Clan Cultivation: Starting from Foundation Establishment on Mount Luoxia

When they rushed over, good heavens! A massive rift valley stretched out before them! It was over a hundred feet wide and bottomless, with cliffs on both sides as if carved by a knife. The rocks were a dark gold mixed with gray and black, and looked incredibly hard. Gray mist churned within the valley, obscuring the bottom. Only the howling wind rose from below, sounding like sighs from the earth.

Li Mutian walked to the edge of the rift valley, bent down and grabbed a handful of pebbles from the cliff edge. The pebbles were heavy in his hand, with sharp edges and a faint metallic sheen.

"This rock stratum contains a very high amount of gold and stone, and has been tainted by evil energy for a long time."

He pondered, "This rift doesn't seem to be naturally formed; it's more like... it was forcibly torn apart by some immense force, or a remnant of ancient geological changes."

"Although the valley is filled with malevolent energy, the concentrated earth elemental power is a rare sign of 'virtue' in this place."

"Spiritual veins thrive by concealing wind and gathering energy, and they prefer to rely on fertile soil. There might be something to be done deep within this rift valley."

"Master, the tracking rats are reacting very strongly in a certain direction in the valley!"

Suddenly, Aunt Liu said that the gray rat on her shoulder was excitedly pawing at a certain location downstream (east) of the rift valley.

"Downstream?"

Li Mutian looked out and saw the rift valley winding eastward, disappearing behind the mist and distant mountains.

"Let's go, carefully descend along the cliff face, and follow them to take a look. Be careful, there might be malevolent creatures gathering evil energy or natural traps in the valley."

The team found a gentle slope and began to carefully proceed down into the rift valley.

The light in the valley was even dimmer, and the mist was damp and cold, originating from the chill of the earth.

Occasionally, one can see moss or strangely shaped crystals emitting a faint phosphorescence on the cliff face.

After descending about a hundred feet, they still hadn't reached the bottom, but the terrain gradually flattened out, revealing some rugged "steps" and platforms. The guidance of the tracking mouse became increasingly clear.

Suddenly, one of the tribesmen who was scouting ahead slipped!

"Ouch!"

The solid, dark gray rock he was standing on collapsed with a "crash," revealing a dark hole underneath, from which a foul stench gushed out!

"Be careful!"

Li Tongya reacted quickly, throwing out a magical rope to pull it back.

Almost simultaneously, several streaks of dark light shot out from the cave! They were incredibly fast, heading straight for the group!

Li Mutian snorted coldly, and before anyone could make a move, the air in front of everyone suddenly distorted and heated up!

An invisible barrier, formed entirely of crimson-gold true fire, instantly appeared!

"Ding ding ding ding!"

The dark light struck the fire barrier, producing a crisp metallic clang. It turned out to be a series of bone spurs, each about a foot long, jet black and shiny, with tips gleaming with a cold, eerie blue light!

The bone spurs were blocked and burned by the barrier of true fire, quickly turning bright red, then softening and dripping off.

"Crypt Arrow Lizard! Social creatures, adept at ambushes and surprise attacks, its bone spurs are poisonous!" Poison Master hissed.

The dense rustling sounds and hissing noises coming from inside the cave clearly alerted more people.

"No need to linger, let's go!"

Li Mutian did not want to waste time and magic power here. With a wave of his sleeve, the barrier of crimson gold fire pushed forward, crushing through like a wall of flames!

Wherever it went, the gray-black monsters that had just emerged, resembling lizards with bone spurs on their backs, along with the entrances to their caves, were burned, collapsed, or buried.

The team took the opportunity to speed up, bypassed the area, and continued downstream.

After walking another two or three miles, the rift valley widened, and a slow-flowing, rusty, muddy river with a pungent smell appeared at the bottom of the valley.

On the opposite bank of the river, the terrain suddenly rises, forming a relatively dry slope backed by a huge cliff.

Right there on that slope, Aunt Liu's tracking mouse was practically leaping out, squeaking wildly!

Li Mutian scanned the opposite bank with all his might, and his eyes suddenly flashed with a sharp light!

Deep within the slope, near the base of the cliff, a faint, hazy light, unlike the surrounding murky and malevolent aura, could be seen! It was a pale yellow light with wisps of golden-white light!

The halo was not intense, but exceptionally pure and stable, like a small lamp lit in the dark, radiating a profound yet slightly sharp spiritual energy that was refreshing and invigorating!

More importantly, the soil and rocks within a radius of several dozen feet around the halo subtly exhibited a strange, regular pattern, and the chaotic evil energy in the air seemed to be slightly combed and settled when it passed through this area!

"The earth's energy gathers, evil spirits are contained within, and the thick soil carries wealth... It can't be wrong!"

Li Mutian's voice was filled with rare excitement:

"Beneath that cliff, there must be a spiritual vein node! Judging from its aura, it's at least second-tier, and its attributes are likely earth and metal mutually generating each other!"

"While it doesn't perfectly match the cultivation method primarily practiced by my Li family, its strengths lie in its stability and strong defensive capabilities. Even more remarkable is its ability to maintain relative purity in this turbid and malevolent environment!"

"Found it?!"

Upon hearing this, Li Tongya, Li Chijing, and the others were greatly encouraged.

"pretty close."

Li Mutian took a deep breath, suppressing his joy, and his eyes regained their sharpness:

"However, the locations of spiritual vein nodes are often occupied by powerful beings or natural obstacles."

"This place is hidden deep in the rift valley, backed by a sheer cliff, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. It is also close to this murky underground river... We need to explore it carefully."

He carefully observed the terrain on the opposite bank. At the bottom of the cliff where the pale yellow halo was located, there seemed to be a fairly large natural cave entrance, and the halo was shining out from inside the cave.

Near the cave entrance, there were some huge, regularly shaped skeletons scattered around, which looked like they were left by some kind of large monster.

The underground river bends here, and the current becomes relatively gentle, forming a small mudflat.

"Tongya, record the precise location and topographical features of this place. Chijing, carefully observe the surrounding vegetation and minerals for any unusual features."

"Aunt Liu, have the tracking rats try to sense the aura inside the cave entrance. Poison Elder, analyze the air and water quality, especially the spiritual energy composition near that halo."

The group immediately split up and took action. A moment later, the information was compiled.

"The skeletons near the cave entrance appear to be some kind of giant ape-like monster. The bones are dark gold in color and exceptionally hard. It is difficult to determine the time of death, but it is at least several years ago," Li Tongya reported.

"The tracking rats have a complex reaction to the cave; they crave the pure spiritual energy, yet they are also afraid of a certain aura deep within the cave," Aunt Liu frowned.

"The proportion of metal and earth elements in the air is significantly higher than that in the outside world, while the content of evil energy is reduced by about 30%."

"The underground river water is highly toxic, but the soil near the bank close to the halo is much less toxic," the Poison Master quickly analyzed.

Li Mutian pondered, "The presence of the remains of a powerful demonic beast terrifies the tracking rats... There's likely an owner inside the cave, or... some kind of residual protective barrier. But the purity of the spiritual energy is indeed very high."

He weighed the options in his mind. Discovering the second-tier spiritual vein node was a huge breakthrough, but venturing into the unknown cave rashly was extremely risky, especially since this place was deep in a rift valley with a complex environment.

"Father, should we retreat to the camp first, discuss with Second Uncle, gather more men and make full preparations before coming back?" Li Tongya suggested.

Li Mutian looked at the faint yellow halo that appeared and disappeared on the opposite bank, and then assessed his own condition and the situation of his team.

The energy depleted from yesterday's battle has been largely recovered, and the True Essence at [Xuanhuang Pass] is now abundant.

Although this place is dangerous, the spiritual vein is right in front of us. If we don't find out the truth first, we won't feel at ease. And if we delay any longer, something unexpected might happen.

"I crossed the river alone and approached the cave entrance to investigate."

"You all form a defensive formation here. If there is any unusual activity, or if I do not return within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, immediately retreat back to the camp via the original route and inform Xiaoyao," Li Mutian decisively said.

"Father!"

"Master!"

Li Tongya, Li Chijing, and the others were all taken aback.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. Foundation Establishment cultivators aren't that easy to kill."

Li Mutian waved his hand, indicating that there was no need to say more.

He leaped into the air, lightly skimming over several protruding rocks on the surface of the underground river, and with a few quick bounds, landed silently on the mudflats on the opposite bank.