Immortals Step into Heaven

After a moment of contemplation, Zheng Yuan stood within the cave, his gaze fixed on the tombstone. With a gentle wave of his hand, it slowly rose and then steadily retracted into the space within the bracelet on his wrist. His gaze then swept over the dozens of nearby, glowing, century-old medicinal herbs. Zheng Yuan unhurriedly took out his exquisite jade box and carefully picked each one, placing them securely inside. Once everything was in place, he, Xiao Hei and the little fox, turned and headed out of the cave.

Stepping out of the cave, soft light fell on them. Zheng Yuan's gaze fell directly on the little fox and he asked softly, "Are you willing to leave this secret place with me?"

Hearing this, the fox's bright eyes flickered with hesitation. It slowly turned its head and looked at the familiar plants, trees, mountains, and rocks around it, its eyes revealing an unconcealable reluctance.

Every corner here carries countless memories for it. It has spent many happy and carefree times on this land. But soon, its gaze returned to Zheng Yuan, and also looked at Xiao Hei beside it.

After seeing the expectant looks in Zheng Yuan and Xiao Hei's eyes, the little fox seemed to have an answer in its mind. It squatted slightly, then took off lightly, its body drawing a graceful arc in the air, and landed steadily in Zheng Yuan's arms.

The little fox rubbed its soft head against Zheng Yuan's face affectionately, making soft purring sounds in its throat. Zheng Yuan felt the little fox's closeness and a bright smile broke out on his face, his heart filled with joy and unable to contain it.

Zheng Yuan saw the little fox nestled affectionately in his arms. The soft touch and the fox's unconditional trust in him brought a lingering smile to his face, like a spring breeze caressing the surface of a lake. A slight thought crossed his mind, and as if they were connected, he slowly reached into his arms, his movements gentle and natural. A moment later, his fingertips extracted an incomparably precious demon-transforming lotus seed.

As soon as the demon-transforming lotus seed left his embrace, it seemed to sense the presence of the outside world. In an instant, a gentle glow emanated from it like ripples on water. The glow carried a mysterious and powerful aura, as if revealing its extraordinary origins and its power to change the world.

Zheng Yuan's eyes shone with a sense of certainty and anticipation. He knew full well what this demon-transforming lotus seed meant to the little fox. If this little fox, at the late stage of the first stage, could consume it, it would undoubtedly be like suddenly seeing the door to light after groping in the darkness for so long, with a high probability of breaking through to the second stage of demonic beast.

If the Spirit Seeking Rat knew this, what would its expression be? Would it fly into a rage, or be filled with resentment? These demon-transforming lotus seeds were already rare, and now that one was missing, it might have been in its clutches. I'm afraid it would be so distressed it would pace back and forth in its spirit beast pouch.

The little fox was originally still rubbing against Zheng Yuan's arms, and its eyes accidentally caught sight of the demon-transforming lotus seed. Suddenly, its agile body seemed to be hit by an invisible force, and it was so excited that it could hardly control itself, and even its body trembled slightly.

It stared intently at the lotus seed, its eyes filled with fervor and desire. It knew this lotus seed was anything but ordinary. The moment it laid eyes on it, a flash of inspiration seemed to strike deep within its soul. It clearly sensed that the opportunity it had been searching for, the opportunity to break through to the second-level demon beast, was now within reach.

The little fox carefully nudged the demon-transforming lotus seed with the tip of its nose, its eyes filled with awe and anticipation. It knew the power contained within this lotus seed was enough to change its fate. Zheng Yuan gently stroked the little fox's back and said softly, "This lotus seed will surely help you achieve a breakthrough. Once you reach the second level, you can join me in exploring a wider world."

The little fox nodded, not quite understanding, then opened its mouth and gently took the demon lotus seed, swallowed it in one gulp, and gradually a layer of soft demonic light appeared around its body, covering its body. As the power of the lotus seed slowly flowed into its body, the little fox's breath began to fluctuate, sometimes soothing, sometimes rapid. It fell asleep in Zheng Yuan's arms. Seeing this, Zheng Yuan put the little fox into the spirit beast bag. He knew that it might take a long time for the little fox to break through to the second level. Then he put Xiao Hei into the spirit beast bag as well.

Zheng Yuan's gaze slowly swept across the cave before him, and a sudden flash of inspiration struck him. He sprang into action, his eyes sharp as a torch, as he carefully explored the surroundings. Soon, he found a large amount of rubble of varying sizes and shapes, along with some dry grass and a few pieces of rotten wood. He deftly stored these items in his storage bag and then returned to the cave.

After entering the cave, Zheng Yuan began to seal the entrance. He first piled the rubble in a certain order, placing each stone precisely to ensure the stability of the seal. Then, he skillfully interspersed dead grass and rotten wood between the rubble to fill the gaps and make the entire seal look even more solid. As Zheng Yuan worked, he pondered inwardly. This time in the secret realm, the harvest was indeed quite rich. Not only did he successfully store the tombstone in the bracelet space, but he also collected dozens of precious century-old elixirs. Now, he also obtained this demon-transforming lotus seed that could help the little fox break through. It can be said that he returned with a full load. Under such circumstances, there was really no need to risk venturing out.

He knew full well that the outside world was filled with unknowns and dangers. He didn't know how many Foundation Establishment cultivators were searching for treasure. They were powerful and possessed numerous methods. With his current cultivation level, encountering one would be highly dangerous. Remaining within this cave was the safest option. Zheng Yuan planned to meditate here for a while, waiting patiently for the passage to open. Then, he could safely leave the secret realm. This was the most reliable strategy.

Within this tranquil cave, Zheng Yuan was completely absorbed in cultivating the Water Spirit Technique. Every day, he rose at dawn, greeted by the faint morning light, and began his relentless journey of cultivation.

Zheng Yuan sat cross-legged, his five hearts facing heavenward, slowly releasing his spiritual sense to detect the subtle fluctuations of the surrounding water vapor. At first, the vapors seemed like playful spirits, elusive. But with unwavering perseverance and increasingly adept control of his spiritual energy, Zheng Yuan gradually gathered the free-flowing water spirit energy. As his practice deepened, he could clearly feel the spiritual energy within him flowing through his meridians like a gurgling stream, growing ever stronger and more surging.

Every time he practiced the Water Spirit Technique, he felt as if his body was wrapped in water spirit, and his affinity with water spirit was constantly increasing.