Ordinary Bone

"Alright."

Following Lingyue Immortal's instructions, Xu Taiping carefully plucked one of the pods from the soybean vine and gently peeled it open.

"Immortal, what is this?"

Inside the pod, instead of beans, Xu Taiping saw small crystal-clear beads shimmering with a radiant glow.

"These are Spirit Crystals, condensed from the spiritual energy of this land," Lingyue Immortal explained confidently. "In the future, when you cultivate, you can place one in your mouth. Coupled with the medicinal formula I'm about to give you, even white bones can rapidly be refined and strengthened."

"Really?" Xu Taiping blurted out in disbelief.

"Refining white bones for cultivation isn't particularly difficult," Lingyue Immortal replied nonchalantly, nodding. "It's just that on this continent, much of the knowledge and legacy of cultivation has been lost, leading to situations where people believe white bone refinement is impossible."

She continued, "Among the treasures nurtured by the Dìzàng Fruit, Spirit Crystals are actually the lowest grade. This land is exceedingly barren, so it can only produce treasures of this quality. Even if you allowed the plant to grow longer, it would merely improve the grade of the Spirit Crystals slightly—it wouldn't be able to produce the divine artifacts with supernatural abilities that true treasures are capable of."

Hearing this, Xu Taiping nodded thoughtfully, then asked, "If I were to plant this seed on the Seven Peaks, would it then be able to nurture the divine artifacts you mentioned?"

"You're quick-witted. If I weren't just a remnant soul, I'd take you as my disciple," Lingyue Immortal said, clearly growing more fond of Xu Taiping with every passing moment.

Embarrassed by the compliment, Xu Taiping scratched his head awkwardly.

"However," Lingyue Immortal continued, "to make the Dìzàng Fruit produce more powerful treasures, planting it on the Seven Peaks isn't enough. There's one more thing you and I must do."

"What is it?" Xu Taiping asked eagerly.

"First, pluck the remaining two pods from the vine and peel them open," Lingyue Immortal instructed, pointing to the two remaining emerald-green pods on the plant.

"Alright."

Having chosen to trust Lingyue Immortal, Xu Taiping acted decisively. Without hesitation, he plucked the two pods and carefully peeled them open.

As expected, the pods also contained beads resembling tiny yellow beans—Spirit Crystals, just as Lingyue Immortal had mentioned.

"Immortal."

Xu Taiping carefully pocketed the Spirit Crystals that belonged to him before holding out the remaining ones in his palm, offering them to Lingyue Immortal's ethereal form.

He was true to his word: he didn't take a single extra bead, nor did he shortchange himself by leaving any behind.

This integrity earned Lingyue Immortal's silent approval.

She thought to herself, "So young, yet so meticulous and decisive. He acts with both prudence and boldness—a rare talent indeed."

However, she didn't voice these thoughts to Xu Taiping. Instead, she gave a slight nod and opened her mouth, inhaling the Spirit Crystals from Xu Taiping's palm.

"Hiss..."

With a soft inhaling sound, the seven or eight Spirit Crystals dissolved into streams of purple energy, flowing like rivers into Lingyue Immortal's illusory form.

After absorbing the essence of the Spirit Crystals, Lingyue Immortal's figure became noticeably more defined, no longer swaying like a mist in the wind.

"Thank you, young friend Taiping, for extending my life."

Lingyue Immortal's gratitude was sincere.

"You don't need to thank me, Immortal. This was part of our deal." Xu Taiping remained calm and composed, his expression steady as he shook his head.

"Well said," Lingyue Immortal acknowledged with a nod. She then gestured toward the soybean vine below. "Now, take another look at the plant."

At her prompting, Xu Taiping looked down. He was surprised to find that the once-vibrant soybean plant had completely withered, reduced to a dried-up husk resembling a wild weed.

"Immortal, the plant has withered. How are we supposed to harvest seeds from it now?" Xu Taiping asked, startled but not panicked. He trusted that Lingyue Immortal would have a solution.

"Good question," Lingyue Immortal said with a smile.

"This is the second task I mentioned earlier."

Hearing this, Xu Taiping immediately straightened his posture, his eyes serious and focused as he awaited her explanation.

Lingyue Immortal wasted no time, diving straight into her explanation:

"Each time the Dìzàng Fruit bears fruit, the plant will wither once all its pods are harvested. Even if you wait until the following year, it won't bear fruit again."

"To make it bear fruit again, you need to use the Fire Without Roots to burn the withered plant to ashes. Only when it is completely reduced to ash will new seeds emerge from the remains. We call this process 'Seed Burning.'"

Her explanation left Xu Taiping astonished once more.

However, his curiosity quickly outweighed his surprise. Of all the things Lingyue Immortal mentioned, what intrigued him most was the Fire Without Roots.

"Immortal, what is the Fire Without Roots?" Xu Taiping asked.

It seemed Lingyue Immortal had been waiting for this question. She smiled warmly before explaining:

"The Fire Without Roots is exactly what its name suggests—a flame that doesn't rely on external fuel to burn."

"There are two types of Fire Without Roots. One occurs naturally and is known as Spirit Fire. Such divine flames are rare and nearly impossible to obtain. The other type is called True Fire, which cultivators refine using their own qi and techniques."

"True Fire is often stored within magical artifacts or talismans."

Lingyue Immortal had no need to go into such detail if her goal were merely to explain the fire. Clearly, she intended to guide Xu Taiping toward the path of cultivation.

"Thank you for your guidance, Immortal," Xu Taiping said, bowing respectfully.

"So, Immortal, are you suggesting I search for a talisman containing True Fire?" he asked, seeking confirmation.

"Smart," Lingyue Immortal replied, nodding in approval.

"True Fire Talismans aren't particularly rare, and the first 'Seed Burning' for the Dìzàng Fruit doesn't require a high-grade True Fire. However, given your current situation, you likely don't have the means to purchase one. You'll either need to master cultivation and refine True Fire yourself in the future, or diligently manage this medicinal garden and earn enough merits to exchange for one. There's no need to rush."

"Don't worry, Immortal. I'll work hard to cultivate and take care of this small medicinal garden. I'll strive to obtain the True Fire needed for Seed Burning as soon as possible," Xu Taiping said earnestly, nodding with determination.

[--------------------------------------------]

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