Ten Thousand Snake Mountain Range

Dragon Gate Town was the place that had raised Luo Mu. Yet, with Father Luo gone, the town held no more attachments for him. As for the Xiao Family, with whom he once had a marriage contract, the moment Xiao Ling'er fed him the Heartbreak Pill, any connection between him and them had been severed completely.

Luo Mu's departure did not stir a single resident; he simply walked out of the small town, step by step. When he might return, if ever, Luo Mu himself did not know. If his luck were poor and he perished in the outside world, he would never have the chance to return in this lifetime.

Initially, Luo Mu had wanted to exhume Father Luo's ashes from the graveyard to carry with him, but upon reflection, he realized that the dead should rest in peace, and disturbing them would be a grave sign of disrespect to his father. Thus, he abandoned the thought and left alone.

Having his father's spirit tablet on his person was enough; as for the burial site, he would simply have to wait until his next return to pay his respects.

With no more ties to hold him back, Luo Mu walked further and further away, eventually vanishing beyond the borders of Dragon Gate Town.

Two days later, Luo Mu's figure appeared within the Ten Thousand Snake Mountain Range, thousands of miles away from Dragon Gate Town! For hundreds of miles around the perimeter of the range, there was not a soul to be found, let alone any villages or towns.

Because of the lack of settlements and the remote nature of the region, human footprints were rare, save for the occasional cultivator who came to hunt demonic beasts or forage for herbs. Consequently, the Wanfa Sect had not cleared the area of beasts, leaving them to grow and cultivate as they pleased.

The reason it was called the Ten Thousand Snake Mountain Range was that it was home to all manner of demonic snakes. While other demonic beasts existed, the snakes held dominance. At the same time, the mountains were rich in both medicinal and poisonous herbs. Although cultivators frequented the area to harvest them, the range was so vast that many regions remained untouched.

This was either because the areas were too remote for cultivators to discover, or because they were inhabited by formidable beasts that forced those of limited strength to turn back.

In short, while the Ten Thousand Snake Mountain Range was infested with dangerous beasts and carried a high risk, the rewards were equally substantial—provided one had the ability to seize them.

Luo Mu was currently on the edge of the range. The deeper one ventured, the more powerful the beasts became; with his current strength at the third level of Qi Refining, even staying on the periphery felt like a stretch. However, Luo Mu was not deterred. He had come here without hesitation, and he intended to put down roots!

There were many demonic beasts here, both high-tier and low-tier. Staying here to hunt the low-tier ones would allow Luo Mu to accumulate plenty of materials for artifact refining.

The abundance of medicinal and poisonous herbs was also a draw. While the medicinal herbs were often snatched up by lucky cultivators, the sheer number of poisonous herbs was staggering, as most cultivators had little use for them. As long as one put in the effort to search, one was guaranteed a harvest in a short amount of time.

This was the primary reason Luo Mu had chosen this location!

On the edge of the range, Luo Mu found a smaller mountain and discovered a cave halfway up the slope. Judging by the entrance, the cave appeared to be quite spacious. Whether it was natural or man-made, Luo Mu could not be certain.

After discovering the cave, Luo Mu did not rush inside. Instead, he released his divine sense to scout the area, and the general layout of the interior immediately appeared in his mind.

The cave was neither large nor small, slightly bigger than the clinic at his home. Standing outside, Luo Mu gave his Spirit Beast Bag a sharp tap. A green light flashed, and thirteen Plum Blossom Snakes appeared before him, flicking their tongues and swaying their bodies.

Even though he had already scouted the area with his divine sense, Luo Mu remained cautious. For the sake of safety, he decided to send the thirteen snakes in first.

Upon his command to thoroughly inspect the cave, the thirteen snakes slithered inside with surprising speed, which brought a flicker of joy to Luo Mu's heart.

He hadn't noticed the difference in their speed when he killed Bai Shu, so seeing it now made him quite pleased. It seemed the thirteen snakes had grown significantly during this period.

After the time it took to brew a cup of tea, the snakes returned to Luo Mu's side. According to the information they relayed, there were no other beasts or cultivators inside; it was perfectly safe. Luo Mu let out a sigh of relief.

Since he had decided to settle in the Ten Thousand Snake Mountain Range for the long term, a fixed residence was essential. Given that his strength limited him to the periphery, this cave was the perfect place to call home.

Luo Mu did not recall the snakes. Instead, he let them lead the way as he cautiously stepped into the cave.

After the time it took to eat a meal, Luo Mu had explored every inch of the cave. It consisted of three stone chambers: a larger one in the center and two smaller ones on the sides. The central chamber even contained stone stools and chairs. Luo Mu was no fool; it was clear this was not a natural formation. Someone had definitely lived here before.

Whether they were a commoner or a cultivator, he could not say. But judging by the thick layer of dust on the stone furniture, it had been a long time since anyone had occupied the space.

"It looks like the original owner abandoned this place, but that works out perfectly for me." Standing by the stone table, Luo Mu scanned the chamber. With the sunlight filtering in from the entrance, he took in the surroundings and said with a satisfied smile.

He immediately set to work cleaning the chambers. There was nothing but dust, so it was easy to manage. With a flick of his hand, he cast a basic Wind Control spell, and a gust of wind materialized out of thin air, sweeping the dust out of the cave.

In just a few moments, the entire place looked brand new, much to Luo Mu's approval.

Next, he fetched several torches and inserted them into the walls, instantly banishing the gloom and brightening the cave.

Having finished, Luo Mu finally relaxed and sat down on a stone chair. He did not remain idle for long, however, and tapped another Spirit Beast Bag at his waist.

A rosy light flashed, and three Octagonal Spikes appeared in his hand. Looking at them, Luo Mu frowned, lost in thought.

When the Octagonal Spikes had been trapped by Bai Shu and the young woman, Luo Mu had arrived to find that they had likely discovered the fourth-grade high-tier Soul-Falling Grass before the others; otherwise, the pair would not have attacked them for no reason.

Thinking of this, his gaze toward the three spikes became somewhat strange.

"Could it be that the Octagonal Spikes can track down poisonous herbs on their own?" Luo Mu muttered, uncertain.

Just then, the Spirit Beast Bag containing the five White Jade Ants began to tremble. Luo Mu raised an eyebrow, tapped the bag, and the five ants appeared on the table.

As soon as the little creatures emerged, they began crawling about restlessly. Seeing this, Luo Mu's mouth twitched; he knew they must be hungry again.

His storage bag was empty of food for the ants, and he had nothing for the thirteen Plum Blossom Snakes either. The only ones with a potential food source were the Octagonal Spikes. However, the poisonous herbs he had collected were of decent grade, and he had intended to use them to increase his own strength.

He was truly reluctant to feed them to the spikes every day.

"Wait, I have an idea!" A thought suddenly struck him, and his eyes lit up.

After issuing a command to the thirteen snakes, the five ants, and the three spikes, the little group scurried toward the cave entrance in unison. Luo Mu sat on the stone chair with a wry smile, for he had clearly sensed their immense excitement upon receiving his order—a reaction that left him both amused and concerned for their safety.

His command was simple: go out and forage for food. He had already scouted the area around the mountain with his divine sense and found no powerful beasts, only first-tier low or mid-level ones. He hadn't even spotted any first-tier high-level beasts.

While his little group wasn't particularly strong, they were more than capable of handling the beasts on this mountain. As long as they didn't venture deep into the range and stayed on the periphery, it shouldn't be a problem.

Moreover, if this worked, it would save Luo Mu a great deal of trouble in the future. If it didn't, he would simply have to find another way.

Furthermore, he wanted to see if the Octagonal Spikes truly possessed the talent to find poisonous herbs! If they did, he felt that as long as he remained in these remote, desolate mountains, he would never have to worry about a shortage of herbs again.

Watching the group disappear from sight, Luo Mu nodded and refocused his attention. He went back outside, found two large boulders, and used the Curved Blade he had taken from Bai Shu to shape them. By channeling his spiritual power into the blade, it became sharp enough to slice through iron like mud. In just a short time, two stone doors were fashioned.

To allow his little group to come and go, he specifically left a large hole in the corner of one of the doors. Only then did he return to the stone chamber with peace of mind. He sat cross-legged on the floor, and a pile of Ink Crow Grass appeared before him.

He hadn't consumed any poisonous herbs for several days, and eager to increase his strength, he could no longer restrain himself. Now that he was finally free, he took out the Ink Crow Grass—a full ten stalks—ready to make a significant leap in his cultivation!