After that incident, Jias and the others made a decision. They would never doubt Luó Bǐguǐ again. Even if they did harbor doubt, they wouldn't voice it; their mortal flesh simply couldn't withstand such trials!

The night passed without incident, and the next morning, the group continued their journey toward their destination.

Lǐs and Ānjílìyà kept their distance from Luóbīn, for one simple reason: the "Black Butcher Fang" was sticking close to Luóbīn's side, never leaving her.

The two truly feared Luóbīn might play another trick on them, and if things went awry, they worried they might lose their lives in the process.

The pace of their travel remained painstakingly slow. Watching Zhōng Shénxiù and Luóbīn stop and start to gather various items, Xià Luò and the others dared not utter a sound.

Yet, despite the slowness, they finally reached the small stream Xià Luò had mentioned by the afternoon.

In truth, Zhōng Shénxiù had sensed it before they were very close; his eyes had already begun to glow with excitement.

Now, gazing at the stream bed, where countless High-Grade Immortal Stones of varying sizes lay settled, even Zhōng Shénxiù, who had mentally prepared himself, was momentarily stunned.

They were rich! Damn rich!

The stream stretched far into the distance, seemingly without end. It was about three or four meters wide. The water wasn't deep, barely reaching half a meter as it flowed gently. Through the clear water, one could easily spot the dense scattering of High-Grade Immortal Stones beneath!

"Um..." Xià Luò hesitated for a moment before finally walking over. "This is the place I told you about!"

In reality, saying this was rather redundant; Zhōng Shénxiù already knew without her telling him.

Zhōng Shénxiù stood there dumbfounded, unable to truly believe the world could be so marvelous, nurturing such a wealth of High-Grade Immortal Stones.

Luóbīn, standing nearby, showed a rare expression of excitement. Having followed Zhōng Shénxiù for so long, she naturally knew what High-Grade Immortal Stones were and what purpose they served.

Just then, Zhōng Shénxiù suddenly turned, calling Lǐs and Ānjílìyà to his side as well. Both looked at Zhōng Shénxiù in confusion, but sensing the strange expression on his face, they knew there was something else they were about to be tasked with!

As expected, Zhōng Shénxiù suddenly pulled out a thick stack of sacks from his magic ring, distributing them into each person's hands, then commanded, "See those stones in the stream? Gather every single one into these bags!"

With that, Zhōng Shénxiù paid no further attention to the others, instead heading straight into the stream with Luóbīn.

Seeing Zhōng Shénxiù and Luóbīn already in action, the three of Xià Luò dared not delay and began collecting the High-Grade Immortal Stones as well.

The reason Xià Luò's group collected the stones was largely due to the awe of Zhōng Shénxiù’s power; they lacked much enthusiasm. But it was different for Zhōng Shénxiù and Luóbīn; the more they worked, the more spirited they became. The feeling was akin to sitting on a warm stove counting money—even if their hands grew tired from counting, their faces remained wreathed in smiles!

Normally, collecting Immortal Stones was a task requiring skill, needing a discerning eye to separate them from ordinary rocks. But here, it devolved into sheer manual labor. You didn't even need to look; just blindly sweeping your hand underfoot would guarantee every stone you grasped was a High-Grade Immortal Stone. Such a situation was beyond the wildest imaginings of cultivators who hadn't experienced it!

In a short time, several bags filled to the brim with High-Grade Immortal Stones lined the bank, yet the stones in the stream showed no discernible decrease.

It was clear that collecting every stone in this stream was an absolute impossibility. Even the brand-new, top-tier magic rings Zhōng Shénxiù had recently acquired had finite storage space. What they were doing now was simply maximizing what they could carry.

"Enough, stop loading them!" After some indeterminate time, Zhōng Shénxiù walked ashore.

Although his magic rings could hold more, he couldn't continue! More treasures awaited his collection, and he couldn't allow these stones to consume all his storage capacity.

Hearing Zhōng Shénxiù's call, Xià Luò and the others breathed a sigh of relief. They had been afraid Zhōng Shénxiù intended to make them empty the entire stream—that would have been disastrous; they'd likely die of exhaustion before finishing!

As the sky began to darken again, they realized, without noticing, that dusk had fallen. They had clearly spent a long time gathering these stones.

Zhōng Shénxiù and his group proceeded upstream along the creek. The further they walked, the more frustrated Zhōng Shénxiù became. Why? Because he noticed the Immortal Stones here were even better and larger than the ones they had just collected!

Though he knew he'd started collecting too early, Zhōng Shénxiù didn't bother dumping the stones they had already gathered. They were sufficient for now anyway; there was no need to engage in pointless labor!

As the group moved forward, they could see a small hill ahead, perhaps only ten meters high. It was covered in various weeds and vegetation, giving it the appearance of wearing a green cloak from a distance.

Xià Luò followed closely behind Zhōng Shénxiù, her curiosity piqued: Since they had collected the stones they wanted, where were they going next?

What she didn't know was that Zhōng Shénxiù’s primary objective had shifted. Before entering this "Damp Forest," his sole aim had been to gather Immortal Stones. But having arrived here and witnessed all manner of rare treasures, he was no longer satisfied with merely that!

As they walked, Zhōng Shénxiù suddenly stopped, causing the others to flinch in surprise.

They watched as Zhōng Shénxiù suddenly picked up a dark gray stone, about the size of a coconut, from the ground, his expression turning notably serious.

What had he discovered? Could this stone also be an Immortal Stone?

The answer was revealed quickly. Just as Xià Luò and the others focused all their attention on the stone in Zhōng Shénxiù's hand, they heard a crisp crack. The stone split open from the center.

Looking at the stone now, its interior was clearly different from the exterior: it was milky white, crystal clear—undoubtedly a superior grade of jade.

This jade was known in the cultivation world as "White Cloud Jade," nurtured by innate spiritual energy. Its greatest utility was that it could be refined into magical artifacts, capable of housing arrays to grant different effects!

The corner of Zhōng Shénxiù's mouth lifted slightly, and then he cast a meaningful glance toward the small hill not far away. His gaze remained fixed there for a long time!

Could it be that the small hill held some secret as well?

Just as the others followed Zhōng Shénxiù's gaze toward the hill, Zhōng Shénxiù abruptly spoke, "Alright, we rest here for the night!" With that, he stopped moving forward!

Xià Luò’s group exchanged glances, unable to decipher Zhōng Shénxiù’s intentions.

At that moment, Zhōng Shénxiù spoke again, "As a reward for your labor today, I will give each of you a gift!"

Xià Luò clearly started, then her expression bloomed into joy. Ānjílìyà was similar; after a moment of surprise, she looked expectant. But Lǐs was different. He stared blankly at Zhōng Shénxiù, then looked back at Xià Luò and Ānjílìyà, wearing an expression that suggested, I am an idiot.

Among the group, Lǐs was the only one who had never received a gift from Zhōng Shénxiù, so he couldn't yet grasp how extraordinary Zhōng Shénxiù’s gifts were!

The gifts Zhōng Shénxiù intended to give them were directly related to the piece of "White Cloud Jade" in his hand.

Indeed, the "White Cloud Jade" in his hand suddenly floated up, and then Zhōng Shénxiù unleashed the "Samadhi True Fire"!

Perhaps Zhōng Shénxiù now considered the group his own, as he did not conceal his artifact refinement process from the three of them this time.

Xià Luò and the others had never witnessed such magnificent refinement techniques; they were instantly stunned speechless, standing rigid as statues!

Under the purification of the "Samadhi True Fire," the impurities within the "White Cloud Jade" began to dissipate, revealing its flawless nature. Next, Zhōng Shénxiù rapidly formed seals with his hands, and a beam of light shot out from his palms, directly imprinting itself into the "White Cloud Jade."

Following this, the "White Cloud Jade" abruptly split into three, shrinking continuously while becoming even more crystal clear.

Zhōng Shénxiù formed seals again, with beams of light flashing from his hands repeatedly. After about the time it takes to steep a pot of tea, Zhōng Shénxiù finally withdrew his hands, and in his palm appeared three pieces of pure, flawless jade pendants!

Although these three jade pendants differed slightly in shape, their effects were the same: they could shield the wearer from cold and heat, dispel weariness, refresh the mind, and offer many other benefits!

"Alright, come over here and each choose one!" Zhōng Shénxiù addressed the three of them who were still standing dumbfounded.

Xià Luò and Ānjílìyà approached first. Lǐs reacted a bit slower.

It must be said that women possess little resistance to beautiful things. Even Ānjílìyà's eyes shone brightly with admiration upon seeing the jade pendants in Zhōng Shénxiù's hands, looking utterly delighted.

None of them could have imagined that a seemingly ordinary stone—as they had perceived it—could transform into such beautiful objects in Zhōng Shénxiù's hands in such a short time. It was truly unbelievable!

But what came next was even more astonishing. The moment Xià Luò and Ānjílìyà took the jade pendants from Zhōng Shénxiù, they felt a jolt throughout their bodies, as if a cool essence had washed away the fatigue of the entire day, bringing an indescribable comfort.

The two stared at Zhōng Shénxiù blankly, trying to find an answer.

Zhōng Shénxiù glanced at them and stated calmly, "Keep them on your person at all times; it will benefit your cultivation!"

Lǐs was the last to receive his jade pendant. The moment it landed in his hand, his entire body froze. This mysterious sensation was something he had never experienced before; it made him feel utterly lightheaded!

"Master, this... what is this?" Lǐs's voice even began to stammer as he held the jade pendant as if it were a treasure that might melt away.

However, Zhōng Shénxiù did not answer his question. Instead, he said something that sent a chill down all three of their spines:

"The three of you stay here and guard this place. Luóbīn and I need to go out for a while!"

He actually intended to leave Xià Luò's group alone here.