Cultivation: I Forge Immortality with My Spiritual Eyes

"What have you done now?"

Jiang Yi looked closely and saw that Xiao Li was carrying a baby demon rat in her mouth, and his heart skipped a beat.

There was no time to teach it a lesson. His magic surged through his body, and he grabbed something with his hand, looking warily at the dark fork in the road.

"It's the movement of a demonic beast!"

Niu Yaojin frowned and gave a low shout, moving to Jiang Yi's side. The two of them stood on the left and right, forming a defensive flank.

The rustling sound came from afar and approached very quickly.

Just as the two got into position, a swarm of demon rats, each several times the size of a small pear, rushed out from the side passage.

All of them had bloodshot eyes, bared their teeth and squeaked wildly; at a rough glance, there were at least seven or eight of them.

Niu Yaojin breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this.

These demon rats look fierce, but they are actually not yet intelligent; they have only just entered the next level.

His confidence soared, and he immediately made a hand seal with his fingers together.

The bronze hammer in front of him hummed and vibrated, about to unleash its power and smash a piece of rat cake, when a streak of light shot out from his side first.

It was a fine net that grew longer in the wind, covering the charging demon rat from above.

With a muffled thud, the group of demon rats were caught completely.

The network cables rapidly contracted and tightened, and no matter how much they struggled and tore at them, they could only become more and more tangled, emitting panicked squeaking screams.

Niu Yaojin paused for a moment, then reluctantly dissipated his magic power, examining the net and saying in a low voice:

"Fellow Daoist Jiang, where did you obtain this treasure? Such a magical artifact is not cheap, why have I never seen you take it out before?"

Jiang Yi raised his hand and snatched the net back into his palm, smiling faintly:

"It was left to me by my master before he passed away. What, you don't really think that old man had nothing at all, do you?"

Upon hearing this, Niu Yaojin opened his mouth, but hesitated to speak.

But that was Jiang Yi's master after all, and it would be somewhat offensive to speak the truth.

He thought about it and decided against it, simply nodding and saying "oh," before stepping forward to examine the few demon rats.

A pair of eyes gradually brightened, and he said happily:

"These monster rats are all fat and strong. They probably know we're starving and came here specifically to give us a treat!"

Without saying a word, Jiang Yi took out a short blade and swiftly slit the throats of several demon rats one by one.

He then put away the net and looked at Little Pear, who was squatting there obediently with a baby mouse in her mouth, his tone slightly somber:

"Behave yourself. If you run around and cause any more trouble, I'll teach you a lesson."

Little Pear's eyes darted around, glancing left and right. Sensing that her owner was genuinely displeased, she wisely refrained from arguing back.

Its eyes darted around slyly, and it trotted forward, carrying the demon rat in its mouth, and gently placed it at Jiang Yi's feet.

Then they pricked up their ears and solemnly began to keep watch.

"Hmph, putting on airs."

Jiang Yi snorted lightly, his face full of disdain, and turned around to pick up the piece of spirit ore from the ground and weigh it in his hand.

This item is extremely heavy, probably weighing over three hundred pounds. Handing it over will earn you three spirit stones.

But such a large piece is a bit too conspicuous.

Cutting it inevitably leaves marks, which makes one seem guilty and backfires.

He hesitated for a moment, then abandoned the idea and stuffed the spirit ore directly into his basket.

the other side.

Niu Yaojin had already skinned and cleaned the several demon rats, torn off a piece of his sleeve, tied it into a string, and was carrying it in his hand. He chuckled and said to Jiang Yi:

"Fellow Daoist Jiang, we've had a good day, and we've got our share. Shall we head back home?"

Jiang Yi shook his head:

"No rush, there's still some time before we finish work. We haven't explored this vein thoroughly yet, so let's take advantage of this time to walk around the surrounding area again. Don't forget that we have daily quotas to complete."

Niu Yaojin thought about it for a moment and agreed that it made sense.

The two left several subtle markings in the area, tidied up, and then turned into a side path and slowly descended.

"..."

Much later.

The night was deep, and the campfire outside the mine was bright.

After a long day of work, the monks emerged one after another, lining up as usual to hand over their earnings and receive their pay.

Then they hurried back to the stone house in twos and threes to rest, and everything was the same as yesterday.

Jiang Yi and Niu Yaojin moved slowly with the group, without exchanging words, just waiting in silence.

Not long after.

The Liu family cultivator who was keeping the accounts suddenly spoke up, causing everyone to look up:

"Zhou Ping, you gained nothing today. This is your first demerit! If you do it again, you will be penalized with a deduction of spirit stones!"

The rogue cultivator whose name was called turned pale and then red. He caught the wooden plaque that was thrown back, lowered his head, and hurriedly left without daring to utter another word.

Jiang Yi's eyes flickered slightly; he vaguely remembered this person.

They were the same group of miners who came to work yesterday.

As the line moved forward.

The voice of "one demerit" rang out from time to time, and those called out were mostly newcomers who were unfamiliar with the mine.

Jiang Yi understood the situation. It seemed that the black iron ore in this vein was not easy to find. If it weren't for his spiritual eyes, he would probably not have escaped punishment.

Just as he was thinking this, it was his turn in line.

Jiang Yi handed over the spirit ore, which was the size of a human head.

The Liu family cultivator took the pen, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. He picked up the pen and began to sing aloud:

"Jiang Yi, 320 jin of ore mined! 300 jin settled, 76 jin remaining, record in the ledger!"

As soon as he said this, he was met with stares from all around him, and a murmur arose from the crowd.

In the line, Blackie was standing at the back with two companions.

Upon hearing this, his face darkened, and he cursed inwardly:

"That bastard's luck isn't bad!"

Jiang Yi noticed the gazes, some filled with envy and others with jealousy. He frowned slightly, took the wooden plaque and three spirit stones, and turned to leave quickly.

Not long after.

After paying his share, Niu Yaojin caught up and said in a low voice:

"Fellow Daoist Jiang, you'll probably have to be more careful from now on. There were a few strange looks from those eyes just now, so you'd better be on guard."

Jiang Yi nodded slightly:

"I understand. From now on, I will try to go in groups and not go alone."

He took a deep breath, feeling a sense of suffocation rising in his heart.

This is what it means to be at the mercy of others.

They clearly have the ability to earn more, but are burdened by numerous concerns and have no choice but to tie their own hands.

It's nowhere near as carefree and spontaneous as fishing at sea.

Once this foggy weather passes, I'll have to get back to my old job as soon as possible.

The two continued walking without stopping, all the way back to the stone house.

Niu Yaojin was in high spirits. He lit a bonfire at the door and roasted the cleaned and skinned demon rats on skewers.

Before long, the aroma of meat filled the air, and the meat was golden brown and crispy, sizzling with oil.

The two people and the cat sat around the fire, feasting amidst envious glances from those around them, their mouths greasy with food.

"..."

It was already late at night.

There were no stars or moon; the world was pitch black.

Inside the stone house.

Jiang Yi closed his eyes slightly, his ten fingers forming a mudra, immersed in breathing in spiritual energy and meditating.

Wisps of spiritual energy, like smoke and mist, surged in from all directions, continuously flowing into the pores of his body.

Little Pear was still lying by the door, holding a piece of roasted rat meat in her arms, which she was munching on with relish.

The little tail wagged happily behind it, showing absolutely no sense of responsibility as a guard.

"..."

at the same time.

In a secluded corner nearby, a dark figure was stealthily moving along the rock wall, glancing around warily from time to time.

After confirming that no one was around, the dark figure darted to the front of a stone house, quickly squeezed inside, and whispered:

"They've sent word again, urging us to find the shipping lanes. Are you even confident you can scout them out?"

A person inside the room opened their eyes expressionlessly and said:

"The Luo family has always been cautious and never contacts outsiders. The island is also heavily guarded, so it's not that easy."

I can only deduce the direction based on their ship frequency and departure times. At present, I only have a general idea; I'm far from having complete confidence and will need some more time.

The shadowy figure gave a cold laugh:

"I don't care what method you use, hurry up and don't delay any longer. If you mess things up, you'll have to explain it to your superiors yourself."

After saying that, he didn't linger any longer. He peered through the crack in the door for a moment, then opened the door and slipped out, disappearing into the deep night.

The person inside sat silently, his face expressionless, only a cold glint flashing in his eyes, lost in thought...