Chapter Eighty-One: Mind and Spirit Elevated

“Ah! The atmosphere here is truly wonderful!”

As Li Ying entered the cave, she instinctively flared her delicate nose, savoring the air as she inhaled.

Once the statue of the Evil God was removed, the suppressed spiritual vein immediately released its power. A thick surge of spiritual energy erupted from beneath the dusky stone, quickly filling every corner of the cave.

“I’m going to set the Spirit-Sealing Array,” Shen Bingxue said, suddenly recalling something and hurrying toward the entrance.

“Pharmacist Shen, don’t place it at the entrance. Set it near the low-lying area. I’ll pass through there,” Li Mu suggested.

“I know, you think I’m ignorant?” Shen Bingxue raised her brows, a hint of a smile appearing as she strode toward the hollow exit.

The Spirit-Sealing Array is designed to confine spiritual energy—a basic formation mastered by most cultivators. Whenever one encounters a spiritual vein during cultivation, it proves immensely useful.

“Brother, are we going to cultivate here?” Li Ying tilted her head, glancing around curiously at the peculiar cave.

“Of course. Ying’er, rest a while, are you tired?”

Li Mu summoned a few beds and meditation cushions from the Spirit Tower, distributing them among the group.

“I don’t want to rest, I want to cultivate!” Li Ying shook her head vigorously like a drum, clearly displeased.

“Listen, stay in your best condition before you start cultivating. Don’t slack off.”

Li Mu, experienced as he was, understood the importance of the initial cultivation and coaxed Li Ying gently.

“You all can rest or cultivate as you please, just don’t overdo it,” Li Mu instructed Sun Qi and Sun Sanjiu.

With the spiritual vein nearby, there was no need to guide the energy. The purity of spiritual power here was akin to a third-grade Gathering Spirit Array, far superior to their previous cultivation sites. Li Mu worried they might absorb too much energy and strain their meridians.

The two readily agreed. It had been about a month since everyone properly cultivated, and they were beginning to feel like wanderers. Now, with such a remarkable place, their spirits soared—even the seasoned Sun Qi couldn’t conceal his excitement.

“Brother Mu, please go ahead. I’ll scout around and keep watch.”

Li Mu waved his hand, his face serious. “No need. Soon, I’ll set up the arrays; the talismans I prepared can finally be used. Don’t worry and focus on cultivation. The faster you progress, the more you’ll help me.”

“Understood, Brother Mu! Please take care,” the two replied in unison.

Along the journey, they’d mostly witnessed Li Mu and Shen Bingxue fighting, while they themselves had needed protection, just like Ying’er. Even though Li Mu and Shen Bingxue had emerged unscathed, the feeling of helplessness left the two men frustrated—they didn’t want to go through that again.

Li Mu nodded and stepped out of the cave.

He circled the low-lying area, paying little attention to the plants but searching for suitable spots to set the arrays.

He had prepared many formation talismans—if all were set, even a cultivator at the Vein-Refining stage could be somewhat repelled. Yet they required significant spiritual power; until he found spirit crystals, he wasn’t eager to exhaust his resources.

Following the instructions on the jade slip, he quickly set three arrays at the hollow’s exit. He used a wall formation talisman from the Wooden Jade Hall, a three-day sword talisman from Flower Forest Gate’s inventory—one he’d coveted for a long time—and a special array combining Gathering and Sealing of spiritual energy.

Beside him, Shen Bingxue finished her setup and began testing.

“Shopkeeper Li, how is it?”

Li Mu smiled, noting the jagged path nearby littered with the stingers of fierce black wasps.

“Quite ruthless,” Shen Bingxue frowned lightly.

“It’s fine—like a pit, you’d never notice it unless you triggered it. It’ll be useful when needed.” Li Mu ignored Shen Bingxue and continued his work until everything was complete, then headed back to the cave, reassured.

As they passed the monkey, Shen Bingxue asked, “What about the monkey?”

The monkey was still seething, though the red in its eyes had faded noticeably.

Li Mu nodded slightly, “Its anger has subsided greatly, just as I thought. The change was caused by the Evil God statue. Now that it’s gone, the monkey will slowly recover. Give it a few days; once the red in its eyes vanishes completely, it can be tamed. I’ve always wanted such a spirit pet—what do you think?”

“Very good. They say monkeys can help pick herbs, and might even learn cultivation techniques. Worth a try.”

Shen Bingxue glanced at the monkey, raising her jade hand to send a gentle breeze its way.

“Don’t rush to heal it. If it doesn’t recover, we can try again,” Li Mu said softly.

Shen Bingxue shook her head, speaking gently, “No, Shopkeeper Li. If the blood in its hand dries up, it won’t be possible to treat. If you wish to keep it, you must not let it be crippled.”

Li Mu was momentarily speechless. This monkey was a second-grade spirit pet—a little blood loss was hardly an issue. Still, there was no point arguing. He casually placed an array tool at the monkey’s feet, preparing just in case.

At the cave’s entrance, Shen Bingxue suddenly stopped. Li Mu instinctively asked, “What is it?”

“My dear, I want to examine the plants in this mountain, identify them. Among the spiritual herbs here, there might be third or fourth-grade specimens—not to be missed.”

With safety secured, Shen Bingxue immediately thought of alchemy. Seeing the abundance of spiritual herbs, she could hardly move for excitement.

“We haven’t cultivated for about a month. If we don’t, our progress will be limited. Pharmacist Shen, cultivation must take priority,” Li Mu said earnestly.

Shen Bingxue stubbornly shook her head, her attention wholly focused on the herbs. “Alchemy is crucial, Shopkeeper Li. You go ahead.”

Li Mu could only smile helplessly and stopped trying to persuade her, heading straight into the cave.

After such a long journey, they finally had a place to cultivate in peace, and he didn’t want to wait any longer.

Sitting atop the dusky stone, Li Mu quickly slipped into cultivation.

With his surroundings calm and secure, as he began to refine, his insights grew clearer.

Since the Jade Iron Society incident, the relentless battles had sharpened his combat skills, deepened his mastery of true power, and elevated his technique. His use of magical treasures had become almost second nature. Yet he had never had time to consolidate these gains, to truly integrate and comprehend them.

Now, the natural spiritual energy from the vein flowed into his body through the multicolored stones, illuminating both his spiritual sea and physical form.

This state of focused mind allowed his insights and understanding to gradually transform into real improvement.

Before long, he felt a sudden clarity, as if everything was new and the world unfathomable. All previous doubts and indecision seemed to dissolve—his thoughts now rested calmly in his heart. If he faced the monkey again, he could capture it perfectly in just two moves, perhaps even one, without harming it.

Such a feeling was beyond words, but for Li Mu, it was a real advancement.

He had grown stronger.

Though his cultivation level hadn’t increased much, his mind and spirit had truly improved.

For cultivators, strengthening the mind is even harder than growing in power; achieving this step meant Li Mu possessed immense potential to reach even greater heights.

“Ah, so it’s true—constant battle brings swift progress. This Great Wolf Plain must hold many places yet to be explored. Wonderful, not a single spot should be missed.”