Spirit Spring Body Tempering! (Seeking Monthly Tickets, Recommendations, and Tips)

Most of Qilin Pavilion's demon beasts were first-rank demon beasts. There were only a scant few second-rank demon beasts, which served as the pavilion's guardian spirit beasts and were not lent out lightly—unless the borrower was a Core Formation cultivator or had one stand surety for them.

Of course, Yellow Maple Valley's Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators would not rent second-rank spirit beasts either. Setting everything else aside, the rental fee of ten low-grade spirit stones per day was already beyond what an ordinary Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator could afford.

One had to know that Yellow Maple Valley's Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators received only one mid-grade spirit stone per year.

At ten low-grade spirit stones a day, ten days would wipe out an entire year's allotment of spirit stones.

Of course, a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator's income was naturally not limited to one mid-grade spirit stone a day. That was only if they did nothing at all.

If they completed tasks assigned by Yellow Maple Valley or took charge of certain affairs—for instance, by becoming one of Yellow Maple Valley's senior administrators—they could also receive more spirit stones.

In truth, Sect Master Zhong of Yellow Maple Valley was also a senior administrator, and his authority was not particularly great. The ones who truly held Yellow Maple Valley's power were Core Formation cultivators such as Lei Wanhe, as well as that Nascent Soul Realm ancestor.

After all, Yellow Maple Valley's Sect Master Zhong was only at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage.

Fang Yu had no interest whatsoever in becoming a Yellow Maple Valley administrator. As for spirit stones, they were indeed greatly beneficial to his cultivation.

However, he did not need to complete any tasks. He only needed to draw talismans. Although he currently knew only two simple methods of talisman crafting, now that he had entered Yellow Maple Valley, he could learn more spells.

He remembered that a lightning-attribute mutated spirit root was formed through the fusion and mutation of several attributes, so he should be able to learn spells of other attributes.

For those in the Qi Refinement Realm, there seemed to be spirit-root attribute restrictions, but above the Foundation Establishment Realm and Core Formation Realm, there no longer seemed to be such restrictions.

It was only when cultivating spells in the Qi Refinement Realm that spirit-root attributes seemed to impose restrictions. Though it was not really a restriction—learning spells of the same attribute was simply faster.

For example, he had successfully cultivated lightning-attribute spells in less than ten days.

Spells of other attributes might not be so easy.

Yellow Maple Valley also had a deacon disciple specially responsible for teaching spells, named Wu Feng.

Fang Yu remembered him as a true gentleman who treated all disciples equally and offered patient guidance.

It had to be said that Yellow Maple Valley was truly fortunate to have such a disciple. It was only a pity that he had failed to establish his foundation.

Fang Yu rather admired Wu Feng's character. At the very least, he was someone worth befriending deeply.

But for Fang Yu, the most important thing now was still to find a Spirit Eye Spring and open a cave abode.

Fortunately, he was a disciple with a lightning-attribute mutated spirit root and enjoyed this special privilege. Otherwise, if a Qi Refinement Realm disciple privately opened a cave abode, the consequences upon discovery would be extremely severe. At best, their spirit stones would be deducted; at worst, their cultivation would be crippled and they would be expelled from Yellow Maple Valley.

Therefore, the most important matter at hand was to find a Spirit Eye Spring and open a cave abode.

"Little fellow, I'll have to trouble you."

Fang Yu stroked the Twin-Eyed Rat he had just borrowed in his arms and smiled.

The Twin-Eyed Rat was not much different from an ordinary field mouse. It was likewise small and delicate, with yellow fur and a long, slender tail.

The only difference was the pair of large eyes on its face, utterly unlike those of a field mouse. Yet that one difference immediately made the beast adorably charming!

In particular, faint streams of five-colored light flickered within its eyes, further highlighting the beast's mysterious and extraordinary nature.

Though it was only the size of a fist, this little beast possessed steel teeth that could chew through copper and iron raw, along with foreclaws that could bore through gold and pierce stone. It was by no means harmless, and was even a mid first-rank demon beast, its strength comparable to a cultivator around the tenth level of the Qi Refinement Realm.

Most importantly, it could seek out places where the spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth was abundant.

Thus, Fang Yu brought the Twin-Eyed Rat to the outermost northwestern region of the Grand Peak Mountains.

A hundred or so li north of this place lay the territory of the Yuanwu Kingdom, the domain of the Celestial Star Sect, a great cultivation sect of the Yuanwu Kingdom. It had also established a marketplace there, faintly facing Yellow Maple Valley's marketplace across east and west.

Two hundred li west lay the border between Jian Prefecture and Xi Prefecture, the smallest prefecture of the Yue Kingdom.

This prefecture was also the only one among the seven great sects' territories where no one was stationed. Apart from its loess highlands, it contained an endless desert that occupied more than three-quarters of all Xi Prefecture.

The entire prefecture had only a little over a hundred thousand inhabitants, leaving it without resources or manpower to draw upon. Naturally, it did not catch the eye of the seven great sects.

This was the approximate location of the Spirit Eye Spring. If the fatty had not deliberately written it down, rather than merely scribbling a few words saying he had found the Spirit Eye Spring, Fang Yu truly would not have known how to search for it.

But now that he knew the general location, he could leave the task to the laborer in his arms: the Twin-Eyed Rat.

After feeding it two Earth Pear Fruits and tying a thin cord around it, Fang Yu released it and followed close behind.

Finally, just as the Earth Pear Fruits on his person were about to run out, the Twin-Eyed Rat led Fang Yu beneath a steep mountain peak. Looking at the enormous cliff face over a hundred zhang tall before him, Fang Yu revealed a smile of immense relief.

At that moment, the cord in his hand passed through an incomparably narrow crack and extended straight into the mountain wall opposite him.

"At last, I've found something."

With one hand, Fang Yu took out the "shovel" from the daily refining tools issued to newly initiated Yellow Maple Valley disciples, while gripping the cord tightly with the other.

Then, wielding the shovel like a blade, he widened the narrow crack in the blink of an eye, slicing through it like tofu until it became a rough opening large enough for one person to crawl through.

After diving inside, he immediately cast a protective barrier around himself. Then, following the cord, he cut through the rock step by step and slowly advanced.

All the scattered rock fragments and dust were blocked outside by his silver-white barrier, leaving his clothes perfectly clean.

About an hour later, as the final stone wall before him shattered, a refreshing wave of spiritual energy rushed toward him, jolting his spirits and sweeping away all fatigue from his body.

Though there was not much to begin with, and the spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth here was far more abundant than outside, it still could not compare with the cultivation grounds of the Fang Family's core disciples.

It had to be said that the two worlds differed too greatly.

But the time ratio was large enough, and there were quite a few good things here. This was not some barren land.

Fang Yu's gaze soon fell upon the Spirit Eye Spring. At that moment, the Twin-Eyed Rat was resting and sleeping within it.

But Fang Yu stepped forward, mercilessly lifted it out with one hand, and set it aside. He then used a Purifying Water Talisman produced by Yellow Maple Valley to cleanse the spirit water once before setting to work expanding the Spirit Eye Spring into a "bath."

Once everything was ready, Fang Yu removed all restraints and entered the Spirit Eye Spring. Then, dividing his attention in two, he circulated his cultivation art to absorb the spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth within it and increase his cultivation.

At the same time, he guided the spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth into his flesh and blood and meridians to temper his body, strengthening his flesh, physique, and constitution, making them even more powerful. He hoped to break through to the eighth level of body cultivation, the Divine Valor Realm, as soon as possible.

That way, he would have a reason to ask Fang Qingxue for the Eclosion Sect's three great inner sect cultivation arts: the Origin Spirit Art, Chaos-Cavern Breath-Absorption Art, and Righteous Qi of Heaven and Earth.