I forge immortality with a pagoda.

In Liufang Garden, clear springs gurgle and mist hangs in the air.

This little world was shrouded in a faint spiritual light, isolated from the hustle and bustle of the outside world, like a paradise on earth.

Shen Yu sat cross-legged on a blue stone beside the spring, his eyes slightly closed, surrounded by spiritual energy.

Since taking control of the Yu Kingdom more than three months ago, he has been cultivating in seclusion here almost every day. With the help of the Earthly Gui-level spiritual spring, his cultivation has progressed by leaps and bounds.

On this day, as he was refining the Primordial Mystery, he suddenly felt a surge of true qi in his dantian.

The true qi that was originally flowing slowly like a stream now surged like a river, surging endlessly in the dantian and making a series of booming sounds.

"We're finally about to break through."

Shen Yu was secretly delighted, but dared not be careless in the slightest.

He carefully guided the true qi within his body, allowing it to circulate slowly along his meridians.

As his true qi circulated faster and faster, the spiritual light around him became increasingly dazzling, illuminating the entire Liufang Garden as if it were daytime.

The spring water seemed to sense this power, gurgling and rippling.

More and more inspirations flowed from it.

After an unknown amount of time, Shen Yu suddenly opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in them.

He slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, which condensed into a white ribbon in the air and lingered for a long time.

Feeling the surging true qi within his body, he couldn't help but reveal a relieved smile.

"I've finally broken through to the fourth level of Qi Refining."

Now, Shen Yu can be considered a proper mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator.

He reached out and gently brushed his hand across the spring, and a wisp of pure inspiration wrapped around his fingertip like silk threads.

Although this spiritual energy is not particularly abundant, it is extremely pure and gentle, making it an excellent aid for cultivation.

"No wonder Yu Yihu was able to break through two realms in just a few years and directly enter the third level of Qi Refining. With the help of such a spiritual spring, his cultivation speed is indeed extraordinary."

Shen Yu slowly absorbed the spiritual energy from his fingertips into his body, and immediately felt a cool current flowing through his entire body, making him feel indescribably comfortable.

He carefully experienced the changes after the breakthrough, and felt that the true qi in his body was several times more abundant than before, and its circulation was more smooth and free.

After stabilizing his cultivation, Shen Yu began to study Taoist arts.

For the past three months, besides cultivating, he has been studying various Taoist techniques and methods.

He now possesses three superior Taoist techniques, more than ten mid-level Taoist techniques, and countless inferior Taoist techniques.

If these Taoist techniques were to spread, they would be enough to establish a sect and become the foundation of a powerful force.

These three superior Taoist arts are the "Fierce Nether Wind Calling Technique", the "Purple Fiend Forging Yuan Technique", and the "Mysterious Record of All Wonders and Truth".

As for Wen Tiancheng's incredibly powerful lightning technique, he didn't bring it with him, and Shen Yu failed to get his hands on it, which made him feel a little regretful.

The "Fierce Nether Wind Summoning Technique" is a technique left behind by Daoist Yunhui. Under the mysterious effect of the transformation of various energies by the Primordial Profound Truth, Shen Yu did not need to deliberately collect Yang Turbid Spiritual Energy to cultivate this Daoist technique to the minor completion level.

At this moment, with a slight thought, a gentle breeze surrounded him, sometimes as soft as a simmering fire, sometimes as fierce as a raging flame, ever-changing and infinitely versatile.

The "Purple Fiend Forging Yuan Technique" was a body-refining technique obtained from that purple-faced giant.

These days, Shen Yu has been focused on improving his cultivation level and has not studied this technique much.

More importantly, this body-refining technique consumes too much spiritual energy. If he were to cultivate it at full strength, he would probably exhaust all the spirit stones and talisman coins he had accumulated over the past few days.

After all, the spiritual energy required by the Primordial Mystery itself is not a small amount, and the sum of these two is simply a bottomless pit.

"These two cultivation techniques are truly like two money-devouring beasts," Shen Yu said with a wry smile, though there was little sorrow in his eyes.

After all, with the resources of a nation at our disposal and the aid of the spiritual spring, it's not that we can't afford to support them.

What interested Shen Yu the most was the "Mysterious Record of All Wonders".

The upper limit of this technique seems to be infinite. He has devoted himself to studying it for some time and has finally succeeded in condensing a basic Xuanlu.

Currently, the power of this Xuanlu is only equivalent to a low-level Taoist technique, and it is not very useful.

But as Lin Qing said, this technique can be advanced.

Once you have mastered other Taoist arts and condensed the corresponding seed of power, integrating it into the Xuanlu (mysterious talisman), this art can gradually advance.

The higher the rank of other Taoist techniques, the stronger the power of the Xuanlu (mysterious talisman).

Shen Yu gently stroked a pale golden talisman floating in his palm, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes.

This mysterious talisman is only an inch in size, yet it faintly exudes an all-encompassing aura and possesses inexplicable power.

Now that I have the help of the spiritual spring, it is time to begin cultivating the "Purple Fiend Forging Yuan Technique".

Furthermore, other Taoist techniques should be condensed into seeds as soon as possible and integrated into the Xuanlu (mysterious talisman).

In this way, our combat strength will surely be further enhanced.

...

Time flies, and several months have passed in the blink of an eye.

On this day, Shen Yu was cultivating the "Purple Fiend Forging Yuan Technique" by the spring, his body surrounded by purple aura, which had a hidden fiendish meaning.

As the cultivation technique was activated, his bones emitted subtle cracking sounds, as if they were undergoing some kind of transformation.

Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the garden, interrupting his cultivation.

"My lord, He Chen Sanren requests an audience, saying he has important matters to report."

Shen Yu slowly finished his practice, the purple aura around him gradually dissipating and disappearing into his body. He straightened his robes and said calmly, "Let him in."

He Chen Sanren strode into the garden, first bowing respectfully, then standing by with his hands at his sides, waiting for Shen Yu to speak.

His expression was solemn, with a hint of worry between his brows.

"Speak, what is it?" Shen Yu asked calmly, his gaze fixed on He Chen Sanren.

"Your Majesty, please allow me to speak." He Chen Sanren said with some urgency, bowing, "A few days ago, a powerful demon was seen lurking about 500 miles west of the city. I and a few fellow Daoists went to investigate and found that it was actually a Qi Refining Realm demon beast, whose strength was extraordinary."

"Another demonic beast?" Shen Yu frowned slightly.

In recent days, he has dealt with many incidents of monster attacks, most of which were at the Kaiyuan Realm, and there were also two or three at the Lianqi Realm.

The Yu Kingdom is located in a remote area, and monsters frequently appear there, making it indeed troublesome to govern.

Each time a monster appears, it not only causes casualties among the people, but also destroys farmland and villages, affecting people's livelihoods.

He Chen Sanren sighed, a helpless expression on his face: "Your Majesty, please understand. Our Yu Kingdom is located in a remote area. Those places rich in spiritual energy are all occupied by major sects. The demonic beasts have nowhere to go, so they naturally gather in these remote places. Although their cultivation is slow, at least they can devour blood and are not in danger of losing their lives. If this continues, I'm afraid..."

Shen Yu nodded slightly, knowing that He Chen Sanren's words were true. This was indeed a thorny issue, and if it wasn't resolved thoroughly, the consequences could be dire.

"In that case, I'll go myself." Shen Yu said, flicking his sleeve, and a cloud-flying boat appeared out of thin air, hovering in mid-air, shimmering with spiritual light.

"Come up and lead the way."

He Chen Sanren quickly agreed and carefully boarded the flying boat.

Shen Yu followed closely behind, and with a slight thought, the flying boat transformed into a streak of light, speeding towards the western horizon.

In no time at all, the airship had arrived at its destination.

This is a lush valley with gentle slopes and beautiful scenery.

Yangyue Daoist and Yusong Laodao had been waiting there for a long time. When the flying boat arrived, they hurriedly went forward to greet it.

"Greetings, Your Majesty." The two bowed respectfully.

"No need for formalities." Shen Yu waved his hand, his gaze sweeping across the surroundings, his divine sense spreading out like a tide, carefully investigating the surrounding movements. "Tell me the specifics."

Master Yangyue stepped forward and respectfully replied, "Your Majesty, that demonic beast is an earth elemental beast, extremely skilled in earth-遁 (earth-遁 is a type of magical technique). A few days ago, when I was patrolling the western city, I received a report from my subordinates that some people had mysteriously disappeared. After some investigation, I discovered these cave entrances."

Shen Yu looked in the direction pointed out by Yang Yue Dao Ren and indeed saw holes of varying sizes scattered on the ground, each several tens of feet apart.

These holes have smooth edges and cutting marks, clearly not naturally formed, and they emit a strong earthy smell.

"This demonic beast is extremely agile. Although it is at the Qi Refining Realm, it does not attack proactively," Daoist Yangyue continued. "It always appears suddenly when people are not paying attention, abducts people and livestock, and then immediately disappears into the ground. We have spent many days setting up numerous restrictions, but we have still not been able to capture it. That is why we have to trouble our lord to take action."

Shen Yu nodded, already understanding.

No wonder this monster dared to appear near the capital; it turns out it was using the art of earth-遁 (earth-遁 is a type of magic that allows it to come and go unnoticed).

These kinds of monsters are extremely troublesome; if they are not completely eradicated, they will cause a great disaster sooner or later.

Shen Yu instructed, "You should all return to the capital first and take care of your respective affairs."

Yang Yue Daoist hesitated, a worried look on his face: "My lord, this earth elemental beast is very slippery and moves swiftly underground. Perhaps we, the humble ones, can be of help if we stay..."

"No need," Shen Yu shook his head, his tone firm. "Your presence here will only deter that beast from showing itself. I can manage on my own."

Seeing Shen Yu's resolute attitude, the group had no choice but to bow and take their leave, returning to the capital.

After everyone left, Shen Yu flew down onto a city wall, sat cross-legged, and waited quietly.

He closed his eyes to regulate his breathing and consolidate his cultivation, occasionally opening his eyes to carefully observe the surrounding movements.

As night falls, the starry sky casts its clear light, illuminating the valley as if it were daytime. The occasional cry of an owl adds to the serene atmosphere.

The next morning, as the sun rose and the sky was filled with rosy rays, Shen Yu was almost losing his patience when he suddenly heard a faint sound of earth and rocks tumbling from afar.

"They're here!"

Shen Yu immediately concealed his aura, as if he had become one with the surrounding environment.

He stared intently and saw that in a field not far away, the ground rose slightly, and then two sharp claws emerged from the ground, followed by a large, strange beast slowly crawling out.

This monster resembles a giant insect, covered in a thick, earth-yellow carapace, with strong, powerful claws and legs.

After it emerged from the ground, it looked around warily, appearing very cautious.

Seeing that no one was around, it slowly crawled toward a farmhouse not far away.

Shen Yu was not far away, and seeing that the earth elemental beast had not noticed him, he was certain that the beast had poor eyesight.

With a thought, the Spirit Cry Sword flew out from his sleeve, transforming into a streak of light that plummeted down like a meteor.

However, just as the sword light was about to touch the earth elemental beast, the beast seemed to sense the danger, its body suddenly shrank, and it suddenly burrowed into the ground and disappeared without a trace.

"Such a quick reaction!"

Shen Yu landed gracefully beside the cave entrance where the Earth Elemental Beast had disappeared. The cave entrance was several feet in diameter and bottomless, and a strong earthy smell wafted towards him.

He hesitated for a moment, then his true qi circulated around him, forming a protective light shield, before he leaped into the cave.

The cave was pitch black; you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.

Shen Yu channeled his true qi, forming a faint halo around his body to illuminate the path ahead.

The tunnel walls were smooth, clearly dug open by the earth elemental beast.

He continued along the winding cave, feeling the terrain descending further and the earthy smell in the air growing stronger.

After walking for an unknown distance, a fork in the road suddenly appeared ahead.

Shen Yu randomly chose a path, but after walking for a while, he lost his way in the intricate network of tunnels.

"I never imagined that these underground caves would be so complex, with tunnels crisscrossing everywhere; it's practically a giant underground labyrinth."

Shen Yu rubbed his chin, looking troubled.

This earth elemental beast's earth-遁 (earth-遁 is a type of technique that allows one to escape through the earth) is indeed remarkable. If an ordinary cultivator wanted to dig out such a complex underground network, it would take countless years.

After a moment of contemplation, Shen Yu suddenly had an idea.

He no longer searched blindly, but instead left a faint mark of true qi on the cave wall every time he passed a fork in the road to prevent himself from going back the way he came.

At the same time, he deliberately chose to walk downhill, guessing that the earth elemental beast, after being frightened, would likely hide deep underground.

Several more days passed, and Shen Yu had gone deep underground for an unknown distance. The surrounding air was becoming increasingly murky, but he still could not find any trace of the Earth Elemental Beast.

The earthy smell in the tunnel grew stronger, and occasionally some scattered white bones could be seen, presumably the remains left behind after the monster had hunted them.

Just as he was about to give up and break through the ground, he suddenly heard faint voices coming from the end of a fork in the road.

In the silent underground, the sound was exceptionally clear.

"My Earth Elemental Beast has been tamed since childhood and is most skilled at finding earth-attribute spiritual objects. It will never make a mistake," a slightly shrill voice said.

"You Che, don't lie to me! Do you really think I don't understand the art of beast taming?"

Another rough voice sounded very displeased.

"Look at these tunnels all around, they're full of marks from your earth elemental beast's haphazard digging. Claiming to be good at treasure hunting is utter nonsense!"

"Fellow Daoist Quanwu, please be patient," the voice previously referred to as You Che advised, its tone somewhat ingratiating. "Now that we've reached this depth, we must be close to our goal. The spiritual energy here is extraordinary; there must be treasures hidden within. Please be patient and wait a little longer."

"Alright, alright, hurry up and summon that spirit beast. Don't waste any more time. If you still can't find it, don't blame me for turning my back on you!"

Shen Yu held his breath and listened intently.

Just then, it was heard that Yu Che was fumbling for something in his bosom, and then a clear bell sound rang out throughout the cave.

Although the bell was not loud, it had a strong penetrating power, echoing endlessly in the tunnel.

Even with Shen Yu's composure, he couldn't help but feel a wave of dizziness.

A moment later, a violent tremor came from afar, as if some enormous creature was rapidly approaching.

However, the thing returned, then turned and left again not far away, leaving only a dull crawling sound.

"Fellow Daoist You Che, are you perhaps playing a trick on me?" Quan Wu said angrily, his voice filled with obvious impatience.

"Well... perhaps it was too far away and didn't hear me clearly," You Che explained awkwardly, stammering.

Upon hearing this, Shen Yu understood.

The creature that Che summoned just now must be the Earth Elemental Beast that I have been tracking for many days.

The reason these two were using spirit beasts to dig so many tunnels was to search for some kind of earth-attribute spirit object.

It seems that there are indeed some unknown secrets hidden deep underground.

......

......