Chapter 166 Dragon Scale Fruit

Chapter 166: Dragon-Scale Fruit

Jiang Peiyu placed her hand on the testing stone first. The moment her hand touched it, a blue light shot straight into the sky.

Several seconds later, one blue and one green light also soared skyward.

Fortunately, Jiang Yingxue had set up a barrier in advance, so people outside the courtyard couldn't see this spectacle.

Jiang Yingxue said, "Not bad."

Recalling the book she had just read, Jiang Peiyao blinked and looked at Jiang Yingxue, asking, "Is this... spiritual roots?"

"Sister Yingxue..." Jiang Peiyu also looked at Jiang Yingxue, her eyes filled with curiosity, excitement, and anticipation.

Under their expectant gazes, Jiang Yingxue looked at them and nodded, "Yes, these are spiritual roots. Do you want to cultivate?"

"Like in the TV shows? Can we summon wind and rain, ride clouds and mist?"

"And travel the world with a sword!"

"Wow! Just thinking about it is so exciting!"

Jiang Yingxue smiled faintly, "After reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, you can indeed learn sword flight techniques and fly on a sword. After the Nascent Soul stage, you can also ride clouds and mist using your own spiritual power. However, most people usually rely on flying artifacts."

"So, do you want to cultivate?"

The Jiang Peiyao sisters exchanged a glance and nodded firmly, "Yes!"

"Aren't you afraid of hardship?"

"No!"

"Good."

Next, Jiang Yingxue tailored a cultivation schedule for both of them. Even during winter break, they had to wake up early to cultivate.

First, she prepared a week's worth of herbal baths for them. The main ingredient was still Coiling Dragon Vine, but several other low-grade spiritual plants for Marrow Cleansing were added.

Because they were young and strong, the herbal mixture was more potent than the one prepared for Lu Caiyun and the others.

Second, their dietary habits needed to change. The grains of the mortal world contain mundane impurities and are unsuitable for cultivators. They typically consume Spirit Food or Inedia Pills. High-level cultivators usually practice inedia and don't eat.

Third, daytime was scheduled for cultivation courses, learning knowledge related to cultivation.

Regarding the first point, Jiang Yingxue would guard them while they soaked in the herbal baths. In case of emergencies, she could provide immediate assistance.

Regarding the second point, while in Nanhe Village, they ate at Jiang Yingxue's home. When they returned home, they ate vegetables grown by Jiang Xianping on the rooftop and balcony.

The seeds for these vegetables and the daily maintenance fertilizers came from Jiang Yingxue's home. The resulting greens also contained spiritual energy. The chickens, ducks, fish, etc., all came from the Jiang family.

Regarding the third point, Jiang Yingxue served as the course instructor, mainly teaching basic knowledge of the cultivation world and assisting them in guiding qi into their bodies.

Although the Xuehe Mall wasn't fully built yet, the small grove located behind the interior of the mall was growing well and could provide shelter from wind and rain.

Jiang Yingxue built several rooms there to serve as cultivation spaces.

Time quickly passed until New Year's Eve. The Jiang family's New Year's Eve was exceptionally lively this year.

A house full of Spiritual Pets, family members with beaming smiles, and a sumptuous New Year's Eve feast.

The Jiang family celebrated a reunion-filled and lively New Year.

Every household in Nanhe Village sets off firecrackers at their doorstep at exactly midnight. Jiang Yingxue's family was no exception.

As soon as midnight struck, the continuous "crackling" sounds of firecrackers and fireworks lit up the new year.

Jiang Yingxue gave red envelopes and gifts to her Spiritual Pets and the only divine beast.

The red envelopes all contained 100,000 yuan. The gifts for the Spiritual Pets were Thousand-Year Spirit Milk, Spirit Gathering Pills, and healing pills. Xiao Zhao received these items plus a cotton cloud bed.

The second day of the Lunar New Year, visiting the wife's parents.

He Siqin's belly was quite large now. She celebrated the New Year in Y City this year and didn't return.

Jiang Mingzhen and He Minsha arrived at the Jiang family early in the morning with gifts.

Currently at the Jiang home were only Jiang Xianzheng and his wife, Jiang Yingxue, Xiao Zhao, and Xiao Kui. The other Spiritual Pets had gone out to play and probably wouldn't return until before work.

Xiao Zhao and Xiao Kui were young, their minds too simple, and they couldn't shapeshift yet. Jiang Yingxue wasn't comfortable letting them go out, so they both stayed home.

He Minsha put down the gifts, greeted Jiang Xianzheng and the others, then headed to the kitchen and courtyard.

How could the New Year be complete without fresh chicken? Jiang Yingxue and her grandmother were preparing chickens in the courtyard. As soon as He Minsha and the others arrived, the task was handed over to He Minsha, with Jiang Yingxue assisting.

Jiang Mingzhen gave Jiang Yingxue a red envelope, "Happy New Year! Auntie wishes you prosperous business, great success, and good health!"

"Thank you, Auntie!" Jiang Yingxue accepted the red envelope and gave Jiang Mingzhen a bag of gifts in return.

The paper bag contained two wooden boxes. The first box held two ripe Dragon-Scale Fruits; the other box contained two jade pendants, beneath which were two books about cultivation.

Jiang Yingxue said, "Auntie, I wish you and Uncle a healthy new year and all the best!"

"Remember to eat the fruit inside. One Dragon-Scale Fruit can increase lifespan by 100 years. Each person can only eat one; eating more has the same effect."

Jiang Mingzhen smiled, "Okay, okay, your uncle and I will remember."

Even though Jiang Yingxue's expression was serious, Jiang Mingzhen still thought she was joking. How could there be a fruit that increases lifespan by 100 years with just one bite? It's not like it's an immortal fruit.

Jiang Yingxue had secretly tested their spiritual roots with the testing stone before. Unfortunately, including He Siqin, Jiang Mingzhen's entire family were ordinary people without spiritual roots.

Spiritual roots are the entry ticket to cultivation. Without spiritual roots, one cannot enter the gate of cultivation.

This is an eternal, unchanging rule. Even a high-level cultivator like Jiang Yingxue cannot change it.

Unless there is a Spirit Shaping Fruit, but Spirit Shaping Fruits are extremely rare. Jiang Yingxue had only heard of them and never encountered one.

Some evil cultivators, to enable their own people to cultivate, would strip others of their spiritual roots and implant them into their own.

This act defies the natural order and is not tolerated by the world. Even if successful temporarily, once discovered, they would die at the hands of righteous individuals.

Even if not discovered by righteous cultivators, they cannot escape the eyes of the Heavenly Dao. Ultimately, their souls would be destroyed under heavenly lightning.

After a sumptuous lunch, Lu Caiyun chatted with her daughter.

Lu Caiyun also knew that her daughter's family had no spiritual roots. She felt sad and regretful but understood that cultivation cannot be forced.

She said, "Yingxue gave you those fruits; you must eat them, understand? Don't specifically save them for Si Qin. We have prepared Si Qin's share too; we'll give it to her when she returns."

Jiang Mingzhen was slightly surprised, "Mom, they're just two fruits. Aren't you two taking this too seriously?"

Lu Caiyun gave her a meaningful look, "Didn't Yingxue tell you these fruits can increase lifespan?"

"She did, said they increase lifespan by 100 years. But isn't that a joke?"

"It's not a joke; it's true. This world is vast, beyond imagination," Lu Caiyun looked at the expression on her daughter's face and knew she hadn't taken it seriously. "These Dragon-Scale Fruits... why don't you eat them now?"

Jiang Mingzhen repeated her mother's words, "Not a joke? Eat now? This can't possibly be true, can it?"