https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1005-Farewell-to-the-Old-Year-Rediscovering-Merit/13109978/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1007-Mystical-Intent-Concealed-in-the-Jade-Peak/13109980/
Chapter 1006: Stopover at the Former Residence
Chapter 1006: Stopover at the Former Residence
The captain and his squad watched as Chen Chuan's figure disappeared, and then the magnificent figure above them spiraled, emitting a chirping cry towards them before flying into the forest.
One of the squad members knocked on his helmet, "Captain, this advisor Chen, he's so down-to-earth. Unlike those officers I've met, he's two ranks higher, and he doesn't look down on us at all."
A squad member said, "Hey, the bigger the figure, the more easygoing they are. Xiaomao, you still don't meet many big shots."
Xiaomao scoffed, "Stop bragging. Last time, that captain asked you to be his steward, and you were excited for three days. At night, I even heard you say, 'Sir, I'll pour a bucket of water to warm your feet.'" He imitated the other person's voice, mimicking it perfectly.
The squad burst into laughter.
The squad member blushed, arguing, "I had just joined the army back then, it's been so long!"
The teammates couldn't help but laugh more.
The captain spoke up, "Alright, quiet down. We still have work to do today. This place is dangerous. When Advisor Chen left, he said he'd be back, and I hope we'll all be here when he returns, not a single one missing. So, let's stay focused!"
"Yes, sir!" The entire squad responded in unison.
Chen Chuan entered the forest, not walking slowly. The last time he came, he intentionally created large rock piles as landmarks along the way to make navigation easier. This time, he didn't have to follow the river's path.
This time, his main task was to find a suitable place for cultivation and explore the paths he hadn't taken before. So, he didn't plan to waste too much time on the way, and in less than two days, he had traversed the entire dense forest and reached the edge of the desert.
This was where he had encountered the sack monkeys before. Last time, he had headed towards one end of the sea, but this time, he decided to change direction.
So, he turned around and followed the direction of the sack monkeys' migration.
Since he was on an unexplored path, he slowed down a bit and also set up some easily recognizable markers along the way.
During the day, he carefully observed and admired the scenery. At night, he stopped to rest, not rushing into cultivation but instead adjusting his mental state.
When he was cultivating at Danliu Pavilion, after each session, he would sit in front of the lotus seat of the Grand Dharma Master to calm his mind and soul. Now, he could do it himself, no longer needing to stay tense for long periods, but rather, he needed to find a balance between tension and relaxation.
As he walked and paused along the way, after three days, he reached a place with green peaks and ridges. A waterfall flowed down like a slender silver ribbon, and misty vapor spread out, creating a scene that resembled a fairyland.
At this moment, he heard a series of ape cries coming from the valley, and he could see some monkeys leaping in the mountain gorge. There were also strange birds flying into the mist, their shadows appearing and disappearing.
The morning birds seemed especially joyful here, chirping merrily above.
Seeing these sights, Chen Chuan nodded in understanding. No wonder the sack monkeys had chosen to migrate here; it was indeed a good place. He decided then and there to stop moving forward and instead find a nearby spot for cultivation.
After a quick assessment, he headed towards the highest peak in the area.
As he approached, he discovered that the valley was filled with various rare plants and animals from the Confluence Land, some familiar and others he had never seen before.
He didn't examine them too closely, as understanding the species here would take more than a year for him alone. So, he simply took some photos with his custom camera and continued deeper.
However, there was no clear path ahead; everywhere was filled with deep ravines and cliffs. But these posed no obstacle to him, and in less than an hour, he reached the foot of the peak.
Looking up from below, the peak seemed to pierce the clouds, with twisting green vines and moss clinging to its surface. Birds flew around it, but climbing up wouldn't be easy, though he didn't need to do that.
With a slight breath, a force field appeared around his body, and with a slight touch of his toes, he flashed upwards in a burst of light.
After a while, a thunderous roar echoed from the clouds above, causing the birds nearby to take flight.
After a couple of breaths, Chen Chuan reached a spot near the summit and landed at the edge. Looking around, he noticed that the plants here were arranged in a pleasing manner, lush and vibrant, with some areas flat and spacious, as if intentionally landscaped.
Not far to his left, he could see a waterfall several meters high cascading down, creating a loud rushing sound. Surprisingly, the water of this waterfall was a hot spring, emitting steam and mist, though the source of the heat was unclear. But this wasn't a bad thing.
Diagonally across from the waterfall was a stone cave with a few stone steps of varying heights carved in front of it.
This indicated clear signs of human construction, piquing his curiosity. He stepped into the cave and found that it was well-lit, with numerous holes in the cave walls, allowing light to crisscross. Every corner was illuminated, and surprisingly, there were stone beds and chairs inside. He reached out and gently brushed one of them, and the cushion that had been on it had turned to powder.
He surveyed his surroundings, and from the leftover traces, it seemed the last owner of this place was likely from hundreds of years ago, and the builder of this cave abode could be even older.
Looking at the style of the stone table and chairs...
He examined them for a while, sensing a strong essence of the Xuan Sect, an ancient and rustic sect. The placement of the furniture was also meticulously arranged, appearing casual yet seamlessly integrated with the surrounding environment.
Could it be that the original owner of this place was from the Xuan Sect?
That wasn't impossible.
This confluence land in Jinbei Province had existed since ancient times, so it wasn't surprising that someone had been here before.
However...
Suddenly, he remembered something.
When You the Demon Ghost Guardian came to this side, he mentioned searching for a relic of the Xuan Sect. This implied that before him, there had been Xuan Sect predecessors residing in this area.
Furthermore, he recalled that in You Hufa's later words, there were many references to water-related phrases. And here, everything seemed to fit, could it be related to what was in front of him?
Regardless of whether it was or not, he had come here to cultivate. Before completing this task, everything else could wait. Since this place was suitable, he would temporarily borrow it for now.
He put down his luggage and inspected the cave, discovering that this place was actually quite large. The area he had entered was just the topmost layer, and below were layers of caves of various sizes. They were interconnected through jug-sized holes, but they were positioned at different levels, some even quite distant from each other.
Upon further observation, he realized that these caves were originally not connected. Someone had forcefully created these passages, but they weren't dug from the top down; instead, they were dug upward from below.
Judging from this, it seemed that the entire mountain peak had been excavated, and to accomplish such a feat, the person must have been at least a fighter.
This wasn't surprising. To reach this place, possessing such strength was evidently a necessary prerequisite.
As he had just arrived, he needed to understand the surrounding environment. So, he opened his luggage and released some small modified creatures to explore the area.
Not a single mistake, not a single shot, not a single word, not a single thing in the 69th book.
He himself went to the cave entrance and looked outside. Through the mist and clouds, he could vaguely see a raised mound on the plain, resembling a long snake lying there. Its orientation was precisely towards the peak here.
He didn't understand the Xuan Sect's geomancy techniques, but he guessed that the Xuan Sect's ancestors had chosen this place to excavate the cave abode for a reason.
However...
In the confluence land, this mound appeared to be a hill, but that didn't necessarily mean it was.
He looked for a while longer, and the exploring creature didn't return. Still, he could confirm that there was no problem in this area, so he didn't wait idly. Instead, he took out the Mikkyo ritual materials he carried with him and set up a Mikkyo ritual in this place.
Having arranged such rituals frequently recently, he was becoming increasingly familiar with them and even had his own understanding. Setting them up was now both quick and solid.
After finishing the setup, he sent Chao Ming to guard the lower cave, while he took the Snow Lord Saber and slashed at the air in front of him. A loud hiss filled the air, and a large cluster of light blossomed, rippling like water waves, continuously expanding outward. A tall, oval rift, about three to four meters high, appeared there.
Chen Chuan was a bit surprised. He raised his hand to examine the Snow Lord Saber, which had just split open such a large rift. The saber's capacity had undoubtedly increased significantly.
This was probably not just because this was a confluence land.
He pondered for a moment, thinking that this might be related to the Snow Lord Saber's previous tempering by the "Xuan Kong Fire."
This was a good thing, as the rift could evidently last longer.
He sheathed the long saber and walked into the rift, entering the area filled with light. His body floated, and after a moment, his brow flashed, and the surrounding mystical mist surged. Instantly, a massive spirit form appeared behind him.
Compared to the last time, it had already reached a height of sixteen to seventeen meters. The large and stable spirit form meant it could absorb more energy.
At this moment, he sat cross-legged, and the spirit form simultaneously mirrored his posture, while the vertical eye between his brows lit up.
While he cultivated here, Chao Ming perched at the edge of the cave entrance. It liked this place, feeling warm and cozy.
After a long while, it heard a faint sound and suddenly raised its head alertly, staring at the bottom of the cave entrance.
A moment later, it spun in mid-air, and its four feet landed with a rhythmic pattern on the wall and ground, one after the other. Then, it flipped back, already holding a black, snake-like creature in its mouth.
This thing was only as thick as a chopstick, and its body was exceptionally resilient, writhing continuously.
Chao Ming shook its body left and right, and the creature's joints instantly snapped apart, its body losing strength.
Chao Ming tossed it up, straightened its head, and swallowed it in just two or three bites. Then, it closed its eyes lazily and lay down again.
...
...
(End of Chapter)
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