233: New residence

Cloud Radiance Mountain Range, Qingxi Valley.

By the time Su Ming stood before the slightly desolate Immortal Cave, the sky had already turned completely dark.

Moonlight spilled onto the overgrown courtyard, and the distant creek flowed gently, making a pleasant sound.

It was quiet all around; aside from the chirping of insects, no human sounds could be heard.

This place was indeed secluded. The path leading into the valley was mostly obscured by thick vines. His new Immortal Cave was located at the end of the valley, backed by a nearly vertical, dark, sheer cliff, with a slightly barren but sizable flat area in front. The courtyard wall was damaged, and wild grass grew rampant.

“The location is good.”

Lin Yu's phantom floated out of the ring and hovered in mid-air, examining the surroundings with satisfaction. “Backed by mountains and facing water, Azure Dragon on the left and White Tiger on the right... *cough*, mainly, it's the terrain. There's a natural fissure in the sheer cliff behind us. With a little modification, it'll be a perfect escape route. The creek in front leads directly to an underground river, so if someone sets the mountain on fire, we can use Water Evasion to escape.”

Pushing open the heavy stone door, a dusty smell of long disuse rushed out.

The interior of the Immortal Cave was more spacious than expected, divided into a front hall, a quiet Cultivation room, a Pill and Artifact Room (which also served as a study), and a small storage room. The runes of the Basic Spirit Gathering Array were faintly visible on the corners and floor. Although covered in dust, just as Steward Zhao said, the Basic Spirit Gathering Array was still functioning, and the Spiritual Qi in the air was more than ten times stronger than in the Menial Worker Yard.

The space inside the Immortal Cave was large, divided into a main room, a quiet room, and the Artifact Refining Room.

Su Ming took out the hundred Spirit Stones from his Storage Pouch, and placed the bottle of “Jade Condensation Pills” and his identity token on the stone table.

The faint spiritual light illuminated the dim stone room, and also lit up Su Ming's face, which was slightly tired but full of hope.

He picked up the iron token representing “Formation Peak Reserve Deacon,” his thumb tracing the cold patterns on its surface.

From a Menial Worker whose life was uncertain, to an Outer Sect Deacon who now possessed an independent Immortal Cave and a large sum of money. This step was thrilling, yet he took it with incredible solidity.

“Master,” Su Ming said softly.

“Hmm?” Lin Yu floated to the stone table, looking at the pile of resources, a rare trace of emotion visible in his eyes.

“Have we finally established a firm foothold in the Cloud Hidden Sect now?”

Lin Yu chuckled, extending a translucent finger to tap the pile of Spirit Stones.

“What do you call establishing a firm foothold? This is just the first step of our 'Overt Way of Hiding' plan—Acquiring Property and Setting up a Home.”

Lin Yu turned around, his gaze passing through the stone door of the Immortal Cave toward the dark and deep night sky outside, his voice carrying the confidence of someone planning strategies.

“The startup capital is in place. Disciple, next, we must turn this Qingxi Valley into an impregnable 'Safe House.' Then, use your 'Standardized' methods to fiercely harvest the Outer Sect's leeks... oh no, I mean earn resources.”

Su Ming tightened his grip on the token, the corner of his mouth curving slightly upwards.

“I will listen to Master.”

Dusk arrived earlier in Qingxi Valley than elsewhere.

The setting sun was largely blocked by the sheer cliff on the west side, leaving only a few strands of orange-red afterglow that barely spilled onto the winding creek at the mouth of the valley, causing ripples of light.

Inside the valley, the desolation that had lasted for many years was broken by a burst of noisy human voices.

“Careful! Be gentle, everyone!”

Wang Defa's round body spun around the courtyard like a top, waving a sweat rag in his hand, directing several Utility Disciples to move crates. “These crates contain the Core Account Books of our Repair Hall from previous years! If you chip a corner, I'll deduct three days' Contribution Points from you!”

“Old Wang, stop shouting.”

Zhang Asheng carried two bundles of Spiritual Wood Saplings, God knows where he got them, and walked past, speaking in a muffled voice. “The Hall Master likes quiet. Your voice is louder than the sound of forging from Artifact Peak.”

Wang Defa shrank his neck, subconsciously glancing towards the depths of the Immortal Cave, then lowered his voice and put on a fawning smile: “I'm just happy! Our Hall Master is a person of standing now. If moving house doesn't have some fanfare, won't people look down on him?”

Inside the Immortal Cave's Main Room.

Su Ming paid no attention to the noise outside. He stood in the center of the empty stone hall, a wisp of faint blue Water Spiritual Power swirling around his fingertip.

This place had indeed been abandoned for too long.

Dark green moss covered the stone walls, a thick layer of dust accumulated on the floor, and the air was filled with a rotten, moldy smell. The runes of the Basic Spirit Gathering Array in the corner were already blurry, and several pieces of Fluorite originally used for illumination had lost their luster, embedded in the wall like dead fish eyes.

“Master, this is a significant amount of work,” Su Ming said softly.

“Dirtiness, messiness, and shabbiness are the mortal enemies of security.”

Lin Yu's voice sounded in the Sea of Consciousness, carrying a hint of disdain. “This kind of environment not only easily breeds Heart Demons but also easily hides filth.”

Su Ming nodded, his eyes slightly closed.

Inside his Dantian Qi Sea, the tender green seedling gently swayed, and an extremely pure wisp of Water Spiritual Power surged along his Meridians towards his fingertip.

“Go.”

Su Ming let out a soft shout.

The wisp of faint blue spiritual power on his fingertip instantly exploded, turning into countless fine mists that quickly permeated every corner of the stone room.

This was not an ordinary Cleansing Technique, but the “Nourishing Silence” described in the Ruoshui Art.

These mists seemed to possess life, infiltrating along the textures of the stone wall, wrapping and stripping away all the dirt, mold, and even residual heterogeneous Qi that had accumulated for decades.

Su Ming rotated his wrist and made a grasping motion with his five fingers.

“Gather.”

The mist permeating the entire room instantly rolled back, condensing in the air into a water sphere as black as ink, containing all the filth.

Su Ming waved his hand casually, and the water sphere flew out of the Immortal Cave, dropping into a distant deep ravine.

The originally dark and damp stone room, though still undecorated, now revealed its original bluish-gray texture, and the air became fresh and humid.

“That 'High-Pressure Cleaning' move was well executed,” Lin Yu commented. “Next is the main event. Since we are following The Way of Cautious Survival, this lair must be an iron bucket. The Basic Restriction outside is too shabby; it deters gentlemen but not villains. It must be changed.”

Su Ming walked to the center of the Immortal Cave and took out a set of Formation Flags he had prepared long ago from his Storage Pouch.

This set of Formation Flags was not standard Sect issue; rather, he had refined them himself using leftover materials from the Repair Hall.

The flagpoles were made of extremely resilient Water Cloud Bamboo, and the flag surfaces were woven from Celestial Silkworm Silk mixed with Mithril Thread. The runes drawn on them were not the usual fierce, rigid kind, but rounded and looping, conveying a sense of continuous flow.

“Minor Heavenly Cycle Water Rhythm Array.”

Su Ming softly recited the array's name.

This was the result of half a month of deliberation between him and Lin Yu.

It sought neither slaughter nor enemy entrapment; it sought only one word—“Survival.”