Spirit Terrace County.
News of the newly appointed Immortal Master's arrival and stationing gradually died down after several days.
To most people, Immortal Master Lu was simply too far beyond their reach.
Setting aside everything else, after the four Lineages presented their prepared offerings, they had not even managed to exchange more than a few words with this Immortal Master.
Anyone with eyes could see his single-minded attitude toward cultivation.
Thus, no one dared report those trivial and miscellaneous matters to him.
This Immortal Master's style was completely different from the previous one's.
Chen Sheng needed resources for cultivation, and his aptitude was rather ordinary. Thus, after arriving in Spirit Terrace County, he would also involve himself in some of the county's affairs.
So there had been quite a few opportunities for contact in ordinary times.
But this one was different. He was stationed on Spiritual Terrace Mountain, not within the bustling city.
They had wanted to deal with him, but quickly realized that he disliked worldly possessions and mundane affairs.
"Father, weren't you like that before? Is the new Immortal Master really that formidable?"
The Bai Clan.
The position of county magistrate rotated every five years, and it was currently the Bai Clan head's turn to hold it.
His eldest son, the Bai Clan's eldest young master, wore a face full of confusion.
Bai Shoucai gave a cold laugh and stared at his son. "Then you don't know that not only am I no match for him, even if I joined forces with those three old men, we still wouldn't be enough for him to fight."
Afterward, the four of them gathered and concluded that this man was absolutely at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, or even the Foundation Establishment Late Stage.
The four of them joining forces could fend off a Foundation Establishment Middle Stage cultivator, but the Foundation Establishment Late Stage was another leap in combat strength altogether.
"Ah..."
Eldest Young Master Bai gaped blankly. In his eyes, his father had always been the strongest.
Yet now, even his father had personally admitted that he was no match.
That Immortal Master, who looked even more youthful than his youngest brother, was actually so formidable.
"Don't worry. That man has no intention of meddling in these matters. Once the new batch of goods has been traded away, we'll send Immortal Master Lu another gift."
"At the very least, not meddling is still better than meddling recklessly."
Bai Shoucai's voice became almost inaudible during the latter sentence.
After all, every stationed cultivator had a different style, but the Lineages rooted in that place could not run away.
Fortunately, this one had not opened his mouth like a lion. Yet even if he had not asked, they naturally still needed to set aside his share.
In a sense, this was an unwritten rule.
Spirit Terrace County remained peaceful day after day.
Lu Qing sat amid the great mountains. Before him stretched an open view, while behind him, a vast bamboo forest swayed in the wind.
At that moment, his hands formed a seal, and the formation disk floated before him on the wind.
Then, following the hand technique, he decisively and swiftly tapped several acupoints on his body. Threads of golden Spiritual Power coursed over his skin.
The formation disk suddenly transformed its Spiritual Power into golden light, which continued to travel along the connection between Lu Qing's mind and the formation disk.
Rumble...
It was like thunder rolling through a clear sky.
Countless strands of flesh and blood within his body surged.
A layer of golden radiance appeared over his skin.
Lu Qing lowered his hands. With a thought, he looked again at his body, and that layer of Golden Light, which had originally blazed brilliantly, instantly withdrew completely.
Hidden beneath his skin was none other than the Golden Light Formation Lu Qing had acquired before.
After repeated study and tempering, he had finally succeeded in engraving it into his fleshly body.
It was equivalent to a walking formation, always guarding against sneak attacks.
Lu Qing possessed techniques for sneak attacks, so naturally he would not forget to guard against others' sneak attacks as well.
This Golden Light Formation was currently the most suitable defense Lu Qing knew of for his present circumstances.
It could no longer even be considered a formation. Engraved into the fleshly body, it enhanced the body at all times.
This was something ordinary formations could not accomplish. If there were a cultivation art for it, this Golden Light Formation could surely be called a cultivation art as well.
After roughly several days, Lu Qing had stabilized the realm he had previously advanced through by leaps and bounds. Besides focusing on cultivation, he constantly used threads of compressed Spiritual Power to hammer his fleshly body.
Foundation Establishment cultivators possessed powerful bodies as well, but compared to cultivators who specialized in the path of Body Refinement, they appeared fragile.
Body and soul were one. Lu Qing naturally would not lag behind in this aspect. Though he did not specialize in Body Refinement, he remained vigilant against others' attacks.
"Ninth Layer of Foundation Establishment. The next step should be opening the Purple Mansion Realm."
His gaze drifted into the distance. Recently, the faint coolness between his brows had become increasingly distinct.
The Purple Mansion Realm was like a Heavenly Eye, located at the center of a leaf obscuring one's vision.
Unlike the Sea of Consciousness, the Purple Mansion Realm nourished the spirit. Even Lu Qing did not dare claim that he fully understood the path of the Divine Soul.
The Divine Soul was mysterious. Lu Qing raised a finger and brushed it across his brow.
That coolness was obvious.
He did not rush to open the Purple Mansion Realm or break through into it. Instead, he constantly compressed the Spiritual Power in his dantian. Under that pressure, a drop of Spirit Liquid from the golden lake that stretched everywhere had already reached an astonishing purity.
There was a distinction between the Innate Realm and the Postnatal Realm; Innate Spiritual Power was even more pure and flawless. Lu Qing was not in any hurry to break through.
He was waiting for the opportunity that would come naturally.
On the journey away from the mountain gate, cultivation served as protection. Here, formations enveloped the place, and he had also studied Spirit Terrace County.
According to some records from those Lineages, beast tides of demonic beasts had nearly vanished here. Moreover, the most recent beast tide had not come from the mountain range, but from the great river along which Lu Qing had arrived.
That great river had different names elsewhere, but here, many people also called it the Spirit Terrace River.
This place could be considered safe. At least, the only people likely to encounter a few demonic beasts were cultivators courting death, those seeking to become rich overnight or ascend overnight.
But the strongest of those demonic beasts were only at the first or second layer of Foundation Establishment. When Lu Qing arrived, he had already carefully investigated the surroundings with his Divine Consciousness.
Under his high cultivation, the strongest demonic beast was hidden beneath the Spirit Terrace River at a certain location.
However, it seemed to be slumbering.
It was an old turtle.
To put it bluntly, Lu Qing could swagger about here without any caution at all, but that did not suit his temperament.
As for taking action? There was no need for it.
Who knew whether an old turtle might bring an even older creature behind it?
"The year's end will be here again soon."
Lu Qing stepped out of the courtyard and gazed into the distance.
The county town at the foot of the mountain had already begun hanging lanterns and decorating with colors, preparing to welcome the coming new year.
Lu Qing watched the mountain below in silence. Only when night had just fallen and countless firefly-like lights began to glow did he withdraw his gaze.
"Purple Mansion Realm."
He spoke softly. Just now, he had caught a fleeting flash of Spirit Light.
For an instant, it was as if he had entered a state of enlightenment.
"Secluded cultivation." His eyes brightened slightly, and a trace of a smile touched his lips. Had his previous stabilization not also been a search for inspiration to break through into the Purple Mansion Realm?
Now that it had arrived, how could he not be delighted?
Knowing the state of his cultivation, how could Lu Qing fail to prepare before leaving?
Those Jade Slips containing the experiences of predecessors became nourishment for his reference.
And just today, at this very moment, after cultivation, he had happened to find the direction for his next step.
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