A Mortal's Supporting Character's Different Kind of Cultivation

Lu Yunfeng followed two Qi Refining stage disciples through the spacious council hall and was soon led to a slightly larger main room.

The room was spotless and tidy, with several calligraphy and paintings hanging on the four walls. The faint scent of ink added a touch of elegance and scholarly atmosphere, which was completely different from the solemn atmosphere of the meeting outside.

"Uncle-Master, please rest here for a moment. Once the Sect Leader returns, I will immediately come forward to inform him!" The leading young disciple was respectful and skillfully brewed a pot of fragrant spiritual tea for Lu Yunfeng. He then bowed and left, closing the door behind him.

Lu Yunfeng sipped the fragrant tea in his cup, his fingertips tracing the rim of the cup. His thoughts were churning as he pondered what to do next. Just then, the door to the main room was gently pushed open, and the sect leader of Zhongling Dao walked in slowly.

He immediately stood up, cupped his hands and bowed to Zhong Lingdao, showing perfect manners: "Sect Leader, Junior Brother Lu Yunfeng greets Sect Leader."

"So it's Junior Brother Lu. Please have a seat, no need for formalities." Zhong Lingdao said with a smile and a friendly tone. "As the sect leader, I am busy with worldly affairs and have arrived a few steps late. Please don't take offense, Junior Brother."

Lu Yunfeng smiled and bowed to apologize. The two sat down and began to chat, their conversation consisting of sect matters and casual talk about cultivation. The atmosphere was quite harmonious.

The conversation lasted no more than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. Zhong Lingdao rose and left, returning with a pure white jade tablet in his hands. He walked to the table, took out a gold-lacquered brush, and in front of Lu Yunfeng, solemnly wrote the three characters "Lu Yunfeng" at the very end of the densely packed list of cultivators on the jade tablet. With that, the registration of the Foundation Establishment cultivators was finally completed.

Lu Yunfeng saw this and was secretly delighted. He knew that as long as he was registered in the sect's jade register, he could rightfully apply for an independent cave dwelling belonging to a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and would no longer have to live in the Earth Fire House or the disciples' residence.

Zhong Lingdao, who had been handling such matters for newly established Foundation Establishment disciples for many years, saw the slight smile on Lu Yunfeng's lips and guessed what he was thinking. He smiled slightly, took out three mid-grade spirit stones and five small flags shrouded in a light white mist and with their spiritual energy contained from his storage bag, and handed them to Lu Yunfeng as the initial benefits bestowed upon Foundation Establishment cultivators by the sect.

Lu Yunfeng understood the rules of the valley. After accepting the gifts, he rose to take his leave. Zhong Lingdao did not insist that he stay. After exchanging a few polite words, Lu Yunfeng bowed and left the council hall.

Stepping out of the council hall, Lu Yunfeng determined his direction and flew straight towards the "Qilin Pavilion".

The name "Qilin Pavilion" is magnificent and extremely resounding. It is one of the core and important places in Huangfeng Valley, a place specifically for taming and guarding spirit beasts in the valley.

So-called spirit beasts are actually demonic beasts tamed and domesticated by cultivators. After shedding their wildness and obeying commands, they become spirit beasts that assist cultivators in their cultivation. Most of the spirit beasts tamed in the Qilin Pavilion are only level one spirit beasts. Even if there are occasionally level two spirit beasts, they are all left there by other cultivators, and others have no right to use them at will.

Even a level one spirit beast can provide many conveniences for the disciples of Huangfeng Valley: it can be used for transportation, guarding caves, finding spiritual herbs, and assisting in defending against enemies in battle—each has its uses. Lu Yunfeng came here specifically for a level one spirit beast called the Double-Eyed Rat.

This double-eyed rat looks no different from an ordinary wild rat, but it was born with a pair of extraordinary eyes. It was the perfect helper that Zhong Lingdao had specially recommended for him in the jade slip to find the cave dwelling.

This beast is a mid-level first-tier demon beast. Its extraordinary eyes can easily penetrate obstacles such as mist, rivers, and forests that obstruct its vision. It also has a natural affinity for places with dense spiritual energy, always preferring to dig burrows and build nests where spiritual energy flows. After being tamed, it becomes the best choice for exploring spiritual eyes and finding suitable cave dwellings, making it highly sought after by the Foundation Establishment disciples of Yellow Maple Valley.

Lu Yunfeng flew through the air and soon landed on the verdant welcoming platform of the Mythical Beast Mountain, the exclusive domain of the Qilin Pavilion. As soon as he landed, a low-ranking female cultivator in a light blue disciple's robe quickly stepped forward, gracefully bowing, her clear voice carrying a hint of anticipation: "This Martial Aunt, are you here to rent a spirit beast?"

Looking at the sixteen or seventeen-year-old female disciple with her youthful face, Lu Yunfeng smiled faintly and said directly, "Are there any spare twin-eyed rats in the pavilion? I want to rent one for two days."

"Yes! Of course! Please wait a moment, Martial Aunt, I'll go get it right away!" Upon hearing this, the female disciple's face immediately lit up with joy, and she quickly agreed and left, her steps becoming lighter.

Lu Yunfeng didn't say much. He paid the spirit stones as required and rented the Twin-Eyed Rat for three days. After completing the formalities, he took the beast and flew away.

He flew with the Twin-Eyed Rat deep into the Taiyue Mountains, a journey that took a full day, before finally stopping at the outermost edge of the northwestern part of the Taiyue Mountains.

A hundred miles further north from here, one enters the territory of the Yuanwu Kingdom, which is the sphere of influence of the Tianxing Sect, a major immortal cultivation sect in the Yuanwu Kingdom. The Tianxing Sect also has a market town there, which stands in opposition to the market town of Huangfeng Valley, each vying for supremacy.

Lu Yunfeng's choice of this location to build his cave dwelling was not without profound meaning.

Firstly, this place is located in a desolate and remote area of ​​the Taiyue Mountains, bordering the Yuanwu Kingdom on one side and Xizhou on the other. Few fellow disciples from Huangfeng Valley or other rogue cultivators or cultivators pass by on weekdays, which is perfect for avoiding being disturbed by others and focusing on secluded cultivation, saving a lot of unnecessary trouble.

Secondly, this place is extremely close to the Tianxing Sect's market, making it very convenient to sell surplus spiritual herbs or purchase cultivation supplies in the future, and it's also less likely to be recognized by fellow disciples of Huangfeng Valley, allowing for discreet actions. More importantly, he had already heard that in just over a decade, the demonic path would launch a large-scale invasion. Since his cave dwelling is near the border of Yuanwu Kingdom, he could directly cross the border to seek refuge in another country without worrying about being intercepted by demonic cultivators.

It was with these two considerations in mind that Lu Yunfeng gave up the area in Huangfeng Valley where the spiritual energy was abundant and fellow disciples lived together, and chose this place where the spiritual energy was not top-notch, but it was secluded and safe.

He loosened the spirit rope binding the Twin-Eyed Rat, letting it explore the location of the Spirit Eye Cave on its own. He then stood at the foot of a precipitous mountain peak, gazing at the massive, steep, and smooth mountain wall opposite him, which was over a hundred feet high. He stood quietly, his expression thoughtful.

The Twin-Eyed Rat lived up to its reputation. In just a day and a half, it led Lu Yunfeng to a valley, where it scurried into the crevice.

Lu Yunfeng gazed at the valley with its sparse spiritual energy, remaining silent. He then used his flying sword to drill a hole in the rock wall and followed the Twin-Eyed Rat into the heart of the valley.

Not long after they burrowed, they saw the two-eyed rat soaking in a spring through a crevice, looking quite content.

Lu Yunfeng expanded the cave and found that the valley was very similar to his previous cave. Looking at the spring that was gushing out, he realized that it was a branch of a spiritual vein, and a very small one at that.

Lu Yunfeng didn't dwell on it and nodded in satisfaction. He prepared to return the Twin-Pupil Rat.