The next moment, Li Mu's Sea of Consciousness shimmered with starlight, the Star Cloud Contemplation Method operated on its own, and his Divine Thought rapidly gathered. His Heavenly Talent - Star God spontaneously descended, condensing a 'Star God' to envelop his Primordial Spirit, shielding the encroaching evil force.
"That was close! What was that!"
Li Mu's eyes regained clarity, his heart pounding in fear and lingering dread.
Just now, his Divine Soul had been lost, and his Primordial Spirit nearly flew out of his body. If not for the Star Cloud Contemplation Method's Divine Ability activating on its own, today might have been his death anniversary, leaving only an empty shell and everything ending here.
No wonder it was said that Cultivators below the Nascent Soul cultivation level would face a near-certain death upon entering this valley. Li Mu almost capsized in the ditch and perished here.
Li Mu was filled with lingering fear and became even more cautious.
After the recent incident, Li Mu also understood that the strange Soul Power filling this valley only affected Cultivators below the Soul Transformation stage.
Soul Transformation Cultivators' Primordial Spirit undergoes further sublimation, allowing them to differentiate their Primordial Spirit. They possess a more solid Foundation, and its quality is tens, or even hundreds, of times that of a Nascent Soul cultivator. This strange evil force that affects the Divine Soul naturally loses its effect on Soul Transformation Cultivators.
Li Mu maintained his Heavenly Talent - Star God, isolating himself from the influence of external evil forces, and continued to delve deeper into Yin Yang Valley, carrying the Five Elements Spirit Mountain.
According to Tianji Pavilion's intelligence, the outer perimeter of Yin Yang Valley was completely devoid of life, but its interior was a different world altogether, abundant with Spiritual Qi and Yin and Yang Qi. It was a good place for reclusive cultivation. However, the entire outer perimeter of Yin Yang Valley was shrouded in a mysterious and strange environment, so no high-level Cultivators chose to cultivate in seclusion there.
Hopefully, this piece of intelligence from Tianji Pavilion was true.
Li Mu, harboring this desire, continued to explore deeper into Yin Yang Valley. To be cautious, Li Mu extended his Divine Thought about a hundred zhang. However, at this moment, another anomaly occurred: the strange evil force that sought to pull his Primordial Spirit out of his body struck again.
Li Mu hastily retracted his Divine Thought, and the next moment, that strange evil force disappeared again.
This is evil!
What exactly is going on!
Li Mu couldn't help but frown. This Yin Yang Valley was too bizarre. He didn't know how this power was generated.
Li Mu hesitated whether to leave now, abandon this strange Yin Yang Valley, and find another Spiritual Mountain.
After a moment of hesitation, Li Mu sighed and decided to continue deeper into Yin Yang Valley.
There were Spiritual Mountains and spiritual lands everywhere in the world, but most of the good places were occupied by large Sects or high-level Yao Beasts. It was truly not easy to find a suitable place.
A 'barren land' like Yin Yang Valley, yet possessing abundant Yin and Yang Qi and Spiritual Qi, was indeed not easy to find in a short time.
Li Mu planned to first explore the specific situation of the core area of the Spiritual Valley. If it could meet the requirements for planting Spiritual Plants and the environment was safe, then this strange evil force situation wouldn't be able to stop him.
Li Mu continued forward and finally passed through the outer perimeter, which was surrounded by Yin winds, arriving at the core area of Yin Yang Valley.
The strange force disappeared, revealing a scene of birds singing and flowers blooming, with lush green trees providing shade, an extremely beautiful sight.
Li Mu tentatively stepped into this place. The core area seemed to have an invisible barrier that isolated all the Yin winds at the edges, forming a boundary between the two. As far as the eye could see, a scene of Yin and Yang poles was presented.
How marvelous!
Li Mu marveled at the ingenious craftsmanship of creation, able to generate such a peculiar sight. However, after appreciating it for a moment, he began to investigate the Yin and Yang conditions of this place.
He wandered around, looking in all directions. There was a vibrant scene of vegetation and living creatures, and the air carried a faint, subtle fragrance of plants.
In such a vibrant landscape, Li Mu's investigation revealed something unusual. Although the green plants here were lush and the Spiritual Qi was abundant, the Spiritual Plants and Spirit Medicine growing here were all only second or third-grade.
Li Mu's arrival also attracted the attention of some Spirit Beasts in this place. They quietly lurked, hiding in trees, in bushes, or circling in the sky, slowly following his footsteps and observing this uninvited person.
Li Mu naturally noticed these 'ill-intentioned' Yao Beasts, but he didn't care. The strength of these Yao Beasts varied, with the strongest being only a Yao Beast that had just entered the fourth grade. The rest were all second and third grade, posing no threat to him.
After patrolling and sweeping with his Divine Sense, he found that he was the only one in this core area. This had to be a good thing.
No one would disturb him; it was a peaceful place, perfect for planting Spiritual Plants.
Li Mu was extremely pleased. After careful consideration, he decided to plant Spiritual Plants at the Yin and Yang junction and set up the Yin Yang Mixed Yuan Formation there, which would yield twice the result with half the effort.
Upon arriving at the Yin and Yang junction, Li Mu happened to find a thousand-zhang Spiritual Mountain standing at the boundary between the Yin and Yang realms. A waterfall cascaded down from the mountaintop, and the sunlight refracted through the mist, creating a dazzling five-colored golden light. The scenery was breathtakingly beautiful. At the foot of the mountain, the plains were vast, with long hours of sunlight, where the most concentrated Yang Qi gathered.
Li Mu grabbed a handful of soil; it was soft and loose. Beneath his feet, a High Grade Spiritual Vein was hidden. Even without cultivation, it already had the potential to become a Superior Spiritual Field, which delighted him greatly.
To the right of the Spiritual Mountain was the isolated Yin Valley. The scenery, naturally, was beyond description, simply dreadful to behold, yet it was an excellent place for gathering Yin Qi.
After selecting a place to plant the Spiritual Plants, Li Mu patted his waist. From within the Painting World Treasure Mansion, Xiao Jin and Xiao Wa materialized. The Crimson Wolf, who hadn't been out for a long time, was also summoned.
As soon as the three beasts appeared, they gathered around Li Mu.
Xiao Wa and the Crimson Wolf rubbed against Li Mu's legs, appearing extremely intimate. Xiao Jin, however, held a large club and eyed the Yao Beasts hidden on the distant plains.
Li Mu stroked Xiao Wa's head and said to Xiao Jin and Xiao Wa, "Next, I need to cultivate fields and build houses in this valley. I don't like to be disturbed. You two go deal with them. Just scare them away, no need to kill. If you really encounter some who don't know their place, drag them back. I'll add extra food for you tonight!"
Upon hearing 'extra food,' Xiao Jin's drool flowed down the corners of his mouth. Excitedly, he held his large club and leaped, flying a thousand zhang away, scaring the hidden Yao Beasts into a chaotic scramble and fleeing in all directions.
Xiao Wa's eyes also lit up. He eyed the flying Yao Beasts in the sky, pulled with both hands, and burrowed into the earth. In the blink of an eye, countless sharp rock spears shot into the air from beneath the ground, scaring the flying Yao Beasts into frantic evasions.
Xiao Jin and Xiao Wa, going all out, immediately drove those Yao Beasts away from the area.
Only the Crimson Wolf looked melancholic, knowing he couldn't help, and was a bit downcast.
Li Mu squatted down, looking at the aging Crimson Wolf. He gently rubbed its head but didn't say much, only telling it to stay by his side.
The Crimson Wolf was now in its twilight years, its Lifespan nearing its end. The only thing Li Mu could do now was to stay by its side as much as possible and accompany it through its final days.
The Crimson Wolf was very intelligent. Under its master's gentle caress, its mood brightened. It gently licked Li Mu's hand. Compared to hunting Yao Beasts, it preferred to stay by its master's side.
"Good boy! Come, accompany me to reclaim the Spiritual Field."
Li Mu smiled slightly and walked to the plain beside the waterfall at the foot of the mountain. In the open area, where the sunlight was longest, he chose a piece of plain soil and immediately began to act. He continuously formed hand seals, using Turning Earth Technique, Mud Transformation Technique, Drying Technique, Soil Solidification Technique, and various other spirit rice farmer Spells. In an area about fifty zhang away from the core, he also applied the same Spells.
Li Mu worked on two tasks at once, yet he handled them with ease.
He released the same Spells from both palms, controlling the reclamation of two Spiritual Fields. The two plots of land churned, as if earth Dragons were rolling beneath the surface.
Under the application of various Spells, in less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the fertile fields were successfully reclaimed, each with sixty mu of Spiritual Field.
Putting away his Spells, Li Mu floated a hundred zhang high. From within the nine storage spiritual pearl, he took out twenty Formation Flags. With his ten fingers forming hand seals, the Formation Flags fluttered in the wind. Under the control of the hand seals, they split into two, inserting themselves around the Spiritual Fields in both the Yin and Yang areas.
"Spirit Gathering Great Array, rise!"
Li Mu raised both hands, and the Spirit Gathering Great Array instantly burst forth with endless golden light. A massive amount of Spiritual Qi from both the Yin and Yang areas poured into the Spiritual Fields.
But, this was not enough!
Li Mu hesitated for a moment, then took out one hundred thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones from the nine storage spiritual pearl. He scattered them, and in an instant, they transformed into an extremely dense torrent of Spiritual Qi, like rain, irrigating the Spiritual Fields.
The pure and clean torrent of Spiritual Qi submerged into the Spiritual Fields, moistening them and rapidly improving the quality of the Spiritual Fields.
In less than an hour, the Spiritual Qi around the two Spiritual Fields surged, quickly elevating them directly from mid-grade Spiritual Fields to High Grade Spiritual Fields.
Scattering one hundred thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones to develop two Superior Spiritual Fields, perhaps only Li Mu has been so extravagant throughout history!
The Spiritual Fields completed their advancement in a short time!
Li Mu began to set up the Yin Yang Mixed Yuan Formation, gathering the extreme Yang and extreme Yin Qi from the two Yin and Yang Spiritual Fields and separating them.
Li Mu took out Yin Soul Fruit spiritual seeds from the nine storage spiritual pearl. Wrapped in Spiritual Qi, each one precisely landed on the Yin Valley Spiritual Field. For a time, strong Yin winds blew, and without any external force, the extreme Yin Spiritual Qi formed a white spiritual mist, drilling into the Yin Soul Fruit spiritual seeds.
A faint light, like starlit night lamps, twinkled and sparkled on each Yin Soul Fruit, looking exceptionally beautiful.
The originally desolate Yin Spiritual Valley gained a unique vitality.
The Purple Yang Spiritual Mushroom spiritual seeds also landed one by one on the Spiritual Field by the waterfall. As soon as the spiritual seeds landed, under the augmentation of the Yin Yang Mixed Yuan Formation, the extreme Yang Qi from the sunlight actually intertwined with the Spiritual Qi of the High Grade Spiritual Field, forming a crimson-gold torrent that flowed through the Spiritual Fields, nurturing the spiritual seeds.
Seeing this, Li Mu was overjoyed. Yin Yang Valley was simply a blessed land for planting both Yin and Yang Spiritual Plants. Compared to the Yin and Yang planting grounds he had created with Spells on Yue Qiong Peak in the Qingxuan Sect, the effect here was dozens of times stronger.
The naturally formed Yin and Yang Qi had a world of difference in effect compared to those forcibly created by formations.
Seeing this Yin Yang Valley, Li Mu loved it dearly. He wished he could transplant it into the Painting World Treasure Mansion. In the future, he could directly plant Yin and Yang plants within the Treasure Mansion, eliminating the need to run around.
Li Mu rationally chose to abandon this idea. Given the special environment of Yin Yang Valley and its massive scale, he couldn't possibly incorporate it into the Painting World Treasure Mansion with his current means.
Forget it! He would plan for this later.
For now, the Spiritual Plants had just been planted. He needed to wait for them to take root and bear fruit, then cultivate them later.
As Li Mu descended from the sky, the Crimson Wolf wagged its tail and came close. Xiao Jin and Xiao Wa also rushed over from afar.
Xiao Jin was carrying an unknown Yao Beast on his back, its appearance miserable, evidently beaten to death by his club.
Xiao Wa, on his broad back, had two sharp spikes each impaling two flying Yao Beasts. Both beasts showed human-like smiles and obediently came to Li Mu's side, gently placing their hunted spoils down.
"Well done. I'll add extra food for you tonight."
Li Mu was in a great mood today and planned to cook a good meal.
The Crimson Wolf, however, sat cross-legged, only able to gaze longingly at the so-called delicacies before it. These Yao Beasts were all third and fourth grade; the power contained in their flesh and blood was something it simply couldn't bear. It could only eat Beast Taming Pills to fill its stomach.
Li Mu naturally noticed the Crimson Wolf's change in mood. He was about to go hunt some low-grade Spirit Beasts himself to properly reward the Crimson Wolf, but he hadn't yet acted.
Xiao Jin, that fellow, unzipped his wide trouser pocket, reached in, and pulled out a few first-grade Spirit Beasts, gently placing them in front of the Crimson Wolf.
Both the Crimson Wolf and Li Mu were momentarily stunned. Xiao Wa stomped the ground, and the soil parted, revealing two first-grade burrowing beasts threaded in a row.
"You guys!"
Li Mu's throat tightened, and a warmth spread in his heart. The Crimson Wolf also understood, its eyes welling up, letting out two howls, yet with a catch in its throat.
Xiao Jin and Xiao Wa shrank their bodies and snuggled together with the Crimson Wolf, like a family.
"You all have fun, I'm going to cook for you."
Li Mu grinned, raised a hand, and the beasts floated in mid-air. He walked away to begin cooking.
Time passed quickly. Two hours later, the simple roasted meat cooking was still full of color, aroma, and taste.
The fragrance wafted for miles, and Xiao Jin and Xiao Wa, who were playing, also scampered over, their attention fully on the delicious food, chewing heartily.
Li Mu also held a piece of beast meat and ate it with relish.
One person and three Spirit Beasts managed to devour over ten thousand catties of Yao Beast meat.
After eating and drinking to their fill, Li Mu went to the waterfall to change and bathe.
The three Spirit Beasts also plunged into the water, playing and frolicking with Li Mu, truly enjoying themselves.
The pleasant day passed just like that. After coming ashore, Li Mu took out a miniature house-shaped Magical Artifact from the nine storage spiritual pearl and casually threw it by the Spiritual Field.
The next moment, it burst forth with a green light, and the Magical Artifact instantly grew larger. A simple house appeared by the Spiritual Field.
Li Mu looked at this house, which resembled a courtyard, and was very satisfied. This Magical Artifact was found among the Magic Cultivator 's storage Magic Treasures obtained from the Yu Ling Sect battle.
【four directions house】
【Grade: Fourth-Grade Defensive Magic Treasure】
【Features: Comfortable living, concealed aura, hidden from danger.】
【Status: Fully activated, Spiritual Qi gathering.】
【A residential Magical Artifact crafted from third-grade Crane Mountain Wood, Ruyi Stone, fourth-grade Taixuan Sinking Stone, and Ruyi Stone. The size of the house is adaptable, with a maximum height of four zhang, a width of thirty-eight zhang, and a length of seventy zhang. It has four rooms: a cultivation room, an Artifact Refining Room, a living room, and an Alchemy room. Its defensive power is relatively general and cannot withstand strong attacks, suitable for travel.】
When Li Mu was tallying the spoils of war, he accidentally discovered this residential Magical Artifact. Simply put, it was a house refined for convenience during long journeys, so one wouldn't have to live in desolate mountains and wild forests.
This demonic Cultivator was quite a connoisseur of enjoyment, and now it benefited Li Mu. This item was also suitable for him, so he kept it.
Although the house wasn't large, it was fully equipped.
Its appearance was also unique, and placed beneath the waterfall amidst this beautiful scenery, it blended in perfectly, creating a picturesque scene.
Li Mu was extremely satisfied. Afterwards, he moved into the house, bringing the Crimson Wolf directly into his room. Xiao Jin and Xiao Wa, those two hangers-on, also trotted along behind him.