Chapter 487

Chapter 487: Return to Jixian Peak

Since he couldn’t mine in his own mines, he could definitely go to the mines of other sects.

However, it required him to take a trip first.

But compared to the potential gains, this little investment was worth it.

Besides, the spiritual plants within the peak wouldn’t contribute much to his cultivation points at the moment, so he could simply set up a "Heaven" at Jingtan Peak, return in seven or eight days, and it would be safe and convenient.

Thinking of the endless mines available for him to take from, Ji Yang couldn’t help but break into a delightful smile.

However, before leaving, there was an important task to complete.

Ji Yang turned his gaze to the small Secret Silver Mine not far from the wooden house.

At this time, the mine had diminished significantly compared to three years ago, and even the Secret Silver Ore scattered around had lost its original luster due to the essence being absorbed over time.

After three years of continuous nurturing, there was little Secret Silver Ore left in his storage bag.

Fortunately, half a month earlier, Ji Yang sensed that the Mine Spirit had fully matured, but currently, its spirit intelligence was still in a naive state and would need some time to develop its own consciousness.

By that time, the Mine Spirit would have its own thoughts, becoming a true sentient being, but that wasn’t what Ji Yang needed.

Right now, the Mine Spirit was in the perfect state for crafting tools, requiring little effort from a craftsman.

Since he had decided to go mining, he would of course need to upgrade his mining tools first.

Ji Yang waved his hand, and a tremor came from the nearby mine; as he closed his palm,

a palm-sized piece of sparkling Secret Silver Ore was sucked into his hand.

On this dark-hued Secret Silver Ore, a mature small grass swayed left and right, its spiritual energy abundant, making Little Black beside him very envious.

Seeing this, Ji Yang nodded slightly; he had the main material ready, and as for the auxiliary materials, he had plenty, such as Xuan Iron Ore, the best Demon Spirit Ore he had mined before at the Heaven Demon Sect, and those treasures he had obtained, all of which could serve as auxiliary materials.

With the materials prepared, it was time to find a craftsman.

With Ji Yang’s current materials, only a master craftsman would be suitable. After thinking it over, he realized he should turn to an old acquaintance.

Surely no master craftsman could refuse such an opportunity?

Ji Yang set his direction toward Jixian Peak.

At Jixian Peak, in a crafting room at the summit, Elder Chai was quietly reading a book titled "Beginner’s Guide to Crafting Tools."

Years ago, he excelled in crafting to the point where he dismissed it after just one reading.

But now, as a master craftsman, he felt differently when he read it again; he gained new insights.

Perhaps a true master should always maintain the heart of a learner.

Just as Elder Chai was deeply engrossed in his reading, his eyelid suddenly twitched.

This made him quietly set down the book, as for a cultivator, such signs often carried foreboding. However, he shouldn’t be experiencing this kind of reaction while he was in the sect.

Before Elder Chai had time to contemplate, he heard a disciple’s voice reporting from outside:

“Elder Chai, Junior Brother Ji Yang wishes to see you.”

Upon hearing Ji Yang’s name, Elder Chai’s expression immediately turned sour.

Ji Yang came to find him, and it surely wasn’t for anything good.

“Just tell him I’m in seclusion and won’t be out for another two years, no, make it ten years.”

“Huh? Why aren’t you leaving yet?”

Seeing the disciple’s troubled expression, Elder Chai asked irritably.

“Well, Junior Brother Ji wanted me to relay a message. He said he has a mine spirit and wishes for Elder Chai to take a look.”

Upon hearing about the mine spirit, Elder Chai’s eyes suddenly lit up.

If it were ordinary materials, he wouldn’t care, but a mine spirit piqued his interest indeed.

The growth of a master craftsman was closely tied to personal experience. Once he reached the level of a master, ordinary spiritual treasures no longer excited him. Only top-quality treasures could stir even a little bit of his interest, but that was just a hint of interest.

However, a mine spirit was different—it was something capable of refining spiritual treasures. If he could successfully create one, it would greatly enhance his ability to craft spiritual treasures in the future.

Such opportunities were rare.

But the next moment, suspicion appeared on Elder Chai’s face as he asked the disciple,

“Did he really say that?”

The disciple nodded firmly.

Elder Chai’s gaze narrowed; if anyone else claimed to have a mine spirit, he might have doubted it, but if it was Ji Yang, it wasn’t surprising.

“Alright, bring him up.”

After a moment of thought, Elder Chai finally spoke.

In no time, Ji Yang’s figure appeared in Elder Chai’s courtyard.

“Disciple Ji Yang, greetings to Elder Chai.”

“Quick, let me see the mine spirit you mentioned.”

Elder Chai said impatiently.

Facing Elder Chai’s eagerness, Ji Yang felt no displeasure; instead, a smile appeared on his face.

He had been worried that the mine spirit wouldn’t impress Elder Chai enough.

Once Ji Yang took out the Mine Spirit, Elder Chai’s gaze was instantly drawn to it.

After examining it thoroughly, Elder Chai’s excitement grew even more evident.

Finally, he couldn’t help but bring it closer to himself.

“Wow! What a good thing!”

…

He also had a mine spirit, which was the piece of Zixin ore he had previously mined at the Xuan Iron Mine.

But compared to that piece of Zixin ore, this Mine Spirit seemed more suitable for crafting tools.

The difference lay in their levels of spirit intelligence; the Zixin Mine Spirit was already fully matured and even tried to escape, making it harder to handle during crafting.

If not handled properly, it could result in coming up empty-handed.

Because he didn’t have enough confidence to turn that Zixin ore into a spiritual treasure, he had only observed it occasionally over the past few years, constantly seeking ancient texts to figure out how to perfectly merge that Zixin ore into the treasures he crafted.

But the Mine Spirit in his hand was different; its spirit intelligence was still budding, making it the perfect state for crafting tools.

If he used this Mine Spirit for refining, the success rate of crafting a spiritual treasure would significantly increase.

If successful, it would greatly enhance his skills in tool refinement.

This was a temptation no master craftsman could resist.

However, just thinking about the fact that this mine spirit wasn’t his made Elder Chai’s heart ache.

Realizing he was getting a bit too emotional, Elder Chai quickly regained his composure—he couldn’t expose his weaknesses.

But looking at the smile on Ji Yang’s face made him feel a surge of irritation.

After a moment, Elder Chai gave in and, without waiting for Ji Yang to speak, he voluntarily said,

“Go ahead, tell me what you want to craft this time.”

“Well, I want to refine a spiritual treasure, but I’m not sure if it’s possible.”

Regarding Ji Yang’s request, Elder Chai maintained a calm demeanor; since Ji Yang had brought out the mine spirit, he undoubtedly wanted to create a level of artifact even higher than a top-quality treasure.

“Let me be clear; I only have a seventy percent chance of success. If it fails, I won’t offer any compensation.”

Ji Yang was unfazed, simply praising,

“With Elder Chai’s crafting skills, not just in He Dao Sect, but in the entire cultivation world, there’s no one who can surpass you. If you can’t craft it, then no master craftsman will be able to.”

Upon hearing Ji Yang’s words of praise, even Elder Chai couldn’t help but raise his chin, but then he scoffed lightly,

“Don’t say useless things. Just having this mine spirit isn’t enough to craft a spiritual treasure. Even if I contribute a bit, you still need other materials.”

“Don’t worry, disciple has everything prepared.”

“By the way, what type of spiritual treasure do you want to craft? Is it a flying sword of spiritual treasure level? Or something else with great power? I could even replicate some of those rumored Heavenly Communication Artifacts with this mine spirit, although their power won’t be as strong.”

Elder Chai said confidently, directing his gaze at Ji Yang.

This time, Ji Yang better not be thinking of refining that rusty iron pick again, right?