Cultivation: I Forge Immortality with My Spiritual Eyes

Qin Ruyi gently stroked the bamboo, her tone tinged with admiration:

"Fellow Daoist Jiang is truly lucky. This Jade Bamboo is a mid-grade first-level spiritual plant with a wide range of uses. It can be used to refine magical artifacts and also to make medicine. It is a rare spiritual item."

Judging from its appearance, this plant is about twenty years old and has been used for medicinal purposes. What's rare is that its roots are intact and its vitality has not faded. With proper care, it can definitely continue to be cultivated.

Jiang Yi smiled upon hearing this, cupped his hands in greeting, and said:

"As expected of Fairy Qin, you have exceptional insight. I was completely ignorant of these matters, and I have learned a great deal today."

Then, changing the subject, she asked the question she was most concerned about:

"In your opinion, Fairy, how many spirit stones could this Jade Bamboo stalk fetch if sold?"

Qin Ruyi pondered for a moment, then said softly:

"Given its current age and condition, if a suitable buyer is found, it could fetch at least a hundred spirit stones..."

After speaking, she pursed her lips, her eyes flickered slightly, and she seemed hesitant to say anything more.

"Over a hundred spirit stones?"

Jiang Yi's eyes lit up; the price had exceeded his expectations, and he was quite satisfied.

Just as he was about to express his gratitude, he noticed a hesitation on Qin Ruyi's face, raised an eyebrow, and asked:

"What is it? Is there something wrong? Please speak freely, fairy, there's no need to hold back."

Qin Ruyi seemed somewhat embarrassed, and hesitated for a moment before speaking:

"There's nothing wrong with it. It's just that I saw this black jade bamboo still had some life left, and it was a rare young plant, so I was just tempted by it..."

She paused slightly, looked up at Jiang Yi, and said with a hint of expectation:

"What I just told you about its current market price is just that. Actually, there is another way. The roots of this bamboo are intact. You might as well continue to cultivate it. As the medicinal value increases, it will naturally rise."

"Cultivating spirit bamboo? Heh, fairy, don't joke around, how would I know anything about it..."

Jiang Yi waved his hand and smiled, instinctively refusing.

But halfway through his sentence, he suddenly looked at Qin Ruyi with a look of realization.

His eyes flashed, and with a half-smile, he picked up his teacup and took a sip, remaining silent for a long while.

Qin Ruyi blushed slightly, knowing that her thoughts had been seen through.

He smoothed the gray hair at his temples and said frankly:

"I apologize for my rudeness, fellow Daoist. I do have some selfish motives. I have been studying spiritual plant techniques for many years and am already a mid-grade first-level spiritual plant master. If I can cultivate the Black Jade Bamboo by myself, it will greatly benefit my skill improvement."

Her voice was sincere, and her eyes were clear:

"Although it may be presumptuous, if you are willing to entrust me with this task, I will take good care of you and will not dare to be negligent in the slightest. If there is any mishap, I will compensate you at the original price and will not let you suffer any loss."

Jiang Yi remained silent for a few moments, then slowly nodded:

"I, Jiang, naturally trust Fairy Qin. If the value of the Ink Jade Bamboo can be increased, I would be happy to see it, but..."

He looked around, his voice tinged with doubt:

"The spiritual energy here is scarce and the soil is barren. Can it really be cultivated to survive? Even if it does survive, it will inevitably attract attention and cause trouble for the fairy for no reason."

Qin Ruyi bent down to refill his teacup and said softly:

"Fellow Daoist's concerns are very valid. The spiritual energy here is indeed weak and cannot support the growth of the Black Jade Bamboo. To be honest, my cultivation has already reached a bottleneck and I have not made any progress for several months. I have long intended to move to a cave dwelling."

However, due to the high rent, it has been delayed until now. The spiritual energy in the cave area is abundant enough to support the growth of the Jade Bamboo. If Fellow Daoist Jiang is interested, I can move in immediately.

After speaking, she looked at Jiang Yi with brimming eyes, waiting for him to make a decision.

Jiang Yi remained silent upon hearing this, pondering to himself.

It seems that this black jade bamboo is indeed of great importance to Fairy Qin.

Otherwise, given her typically quiet nature, she wouldn't be so eager.

He had no objection to it.

I don't lack spirit stones right now. If the Jade Bamboo can be successfully cultivated and sold for a high price in the future, it would be a win-win situation.

But the defensive heart is indispensable.

We can't just entrust our precious treasure worth over a hundred spirit stones to someone based on a few words.

He hesitated for a short while.

Jiang Yi put down his teacup and said calmly:

"The fairy's suggestion is excellent, and I, Jiang, have no objection. However, this black jade bamboo is quite valuable, and I, Jiang, am easily swayed by uncertainty about the future, so I inevitably feel somewhat apprehensive and doubtful..."

Qin Ruyi's eyes flickered slightly, and she nodded gently.

She was quick-witted and naturally understood the unspoken meaning in his words.

I didn't dwell on it too much.

He reached into his waist and pulled out a fist-sized, crimson spirit ore.

He rubbed his fingertips together for a moment, then presented it to Jiang Yi, saying softly:

"This is Crimson Fire Copper Essence, left behind by Wang Lang and your master before they set sail. It is worth nearly a hundred spirit stones on the market. I hope Fellow Daoist Jiang will keep it safe and not lose it."

Jiang Yi reached out and took it, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.

He then tucked it into his sleeve and smiled broadly.

"Rest assured, fairy, I will keep it safe. I also hope that you will not have any reservations. It is just that I am short of money and have to act cautiously. What else can I do?"

"It's alright."

Qin Ruyi smiled faintly, her eyes gentle and graceful.

"This is only human nature. I am already grateful that Fellow Daoist Jiang agreed to this, so how could I have any other thoughts?"

Jiang Yi nodded and said:

"That's good then. I'll leave this Jade Bamboo in your care, Fairy. When does Fairy plan to move? If there's anything I can help with, please don't hesitate to ask."

Qin Ruyi shook her head and politely declined:

"I will move tonight. I don't have much stuff, just a few bundles. No need for you to trouble yourself, fellow Daoist."

"Alright, in that case, I won't bother you any longer. I'll visit you in Dongfu District another day."

Jiang Yi stood up, bowed to Qin Ruyi, and walked towards the courtyard gate.

"Is Fairy Qin here? I've come to exchange some grain..."

He had just opened the door and stepped out when he bumped into Niu Yaojin, who was carrying a spirit fish and raising his hand to knock on the door.

"what?"

When Niu Yaojin saw Jiang Yi come out of the courtyard, he was immediately stunned.

The hand that was knocking on the door froze in mid-air, the eyes widening in astonishment.

Not long after.

His eyes darted around, and he couldn't resist peeking through the crack in the door, lowering his voice to say:

"Fellow Daoist Jiang? You, when did you return? Where is Fairy Qin? Why are you the one opening the door? What's going on between you two...?"

"Don't make wild guesses. Go get your husks. We'll talk about it later."

Jiang Yi smiled and waved his hand, then walked around him toward his residence.

"Hey, wait! Don't go yet!"

Niu Yaojin tried to persuade them to stay, forcing a smile as he exchanged the spirit fish and Qin Ruyi, who had just left, for a bag of grain husks.

He then hurriedly caught up with Jiang Yi, patted his arm, and asked urgently:

"Where have you been all these days? I haven't seen you for days. I thought something had happened to you at sea!"

Jiang Yi casually replied:

"It's nothing serious, I just happened to stumble upon a battle between monsters, and I had to hide on a deserted island for two days before I could escape."

"It's alright."

Niu Yaojin nodded, then chuckled and leaned forward with a gossipy look on his face, saying:

"What were you talking about with Fairy Qin just now? I saw it all. She even made you tea, and you stayed for quite a while, didn't you?"

As he spoke, he sighed softly to himself, touched his rough, stubble-covered face, and said with a sour tone:

"It's a pity that I, Niu, have visited so many times but have never tasted its flavor, while you, boy, have beaten me to it. Tsk, perhaps the fairy doesn't like my overly powerful nature?"

Jiang Yi shook his head and smiled helplessly:

"Don't overthink it. I just happened to find a spiritual plant on this trip. I don't know how to cultivate it myself, so I came to ask Fairy Qin to take care of it for a while."

"Take care of the spiritual plants on your behalf?"

Upon hearing this, Niu Yaojin's eyes lit up.

I felt greatly inspired, as if I had been enlightened!

He couldn't help but rub his hands together, looked Jiang Yi up and down, and said with admiration:

"You're quite the clever one, aren't you? You've got a real knack for it. With this excuse, you can just come knocking whenever you want, seeking the fairy's 'careful guidance' every day, right? Hehe, brilliant, absolutely brilliant!"

"Don't spread rumors recklessly and ruin someone's reputation for no reason."

Jiang Yi rebuked in a low voice.

"Hey, what's there to hide! Don't imitate those lower-level cultivators' hesitant and timid behavior. Upper-level cultivators should be open, straightforward, and just do what they say!"

Niu Yaojin waved his hand dismissively and said earnestly:

"Qin Xianzi's appearance and figure are impeccable, and she is also skilled in the cultivation of spiritual plants, earning a lot of spirit stones. At this age, she is also more considerate of others."

Ever since Brother Wang got into trouble, countless people have been trying to get close to him. If you're really interested, you'd better hurry, lest you miss out and regret it later.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi licked the corner of his mouth.

These words actually stirred something within me, and a few enchanting images inexplicably flashed through my mind.

He quickly coughed lightly, suppressing his chaotic thoughts, and immediately changed the subject:

"Stop with the nonsense. Which sea area did you go to today? How was your haul?"

Niu Yaojin looked smug, cautiously glanced around, and said with a hint of excitement:

"That's exactly what I was about to tell you! I went to the Green Scale Bay area today and caught four golden scale sea bream in one afternoon!"

"Why don't you come with me tomorrow? We can keep each other company and look out for each other; it's better than going out to sea alone."

"Green Scale Bay?"

Jiang Yi frowned, surprised and suspicious:

"Why are you going there? Shi Dazhuang and his gang are ruthless. If they're discovered, things will probably get very badly done."

"Hmph, what's there to be afraid of!"

Niu Yaojin scoffed:

"The flood season has arrived, and soon there will be fog tides. A large number of golden snapper have migrated to the Qinglin Bay area, and those bastards have already made a fortune."

Now that the news has spread, many people are quietly heading over there. The sea is so vast, what do they know? Do they really think they can control everything? They'll just run away as soon as they see someone.

"Is that so..."

Jiang Yi nodded thoughtfully.

It was already dark, and the sky was ablaze with the colors of sunset.

The night breeze swept through the mountain path, carrying the salty scent of the sea.

The two walked side by side along the gravel path, chatting as they went.

The figure quickly disappeared around the bend in the mountain path...