After being jilted by the saintess at the beginning, why is she crying?

The mountains are home to many wild and exotic species, as well as ferocious beasts. The dense forests are filled with miasma, and the roars of beasts often echo like thunder through the valleys.

Even those reclusive immortal sects with considerable cultivation dare not venture deep into it lightly.

Lin Changge, however, was highly skilled and daring. Without hesitation, he stepped into the forest, his feet crunching softly on the thick layer of fallen leaves and withered branches.

As soon as he stepped inside, he keenly sensed something unusual—the flow of spiritual energy in the surrounding air was extremely strange, as if it were being repeatedly kneaded and pulled by an invisible hand.

Sometimes it is as gentle and abundant as a trickle, refreshing and invigorating; other times it suddenly becomes thin and dull, as if someone has suddenly emptied it, leaving a thirsty and sluggish feeling in every breath.

It was as if some enormous creature deep underground was breathing at an extremely slow rhythm, guiding the pulse of the entire spiritual vein. With each inhale and exhale, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth rose and fell accordingly.

Lin Changge's heart suddenly stirred, and the image of those yellowed and mottled ancient books that he had been reading in the imperial library these past few days came to mind.

Legend has it that the Fallen Dragon Mountain Range was once the site of the largest main spiritual vein in the Land of Desolate Spirits, ten thousand years ago.

It is the spiritual heart and lifeblood of the entire small world.

At that time, this small world was not called "Land of Severed Spirits," but had a very glorious name: "Cave of Ten Thousand Spirits."

It was a top-tier cultivation paradise, where spiritual energy fell like raindrops, spiritual veins spread like spider webs, and spiritual herbs and medicines were readily available. Cultivators emerged in great numbers, and it was extremely prosperous for a time.

Unfortunately, in order to suppress the disturbances deep within the Demon Abyss and maintain the terrifying sealing array from collapsing, generation after generation of sages and powerful figures sacrificed themselves, using their bodies as fuel and their lives as firewood.

One after another, they drew upon the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to infuse the great array, eventually causing the main spiritual vein to become overburdened and completely depleted. The spiritual environment of the entire small world also collapsed, turning it from a blessed land into the desolate place it is today.

"interesting……"

Lin Changge's eyes brightened slightly, his pupils reflecting the shards of sunlight filtering through the trees, and his interest flared up like wildfire.

"Judging from the abnormal fluctuations in spiritual energy... could it be that this legendary main spiritual vein hasn't completely dried up and died? Is there still a glimmer of life, a faint pulse?"

If this is indeed the case, and if the root cause can be found and the spiritual energy predicament of this place can be resolved, it would be nothing less than a great deed that turns the tide and benefits future generations.

Without further hesitation, he continued deeper into the landscape. Beneath his feet lay a thick layer of humus, accumulated over countless years, soft and silent underfoot, like a carpet laid out for millennia.

Ancient trees tower all around, their branches and leaves lush and verdant, with vines hanging down like waterfalls from the high branches. Sunlight can only seep through the gaps in the layers of the tree canopy, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

The air was filled with the damp scent of earth and decaying wood, mixed with the unique bitter fragrance of grass and trees. A primitive and wild vitality rushed over you, almost engulfing you completely.

The concentration of spiritual energy here was indeed far greater than that outside, almost comparable to the cultivation area exclusively for the core disciples of the Jue Ling Sect. With each breath, Lin Changge felt a slight warmth in his lungs.

The ferocious beasts and birds of prey they encountered along the way, with their crimson eyes and bared fangs, might be deadly to ordinary martial artists, but in Lin Changge's eyes, they were nothing more than ignorant wild animals.

With a casual flick of his wrist or a gentle release of his aura, the ferocious creatures would whimper and flee with their tails between their legs, never daring to approach again.

Lin Fengmian continued forward, his pace quickening.

The deeper you go into this secluded land, the richer the spiritual energy becomes, and the air is filled with a vast and ancient atmosphere.

The surrounding rocks and vegetation are exceptionally ancient in appearance, as if they have not been disturbed for tens of thousands of years.

To his even greater surprise, the jade pendant between his brows, which had been dormant for so long, was now emitting a faint warmth.

That familiar connection was re-established between him and his spirit.

"As expected... this place is extraordinary."

He tried to immerse his spiritual consciousness into it. The next moment, the space before him slightly distorted, and that familiar little world reappeared in his consciousness—

Amidst the rising white mist and the babbling of the spring, a little fox spirit dozes off under a willow tree, its fluffy tail swaying gently like a pink cloud.

Sensing his presence, the little fox demon opened her eyes with a "whoosh," rushed to the spirit spring, tilted her little face up, and her eyes reddened with excitement:

"Master! You're finally back! This little fox demon missed you so much! I thought... I thought you didn't want me anymore..."

Lin Fengmian squatted down, reached out and rubbed her furry ears, and laughed, "How could I not want you? It's just that this place is strange. The jade pendant lost its connection with me, and I searched for a long time before finding this place."

The little fox demon nuzzled his palm, her tail wagging rapidly. "It's good that Master is back! By the way, Master, that sister has been cultivating by the Spirit Spring. You should go and see her!"

Lin Fengmian got up and went to the Spirit Spring.

Above the spring, Xiao Yun'er sat cross-legged, her body radiating spiritual light, her aura harmonious and profound, showing a significant improvement over her previous state.

Her eyes were slightly closed, and a faint light was surging between her brows, indicating that she had already touched the threshold of Core Formation.

Lin Fengmian looked at that serene profile, and the corners of his mouth slightly turned up:

"Good woman, keep it up. If you can achieve Nascent Soul stage, we'll have plenty of opportunities to get closer in the future."

He then turned to the little fox demon: "During this time, if she needs any pills or spirit stones, give them to her as you see fit. Don't let her lack anything."

"Don't worry, Master! The little fox demon is very clever; she's prepared everything perfectly!"

Lin Fengmian took out a pile of spirit stones and pills, sat down cross-legged, and began to absorb them frantically.

The spiritual energy within the jade pendant's space was already several times denser than that outside. Now, as he activated his cultivation technique, that extremely pure spiritual energy surged into his dantian like a river overflowing its banks, flowing and circulating throughout his limbs and bones.

That long-lost feeling of fullness made him let out a long sigh of relief, every pore on his body seemed to cheer.

Mid-Foundation Building...Late-Foundation Building...Great Perfection of Foundation Building!

"This feels... amazing!"

Lin Fengmian clenched his fist, feeling the spiritual energy that had been replenished within his body, and a confident gleam appeared in his eyes.

Although he still cannot break through to the Core Formation stage, given his current state, if he were to encounter another siege like before, he would definitely be able to fight his way in and out seven times!

He dared not linger, fearing that the jade pendant space would be suppressed and sealed off again by the rules of this place. He quickly took some spare pills and spirit stones and then left.

When he opened his eyes again, he was still surrounded by that gray, desolate land. But his confidence was completely different now.

"Let's go deeper... I want to see what secrets are hidden in this core forbidden zone."