This could be called an Immortal Cave?
Li Ping'an looked at the enormous cave before him, as if it had been blasted out by a single punch, then looked up at the cracks covering the mountainside.
The cave abode was located halfway up an unremarkable hill at the northwest corner of the sect gates. No other Heavenly Immortals lived on the mountain. What you saw was what you got, with one hundred percent greenery.
Inside the cave were a straw mat, two wooden tables, and three prayer mats. That was all the furniture.
"Master?"
"Hmm?"
"Are we going to live here from now on?"
Qing Su lowered her head and hummed softly, seemingly considering a rather serious matter. After a while, she turned to Li Ping'an and answered solemnly, "Yes."
"It's fine," Li Ping'an said with a smile. "This disciple will gradually expand the place later."
Qing Su pointed at the cave. "Later, I'll seal this place with a barrier... Their cave abodes all have formations. I'll learn how to set formations later too."
Li Ping'an hurriedly said, "Master, you should focus on comprehending the Dao. Leave these trivial matters to your disciple. How about opening an inner chamber farther inside? You can cultivate in there, while your disciple stays outside."
"Alright."
With her hands behind her back, Qing Su walked into the cave abode. Before Li Ping'an, she clenched her right fist and gave it a slight push forward.
Boom!
The small mountain shook violently, and flocks of birds flew out from the surrounding woods.
After the tremor passed, the cracks inside and outside the cave became even more apparent. Quite a few Immortal Senses from within the sect probed toward the area.
Qing Su's slender right hand slowly pressed downward, and the dust swirling through the cave swiftly condensed into a ball.
A brand-new spherical inner chamber had been carved out.
Li Ping'an's forehead was covered in black lines.
So this really was a cave abode punched out with her fists...
"Disciple, I'll continue my seclusion. Adapt to this place first."
Qing Su lifted a prayer mat and entered the newly carved inner chamber. She sat down to cultivate in its center and sealed the entire chamber with Immortal Power.
Li Ping'an smiled as he entered his new home. A transparent layer of Immortal Light rose over the entrance.
This was a barrier formed from Immortal Power. It required a constant expenditure of Immortal Power to maintain, unlike formations that operated on their own through formation foundations. It was generally only used temporarily.
It's a new beginning. A little hardship is normal.
Li Ping'an took out some furniture he had brought from the wooden building and simply decorated the outer chamber.
The cave abode was indeed far too crude. The ground was curved, leaving nowhere to put a bookshelf and making furniture difficult to arrange.
After fussing with it for quite a while, Li Ping'an leveled and hardened the floor, then shaped the walls into curved surfaces. Once everything looked presentable, he finally began meditating.
His master's temperament was unique even in the entire Myriad Cloud Sect.
While fleeing tens of thousands of miles beyond the sect gates, Li Ping'an had actually realized that Immortal Qing Su cared about little besides cultivation, comprehending the Dao, and fighting.
When she had previously lived on Colorful Cloud Peak, her senior and junior sisters must have been taking care of her all along.
Li Ping'an could not help feeling uncertain...
Could it be that I'll also have to take care of Master's daily needs?
Immortals usually stay in seclusion for a very long time, right?
Will Master guide me in cultivation? And how would she guide me?
Li Ping'an suddenly realized that his Dao heart, which had remained calm for three years, was now somewhat unsettled.
He should cultivate.
He planned to cultivate for a while to steady his mind, then build a courtyard near the cave abode and mark out the boundaries of the residence.
He wondered how much land the sect had allocated to his master's cave abode.
The sect had just rewarded him with a residence, which he had yet to collect from the Affairs Hall. If his master's cave abode did not have enough land, he could use the allotment for his own residence as well.
Within the barrier, Li Ping'an arranged his spirit stones into a small Spirit Gathering Formation, calmed his mind, and cultivated with his eyes closed.
Outside the barrier, two figures hid in the white clouds beyond the mountaintop.
Li Dazhi frowned as he watched the scene below, then turned to glance at the constantly yawning Steward Wei Yanzi.
"What's wrong, Grandmaster?"
Steward Wei Yanzi smiled.
"I'll soon be setting out for the coast of the Eastern Sea. Do you have anything else you need me to do? While I'm still in the sect, I can run a few more errands for you and take care of them all at once."
"There isn't much else."
With his hands behind his back, Li Dazhi frowned and said,
"Immortal Qing Su doesn't know how to build a cave abode, nor does she set up formations. If someone with ill intentions attacks, wouldn't Ping'an, who has yet to reach Foundation Establishment, be easily harmed?"
"Well..."
Steward Wei Yanzi found himself in a difficult position.
"Grandmaster, this is a private matter between master and disciple. Qing Su is also a Heavenly Immortal, and I've heard she isn't easy to get along with.
"If we rashly step in to help, we might only make Immortal Qing Su unhappy."
"You have a point."
Li Dazhi pondered for a moment, his eyes shifting slightly as an idea formed in his mind.
"Deacon, come closer."
"Ah, alright... Grandmaster, you could just transmit your voice directly. We're both men, so pulling each other around like this... Go ahead, I'm listening."
And so it went, this and that.
Steward Wei Yanzi soon turned into a streak of Rainbow Light and flew away.
Li Dazhi took out a jade disc recording his drinking companions within the sect, searched through it carefully, then rode a cloud toward the peak where a Heavenly Immortal Elder lived.
That elder specialized in setting up Mountain Protection formations.
Two or three hours later.
Once Li Ping'an found that his Dao heart had steadied, he ended his meditation.
He took off his robe, changed into a short hemp jacket and long trousers, and stepped out of the barrier his master had set up.
Li Ping'an wandered around the cave abode. Afraid that making too much noise would disturb his master's cultivation, he did not use any spells. Instead, he took out a sharp artifact-grade saber and manually cleared away the shrubs and weeds around the cave abode.
On a cloud beyond the mountain, Li Dazhi and Steward Wei Yanzi quietly poked their heads out.
"Deacon, go."
"Rest assured, Grandmaster." Steward Wei Yanzi cupped his hands. "This humble Daoist will not fail his mission!"
Steward Wei Yanzi used an escape technique and quietly departed.
He first went to a river valley within the sect. With a sweep of his sleeve, he drew up a large amount of river water. Then, using Immortal Power to employ a cloud-riding art, he transformed into a dark cloud and drifted near Li Ping'an's cave abode.
Rumble...
After a weak, listless peal of thunder, a torrential downpour fell over part of the small mountain.
Li Ping'an frowned and hid back inside the cave abode, sniffing the air.
Why did this rain smell like an immortal art?
A faint glow suddenly appeared amid the rain. Two large beds inlaid with gold and jade, complete with canopies and bedding, descended steadily before the cave entrance wrapped in Immortal Light.
Li Ping'an was utterly baffled.
Next came a dressing table made from ordinary spiritwood with a thousand-year growth ring, a pair of wooden chairs with Spirit Gathering and ventilation restrictions, several hollow-carved immortal cabinets, bonsai made from three-hundred-year-old Dao-comprehension tea trees...
More than a dozen pieces of costly furniture slowly descended from the sky wrapped in Immortal Light, forming two neat rows before the cave abode.
The rain stopped at once.
Li Ping'an could not help raising a hand to his forehead, unable to understand what his father was doing.
If he wanted to send furniture, he could have just sent it. Why not show himself?
Just then, Immortal Light flashed beside Li Ping'an, and Qing Su appeared at the entrance with her hands behind her back. She examined the furniture outside, admiration in her eyes.
Li Ping'an was about to explain, "Master, this should be..."
But Qing Su murmured, "So what my junior sisters said was true. Food and useful things really do fall from the sky."
Master, use your Immortal Sense to look at that dark cloud that hasn't drifted far away!
That's either Deacon Wei Yanzi or Deacon Wang Xinhui!
"Disciple, move them inside."
Qing Su turned to examine the cave abode. Discovering that the cave abode she had punched out with two blows was still too small, she clenched her delicate jade fingers into a fist again.
"Master! There's no need!"
Li Ping'an hurriedly stepped forward.
"Master, give me half a day. I'll build the cave abode myself! If you use that shattering punch again, this whole mountain will be shaken apart!"
Qing Su frowned. "But you're too weak."
Li Ping'an: ...
She also realized that her words were inappropriate and explained, "I mean, your magical power is too low. Doing these things will be troublesome for you."
"It's fine!"
Li Ping'an reached into his sleeve and pulled out a spear and a sword.
The spear was silver-white throughout, with a lifelike Azure Dragon coiled around its shaft. It emitted powerful fluctuations of Immortal Power.
The sword gleamed like snow and was likewise an immortal treasure capable of cutting through iron as if it were mud.
"Your disciple will cut with immortal treasures!"
Qing Su tilted her head slightly, then turned and sat in the exquisitely carved chair. She crossed one leg over the other, propped her chin on one hand, and quietly waited for Li Ping'an to show his strength.
Li Ping'an searched through his various Storage Artifacts and took out a yellowed blueprint.
He had designed several cave abodes in his spare time. Now, he could finally put one to use.
Once he decided, he immediately got to work.
Li Ping'an took a pill beforehand to restore his magical power. His spiritual sense entered the cracks in the mountain, feeling out its load-bearing structure. He marked various locations and prepared to expand outward from the existing cave abode.
Then, sword in his left hand and spear in his right, he began working with his head down.
Li Dazhi had obtained both immortal treasures for his son's protection. They had followed Li Ping'an outside without ever getting the chance to display their might in battle, only to become construction tools after returning to the mountain...
Fortunately, neither immortal treasure possessed sentience.
As Qing Su watched her disciple busily working, her eyes slowly closed.
She had previously joined the treasure hunt at the Ancient Ruins of the Eastern Sea, fought others for several days in succession, then suffered serious injuries, fled, entered seclusion, and broke through. She had never properly rested, and her primordial spirit was already exhausted.
Li Ping'an's movements became increasingly deft. He continuously moved large blocks of stone out of the mountain, and several supporting stone pillars quickly took shape.
By nightfall, the cave abode Li Ping'an had envisioned had begun to take shape.
Qing Su curled up her legs, her tall body shrinking into the chair as she gradually fell asleep.
—Before reaching the Golden Immortal realm, the best way for a Qi cultivator to replenish their mental energy was to get a good night's sleep. The next best method was meditation unrelated to cultivation or comprehension.
Li Ping'an moved a folding screen in front of his master, reducing some of the noise from the construction site.
Then he threw himself wholeheartedly into building the cave abode, repeating the process of cutting stone, slicing stone, moving stone, and polishing stone.
The night passed quietly just like that.
When a ray of dawn fell upon Immortal Qing Su's thin eyelids, her lashes trembled slightly, and she opened her eyes to look ahead.
Li Ping'an was standing on his sword sheath, crouched five feet above the ground before two vermilion gates as he carefully painted their studs.
"Hmm?"
Qing Su was stunned for a moment.
Her Immortal Sense was powerful. With only one glance, she saw the entire structure of the cave abode.
The two gates and the stone wall containing them were part of the cave abode's outward extension, perfectly fused with the entire mountain.
The stone forming this structure was made from the square blocks Li Ping'an had moved out. These blocks had been melted and forged together, achieving a seamless, natural effect.
"Master, you're awake?"
Li Ping'an jumped down from the sword sheath and smiled. "The main structure of the cave abode is finished. We can slowly fill in the details later. Would you like to go inside and take a look?"
Qing Su frowned. "You made this?"
"Though your disciple is only in the Light Condensation Realm, I can still split mountains and quarry stone. Take a look and tell me what needs correcting. Your disciple will change it immediately."
Qing Su pressed her lips together, frowning. Her figure flashed behind Li Ping'an, and she gently pushed open the gates.
Beyond the gates was an open space ten feet long, paved throughout with orderly bluestone. A path made of pale white jade ran down the middle.
Following the jade path forward led to a long, narrow lotus pond, with two wooden bridges on either side leading to the main hall of the cave abode.
The main hall was sixty feet wide, with false wooden walls concealing both sides.
Several dozen pearls were embedded in the ceiling thirty feet above the ground. Their gentle glow filled the front half of the cave abode.
Continuing past the main hall, there was a clear pool in the center that had yet to be filled with water, its bottom already covered with a layer of crushed discarded spirit stones.
To the left of the pool was a teaching hall, to the right a training hall, and farther inside lay the main attraction.
—Li Ping'an had almost hollowed out the entire small mountain to make a large bedroom for his master.
At the center of the bedroom was a spirit spring shrouded in immortal mist. Everything had been arranged around this spring, and more than half the furniture Li Dazhi had sent yesterday had been placed there.
Seven or eight skylights had been left above the bedroom. It was bright during the day, and the stars could be viewed at night. Li Ping'an planned to move over some insect-repelling spirit trees later, make a hanging basket beside the spring for his master, and craft some wardrobes and bookshelves...
No amount of effort was too much for his master.
"You did all this?"
Qing Su asked again, seeming somewhat displeased.
"Well..." Li Ping'an grew a little uneasy. "Of course, this was a tiny, insignificant achievement made under Master's guidance."
"So impressive."
Qing Su praised him softly. Then she frowned and pressed her lips together again, saying in a low voice,
"I... am not very good at these things."
"Master only needs to teach me the Dao!"
Li Ping'an let out a breath of relief and smiled. "I enjoy handling these miscellaneous matters."
"Mm." Qing Su nodded gently and pointed at the spring. "I'll bathe and change clothes. Go wait for me in that room for cultivating and comprehending the Dao. I'll come explain the Dao to you shortly."
Li Ping'an was immediately overjoyed. "Your disciple obeys!"
Half an hour later.
With her wet hair draped over her shoulders, Qing Su strolled over barefoot in a loose long dress and sat before the character for "Dao."
Li Ping'an had already adjusted himself to his best condition. His eyes were clear, his spiritual sense lucid, as he quietly waited for his master to impart her teachings.
Qing Su pinched her chin and tried hard to recall how her own master had guided her cultivation. Before long, she had it all planned out.
She said confidently:
"For this first lesson, I'll explain all the insights I've gained throughout my cultivation, from the shallow to the profound. Understand as much as you can."
"Remember, do not force yourself in any way.
"Keep track of what you don't understand, and we'll begin by carefully explaining those parts."
She wasn't going to teach him the sect's cultivation arts?
Li Ping'an froze for a moment, then felt deeply moved.
This was probably the benefit of taking a master.
Qing Su parted her thin lips. "Where do clouds come from? At the Creation of Heaven and Earth, clear and turbid first separated..."
Six hours later.
Qing Su wandered barefoot around the cave dwelling, humming a soft tune.
Li Ping'an sat in meditation before the character "Dao," surrounded by the Heavenly Immortal power Qing Su had scattered around him.
Qing Su's wholehearted instruction and painstaking explanations had benefited Li Ping'an greatly. His understanding of the Myriad Cloud Art had directly risen by two levels.
Insights surged through him as he consecutively broke through Minor Realms.
A faint rumble came from outside the cave entrance.
Immortal Light flickered around Qing Su as she appeared at the entrance of the cave dwelling, tilting her head at the middle-aged Daoist who had fallen flat on his face outside.
It was none other than Outer Sect Deacon Wei Yanzi.
"Ow!"
Wei Yanzi climbed up clutching his forehead, frowning as he shouted:
"Why did I run into a cloud again? Hey! Watch where you're flying! Why are you flying so fast inside the sect? Immortal Qing Su, did this poor Daoist disturb you?"
Qing Su shook her head. "No..."
"Ah, this poor Daoist truly deserves to die!"
Wei Yanzi regretfully slapped his forehead.
"Disturbing a Heavenly Immortal's cultivation might cause you to miss an insight into immortality! This poor Daoist truly doesn't know how to compensate you, fellow Daoist! Ah, right, I have a Mountain Protection array blueprint here. Consider it compensation! And here are two chests of treasures for setting up the array, as an apology!
"Please do not blame me, fellow Daoist! Farewell, farewell!"
Wei Yanzi turned and ran, riding a cloud into the sky.
Qing Su looked at the chests and array blueprint before her and could not help falling into thought.
Her junior sister Qing Xu's reminder echoed in her ears once more:
'Senior Sister Qing Su, your eyes hold nothing but cultivation. That works on Colorful Cloud Peak, but once you go out, you must learn how to deal with people. Never let down your guard. Everyone likes taking advantage of others; very few truly sacrifice themselves for someone else.'
At this moment, Immortal Qing Su had a slight objection to her junior sister's warning.
Spiritual energy fluctuated within the cave dwelling again as Li Ping'an broke through another Minor Realm.
Before you continue