Zhang Bin was thrilled. There were Spirit Veins on Earth! It was a holy land perfect for cultivation.
In Earth's history, there must have been many powerful cultivators. Those ancient immortals of legend surely existed. Even now, such cultivators might still be around; it was just that he didn't know where they were.
"I have to go down and see for myself!" Zhang Bin declared.
He pulled out his dagger, cut some thick vines, and tied them together, lowering the makeshift rope into the Abyss.
However, the Little Fox suddenly ran over and blocked his path. She had a look of panic and urgency on her face and kept shaking her head frantically.
"Xiao Qian, move. I'm this strong; what danger could I possibly encounter?" Zhang Bin said confidently.
But the Little Fox didn't budge. Instead, she bit down hard on his trouser leg, the panic in her eyes intensifying.
Zhang Bin's expression turned serious. "Xiao Qian, are there powerful beasts in the Abyss?"
The Little Fox first nodded, then shook her head.
"You mean there aren't just powerful beasts, but other dangers too?" Zhang Bin asked.
Xiao Qian nodded quickly.
"If I go down, will I die?" Zhang Bin asked, staring intently at her.
Xiao Qian nodded without the slightest hesitation.
Zhang Bin couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath. He didn't dare go down. While he was strong now, he was only somewhat stronger than an ordinary person. He might not even be able to handle a Fierce Tiger. Moreover, with the Spiritual Energy in the Abyss nourishing everything within it, the beasts down there were surely even more powerful.
"No wonder a Cave Mansion was built on the other side. Perhaps its owner saw how dangerous the Abyss was and decided against building it down there," Zhang Bin muttered, though his face showed no regret.
The Qingmu Longevity Technique he practiced was miraculous, allowing him to cultivate by drawing Spiritual Energy from countless plants. For him, a place with a Spirit Vein wasn't essential or overly important. If he were learning one of Earth's Cultivation Methods, a place like this would have been invaluable.
Once I become stronger, I'll come back and explore properly. I must uncover the secrets of this Abyss.
Zhang Bin took one last, long look at the Abyss before reluctantly pulling his gaze away.
Immediately, his eyes widened as he stared at the other side of the Single-log Bridge. He was intensely curious about who had built the Cave Mansion there. Had they left behind a Cultivation Technique?
I'll figure out a way to get over there and have a look later.
He didn't lack Cultivation Techniques or Spiritual Energy, so while he was curious, he kept his composure. He felt no urgent need to hunt for treasure.
Finally, he turned and started walking back, carefully examining the plants on the ground in hopes of finding precious medicinal herbs.
"SQUEAK! SQUEAK! SQUEAK!"
As if sensing his thoughts, the Little Fox leaped into a bush and let out a peculiar cry.
Zhang Bin rushed over and gasped in surprise. There on the ground was a ginseng plant. He immediately used his dagger to carefully dig it out.
The ginseng had long rootlets, a deep color, and weighed over a hundred grams.
"I'm rich! I'm really rich this time! This has to be a Century-old Ginseng."
Zhang Bin trembled with excitement. He could sell this for a huge sum of money and finally repay the debt to his aunt's family. Overjoyed, he rewarded Xiao Qian with another dose of Spiritual Energy, making the little fox grin from ear to ear.
Still, he wasn't satisfied. He started searching carefully again but found no more Century-old Ginseng, though he did spot a few ginseng seedlings. He left them untouched, as he didn't have enough Spiritual Energy to cultivate them right now. Besides, the faint Spiritual Energy here was highly beneficial for their growth.
He also discovered some other medicinal herbs like Panax notoginseng, gastrodia elata, coptis, and some honeysuckle.
"It's a pity the area is so small, just over a thousand square meters. Otherwise, many more precious herbs could have grown here," Zhang Bin said with a hint of regret as he carried the ginseng up and out of the valley.
He looked back at the mist-shrouded valley, his heart filled with emotion. Only a martial arts expert of his caliber could enter such a deep valley. And only in a place like this could a Century-old Ginseng be found. Anywhere else, it would have been devoured by wild beasts long ago.
He was well aware that some intelligent wild beasts enjoyed eating ginseng. Xiao Qian herself had surely eaten it in the past. But now that she could get Spiritual Energy from Zhang Bin, she had a better option and chose to offer the precious Century-old Ginseng to him.
Who would have guessed there's an abyss inside this valley, and possibly even a Spirit Vein within it? It's a shame it's so dangerous down there; I can't explore it for now. Zhang Bin mused to himself. Not delaying any longer, he had Xiao Qian lead him toward the Mingqing Tree.
The Mingqing Tree was his goal for the day. He had to find it, not just for the money, but also because it could relieve the suffering of countless people with eye diseases.
Xiao Qian furrowed her brow in thought for a moment before once again leading him through the dense forest.
About an hour later, she brought Zhang Bin to a mountain nearly a kilometer tall. There, at a glance, Zhang Bin saw a peculiar small tree growing under a banyan tree so large it would take several people to encircle its trunk. The small tree was only about a meter tall, with thick, fleshy leaves.
"The Mingqing Tree! My Mingqing Tree!"
Zhang Bin lunged forward, shouting in excitement. A fervent light shone from his eyes, as if it could set the tree ablaze. To him, this Mingqing Tree was a true cash cow—no, it was more valuable than any cash cow.
"SQUEAK! SQUEAK! SQUEAK!"
Xiao Qian leaped into Zhang Bin's arms, looking at him expectantly for her reward.
Zhang Bin gathered some more Spiritual Energy and let the little fox inhale it. But even the Little Fox had her limits. She soon reached her saturation point and stopped absorbing, hopping out of his arms and prancing about on the ground.
After a moment, she even began to imitate Zhang Bin, practicing her punches. It looked incredibly adorable, but it was also the best way for her to digest the Spiritual Energy.
She's this clever? Zhang Bin was secretly astonished, a strange expression on his face. In the future, will Xiao Qian actually cultivate into a beautiful woman? Also, how did she know the Abyss was dangerous? Did she come from the Abyss? Or did she come from the cave on the other side of the Single-log Bridge? Could she be that cultivator's pet?
He finally managed to stop his wild thoughts and began to carefully dig out the Mingqing Tree with his dagger. He planned to transplant this precious tree into his vegetable garden at home. Since he could gather Spiritual Energy and concoct Spiritual Water, there was no way the Mingqing Tree would die.
His only worry now was whether the Mingqing Tree from Earth could cure eye diseases just like the ones on Xuanwu Star.