Opening the Gate to Everlasting Valley

Only after memorizing the scroll for refining Du Ling Juice by heart did Liu Ding secretly let out a breath of relief. At the same time, he realized he was hardly a natural genius. Though he did not know how much time had passed, he knew it must have taken quite a while.

After confirming once more that he had committed it all to memory, Liu Ding tried to take the scroll. Sure enough, it dissolved the moment he touched it, scattering like dust.

Liu Ding felt somewhat regretful, but after thinking it over, he decided it was better not to leave it here. Storms could arise without warning, and caution was the key to longevity. This was his means of making money. If someone else accidentally stumbled in here, it would be disastrous.

Slowly leaving the library cave dwelling, Liu Ding thought, General Jiang had said there was an Everlasting Valley within Everlasting Cave, but this place was already at its end. The vibrant, immortal paradise it had once been was gone. What a pity.

Wait. Liu Ding suddenly felt that something was off. This should be called a cave dwelling, not a valley. Could this really not be the end?

After some thought, Liu Ding decided to investigate again. Finding the direction opposite the entrance, he sat cross-legged once more, lit incense, entered meditation, and sent his soul out of his body to search along the cave dwelling's rock walls.

His soul moved through the thick rock walls as freely as a fish in water, though it also felt as eerie as a ghost wandering the underworld. Liu Ding proceeded cautiously. After circling halfway around, his eyes suddenly lit up as a beautiful scene appeared before him.

Sure enough, there was an azure sky, emerald land, fresh air, birdsong, and fragrant scents drifting over from time to time. He had finally entered the hidden paradise valley within the Everlasting Cave dwelling—Everlasting Valley.

Overjoyed, Liu Ding hurried to look for the entrance mechanism. However, he soon discovered in frustration that while there was indeed a mechanism, it had to be opened from Everlasting Valley's side. After fumbling around for half the day, his intangible, incorporeal soul had been unable to do anything at all.

Left with no choice, he could only take a tour of Everlasting Valley with his soul. The more he looked, the more his heart itched. The place was practically a gigantic medicinal garden. Rare spirit plants and herbs grew everywhere, so abundant that he could grab handfuls at random. Taking just a few out would fetch money.

Only when the forest incense was about to burn out did Liu Ding reluctantly return his soul to his body.

By the time he returned, three days had actually passed in the outside world. Fortunately, he had left a note behind. Though Zhi'er and the others had been worried, they had not alerted the family.

The moment Zhi'er saw him, she was both reproachful and concerned. Taking out a stick of Dream Incense, she scolded, "You went to absorb Yin Souls again, didn't you? Hurry up and refine them. If the Yin Souls invade your Sea of Souls and turn you into an idiot again, I won't care about you anymore!"

Seeing Zhi'er's haggard appearance, Liu Ding was deeply moved. It seemed she had feared that he had once again recklessly gone to absorb Yin Souls, so she had spent her time and effort gathering herbs and refining Dream Incense for him.

After thinking about it, Liu Ding decided not to tell Zhi'er about Everlasting Valley. If she found out, this apprentice apothecary of his would have more work to do, and he would become even more dependent on her support.

Liu Ding decided to refine Du Ling Juice himself.

At nightfall, when the room had grown quiet, General Jiang, who had been waiting for a long time, finally arrived. Liu Ding immediately and impatiently sought his advice.

"To open the mechanism from Everlasting Valley's side, you have a soul. First, you could use object manipulation, but your soul's cultivation is still too weak. That will not work. Second, you could possess a living creature in Everlasting Valley and command it to open the mechanism for you. But again, your soul's cultivation is too weak. That will not work either."

Listening as General Jiang presented one method after another, only to reject each one, Liu Ding's mouth twitched. "Stop stringing me along. Tell me a method that actually works."

"Your mind is still too impetuous. That will be an obstacle to breaking into the Phoenix Realm of Six Soulforging Cauldrons." General Jiang was in no hurry at all as he glared at Liu Ding.

Liu Ding's heart tightened. The preface to Du Ling Juice had made the same judgment about breaking into the Phoenix Realm. He truly was too impatient.

Seeing Liu Ding fall silent in thought, General Jiang secretly nodded. "It is not as though there is no effective method, but it will take some time. There is a unique substance in the air of the Everlasting Cave dwelling that can make a soul take physical form and act as it wishes. You can refine it into your soul, enter Everlasting Valley, provoke the creatures inside, and make them attack you. Then, you can redirect their attacks onto the opening mechanism."

"General Jiang, you're Zhuge Liang reborn!" Liu Ding cried in ecstasy, slapping General Jiang on the shoulder. This method was brilliant. Who said a tagalong old grandpa at the Fourth Soul-Forging Cauldron was useless? An elder at home was a treasure indeed.

General Jiang's mouth twitched. This brat was becoming more and more presumptuous.

He acted at once. That very night, Liu Ding took the small piece of Dream Incense Zhi'er had painstakingly refined and entered the Everlasting Cave dwelling again. The moment he lit it, he began refining his soul.

Sure enough, after several cycles, he sensed the uniqueness of the cave dwelling's air. Strands of Yin Soul Qi mixed with that unique substance were slowly refined into his soul.

With Dream Incense protecting him, the Yin Soul Qi was soon transformed into pure soul qi and condensed.

"At this rate of condensing soul qi, breaking through to Six Soulforging Cauldrons will be just around the corner." Liu Ding could not help sighing. But when he thought of how Dream Incense was required to assist him, and how Zhi'er had spent a fortune buying Gallstone Crystals from Soul-Devouring Beasts and had to gather the supplementary herbs alone in the deep mountains, he shook his head repeatedly. He stopped wasting time on this merely temporary refinement of soul qi and focused on collecting the unique substance in the Everlasting Cave dwelling's air.

Time flowed like water, quietly slipping through his fingers once again.

Before he knew it, Liu Ding had spent seven deep nights refining his soul in Everlasting Cave.

"That should be enough." After the seventh night passed and dawn arrived, Liu Ding sensed that his soul qi was already filled with the unique substance. With a thought, his soul left his body and entered Everlasting Valley.

"Chirp, chirp chirp."

In a bush not far from the mechanism, a long-tailed bird resembling a speckled hen was happily foraging, its pointed beak pecking here and there.

With a movement of his soul, Liu Ding imagined himself turning into a lively grasshopper, mischievously hopping about in front of that "speckled hen."

Come on, peck me. I'm fresh and delicious!

"Chirp!" The "speckled hen" was indeed drawn in. With a single leap, it landed before Liu Ding and stabbed at him with its pointed beak.

Damn, that fast? Liu Ding jumped in fright and hurriedly sprang away.

Before he knew it, he had lured the "speckled hen" to the cave entrance. He lay atop the mechanism, his heart pounding with tension.

At this point, he could already sense that the unique substance he had collected in his soul was running low. If he failed, he would have to start all over again. Over the past seven days, he could see how exhausted Zhi'er had become from refining Dream Incense for him.

"I'm doing it!" As the "speckled hen's" pecking beak instantly enlarged before his eyes, Liu Ding stopped dodging to avoid missing this chance. Instead, he merged into the mechanism.

"Thud!"

The "speckled hen's" pointed beak finally struck the mechanism button. Unable to evade in time, Liu Ding felt a tearing pain rip through his soul and nearly had it pecked into oblivion.

"Click!" As the mechanism was pressed, the gate mechanism of Everlasting Valley finally creaked open.

"Good chance!" Enduring the tearing agony, Liu Ding returned his soul to his body, suddenly leaped to his feet, and rushed into Everlasting Valley.