Chapter 77: Naming the Sacred Mountain

As the sun rose in the east, its rays scattered across the land, casting a thousand streams of glowing light. At that moment, the small hill where the courtyard was located was shrouded in a layer of white mist. The sunlight slanted through it, refracting into a rainbow halo, making the place seem like a paradise on earth.

Outside the courtyard, security guards stationed at the entrance felt their bodies in exceptional condition, as if their meridians had been unblocked. Their spirits soared, full of vigor.

Inside the secret chamber, Chen Immortal sensed the extraordinarily dense spiritual energy and allowed a satisfied smile to curl at the corner of his lips.

He noticed that, while the spiritual energy throughout the entire hill was rich, its concentration varied from place to place. It increased steadily from the foot of the hill to its summit. The foot held the lowest concentration, although even there, it was much denser than anywhere outside the hill.

In the secret chamber at the summit, the density of spiritual energy was highest, far exceeding other areas. Even with just a single door separating the inside and outside, the concentration inside the chamber was dozens of times greater. This was due to the core of a small spirit-gathering array, carved from three pieces of jade, being set up within the chamber.

Chen Immortal observed that, around him, three milky-white whirlpools slowly rotated, each containing a piece of jade.

Meow~~

The enchanting cat, basking in the potent spiritual energy, let out a joyful cry, exuding delight.

“Training here, even without the aid of elixirs, I could awaken ten spiritual wheels and reach the peak of the Mortal Transformation realm within ten years,” Chen Immortal mused.

Still, he found this pace somewhat slow. He resolved to produce more Spirit-Gathering Powder and use it alongside the spirit array for cultivation.

To mass-produce elixirs, the first problem to solve was the supply of rare medicinal herbs of sufficient age—ginseng and lingzhi mushrooms over a hundred years old.

Over the next three days, Chen Immortal instructed Ma Tian to purchase large quantities of ginseng and other valuable Chinese medicinal plants and have them planted on the hill. These herbs were the main ingredients for several types of elixirs.

He named the hill “Spirit Mountain,” and divided it into several zones according to the concentration of spiritual energy:

Within the courtyard (except for the secret chamber), the area of rich spiritual energy was used for planting ginseng and lingzhi mushrooms aged at least thirty years, the primary materials for Spirit-Gathering Powder.

The summit outside the courtyard was reserved for planting herbs aged between twenty and thirty years.

The area below the summit down to the mid-slope was for herbs between ten and twenty years old.

From the mid-slope to the foot of the hill, herbs younger than ten years were planted; this area was also designated for producing “Spirit Water.”

Additionally, this zone was open to select members of the Ma family’s upper echelon, such as Ma Tian and Ma He, as well as exceptionally gifted disciples, allowing them to cultivate here. With the support of spiritual energy, their progress would surely quicken.

If Chen Immortal wished to advance his cultivation beyond the Mortal Transformation realm to the Spiritual Void and Profound Origin realms on a resource-starved Blue Star, he would need to establish a powerful organization to scour the world for treasures and support his ascent.

By opening the area from the foot to the mid-slope to the Ma family’s elite and talented disciples, Chen Immortal intended to cultivate his own loyal followers.

Ma Tian, Ma He, and others came to the foot of the hill and, after a night of cultivation, found their progress greatly improved. Overjoyed, they felt deep gratitude toward Master Chen and pledged their unwavering loyalty. With such rapid cultivation, they believed that after ten or twenty years on Spirit Mountain, they might truly reach the realm of Grandmaster.

…

Aside from the area between the foot and mid-slope, Chen Immortal forbade anyone else from entering other parts of Spirit Mountain—these were forbidden zones.

Looking at the dozens of ginseng and lingzhi mushrooms over thirty years old planted within the courtyard, Chen Immortal noticed that after two days of immersion in dense spiritual energy, they had grown significantly. Judging by their age, two days on Spirit Mountain equaled two years of growth outside.

Such rapid development delighted Chen Immortal. He believed that after a few months, these herbs would be ready for use in elixir-making, solving his problem of medicinal supplies.

As for the distribution of Spirit Water, Chen Immortal entrusted Ma Tian and Ma He with full responsibility, leaving the detailed sales plan to them.

Making Spirit Water was simple: fill bottles with tap water, leave them at the foot of the hill for three days to let the spiritual energy infuse naturally, then seal the bottles and send them out for sale.

Chen Immortal personally verified the efficacy of the Spirit Water—it was impressive. Ordinary people who drank it regularly would enjoy longevity; patients with various ailments would see improved immunity and better health; martial artists would accelerate their training; even pets would gain vitality. The benefits of Spirit Water were truly remarkable.

Pricing and other details were left to Ma Tian and Ma He. To prevent excessive loss of the spiritual energy gathered by the small array, Chen Immortal imposed strict limits on the number of bottles produced and the quotas for Ma family members allowed to train on Spirit Mountain.

Having made all these arrangements, Chen Immortal and his charming companion sat cross-legged in the chamber, beginning their cultivation.

Suddenly, his phone rang.

Chen Immortal picked it up and saw that the caller was Zhang Xin.

He answered, “Hello, Zhang Xin!”

“Chen Immortal, are you free tomorrow night?” her melodious voice came through.

“What’s going on? Is something happening tomorrow night?”

“Tomorrow night… it’s my birthday. I’d like to invite you to my birthday party!”

Upon hearing this, Chen Immortal replied immediately, “I’m free tomorrow night!”

“Then it’s settled—see you tomorrow!” Zhang Xin’s joyful voice chimed from the phone.

After hanging up, Chen Immortal did not return to cultivation but sat by the window, pondering what gift he should bring for Zhang Xin. After all, it would be his first time attending her birthday celebration.

“Ah, I can ask another girl to help me choose a gift!” A flash of inspiration struck him.

But whom should he ask? His younger sister, Nizi, was out of the question—a little girl could hardly select something a grown woman would like!

After much thought, Chen Immortal concluded that Fang Jing was the most reliable choice. The last time they met, her taste in clothing was evident—her style was quite good.

He immediately picked up his phone and dialed her number.

The call connected, and Fang Jing’s voice came through, “Hello, Chen Immortal!”

Chen Immortal could hear the smile in her voice.

“Fang Jing, hello, I’d like to ask for your help with something,” he said.

“Chen Immortal, feel free to ask.”

He went straight to the point: “I want your help in picking out a birthday gift.”

On the other end, Fang Jing was silent for a moment before replying, “Is it for… your girlfriend?”

Chen Immortal sensed a hint of disappointment in her tone and found it odd, but he didn’t dwell on it. “Not for a girlfriend, just a close female friend.”

“Oh, then tell me her age, profession… so I can pick a suitable gift,” Fang Jing replied, her tone light.

Chen Immortal said, “She’s about twenty years old, a university student…”