Chapter 604 - 607: Establishing the Cave Dwelling
"What's wrong?"
Seeing that he was silent, Lu Yanwu hurriedly looked forward and saw a spring with a span of a hundred feet ahead.
This spring wasn't particularly large, and seemed quite ordinary. In the pool, seven or eight huge spring eyes continuously spouted water. Feeling the ever-emerging spiritual energy, Lu Yanwu couldn't help but open her mouth wide!
This was no ordinary spring; it was a gigantic spirit spring!
"I didn't expect to come across such a treasure on this trip!" The more Ye Qingchen observed, the broader his smile became. "It seems the abundance of spiritual energy in Hidden Dragon Mountain is probably due to this spring, right?"
"Correct!" The Three-tailed Fox nodded slightly. "I stayed in Hidden Dragon Mountain because I discovered this spring. It appears to be connected to the Earth's veins and won't dry up even in a thousand years!"
Ye Qingchen was both shocked and delighted upon hearing this.
He initially only intended to find a temporary place to stay, but didn't expect to find such a precious spot.
Thinking of this, he took a deep breath and began to operate the Nine Revolutions Star Technique. A huge suction force generated within him, causing the massive surrounding spiritual energy to tremble, turning into countless threads and forming a vortex that he swallowed into his body.
With such a fierce absorption, the water level of the spirit spring only slightly dropped, then quickly replenished.
The more he looked at the spring, the more satisfied he felt, and he decided to live here immediately.
Of course.
Such trivial matters fell onto the shoulders of Sea of Zhou. As soon as Ye Qingchen gave the order, Sea of Zhou quickly cleared a space in the mountain forest and built a house using some ancient trees.
To someone of the Celestial Saint Realm like Sea of Zhou, this was naturally a piece of cake.
"I have never seen a spirit spring with such abundant spiritual energy!" Lu Yanwu was almost dying of envy. You must know, the existence of a spirit spring is formed by the highly concentrated spiritual energy.
To form a single drop of a spirit spring, it takes at least ten days to half a month, but the spirit spring here is inexhaustible, even if they cultivate to the Human Immortal level, it would be more than enough.
"It seems there is something under this spring!" Ye Qingchen stroked his chin, staring at the spirit spring.
"Don't waste your strength, this spirit spring is deeper than you can imagine. I've dived several times before but never reached the bottom," remarked the Three-tailed Fox, laying by the spring and inhaling the spiritual energy.
Oh?
Ye Qingchen, intrigued by this, gazed at the spirit spring with even greater interest.
"I'll go down and take a look!" he instructed Lu Yanwu, leaping into the water. Once in the spirit spring, besides feeling the ever-surging Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, he also sensed the enormous pressure.
This spirit spring was formed by the purest spiritual energy, with each drop weighing hundreds of pounds, a terrifying pressure that ordinary cultivators simply couldn't endure. But Ye Qingchen paid no heed, opening a shield as he swam downward into the spring.
But the depth of this spirit spring far exceeded common expectations.
The massive pressure, rolling from all sides, pounded incessantly against the protective shield, producing crackling sounds and even showing signs of cracks sweeping across its surface.
Moreover.
The force of the continuously flowing spring water grew stronger the deeper he went, becoming even more terrifying than a raging tsunami. Even a Celestial Venerable would be torn apart in an instant here.
"With my current strength, it's impossible to reach the bottom!" Ye Qingchen gazed at the still-bottomless pool, pondering briefly before deciding to abandon his attempt.
After all, his residence had already been decided here, and he could explore further whenever he pleased.
Returning to the outside of the spring, Ye Qingchen briefly described the situation to Lu Yanwu and Sea of Zhou. Both found it unbelievable and also jumped into the pool to explore.
However, Sea of Zhou couldn't last even ten seconds before needing to retreat. Even Lu Yanwu only managed to go halfway to where Ye Qingchen had reached before having to give up.
Except for the inability to reach the bottom of the pool, Hidden Dragon Mountain was perfectly suited to be a residence. Looking at the somewhat crude wooden house and the surging spirit spring, Ye Qingchen felt increasingly content.
"Oh, how could I forget about this part?"
Ye Qingchen suddenly slapped his forehead. Under the curious eyes of Sea of Zhou and Lu Yanwu, he lightly tapped the jade gourd. Immediately, the Creation Lotus he had collected before at the Lantai River turned into a stream of light and fell into the spirit spring.
As the Creation Lotus touched the water, it quivered slightly, and amidst the flashing brilliance, three or five lotus leaves appeared on the surface of the spirit spring.
"And you..."
Ye Qingchen flicked his finger, and the Blood Bodhi Tree also landed beside the spirit spring. Having been kept inside the Void Ring for too long, it had begun to wither, and its leaves had become sparse.
However, upon settling by the spring, it seemed to come alive. Its roots, like spirit snakes, dug deep into the soil. In an instant, the once-yellow leaves turned lush green, and the tree, originally just over a foot tall, grew rapidly to over two feet.
Moreover.
It was even possible to see several sparkling red flowers already blooming on the tree.
"It's about to bloom and bear fruit so soon? Wasn't it said that the Blood Bodhi Tree blooms once every hundred years and bears fruit once every hundred years?"
Ye Qingchen raised an eyebrow.
"Heh, what do you know? That timeline applies only when spiritual energy is sparse... When it's abundant, the cycle naturally shortens significantly," the Three-tailed Fox chuckled, casting an intrigued glance at Ye Qingchen.
She hadn't expected this kid to have such rare and peculiar items; whether it was the Creation Lotus or the Blood Bodhi Tree, especially the jade gourd at his waist, none were ordinary items.
"You know?" Ye Qingchen looked at the Three-tailed Fox curiously.
"Of course I do!"
But the Three-tailed Fox evidently had no intention to dwell on the topic. After glancing at the Creation Lotus within the spring and the Blood Bodhi Tree on the edge, she coldly remarked:
"Keep these two Heavenly and Earthly Treasures here, and once the fruits ripen, they will certainly cause celestial phenomena. I can watch over them for a while, but not forever."
"If a more powerful being discovers this place, your meager abode could be flattened in no time!"
Ye Qingchen was well aware of this.
Up to that point, he had ventured into several ancient sages' abodes, each equipped with restrictions and arrays to both confuse outsiders and fend off formidable enemies.
But having just arrived in the Kunlun Realm, he had little to his name, so how could he set up such a grand array?
Thinking of this, he looked at the Three-tailed Fox with a smile and said, "I'll arrange for the array as soon as possible; meanwhile, I'll leave the guardianship of Hidden Dragon Mountain to you. How about it?"
"After all, you wouldn't want a more powerful entity to discover Hidden Dragon Mountain, would you?"
"Hmph!"
The Three-tailed Fox snorted coldly, turning her head away.
But Ye Qingchen knew she had agreed. Despite appearing like servants, they were more akin to collaborators. He reached out, plucked a lotus seed, and handed six of them to Lu Yanwu, saying:
"This is your reward for bringing me to Hidden Dragon Mountain. Next, help me find some materials for setting up the array. Once it's complete, you'll be welcome to cultivate here too!"
Ye Qingchen noticed the envious look on Sea of Zhou's face and added plainly:
"The same goes for you. If you handle things well, you'll be generously rewarded!"
Sea of Zhou was startled and quickly expressed his excitement:
"Thank you, Mr. Ye, for your kindness!"
Ye Qingchen smiled faintly but said nothing.
