our Song Kingdom."

Li Pinghe said naturally.

"It must have been Yang Xingkong from the Yang family who came up with the idea."

Suddenly, Cui Minghao, the sect leader of Baoxia Sect, spoke, his tone tinged with hatred:

"A few days ago, they led the people of Qinghe Sect to wander around near my Baoxia Sect. Although I was prepared and scared them away, a piece of spiritual field was still damaged."

"His ancestor, Yang Xuanxiao, was such an upright man, how could he have given birth to such a wicked child!"

"Alright, there's no use in being angry anymore. If Panlaoshan Market is occupied, all three of us will be affected. We need to deal with the immediate situation first."

Jin Daxu of the Chenjiang Sword Sect spoke up.

"Exactly."

Han Xianghe nodded in agreement, then looked at Li Pinghe earnestly and asked, "Uncle Li, do you have any guidance?"

Li Pinghe hesitated for a moment, then spoke:

"But we must also guard against luring the tiger away from the mountain."

Upon hearing Li Pinghe's words, everyone in the hall nodded in agreement.

Han Xianghe said:

"The Qinghe Sect deliberately left Panlaoshan Market open, probably with this in mind. If we don't go to their aid, they will take it over. If we do go to their aid, they will turn around and take over the various sects."

This is a dilemma.

Li Pinghe, of course, understood this as well, and said:

"The essence of Taoist arts lies in quality, not quantity. We can select one or two powerful figures to guard Panlao Mountain, while the rest should remain hidden and inactive. If they do move, they must make a significant contribution."

"What Mr. Canglang said is exactly what I agree with!"

Kim Dae-soo praised:

"Wang Feng of our sect possesses exceptional swordsmanship and is a suitable candidate."

Li Pinghe glanced at the other party. Behind him sat a young cultivator in a yellow robe, with handsome eyes and long hair, upright and elegant, clearly not an ordinary person.

Seeing that Jin Daxu had taken the initiative to send someone to request battle, Cui Minghao of Baoxia Sect pondered for a moment and also spoke up:

"He Riyuan, a disciple of our sect, is a suitable candidate to oversee this task."

A red-robed monk beside him immediately stood up, bowed to everyone, and then sat down.

On the Nine Yang Sect's side, Lü Kong took the initiative to step forward and said:

"This disciple is willing to be the vanguard!"

Han Xianghe gave Lü Kong a deep look, then announced loudly:

"In that case, the three of you will be stationed at Panlao Mountain!"

"We will all lie in hiding in case of any unforeseen circumstances."

"Uncle-Master Li," Han Xianghe turned to Li Pinghe respectfully and said, "I do have something I need to trouble you with."

Li Pinghe waved his hand: "It's just my duty, please speak."

Han Xianghe said, "Although the Panlaoshan market formation is sturdy, it may not last long once a major battle begins. I would like to ask you to set up a formation. I do not seek to kill the enemy, but only to provide some support. The Nine Yang Sect can provide whatever it takes for this."

Li Pinghe smiled slightly: "That is exactly what I wish for."

"In that case, we'll have to rely on Uncle Li."

Han Xianghe bowed again.

In the Song Kingdom's array formations, Li Pinghe should be the first choice. Although he is probably not very useful against Dao Foundation cultivators or treasures, the main focus should be on the younger generation. However, having more strength is always good. This is Han Xianghe's consideration as the sect leader.

With the war raging, no one dared to delay. Once the arrangements were made, Lü Kong and his two companions left the Jiuyang Sect first and headed straight for Panlao Mountain.

The remaining group, consisting of about a dozen Qi Refining Level 10 cultivators and over a hundred Qi Refining Level 8 and 9 cultivators, split into two groups. One group remained at the Jiuyang Sect awaiting reinforcements, while the other group, under Han Xianghe's arrangement, set off from the secret passage of Baiyun Mountain. After traveling several miles, they stealthily made their way to Panlao Mountain.

On Baiyun Mountain, Li Pinghe watched the disappearing figures of the group and pondered for a moment.

Chen Xu, Lin Yang, and Jin Guang, who was leading the black water buffalo, stood behind him. Chen Xu whispered:

"Master Uncle, this Panlao Mountain is probably extremely dangerous. You shouldn't have agreed to Han Xianghe's request in the hall."

Li Pinghe smiled:

"Now that I'm here, I'm not afraid of him asking me to do something."

Besides, isn't this exactly what he's been hoping for?

Life is only a hundred years long, what is there to fear?

"Let's pack up, we need to get going."

……

Panlaoshan Market.

This place is the largest market town in the northern part of the Song Kingdom. It is built on a high ground in the mountains and many independent cultivators come and go every day. However, the cultivators who stayed overnight in the market town were surprised to find that the large array in the market town, which used to be just for decoration, had been activated.

"Something terrible has happened!"

The unusual changes startled some astute independent cultivators, who immediately tried to leave, only to be told that they could no longer depart.

"The demons of the Qinghe Sect are about to attack. We must hold the great formation and not allow anyone to enter or leave. Anyone who disobeys this order will be swiftly and mercilessly killed!"

The market owner looked solemn and was filled with anxiety. He was only a Qi Refining Ninth Level cultivator, and if the Qinghe Sect sent people to attack, he would definitely not be able to hold the market.

But he had no choice but to hold out and defend. The only thing that puzzled him was that other markets in the north had already fallen. According to the speed of cultivators, Panlaoshan Market should have been captured long ago, but there was not a single person outside.

This made him even more anxious and at a loss.

Are there enemies outside, or not? And on the sect's side, is the sect leader preparing to rescue them, or giving up?

The doubts, anxieties, and worries in his heart gnawed at his beliefs like venomous snakes...

at the same time.

On a distant mountain peak outside Panlaoshan Market, a scholar in blue robes lightly waved his folding fan and smiled at a man standing with his hands behind his back in front of him, saying:

"Fellow Daoist Lu, is this plan feasible?"

Lu Mingchen surveyed the location of Panlao Mountain from afar and let out a soft hum:

"You're quite insidious; scaring them like this will likely cause them to crumble on their own very soon."

Yang Xingkong's smile remained unchanged: "I'll take it as Fellow Daoist Lu praising me."

"Hmph, you made me decline credit for attacking several markets, yet you leave me here to watch the show?"

Lu Mingchen was slightly dissatisfied.

"No."

Yang Xingkong laughed:

"This place is the throat of the Jiuyang Sect, Baoxia Sect, and Chenjiang Sword Sect. Once they launch a counterattack, all three will surely come with all their might. If Fellow Daoist Lu is not careful, he will be in danger. It would be better to sit back and watch the tigers fight and reap the benefits."

Lu Mingchen's expression remained unchanged; he simply turned his head and squinted, saying:

"I don't understand why you're helping me like this. I'm not the only one in the sect who has the potential to establish a Dao foundation."

"Fellow Daoist Lu is too modest."

Yang Xingkong's smile widened even further:

"The attempt to persuade Chun Jun Sect to surrender has failed. Fellow Daoist Lu's hopes for a Dao foundation are now truly dashed. After all, your master has more than one disciple, and the Eight Steeds are not just one person."

Lu Mingchen's expression immediately turned ugly.

Yang Xingkong seemed unconcerned, and gently closed his folding fan.

"And I—"

"I'm here to help you."