After the female disciple went to retrieve the spirit beast, Han Li remained quietly waiting at the guest pavilion. Aside from the mountain peak where Han Li stood, the rest of the Spirit Beast Mountain was divided into various sized habitats for spirit beasts by a series of colorful sealing array spells. Each sealed area served as a breeding ground for a specific type of spirit beast, accessible only to the on-duty disciples of the Qilin Pavilion—everyone else was strictly barred from entering, to prevent disturbance to the beasts or potential injuries to visitors from untrained or untamed creatures. Thus, although the entire Spirit Beast Mountain appeared serene and quiet, it actually housed at least nine hundred different spirit beasts, an impressive scale indeed! The female disciple did not make Han Li wait long; after just one meal’s time, she emerged from one of the sealed areas, cradling a small creature the size of a clenched fist, and walked directly toward Han Li. "This is the Du-Tong Mouse. The rental fee is one low-tier spirit stone per day!" The disciple gently stroked the soft fur of the creature and spoke politely to Han Li. "Good. Here are three spiritual stones. I'll have them ready in three days!" Han Li spoke calmly to the young woman. "Three days from now, as soon as your senior uncle releases the dual-eyed mouse, it will return to the Qilin Pavilion on its own. In the meantime, I hope you will treat this creature kindly. Here is a bag of the soil pear fruits—its favorite food. When you have a moment, please feed it a few." The young woman took the spiritual stones, handed the spirit beast to Han Li, and then produced a small white pouch, offering it to him. Han Li nodded slightly and received it with composed ease. Then, under the young woman's attentive gaze, he ascended into the sky, riding his artifact. Han Li flew steadily toward the northwest. As he journeyed, he could not help but gaze fondly at the well-behaved dual-eyed mouse in his arms. At first glance, the yellow creature seemed quite ordinary—just like a common earth mouse in size, with a small, yellow coat and a slender tail. The only difference was the large, striking eyes on its face, unlike those of a typical earth mouse. Though it may seem only slightly different, it immediately makes this creature incredibly endearing! Especially in its eyes, where subtle streams of five-colored light shimmer, enhancing its mysterious and noble aura. Even someone as reserved as Han Li, who is used to being detached, finds himself gently stroking it, suddenly thinking—perhaps he should also keep one of his own! Yet Han Li knows well that, despite its current gentle demeanor, this little creature is truly a first-tier mid-stage immortal beast. Beyond its magical eyes, it possesses steel teeth capable of chewing through copper and iron, and front claws that can pierce gold and stone—far from what it appears on the surface. With this in mind, Han Li gently pokes at the creature’s small ears, watching them quiver with interest, and can’t help but smile warmly, as if a long-buried sense of childlike wonder has once again surged to the surface. Han Li carried the beast and flew continuously for a full day, finally coming to a stop at the most peripheral part of the western northern region of the Taishan Mountain Range. Beyond this point, northward for over a hundred li, one would enter the territory of Yuanwu Kingdom, specifically the domain of the Tianxing Sect, a major cultivation lineage there, which also established a market town facing off east-west with Huangfeng Valley's market. Heading west for two hundred li would reach the border between Jianzhou and Yue Kingdom—the smallest prefecture and county jurisdiction, known as Xizhou. This prefecture is the only one among the seven sects without any permanent presence. The region consists primarily of loess plateaus and stretches into an endless desert, covering more than three-quarters of the entire Xizhou. With a total population of only around ten thousand, the area lacks sufficient resources and manpower, thus falling outside the notice of the seven sects. Han Li chose to establish his dwelling here for two specific reasons. First, this location lies in a relatively remote area of the Taishan Mountain range, bordering the Yuanwu Kingdom on one side and close to Xizhou on the other—places where few fellow disciples or other cultivators usually pass through. Thus, it will remain undisturbed by anyone interfering with his cultivation. Second, it is not far from the Tianxing Sect's marketplace; should he wish to sell some herbs or purchase supplies, he should easily find buyers and remain anonymous. With these two considerations in mind, Han Li chose this site, which, though not boasting the richest qi, is quite different from the other Foundation-level disciples whose abodes are densely clustered in the most qi-rich areas. Upon landing, Han Li secured a pre-prepared slender rope around the neck of the two-eyed mouse to prevent it from running too quickly and losing sight of him. Then, he removed a yellow, round fruit from a small cloth bag and offered it to the small creature, which began chewing it. A short while later, the two-eyed mouse, now having finished the soil pear fruit, regained its alertness. After giving two soft "pffft" sounds, it shot swiftly into the nearby grassy thicket and vanished. Han Li, on the other hand, calmly followed the rope, moving steadily onward. ...Standing at the foot of a steep mountain peak, Han Li gazed at the towering cliff across the valley, hundreds of feet high, and was utterly stunned. For the rope in his hands extended through a narrow, barely-there crevice all the way into the interior of that distant cliff wall. It was now the afternoon of the second day. After nearly two days of persistent searching, this double-eyed mouse suddenly began to dash wildly when it reached this mountain peak, carrying Han Li hurriedly to this spot before darting directly through the crevice. Han Li examined the taut, slender rope in his hands, his curiosity piqued. He thought for a moment, then lightly tapped his storage pouch—immediately, the silver great sword appeared in his hands. Han Li clutched the rope in one hand and swung his silver sword with the grace of the wind, swiftly expanding the narrow crevice into a rough opening wide enough for a person to pass through—much like slicing tofu. Once inside, he immediately cast a protective shield around himself and then steadily cut through the mountain stone step by step, advancing steadily along the rope. All the scattered fragments of limestone and soil were deflected by his water-based shield, keeping him clean and unmarred. After this physical labor lasted over an hour, a simple stone passage several dozen zhang long gradually took shape. When Han Li raised his sword once more, the stone wall suddenly gave way with a loud "shhhaa-la!" He was delighted by this breakthrough, and with full force, he slashed wildly, finally cleaving the wall completely in two. Then, he took a swift step forward and stepped out. Before him lay a naturally formed cavern, about ten zhang in size. As soon as he entered, a rich, potent qi surged toward him, leaving him utterly astonished! Yet his gaze could not help following the rope in his hands, and there it extended all the way to the very center of the rock cavern, where a small spring gurgled continuously, spouting clear water. There, nestled right in the midst of this compact water bed only a few feet across, the dual-eyed mouse lay leisurely, gliding about with ease. "Is this possible?" Han Li was truly astonished now, for the rich spiritual essence within the cavern seemed to emanate entirely from this spring. He hurried over and lifted a handful of the spring water, examining it closely. "This is indeed the Spirit-Eye Spring—no doubt about it!" Han Li confirmed his hunch with little effort. "While the spiritual essence in the water may not be as extraordinary as described, and the spring itself is quite modest in size, it is truly a rare and exceptional Spirit-Eye Spring." Han Li plunged both hands into the water, murmuring in disbelief. Then, closing his eyes, he felt the delicate threads of spiritual energy rising from the water, his face lighting up with growing wonder. When it comes to Lingquan, one cannot help but mention the concept of spiritual meridians and spiritual eyes in the realm of cultivation! The spiritual energy throughout heaven and earth is not evenly distributed—it varies from place to place, being more concentrated in some areas and more diluted in others. Over time, in regions where the energy is particularly rich, spiritual meridians of varying sizes naturally form, ranging from vast stretches spanning tens of thousands of miles to smaller ones only a few miles in length. Some of these smaller ones are indeed quite narrow and humble. However, once these meridians take shape, they automatically emit a subtle flow of spiritual energy, ensuring a continuous cycle of energy in their surroundings and preventing any eventual depletion. Yet, even within these meridians, the quality of the spiritual energy differs from one location to another. The spots where the energy is most dense and concentrated are naturally the most ideal for cultivators to meditate and refine their practice—these are thus known as "spiritual eyes" within the cultivation world. Typically, these "spiritual eyes" are intangible and colorless, perceptible only through the cultivator's own sense of awareness and intuition. Any place referred to as a "Spirit Eye" is undoubtedly the location with the richest spiritual energy drawn from the nearby spirit veins. While typically, a "Spirit Eye" is intangible—merely a name given to a specific location—when the spiritual energy is exceptionally dense and sustained over time, it gradually takes on a physical form, manifesting as tangible Spirit Eye objects such as Spirit Eye Pearls, Spirit Eye Stones, Spirit Eye Springs, and even the legendary Spirit Eye Tree. The emergence of such physical Spirit Eye entities is a rare phenomenon, achieved only after tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of years of evolution, combined with favorable circumstances. Consequently, the spiritual energy emitted by these physical Spirit Eye objects is significantly denser than that of ordinary Spirit Eyes. Practicing meditation or physical cultivation near such entities undoubtedly accelerates one's progress. The finest Spirit Eye objects can even enhance a cultivator's progress by nearly 20 to 30 percent. Moreover, once these tangible forms are established, they can be manually moved by channeling mana—such as the Spirit-Eye Tree or Spirit-Eye Spring—without diminishing their effectiveness.