Exploration came down to searching, fighting, and retreating.
Now the searching was done.
So was the fighting.
All that remained was the retreat.
Just then, the spirit armor on his body began to flicker, bright one moment and dim the next.
That meant the Thunder-Gold Kui was running low on energy and needed replenishing promptly.
Xu Changqing decisively withdrew his spirit armor and tossed the spirit insect into his portable space to ride the boat. Then he retraced his steps, soon arriving near the inner layer.
He hesitated a little as he looked at the enormous Geng Metal Spirit-Guarding Tree before him.
He could take it away. There was no question about that.
With his formidable strength, doing so would be easy.
But once he did, the entire cave abode would be utterly destroyed.
Although there was little left inside, he still had to consider the unique nature of this place, along with its surroundings, feng shui, layout, and other factors.
After weighing it all up, Xu Changqing left the Geng Metal Spirit-Guarding Tree untouched, allowing the cave abode to continue existing.
His reasoning was actually quite simple.
Even a cunning rabbit had three burrows.
He had Red Maple Valley in the Spirit Fields.
He also had a core disciple's residence on Azurewood Peak.
Yet all this time, he had never had a fixed place outside where he could rest and cultivate.
He could fool around at Fragrant Invitation Pavilion, but that was hardly a long-term solution.
After all, that cost money—spirit stones, at that, and sometimes even mid-grade spirit stones.
If one day... well, those who knew, knew.
So he might as well keep this place as one of his fallback options.
If he had nowhere else to go, at least he would have a "home" to return to.