Junior sister, I really need to control you.

Li Yinsheng and Meng Yu, who were inside the house, naturally had no idea what Qi Jiushan was thinking.

After Meng Yu arrived, he spoke to Li Yinsheng about the Shouyi Temple, reminding him to be wary of the people guarding it.

Since Qi Jiushan had already told Li Yinsheng most of the things about Shouyi Temple, Meng Yu didn't have much to tell him at this moment.

After a brief chat, Li Yinsheng turned his attention to Meng Yutong's Spirit Refining Array.

He now has more money in his pocket and thinks that if he can further strengthen the Transparent Spirit Refining Array, it should be of greater help to his junior sister's cultivation.

Unfortunately, according to Meng Yu, the Tongming Spirit Refining Array is already a very good spirit refining array. Further so-called "upgrades" are just expanding its scale.

In other words, if the number of disciples at Xuanzhen Temple increases in the future and the small-scale Tongming Refining Spirit Array becomes insufficient, it can be expanded to benefit more people.

However, given the current situation, my junior sister is already completely enveloped by the luminous spiritual energy at all times, so increasing the amount of luminous spiritual energy would not bring her any further benefit.

Ultimately, the fundamental difference between small and large spirit refining arrays is simply their size.

Small ones can only serve a dozen or so people, while large ones can serve hundreds of people.

However, for the Xuanzhen Temple, which only has three people, there is really no difference between the small and large versions of the same spirit refining array.

If one were to request a formation that is better than the Transparent Spirit Refining Formation and produces a special spiritual essence of higher quality, that would be beyond the capabilities of ordinary cultivators.

Even if Meng Yu's master, the current abbot of Yutan Temple, came, he would not be able to set up a formation of a higher level than Meng Yu's. He could only guarantee that the formation he set up would be more experienced and more refined than Meng Yu's, but in essence, it would still be at the same level.

Unless the reclusive master in the Jade Altar Temple personally sets up the formation.

But that master has been in seclusion for more than ten years, and it's hard to say when he will emerge.

Moreover, inviting a master of array formations to personally set up an array, even a small spirit refining array, would cost an astronomical sum. The little bit of food Li Yinsheng had on hand probably wouldn't even be enough to cover that.

Having temporarily abandoned the idea of ​​upgrading the Transparent Spirit Refining Array, Li Yinsheng chatted with Meng Yu for a few more minutes.

Then he remembered that this fellow Daoist Meng seemed to have said that she usually liked to play chess.

Even his custom-made high-grade magic artifact was a jade chessboard, which shows that he really loves chess.

Therefore, Li Yinsheng took the initiative to suggest that he wanted to learn some chess skills from Meng Yu.

He was never arrogant enough to think he could compete with a master of strategy who also enjoyed playing Go; he was genuinely seeking guidance.

He didn't even play chess seriously with Meng Yu; instead, he directly flipped through a chess manual and humbly asked for advice.

No matter what, I need to practice until I can play chess with my master. That way, I can play chess with him often in the temple, instead of getting itchy hands every time I think about playing chess.

And so, after a series of inquiries and instructions, the sun was already setting in the west.

Li Yinsheng was still diligently studying the chess scores.

Meng Yu wiped the fine sweat from her forehead, looking utterly exhausted.

This fellow Daoist Li's talent in cultivation is unparalleled in her life, but his talent in chess is really not something to be proud of.

She even felt that Li Yinsheng's talent for cultivation and his talent for chess were the opposite of each other.

His talent for cultivation is as good as his talent for chess!

She felt more tired after less than half a day of guidance than after setting up an array for a whole day and night.

She was actually quite happy to be able to have a heart-to-heart talk with Li Yinsheng, who was just across the table from her.

But after half a day of playing chess, she is now even hesitant about whether she should come again tomorrow.

It was a pleasure talking to Fellow Daoist Li; just looking at his face made Meng Yu feel refreshed and happy.

But if watching his chess moves were to be added, Meng Yu would feel extremely uncomfortable.

After seeing off Meng Yu, whose expression was complicated, Li Yinsheng looked at Mu Xiaoyu, who had long since eaten and drunk her fill and was fast asleep on his bed.

He didn't force Mu Xiaoyu to cultivate today, after all, the child had been practicing for two months in a row and deserved a day of rest.

Moreover, for the next two weeks, she would be participating in patrols and fighting demons every day, so she really needed to rest for a day to fully recover her energy.

Of course, while it's good to rest, staying in your own room isn't an option.

"Junior sister, junior sister!" Li Yinsheng shook Mu Xiaoyu awake. "Get up, I'll take you to your accommodation halfway up the mountain."

"Um……"

Mu Xiaoyu rubbed her sleepy eyes, got out of bed, and yawned.

Then, following behind Li Yinsheng, they walked out of the bamboo house, boarded the talisman crane, and flew towards the mountainside.

After flying for a short while, a clearing in the forest came into view.

The open space appears to have been cleared directly by logging and felling trees; it's a large, square area.

The felled trees were used to build neat rows of wooden houses.

There are quite a few of these wooden houses, and when they are arranged neatly, they look like a small village.

A wide road in the middle divides these houses into two areas, one for male cultivators and the other for female cultivators.

Li Yinsheng looked down and saw that this area, which resembled a village, had been divided into many open spaces for people to move around in, and there were already quite a few cultivators in the open spaces.

These cultivators either chatted in small groups or simply set up stalls to sell things. In more remote open spaces, there were also diligent people practicing their spells.

Several people were also practicing their skills while sitting cross-legged in the open space, for some reason not inside the house.

The appearance of the talisman crane above the "small village" immediately attracted the attention of a large number of cultivators below.

Li Yinsheng rode the talisman crane, carrying Mu Xiaoyu down, and landed directly in front of the female cultivators' residence.

The cultivators, both men and women, who had been focused on the talisman crane, immediately turned their attention to Li Yinsheng, who was riding it.

The difference was that the male cultivators' gazes were mainly fixed on Li Yinsheng's extraordinary black robe with silver threads, their eyes filled with either awe or envy.

The female cultivators' eyes were almost all focused on his face.

Li Yinsheng subconsciously raised his hand to adjust his straw hat, only to find it empty, realizing that he hadn't worn it this time.

"What a blunder! I was so focused on the chess moves that Fellow Daoist Meng taught me this afternoon that I completely forgot about the bamboo hat."

Li Yinsheng sighed inwardly, blaming Meng Daoyou for teaching him such profound chess techniques that they occupied too much of his mind.

He looked down at the female cultivators dressed in the robes of the Huangzhu Temple and asked, "Young friends, which of you is in charge of arranging accommodations for the newly arrived patrol disciples?"

Among the female cultivators, one reacted the fastest, immediately stepping forward: "Greetings, Senior! I am at your service!"

Although Li Yinsheng looked younger than many of the people present, it was reasonable for a master who could fly to address them as "little friends".

The other female cultivators, who were a step behind, immediately looked annoyed.

Li Yinsheng raised his hand, and a gentle breeze sent Mu Xiaoyu down: "Then I'll trouble you to make arrangements for my junior sister."

"Senior brother, are you going back now?" Mu Xiaoyu tilted her head.

"Yes," Li Yinsheng nodded, "I still have some insights from my discussion with Fellow Daoist Meng today that I haven't yet clarified."

"Oh..." Mu Xiaoyu nodded as if she understood, then said very sensibly, "Then Senior Brother, you can go back now. Don't worry about me!"

Li Yinsheng nodded: "Junior sister, I have removed the Qi Refining Lock from your body. Although you cannot slack off in your cultivation these days, it is even more important to hone your experience in fighting demons."

"Mmm!" Mu Xiaoyu nodded vigorously, her face beaming with joy.

The Tempering Yuan Lock has finally been unlocked! And this time it will take a full two weeks to unlock!

With a flap of its wings, Fu He soared into the sky, carrying Li Yinsheng far away.

After watching her senior brother leave, Mu Xiaoyu looked in front of her and was immediately startled.

Before she knew it, she had been surrounded by a group of female cultivators.

The nuns looked at her with increasingly complex expressions, but they all had one thing in common: their eyes were frighteningly bright.

The person closest to her was the female nun from Huangzhu Temple who had offered to arrange accommodation for her.

"Come, junior sister, come with me, I'll arrange the best room for you..."

Ignoring the fact that she had just been calling Li Yinsheng "senior," she directly and affectionately took Mu Xiaoyu's hand and called her "junior sister."

……

This morning.

Li Yinsheng, who had been meditating all night, pushed open the door of the bamboo house and looked at the pale dawn breaking on the horizon.

In his divine sense, just now, the entire Bamboo Forest Peak began to gradually exude a refined and elegant aura.

Attracted by these auras, the demonic auras on the surrounding mountains also became noticeably restless.

At the same time, a massive formation that almost covered the entire Bamboo Forest Peak spread out in all directions from the peak.

This formation is not permanent; it is only a temporary structure used to drive away and suppress demons. The weak find it difficult to enter, while the strong can penetrate it, but they are also more likely to be exposed.

These changes all indicate that the first batch of trainees has begun to mature.

Attracted by the training, the demons began to stir, and Huangzhu Temple immediately implemented measures to guard against them.

If nothing unexpected happens, the deputy abbot of Shouyi Temple will also arrive here today with those disciples who are trying to freeload.

Although he missed the first day of patrol, Li Yinsheng estimated that the reward these people were demanding would definitely not be reduced by one-fifteenth.

However, such ordinary disciple patrols and demon-slaying tasks had nothing to do with him.

Today is only the first day that the fruit has matured, and the number of fruits produced is not large, so it won't attract any very strong monsters.

Over the next two weeks, the Refined Fruit will mature faster and faster. Even if the disciples of Huangzhu Temple keep picking it, the aura accumulated by the Refined Fruit will attract more and more powerful demons.

In a few more days, when the aura of the cultivator is strong enough, there will be demons that even demon-slaying disciples cannot deal with.

Therefore, today is just a busy day for the patrolling and demon-slaying disciples; it's not yet time for the experts stationed in charge to make their move.

He estimated the time; by now, his junior sister should have been woken up from her bed and, braving the morning autumn wind, had taken her sword and started patrolling the bamboo forest with the other disciples.

This must have been a very rare rural experience for her, right?

Stretching, Li Yinsheng, who had been cultivating all night, turned to walk back to the bamboo house to cultivate for a while longer.

But the next moment, he stopped in his tracks, bathed in the morning sunlight, and his expression suddenly became strange.

The resounding notes of the great bell echoed in my ears, and familiar golden characters appeared, but the content was different from before.

The Tribulation of Cultivation: The Bamboo Tribulation!

The master of the grotto encountered the first calamity of his life, which originated from the act of planting and harvesting the bamboo seed at Huangzhu Temple.

An unexpected calamity lurks within, and it is highly likely to affect the lord of the grotto-heaven. The lord of the grotto-heaven can choose to escape this calamity, or confront and resolve it.

Seeking immortality and cultivating the Tao is going against fate, and one will inevitably suffer calamities and tribulations.

The master of the grotto-heaven can choose to flee from the calamity or actively deal with it, turning it into a stepping stone on their path of cultivation!

Tribulation Survival Reward: Depending on the performance of the Cave Heaven Master during this tribulation, they will receive time to cultivate spells in the Magic Cave Heaven. This reward will be calculated upon escaping the tribulation or upon its completion.

Current cultivation time in the magic cave: None

Li Yinsheng's eyes lit up when he saw the golden characters that appeared in front of him, which were very different from those before.

So your grotto-heaven isn't just for improving cultivation!