Chapter 83: The Monkey's Gift

Jade Fragment of Verdant Green was not owned by the old man with thick eyebrows.

He had found it in the ruins of an abandoned site. Yet, he could not probe its secrets, for any attempt to send his spiritual sense inside would be repelled with force, making him realize the jade was no ordinary object. He treasured it as a rare artifact, keeping it as a prized possession.

That day, when he met Li Ying, he was in high spirits and offered her a host of discarded trinkets to choose from, unconsciously placing the jade fragment among them. He felt the jade was nothing special—certainly not something a young girl like Li Ying would pick—so he did not bother retrieving it. But fate played its hand: among dozens of strange treasures laid out before her, Li Ying chose only the jade fragment.

“To see this artifact parted from me, yet forging a connection with her—it must be destiny,” the old man mused inwardly, helping Li Ying recognize the jade as her own before gifting it to her. From then on, his affection for Li Ying grew, and he considered taking her as a disciple. Yet, after calculating her fate, he quickly dismissed the idea, choosing only to treat her kindly, never with ulterior motives.

Who could have foreseen that when Li Ying, just beginning her cultivation, infused her first thread of true energy into the jade, it would unlock its secrets?

Li Ying acquired a cultivation technique called “Boundless Art,” which could be practiced directly from the Qi Condensation stage up to the Spirit Infant stage.

This was extraordinary. According to Li Mu’s knowledge, once cultivators reached the Pill Formation stage, their methods of cultivation changed significantly. Yet, the Boundless Art could carry one forward seamlessly, which Li Mu found baffling.

As for the other aspects of the technique, Li Mu could not impart them; they were for Li Ying to comprehend on her own.

Nevertheless, this was a great opportunity, undoubtedly extraordinary.

A few days passed, all were immersed in cultivation.

Li Mu observed that the redness in the monkey’s eyes had completely faded, so he untied the silk cord, dismantled the barrier, and released it.

The monkey, once free, immediately bowed deeply to Li Mu, prostrating itself without a trace of its former aggression.

“Is this what it means to tame a spirit beast?” Li Mu wondered, slightly bewildered. Could taming a spirit pet be so simple—just subdue and confine it for several days? He didn’t realize that this had nothing to do with the battle; it was the effect of consuming the beast’s blood. The monkey now regarded him as its king, accepting him as its master.

Li Mu patted the monkey’s head, filled with delight.

The monkey stood and gently nudged him, squealing softly, then scampered toward another stone wall.

Before the wall, it obediently climbed up ten meters along some vines, then gestured with its hands. The vines parted, it shifted a boulder larger than a man, and a pitch-black entrance appeared in the rock face.

“There’s actually a cave here.”

These days, everyone had focused on cultivation, spending any spare time gathering spirit herbs, never seriously exploring. This cave was hidden within the wall, blocked by stone; without the monkey’s guidance, it would have been nearly impossible to find.

“What treasures might be inside?”

Following the monkey, Li Mu released his flying shuttle, adjusting his body to enter the cave.

The entrance was smaller than the previous mine tunnel, with narrow passages that forced Li Mu to squeeze through. After traversing several dozen meters, he arrived at a chamber about three to four meters wide.

Li Mu used a magical artifact as a lantern to survey the space. The monkey crouched inside, beckoning him repeatedly.

Before it lay a modest fountain, about a foot wide, with crystal-clear water whose depth could not be seen. Bubbles continuously rose from the spring, emitting spiritual energy—it was a pool of spirit water.

Spirit water is formed by spiritual energy flowing from a vein beneath the ground over countless years. It contains pure spiritual power, excellent for drinking, alchemy, or enchanting treasures.

A true treasure trove, and a gift for taming the monkey. Li Mu nodded slightly at the monkey, silently acknowledging its gesture.

But the monkey pointed insistently at the spirit water, urging him closer.

Li Mu approached and peered down, instantly astonished.

Beside the spring grew several earth-colored fungal herbs.

Without needing to examine them closely, he recognized them at a glance: Spring Qi Ganoderma, a fourth-grade spiritual material!

On the fungus, water-colored clouds flowed to and fro, almost alive. This was a distinctive feature of Spring Qi Ganoderma, unmatched by any other spiritual herb.

Li Mu was puzzled. The spiritual energy here was as concentrated as a third-grade Spirit Gathering Array, yet outside he had only seen second-grade spiritual herbs, which was odd. Such an abundance of second-grade herbs should not be able to withstand this energy.

The answer lay here.

Much of the spiritual energy from the vein was used to cultivate these Spring Qi Ganoderma. The monkey guarded them, unwilling to leave because of the precious herbs.

But these truly were treasures.

Li Mu did not hesitate; he carefully harvested the Spring Qi Ganoderma.

Fourth-grade and higher spiritual materials are best used raw—simply eaten.

This Spring Qi Ganoderma was of superb quality; for an ordinary cultivator in the Spirit Foundation stage, consuming it would boost their cultivation by twenty percent. Li Mu’s spiritual reservoir was larger than most; for him, it would be a ten percent increase at most. He pondered briefly, then ate the ganoderma.

What he desired most was spiritual power. To survive in this world and reach the Cloud Mountain Realm, he needed to advance quickly, wasting no time.

A gentle yet potent stream of spiritual energy surged from his sea of qi, coursing through his meridians and flesh. The ganoderma, formed from pure spiritual energy, was perfectly compatible with his true energy. It merged rapidly, leaving no trace of conflict.

Li Mu sat by the spirit water, steadily transforming, accumulating, and storing the energy.

This process took three days.

When he awoke, his entire body felt cool and refreshed, his apertures more flexible, his physique softer, and his cultivation had advanced by exactly ten percent. He was now at the mid-stage of Spirit Foundation.

His spiritual reservoir and meridians had been refined and expanded.

His spiritual sense was also enhanced, now able to reach a hundred meters, and with focused scanning, up to two hundred meters—a feat many late-stage Spirit Foundation cultivators could not achieve. The growth was not only vast but sharper, letting him sense the finest currents of water and air, with perfect clarity.

This was another benefit of the Spring Qi Ganoderma, unlike any other spiritual material.

“Shopkeeper Li, you’re awake. Mid-stage Spirit Foundation already—remarkably swift. With this enlightenment, you’ve gained much.”

Li Mu looked at Shen Bingxue before him, momentarily speechless.

Shen Bingxue sat with her back to him on a tall stool, a large alchemy furnace before her, occupying most of the chamber. The spirit water flowed in four streams directly into the furnace.

“This place is excellent. I’m just testing my Water Pill Technique. If you wish to practice, head to the spiritual vein for the best results.”

Upon awakening, he found Shen Bingxue with the spirit water; she spoke casually, as if it were only natural.

Li Mu was about to reply but suddenly paused, noticing Shen Bingxue’s posture—her back was like two rounded spheres, full and blossoming, trembling slightly with shyness, as if they would sway at the faintest breeze. Even beneath her pale green silk dress, their jade-like smoothness could not be concealed.

Li Mu’s heart fluttered, and he quickly looked away.

“What are you looking at?”

Shen Bingxue clearly sensed it, abruptly turning, her bright eyes locking onto him, her cheeks tinged with a hint of annoyance.