Lin Xiao ventured deep into the mountains, far from any trace of human habitation. Once he was certain he was far enough from where people lived, he finally stopped.
All around him were wild mountains, ranging from dozens to hundreds of meters tall, each with its own unique shape. He selected the one that looked the most lush and imposing, then approached it.
Drawing his peachwood sword, Lin Xiao aimed at the base of the nameless mountain and prepared himself.
Fourth Form of the Cloud Sword Technique!
Fei Guang Liu Yue Duan Piaomiao!
(Glorious Flow of Light and Moon, Cutting the Void!)
With a thunderous boom, the base of the mountain was slashed open by a vicious, gaping wound. Dust and debris filled the air as a cloud of rocks and soil was lifted, and various animals, startled by the commotion, fled in all directions.
However, the strike barely made a dent in the mountain's foundation. As the dust and rubble settled, the mountain stood tall and unmoving, not shaken in the slightest.
Lin Xiao wasn't surprised. After all, he was only at the Golden Core stage. Slicing through an entire mountain with a single sword strike was not realistic at his current level.
But where sheer strength fell short, perseverance could make up the difference.
Facing the mountain he had chosen, Lin Xiao took a deep breath and raised his peachwood sword again.
Fourth Form!
Fourth Form!
Fourth Form!
...
Finally, just before his spiritual power was completely drained, Lin Xiao managed to sever the mountain from its base, completely freeing it from the ground. The mountain still stood proudly before him, but its foundation was entirely disconnected from the earth.
Feeling a sense of accomplishment, Lin Xiao sat down cross-legged and began to recover his spiritual energy.
Once his strength was mostly restored, he stood up and approached the mountain. With a surge of spiritual power, he enveloped the entire mountain.
At the same time, he activated the Item Synthesizer.
In the next moment, the mountain, which had just been uprooted, was sucked into the synthesizer's slot. Gritting his teeth, Lin Xiao took a deep breath and threw in fifty thousand spirit stones—everything he had on hand.
He then added the Cold Jade House he had taken from the sect's storage earlier.
This was the most he had ever invested in the synthesizer, and it felt like his heart was bleeding with every item he placed inside. As he tossed each item in, he silently prayed, clenching his teeth and repeating to himself: This better work. Please, let this work.
Once everything was loaded, the system chimed in:
[Item synthesis in progress, please wait.]
Lin Xiao sat down again, waiting while sharpening his sword with spiritual energy, occasionally polishing the peachwood blade as well.
The synthesis seemed to take longer than usual, and after what felt like an eternity, the system's voice finally echoed in his mind:
[Synthesis complete. The item has been placed in your private vault. Please check it.]
Holding his breath, Lin Xiao opened his private vault. Inside was a drastically transformed miniature version of the mountain he had just excavated, labeled Lingyun Mountain.
He quickly used the identification function on it.
[Lingyun Mountain: A mountain capable of generating large amounts of spiritual energy and nurturing spiritual veins. As long as the spiritual energy it produces isn't excessively depleted, it can gradually cultivate its own spiritual vein over time. The quality of the vein will improve as time passes.]
Success!
Overjoyed, Lin Xiao was thrilled beyond measure. He had only hoped for a mountain that could continuously produce spiritual energy to make up for the lack of spiritual qi on the floating island. Now, the mountain even promised to generate spiritual veins in the future!
He couldn't be sure how long it would take for the vein to form, but in the meantime, the spiritual energy produced by Lingyun Mountain would be more than enough to sustain the sect's daily cultivation needs on the floating island.
Satisfied, Lin Xiao made his way back to the sect without drawing attention. He went directly to the stone platform near the secret garden and prepared to transport the mountain to the floating island.
By this time, the sky was painted with the warm hues of sunset, and the delicious scent of dinner from the kitchen filled the air, signaling that Fuzi's cooking was almost done.
Lin Xiao's stomach growled in response—not out of hunger, since Golden Core cultivators didn't need to eat—but purely out of a subconscious reaction to the tantalizing smell of Fuzi's cooking.
With thoughts of the Lingyun Mountain in his private vault, Lin Xiao hastened his pace. He was eager to finish the task so he could head down and enjoy the meal.
Arriving on the floating island, he surveyed the land and finally selected a spot in the northern part, not too close to the edge but not directly in the center either.
From his private vault, he retrieved the newly synthesized Lingyun Mountain and placed it on the island.
The mountain, which spanned roughly 100 meters in both width and height, was neatly shaped. Its appearance had changed since the synthesis—it now had an elegant, greenish-black hue, with certain parts glimmering faintly in a soft blue light. The mountain was covered in exotic plants and flowers, which, while not particularly useful, had high ornamental value. Large stones were scattered across the landscape, and a few hardy pines dotted the slopes.
To Lin Xiao's surprise, there was even a small waterfall cascading down the mountainside. Mist swirled around the rushing water, adding a mystical touch to the scene.
The water seemed to flow endlessly, though its source was unclear. It carved a winding stream across the floating island before eventually reaching the edge. Initially, Lin Xiao thought the water would spill off the side, but instead, it wrapped around the island's perimeter, forming a shallow natural water channel.
At first, the water was murky from the island's soil, but before long, it cleared up, becoming crystal clear.
As the waterfall's water circled the entire floating island, the island's spiritual energy grew noticeably denser.
Lin Xiao opened the floating island's control panel and saw that the spiritual energy density had risen from its previous average of 30 to 56, and it continued to climb steadily until it stabilized at 78.
Though it didn't immediately surge to hundreds or thousands as he might have hoped, this was perfectly acceptable. After all, the mountain wasn't going to generate massive amounts of spiritual energy right from the start. Still, it had already doubled the island's spiritual qi, which was more than enough for Lin Xiao to be satisfied.
With the mountain continuously producing spiritual energy every day, the floating island's qi levels would only become more abundant. And once the mountain eventually nurtured a spiritual vein, their sect would be in an even better position.