The Demon Eye of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality

On the fifth day, outside the Crimson Forbidden Land, the seven sects' Core Formation elders once again joined forces to break the seal, and this extremely dangerous trial in the Crimson Forbidden Land finally came to an end.

One after another, figures emerged from the forbidden area's light barrier. Most of the cultivators were covered in bloodstains and wounds of varying depths, looking exhausted and disheveled.

Mu Chunfeng followed the light curtain out and successfully rejoined the Huangfeng Valley group. He quickly scanned the entire area. Not many people from other sects had come out yet, and besides him, only one Huangfeng Valley disciple had come out. He thought to himself: It seems that I returned one of the earliest. Han Li is probably still in the stone hall.

About an hour later, Han Li slowly walked out of the light screen. He was still thin and had some marks left from the fight on his body.

Almost simultaneously, the restrictions on the Crimson Forbidden Land were completely closed, marking the official end of this Crimson Trial.

Seeing that each group had lost more than half of their disciples since they set off, Mu Chunfeng couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness—the path of cultivation was truly so cruel; a slight misstep could lead to death and the annihilation of one's cultivation.

After the trial ended, the disciples of Huangfeng Valley stepped forward one after another to hand over the spiritual herbs they had picked. Li Huayuan and Fuyunzi of Qingxu Sect checked the quantities in real time and secretly competed with each other.

By the time Mu Chunfeng and Han Li were the only two people in Huangfeng Valley who hadn't handed over their herbs, Qingxu Sect had already completed the verification and found that the total number of spiritual herbs was ten more than what Huangfeng Valley had at that moment.

Seeing this, Li Huayuan couldn't help but feel a little nervous. His gaze fell on the two of them—one was at the twelfth level of Qi Refining, and the other was at the eleventh level of Qi Refining. He only hoped that the two of them could gather ten spiritual herbs to help Huangfeng Valley turn the tide.

Li Huayuan glanced at Mu Chunfeng, gesturing for him to step forward.

Mu Chunfeng silently walked closer, and with a flash of spiritual light at her fingertips, she took out more than twenty spiritual herbs from her storage bag one after another, their spiritual light rising and falling in succession.

Li Huayuan's expression relaxed further with each ray of spiritual light, and he immediately clapped his hands and laughed, "Excellent! Excellent!"

Fu Yunzi, standing to the side, had a livid face, his expression full of resentment.

Li Huayuan immediately gestured to Fuyunzi, who, despite his reluctance, had no choice but to take out the inner core of the Blood Thread Dragon. As soon as he did, Li Huayuan snatched it away.

Looking at the inner core in his hand, Li Huayuan's eyes were filled with undisguised joy.

"Grandmaster, there is still one junior brother who has not handed in the spiritual medicine." Mu Chunfeng reminded him at the right time.

Li Huayuan waved his hand dismissively, gesturing for Han Li to step forward.

But as Han Li kept taking out spiritual herbs from his storage bag, the number piled up more and more, and Li Huayuan was overjoyed again, his eyes shining – there were more than thirty spiritual herbs!

He pointed at Han Li and asked urgently, "What's your name?"

Han Li cupped his hands in greeting and said respectfully, "Reporting to Grandmaster, your disciple Han Li."

"Alright, Han Li!" Li Huayuan nodded repeatedly, then turned to Mu Chunfeng and asked, "And you, what's your name?"

Mu Chunfeng also cupped his hands in response: "Reporting to Grandmaster, your disciple Mu Chunfeng."

"Excellent, excellent!"

Li Huayuan looked approving. "You two will stand behind me in a moment."

"Yes, Grandmaster!" Han Li and Mu Chunfeng answered in unison.

On the way back to Huangfeng Valley, the disciples stood on the back of the silver-armored horned python, with Li Huayuan at the front and Mu Chunfeng and Han Li standing side by side behind him.

Li Huayuan turned to look at the two and asked, "Mu Chunfeng, Han Li, how did you two manage to collect so many spiritual herbs?"

Both of them were well-prepared and fabricated stories about finding a bargain, encountering a cultivator who would inflict mutual damage, and then reaping the benefits.

Upon hearing this, Li Huayuan did not question them further. Instead, he smiled and said, "I intend to take you two as my nominal disciples. What do you think?"

Upon hearing this, Han Li subconsciously turned to look at Mu Chunfeng, who nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

The two immediately responded in unison, "We are willing, thank you for your appreciation, Master!"

Afterwards, Li Huayuan took out two copies of "Qingyuan Sword Manual" from his storage bag and handed them to the two men as a gift for their apprenticeship.

Immediately afterwards, Han Li stepped forward and truthfully reported to Li Huayuan about his encounter with the Spirit Beast Mountain disciple, who was suspected to be a spy for the demonic path, in the Crimson Forbidden Land.

After listening, Li Huayuan frowned, pondered for a moment, and solemnly instructed the two men: "This matter is of great importance. You two must not leak even a single word."

After several hours of rapid travel, the forbidden area team finally returned to Yellow Maple Valley.

After bidding farewell to Li Huayuan and Han Li, Mu Chunfeng returned directly to her residence on Xuankun Mountain.

As soon as he stepped into the room, his tense mind finally relaxed completely. He couldn't wait to lie down on the bed, and scenes from the Blood Forbidden Land kept flashing through his mind—during the final count of the team, the junior sister from Huangfeng Valley who was being chased by Duobao Nu ultimately failed to come out alive.

After reflecting on his experience, he carefully considered the detailed plan for foundation building. After repeatedly checking and confirming that everything was correct, a heavy sense of fatigue overwhelmed him, and he soon fell into a deep sleep.

A few days later, the Foundation Establishment Pills were distributed as scheduled, and Mu Chunfeng indeed only received one.

However, including the two he had previously obtained from Duobao Nu and Han Tianya's storage bags, plus the one from Senior Brother Lu, and the one he obtained from the Ascension Conference, he now has a total of five Foundation Establishment Pills.

Holding these five Foundation Establishment Pills, Mu Chunfeng felt confident and assured that he could successfully establish his foundation.

After returning to Xuankun Mountain and settling everything down, Mu Chunfeng first went to Baiji Hall, resigned from the previously accepted regular missions, and then used his magical artifact to fly all the way to the Earth Fire House of Yuelu Hall.

Upon arrival, he casually gave the disciple on duty a mid-grade spirit stone, took the token for the Earth Fire Chamber, and went straight in, secretly resolving: This trip will surely lead to Foundation Establishment!

Time flies, and eight months later.

Mu Chunfeng walked out of the Earth Fire Chamber with a smile on her face and light steps like a shooting star, surrounded by a profound and steady Foundation Establishment stage spiritual power.

He walked up to the disciple on duty and returned the token.

The disciple on duty sensed the fluctuations in his cultivation level, was taken aback at first, then quickly cupped his hands in a salute and respectfully said, "Congratulations, Martial Uncle! Congratulations on successfully establishing your foundation!"

Mu Chunfeng smiled slightly and said, "The extra spirit stones are yours."

The disciple on duty was both surprised and delighted, and quickly bowed, saying, "Thank you, Uncle-Master!"

Mu Chunfeng stepped out of the Earth Fire House, wielding the Azure Leaf Magic Artifact, and headed straight for the Council Hall.

At that moment, even the air he was breathing tasted incredibly sweet.

During the journey, he couldn't help but recall the entire process of his cultivation in the Earth Fire Chamber.

Mu Chunfeng did not directly take the Foundation Establishment Pill to attempt to establish his foundation, but instead switched to cultivating the Azure Origin Sword Technique first.

Because the spiritual attribute imprint during the Qi Refining stage is very shallow, the principle of mutual generation and restraint between fire and wood is not very obvious during the Qi Refining stage. Moreover, the wood attribute spiritual power is the most gentle and naturally has the characteristic of continuous generation.

Therefore, there was no difficulty in switching to the wood-attribute Qingyuan Sword Technique during the Qi Refining stage. With the help of elixirs, the switch was a natural process.

He then directly consumed a Foundation Establishment Pill, forcibly stabilizing his cultivation while simultaneously compressing his gaseous spiritual energy.

After that, Mu Chunfeng swallowed and refined three more Foundation Establishment Pills.

Under the powerful effects of these four Foundation Establishment Pills, Mu Chunfeng successfully established his foundation.

The spiritual energy in his dantian condensed into drops of liquid spiritual energy. Because he had cultivated a fire-attribute technique, there was still a trace of active spiritual energy left over from the fire-attribute technique in his body. Moreover, under the gentle and warm characteristics of the wood-attribute spiritual energy, the remaining fire-attribute spiritual energy in his body was even slightly revitalized.

At the same time, the masculine nature of fire-attribute spiritual power allows the feminine and masculine aspects of wood-attribute spiritual power to combine.

Now, the spiritual power within him is more profound and stable than that of ordinary cultivators who have just entered the Foundation Establishment stage.

While other people's pseudo-spiritual roots and true spiritual roots cause their spiritual roots and spiritual power to hinder each other, the fire and wood spiritual power in Mu Chunfeng's body has unusually become mutually reinforcing.

Even Mu Chunfeng felt it was a pity that he didn't become an alchemist because of this situation.

After successfully establishing his foundation, he felt refreshed and full of unprecedented power, finally taking the crucial first step on the path of cultivation.

Before long, Mu Chunfeng arrived at the council hall.

As he approached the palace gate, the disciples on duty, seeing his Foundation Establishment cultivation level, quickly stepped forward to greet him and asked, "Greetings, Uncle-Master. May I ask what brings you here?"

"I've come to see my senior brother, the sect leader," Mu Chunfeng replied calmly.

"The sect leader is handling affairs inside the hall. Please come in, Uncle-Master!"

Two disciples stepped aside to make way for him, respectfully welcoming him. Mu Chunfeng nodded slightly and walked straight into the main hall.

At this moment, Sect Leader Zhong Lingdao was engrossed in handling sect affairs when he saw someone enter. He looked up and, after a moment's thought, recognized Mu Chunfeng—the newly promoted cultivator who had distinguished himself in the Blood Forbidden Land and had been accepted as a disciple by Li Huayuan.

Zhong Lingdao immediately proclaimed, "I've long heard that Junior Brother has achieved great success in the Crimson Forbidden Land and was even accepted as a disciple by Elder Li. Now that Junior Brother has successfully established his Foundation Establishment, adding another Foundation Establishment cultivator to our Yellow Maple Valley, it is truly a cause for celebration!"

Mu Chunfeng raised his hands in a respectful bow and said humbly, "Greetings, Senior Brother Sect Leader. My trip to the Crimson Forbidden Land was entirely by chance. Now that I have successfully established my foundation, I intend to open my own cave dwelling, and I have come to ask Senior Brother Sect Leader for permission."

Upon hearing this, Zhong Lingdao tossed three mid-grade spirit stones and a set of array flags into Mu Chunfeng's hands, saying, "All Foundation Establishment disciples of Huangfeng Valley receive three mid-grade spirit stones as a stipend each year. You can use this small illusion array after you open your cave dwelling. In addition, you can also rent a two-eyed rat from the sect's archives. With its help, it might be able to find you a cave dwelling with more abundant spiritual energy."

Mu Chunfeng raised his hand to accept the spirit stones, array plate, and array flags, and bowed again, saying, "Thank you, Senior Brother Sect Leader! This disciple takes his leave."

Zhong Lingdao nodded slightly, and Mu Chunfeng turned around and calmly walked out of the council hall.

An hour later, Mu Chunfeng stepped on the green leaf magic artifact and flew through the northwest of the Taiyue Mountains.

This place is located near the border of the Yuanwu Kingdom. It is desolate and remote, with little spiritual energy and few human traces. The cave dwelling that Han Li chose in the original story is located in this mountain range.

Before Mu Chunfeng, a small beast with two pupils led the way in mid-air. Its small body nimbly darted through the mountains and forests, constantly emitting soft squeaking sounds. Its expression was excited, as if it had caught a whiff of some kind of spiritual energy from heaven and earth that it desperately craved.

After traversing mountains and valleys, a moment later, the twin-eyed rat suddenly flashed with spiritual light, changed direction, and rushed straight towards an inconspicuous solitary peak.

A glint flashed in Mu Chunfeng's eyes, and he thought to himself: Could this be the location of the Spirit Eye Spring?

He dared not delay, and the magical artifact beneath his feet shone brightly as he followed the Twin-Eyed Rat as it swooped down into the mountainside.

With its feet firmly planted on the ground, the twin-eyed rat immediately began circling the mountainside, its little paws scratching at the rocks, squeaking and gesturing towards the depths of the mountain, its eagerness palpable.

Seeing this, Mu Chunfeng did not hesitate any longer. He flipped his wrist, and the Li Huo Sword shot out from the air. The sharp blade was wrapped in a faint spiritual light and steadily slashed towards the hard mountain rock.

In a short while, a wide, well-maintained, and secluded passage was carved out of the thick mountain wall, allowing people to pass through at their leisure.

Before Mu Chunfeng could make a move, the Twin-Eyed Rat leaped into the darkness deep within the passage.

This eagerness only strengthened Mu Chunfeng's conviction: this place was most likely the hidden Spirit Eye Spring. An ordinary spiritual land could never make a naturally unique double-eyed rat so restless and excited.

He raised his hand and waved it lightly, sending out a gentle burst of spiritual energy that dispersed the dust and debris that filled the passage. Then he slowly walked into the cave.

After walking slowly through the narrow passage for about ten steps, a naturally formed karst cave suddenly appears before your eyes.

The cave was filled with a damp atmosphere, and the spiritual energy flowed slowly, much richer than that outside.

A few steps further on, a stream of clear spring water slowly seeps out from a crevice in the rock wall at the end of the cave, sliding down the rocks and gathering into a shallow pool.

The water is clear and warm, with wisps of pure spiritual energy slowly emanating from the spring.

The two-eyed rat was currently soaking in the Spirit Eye Spring, splashing and playing freely, looking extremely content.

Seeing this, Mu Chunfeng smiled and slowly walked forward. He gently lifted the two-eyed rat by the scruff of its neck and said helplessly, "Little guy, I was planning to use this rare Spirit Eye Spring to make tea, not for you to use as a bath."

The two-eyed mouse kicked its limbs haphazardly, struggling several times to no avail. It could only droop its little head, its strange purple eyes looking at Mu Chunfeng with a pitiful expression. Its soft, pitiful squeaking sounds seemed to be a way of complaining and whining.

Seeing its adorable and endearing appearance, Mu Chunfeng's heart softened. A flash of light appeared at her waist, and she took out a plump and round spiritual fruit, handing it to the little guy: "Alright, you have done a good job guiding us this time, so this spiritual fruit is a reward for you. It's not unfair to you."

The twin-eyed rat's nose twitched, instantly drawn by the fragrance of the spirit fruit. It immediately forgot its earlier grievances, grabbed the spirit fruit, and began to gnaw on it, instantly becoming full of energy again.

Mu Chunfeng smiled knowingly upon seeing this, feeling that although the two-eyed rat was not very intelligent, it was exceptionally endearing.

Especially since it was born with heterochromia, which was vaguely similar to his own double pupils, for a moment, he had the idea of ​​taming a spirit pet.

But then he thought about it again. His own cultivation resources were already scarce, and he relied on drawing talismans to exchange for spirit stones to make a living. How could he compare to Han Li, who possessed the Heavenly Bottle, which could continuously generate spiritual herbs and had endless cultivation resources?

Thinking of this, Mu Chunfeng sighed softly and suppressed the thought in her heart.

Very well, I should prioritize my own cultivation path. I'll put the matter of the spirit pet aside for now and make plans later if the opportunity arises.

After sending the Twin-Eyed Rat away, Mu Chunfeng took out the array flag and set up a simple illusion array at the entrance of the cave to conceal the aura of the cave entrance and prevent outsiders from spying on it.

However, this formation can only indicate that the place has been occupied, and can only prevent mortals from accidentally entering. It is of little use to cultivators.

Mu Chunfeng then began to repair the cave, clearing away rubble and carving out stone chambers. It took him a full half hour to get the cave in the mountainside properly arranged.

He was poor and had little in the way of luxury. He simply set up two or three stone rooms: one for meditation and practicing martial arts, one for storing miscellaneous items and supplies, and the remaining room for entertaining guests. It was simple and unpretentious, but enough for him to live and cultivate.