Volume One: Youth Must Be Seized Early, For One Cannot Remain Young Forever. Chapter 142: Living in Solitude

When he awoke the next day, the rain outside had ceased. Bai Qingzhou rose, peeled off the Breath-Concealing Talisman, moved the large boulder blocking the entrance, and stepped outside to collect some water to wash his face. After using a Cleansing Spell to refresh his body and clear his mind, he looked toward his intended direction and continued his journey.

Two days later, Bai Qingzhou gazed in pleasant surprise at a deep, serene spring before him, feeling a sudden, resonant surge of spiritual energy that made his senses feel exceptionally sharp.

"This is the place! I’ve finally found it! This is where my destiny lies!"

Thin mist drifted across the area, lending it the air of a celestial realm. Despite the deep winter season, the vegetation here was lush and verdant, while nameless wildflowers bloomed in a competitive display of color, filling the air with the fresh scent of greenery as if it were late autumn.

The surface of the pool was perfectly still, save for a lone wild deer drinking leisurely. Upon spotting Bai Qingzhou, it startled and bounded away into the depths of the dense forest.

"The spiritual energy here is incredibly dense, even strong enough to keep the bitter cold at bay!" Bai Qingzhou’s face lit up with joy. "Cultivating here will surely yield twice the result with half the effort!"

"I must find a cave first..."

Bai Qingzhou scanned the perimeter of the pool. After observing for a while, he stepped forward, gripping his long sword tightly, his movements cautious. After all, places with such abundant spiritual energy were usually inhabited by demonic beasts; he knew full well that this place was extremely dangerous.

"Roar!"

Suddenly, a terrifying beast descended from above, its massive palm swiping directly toward Bai Qingzhou’s head with such force that the air hummed.

But Bai Qingzhou’s body reacted as if he had foreseen the strike; he retreated slightly, dodging it with ease. He had spotted the beast long ago!

In the next instant, a flash of sword light appeared.

"Squelch!"

His sword pierced the beast’s heart.

"Roar!"

The beast let out a thunderous cry. Seeing this, Bai Qingzhou felt a surge of relief—based on its reaction, it was clearly not a second-tier beast, but merely a high-level first-tier one. He channeled spiritual energy into his long sword and immediately unleashed the Ethereal Sword Technique.

The sword strikes rained down upon the beast like a downpour, steadily reaping its life. Since he had been able to defeat such beasts back when he was at the eighth level of Qi Refining, it was even easier now that he had reached the peak of the ninth level. Within the time it took to finish a cup of tea, the beast collapsed to the ground, twitching until it finally fell still.

Once the beast stopped breathing, Bai Qingzhou carefully surveyed his surroundings. Satisfied that there were no other predators, he crouched down and used his sword to harvest the valuable parts of the carcass. After a quick cleanup, he continued his search.

He scoured the entire area and, finding no other beasts, finally set his mind at ease and began looking for a cave near the pool. However, the only cave he found was the one previously occupied by the beast. It was filthy, littered with excrement and animal remains, and stank so badly that flies buzzed everywhere. Bai Qingzhou had no desire to stay there. He searched the rest of the area, but found no suitable alternatives.

"Fine, I'll carve one out myself," he decided.

He walked to the cliffside by the pool, summoned his Immortal Wind Carving, and flew into the air. Looking down from above, the area was veiled in mist and clouds, creating an atmosphere of profound peace, broken only by the occasional distant roar of a beast, a reminder that the place was not entirely safe.

"Right here will do," he murmured to himself.

He drew his White Sand Sword and began to excavate the cliff wall. As a high-grade Yellow-tier artifact, the sword sliced through the ordinary rock as easily as cutting through tofu. Under his precise control, the sword danced, and soon a cave entrance appeared.

The opening was just large enough for a person to squeeze through, but the interior was spacious—about two zhang in length and width—sufficient for the solitary cultivation of a practitioner.

Once the digging was complete, Bai Qingzhou began to retrieve his supplies from his storage bag, including Breath-Concealing Talismans, Illumination Talismans, Qi Refining Pills, Bigu Pills, as well as emergency items like Blood-Replenishing Pills, Qi-Nurturing Pills, Blood-Qi Pills, Foundation-Consolidating Pills, and various daily necessities.

Taking a breath, he began to furnish his new dwelling. After half an hour, he had transformed the crude cave into a livable space.

"The Breath-Concealing Talisman is still too weak against second-tier beasts," he mused, looking around the cave. "If only I had an illusion array, it would be foolproof..." He had wanted to purchase one at the market, but could never find a suitable one; those that were decent were far too expensive.

"No matter, I shall make do. If I encounter a second-tier beast, I will simply have to flee."

He walked to the entrance, camouflaged it slightly, applied a new Breath-Concealing Talisman, and returned to the center of the cave. He sat upon his prepared meditation cushion, his expression resolute.

"The path of the Great Dao is one of constant forward motion; to stop is to retreat. One must forge their own way, and only by pressing forward can one achieve a breakthrough. So be it!"

Day after day passed.

In this desolate, untamed land, far from the reach of others, he lived a solitary life, sleeping in the open and eating simply, free from all distractions. Bai Qingzhou’s heart gradually grew calm. Every day, he did nothing but meditate, circulate his energy, practice the Ethereal Sword Technique, eat, and sleep.

Winter faded and spring returned. The forest came back to life, and many animals and beasts emerged to hunt one another. Yet, Bai Qingzhou remained within his cave, never venturing out except to gather food. His hair grew long and unkempt, his beard covered his cheeks, and his robes became tattered, making him look like a wild man.

Two years passed in the blink of an eye.

Then, one morning, as Bai Qingzhou watched the rising sun, he felt a sudden, intense tremor in his heart. His spiritual energy began to churn uncontrollably, leaking out through every pore of his body. A realization dawned upon him: the opportunity for Foundation Establishment had arrived.

The breakthrough was at hand.

"So this is the threshold of Foundation Establishment... to think this is how it feels. I understand now. No wonder my seniors could never explain it; this feeling is truly beyond words," he thought, filled with awe.

His body was wreathed in flickering light, and a faint, intangible pressure radiated from him. Without hesitation, he reached for the Foundation Establishment Pill he had long since prepared.

He looked at the red pill in his palm with a clear, focused mind, then tossed it into his mouth and swallowed it. He sat cross-legged and began to circulate his cultivation technique.