I forge immortality with spiritual treasures.

Chapter 64 Meat Ganoderma and Stone Milk
The cave is deep and secluded, with a turbulent underground river.

Ying Chan looked carefully for a moment, then listened intently, but noticed nothing unusual. He couldn't help but wonder, "Could it be that my perception was wrong?"

But just now, he clearly felt that he was being watched, even if only for a moment, it couldn't have been an illusion.

"Taoist priest?"

Cai Que'er noticed his gaze and tilted her head, asking, "What's wrong?"

Ying Chan pondered for a moment before saying, "I think we should perhaps explore the cave."

"what?"

Cai Que'er was taken aback, but then Ying Chan said, "As for the fairy, she can wait outside."

"But..." Cai Que'er hesitated, "Won't there be any danger?"

"The Yin Bats have all been eliminated here, so how could there be any danger?"

"wrong!"

Cai Que'er became alert: "If there is no danger, why would the Taoist priest go inside to investigate? And why did he make me wait outside?"

"Alright." Ying Chan smiled helplessly, "I suspect there's something else going on in the cave."

"But don't worry, fairy, I know what I'm doing. I only went into the cave to investigate the situation so I can report back to the Ministry of State Affairs."

"If we find that things are not going well, we will withdraw immediately."

Before Cai Que'er could say anything more, Ying Chan suddenly reached into his sleeve and said, "By the way, could you please hold this talisman arrow for me, Fairy?"

"A talismanic arrow?"

“Exactly.” Ying Chan smiled and said, “If I encounter danger in the underground cave, I will try to make a sound. Please, Fairy, help me activate the talisman arrow to call for help, how about it?”

Cai Que'er hesitated for a moment before agreeing, "In that case, the Taoist priest should be careful."

Ying Chan nodded, took the Qiankun Bow again, and carefully approached the cave.

The cave was indeed even more slippery and pitch black.

As usual, Ying Chan first released a ball of talismanic fire to illuminate the way before carefully leaping into the cave and steadily moving forward.

Unexpectedly, before they had gone very far into the cave, the talismanic fire ahead suddenly went out.

Ying Chan immediately tensed up and remained vigilant for a moment, but no attack came.

Apart from the sound of flowing water, the cave remained completely silent, as if nothing had ever happened.

Ying Chan frowned and released another ball of talismanic fire into the depths of the cave, which was extinguished after traveling a short distance.

"This……"

Ying Chan looked thoughtful and did not try again. He simply used his magic to ensure that his ears and eyes were clear and slowly went deeper into it.

Sure enough, not long after, he felt a sudden chill rise in the cave, and wisps of cold energy swirled around him, as if trying to penetrate his body through his skin and into his lungs.

If it weren't for his current robust physique and surging blood and qi, he would probably have been frostbitten in an instant.

"Indeed, it's because the yin energy in this cave is too strong."

Recalling the shapes of these four-eyed yin bats, Ying Chan couldn't help but wonder, "Why is the yin energy in this cave so heavy?"

Is it a naturally occurring yin cave, or is there another reason?
Upon reaching this point, looking back, the cave entrance was no longer visible, and there was no light at all. Even with Ying Chan's excellent eyesight, the scene he saw would inevitably become hazy.

As he ventured deeper, the cave's unique topography gradually came into view. The stalactites on the ceiling and the stalagmites on the ground intersected, resembling fangs.

Ying Chan had already decided to withdraw.

He was indeed curious and willing to do his best for the Ministry of State Affairs, but he was also very clear about his own limitations.

The cave was difficult to see, and the terrain was so complex. If he were to encounter any danger, with his limited cultivation level, he probably wouldn't be able to handle it calmly. Therefore, after a brief thought, Ying Chan made up his mind.

If we continue to investigate and still cannot find out the details, we should retreat and report the situation to the State Council.

What he didn't expect was that as soon as he had this thought, he turned a narrow corner and suddenly the space in front of him opened up.

They had arrived at an underground cavern. Not only that, but crystals on the rock walls were emitting a faint glow, which immediately made Ying Chan's vision much clearer.

Suddenly regaining his vision, Ying Chan felt a sense of relief. Looking ahead, he saw a dark river flowing swiftly through the cave, blocking his path.

There doesn't seem to be anything worth exploring anymore.

Ying Chan glanced around, about to turn back, when his gaze suddenly fixed on something.

"This is?!"

On the edge of the dark river, there was a large object, as big as a millstone, and as black as ink. If Ying Chan hadn't been sharp-eyed, he would have easily missed it in the darkness.

He strode closer and saw that the object resembled a fleshy fungus. Looking up, he saw a stalactite hanging down from it.

This stalactite is different from others. With the faint light of the crystal, you can see that its entire body is like jade, with a drop of liquid hanging from its tail. It is thick, white, and viscous, and has a strange fragrance.

"It really is this thing!"

Ying Chan was greatly surprised.

In order to collect herbs in the mountains, he read many books on alchemy and medicine, and happened to see records about this thing.

The dark, fleshy fungus on the ground is called Shi Tai Sui, also known as Rou Ling Zhi, a pure Yin spiritual object.

This object is quite valuable, but what is even more precious is the stalactite on it.

In essence, this substance is a kind of spiritual essence, which is the condensation of the earth's spiritual energy under extremely special circumstances over hundreds or even thousands of years. It can be used by cultivators to cleanse their marrow and has various wonderful uses.

In a sense, the fleshy Ganoderma is nothing more than a byproduct of the yin and turbid qi expelled from the stalactite during its hundreds or thousands of years of condensation.

"This drop of stalactite had solidified and was about to fall when I bumped into it."

"Could it be that Heaven truly intervened?"

It's worth noting that another reason why these stalactites are so precious is their rarity.

Not to mention that during the hundreds or thousands of years that the stalactites took to form, even slight changes in the earth's energy could interrupt this process. Even if they had already formed, they would eventually drip down if no one picked them off in time.

If it doesn't have a fleshy Ganoderma growing alongside it, it might survive if it's dripped onto a stone, or benefit all living things if it's dripped into water. But if it's dripped into a fleshy Ganoderma, then hundreds or thousands of years of creation will be wasted.

Ying Chan hurriedly began searching his body.

The time it takes for these stalactites to drip can be quite long, perhaps months or even years without external interference, but it can also be very short, perhaps just a moment, and can happen abruptly.

Fortunately, he carried many different containers with him in order to collect herbs.

Therefore, Ying Chan dared not be negligent and quickly found a clean porcelain bottle, placed it under the stalactite, and then gently touched the mouth of the bottle.

That drop of stalactite, formed over hundreds of thousands of years, silently rolled into the bottle.

Ying Chan then sealed the porcelain bottle tightly, put it close to his body, and only then did he feel at ease.

"It's time to leave."

He was about to turn back, but after looking at the fleshy Ganoderma lucidum on the ground, he hesitated for a moment and then took out a small jade box.

This fleshy Ganoderma is also a good medicine. Although it is as big as a millstone and he can't take it with him, he can still cut off a small amount.

After all, this is different from others; its medicinal properties will not be destroyed by dividing it.

Ying Chan opened the jade box, intending to use the golden energy as a blade to cut off a small piece of the fleshy lingzhi, when suddenly he felt a pain in his ear.

(End of this chapter)