Wisps of glowing white mana flowed from Xu Mu's fingers, carving out Formation Patterns under his control. Most First Rank Low-grade Formations only consist of five relatively simple Formation Patterns. Even so, after Xu Mu finished engraving, a fair amount of fine sweat appeared on his forehead. His mental energy and mana were heavily depleted.
When the final stroke of the last Formation Pattern was completed, Xu Mu placed three Formation Flags in their respective positions and formed hand seals.
"Rise!"
The Formation Patterns suddenly emitted a dazzling light, and the Spiritual Qi inside the Cave Abode was absorbed by the Formation Flags and Formation Patterns. Wisps of mist rose and spread in all directions, tightly enveloping Xu Mu's Cave Abode in the blink of an eye.
After concealing the Cave Abode, the mist continued to spread outward until the dense mist occupied everything within a fifty-meter radius centered on the Cave Abode. This mist could do more than just block one's vision; if someone with insufficient Divine Soul strength entered, they would lose their sense of direction.
"Phew..." Xu Mu let out a slow breath. "The Mist Formation is complete."
In truth, with Xu Mu's level as a First Rank Low-grade Formation Master, even setting up a First Rank Low-grade Formation wasn't guaranteed to succeed every time. However, with the three Formation Flags, the success rate was greatly improved. Xu Mu's first attempt at setting up a Formation was successfully completed, at the cost of three Formation Flags bought for 9 Spirit Stones.
With the Mist Formation, at least the Cave Abode isn't so conspicuous; it's much safer than before. At this stage, only Early Stage Qi Refining Yao Beasts would appear near Xu Mu's Cave Abode. This was a normal phenomenon in the Cave Abode World. It wouldn't allow powerful Yao Beasts to appear near a novice's Cave Abode, nor would it send weak ones near the Cave Abodes of the strong.
Furthermore, the Cave Abodes of the Zenith Star Cultivators in the Cave Abode World were all located within the same large area. Therefore, in this Cave Abode World, besides encountering Yao Beasts, one might also encounter other Cultivators.
Next, it's time to study the Small Spirit Gathering Formation.
The Spirit Gathering Formation was considered the most frequently used Formation on Zenith Star across various scenarios. After all, the Spiritual Veins on Zenith Star were limited, so it was necessary to concentrate the Spiritual Qi and make the best use of it. The Spirit Gathering Formation was much simpler than the Mist Formation and didn't require Formation Flags.
Over the next three or four days, Xu Mu mastered the Spirit Gathering Formation and set it up inside his Cave Abode. This way, the Spiritual Qi from the Cave Abode's Spiritual Vein wouldn't dissipate, and the concentration of Spiritual Qi within the Cave Abode would increase. Although it still didn't reach the level of a First Rank Mid-grade Spiritual Vein, it was much better than a First Rank Low-grade one.
Continue to Cultivate! Strive for an early Breakthrough to the Qi Refining Third Layer!!
Xu Mu took out a Qi Gathering Pill and swallowed it, circulating the Blazing Sun Departing Fire Art to absorb the medicinal power and the Spiritual Qi in the Cave Abode, eventually converting it into mana. Time slowly slipped away as Xu Mu's cultivation level improved.
Two months later.
Ending his cultivation, Xu Mu opened his eyes and slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, which shot out several meters like a white silk ribbon before dissipating.
Although these two months of cultivation didn't let me Breakthrough, the gains have been significant; I'm already very close to the Qi Refining Third Layer.
Meanwhile, Xu Mu had purchased his desired items on the Trading Platform. The Low-grade Magic Tool, Golden Flame Ring, worth 105 Spirit Stones.
Whether fighting Yao Beasts or battling other people, Cultivators mainly relied on Divine Abilities and Magic Treasures; everything else was supplementary. Therefore, Magic Treasures were extremely important for Cultivators, as they could significantly enhance their offensive capabilities. It was normal for Magic Treasures to be expensive; most Low-grade Magic Tools were priced around 100 Spirit Stones.
The Trading Platform had a large amount of transaction information every day; basically, everything except rare items like Azure Moon Stones and Star Stones could be bought. In fact, even Azure Moon Stones and Star Stones were occasionally put up for sale. After all, if one only obtained one or two pieces, it was a drop in the bucket for improving a profession. It was better to sell them directly and exchange them for other things to quickly improve one's strength and self-defense capabilities.
However, many people were watching the Trading Platform at every moment; the instant such rare items appeared, someone would snatch them up, making them very hard to get. In contrast, Low-grade Magic Tools were relatively easy to buy. It was just that most Early Stage Qi Refining Cultivators didn't have the financial resources to buy them.
Xu Mu looked down at the golden bracelet on his left wrist; this was the Low-grade Magic Tool, Golden Flame Ring, he had bought. Although Cultivators could only control artifacts after breaking through to the Qi Refining Mid-stage and opening their Sea of Consciousness, Xu Mu felt this Magic Treasure suited him well, so he bought it on a whim when he saw it. For now, he couldn't unleash its full power, but it would be fine once he reached the Qi Refining Mid-stage.
Besides the Magic Treasure Golden Flame Ring, Xu Mu also bought five First Rank Low-grade Earth Shield Talismans.
I've stayed in the Cave Abode for so long; it's time to go out for a walk.
At this stage of cultivation, he couldn't yet manage to go into seclusion for months at a time; his body and mind wouldn't be able to handle it. Leaving the Cave Abode, Xu Mu sent a message to Cheng Hongbo, who hadn't replied.
He should still be inside his Cave Abode; it seems this kid is really giving it his all.
Xu Mu went out alone and took the High-Speed Train to school. Although River City was only a medium-sized city, its population, area, and economy were already comparable to most provincial capitals from his previous life. Xu Mu lived in the suburbs; every time he went to the school in the city center, he had to take the High-Speed Train for half an hour.
The closer one got to the city center, the denser the Spiritual Qi became. Therefore, ordinary people lived in the suburbs, while the wealthy and powerful Cultivators lived in the city center.
Arriving at the school, Xu Mu went straight to the Library. The Formation Legacy Xu Mu had borrowed before only contained three basic Formations, which weren't quite enough; Xu Mu needed more Formations to enhance the defenses of his Cave Abode.
Xu Mu arrived at the area where the Formation Legacies were kept with practiced ease. He found someone there; it was Kou Ying, whom he had encountered here last time. Today, she wore a spotless white dress, her long hair draped casually, looking quiet and beautiful, as if she had stepped out of a painting.
As Xu Mu walked over, she happened to be leaving with a Jade Slip, a reversal of the situation from last time. Perhaps because she had seen him here before and remembered him, she nodded toward Xu Mu, a faint smile on her exquisite face, pure and sweet. Xu Mu knew she was just greeting him out of politeness, so he also nodded.
After Kou Ying left, Xu Mu continued searching for a suitable Formation Legacy. This time, he was mainly looking for Formations that would be useful to him. The Library housed many legacies related to Pills, Artifacts, Formations, and Talismans, including some basic Pill Formulas and Formations; once he left school, he would have to buy them.
However, these legacies in the Library weren't available for students to borrow indefinitely. Everyone could only borrow them three times at most. This was already Xu Mu's second time; after finding what he needed and registering his departure, he returned to the classroom.
Most third-year students were cultivating in their Cave Abodes, so not many people came to class. Xu Mu glanced at today's curriculum, decided there was no need to attend, and prepared to go home.