Outside Immortal Peach Mountain stood a second-tier upper-grade formation set up by the Meng Family to keep outsiders from entering.
Holding his Formation Token, Li Ping passed through the formation and entered an otherworldly immortal mountain suffused with spiritual energy.
After getting his bearings, he flew straight toward his Cave Abode.
Before long, a broad cliff came into view. Atop it stood an enormous courtyard residence spanning a thousand mu, shrouded in a pale blue formation.
Whoosh!
Li Ping descended and landed atop the cliff.
The cliff offered an excellent view. Looking down, he saw a clear stream flowing below, amid beautiful scenery, with wild birds occasionally taking startled flight.
"Not bad, not bad. I can even go fishing by the stream when I have some free time." Li Ping was extremely pleased with the surroundings of his Cave Abode.
He then walked toward the residence, took out the jade token that controlled its formation, and opened an entrance.
Only then did he stroll inside at his leisure.
According to what the Meng Family Ancestor had told him earlier, the formation surrounding his Cave Abode and the one protecting Immortal Peach Mountain formed a Mother-Child Formation. Each child formation served as a formation nexus for the outer mother formation and was rated second-tier mid-grade.
Moreover, because the Mother-Child Formation was structurally linked, these child formations possessed far stronger defenses than ordinary second-tier mid-grade formations. Even a Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivator attacking with all their strength could not break through in a short time.
Its greatest strength, however, was its ability to block Divine Sense. According to the Meng Family Ancestor, this child formation could prevent probing by a Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivator's Divine Sense.
Li Ping was particularly pleased with this. After all, nobody liked being spied on.
Upon entering the courtyard, the first thing Li Ping saw was a pond covering over a hundred mu. Its water was clear enough to see the bottom, and beneath the lotus blossoms along its banks, he could just make out several fish frolicking.
Dozens of rooms stood on either side of the pond, intended as quarters for disciples and servants.
Directly opposite the courtyard gate stood a blue-violet palace ten zhang tall, covering more than ten mu. That was where his living quarters and workshop were located.
Apart from the pond, rooms, and palace, the remaining grounds were planted with all manner of exotic flowers and unusual plants, each vying to outshine the others.
Li Ping was largely satisfied with everything inside this Cave Abode, aside from the flowers and plants.
Most of them were purely ornamental, not spiritual herbs useful to cultivators.
He planned to uproot them all after a while and plant spiritual herbs instead.
This Spirit Land was rated second-tier upper-grade. Spiritual herbs planted here would certainly grow quickly.
He also had a section of second-tier mid-grade purple-patterned wood root in his Storage Bag. He would have to find time to plant that as well.
Entering the main hall, Li Ping took out his personal belongings and arranged them one by one, then sat cross-legged and considered his plans for the future.
Beautiful scenery was one reason he had chosen this Cave Abode, but his most important aim was to win over Master Hu, Hu Feng, and acquire his second-tier upper-grade Pill Refiner skills.
Because he cultivated the Marsh Water Life-Nourishing Art, once he possessed upper-grade Pill Refiner skills and absorbed enough "primordial aura" from pills, he would essentially have a guaranteed path to Core Formation.
Thus, acquiring alchemical skills was his highest priority.
Of course, a Pill Refiner's Alchemy Furnace was different from a Talisman Maker's Talisman Brush.
Because a Talisman Brush had a soft tip, it had to be replaced once excessive use wore it down.
An Alchemy Furnace, on the other hand, was generally crafted with great care from precious materials and would not break easily.
The higher its grade, the more this held true.
Many Pill Refiners could pass a single furnace down through three generations; the person would be gone, but the furnace would remain.
Thus, obtaining a Pill Refiner's regularly used Alchemy Furnace was no easy task.
As for their legacy, that was an closely guarded secret for every Pill Refiner. They would not even teach their disciples everything.
He still needed to plan carefully how to acquire Master Hu's second-tier upper-grade Pill Refiner skills.
Fortunately, the Longevity Art's absorption of "primordial aura" from pills was mainly used to overcome bottlenecks, rather than for everyday cultivation.
Li Ping estimated that it might take him twenty or thirty years to reach the peak of the Foundation Establishment early stage and attempt a breakthrough.
He only needed to settle the matter of alchemical skills within that time. There was no need to rush.
I'll convert my magical power first! Becoming a true Foundation Establishment cultivator comes before anything else!
Li Ping closed his eyes and settled into quiet meditation.
Several thousand li northwest of the Immortal City stood a majestic immortal mountain range, a thousand zhang high and stretching for hundreds of li.
In terms of height, this mountain range was even taller than Azure Dragon Mountain, where the Immortal City stood.
Its spirit vein, however, was far inferior to Azure Dragon Mountain's, rated only second-tier lower-grade. Even with spirit-gathering methods, it could at most support the cultivation of someone at the Foundation Establishment middle stage.
This immortal mountain was High Ridge Mountain, home to the Bai Family, a Foundation Establishment Immortal Clan.
The Bai Family's forebear had originally been a rogue cultivator from the Chi Kingdom. After reaching Foundation Establishment, he and another Foundation Establishment cultivator jointly leased a spirit vein from the Sword-Washing Pool to establish and grow their lineages.
Around the time Windmist True Person founded the Immortal City, he spotted an opportunity and decisively seized it, leading his lineage's cultivators deep into the Cloudmist Mountains to slay the demon beasts occupying High Ridge Mountain.
In this way, he successfully seized a Spirit Land belonging solely to the Bai Family.
The Bai Family had settled there afterward and flourished for over two hundred years.
The present Bai Family had nearly a hundred thousand mortals, several hundred Qi Refining cultivators, and one Foundation Establishment Ancestor. They were the undisputed overlord within a thousand li!
Deep within High Ridge Mountain, beside a pool several dozen zhang across and wreathed in mist.
The Bo Family Ancestor lay on a reclining chair, basking in the sun with his eyes closed, looking quite at ease.
Suddenly, a figure landed nearby, then hurried up to the Bo Family Ancestor and called respectfully, "Ancestor."
The Bo Family Ancestor opened his eyes. "Mingde, judging by your expression, has something happened?"
"Yes." Bai Mingde nodded. "I heard from Qing'er that Senior Li has already moved into the Meng Family's Immortal Peach Mountain."
Hearing this, the Bo Family Ancestor fell silent. Only after a long while did he sigh. "He must have become a Second-Tier Talisman Maker. It seems he no longer lacks either a cultivation method or Spirit Land."
Previously, although Li Ping had not agreed to become the Bai Family's Guest Elder, he had permitted them to use his name.
Yet deep down, both the Bo Family Ancestor and Bai Mingde had still harbored hope: perhaps Li Ping would hit a wall in his search for a cultivation method and Spirit Land, change his mind, and agree to serve as the Bai Family's Guest Elder.
What they had not expected was for Li Ping to reach the second tier in talisman-making so quickly and secure both Spirit Land and a cultivation method, dashing their hopes completely.
After a moment's hesitation, Bai Mingde spoke with resolve. "Ancestor, Senior Li used to be a rogue cultivator, and he has no one useful at his side. I would like to send Lin'er to the Immortal City to manage his Cave Abode for him."
"Lin'er." A figure immediately surfaced in the Bo Family Ancestor's mind.
She was a junior of the Bai Family who had been found to possess spirit roots at the Immortal Ascension Assembly six years ago and had thus set foot on the Immortal Dao. She was only eighteen this year.
Bai Lin possessed only a four-spirit root and had average aptitude, but she was graceful and lovely, the most beautiful cultivator of the Bai Family's younger generation.
When Bai Mingde proposed sending Bai Lin to manage Li Ping's Cave Abode, the Bo Family Ancestor understood the implication behind his words.
Had he still been in the prime of his life, or had the Bai Family possessed a second Foundation Establishment cultivator, he would certainly never have agreed.
But now-
"Ah!" The Bo Family Ancestor sighed softly. "Fellow Daoist Li is, after all, nominally our Guest Elder. It is only right that we send a junior to attend to him. But the New Year is nearly here, isn't it? Let Lin'er spend it at home and reunite with her loved ones. Send her to Fellow Daoist Li after the New Year."
Bai Lin was only eighteen, and her parents and relatives were still alive. Her karmic ties to the mortal world had not yet been severed, and she still retained many habits from her mortal days.
For mortals, the New Year was a very important festival.
Bai Mingde answered respectfully, "Yes."