Immortality begins with upgrading buildings

Chapter 351 [Cave Dwelling: lv4] (Seeking monthly votes)

"That beating on Mozhu Island..."

Upon hearing this, Mei Zhuang's relaxed expression froze, and he even forgot that he was holding a wine cup.

That's all he can think about right now.

"Ink Bamboo Island...give it a good beating."

What kind of place is Mozhu Island?

That is an island between the Canglu Continent and the Desolate Ancient Continent.

How did Mozhu Island get its name?

Those were planted by Mei Zhuang himself, one by one, with his own hands. They were all his hard work, so he also personally named Ink Bamboo Island.

But what happened with that beating?

Mei Zhuang clearly remembered that it was a bright and sunny morning when Mei Zhuang revealed his true form as the Heavenly Net Purple Thunder Eagle, swimming freely among the endless clouds and sea.

But all this peace and tranquility shattered like a dream with the appearance of that woman.

At that time, Mei Zhuang watched as a streak of light flew from south to north, looking like a Core Formation cultivator who wanted to traverse the continent.

For Mei Zhuang, who hadn't seen a living person in decades, this was a novelty. So he thought of keeping this person around to keep him company for a while, just for amusement.

So Plum Manor took the initiative to go to her door, stopped her, and even invited her to Ink Bamboo Island... Well, it's just that the process of inviting her wasn't so smooth.

So Plum Manor used a tiny bit of forceful measures.

At first, everything was fine, and Plum Manor didn't think anything was wrong. But when the woman in the black robe with wide sleeves arrived at Ink Bamboo Island, everything changed.

Everything has changed.

The black-robed woman, who initially appeared to be in the mid-stage of Core Formation, arrived at the highest point of Ink Bamboo Island first. Her aura had already progressed from Core Formation to Nascent Soul, and she was now in the same mid-stage Nascent Soul realm as me.

When she came closer, Mei Zhuang realized that he couldn't see through her cultivation level.

I just feel... a lot of pressure, a lot of pressure.

Meizhuang dared not recall what happened next.

All he knew was that if he hadn't pleaded so desperately, it wouldn't have just been that one wing that was broken...

Upon thinking of this, Mei Zhuang shuddered violently, and an extremely powerful demonic aura spread out, directly enveloping the entire Western Border City.

Under this demonic aura, Ji Yuan was forced back dozens of feet until he finally landed in the middle of the street before he could stop.

When he hurriedly looked up, he saw a thick pillar of purple magical energy shooting straight into the sky, interspersed with streaks of purple lightning.

In addition, an even stronger demonic aura emanated from it.

"Has Plum Manor gone mad?!"

Ji Yuan murmured to himself, then, without daring to look again, transformed into a beam of light and left.

Immediately he heard Mei Zhuang's voice behind him.

"No...please don't kill my senior! I beg you, I'm willing to be your slave, I'm willing to be your mount, please don't kill me, I really beg you..."

At first, he was begging for mercy, but his voice quickly changed.

"Ha! I, of Plum Manor, was born to roam freely between heaven and earth; how could I linger in subservience for long?"

"Being someone's mount before was bad enough, but now you want me to be your mount too? If you've got the guts... then kill me!"

The demonic aura was becoming increasingly severe.

A light curtain finally lit up the sky above West City, and the city's protective formation... had finally been activated!

Ji Yuan knew that the city's protective formation was called the "Four Symbols White Tiger Formation," an extremely powerful fourth-order formation. In particular, the white tiger that appeared after activation could unleash the strength of a mid-fourth-order formation.

Just like...now.

A gigantic white tiger image gradually materialized in the sky, its roars echoing throughout the entire city. Some cultivators with cultivation levels below the Qi Refining stage hurriedly sought refuge.

Just when Ji Yuan thought that was all, an old voice came from the north of the Western Border City.

"Mr. Mei, as the lord of the Sea Ruins, has made such a huge commotion by quietly showing up here. He really doesn't take us humans seriously."

Upon hearing this, Mei Zhuang, who had just been acting mad, instantly came to her senses.

The overwhelming demonic aura was instantly withdrawn by him, followed by a terrifying pressure sweeping across the surroundings. Ji Yuan thought he had run far away, but he was still being watched by Mei Zhuang.

But this time, his attitude was much better.

"Ji Yuan, from this day forward, we'll keep to ourselves and not interfere with each other!"

He finished speaking.

As his divine sense left Ji Yuan, a trace of magical power dissipated from the two Void Stones in his storage bag... This bastard is truly shameless; he actually tampered with these things.

Ji Yuan had considered this point; on the contrary, he had carefully checked it beforehand.

But they found nothing.

It can only be said that this is indeed the method of a powerful cultivator in the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm.

After saying this, Mei Zhuang appeared in mid-air, put his hands behind his back, and looked north.

"A mere early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator dares to act so presumptuously?"

Mei Zhuang sneered as he spoke, and stomped his right foot forward. In an instant, thick bolts of lightning descended from the sky, striking directly northwards from him.

Lightning flashed across the sky, and the energy surged wildly.

The chaotic energy emanating from them made Ji Yuan feel a sense of dread.

The divine lightning struck northward, and after it completely struck, the Nascent Soul stage cultivator who had never shown himself remained motionless.

They're definitely not dead, but they certainly don't dare to show their faces anymore.

A Nascent Soul cultivator in the early stages is no match for a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator; they cannot stand alone.

If they show their faces again, they will only face certain death.

Fortunately, Plum Manor didn't intend to linger here. This place was already within human territory, and having revealed their true forms, if they didn't leave soon... they might really be unable to leave.

Laughing, he stepped on the head of the manifested white tiger, and in a flash of lightning, he arrived at the array in the sky.

He threw a powerful punch.

A deafening roar resounded, and cracks as dense as a spiderweb appeared on the fourth-order array.

One punch was thrown, followed immediately by another.

But with that punch, the person behind it clearly drained the energy of the formation, allowing the late-stage Nascent Soul demon to escape.

So after breaking the formation.

Mei Zhuang stood outside the formation and glanced back at Xijing City.

Standing atop the ruins, Ji Yuan, whose original appearance had somehow reappeared, stood proudly, and they happened to meet each other's gazes.

As they gazed at each other, Ji Yuan's blue robe fluttered in the wind.

"snort!"

Looking at the figure that showed no fear of him, Mei Zhuang felt a growing gloom and fear. He couldn't figure it out, couldn't understand it, and didn't know where the person was, so he dared not try.

So in the end, he could only snort coldly, and his figure transformed into a purple streak of light, flying straight towards the endless sea in the west.

Just as he left, a seven-colored deer that seemed to leap out of the air ran out of Tian Sha Mountain, leaving trails of flower petals wherever it went.

A fourth-tier demonic beast, the Sky-Treading Flower Deer!

"A fourth-tier demonic beast has actually appeared in this Heavenly Fiend Mountain, and it doesn't look like it has even transformed into human form yet..."

Ji Yuan muttered to himself, but two more black beams flew out from Tian Sha Mountain and headed straight for the unformed Sky-Treading Flower Deer.

Seeing this, Plum Manor, which had already gone far away, rushed back and single-handedly stopped the two figures.

Immediately afterwards, thunder rumbled in the sky, and demonic sounds spread everywhere.

Ji Yuan couldn't see it clearly either, and dared not fly up to look.

All that was known was that after the sound subsided, only two human figures standing in mid-air remained on the sky.

As for Plum Manor and that fourth-tier Sky-Treading Flower Deer, they were both nowhere to be found.

Just when Ji Yuan thought the matter was over, Mei Zhuang's voice rang out again in his mind.

"Young man, this is goodbye forever!"

"..."

The news spread very quickly.

Ji Yuan had not even returned to his cave dwelling when he received a message from Mr. Tie Fu.

The gist is that a new fourth-tier demonic beast has appeared in Tian Sha Mountain, but it is inconvenient to leave and dares not undergo its transformation tribulation in Tian Sha Mountain.

They somehow managed to contact Plum Manor, the master of the Sea Ruins.

As for Plum Manor, I heard it's the newly appointed Lord of the Sea Ruins, and since he's short-handed, he came to pick it up in person.

After arriving at Meizhuang, they were initially dissatisfied with the actions of the Black and White Temple, killing many cultivators and seizing a lot of demon beast resources, which led to this incident.

Seeing that his plan had been exposed, he had no choice but to take a risk and leave with the fourth-tier Sky-Stepping Flower Deer.

As for his sudden madness in the Western City, there are many different opinions.

Some say he went astray during his cultivation, others say he harmed the previous Lord of the Sea Ruins and suffered a backlash because of his conscience, and still others say he was intimidated by the Nascent Soul Ancestor of the Black and White Temple.

In short, there are all sorts of opinions.

The cultivators who were originally in the restaurant, including Ji Yuan, were also questioned, but the person who came to question them was only a mid-stage Core Formation cultivator.

Ji Yuan used a shape-changing talisman to alter his aura and appearance, thus concealing his true nature.

After finally returning to his cave, he made up his mind.

run!

After this major incident, that bastard from Plum Manor now knows his location, so it's no longer safe for him to stay in Western Border City.

Although Mei Zhuang said several times before leaving that they would never meet again and would leave each other alone... anyone who believed the words of the demon race would be considered to have been cheated out of their life.

Ji Yuan had already figured out his plan to run away on the way back.

Where to go?

Head to Northland!

There are many reasons for going there.

Firstly, the Void Stones that Ji Yuan needs most are mainly produced in the Northern Border City, or more precisely, in the Bone Nightmare Sect outside the Northern Border City. Similarly, the Zhou family, who sells Void Stones, is also located in the Northern Border City.

Secondly, among the four cities of the Abyss Continent, the Northern City is a veritable demon city.

The two holy sites near Northern City are the Bone Nightmare Sect and the Soul Refining Hall.

Ji Yuan had carefully considered his situation. The powerful Yin Corpse Demon Fire was a method used by demonic cultivators, so going there would be like a fish in water for him.

Furthermore, this Canglan Sword, after being forged with Zixiao Stone, has a natural restraining effect on demonic cultivators.

In other words, when facing righteous and demonic paths of the same cultivation level, Ji Yuan deals more damage to the demonic path, so he is more confident in dealing with the demonic path on a daily basis.

Thirdly, the Soul-Eating Willow needed to upgrade the [Chicken Coop] can only be found in the Soul Refining Hall.

It's hard to find in the Western Border City, but the chances are always better in the Northern Border City. If you really can't buy it, it's much easier to find someone from the Soul Refining Hall to kill it.

So after much consideration, the most suitable city for Ji Yuan among the four cities is the Northern Border City.

Of course, the slightly cheaper transmission fee is also a reason.

Teleporting to the Northern Border City only costs 5000 mid-grade spirit stones, but going to the Eastern Border City would cost 10000 mid-grade spirit stones.

"..."

"What?! Brother Ji, you're going to Winter City!"

When Mu Xueyao heard the news, she was obviously very surprised, so she subconsciously shouted it out.

"Hmm? Isn't it Northern City?"

Ji Yuan asked in confusion.

"That's right. Outsiders call it Northern Border City, but the real cultivators of Northern Border City prefer to call it Winter City," Mu Xueyao explained.

Ji Yuan understood the implication in her words. "So, you're actually a cultivator from Northern Border City?"

"Well... to be honest, before coming to West City, I was actually cultivating in Winter City."

The city closest to the Northwest Sand Hell is Northern Border City, which makes sense in this context.

"So, Brother Ji, are you really going to Northern Border City?"

Mu Xueyao looked somewhat conflicted and troubled.

Ji Yuan wasn't stupid; seeing her reaction, he immediately understood what she meant. "Yes, I have a reason to go, and I'm prepared to go alone."

"All right."

Mu Xueyao took a deep breath, her face turning pale, before saying, "As for Winter City, I really can't go back. As a rogue cultivator, I was able to form my core at such a young age. You should be able to guess from my past behavior, Brother Ji, that I am a complete demonic cultivator. So if I go back... not only will I not be able to find peace, but I will also implicate you, Brother Ji."

"And I also have reasons why I have to stay in Westfall City."

"It's alright, it's fine. It'll be good if I don't find anyone I know when I come back to West Border City next time."

Mu Xueyao not going to Winter City wasn't a problem for Ji Yuan. In fact, being alone would give him more freedom. He could kill someone and leave whenever he wanted without worrying about anything else.

"Alright, Brother Ji, if you're going to Winter City, I actually have a few trustworthy friends there, and the Zhou family is also located there. In that case, Brother Ji, why don't you wait a little longer? I've made an appointment with the Zhou family so you can contact them directly once you arrive in Winter City..."

"..."

So in the days that followed, Mu Xueyao told Ji Yuan everything, big and small, that happened in Winter City.

This includes her close friends, the power structure within Winter City, and information about the location of the auction and trading houses.

They clearly explained which trading firms would rip off outsiders.

As for accents and such, I'm not worried.

Because when Mu Xueyao taught Ji Yuan dialect before, she herself had a bit of a Winter City accent.

Ji Yuan then sent messages to Wen Jiu and Qinglu Sanren, telling them that he was leaving, which was naturally a pity for them.

I've just made a good friend, and now we have to part ways.

But there's nothing we can do about it.

On the contrary, Wen Jiu only mentioned that he would also be stationed in other cities after hearing that Ji Yuan was going to Winter City, saying that he originally planned to go to Southern Border City.

But now that Ji Yuan is going to Winter City, he is also preparing to go to Winter City.

Ji Yuan was undoubtedly deeply moved by these words.

But that wasn't the case afterwards.

It's all just polite talk. Even if Wen Jiu really went to Winter City, it would be for some other reason, and it's definitely not because of Ji Yuan.

As a Core Formation cultivator, Ji Yuan knew what to believe and what not to believe.

After arranging these matters, Ji Yuan went to the teleportation port to register and submit his spirit stones. Knowing that the next teleportation array to Winter City would open in a month, he returned to his cave first.

Before heading to Winter City, Ji Yuan had one more important thing to do.

That is... upgrading your [Cave Dwelling]!

The upgrade requirements for these four levels of [Cave Abode] are: a Core Formation stage cultivation level and 10 jin of Void Stones.

Having finally reached the Core Formation stage, as for the Void Stones... I already acquired several kilograms of them on the Canglu Continent.

During the years I was in seclusion in Xijing City, I managed to collect a few more kilograms, and the last two kilograms... were given to Meizhuang.

Ji Yuan had previously worried that there might be something wrong with those two kilograms of Void Stones, but if they were used to upgrade the building...

Then there shouldn't be any problems, right?

Ji Yuan refused to believe that Meizhuang could be stronger than the panel.

Moreover, this [cave dwelling] was the first building to be housed in Lingtai Fangcun Mountain. Upgrading it will definitely strengthen the natal magic weapon as well.

While pondering, Ji Yuan summoned his true natal magic weapon, Lingtai Fangcun Mountain.

Once inside and into the actual cave, he took out 10 jin of Void Stones and 700 mid-grade spirit stones.

I used to think that the spirit stones required for the upgrade were too many, but since I got the [Spirit Vein], these are no longer a problem.

"upgrade!"

Ji Yuan looked at the item in front of him and, without the slightest hesitation, immediately chose to upgrade.

"laugh--"

Just like weathering, the two materials in front of me turned into ashes and dissipated at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Then a faint green light shone in the cave, just like the wood-attribute spiritual energy, spreading around. Ji Yuan only took a deep breath and felt comfortable and refreshed all over.

Even the heavy pressure brought by Plum Manor some time ago has eased up a lot.

Moreover, just when Ji Yuan thought this was only the effect of the upgrade, he discovered that even after the [Cave Abode] was fully upgraded, the refreshing wood-attribute spiritual energy still remained.

"That's good. It seems the [Cave Abode] has a powerful effect on calming the mind and concentrating energy."

As for the spiritual effects of the level 4 [Cave Abode], the most important spiritual effect 2 has already been obtained in advance.

As for "Ruyi Cave Heaven", if Ji Yuan hadn't obtained this building in advance, he wouldn't have been able to house it.

The remaining effect 1 is just a standard upgrade.

After the upgrade of the Cave Abode was completed, Ji Yuan was not in a hurry to check the spiritual effects of the level 5 Cave Abode.

Instead, they retreated from Lingtai Fangcun Mountain first.

He stood outside the cave, and with a thought, a speck of dust rose from the ground. He raised it with his left hand, and it transformed into a mountain the size of a palm.

Immediately afterwards, he raised his right hand, and a sword light flew out from his body, finally hovering in his right palm, transforming into a light blue flying sword flashing with lightning.

I carefully observed the left and right sides for a moment.

Ji Yuan discovered that Lingtai Fangcun Mountain was indeed stronger.

So what kind of scenery does this level 5 [Cave Abode] have?

(End of this chapter)