Chapter 24: Is It Her?

He planned to refine the energy within the blood once he found a suitable place to cultivate, thereby elevating his strength to the next level. However, after collecting the blood, Yun Yi seemed intoxicated by the impending transformation, completely overlooking a luminous ganoderma lying silently on the ground. This fungus emitted a faint glow, clearly no ordinary treasure, yet at that moment, all of Yun Yi’s attention was captured by the precious blood, leaving the ganoderma forgotten behind him.

With his storage ring in tow, Yun Yi took flight, gradually distancing himself from the dense forest filled with both peril and opportunity. His heart was brimming with a yearning for the unknown world and infinite daydreams about his own future. He imagined himself taking human form, standing at the peak of the cultivation world, and being revered by thousands, a thought that stirred an indescribable excitement within him.

However, as he continued his flight, Yun Yi felt a persistent emptiness, as if he had left something important behind. He stopped his wings, hovering in mid-air with a furrowed brow, struggling to recall what he had forgotten. "Did I forget something?" he muttered to himself. Images flashed through his mind, finally settling on that overlooked ganoderma. "Right, the ganoderma!" A sudden realization struck him, followed by a wave of deep regret. After collecting the cultivator’s blood, he had been so overwhelmed by the anticipation of his evolution that he had ignored the very fungus he had set his sights on from the start.

Reflecting on it now, Yun Yi knew that the ganoderma likely contained extraordinary power. To a cultivator like him, it was undoubtedly a massive fortune and perhaps a great aid on his path to ascension. Despite having flown quite a distance away, the regret in his heart and his thirst for power led him to make an immediate decision: turn back! He had to return and retrieve it; he could not let it go to waste.

Yun Yi banked, vibrating his mosquito wings and flying back at top speed. A sense of urgency gripped him, fearing that if he arrived even a moment too late, the ganoderma might be discovered or plucked by another creature. Throughout the flight, the image of the fungus and the potential benefits it offered played on a loop in his mind, strengthening his resolve. As the distance closed, his heart raced. He navigated through the trees with extreme caution, terrified that any sound might disturb the precious treasure.

Finally, upon returning to the clearing, the sight before him brought a sigh of relief—the ganoderma still lay there quietly, its faint glow seeming to await his return. A surge of joy washed over Yun Yi. He landed gently beside it and touched it with his antennae, sensing the pure energy contained within, which confirmed his choice. He carefully used his proboscis to touch the surface, feeling the pure and potent energy flowing beneath its intricate, spiritual textures. Yun Yi took a light sip, slowly drawing a portion of the essence into the blood bead within his body—his treasury for storing and refining external energy. He calculated that once he found a proper place to cultivate, he would refine this rare opportunity in detail.

Just as he prepared to use his storage ring to take the entire fungus, a faint sound of footsteps broke the silence. Startled, Yun Yi became alert. He rapidly vibrated his wings and hid behind a nearby leaf, leaving only one eye exposed to watch the intruder.

The visitor was a woman in a green robe. Her face was delicate, and her eyes revealed a resolute and sharp intelligence. She walked straight toward the ganoderma, clearly there for the same precious object. Yun Yi tensed, ready to attack to reclaim what he considered his, but when he saw her face clearly, he froze. "It's her!" he exclaimed inwardly. This was the same cultivator he had glimpsed at the Ye estate, who had chosen not to harm him.

At that moment, his heartstrings were tugged, and a complex mixture of emotions welled up within him. Was it gratitude? Surprise? Or something else? He could not say. "Forget it," he whispered to himself. "She spared my life before; how could I return malice for kindness?" Just as he prepared to slip away, the woman seemed to sense something. She turned her head abruptly, her gaze piercing, aiming directly at his hiding spot.

"A familiar aura... could it be that mosquito from before?" she murmured to herself, a flicker of confusion and surprise crossing her face. Yet, she took no action against him, merely glancing at him once before turning back to harvest the ganoderma.

Seeing this, Yun Yi felt a sense of relief, accompanied by a touch of inexplicable loss. He vibrated his wings and slowly flew away from the scene of the encounter, returning to the vast mountain forest. As he flew, he calculated his next steps. "I need to find a safe and secluded place to fully refine the energy within me and increase my cultivation," he decided.

He wove through the dense woods, searching for an ideal sanctuary. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, bathing his small body in a golden radiance and illuminating his path. After circling in the air a few times to observe the surroundings, he discovered an inconspicuous little hole in a hidden corner. It was shielded by thick vines and leaves, making it nearly impossible to find without deliberate searching.

Yun Yi was delighted, sensing it was a safe and hidden spot for cultivation. He carefully passed through the vines and entered the hole. However, just as he thought he had found the perfect place, he was surprised to discover that the small opening was merely an entrance to a much larger space. Inside, the hole opened into a vast, deep cavern. The interior was dim, but the air was thick with potent spiritual energy—clearly an excellent location for cultivation.

Yun Yi felt lucky; he had stumbled upon a treasure trove by pure chance. He vibrated his wings and flew deep into the cavern, seeking the most suitable spot. After a brief search, he chose a flat rock as his base for cultivation.