Chapter 155: Level 3 [Dongfu]; Ruyi [Dongtian]

After letting the Great Toad in, Ji Yuan once again wanted to test the power of the Stardust Illusion-Kill Formation on it———

But he was also worried that the formation might be too powerful and injure the Great Toad.

After much thought, he decided against it. After all, they hadn’t seen each other for over a year, and it wouldn’t be right to torment the Great Toad, who had been living a decent life.

Besides, the Great Toad hadn’t exactly been having an easy time over the past year either.

After concealing the Stardust Illusion-Kill Formation, Misty Island once again returned to its former calm.

Tu Yue was already obediently constructing houses, and Ji Yuan turned his attention back to the Panel.

The Formation Room had been upgraded to level 2, naturally unlocking the level 3 spiritual effects.

【Formation Room: 1v3 (Not Upgradeable)】

【Spiritual Effect 1: First-Tier Formation Comprehension +60%, Second-Tier Formation Comprehension +40%, Third-Tier Formation Comprehension +20%, Fourth-Tier Formation Comprehension +5%】

【Spiritual Effect 2 (Inverted Northern Dipper): Grants formation “Inverted Northern Dipper Formation.”】

【Upgrade Conditions: Middle-Grade Spirit Stone ×500; Nine Luminaries Stone ×2 pieces; Heavenly River Sand ×1 jin; Upgrade one Second-Tier Formation to a Third-Tier Formation. (Unfulfilled)】

The first spiritual effect was, of course, a standard upgrade.

As for the second spiritual effect··it granted a new formation called the Inverted Northern Dipper Formation.

So it seemed that the current level 2【Formation Room】had two spiritual effects?

But the “Stardust Illusion-Kill Formation” was not separately listed as a new spiritual effect, whereas the Inverted Northern Dipper Formation was.

What did that imply?

It implied that this formation···was likely extraordinary!

As for the upgrade conditions, they had become somewhat difficult. Setting aside the requirement to upgrade a Second-Tier Formation to a Third-Tier one, just the small number of Nine Luminaries Stone and Heavenly River Sand required already hinted at the difficulty.

In contrast, the level 2【Formation Room】required quite a large amount of Meteorite Stone and Illusory Spirit Sand, both of which Ji Yuan could easily buy——..

For now, he could only wait and see. As things stood, the level 2【Formation Room】was sufficient.

With the【Formation Room】upgrade complete, it was now time to turn to the【Cave Dwelling】.

Ji Yuan glanced at the Panel.

He looked at the upgrade conditions for the level 3【Cave Dwelling】.

【Upgrade Conditions: Cultivation at Foundation Establishment Stage, Middle-Grade Spirit Stone ×50, Starshine Stone ×10 jin. (Fulfilled)】

Previously, he couldn’t upgrade simply due to the hard requirement of cultivation level.

Now that the condition had been met, the upgrade was naturally not a problem.

As for the Starshine Stone, even just judging by the quantity required, it wasn’t particularly rare.

Ji Yuan had already bought it earlier.

Moreover, the level 3【Cave Dwelling】would also grant a Second-Tier Formation, the “Stellar Whirl Cloud Barrier Formation.” How would it compare with the Stardust Illusion-Kill Formation?

With that thought, Ji Yuan became wiser this time and returned to the interior of the【Cave Dwelling】.

He wanted to witness firsthand the changes after the upgrade.

Once he was back inside the【Cave Dwelling】, he immediately activated the spiritual effect of the level 2【Cave Dwelling】.

Instantly, all the ash dust in the Cave Dwelling and the moss on the stone walls began disappearing at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Ji Yuan didn’t wait any longer. He took out 50 pieces of Middle-Grade Spirit Stone and 10 jin of Starshine Stone.

After consecutive upgrades, coupled with the large expenditure of spirit stones during the Foundation Establishment, Ji Yuan’s storage pouch was nearly depleted.—.

"Should I hold the Island Inauguration Celebration to raise some funds?"

Just as the thought emerged, Ji Yuan snuffed it out.

Hosting a celebration and collecting gift money could indeed bring a short-term windfall, but for such a small gain, taking such a huge risk and drawing attention wasn’t worth it.

Besides, now that he had successfully reached Foundation Establishment, he could live more steadily.

As long as he calmly farmed and cultivated, wealth would naturally follow.

To say nothing of the future, even if he just sold the remaining 10 Foundation Establishment Pills or those Second-Tier Demon Cores in his storage pouch, he would instantly become wealthy.

And not just average wealthy.

Regarding the Starshine Stone, Ji Yuan had originally thought it would be small fragments, but when he actually bought it, he realized——

It was a large ore that could be cut to the desired amount.

In the darkness, it indeed emitted a soft white glow.

Truly worthy of the name “Starshine.”

Upgrade again!

Having just upgraded the【Formation Room】, he now chose to upgrade the【Cave Dwelling】again.

The【Formation Room】had reached level 2, and while the appearance hadn’t changed drastically, the only visible addition was some formation patterns on the stone walls, which could be toggled on or off at will. If Ji Yuan found them unpleasant,

He could simply hide them.

But now with the【Cave Dwelling】upgrading to level 3, the exterior change was obvious.

The entire cave emitted a cyan light, accompanied by a gentle breeze, making one feel relaxed and happy.

The musty and damp odors from earlier also vanished, replaced by a faint fragrance.

It smelled somewhat floral, yet also reminiscent of medicinal pills.

Soon, characters filled with Dao resonance appeared on the stone walls. Ji Yuan swept his Divine Sense over them.

Phrases like「The Dao follows Nature」「Heaven rewards diligence」appeared. Though they looked extraordinary, after examining them thoroughly with his Divine Sense, he found no abnormalities whatsoever.

In the end, he could only attribute them to decorative flair. Of course, the current level 3【Cave Dwelling】might just be for visual grandeur, but if the Cave Dwelling continued to upgrade to level 10, or even level 100, that might change.

By then, who knew? Perhaps a single character could trigger instant enlightenment and immediate ascension!

Afterward, the【Cave Dwelling】continued to evolve.

Besides the characters full of resonance now appearing on the walls, formation patterns also emerged.

Second-Tier Defensive Formation “Stellar Whirl Cloud Barrier Formation”!

Moments later.

The formation patterns finished forming, and the formation was complete. Ji Yuan also obtained control over it.

With a single thought, the Stellar Whirl Cloud Barrier Formation activated, eventually enveloping the entire island.

Moreover, he discovered that the Stellar Whirl Cloud Barrier Formation didn’t conflict with the Stardust Illusion-Kill Formation; the two could, in fact, integrate perfectly.

「Judging by the name, it does sound similar. Looks like everything the Panel produces belongs to the same system.」

Ji Yuan pondered in his heart, and he could also sense the changes happening across the entire island.

The activation effect of this Stellar Whirl Cloud Barrier Formation was somewhat similar to the previous Mist Array. Once activated, the entire island was shrouded in a layer of clouds and mist.

However, the mist produced by this Stellar Whirl Cloud Barrier Formation had an additional effect beyond ordinary fog.

It could bewilder the mind.

To put it plainly, if a cultivator at the Qi Refining Stage entered this Stellar Whirl Cloud Barrier Formation, they would be confused mentally and remain muddle-headed for the rest of their life, never finding their way out.

They might not even notice anything amiss.

As for Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators, they could sense that something was wrong, but unless they were well-versed in formations, they would likely be trapped by it, with no way up to the heavens or down to the earth.

「Such a good formation, if it's only used to protect the island—it is good, yes—but it feels like such fine steel isn't being used on the blade's edge.」

「A formation this strong should be used against enemies.」

「Besides, most Formation Masters have to pre-set the formation and lure enemies into it for it to work. But the formations released through my buildings don’t require setup at all. With a single thought, I can activate them—.. though that assumes I can carry the buildings around.」

As wonderful as the idea was, it wasn’t as if he could actually walk around carrying a house.

Ji Yuan stood there thinking for a moment, then turned to look at the entire【Cave Dwelling】. Suddenly, inspiration struck him!

「All buildings can have their signs affixed. If so, I could have someone craft a house—no, I don’t even need a house. Just a square box that can expand and shrink. Then, I’ll stick a paper talisman inside or carve words onto it, directly writing『Cave Dwelling』. When facing an enemy, I can just take out the artifact box, enlarge it, and activate the formation.」

「Damn, I really am a genius!」

At that thought, Ji Yuan felt an urgent desire to go find someone immediately.

Crafting it himself would take too long—he’d have to start learning the Weapon Refining path from scratch. Ji Yuan planned to find the Island Lord of Iron Hammer Island and have him forge one.

The quality didn’t even need to be high. A Lower-Grade Magical Artifact would do, as long as it could change in size at will so he could carry it in his storage pouch.

And he needed two. One for the【Cave Dwelling】, and one for the【Formation Room】. That way, it would be like carrying a Second-Tier Killing Formation and a Second-Tier Defensive Formation with him.

After thinking it through, Ji Yuan felt the abundant spiritual energy inside the【Cave Dwelling】and summoned the Panel.

【Cave Dwelling: Iv4 (Not Upgradeable)】

【Spiritual Effect 1: Calms the mind and condenses energy. Daytime spiritual energy concentration +30%, nighttime +50%.】

【Spiritual Effect 2 (Wishful Cave-Heaven): When used with the “Cave-Heaven” building, all buildings can be stored within the Cave Dwelling and refined into a Life-Bound Magic Treasure.】

【Upgrade Conditions: Cultivation at Golden Core Stage, Middle-Grade Spirit Stone ×700, Void Stone ×10 jin. (Unfulfilled)】

At first, Ji Yuan glanced over Spiritual Effect 1 without much thought.

It was just a routine upgrade in spiritual energy concentration—an increase of 10% for both day and night.

But after reading Spiritual Effect 2—.. it was a different story.

“Wishful Cave-Heaven” could store all buildings inside the Cave Dwelling.

And even refine the Cave Dwelling into a Life-Bound Magic Treasure. Wasn’t that exactly what he had always feared—and always needed?

Damn!

The Panel actually had this function. That was f*cking amazing.

In that instant, Ji Yuan clenched his fists inside the cave, his breath becoming heavy. Once he formed his Golden Core and refined all buildings into his Life-Bound Magic Treasure, the world would be wide open to him!

There was just the matter of combining it with another building called【Cave-Heaven】—which Ji Yuan hadn’t even unlocked yet, and this was the first time he had ever heard of it.

With his previous experience, Ji Yuan guessed that this【Cave-Heaven】was the core building of the Golden Core Stage.

He figured he wouldn’t unlock it until he reached the peak of Foundation Establishment.

By then, he’d probably have to scavenge all the Spirit Stones off his own body again. But now that he knew he could store all buildings inside the Cave Dwelling after reaching Golden Core, and refine them into a Life-Bound Magic Treasure, Ji Yuan felt that he now had a new task during Foundation Establishment.

Keep expanding his golden finger!

Try to build even more buildings.

Especially offensive ones—like arrow towers, fortresses, or even something outrageous like a “Star Annihilation Cannon.” When in battle, he could release the【Cave Dwelling】, fire a Star Annihilation Cannon, and wipe out the entire enemy force.

Of course, the idea was wonderful, but whether it could actually be built was another matter.

Fortunately, he was only in the early Foundation Establishment Stage, with plenty of time to prepare.

After reviewing the effects of the level 4【Cave Dwelling】, Ji Yuan felt that one major concern in his heart had been resolved, allowing him to relax and focus on stable farming.

With two buildings upgraded, it was now time for the【Fish Pond】and【Wine Cellar】to be upgraded. Ji Yuan glanced at the upgrade conditions for both.

【Fish Pond: 1v3 (Not Upgradeable)】

【Upgrade Conditions: Cultivation at early Foundation Establishment Stage, Middle-Grade Spirit Stone ×30, Profound Ice Crystal ×3 pieces, and a pot of Second-Tier Ice-Attribute Demon Beast Essence Blood】

His cultivation met the requirement. He didn’t have enough Middle-Grade Spirit Stones and would need to go to Item Island to sell a few Demon Cores. The Profound Ice Crystal and the demon beast blood shouldn’t be a problem. Worst case, he’d just spend more Spirit Stones.

Next was the【Wine Cellar】.

【Wine Cellar: Iv2 (Upgradeable)】

【Spiritual Effect: Taste of wine +40%; consuming the wine grants a minor cultivation boost (effect depends on wine quality); produces 1 liang of “Wishful Wine” daily.】

【Upgrade Conditions: Lower-Grade Spirit Stone ×80; 10 types of Spirit Wine, 10 jars each; Green Bamboo Spirit Water ×10 jin; must possess at least 1 Spirit Wine brewing method. (Fulfilled)】

Hmm?

It could actually be upgraded immediately. That surprised Ji Yuan a bit.

Previously, the restriction had been the last condition—possessing a Spirit Wine brewing method.

Ji Yuan had spent money to acquire the brewing method for “Drunken Flower Plum Wine” and had brewed it inside the【Cave Dwelling】.

But when he entered just now and scanned the【Wine Cellar】with his Divine Sense, he discovered that all the original brew of plum wine he had stored earlier had been ruined by those two Yin Ghosts.

Whether they drank it or did something else, in any case, it was all gone.

Ji Yuan had thought he would fail and need to brew it again. But unexpectedly, that wasn’t necessary!

「Seems like the plum wine had already been brewed by the time it was destroyed. In that case, even if it was ruined, it doesn’t affect the Panel’s statistics.」

As for the 10 jin of Green Bamboo Spirit Water and the 10 types of Spirit Wine—Ji Yuan had already gathered them long ago while offering tribute to Hua Yaoyue.

So now—..upgrade!

In a single day, upgrading three buildings in a row—when had old Ji ever fought such a wealthy battle?!

As the【Wine Cellar】was upgraded to level 2, there was no particularly special exterior appearance. The only difference was that a pot of wine appeared out of thin air inside the Wine Cellar.

The pot was an ordinary wine pot, made of ceramic.

Only palm-sized.

Ji Yuan casually beckoned and took the wine pot into his hand.

Inside was 1 liang of wine, which was the Wishful Wine produced by the level 2 Wine Cellar. Ji Yuan had no idea what this wine was about, so he uncorked it and took a small sip.

The taste—it was a bit sweet.

The aftertaste was quite pronounced.

It was like drinking sweet wines such as osmanthus brew.

But after the taste of the sweet wine faded, Ji Yuan suddenly realized—.something felt different.

His mood seemed to become even happier.

Having successfully established his Foundation, upgraded the Yin Ghost Formation to Second-Tier, and completed the upgrades of three buildings, it was as if three joyous events had come at once for Ji Yuan.

Now, after drinking the wine produced by the Wine Cellar, Ji Yuan found that his already joyful mood became even more elated.

The most obvious sign was that the corners of his mouth kept curling up involuntarily.

Wishful, wishful—could it be that the wine really changed taste according to one's mood?

If so, this wine might just be too wonderful.

Drink a little when happy and become even happier. Drink a little when sad—well, then get even sadder.

Ordinary drunkards might not like it, but for someone like his master, an old drunkard, it would be perfect.

No, this wine was useless for himself. It couldn’t boost strength, so he ought to save it for his master.

Ji Yuan thought for a moment. Just as he was about to cork the bottle, another idea came to him.

Hua Yaoyue was a woman, and she had filled all of Forget Worry Island with flowers. With her temperament, she must prefer more refined utensils.

This could be seen from the three wine jars she used to store Spirit Wine. Since this was a gift for his master,

Of course, it should be placed in a more refined wine pot.

Even using a jade pot would be better than this pitch-black ceramic jar.

So Ji Yuan rummaged through his storage pouch and finally found three jade pots carved with hollowed floral patterns.

He then poured the Wishful Wine—of which he had only taken a sip—into one of them. His master probably wouldn’t notice.

Besides, just sending one pot seemed too stingy. Hua Yaoyue likely wouldn't even taste much.

Better to wait a few more days, produce several pots, and then send them together.

It was just the right time to tidy up Misty Island again and study the《Breath Concealment Art》.

At that thought, Ji Yuan glanced at the Panel again.

【Wine Cellar: Iv3 (Not Upgradeable)】

【Spiritual Effect: Wine flavor +60%; enhances cultivation effect after consumption; produces 1 liang of “Peerless Wine” daily (increases spell power by 20% for a short time after drinking).】

【Upgrade Conditions: Middle-Grade Spirit Stone ×100; Cold Frost Essence ×10 jin; Body-Burning Water ×10 jin; must possess at least 5 Spirit Wine brewing methods. (Unfulfilled)】

Peerless Wine?

The name was quite literal—after drinking, one could go “peerless”—a 20% temporary increase in spell power, and it didn’t seem to have any negative side effects.

This Spirit Wine was amazing—take a sip before battle, and the more you fight, the stronger you get!

Just don’t drink too much. If it goes to your head and you lose control, that’d be bad.

As for the upgrade conditions, the tricky part was the five brewing methods for Spirit Wine.

Looks like preparations needed to start early and brewing should begin ahead of time.

With the building upgrades complete, the remaining【Fish Pond】would have to wait until after he made a trip to the Water Dragon Sect.

Afterward, Ji Yuan stayed on Misty Island for another five days. Initially, he had planned to stay only three, but unexpectedly, the effect of the【Enlightenment Room】was just too good.

Ji Yuan had only intended to lightly study the《Breath Concealment Art》, but unexpectedly, he fully mastered it in one go.

Once he cast it as an early Foundation Establishment cultivator, his cultivation level instantly dropped to the peak of Qi Refining.

This effect was exceptionally good.

It wasn’t useful within the sect at the moment, but once he advanced to mid Foundation Establishment, he would definitely use it.

During that time, Ji Yuan also studied the sect’s《Water Dragon Technique》.

It was an offensive and defensive spell. The time was too short to fully comprehend it, so Ji Yuan hadn’t found its core secrets. He would need to slowly cultivate it later.

After that, Ji Yuan deactivated the effect of the Stardust Illusion-Kill Formation and left only the Stellar Whirl Cloud Barrier Formation to conceal the island.

Then he summoned the Thunder Falcon Boat and headed straight north, flying directly toward the Water Dragon Sect.

But unexpectedly, before he even returned to his island, he received a Messaging Talisman.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.