86: Chapter 86 Because I'm not interested in spirit stones

When Li Yingzhen returned to the Green Maple Garden,

the canopy in the sky was already retracting.

Moreover, the speed of retraction was ten times that of its growth; in just dozens of breaths, the giant tree in mid-air had completely vanished.

Following Li Yingzhen's figure, Li Yingren and Li Yingzi also appeared beneath the green maple tree,

looking at Zhao Yi, who was glowing with spiritual light among the branches.

Li Yingren was stunned.

"What is he doing?"

"Cultivating, can't you see?"

Li Yingzi hadn't fully processed the situation yet and replied casually.

"Cultivating? He's a Death Cultivator, what is there to Cultivate?"

"Is he looking for death?"

"Do you really think he can Breakthrough from the Soul Transformation Stage to Void Refining?"

Li Yingzi was dumbfounded.

"That's true."

"Then what is he doing?"

"The faster one Cultivates, the faster one dies. What a sin."

"However, legend says this green maple tree was originally planted by the Azure Spirit Immortal. Could it be true?"

"Fourth Brother, you've struck it rich; your luck has finally turned around."

Li Yingren said enviously.

Spiritual light circulated.

Zhao Yi felt as if he had become a tree, then a blade of grass, and then a flower, living and dying, dying and living, constantly undergoing Reincarnation within life and death.

"Is this the Azure Spirit Scripture?"

The Azure Spirit Scripture Zhao Yi obtained from the Cultivation Academy only contained the general principles and cultivation methods from Qi Refining to the Golden Core stage.

Regarding cultivation for the Nascent Soul and Soul Transformation Stage, Zhao Yi only half-understood it, relying entirely on the System's forced assistance. It was lucky the System was powerful; otherwise, Zhao Yi might have suffered Qi Deviation long ago.

Now, Zhao Yi had actually obtained the complete cultivation methods of the Azure Spirit Scripture, from Nascent Soul to Undergoing Tribulation, completing his Cultivation Technique.

After waking up, Zhao Yi looked around, completely bewildered.

"Who gave me the Azure Spirit Scripture? Could it be Li Yingzhen?"

"Sigh! I haven't even finished repaying the debt for saving my life, and now there's this technique. How am I supposed to pay her back?"

"Damn, it's not like I can sell myself, right?"

"You're awake?"

Under the moonlight.

Li Yingzhen was pouring and drinking by herself.

"Thank you, Fourth Prince, for gifting the technique."

"Technique?"

"Is it the Azure Spirit Scripture?"

"It is the Azure Spirit Scripture."

"That is your own destiny; no need to thank me."

As the Fourth Prince, Li Yingzhen truly lacked for nothing except Spirit Stones.

Furthermore, what she valued was the green maple tree, not the Azure Spirit Scripture. In the Imperial Secret Vault, there were tens of thousands of techniques that could lead to Immortal Ascension; the key was Spirit Stones.

Without Spirit Stones, how could one take shortcuts?

"This is your appointment letter and your official seal."

Li Yingzhen placed the two items before Zhao Yi, unsure if she was doing the right thing.

But she had no better way to break the deadlock.

Zhao Yi held the document; it was neither paper nor silk, appearing like metal yet also like jade, with the text: 'Zhao Yi is hereby appointed as the Mining Envoy of Anning Prefecture.'

Below was the golden seal of the 'Treasure of the Great Yin Immortal Dynasty.'

For some reason, Zhao Yi felt this was strange. Why was it different from what he saw on TV?

Aren't imperial edicts supposed to start with 'By the Grace of Heaven'?

Oh, forgot, this is a world of cultivation.

Fine then. Zhao Yi casually put the two items into his Storage Pouch.

"I wonder what the Fourth Prince intends by having me become this 'mining commissioner' thing?"

"To rake in Spirit Stones."

Zhao Yi...

So blunt?

Li Yingzhen seemed to hear Zhao Yi's inner thoughts.

"Yes, that blunt."

"Of course, 'raking in' Spirit Stones doesn't mean letting you embezzle blatantly."

"After all, above the mining commissioner, there are the Anning Judge, the Anning Vice-Prefect, and the Anning Prefect. Besides those three, there's also the Ninth Prince overseeing the Chaotian Spirit Realm."

"Although ten million Spirit Stones are handed over to the Immortal Dynasty through your hands every year,"

"those cannot be touched."

Zhao Yi...

If they can't be touched, why bother being a mining commissioner?

Wouldn't that interfere with his mining?

Mining?

Zhao Yi's eyes lit up. Could the perk of being a mining commissioner be mining?

"Correct, you guessed right."

"As a mining commissioner, you can enter various Spirit Stone mines to mine without restriction."

"All the Spirit Stones you mine belong to the mining commissioner."

"Holy crap."

"There's such a good deal?"

Zhao Yi was stunned.

Are the high officials of the Immortal Dynasty all idiots, actually agreeing to let a Cultivator mine Spirit Stones without handing them over?

"Are you thinking that the officials of the Immortal Dynasty are all fools for letting the mining commissioner keep what they mine?"

Li Yingzhen seemed to see through Zhao Yi's thoughts again and asked in return.

Zhao Yi nodded.

Li Yingzhen smiled.

"If one can embezzle, who would spend the effort and energy to mine Spirit Stones?"

"Besides, mining cuts off one's path to the Dao. Who would be willing to mine?"

"Taking them for free is much better."

"Now do you know why I'm letting you be this mining commissioner?"

Zhao Yi: "I know, because I'm not interested in Spirit Stones."

"Huh?"

Li Yingzhen looked at Zhao Yi in disbelief, nearly throwing out her back. Not interested in Spirit Stones, yet becoming a Death Cultivator to mine?

If those words got out, not even a ghost would believe them.

"You!"

"It's fine to say that in front of me, but who would believe a Death Cultivator isn't interested in Spirit Stones?"

Zhao Yi...

He was clearly telling the truth. He really wasn't interested in Spirit Stones, only in experience points.

"Alright, we've digressed."

"Because you are a Death Cultivator, your mining speed is much faster than the speed of embezzling."

"Embezzling won't get you four Top-Grade Spirit Stones, but mining can."

Zhao Yi...

"Fourth Prince, you really are ambitious..."

"However, this job..."

"I..."

Li Yingzhen grew tense; she thought Zhao Yi was going to refuse.

"I like it very much. It's practically tailormade for me."

"Rest assured, Fourth Prince, I won't keep a single Spirit Stone I mine. I'll give them all to you to repay the debt for saving my life."

"Let's go half and half."

"Even so, I'm taking advantage of you."

"I can't have you spending your own Spirit Stones to mine, can I?"

"Alright, it's settled."

Li Yingzhen looked at Zhao Yi.

"Besides Spirit Stones, do you have any other requests?"

"If I can fulfill them, I will certainly help."

Li Yingzhen was truly poor; she had already decided that if Zhao Yi needed them, even those beautiful servant girls could be given to him.

Zhao Yi scratched his head. Other than finding a place to mine, he didn't seem to lack anything.

"Oh right, while comprehending the Azure Spirit Scripture, I had some insights. I'm looking for a quiet place to enter seclusion."

"Of course, if the Xuanpin Spirit Fox could act as my Protector, that would be even better."

Zhao Yi made a request that wasn't much of a request.

"Seclusion?"

"Are you going to Breakthrough?"

Zhao Yi: "I've had some minor insights."

Li Yingzhen hesitated but finally said, "Actually, a Soul Transformation cultivation is enough."

"Do you understand what I mean?"

Zhao Yi nodded, then shook his head.

Nodding meant he understood Li Yingzhen's meaning; shaking his head meant he didn't agree with her statement. What did she mean, 'Soul Transformation cultivation is enough'?

He, Zhao Yi, was a Miner who intended to achieve Immortal Ascension and longevity. How could he stop moving forward?

Of course, this was just Zhao Yi's inner thought; he would never dare say it out loud, or people would truly laugh themselves to death.

A Death Cultivator wanting to become an Immortal?

Do you think the Heavenly Dao is asleep?

"Since you know what you're doing, I won't nag any further."

"Old Fox."

"Master."

The Xuanpin Spirit Fox transformed into the size of a fist and appeared out of thin air on Li Yingzhen's shoulder.

"Brother Yi is going into seclusion. I remember there's a small courtyard on Mount Heng, right?"

"The Spiritual Qi there is abundant and it's sparsely populated. Brother Yi will go there for his seclusion, and you will go to be his Protector."