Ye Jingyun also turned her gaze towards the owner of the Jade Workshop at this moment. Black jade from Black Jade City was quite famous. It was a rather decent cultivation resource. If one could obtain good quality pieces, it could more than double a person’s cultivation speed.
“Bring out the best black jade your workshop has. I’ll spare your life. Otherwise, it will be hard for you to leave here alive today!” Ye Chu smiled brightly at the owner.
“You dare!” The owner roared. “I am the owner of the Jade Workshop. We have three enshrined experts, each stronger than me. One of them has even reached the upper grade of the Primordial Spirit Realm. If you dare touch me, they will never let you off!”
“Don’t try to scare me!” Ye Chu swung the stick and struck the owner’s back, splitting his flesh open. “Do you think I dare or not?”
The owner let out a miserable cry. His entire body was beaten down to the ground. Seeing Ye Chu raise the stick again, he hurriedly said, “Not long ago, a cultivator brought a piece of Dark Nether Ink Jade to the workshop for polishing. The reason Young Master Shangguan could not come personally to welcome you this time is because he has taken a fancy to that piece of black jade. He wants it for himself.”
“Dark Nether Ink Jade? What is that?” Ye Chu was not familiar with it. He looked curiously towards Tan Miaotong and Ye Jingyun.
“Dark Nether Ink Jade is an extremely precious variety of black jade. It usually forms deep underground in places where spiritual energy is both dense and pure. After years of spiritual energy permeation, the spiritual energy within the jade condenses into a solid state. That is one aspect. Most importantly, Dark Nether Ink Jade is warm and gentle. It can make a cultivator’s meridians far more resilient. Spiritual energy can merge directly into the body without needing to be refined. Above all, the spiritual energy it contains is not ordinary spiritual energy, but true essence. That is what drives people mad. Even great cultivators would become greedy at the sight of it,” Tan Miaotong explained.
“True essence?” Ye Chu was momentarily stunned. True essence was a higher grade of spiritual energy. Only great cultivators who had reached the realm of devouring the essence of the sun and moon could refine it. Obtaining spiritual energy of that level could elevate one’s power to an entirely new tier.
Ye Chu’s will realm had already surpassed the lively intent of the Primordial Spirit Realm. If he could obtain true essence, perhaps he really could cultivate techniques on the level of a great cultivator. That would be a transformation beyond the human realm. Although Ye Chu could currently display the methods of a great cultivator thanks to the Primordial Spirit True Source he had obtained, it was still merely imitating the form. He could not truly bring out the lively intent of a great cultivator. But if he comprehended it himself, the killing power would be far greater.
“Black jade containing true essence?” Ye Jingyun’s eyes also lit up. “Where is it kept?”
“I don’t know. When that cultivator brought it, I polished it and returned it to him. I only know that he is currently staying at the most luxurious Black Jade Inn in the city. Young Master Shangguan and his people have also checked into that inn,” the owner hurriedly said.
Ye Jingyun looked towards Ye Chu, wanting to hear his opinion. But she saw that Ye Chu was already searching the owner’s body. He actually found quite a few good pieces of black jade. They felt warm and smooth to the touch, brimming with spiritual energy. Holding them, one could feel the circulation of spiritual energy in the body speed up noticeably.
Ye Chu tucked one piece away on himself. He thought that even these pieces of black jade were of excellent quality. Wearing them could increase cultivation speed.
“Not honest at all!” Ye Chu struck the owner again with the stick. “You actually kept such good things and didn’t offer them to us.”
After several more strikes, the owner finally could not endure it and fainted on the spot.
……
Seeing the owner pass out, Ye Chu tossed the stick aside and said to Tan Miaotong, “Let’s go!”
Ye Chu knew that as the owner of a major workshop in Black Jade City, this man must have considerable influence here. Having beaten him unconscious in public would likely bring quite a bit of trouble. Ye Chu was not afraid of them, but he also did not want unnecessary complications.
Ye Jingyun saw that Ye Chu had led them to a rather unremarkable inn. She could not help asking in confusion, “You’re not interested in the Dark Nether Ink Jade? Why aren’t we staying at the Black Jade Inn?”
“Do you think everyone is as foolish as you? A piece of black jade that孕育 true essence would naturally attract countless people’s greed. You and I may have some strength, but do you think we are invincible? True essence is something even great cultivators would covet. The owner told us all this precisely because he hopes we will go and fight for it, letting others deal with us in the process.” Ye Chu rolled his eyes. “So tonight, sleep well. Tomorrow morning, we leave Black Jade City early and continue on our way.”
“…” Ye Jingyun looked at Ye Chu suspiciously. She had clearly seen his eyes light up with greed when Tan Miaotong explained what Dark Nether Ink Jade was. That avarice had not been hidden at all. Yet now he was not even glancing in that direction?
Although Ye Jingyun was puzzled, seeing that Ye Chu had truly entered the inn, requested rooms, and gone to rest, she could only follow him inside.
……
Night fell quickly. When darkness enveloped the city, a figure cloaked in black robes shot out from the inn. But just as the figure was about to leap out the window, a delicate shout rang out.
“Didn’t you say you had no interest in the Dark Nether Ink Jade? So what are you doing now? Sure enough, you’re as shameless as ever!”
With the voice, another figure in black robes emerged. The black robe wrapped around her graceful curves. Her long legs stood taut. Combined with her full chest and perky buttocks, her figure was extremely enticing.
“Ye Chu, stop pretending to cover your face. This young lady knows it’s you!” Ye Jingyun removed the black veil from her face, revealing a fair and stunningly beautiful countenance. She looked at Ye Chu with a mix of amusement and disdain.
“Damn it!” Ye Chu cursed under his breath. He glanced at Ye Jingyun and said, “Not sleeping in the middle of the night and standing guard here. Don’t tell me you want me to keep you company tonight?”
“Believe me or not, I’ll kill you!” Ye Jingyun was furious. This bastard’s words always made her want to murder him.
“If you want to kill me, do it quickly. I’m not in the mood to play with you.” Ye Chu ignored Ye Jingyun and leaped out the window, shooting off into the night.
Ye Jingyun did not linger either. She chased after Ye Chu. “Wait for me! Good stuff like that—you don’t get to keep it all for yourself!”
Ye Chu could not help rolling his eyes at her words. “Big sister! Do you think we’re invincible? There are definitely plenty of cultivators eyeing that piece of ink jade tonight. I’m just going to take a look. Do you really think I can snatch it?”
But Ye Chu’s eyes suddenly lit up. “Though if you use that long sword, no one would be able to stop us.”
“In your dreams!” Ye Jingyun glared furiously at Ye Chu, wishing she could chop him down with a single sword. A treasure like that could not be used casually. Every activation affected it. Unless it was absolutely necessary, she would never use it. Although Dark Nether Ink Jade was precious, it was not worth expending that supreme treasure.
“Fine! Use it or don’t, I don’t care!” Ye Chu ignored her and moved swiftly forward.
Black jade was extremely useful to him. If there was a chance, he definitely would not miss it. If he could obtain it, Ye Chu believed he would make tremendous progress. Even against prodigies of the same level, he would have confidence to fight.