Daoist Robe

Wasn't this a red-fleshed dragon fruit?!

Lin Jing froze when he saw the spirit fruit Elder Black Bear took out.

"Want to try one?"

Elder Black Bear took out another and handed it to Lin Jing.

"Thank you." Lin Jing accepted the Dragonbone Flower.

Then he looked inside the house and said, "Pineleaf Squirrel should be asleep right now. I'll go wake it."

Even Pineleaf Squirrel, born with a sacred constitution for farming and working, had moments when it grew tired.

Before long, Lin Jing dragged Pineleaf Squirrel out of its sweet dreams.

The groggy Pineleaf Squirrel stared at the boxes upon boxes of Dragonbone Flowers in the courtyard and sank into thought.

But once it vaguely heard Lin Jing mention "payment," it instantly woke up.

Seeing Elder Black Bear nod, Pineleaf Squirrel asked tentatively:

"Squeak!" Could it ask for a Storage Bag?

"Ah, well..." Elder Black Bear paused, looking troubled.

"Elder Black Bear, you're a mighty demon core stage cultivator. Surely you have a Storage Bag?" Lin Jing couldn't help asking.

"Nonsense!" Elder Black Bear retorted. "It's just... I've only got the one I'm using."

"You don't understand. The materials used to craft and upgrade a Life-Bound Beast-Taming Spatial Treasure overlap completely with those used to make Storage Bags, and they're needed in much larger quantities."

"So ordinary Storage Equipment is in very short supply within the Beast Taming Sect. Every piece is strictly controlled by the sect and distributed according to need... In fact, the Beast Taming Sect has bought up practically all the spatial materials in the entire Great Wilderness Region, leaving next to none on the market."

"If you really want one, anything too good would be hard for me to get you... Elder Mo would find out. But if it's one of those miniature Storage Bags made from leftover scraps, I could find a way to get you one through 'unofficial' channels."

"Unofficial channels??? Wait, miniature... how big is that?"

Elder Black Bear raised one finger. "It can only hold about one cubic meter of supplies."

One cubic meter... really couldn't hold much. It was only a little more convenient than carrying a bundle on one's back, nothing more.

"Ah, come on," Elder Black Bear said. "Just make do for now. Once you become true disciples, you'll get spatial treasures. You're only in the qi refinement realm. Better storage tools wouldn't be much use to you right now anyway."

"Oh, right. If you really want one, just put some effort into the Inner Gate Examination when the time comes. There's a legitimate way to get a Storage Bag there!"

"The Inner Gate Examination has always used a points system. The better you perform, the more assessment points you earn. When you enter the inner gate, you can use those points to exchange for Spirit Artifacts and pills from the sect. That even includes Storage Equipment with larger spaces. It's a benefit for newly promoted inner gate disciples, and the exchange rates are far better than those for Sect Contribution Points earned from missions."

"The Inner Gate Examination...?" Lin Jing tilted his gaze toward the sky.

Sure enough, no matter where you went, people loved using promotion systems like this to spur others onward.

Elder Black Bear continued, "Given your abilities, I reckon you'll definitely take first place in this promotion assessment. Even if those youngsters Elder Li brought back are ferocious, they still shouldn't be a match for you, right?"

Lin Jing glanced at Pineleaf Squirrel. Sure enough, its thoughts had immediately flown back to the Inner Gate Examination.

It was already rubbing its paws together, raring to go. It really was easy to coax.

Soon, Elder Black Bear and Lin Jing reached an agreement. Pineleaf Squirrel would help synthesize the Dragonbone Flowers, while Elder Black Bear would find a miniature Storage Bag as payment.

A Storage Bag with one cubic meter of space was better than nothing. Although it couldn't hold much, it was certainly enough for Red Leaf and spirit beans for now.

At the thought of soon having its very own Storage Bag, Pineleaf Squirrel brimmed with energy, its emerald-green eyes turning toward the Dragonbone Flowers scattered across the ground.

Glazed Immortal Eyes!

Then nothing happened.

Pineleaf Squirrel froze for a moment, then looked at Lin Jing aggrievedly.

With its current strength, it seemed... unable to synthesize this resource.

"Squeak!!!" It rubbed its sore eyes, its gaze filled with despair. Was a Storage Bag... really so far beyond its reach?

"Hmm?" Elder Black Bear scratched his head. "Then why don't you go make a few breakthroughs now? That doesn't sound very realistic."

Too lazy to wait for Pineleaf Squirrel to make more breakthroughs, Elder Black Bear simply swept a broad sleeve and said, "Hold on. I'll lend you something, then you can try again!"

With that, Elder Black Bear rummaged through the Storage Equipment... then pulled out a White Daoist Robe, its style much the same as the one Elder Black Bear wore.

"Smaller, smaller, smaller, smaller-" Elder Black Bear chanted at the robe. Soon, the robe shrank to roughly Pineleaf Squirrel's size.

"Put on my robe. It's a Magic Artifact that amplifies most kinds of magical power, including wood spiritual power." With that, Elder Black Bear tossed the miniature robe to Pineleaf Squirrel.

Whoosh!

Pineleaf Squirrel caught it, its mouth falling slightly open.

"This..." Lin Jing also fell silent for a moment, then said, "Since it's a Magic Artifact, let's give it a try."

"Squeak, squeak, squeak." Pineleaf Squirrel nodded and draped it over itself.

The very next instant!

Dressed in an immaculate white Daoist robe, Pineleaf Squirrel suddenly exuded an air of otherworldly grace.

The miniature robe's lapels swayed gently in the breeze. Its tiny paws clutched the corners of the robe as it took a couple of steps, its movements remaining nimble while gaining a touch of an immortal's lofty bearing.

Most importantly, at that moment... Pineleaf Squirrel felt its entire body brimming with unprecedented, overwhelming power.

Its mouth fell slightly open again. At last, it understood why Elder Black Bear loved wearing Daoist robes.

"Although its cultivation isn't high enough to bring out the robe's full effects, it should still get something of a boost." Elder Black Bear grinned.

As Elder Black Bear spoke, Pineleaf Squirrel looked at the Dragonbone Flowers covering the ground again... This time, its eye technique activated smoothly.

And as the Glazed Immortal Eyes activated... roughly a hundred vivid red Dragonbone Flowers were instantly synthesized into a single purple Dragonbone Flower!

"It worked!" the Black Bear Monster exclaimed, overjoyed.

"It worked!" Lin Jing let out a breath too. It seemed he could study artifact refining and tailoring when he had some spare time!

The Dragonbone Flowers were clearly of higher quality than spirit rice, spirit beans, and spirit bamboo, making them harder to synthesize. Yet now that the synthesis was complete, Pineleaf Squirrel felt no soreness in its eyes. Unable to bear parting with the robe, it stroked the fabric on its body.

"Return!" Unfortunately, before Pineleaf Squirrel could examine it closely, Elder Black Bear took the robe back and chuckled. "You can't have this. These robes I've collected are my lifeblood."

Pineleaf Squirrel puffed out its cheeks.

Lin Jing smiled. This robe was probably more expensive than ordinary Storage Equipment. Equipment that amplified one's power could wait until they struck it rich.

"Elder Black Bear, why don't you taste it?" Lin Jing asked, rather curious about the Purple Fire Dragon Fruit's effects.

"Me? I'm not trying it. I don't need this one." Elder Black Bear reached into a robe sleeve, pulled out an unconscious white rat spirit, and shook it awake.

"A qi refining ninth layer Rat Demon. I caught it in passing. Let it eat the first one for me."

Lin Jing and Pineleaf Squirrel were speechless.

They had no idea what to say.

Elder Black Bear was far too cautious. Was all this really necessary for something synthesized from first-tier spirit fruit?