Immortality begins with upgrading buildings

Chapter 361 [Chicken Coop: lv4] (10,000 words, seeking monthly votes)

"That's true. There are still several decades left. Let's think of a way to help him break through to the mid-stage of Core Formation. If his spiritual root talent is better, it's not impossible for him to break through to the late-stage of Core Formation."

"When we enter the Rakshasa Sea, they will be an asset to us, or at least not a burden."

"The Fire Spirit Mother spoke slowly."

"Yes, actually I didn't know his personality at first, which is why I brought him back."

As the old demon Bone Nightmare spoke, the smile on his face disappeared, replaced by a somewhat somber expression.

"By then... even if you haven't gained much in the Rakshasa Sea, my wife, you will still be able to refine the Yin Corpse Demon Fire within him. When that time comes, you will have a better chance of breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage."

When the topic of breaking through to a higher realm was brought up, the Fire Spirit Ghost Mother's face unconsciously contorted into a grimace.

But that ferocious expression quickly disappeared.

After she calmed down again, a hint of worry appeared in her eyes.

"If the Rakshasa Sea really opens, all those Nascent Soul cultivators on our Extreme Abyss Continent who have little lifespan left will surely go there to gamble for that sliver of hope. If you and I, husband and wife, were to go then... I'm worried, I'm worried..."

The Fire Spirit Demon Mother didn't continue.

The Bone Nightmare Demon showed little worry on his face.

"If you and I join forces, no one in the entire Abyss Continent at the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm can stop us. The Black and White Duo will definitely not interfere, so as long as we are careful, everything will be fine. Don't worry."

The Bone Nightmare Demon held the Fire Spirit Ghost Mother's small hand and patted it gently.

"It's all that old bastard's fault!"

The Fire Spirit Demon Mother, as if recalling something, snarled, "If it weren't for him, with my talent, how could I be trapped in this early Nascent Soul stage?! Damn it, damn it all!"

"It's alright, he's already dead, as dead as can be."

The Bone Nightmare Demon hurriedly and rhythmically patted the Fire Spirit Ghost Mother's back, gently soothing her.

The Fire Spirit Mother quickly calmed down.

The Bone Nightmare Demon subtly changed the subject, "Besides, I just said I wouldn't say anything more. At worst, I'll just come out and refine this Hu Beizhi."

"Alright, my husband still loves me the most."

The Fire Spirit Demon Mother leaned against him. "But wouldn't that be too unfair to my disciple? He trusts us so much, yet we still have to refine him."

"My wife, you are always so kind-hearted."

The Bone Nightmare Demon said nonchalantly, "Besides, it's not like we haven't been good to him. We can just give him more benefits over the years."

"Um!"

Fire Spirit Ghost Mother nodded vigorously, "Anyway, Ma Gui is unreliable, so why don't we slowly hand over the sect's affairs to Hu Beizhi first?"

"this……"

The Bone Nightmare Demon frowned slightly.

"What, my husband, you're unwilling? Don't you believe me?!"

Fire Spirit Mother immediately sat up straight and looked at him with a suspicious expression.

"That's not true."

The Bone Nightmare Demon hurriedly replied, "It's just that Hu Beizhi has only just arrived and his cultivation is still quite low. He's only at the early stage of Core Formation... I'm afraid he can't command respect. Ma Gui, on the other hand, is at the late stage of Core Formation. Even if he encounters a peak Core Formation cultivator, he won't be outmatched. Plus, you and I are backing him up, so it's fine."

"Think about it, if we send him out to deal with other sects, and those sects all have late-stage or peak Core Formation cultivators, while our Bone Nightmare Sect only sends out a beginner Core Formation cultivator, wouldn't we just lose face for nothing?"

"Never mind that, from now on I'll stand up for my disciple!"

The Fire Spirit Demon Mother seemed somewhat angry. "Hmph, I didn't have any disciples before, but now I have my own, so I'll back him up!"

The Bone Nightmare Demon affectionately patted the Fire Spirit Ghost Mother's head.

"Okay, okay, from now on we'll both back him up, alright?"

"OK."

The Fire Spirit Demon Mother reached out and hugged Gu Yan's waist, saying with a hint of emotion, "Yan'er, you're so good to me."

"If I'm not nice to Wan'er, who am I supposed to be nice to?"

Gu Yan reached out and gently stroked Su Wan's head.

"You really look like him, exactly like he did to me when he was young," Su Wan whispered.

Gu Yan's expression remained unchanged, but a hint of barely perceptible hatred flashed in his eyes. However, this hatred quickly disappeared, but he stopped stroking Su Wan's right hand.

"ah."

Gu Yan seemed somewhat surprised.

The moment Su Wan looked up, she saw a piece of human skin separate from the left and right sides of her head and fall off, revealing an old and frail appearance, with a face full of wrinkles and hardly any hair left.

"This human skin is ruined again...it'll have to be replaced with a new one."

"The Fire Spirit Mother said in a hoarse voice."

The Bone Nightmare Demon took out a neatly folded human skin from his storage bag and whispered, "My wife, don't worry, we have plenty of human skin."

"..."

After leaving the small formation, the scene before Ji Yuan's eyes turned back to gray and black.

Everything he saw was gray and black, just like his current state of mind.

The pain in his soul had long been soothed by the Soul-Suppressing Bell, but the hatred in his heart did not disappear; on the contrary, it grew even stronger.

Ji Yuan had never before had such a profound understanding of the phrase "a beast in human clothing".

The disciple conspired with his master's wife to kill his master, and then reconciled with his master's wife.

This kind of scene is something that even traditional novels probably wouldn't dare to depict too much of.

But now it has truly happened before our eyes.

"Ha, that makes sense. They can even kill their own master, so how could they possibly care about the life or death of an outsider like myself? Therefore, I should focus on cultivating as soon as possible and kill them."

Thinking of this, Ji Yuan inevitably thought of the "Art of Divine Interpretation" he learned from Ye Zhi Qiu.

If it weren't for this secret technique, things wouldn't have ended well today.

But now things are much better. He can recover the lost part of his soul in no time, and gaining the trust of these two old demons through this is worthwhile.

Otherwise, given their personalities, even if I became their disciple, I shouldn't expect to have a good life in the future.

But things are different now.

Putting himself in her shoes, just like when Mu Xueyao stored her soul with Ji Yuan, Ji Yuan naturally felt at ease about her.

This is even considering that Ji Yuan knew about the "Severing God Technique," so it's even more likely that these two old demons didn't know about the existence of such a miraculous secret technique.

Just then, Ji Yuan saw a black streak of light flying straight toward him from afar.

Even before getting close, Ji Yuan could already sense the familiar aura emanating from the beam of light.

Ma Gui, he's an old friend.

Westfall City on one side, Winterfell City on the other, and now the Bone Nightmare Sect has arrived, making it another side as well.

The three sides are all different faces.

"Now that I'm standing right in front of you, how much do I look like I used to be?" Ji Yuan thought to himself without any reason.

With a "whoosh," the light descended from mid-air, landing precisely in front of Ji Yuan, transforming into a one-eyed man clad in bone armor.

"Greetings, Senior Brother Ma."

Ji Yuan smiled and cupped his hands in greeting to him.

Ma Gui stared at the stranger with an incredulous look. When the stranger bowed to him, Ma Gui quickly returned the bow.

No wonder Ma Gui was surprised.

No one knew his master and mistress's personalities better than him.

The fact that someone could become his master's disciple and receive such instructions from her was something Ma Gui had never heard of before, and he had never even considered it.

If one didn't truly know, Ma Gui might even wonder if the person in front of him could be his master and mistress's illegitimate son.

After all, the message that Ma Gui received was from the Fire Spirit Mother, and its contents were simple.

"Come and make arrangements for my eldest and last disciple, Hu Beizhi. If there are any problems, I will come to you personally."

Just look at that tone, that attitude.

Ma Gui even suspected that if he didn't make proper arrangements, he would be burned alive by his master's wife.

So upon receiving the order, this demon immediately dropped everything he was doing and rushed to Nightmare Island.

So when he saw him bowing to him, Ma Gui was so frightened that he quickly returned the bow.

"You...you are Junior Brother Hu?"

"Exactly."

"You, you are Master's wife's disciple?"

The ghost asked this question telepathically.

Ji Yuan also chimed in telepathically, "Senior Brother Ma Gui should be the sect leader's disciple, right? If that's the case, then it makes sense."

Having received confirmation, Ma Gui felt... numb.

"Come, junior brother, follow me. I'll find you a cave to stay in first, and we can talk about the rest as we go."

Ma Gui didn't dare to stay here any longer.

Just as he was thinking of taking Ji Yuan away, a white streak of light flew out from the depths of the formation and landed in Ji Yuan's hand.

Immediately afterwards, the voice of the Fire Spirit Demon Mother rang in their ears.

"This is a pass. Bei Zhi, you may use this pass to freely enter and exit this formation in the future."

Ji Yuan looked at the token in his hand and bowed towards the depths of the formation.

"Thank you, Master."

Ma Gui looked at the token in Ji Yuan's hand with a hint of envy in his eyes, but he still bowed and said, "This disciple will go and arrange Junior Brother Hu's cave dwelling now."

"Alright, go ahead. Take whatever Bei Zhi needs. If anyone has any objections, don't bother arguing. Just tell them to come to Nightmare Island to find me."

The Fire Spirit Demon Mother gave her a special reminder.

"Yes."

Ma Gui stood up and looked at Ji Yuan again, his eyes filled with even more confusion... What kind of relationship could make the Fire Spirit Ghost Mother say such a thing?

Could it really be an illegitimate child?

"Junior Brother Hu, please come with me."

The ghost led the way, making a show of inviting them.

Ji Yuan never expected that Ma Gui, who had threatened to kill him the last time they met, would turn out like this this time. So, some things really are a matter of cause and effect.

The two transformed into streaks of light and departed one after the other. Ma Gui then transmitted his voice with a smile, saying, "How about this? I'll take Junior Brother Hu on a tour of the sect first. When Junior Brother Hu chooses an island, just tell me, okay?"

"I will follow Senior Brother Ma's arrangements."

Ji Yuan still had that same smiling face, which made Ma Gui feel uneasy.

Not far they had gone, Ma Gui's voice echoed above Ji Yuan's sea of ​​consciousness, "I see that my junior brother is truly a dragon among men. May I ask which immortal mountain you were cultivating on before?"

...Those who wanted to find out the details came.

Ji Yuan smiled and said, "Senior Brother Ma, you are too kind. I was just a rogue cultivator until I met the Sect Leader in Winter City some time ago... I was fortunate enough to be taken in by the Sect Leader and brought back to the sect to become his disciple."

"I see. It seems that Junior Brother Hu is truly destined to be with our Bone Nightmare Sect. We should get to know him better."

Ma Gui's smile grew even more genuine.

But in his heart, he became more and more suspicious. What kind of rogue cultivator could he be so favored by his master and mistress?

Not only did his master's wife give him such instructions, but she even gave him a token to enter and exit the courtyard... This is an honor that I have never received even after decades or hundreds of years of devoted service.

The fact that he received this so soon after arriving, and was able to freely enter and leave the courtyard, shows that he must have gained the trust of his master's wife and master.

But what else besides blood ties could make them trust each other so much?

If we're talking about control methods, even I, Ma Gui, am controlled by my master, so why can't I get such a token?

Damn!

It seems that Hu Beizhi will become my formidable enemy in the future, but I have no way to deal with him unless... unless I can defeat my master and mistress.

Ma Gui had many thoughts running through his mind, but all he could think of was a deep sense of powerlessness.

He was completely helpless.

"Senior Brother Ma, what is that island?"

Ji Yuan pointed to a distant island shrouded in mist and stopped to ask.

Ma Gui also stopped and immediately introduced, "This island, although it is always said that the island where Master and the others were before was called Nightmare Island, in the eyes of the disciples of our sect, that island is actually the real Nightmare Island."

"Oh?"

Ji Yuan became somewhat interested.

"That island is called 'Dream Island,' where my sect's disciples cultivate the 'Great Dream Demon Scripture.' Junior Brother Hu has just arrived, so it's normal for him to have many questions."

Ma Gui chuckled and said, "Since you are Master's disciple, Junior Brother, all the sect's techniques and secret arts will be open to you. You will have plenty of time to slowly comprehend them."

As Ma Gui spoke, he stepped forward and patted Ji Yuan on the shoulder to show his affection.

However, these words seemed to give Ji Yuan, who was originally somewhat confused, a clue.

He frowned slightly and pondered for a moment, then suddenly understood!

Yup!

Joining the Bone Nightmare Sect and becoming a disciple of the Fire Spirit Ghost Mother is clearly a great opportunity for me, so why should I reject it?

Just as Ma Gui said, all the cultivation techniques and secret arts would be open to him, and he could learn them however he wanted. In addition, there were all kinds of resources from the sect.

For example, this Void Stone... if you make up an excuse that you want to refine your natal magic weapon, you might be able to get a dozen or twenty kilograms for free.

"I've already given away my soul, surely I can't even get this little bit of benefit? I can always just buy it, right?"

"And then there's this Soul-Eating Willow. I was thinking I'd have to go to the Soul Refining Hall to get it, but now that I've joined the Bone Nightmare Sect... the sect will definitely have it!"

I still have that much confidence and sustenance.

It is one of the eight holy lands, and the Soul Refining Hall is right next to the Bone Nightmare Sect... Even if you issue a mission, you can ask someone else to help you with this.

The more Ji Yuan thought about it, the more he regretted not joining the Bone Nightmare Sect sooner.

A moment later, he even had a bolder idea in his mind... Why don't I change my appearance and identity after I finish learning the Bone Nightmare Sect's techniques, and then join another sect?

At worst, I can just sacrifice another wisp of my divine soul.

In this way, I can learn all the techniques and secret arts of the Eight Holy Lands... This matter is of great importance, let's see how it goes.

However, now I can settle down in the Bone Nightmare Sect. I'll find an island and cultivate peacefully for a few decades. It's good that there are sects and Nascent Soul cultivators protecting me here.

"By the way, Senior Brother Ma, I heard that our Bone Nightmare Sect has a talented individual who, when cultivated with the Great Dream Demon Scripture, can achieve twice the result with half the effort. Is that true?"

Ji Yuan recalled the information he had gathered in Winter City and asked curiously.

"Junior brother is talking about 'Dream Mystic Liquid,' right?"

The one-eyed demon chuckled and said, "Indeed, such a thing exists. Since Junior Brother Hu has joined our sect, his Core Formation cultivation level is sufficient to become an elder. As an elder, his annual salary includes three drops of Dream Profound Liquid."

After saying that, he transmitted his voice and said, "In addition, since Junior Brother is Master's wife's disciple, he can receive three more drops of Dream Profound Liquid."

"I see, thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother Ma."

Ji Yuan understood perfectly well. Having become a disciple of a Nascent Soul cultivator meant he would definitely have some privileges compared to ordinary Golden Core cultivators. Otherwise, how could the power of a Nascent Soul cultivator be demonstrated?

"Moreover, if Junior Brother's cultivation is insufficient, he can speak to Master's Wife, because there is still a considerable amount of Dream Essence Liquid left in the storeroom."

When Ma Gui transmitted these words, he lowered his voice even further.

As for the reason... he really wanted to see what kind of identity Hu Beizhi was, and to what extent the Fire Spirit Ghost Mother could take care of him.

"Oh?"

Ji Yuan's eyes flickered a few times without revealing his true feelings. "It's best not to bother my master with this. If she has any questions about cultivation, then she can look for it again."

Ma Gui chuckled, offered a few words of praise, and then led Ji Yuan off again.

Over the next few days, Ji Yuan toured the entire Bone Nightmare Sect.

The result was that... it really wasn't much different from the previous Water Dragon Sect, except that it seemed to be a bit larger. Of course, this was also because the Bone Nightmare Sect was located in the Endless Sea.

The sky is vast and the land is wide, with no obstructions.

As for Oshima, there are only so many.

An island specifically for disciples in the Qi Refining stage to cultivate is called "Demon Blood Island".

The island where miscellaneous arts such as weapon crafting and alchemy are practiced is called "Burial Spirit Continent".

The difference is that to carve out an island independently within the Bone Nightmare Sect, one needs to have the cultivation level of Core Formation. Therefore, the many Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Bone Nightmare Sect live on several large islands.

Corrupted heart, desolate bones, buried soul, fallen flowers on four islands.

These are the islands where these Foundation Establishment cultivators live.

"The name 'Falling Flower Island' was chosen by the sect leader himself, wasn't it?" Ji Yuan sensed the island's uniqueness as soon as he heard it.

Ma Gui slowed down and explained with a smile, "That's right. The Foundation Establishment cultivators living on Falling Flower Island have all broken through in recent years. It's precisely because our Bone Nightmare Sect is thriving under our master's leadership and has more and more Foundation Establishment disciples that the original three islands couldn't accommodate them all, so we opened up a fourth island."

Ji Yuan, however, discerned a different meaning in those words.

Most of the Foundation Establishment cultivators living on Falling Flower Island are direct descendants of the Bone Nightmare Old Demon.

As for the other large islands, they each have their own functions, such as disciple trading and Thousand Machine Island of the Water Dragon Sect, which is used to issue missions.

However, these things were of little use to Ji Yuan.

Core Formation cultivators have their own circles to navigate.

After touring the island, Ji Yuan chose a location to develop it.

Nightmare Island is located right in the center of the Bone Nightmare Sect, so no matter which direction Ji Yuan chooses to develop the island, the distance to the Bone Nightmare Old Demon is actually about the same.

There is the Soul Refining Hall to the east, and Yazhou Bay is also to the east of the Bone Nightmare Sect, so there are many Core Formation cultivators coming and going, which is not good.

The same applies to the south; cultivators traveling to and from the mainland all have to pass through that direction.

The west side was fine, but Ji Yuan had encountered the Bone Nightmare Demon in the west last time. The guy was acting all mysterious, so Ji Yuan figured he would have to go to the west often in the future.

After much thought, the only place left is the area north of the Bone Nightmare Sect.

The further north they went, the stronger the wind and snow became, the fewer cultivators there were, and the more desolate the islands became. This was the kind of place that Ji Yuan liked the most.

After selecting a location that's far from any village or shop, there's no need to start developing the island from scratch, because there's already one there.

Ma Gui advised, "As a junior brother, there's no need to choose such a remote island. You could even open up a new island around Nightmare Island."

"It's alright. I prefer quietude in my practice, so this is fine."

Ji Yuan seemed to have thought of something, but was too embarrassed to speak, so for a moment he seemed to want to say something but stopped himself.

"Junior brother, now that you're in our Bone Nightmare Sect, just make yourself at home. If you need anything, just ask. Don't hesitate," Ma Gui said with a smile, his hands clasped behind his back.

Even without outsiders, if the cultivators within the Bone Nightmare Sect saw this "Ghost Face Pockmarked Ghost" in this form, they would probably be terrified to death.

How long ago did the ruthless killer, Ghost Face Demon, become so easy to talk to?

"It's nothing major, it's just that I need some Soul-Eating Willows for my cultivation, but this thing... as you should know, only the Soul Refining Hall can cultivate it, and it's not sold to outsiders..."

Ji Yuan rubbed his hands together sheepishly, "Before, I was a rogue cultivator with no connections. Now that I've joined a sect... I was just wondering if the sect has any ideas?"

Ma Gui, who had been prepared to get into big trouble, laughed when he heard this.

"There are solutions, of course."

"Oh? What method?" Ji Yuan immediately perked up.

He planned to stay in the Bone Nightmare Sect for the rest of his time to cultivate diligently. Since he was going to cultivate diligently, he would need the Four-Colored Spirit Egg.

Ji Yuan desperately needs this to improve the quality of his Golden Elixir.

Golden Elixir, Blood Elixir, plus the most top-grade Purple Elixir.

"I'll go to the warehouse and get it now, then I'll bring it to you."

Ma Gui couldn't help but chuckle.

Especially after seeing Ji Yuan's astonished expression, he smiled and said:

"The Soul-Eating Ghost Willow is indeed precious to outsiders, and the Soul Refining Hall doesn't have that many Soul-Eating Ghost Willows to sell for trade."

"But for our Bone Nightmare Sect, getting this thing is not difficult. It's just a matter of making a call when trading with the Soul Refining Hall."

...It seems that joining the Bone Nightmare Sect was definitely the right decision!

Some resources only circulate between sects, making it extremely difficult for independent cultivators to obtain them.

"Junior brother, please set up your cave dwelling here first. I will go and retrieve the Soul-Eating Willow now. Please wait for me a moment."

After saying that, Ma Gui transformed into a beam of light and left.

Seeing his impatient appearance, Ji Yuan couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

There are still many good people in this world. This guy is so enthusiastic towards me as soon as we meet...tsk tsk tsk.

The island in front of us is shaped somewhat like a triangle, with a tall stone mountain at its highest point.

Snow blankets the mountaintops.

There was not a trace of greenery, only black stones exposed between the snowflakes, and fine pebbles constantly being washed ashore by the waves.

The sky above the Bone Nightmare Sect was shrouded in perpetually dark clouds, making the sky as gloomy as ever, with no sun in sight and only howling winds blowing.

Ji Yuan Island is located at the northernmost edge of the Bone Nightmare Sect, so the cold wind blows even more fiercely there.

Ji Yuan circled the island a few times, first glancing at the Yin Ghost Flag in his storage bag.

The fact that the Yin Cocoon remains intact indicates that the two Yin ghosts inside are still undergoing their breakthrough, preventing the formation from being set up.

Ji Yuan then set up the Inverted Jianghu Formation around the island.

If he reversed the Big Dipper formation, he planned to set it up inside this Jianghu formation.

Ji Yuan was setting up the formation when he suddenly sensed someone watching him.

"Um?"

He turned his head and saw a female cultivator at the Core Formation stage staring at him from the west side of his island.

While they were still in the sky, Ma Gui had already introduced Ji Yuan to him.

It is said that there is only one Core Formation cultivator living in this area, and that is this female cultivator named An Yue.

Both were at the early stage of Core Formation and were originally rogue cultivators who joined the Bone Nightmare Sect twenty years ago.

The demon described her as an "ordinary monk".

After joining a sect, you either cultivate within this island or go to Yazhou Bay to kill demons.

He rarely even participates in matters within the sect.

Ma Gui even asked Ji Yuan if they should move An Yue elsewhere.

"Greetings, fellow Daoist."

When Ji Yuan saw her coming, he greeted her from a distance.

An Yue stopped at a distance, not getting too close. "Fellow Daoist, you look unfamiliar. It seems you've just joined the Bone Nightmare Sect?"

"Indeed, my name is Hu Beizhi."

Ji Yuan wore a polite smile and, as always, gave his real name.

"My name is An Yue, and I will be your neighbor from now on. If you have any questions, please feel free to come to me."

An Yue fits the description of an "ordinary cultivator" in both appearance and figure. She also seems to have a sense of being unsociable, so even when talking to Ji Yuan, she keeps her head down.

"Alright, then thank you in advance, Fellow Daoist An."

After Ji Yuan finished speaking, he looked down at the island and smiled helplessly, "The cave dwelling is not yet open. I can only invite Fellow Daoist An to come and have a gathering after we have settled down."

"No...no need, I'll take my leave."

After An Yue finished speaking, as if afraid that Ji Yuan would make her stay, she immediately transformed into a beam of light and returned to the island where she was.

...How did such a socially awkward cultivator manage to reach the Core Formation stage? But we can't be sure if he's faking it. In any case, it's always better to be cautious.

Ji Yuan muttered to himself, then landed on the island and found a suitable spot halfway up the mountain to begin carving out a cave.

Now that I have reached the Core Formation stage, it will be much easier for me to open up a cave dwelling.

Even so, before he had even opened up half of his cave dwelling, he received a message from Ma Gui.

He is back.

Its speed was so fast that it surprised Ji Yuan.

"The warehouse is so far away, yet he returned so quickly, which means he truly didn't linger at all. It seems this demon cares about me quite a bit, but this only proves that the title of Fire Spirit Demon Mother is truly effective."

Ji Yuan summoned back the Blood Marrow Sword, which was currently excavating the cave, and his figure transformed into a black streak of light, flying out and landing in front of Ma Gui.

"Brother Ma is back so soon?" Ji Yuan's voice carried an undisguised joy.

Since the other party is being so proactive and cooperative, I should at least offer them some emotional value.

"I haven't had much to do lately, so I brought it over to my junior brother first."

As Ma Gui spoke, he waved his right hand, and a grayish-brown stream of light flew out of his storage bag, transforming into three willow logs, each three feet long and as thick as a thigh.

Upon closer inspection, wisps of ghostly energy lingered on the willow tree, and its surface was covered with terrifying nodules resembling fleshy tumors, making it look almost like a living thing.

Ji Yuan didn't say how much he wanted.

But Ma Gui managed to get so much.

If you carve this Soul-Eating Willow into planks, you could easily build a pigsty, let alone a chicken coop.

"Who would have thought that it took me so long to upgrade the [Chicken Coop] to level 3, requiring so many Rotten Firefly Acacia seeds, but now, to upgrade to level 4, I've just asked for so many Soul-Eating Ghost Willows."

Ji Yuan couldn't help but feel a little emotional.

"Is this enough? If not, I'll go back and get more for my junior brother," Ma Gui asked with a chuckle.

"That's enough, that's enough."

Ji Yuan didn't try to do too much, fearing he might cause unnecessary trouble.

"Alright, just tell your senior brother if it's not enough."

After Ji Yuan accepted the Soul-Eating Ghost Willow, Ma Gui handed over his communication talisman.

Ji Yuan still kept it safe.

"Junior brother, is there any difficulty in building this cave dwelling? Is it necessary to use any formations or anything like that? If so, please don't hesitate to ask."

Ma Gui looked down at the island below, which was already shrouded in an array, and asked.

Ji Yuan didn't know if the Bone Nightmare Old Demon had asked him to ask this question, but when it came to formations... Ji Yuan really didn't dare let anyone interfere.

"No need. I happen to have a few sets of formations on me that I can use. Let's leave the formations inside the sect to our fellow disciples who need them more."

Ji Yuan smiled and said.

Ma Gui placed his hands in front of him and sighed, "If all the disciples in the sect were as considerate as Junior Brother, how could our sect not prosper?"

"Yes."

The plan should be based on reason and harmony.

"By the way, when you're ready, Junior Brother, please let me know. I still need to prepare for your Core Formation Ceremony."

Before Ji Yuan could refuse, Ma Gui continued, "This is a tradition of our Bone Nightmare Sect. Whether there are newly promoted Core Formation cultivators or new Core Formation cultivators joining the sect, we will hold a Core Formation Ceremony. At that time, all Core Formation cultivators in the sect will come to meet each other and know who our own people are."

"Especially for junior brothers who have become Core Formation cultivators by taking their master's wife as their master, it is even more appropriate to hold a Core Formation Ceremony."

Ma Gui was practically blatantly open about "receiving gifts."

Ji Yuan thought about it and agreed. After all, this was a treasure of the Bone Nightmare Sect, a demonic cultivator, so why not take it?

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Senior Brother Ma."

"It's no trouble at all, junior brother, you're just being polite."

Ma Gui laughed and patted Ji Yuan on the shoulder, looking very familiar with him.

Ji Yuan, on the other hand, appeared flattered and surprised.

"Alright, then I won't bother you any longer, junior brother. If you need anything, just send me a message. There's no need to trouble Master and Mistress with such trivial matters."

"That's natural." Ji Yuan nodded with a smile.

Ma Gui left, and only after his disappearing light could no longer be seen did Ji Yuan bend down and return to the island.

Now that Ji Yuan had obtained the Soul-Eating Willow, he was no longer in a hurry.

The upgrade has been going on for so long, so there's no rush to do it now.

The most urgent task at present is to open up this cave dwelling.

As for these buildings... the most important ones have already been housed in Lingtai Fangcun Mountain.

For the remaining [Enlightenment Room] and [Meditation Room], we can simply open up a few more stone chambers.

Ji Yuan first placed the [Heavenly Craft Workshop] in the already opened stone chamber. Once the building was completed, the Inverted Big Dipper Formation was also released.

Although this formation couldn't defend against a Nascent Soul level monster like the Bone Nightmare Old Demon, it wasn't so easy for a Core Formation cultivator to break through it. But what truly gave Ji Yuan a sense of security was the Spirit Platform Square Inch Mountain that he summoned after opening up his cave.

Nowadays, only a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator could detect the Lingtai Fangcun Mountain.

Even if you could find someone in the Nascent Soul stage, it would probably take quite a bit of effort.

Therefore, the external formations and cave dwellings are actually just for concealment. Ji Yuan's true hiding place is still his natal magic treasure.

Upon returning to this long-lost place, Ji Yuan first appeared in the cave on the third floor.

He glanced at the few ice dragons a few times, but after seeing that they hadn't evolved into dragons yet, he didn't bother with them anymore.

Currently, only the [Wine Cellar] and [Beehouse] buildings are placed on the second floor.

After arriving here, Ji Yuan came to the [wine cellar].

He first glanced at the bottles of "Sui Xin Jiu" and "Wu Shuang Jiu" that he had saved, and then glanced at the wines he had brewed himself.

It wasn't a big deal before, but I have more free time now.

The remaining five types of spirit wine should also be put on the agenda. Striving to obtain the Nine Netherworld Burning Longevity Wine as soon as possible is the right way.

After inspecting the two buildings, Ji Yuan finally arrived at the bottom floor.

The chicken coop, pigsty, and mass grave are all located here.

Upon arriving here, Ji Yuan headed straight for the [chicken coop].

The original chicken coop was empty, but it has become much more lively since Ji Yuan replenished the spirit birds and spirit pigs in Winter City.

While spirit pigs are a bit difficult to feed, spirit birds are much easier.

The spiritual wheat and spiritual rice that Ji Yuan had saved up in the storage bags years ago could now come in handy.

Therefore, nowadays, first-tier spirit birds roam everywhere in this [chicken coop], and second-tier spirit birds can also be seen all over the place.

"If things continue like this, in future battles, all we need to do is open the chicken coop to kill our opponents."

While lost in his fantasies, Ji Yuan looked at the organic fertilizer scattered all over the ground and decided to throw out a traditional talisman to clean up the area in front of him.

Finally, he took out the Soul-Eating Willow from his storage bag, which was still warm from being warmed up.

"Three, one should be enough."

Ji Yuan glanced at the size of the [Chicken Coop] next to him and figured it should be about the same size, so he put away the other two Soul-Eating Ghost Willows.

This is a good thing; you never know when it might come in handy elsewhere.

He then took out the Blood Marrow Sword from his storage bag, and with a thought, the flying sword flew away.

He first manipulated the Blood Marrow Sword to cut off the tumors on the surface of the Soul-Eating Ghost Willow, and then used his flying sword to cut the Soul-Eating Ghost Willow into thin pieces of wood.

But after cutting off just two pieces, he noticed something was wrong.

"what?"

Ji Yuan raised his hand and summoned a wooden board. The board was cold to the touch, not the kind of cold that is icy, but the kind of cold that is like that of something taken out of a cellar. Upon closer inspection, one could also see that there were wriggling black lines on the board, as if they were alive.

"Could it really be alive?"

"go!"

Ji Yuan gave a soft shout, and the Blood Marrow Sword swept across, directly cutting a tumor in half.

"Eeeah!!!!!"

The moment the tumor was cut open, a piercing scream rang out.

Ji Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly and swept his consciousness away.

The inside of the sarcoma was immediately laid bare.

The inside of the tumor, cut open by the flying sword, looked exactly like a human heart... So this thing was actually alive?

Ji Yuan looked down at the other tumors and upon closer inspection, he discovered that these tumors were actually beating, just like a human heart.

"this……"

It goes without saying that Ji Yuan knew that the cultivation process of this Soul-Eating Ghost Willow was most likely extremely cruel and inhumane.

As Ji Yuan hesitated, he could still hear screams coming from inside the tumor.

"Forget it."

Ji Yuan flung a wisp of Yin Corpse Demon Fire onto the pile of fleshy tumors, and with a "bang," all the tumors burst into flames.

On the other side, the Blood Marrow Sword also cut the willow wood into thin planks.

Ji Yuan used his object manipulation technique to collect the wooden planks and then inserted them into the empty space next to him, forming a circle.

The remaining three pieces were cut into shorter planks and placed on top of these planks, serving as a roof for the chicken coop.

In no time at all, a simple chicken coop was set up.

Ji Yuan looked up and saw a line of small white characters appearing on the newly built chicken coop.

[Chicken Coop: lv3]

Ji Yuan immediately brought up the panel, found the [Chicken Coop] section, and took a look.

Chicken Coop: lv4 (upgradeable)

Become!

He glanced at the upgrade requirements, then immediately took out 1500 mid-grade spirit stones from his storage bag and piled them up next to the chicken coop.

"Upgrade the chicken coop!"

As Ji Yuan's thoughts settled, a series of booming sounds echoed throughout the world, startling him so much that he hurriedly looked up.

Black veins appeared across the entire sky, one end connecting to the sky and the other to the ground.

"laugh--"

In an instant, all the veins twisted and contorted, just like the twisted blood vessels in a person's body, or like they were convulsing.

This strange phenomenon lasted for a few breaths, after which the black veins gradually disappeared into the sky.

Then, specks of starlight fell from the sky, like a magical rain.

Ji Yuan reached out his hand, watching the starlight fall into his palm, but felt nothing at all.

But when the starlight fell on the chickens, it didn't work that way.

Those spirit birds stained with starlight visibly grew larger.

In the distance, a mid-stage second-tier spirit bird broke through and advanced to the late-stage second-tier.

Just when Ji Yuan thought that was all, the late-stage second-tier Ink Feather Chicken shook its feathers, and its originally dark feathers gradually turned into gold!

Its size was increasing, and even the comb on its head had a faint golden hue. Upon closer inspection, there were several lightning patterns on the golden comb.

"This is... a third-tier demonic beast, the Golden-feathered Thunder Rooster!"

Ji Yuan quickly glanced at the level 4 [Chicken Coop]'s effects.

"There is a small chance that a spirit bird will mutate when placed in a chicken coop (the highest grade of a spirit bird cannot exceed the fourth grade)."

(End of this chapter)