Chapter 157: Chapter 136: Xiaojiu’s Discovery

"Meow~"

Xiaojiu leaped lightly onto the rock, tilting its head to look at Yang Qi with a questioning gaze.

’Master, what should I do?’

"You can go play."

Yang Qi said casually, then added after a moment’s thought, "Be careful, and don’t go too far."

"Meow!"

’I’ll patrol the area for Master, too!’

But Xiaojiu seemed unwilling to be left without a task. With a flicker of movement, it deftly slipped into the nearby bushes and vanished from sight.

Yang Qi just shook his head and smiled, letting it be.

Xiaojiu was clever and agile, even more in its element in the mountain forest than the dogs.

He took a deep breath of the fresh mountain air, focusing his mind.

Yang Qi slowly circulated the pure Magical Power he had cultivated with the Great Derivation Spirit-Controlling Technique, guiding it like a gentle stream toward the "Every Plant a Soldier" Divine Ability seed.

As his Magical Power continuously flowed into the seed and his mind communicated and merged with it, the Divine Ability seed began to tremble faintly, emitting an increasingly strong life-force fluctuation.

HUMM—

Suddenly, as if drawn by an invisible force, all the vegetation within a hundred-meter radius of Yang Qi began to stir without a breeze. Leaves and branches swayed gently, rustling softly.

An unseen energy, rich with the essence of plants, converged from all directions. It swirled around Yang Qi before expanding outward again, like a breath.

In and out, it cycled again and again.

Yang Qi’s body seemed to have become a nexus, connecting to the spiritual essence of the surrounding vegetation.

Time slipped by quietly amid the serene and profound refinement.

The light in the forest gradually softened as the afterglow of the setting sun cast dappled spots of light through the gaps in the canopy.

「In the blink of an eye, two hours had passed.」

Yang Qi had already used up more than half of his Magical Power, yet the refinement process had only progressed by a small fraction.

’This Divine Ability seed is truly profound,’ he thought. ’This isn’t something that can be mastered overnight.’

Yang Qi decisively stopped. He took out a Qi Condensing Pill from his Hundred Pouches Belt and swallowed it. The pure medicinal energy dissolved and quickly began to replenish his depleted Magical Power.

Just then, the bushes nearby rustled, and a black shadow shot out agilely. It was Xiaojiu.

It seemed to be carrying something in its mouth. Seeing that Yang Qi had stopped cultivating, it trotted over and gently placed a brightly colored red stone—about the size of a fingernail and shaped like a bead—on the rock in front of him.

"Meow~ Meow!"

Xiaojiu cried out as if asking for praise.

’Master, I found this shiny rock over there.’

’It’s for you.’

"Thanks, Xiaojiu."

Yang Qi smiled, reaching out to praise Xiaojiu by stroking its head. His eyes casually swept over the red stone as he said, "You can go play with it your—"

He stopped mid-sentence, his gaze suddenly locking onto the red stone!

He picked up the small stone and brought it closer to his eyes for a careful look.

The stone’s surface was still covered in a bit of dirt, but the part Xiaojiu had held in its mouth revealed its inner texture.

Its color was a pure, vibrant pigeon blood red, refracting a mesmerizing luster in the twilight. Though it was unpolished and its edges were rough, its translucency and color...

"Is this a raw ruby?"

Yang Qi murmured to himself in astonishment.

’There are rubies in Cangshan?’

He immediately looked at Xiaojiu and asked, "Xiaojiu, where did you find this stone? Are there more?"

"Meow~"

’Yes, not far from here.’

Xiaojiu flicked its tail, pointing toward a direction deeper in the forest.

"Good job, Xiaojiu! You’ve done a great service again!"

Yang Qi’s spirits lifted, and he didn’t hold back his praise.

He immediately stood up and called to Hu Zi, who was standing guard nearby.

"Hu Zi, come on."

Then he instructed Xiaojiu, "Xiaojiu, lead the way. Let’s go take a look."

"Meow~"

Thrilled by the praise, Xiaojiu let out an excited cry, turned around, and began to lead the way with light, swift steps.

The man, cat, and dog moved quickly through the dense woods, crossed a relatively low ridge, and arrived at the edge of a steep and hidden ravine.

The ravine was very steep, with dense vegetation and jagged rocks. It would be difficult for an ordinary person to descend, and few would ever notice this place.

But for Xiaojiu, it was like walking on flat ground, and it wasn’t much of a problem for Yang Qi, who possessed the Spirit Crane Body Technique.

Leaving Hu Zi above to keep watch, Yang Qi lightened his body with qi and executed his Body Technique. Following Xiaojiu’s nimble form, he reached the bottom of the ravine in just a few leaps.

The light was dim at the bottom of the ravine, but Yang Qi’s eyesight was excellent.

Following Xiaojiu’s lead, he soon found some scattered red fragments and several larger raw rubies in a nook at the base of the cliff wall, a spot that had been eroded by rainwater.

He ignored the smaller fragments, but among them were four or five specimens of excellent quality. They were about the size of a thumb, and though irregularly shaped, their color was rich and pure. Even in the faint light filtering through the leaves, he could see their translucent potential.

Yang Qi crouched down, carefully picked up the largest and most vibrantly colored one, and held it up to the skylight filtering from above to examine it closely.

Its interior was clear, and the red was so vivid it seemed almost liquid. He could see almost no obvious impurities or cracks.

"Well, I’ll be..."

A smile spread across Yang Qi’s face. "Now I don’t have to worry about gifts."

Natural rubies, especially raw stones of this quality, were an excellent choice whether he had them processed into jewelry or kept them as collectibles.

Giving one to Yang Pan would be enough to express his gratitude and would also suit her status.

As for giving one to Chen Hao... he might not have a use for it himself, but if he gave it to his wife, Du Xi, the effect would be absolutely outstanding!

After all, what woman could resist the charm of such beautiful, colorful gems?

He had come into the mountains to refine a Divine Ability; he never expected such a pleasant surprise!

Yang Qi immediately picked up the high-quality raw rubies, wrapped them in a soft cloth, and stored them in his Hundred Pouches Belt.

As for the smaller fragments, he didn’t let them go to waste either. He collected them all, thinking they might be useful later.

"Thanks, Xiaojiu, you did great! You’re getting extra food when we get back!"

Yang Qi, in high spirits, patted Xiaojiu’s head.

"Meow~"

’You’re welcome.’