"All right."
Following her instructions, Xu Taiping plucked a pod from the bean stalk, then carefully pried it open.
"Fairy, what are these?"
After opening the pod, Xu Taiping saw that it contained not beans, but crystal beads that shimmered with a translucent luster.
"These are spirit crystals, crystallizations of the spiritual energy contained in this land. When you cultivate in the future, you can hold one in your mouth. Combined with the medicinal formula I gave you, even someone with a mortal bone can cultivate swiftly."
Fairy Lingyue spoke with great confidence.
"Really?"
Xu Taiping could not help blurting out the question.
"Cultivating with a mortal bone was never particularly difficult. It is simply that many cultivation legacies on your continent have been severed, resulting in a situation where those with mortal bones cannot cultivate."
Fairy Lingyue nodded dismissively, then continued:
"Among the treasures the Earth Treasury Fruit can nurture, these spirit crystals are actually the lowest grade. This land is simply too barren, so it can only nurture treasures of this caliber. Even if you let it grow a while longer, that would only improve the grade of the spirit crystals it produces. It cannot nurture true magical treasures possessing divine abilities."
Hearing this, Xu Taiping nodded thoughtfully, then asked, "Then if I plant this seed up on the Seven Peaks, will it be able to nurture the sort of magical treasure with divine abilities you mentioned?"
"A single hint, and you understand. If I were not merely a remnant soul, I would want to take you as my disciple."
The more Fairy Lingyue saw of Xu Taiping, the more she liked him.
A little embarrassed by her praise, Xu Taiping scratched his head awkwardly.
"But if we want the Earth Treasury Fruit to bear more powerful treasures, besides planting its seed on the Seven Peaks, where spiritual energy is more abundant, there is one more thing we must do."
Fairy Lingyue spoke again.
"What is it?"
Xu Taiping asked at once.
"Taiping, first pick the two remaining pods from that bean stalk, then open them and hold their contents in your palm."
Rather than explain right away, Fairy Lingyue pointed at the two emerald-green pods remaining on the stalk.
"All right."
Having chosen to trust Fairy Lingyue, Xu Taiping acted decisively, plucking the two pods and opening them without hesitation.
After opening the two pods, Xu Taiping discovered that, just as Fairy Lingyue before him had said, they too contained spirit crystals shaped like soybeans.
"Fairy."
Xu Taiping put away his own Soybean Spirit Crystals before cupping the remaining ones in his hands and holding them out before Fairy Lingyue's phantom form.
Of what he had promised another, he would keep not a single crystal; of what belonged to him, he would give not a single extra one.
Fairy Lingyue nodded inwardly at the sight.
Once again, she silently praised him:
So young, yet cautious without shrinking from trouble, decisive and free of hesitation when he acts. He truly is one of our kind.
But she did not say this to Xu Taiping. She merely nodded to him, then opened her mouth and drew in a breath toward the Soybean Spirit Crystals in his hands.
"Hiss..."
With a faint sucking sound, Xu Taiping saw the seven or eight Soybean Spirit Crystals in his palm instantly turn into wisps of purple qi. Like rivers flowing into the sea, they were drawn into the mouth of Fairy Lingyue's phantom form.
After Fairy Lingyue inhaled the purple qi formed from those Soybean Spirit Crystals, Xu Taiping could clearly sense that her figure had become much sharper, no longer wavering in the wind like mist.
"Thank you, young friend Taiping, for extending my life."
Fairy Lingyue did not stint on her words of gratitude.
"There is no need to thank me, Fairy. This was a transaction between us."
Xu Taiping shook his head calmly, seemingly unmoved by either favor or disgrace.
"Well said."
Fairy Lingyue nodded in agreement, then pointed at the bean stalk below.
"Look again. What has changed about this bean stalk?"
At her words, Xu Taiping looked down and was astonished to discover that the bean plant, so full of life only moments ago, had now withered completely, resembling a wild weed.
"Fairy, this bean plant has already withered. How are we supposed to obtain its seed?"
Though somewhat surprised, Xu Taiping was not alarmed, for he knew that the fairy before him must have a solution.
"As for that question..."
Fairy Lingyue smiled.
"That is the second thing I just mentioned, the one I need you to do."
She continued.
Hearing this, Xu Taiping immediately assumed an attentive posture, his gaze fixed earnestly on Fairy Lingyue before him.
Fairy Lingyue did not keep Xu Taiping in suspense and told him directly:
"Each time the Earth Treasury Fruit bears fruit, it will wither on its own once all its fruit has been harvested. Even if you wait until the following year, it will not bear fruit again."
"If you want it to continue bearing fruit, you must use rootless fire to burn this withered plant. Once it has been reduced entirely to ash, its seed will emerge within the ashes. That is why we call this step Seed Burning."
Lingyue's answer undoubtedly left Xu Taiping marveling once again.
Yet more than the wonder in his heart, what caught his attention was something Fairy Lingyue had mentioned-rootless fire.
"Fairy, what is rootless fire?"
Xu Taiping asked.
Fairy Lingyue seemed to have been waiting for Xu Taiping's question. Upon hearing it, she once again smiled with satisfaction before explaining:
"As its name suggests, rootless fire is a flame that requires no external substance to ignite."
"There are two kinds of rootless fire. One arises in nature, while the other is refined by cultivators using true qi in conjunction with cultivation methods. We call the latter true fire."
"Rootless fire born in nature is also called spirit fire. Such divine wonders can only be encountered by chance, never sought at will."
"So the only rootless fire you can hope to find is true fire refined by cultivators. The true fire they refine is usually stored within magical treasures and talismans."
If she had merely wanted to explain rootless fire, Fairy Lingyue would not have needed to go into such detail. Clearly, she intended her words to guide Xu Taiping in his cultivation.
"Thank you for your guidance, Fairy."
Feeling that he had learned a great deal, Xu Taiping immediately bowed in thanks.
"So you want me to find a talisman containing true fire, correct?"
He then sought confirmation from Fairy Lingyue.
"Correct."
Fairy Lingyue nodded with a smile.
"Although True Fire Talismans are not particularly rare, and the Earth Treasury Fruit's first Seed Burning does not require especially high-grade true fire, you probably cannot afford one as you are now. So you can either refine true fire yourself once your cultivation has progressed sufficiently, or work hard to manage this Medicine Garden and exchange your merit rewards for one once you have earned enough. There is no need to rush."
Fairy Lingyue offered Xu Taiping this advice.
"Rest assured, Fairy. I will work hard at my cultivation and tend this half-mu Medicine Garden diligently, so I can obtain true fire for Seed Burning as soon as possible."
Xu Taiping nodded earnestly.
Before you continue