"Well, that was fun. Who knows, a trip to Cyan Town ended up popping the nuggets of those people?" Yun Che and Retsu were back on top of Minazuki's back. That was the first human encounter he had after jungling for two years. Retsu was cuddling with Yun Che again after their trip back to Cyan Town. Since they became a couple, there was no restriction on her part, and the fox liked cuddling with him and will use her alone time with him doing that. Part of the cuddling was because of his smell and energy—something both Retsu and Yachiru liked. Sleeping while being surrounded by such a smell was addicting to the point that she started being clingy to him.
Both had their share of fun castrating those sinners back at Cyan Town. Now that they had finished what they came for back in the town, they finally decided to return to Floating Cloud City. His original objective was to clear out that cave full of Purple Veined God Crystals. Also, he had some plans for the Xiao Clan now that he had restored his profound strength.
"Wow, you are quite despicable, aren't you? You destroyed and castrated those people using their swords." Jasmine said while sitting beside him. She admits his methods of solving things were inhumane, but at least the problem's solved.
"It was Retsu's wish, after all. She wanted to end their life personally, but I suggested we do that instead. We were giving them a fate worse than death. Besides, death awaited them when those people entered their manor. What happens next is none of our concern." Yun Che replied.
"If this princess handles it, this princess would decimate them with a single strike. Still, mortals still mortals in our eyes." She said proudly.
"Sure you would" Yun Che just smiled because he knows with her personality and powers. She would 100% do it.
Their trip lasted for a few hours before arriving in Floating Cloud City. The city remains the same as it was a year ago. His last stunt leaves an everlasting impression towards the people here. Where else can they see a disabled man capable of destroying the tip of the mountain with just a single slash?
Instead of entering the city, he and Retsu searched for the location of the underground cave leading to the crystal mine. Years from now, Divine Phoenix Empire will do whatever it takes to enter and invade this nation. The reason was this particular mine. He'll make another mental note to pay a 'visit' to the Divine Phoenix Empire one day. If they invade this nation in the future, it's only natural for the ruler to visit them back.
Back to his current objective, the Purple Veined Crystal mine was the prime source and aim for the invasion in the future. Based on the novel, a continuous lightning strike struck the ground and created the Purple Veined Crystal mine almost twenty years ago. If he pieces the puzzle together, that's when that lightning strikes Little Aunt's mother and produces the current unknown hidden identity of Xiao Lingxi herself.
The downside was that because of it, her mother died after giving birth to her as her body was too weak after the lightning strike. He asked the system about the mother and couldn't find anything besides general information. She was said to be a lovely woman but lost her light after her son's death. She was full of smiles; everyone around her was happy just by standing by her side, but after her son died, she became brokenhearted and barely smiled again.
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Yun Che gave the deceased mother silent respect. She died bringing his Little Aunt into the world, and considers the mine her grave. He wasn't going to let some bird empire desecrate it. He shook his head, used the system map interface, and tried locating the mine. "Now, where in the world is that mine?"
"You mean that you come here without any lead?" Jasmine sounded next to him with her faux body equipped.
"Well….. the system told me it was underneath the ground somewhere far from the city, but it never told me about the location." He makes some excuses. He read about it in the novel but didn't know where to find it. All he can do is walk around the city's outskirts, hoping to find clues.
After walking for a while, Retsu deployed Minazuki due to Jasmine's complaint that walking hurts her feet, and they went around in circles to locate the mysterious cave. All of a sudden….
[Ding….Detected unusual energy from underneath the ground.]
He suddenly grins and causing Jasmine some discomfort. "I hope that smile means something." He shows her a smirk before jumping from Minazuki and landing on the ground below them. As expected, the bed was indeed odd. It was the only place where grasses and flowers didn't grow, as if the earth was poisonous. Whatever it was, it left a suspiciously big circle on the ground. If that's not enough for a clue, maybe he didn't read enough about the mine.
Landing on the ground, he gave Jasmine a cheeky smile while the latter still floats on Minazuki alongside Retsu. "Relax, toots. I got this" He immediately manifested Zangetsu from his inventory before stabbing it to the suspicious ground. "All right, here goes." He channeled his energy into the sword as it went into the earth. He could use Getsuga Tenshou or someone who knows what damage it can cause to the mine.
"Young master, please be careful." Retsu was a bit worried. Not to him but what damage he might cause. She knew her young master was too powerful when doing something like this.
Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Jasmine asked for the third time.
"Nope…. I hope I didn't collapse the entire city while doing it. The system has detected something over here. If we can't find an entrance, we must make our own." As soon as he said that, multiple cracks on the ground started to spread from the sword.
"I knew it." Yun Che gave the ground a smooth hit with his boot. "Why isn't this working? Must more energy be used?" He spoke internally using a sentence from a game he used to play. "Finally....." His word wasn't even finished when the cracks grew more extensive, and the ground he stepped on finally collapsed. The only problem is that the cracks grew larger before forming a hole and swallowing him. "SHIIITTT!!!!"
"Young master." Retsu wanted to jump into the hole to help him. She went to the hole's edge before waving as he saw him lying flat with a smile.
"Are you well?" She asked, and she heard a reply instantly as he stood up, patting the dust from his clothes and resheathing Zangetsu. "I am okay. I mean…WOOOWW."
"Young master, anything down there?"
"Not anything. It's everything. This place is a goldmine. These Purple crystals are everywhere." He shouted from the bottom of the hole. Using his kido, he cast a light art to amplify it on his hand. From there, he can see everything from here. The Purple Crystals he was looking for, they're everywhere. These are not ordinary crystals, but they are Purple Veined God Crystal. This place is indeed a gold mine, more like a crystal mine. If this cave was large enough to store these crystals here, no wonder the empire went such a length to invade this country.
Well, not anymore.
"Young master? Are you okay?" Retsu suddenly jumped and landed beside him.
"Yeah, sort of." After confirming he was okay, she breathed a breath of relief. It was cute to have someone worried for him despite knowing how powerful he was.
Retsu widened her beautiful eyes as she saw the crystals shining within the cave. Purple crystals were almost everywhere, but despite their beauty, the area they covered was limited. If he were to collect all of it, it was enough only to cover fifty kilograms. It was less than the sight offers. However, that less was enough to cause an invasion of a weak kingdom as a vein could only produce two kilograms max, and it was all cultivators could get in ten years.
To have fifty in one place.
"Wow, so beautiful. So these are Purple Veined God Crystals? What are these for?" She touched one of the crystals admiring it. Yun Che went next to her before pressing the notification, and both read it.
[Ding…. The crystal contains energy from the black lightning. From time to time, small lightning struck all over this continent, capable of producing a small vein of crystals, mainly around one to two kilograms. The black lightning that struck Xiao Lingxi's mother was only a rare occurrence that may occur once every thousand years. Whatever it was, it produced as much as fifty kilos. However, these crystals can enhance a person's cultivation. If trading with the system, the system can give the host around 5000XP per crystal.]
"Xiao Lingxi? Her mother?" Retsu tilted her head as she didn't understand the system's notification.
"I'll bring you to meet her after this." Yun Che pats Retsu's head.
Those crystals are essential for those sacred grounds and empires. It was worth more than it shows as it contains crystallized energy from the heavens itself or, in his words, five thousand experience points. 5000XP might sound significant, but only for beginners and elementary cultivators. However, 5000XP won't make any difference for Retsu, as more and more experience points are needed to break one level. So he decided to use the crystal for other purposes. He saves the thirty-five kilos for Jasmine and uses the rest for himself. Who knows, maybe the crystal can replenish his wealth or create a powerful weapon.
He might need to hide them from Mizu and Kaze, or they'll eat them like popcorn.
"Goodness, so many god crystals. What is this place?" Jasmine jumped from above and slowly landed on the ground.
"This is the place I was looking for. It was unknown why the black lightning struck this spot and formed a large vein underneath it." Yun Che hid the incident about Little Aunt's mother to avoid more questions from her.
"There must be something happening here that attracts those bolts of lightning. I'll look into it if I have some time. So how are we going to clear this cave? It could take days to clear with only three of us."
"No problem, I've got it covered." He points his hand in the air, forming an air vortex around his hand. Jasmine and Retsu could feel the suction powers of the mysterious system vortex on his hand. The crystals in the cave suddenly shifted towards his hand and vanished before Jasmine knew it. It was a marvelous sight for Jasmine as she saw the crystals go into his hand as a powerful vacuum sucked them. In an instant, the vortex cleared a cave full of god crystals.
"I don't even know what to say." The cave that took days to clear was cleared instantly by him. She knew the system was the one that did the job and was no longer surprised by its powers anymore.
[Ding…. Acquired 50 Kilograms of Purple Veined God Crystal]
[Purple Veined God Crystal]
[Description: A fingernail-sized purple crystal that houses the powers of heaven and earth or five thousand experience points. Can be traded with the system should the need be acquired.]
[Ding… Compiling data from the crystal itself. The system has taken some of it to be analyzed and compensated 30000XP to the host.]
Not that Yun Che minded, as long as he had some for Jasmine.
Patting both his hands, he turned towards Jasmine. "Well, that was easy. Hey Jasmine, minus the thirty-five kilos needed to build your body. Can I keep the rest?"
"Hmph, do what you want with them. As long as you save some for me to build my body." Jasmine nodded her head, reminding him of her request.
Hearing this, Retsu was curious about his plans. "Young master. Are we going to consume them?"
He shook his head. "Nah, the experience needed to enter Earth Profound Realm is still too much. I doubt the crystals will be enough for me, and you to break through. I'll save it just in case."
"Now that you got the crystals. What's next?" Jasmine was looking forward to their next adventure. He is about to answer, but a notification pops in front of him.
[Ding…. Analyze complete. The system has created a cave underneath the host's inner world for you to farm Purple Veined God Crystals. The host can cultivate two kilograms of these crystals every month. When the host breaks through levels, the crystal cave will expand to farm more crystals.]
Within the inner world, a ten-meter-deep with a five-meter diameter cave hole suddenly formed on the ground of the floating island, and in an instant, purple crystals can be seen growing from it. The Zanpakuto spirits nearby were curious as they explored the newly formed cave
[Ding… Congratulation on achieving the 'Old Macdonald had a farm' achievement – Farm your first authentic world items.]
[Reward: 10000XP and 5000SP]
Yun Che suddenly went speechless. Does he now have a way to farm for these crystals? Two kilograms per month was the continent's earnings in a year. If his inner world expands, he can cultivate twelve kilograms a year, which doesn't include his farm's expansion.
If this were known, he might be turned into livestock for Purple Veined God Crystals. He might consider selling them as scraps if he had many of them years from now.
"What's wrong?" Jasmine suddenly asked as he saw his surprised but flat expression.
"Go into the inner world, and you'll be surprised." His flat answer earns a tilted head from Jasmine. He's sure she'll be surprised when she enters the inner world.
"Oh yeah…. Let's go to this city's Xiao Clan. I owe them a big debt" He smiled sinisterly before jumping outside the hole, followed by Jasmine and Retsu.