Cultivation: I Forge Immortality with My Spiritual Eyes

"It's me, Old Niu!"

Niu Yaojin's loud voice came from outside the door.

Jiang Yi's brow relaxed, and he stepped forward to open the courtyard gate. Seeing Niu Yaojin with a beaming smile, he couldn't help but ask curiously:

"Fellow Daoist Niu, judging from your appearance, where have you encountered some good fortune this time?"

Niu Yaojin said with a smile:

"You were right! I found a job with Senior Ge, helping to tan talisman leather and doing odd jobs, with a monthly salary of twenty-five spirit stones."

"How about it, Fellow Daoist Jiang, why don't you come along? If you're interested, we can shamelessly ask the senior for a talk."

After a moment's thought, Jiang Yi shook his head and politely declined:

"Tanning leather is a delicate task, it doesn't need two people, so don't make things difficult for Senior Ge."

I plan to visit Black Reef Island again in a few days. The spiritual energy there is still quite good, so I can use the spiritual veins to cultivate.

"Going again?"

Upon hearing this, Niu Yaojin frowned and advised:

"That island is a mixed bag, as you've seen for yourself. After working yourself to the bone for ten days, all you get is a pittance, and you have to be constantly on guard against others. It's really not a good job."

Jiang Yi smiled, his tone calm:

"The fog is thick now and we don't know when it will clear. Neither of us has any special skills, so we each have to find a way to make money. Black Reef Island is chaotic but orderly. If we act cautiously, there shouldn't be any major problems."

Seeing that he couldn't persuade him, Niu Yaojin had no choice but to give up. He reached out and patted Niu Yaojin's arm, saying:

"Alright, it's good that you have a plan in mind. Just remember to be extra careful. If you feel something is wrong, get out early. Don't force it. You can always find another way."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Jiang Yi nodded slightly.

Then they changed the subject and started talking about other things.

Not long after.

After seeing Niu Yaojin off, he closed the courtyard gate, returned to the eaves, and stood there, gazing at the endless rain, his mind racing.

The reasons I just gave for wanting to return to Black Reef Island are merely the ostensible pretexts.

What truly moved Jiang Yi was naturally something else entirely.

He had spent several days exploring the mine with his spiritual eyes and had indeed discovered some rather interesting things.

Unfortunately, Niu Yaojin stayed close by, so it was inconvenient to act rashly.

Going alone this time, I don't have to worry about others, which makes me feel much more at ease.

"..."

Several days later, at noon.

Carrying a bag of spirit rice and a few changes of clothes, Jiang Yi once again boarded the spirit ship bound for Black Reef Island.

This time, Niu Yaojin was no longer by his side, and Hei Pi, with whom he had previously clashed, was nowhere to be seen either. The ship was now filled with a new group of rogue cultivators.

Those who, like him, are intimately familiar with the details of the island and are still willing to venture back into that harsh environment are ultimately few and far between.

The spirit ship sailed for several hours and arrived at Black Reef Island at night.

Jiang Yi chose the original stone chamber, tidied up the clutter, and then followed the Liu family cultivators to the entrance of the mine.

As usual, they received bamboo baskets, sharp hoes, and other items.

He then chose a separate tunnel and disappeared into the deep mine shaft.

About an incense stick later.

With a clear goal in mind, Jiang Yi made his way through a maze of twists and turns until he arrived at an inconspicuous, bag-shaped ore chamber.

This place is surrounded by walls on three sides, with only one narrow passage for entry and exit, and the rock layers overhead are low and like a canopy.

He looked around to make sure no one was nearby, then instructed Little Pear, who was perched on his shoulder looking around:

"Go and keep an eye out for the master. Remind him if anyone comes."

"Meow~"

The little guy nodded in response, flicked its tail, leaped to the ground, and wobbled to the fork in the road.

Its ears stood up high, and its big eyes darted around, giving it an obedient and docile appearance.

Jiang Yi put down his basket and stared intently at the mottled rock wall in front of him. A sharp light flashed in his eyes, and his spiritual power rapidly dissipated.

[The black iron ore vein is heavy and tough, with a rich metallic aura.]

"Nothing has changed, the result is still the same..."

Jiang Yi's eyes flashed with excitement.

When I came here with Niu Yaojin last time, I noticed something unusual about this place, but I never had the chance to explore it in detail.

Now that it was confirmed, he no longer hesitated. He channeled his magic into his arms, swung his hoe, and forcefully chiseled down into the rock stratum.

Gravel tumbled down, and dust billowed up.

The clanging and banging of chisels echoed endlessly in the cramped mining chamber.

Little Pear squatted at the fork in the road, tilted her head and looked for a while, her eyes full of doubt, not understanding why her human was digging so enthusiastically.

Before long, it licked its whiskers and then climbed onto the wall to sharpen its claws.

Then, with a twist of its body, it slipped into a narrow crevice and went off to play by itself.

Time slips away quietly.

I don't know how much time has passed.

Jiang Yi was covered in dust and dirt, his face slightly pale. A thick layer of gravel had accumulated at his feet, among which were two pieces of black iron ore slightly larger than his fist.

But he showed no sign of stopping; instead, his eyes grew brighter and brighter, and he began to chisel with increasing speed and force.

A few moments later.

"bite--!"

Suddenly, a clear and melodious sound of metal and jade clashing rang out in the arena, like pearls falling onto a jade plate.

Jiang Yi's heart skipped a beat. He quickly dug through the surrounding rubble and pried off a piece of black iron ore the size of a washbasin.

But that wasn't what truly moved him.

In the recess on the back of this raw ore, there is also a ore with an even darker color.

About the size of a walnut, it is entirely black with a golden tinge, intertwined with the original ore, as if they were born together.

Jiang Yi tossed the raw ore around and roughly estimated that it weighed nearly a thousand pounds.

Even though he was prepared, he couldn't help but secretly gasp in surprise.

He immediately channeled his magic power and carefully pried off the ore.

This item is not as heavy as the original black iron ore; it feels as light as nothing in the palm of your hand, probably weighing less than three ounces.

He stroked the surface of the spirit ore, his eyes flashing, and a name quietly surfaced in his mind.

Could this be the Xuan Tie Jing Jin?

He frowned slightly, a glint of light flashed in his eyes, and his divine soul power poured out rapidly.

A moment later, a sudden realization flooded into his mind.

[Mysterious Iron Refined Gold, with its concentrated and sharp nature, and its restrained metallic energy, is an excellent material for refining weapons.]

"It's really good!"

Jiang Yi's lips curled up as he played with the object repeatedly with great interest.

Judging from the loss of spiritual power just now, this item must be a first-grade high-quality spiritual material.

Although it's a bit smaller and lighter, something of this quality should still sell for at least a hundred or two spirit stones, right?

Mind this.

He was secretly excited for a while before slowly suppressing his smile and returning to a calm expression.

It's too early to be happy.

Just because you dig it out doesn't mean you can pocket it.

The entrance to the mine is guarded by a golden thread rat.

That beast has an eerily keen sense of smell; trying to sneak away the fine gold right under its nose would be as difficult as climbing to heaven.

It would be better to just hand it in...

Based on this amount, one could receive at least twenty spirit stones, not to mention the additional rewards promised by the Liu family.

But as soon as the thought arose, Jiang Yi immediately suppressed it.

Mysterious iron and refined gold are extremely rare. We've been on the island for so long, and we've never seen anyone dig them up.

Even if more ore is mined, it will attract covetous eyes. If such a treasure is handed over rashly, who knows how much trouble it will bring.

Jiang Yi pondered for a moment, and gradually formed a plan in his mind.

Don't rush to deal with it; first, find a safe place to hide it.

If there is really no other way in the future, you can just wait until the day you leave the island to hand it in.

Taking the spirit stones and boarding the ship to leave would be a good strategy.

"That's what we'll do..."

Jiang Yi nodded slightly, took a deep breath, put away the refined gold and hid it close to his body, and then put the two fist-sized pieces of black iron ore on the ground into his basket.

Then he picked up the basin-sized piece of raw ore and turned to leave.

No sooner had he left than Little Pear, covered in dust from playing, hurriedly darted out from a crack and chased after him, wagging its tail.

Not long after.

Jiang Yi hurried along the side path for a while, then buried the two potentially dangerous spirit ores in a secluded spot.

Judging by the time, it's already time to finish work.

He looked around, breathed a sigh of relief, dusted himself off, and beckoned Xiao Li to lead the way before hurrying towards the exit...