Chapter 24: Establishing the Immortal Abode

"I presume you are curious why I have taken such an interest in you?" Dai Wuya gazed with profound eyes at the indifferent Cao Yun.

"I wonder how Senior Brother Dai intends to arrange things for me?" Cao Yun's expression remained calm, his eyes carrying a subtle sense of inquiry.

"Junior Brother Cao? That is a title you have yet to earn." Dai Wuya smiled faintly, his tone tinged with an unquestionable arrogance. "I have three bottles of Essence Pellets here, each containing twenty. Once you consume them, your strength should reach the seventh or eighth level of Qi Refining." As he spoke, a flash of light appeared in his palm, revealing three bottles of pellets. With a gentle flick, they flew steadily toward Cao Yun.

Cao Yun caught the bottles, a look of slight astonishment on his face, his gaze fixed coldly upon Dai Wuya. He did not believe that the initiation ceremony for outer disciples included receiving three bottles of Essence Pellets.

"What is the meaning of this, Senior Brother Dai?" Cao Yun asked in a low, composed voice, his gaze settling.

"That peak ahead is where the cave dwellings of the Myriad Demon Pavilion's outer disciples are located," Dai Wuya said, gesturing forward, his voice returning to a smooth and gentle tone. "You may use your outer disciple token to open a cave dwelling there. In three days, once you have refined these three bottles of pellets, come find me at the Myriad Demon Pavilion. I will explain everything to you then."

Looking at the towering peak in the distance, which pierced the clouds, Cao Yun could not help but blink in silent amazement. He had not expected that a mere outer disciple's dwelling of the Heavenly Star Wolf Sect would command such a magnificent mountain; its deep-seated foundation far exceeded his imagination.

Although the mountain appeared to be within reach, it took them a full half-hour of flying to reach its base.

"Oh, one more thing," Dai Wuya said suddenly, his tone carrying an undeniable authority. "Wu Jiao is my man; everything he does is in accordance with my will. If you intend to seek revenge, you had best weigh your own worth first." Before he had even finished speaking, he flicked his sleeve, and an immensely powerful surge of spiritual energy rushed forth like a tidal wave. Cao Yun was taken aback, and before he could react, he was blasted off the small boat by the force, though he managed to stabilize himself in mid-air instantly.

Dai Wuya stood with his hands behind his back on the white jade skiff, staring at Cao Yun, who hovered in the air. His long hair danced in the wind, and his wide sleeves fluttered gently. The peerless aura radiating from him made Cao Yun’s heart skip a beat.

*Could this be the legendary Foundation Establishment stage expert?* Cao Yun pondered to himself.

Amidst the cold, sharp exchange of glances, Dai Wuya’s figure on the white boat drifted further and further away, eventually vanishing from Cao Yun’s sight.

"Dai Wuya? Very well..." Cao Yun let out a soft, cold snort, his body turning into a streak of light as he flew rapidly toward the outer disciple mountains of the Myriad Demon Pavilion.

When Cao Yun reached the complex of buildings at the foot of the mountain, his eyes were immediately drawn to the six characters hanging above the central pavilion: "Myriad Demon Pavilion Service Hall." He descended gracefully and landed steadily on the reception platform.

Just then, a female disciple from the Service Hall walked over, bowed respectfully, and said, "This must be Senior Brother Cao, right? Are you here to collect your supplies and register for a cave dwelling?"

Cao Yun was slightly startled and asked curiously, "How did you know my surname and the purpose of my visit?"

The female disciple smiled and explained, "Senior Brother Cao may not know this, but once the Sect Master enters the names of new disciples into the registry jade book, that information appears in our Service Hall's disciple ledger. Judging by your attire, I guessed that you were Senior Brother Cao."

Cao Yun suddenly understood and then asked, "Are there still any quiet, vacant spots available?"

The female disciple chuckled, "Senior Brother is joking. The Heavenly Pillar Peak is so vast; of course, there are quiet places to establish a dwelling." As she spoke, she turned her wrist, and a jade book appeared in her palm, which she handed to Cao Yun. "Any area not marked on the jade book is available for you to claim."

Cao Yun took the jade book and channeled his spiritual sense into it; the phantom image of a towering mountain appeared in his mind. After careful consideration, he chose a smaller hill near the summit, where the surrounding area was unmarked and appeared exceptionally serene.

However, the female disciple reminded him, "Ah, regarding the location Senior Brother chose, the higher the mountain, the thinner the spiritual energy."

Cao Yun smiled and shook his head. "It is fine. I am not one for ascetic cultivation; whether the spiritual energy is dense or not is of little importance to me."

Hearing this, the female disciple did not try to persuade him further. She handed him a talisman and a storage bag. "These are the items issued to you upon entry. This is a guidance talisman; simply inject your spiritual energy into it, and it will lead you to the location you chose to open your dwelling. However, service disciples are not allowed to fly within the sect, so I cannot personally escort you up the mountain."

Cao Yun nodded slightly and accepted the talisman and storage bag with a composed expression. Afterward, he followed the female disciple's respectful gaze and used his artifact to fly toward the summit of Heavenly Pillar Peak.

As he traveled, Cao Yun carefully examined the guidance talisman in his hand.

The talisman was golden in its entirety and crafted from a unique material—neither as rigid as a jade talisman nor as soft as a paper one. It emitted a faint glow, with strands of spiritual power flowing across its surface, appearing quite mystical.

An hour later, Cao Yun finally reached the summit. He focused his spiritual sense into the talisman. The talisman grew warm, then ignited, transforming into a streak of fire that zipped off in a specific direction. Cao Yun followed closely behind, utilizing a wind-riding technique.

Before long, the guidance talisman hovered in front of a small hill. It circled the hill once before bursting with a "pop." Cao Yun looked at the hill before him; this was the very place he had chosen to build his dwelling.

He carefully inspected the surrounding environment and, having confirmed the location, tapped his storage bag. A low-tier, primary-grade artifact appeared in his hand.

Cao Yun injected a stream of pure magic power into the artifact, which immediately grew in size against the wind until it was over a meter long. Under his command, it cut into the hill as easily as if slicing through tofu, carving out a cave dwelling.

After half a day of meticulous refinement, the basic structure of a spacious dwelling took shape. Cao Yun had carved out four rooms of varying sizes and two large, expansive halls. The layout of the rooms was reasonable, both spacious and comfortable.

While constructing the dwelling, Cao Yun initially carved out only one exit. Once finished, he used his artifact to shave out a simple stone bed and, unable to wait any longer, lay down and fell into a deep sleep. He was simply too exhausted and needed a good rest.