Early morning, at the Lu family residence.
Lu Qing woke up from his cultivation.
The spirit stone he held in his hand had become dull and lifeless, its spiritual energy exhausted.
However, after sensing the magical core within his body, he let out a sigh.
After refining an entire low-grade spirit stone, the power of his mana golden core only increased by an almost imperceptible amount.
"We don't have many spirit stones left. At this rate, it seems like it will be a long time before we can complete the first stage of the Golden Core."
Lu Qing pondered to himself.
It has been a year since Grandpa Zhao passed away.
During this year, Lu Qing had already deduced and perfected the first three stages of the 【Perfect Golden Core Method】.
However, his progress in cultivation was slow.
He is still at the initial stage of the Golden Core realm.
Its first turn was only half completed; there is still a long way to go before it is fully completed.
And this was the result of him using spirit stones for cultivation.
Without spirit stones, relying solely on absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to cultivate, his cultivation speed would probably be ridiculously slow.
The reason for this is that the current concentration of spiritual energy in the world is no longer sufficient to meet his cultivation needs.
Even the array in the Jade Transformation Cave could not gather spiritual energy as quickly as he could absorb and refine it.
As a result, Lu Qing could only feel a significant improvement in his cultivation level by using spirit stones to cultivate during the latter half of the year.
However, the amount of spirit stones he had was limited. After half a year of cultivation, he had used up most of his low-grade spirit stones.
Lu Qing estimated that even if he used all the remaining spirit stones for cultivation, it would only be enough to support him to complete the first stage and barely reach the second stage.
"If the first stage is this difficult to complete, wouldn't the spirit stones required for the second stage be doubled?"
Lu Qing felt a chill run down her spine just thinking about it.
Although a perfect Golden Core is powerful, the resources required for its cultivation are many times greater than those for other Golden Cores.
Lu Qing couldn't even imagine how terrifying the resources he would need once he reached the late stage of the Golden Core Realm.
This perfect golden elixir is truly a gold-devouring behemoth!
"Moreover, since the fifth sound of the Dao of Heaven and Earth, the spiritual energy in the world has increased and gradually stabilized."
The next Daoist discourse is estimated to be a long time from now.
Lu Qing quietly sensed that the rules of heaven and earth around him had become very stable.
It will probably be a long time before the next transformation takes place.
He had anticipated this.
"Yan" had also told him that in the previous era of cultivation, starting from the revival of spiritual energy, it took hundreds of years for the concentration of spiritual energy to truly reach its peak.
The world has only recently been revived, and it will likely be a long time before the next transformation occurs.
"It seems we need to think of a way. I wonder if any of the places 'Yan' mentioned actually have spirit stone veins."
Lu Qing silently made his plans.
As an ancient relic that survived the previous era of cultivation, "Yan" knows many secrets.
This includes the locations of some of the more famous spirit stone veins from the previous era of cultivation.
I wonder if any spirit stones have been nurtured in those places, given that the world has only been recovering for such a short time.
Just as Lu Qing was contemplating his future path of cultivation, a thought suddenly struck him.
He took out a jade talisman from his pocket and read it with his mind.
This jade talisman is a communication talisman he crafted, capable of transmitting information through divine thought.
A message was transmitted from the jade talisman.
"Aqing, come over here after you come out of the pass."
It was a message from Master.
"Did Master need to see me?"
Lu Qing's heart stirred slightly.
Without much thought, he left the quiet room and soon arrived at the small courtyard halfway up the mountain.
As soon as I entered the courtyard, I saw my master drinking tea with two people under the plum tree.
One of them was Lin Zhirui, but the other was someone he hadn't expected.
"Senior Master of Tianji Pavilion?"
Lu Qing was quite surprised to see the old man who looked like a hermit.
"Young Master Lu, it's been a long time," said the Master of Tianji Tower with a smile.
"It is truly unexpected that you, senior, would have the time to come to our remote place."
"Young Master Lu is too modest. This place is full of spiritual energy, comparable to that of the Central Plains. It is clearly a place of outstanding people and beautiful scenery."
No wonder a genius like you, Young Master Lu, could emerge from this world.
The Master of Tianji Pavilion praised it.
"You flatter me, senior." Lu Qing smiled and said, "But what brings you to Cangzhou, senior?"
Lu Qing knew that someone like the Master of Tianji Tower was extremely busy and wouldn't leave Zhongzhou unless absolutely necessary.
Moreover, his master specifically sent him a message, so there must be something important going on.
While Lu Qing was pondering, the Master of Tianji Tower was also observing him.
Then he discovered that, just like back in Zhongzhou, despite his recent breakthrough in cultivation, he still couldn't see through Lu Qing's true intentions at all.
Aside from sensing that he was even more unfathomable, nothing else could be discerned.
His divination techniques were completely ineffective against Lu Qing.
Recalling the message Zhi Rui had sent him earlier, Tianji Louzhu understood.
Lu Qing's cultivation had truly reached an incredibly profound level, one that was beyond their comprehension.
"To be honest, young man, I have indeed come here on business."
When Lu Qing asked, the Master of Tianji Tower didn't keep him in suspense and answered directly.
"I have been asked to ask Young Master Lu a question."
"Oh? What is it? If I know, I will certainly tell you everything I know," Lu Qing said.
Upon hearing Lu Qing's words, the Master of Tianji Pavilion immediately became serious and looked at Lu Qing intently.
He said, "This matter is related to the Hanging Mountain, one of the four great secret places."
A year ago, a mysterious powerful figure wearing a ghost mask killed many disciples and elders of Suspended Mountain.
Forced to retreat to their secret location and remain secluded, the Suspended Mountain was forced to remain indoors.
For more than a year, there has been no news of them anywhere in the world.
Everyone initially thought that Suspended Mountain was wary of the powerful figure with the ghost mask.
In addition, the two extraterrestrial beings were powerful at the time, so they hid in the secret place to bide their time and never came out.
However, those two extraterrestrial beings were later killed by you, young sir, and disappeared for a long time.
There is still no sign of the Suspended Mountain emerging in Xizhou.
Not long ago, there were other secret locations, so I couldn't resist sending people to Xizhou to gather information.
To their great surprise, they discovered that the secret place of the Suspended Mountain could no longer be contacted.
Their requests for visits went unanswered.
Finally, after extensive investigation, the conclusion reached regarding the other secret locations was...
The secret place of the suspended mountain has disappeared.
It wasn't just a matter of staying indoors; the people and the entire secret space completely vanished.
Young Master Lu, do you know what's going on here?
Despite being closely watched by the Lord of Tianji Pavilion, Lu Qing smiled calmly.
"From what you're saying, senior, you think this matter is related to me?"
The Master of Tianji Tower remained silent.
Some things don't need to be explained so clearly.
However, an ancient secret place that had been passed down for tens of thousands of years disappeared without a trace.
Such a terrifying thing is something that no force in the entire world could accomplish.
If he really had to guess, he couldn't think of anyone else besides Lu Qing who possessed such supernatural abilities.
After all, this person was capable of easily killing those two incredibly powerful Golden Core Realm extraterrestrial beings.
More importantly, Lu Qing also has an irreconcilable feud with the Suspended Mountain.
Based on various speculations, I dare not believe it.
However, the Master of Tianji Tower believes that if the disappearance of the Suspended Mountain Secret Realm was man-made.
Apart from Lu Qing, no one else could have done such an incredible thing.
Seeing the look in Tianji Tower's eyes, Lu Qing smiled and said, "Since you already have the answer in your heart, why ask me again?"
The Master of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion was shaken: "In that case, it really is..."
"I don't know about other things, I can only tell my seniors."
Indeed, the Suspended Mountain Secret Realm has completely disappeared.
From now on, there will only be three secret places in the world.
The suspended mountain is now history.
The Heavenly Mystery Pavilion Master and Lin Zhirui were immediately stunned on the spot.
Although they had some suspicions before they came.
But that's just speculation; the Hanging Mountain may not actually have disappeared.
Perhaps some secret method was used to seal off this secret place.
After all, as an ancient force inherited from the previous era of cultivation, it's not too difficult to understand what powerful formations and techniques they possess.
So now it has been confirmed by Lu Qing that the Suspended Mountain has completely disappeared and become history.
The master and his apprentice were still incredibly shocked.
On the contrary, the old doctor on the side remained calm.
Lu Qing had already told him about the destruction of the Suspended Mountain a year ago.
"Young Master Lu, this, this really is..."
After a while, the Master of Heavenly Secrets came to his senses, but for a moment he didn't know what to say.
"It's just the destruction of a secret place, why should you care, senior?"
"And senior, guess what else I saw besides the monks of Suspended Mountain in the secret realm of Suspended Mountain?"
The Master of Tianji Tower was taken aback, but with his keen mind, he suddenly realized something.
"Could it be..."
"That's right, the remnants of the Wujianlou, who were once besieged by all the forces in the world, are still alive and well in the secret place of Xuankong Mountain."
"But rest assured, senior, they too perished in silence, along with that secret place."
"So that's how it is..."
The Master of Tianji Tower murmured.
In fact, he had already guessed what was going on when the remnants of the Infernal Tower reappeared.
It was only now that this was confirmed by Lu Qing.
"I understand why you've come, senior. You can tell the person who asked you for help."
The younger generation has always been clear about gratitude and resentment, and will not easily commit murder.
As long as they don't provoke me, I don't particularly enjoy making enemies.
Lu Qing understood that the disappearance of the Suspended Mountain must have caused panic in the other three secret realms.
After all, an ancient power with tens of thousands of years of heritage, backed by a secret realm, just vanished without a trace.
If this matter is not clarified, the people in the other three secret realms will probably not be able to sleep peacefully.
Therefore, he also expressed his attitude to the Master of Tianji Tower.
As long as you don't provoke him, everything is fine.
But if anyone is tactless, he wouldn't mind letting the events of the Suspended Mountain Secret Realm repeat themselves.
The Master of Tianji Tower naturally understood the meaning behind Lu Qing's words.
He immediately said, "Young Master Lu, rest assured, I will definitely relay your words to the other three secret places."
"Alright, now that we've finished discussing the important matters, let's all sit down and have some tea."
At this moment, the old doctor spoke up, easing the tense atmosphere around them.
Just then, the spring water boiling in front of him also began to boil.
The Master of Tianji Tower sat down.
The old doctor began brewing plum tea.
As the boiling spring water was poured over it, a unique and refreshing fragrance quickly wafted from the pot and spread throughout the entire courtyard.
Upon smelling the fragrance, the Master of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion immediately felt refreshed, and even the spiritual energy within his body was subtly stirred.
He looked at the plum tea the old doctor poured in surprise and couldn't help but exclaim, "Excellent tea!"
Lin Zhirui smiled and said, "Master, you must try this plum tea from Senior Chen. It is unique in the world, and it is no exaggeration to say that it is the best tea in the world!"
"Zhi Rui is too kind. It's just that the flower tea produced by this plum tree is somewhat peculiar. How can it deserve the title of the best tea in the world?" the old doctor said, shaking his head.
He then handed the first cup of tea to the Master of Tianji Pavilion, saying, "Please, Master."
The Master of Tianji Pavilion did not refuse. He took the cup of tea and saw that the tea was clear and had a unique fragrance.
He couldn't resist taking a small sip.
As the tea entered his mouth, he felt his mouth water. After taking a sip of plum tea, the spiritual energy within his body began to circulate involuntarily, becoming much more active.
The Master of Tianji Pavilion widened his eyes in surprise: "This plum tea..."
"Haha, Master, have you felt the wonder of this plum tea?" Lin Zhirui said happily, "This plum tea is no longer just an ordinary tea."
It contains spiritual energy, which can invigorate spiritual power and enhance cultivation.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a miraculous medicine; it is truly a miraculous tea.
That's why the disciple said it was the best tea in the world.
"The best tea in the world? This plum tea certainly deserves that title."
The Master of Heavenly Secrets felt the changes within his body and couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.
At the same time, I couldn't help but marvel.
This visit truly gave him a lot of shock.
Although he had heard his disciples mention the strangeness of Jiuli Village before, he was still very surprised when he saw the village with his own eyes.
The spiritual energy gathered in this remote mountain village is no less than that of the Central Plains.
Even he couldn't discern anything about the protective formation that guarded the village.
Now, I've also tasted spiritual tea that can enhance one's cultivation.
No wonder Zhi Rui has never wanted to go back to Zhongzhou since he came here.
This place is truly an excellent place for spiritual practice.
Hearing the praise from the Master of Tianji Pavilion, Lu Qing remained silent, but picked up his tea and took a sip.
Since he set up the formation, gathering the earth's energy and spiritual energy from all directions to the village, the plum tree in the courtyard halfway up the mountain has become increasingly mystical.
It now possesses considerable spirituality and can be considered a true spiritual tree.
The plum blossoms that grow there also bring considerable benefits to low-level cultivators like the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion Master and Lin Zhirui.
Of course, for him, it was simply tea that tasted better.
With his current cultivation level, besides spirit stones, only genuine spiritual herbs, and their grade cannot be too low, will be effective.
Thinking about his cultivation progress, Lu Qing couldn't help but feel a headache coming on again.
