Chapter 69: Purple Jade Marrow

Wu Yuan surveyed the rustling green sea before him, a profound sense of satisfaction swelling in his chest.

“Little Yellow,” he said, turning to his furry lieutenant. “You have managed this asset exceptionally well.”

Little Yellow beamed, his chest puffing out with pride. It reminded Wu Yuan of the report the hamster had given him shortly after taking over the grove.

“Boss, this bamboo forest is built different!”

Previously, Wu Yuan hadn’t paid much attention to this sector of his domain. It was a Middle Grade Spirit Land, yes, but aside from the ambient Spiritual Qi and a single spirit pond, it seemed mediocre. The bamboo was mostly mundane, good only for the occasional crisp shoot for a snack.

Compared to the high-value yield of the Golden Thread Peaches or the strategic importance of the Spirit Copper mine, the bamboo grove was a low-priority asset. He had initially placed Bibo here just to let the beaver heal in peace.

But after handing operations over to Little Yellow, the metrics had shifted dramatically.

“Boss, the growth rate here is abnormal,” Little Yellow had reported, his eyes wide. “The timber yield is 30 percent higher than the industry standard!”

30 percent.

When Wu Yuan first heard the figure, he had been skeptical. It’s a big forest, he had thought. Statistical variance is expected.

But Little Yellow had been adamant.

“Does this apply to the new [Purple Bamboo] strains as well?” Wu Yuan asked now, his voice serious.

Little Yellow nodded vigorously. “Absolutely! Not just the mundane stalks. Even the failed experimental breeds are growing like crazy. I can chop them down, and they regenerate almost instantly. The turnover rate is insane!”

Wu Yuan’s eyes narrowed as he calculated the ROI.

Even if they were non-graded spirit plants, quantity had a quality of its own. Bamboo leaves for tea and alchemy. Shoots for food buffs. Stalks for artifact refining or talisman paper.

If they regenerated this fast, this wasn’t just a forest. It was a factory. A printing press for money.

“A literal Money Tree,” Wu Yuan murmured, a capitalist glint in his rodent eyes.

However, a question lingered. “Bibo and I audited this land thoroughly. I guarantee these environmental buffs weren’t here before. When exactly did this bull market begin?”

Little Yellow scratched his head, his ears twitching as he thought back. “Now that you mention it, Boss… the growth cycles synced up right after I arrived.”

“It must have been when you found the [Purple Jade Bamboo],” Wu Yuan deduced. “Take me to it. What is its status?”

Little Yellow looked a bit embarrassed. “Uh, about that… the [Purple Jade Bamboo] is actually the underperformer. It grows super slow. I thought it was a dud, so I just let the interns handle it.”

Wu Yuan shook his head and gestured for the hamster to lead the way.

Deep in the heart of the grove, Wu Yuan stood before the anomaly.

The Purple Jade Bamboo was only two meters tall and as thick as a human fist. But unlike the rough bark of its neighbors, this stalk was crystalline, resembling a sculpture carved from the purest purple jate. It hummed with a soft, internal luminescence.

“Look closer,” Wu Yuan instructed, adopting the tone of a patient mentor. “Tell me what is different.”

Little Yellow leaned in, sniffing the stalk. “Well… the size hasn’t changed. But it looks… glassier? More transparent?”

“Correct.” Wu Yuan nodded approvingly. “Transparency indicates purity. Now count the nodes. Eight fully formed, and the ninth is budding, yes?”

Little Yellow’s eyes went round. “Wait… that means it’s about to breakthrough to Middle Grade!”

Wu Yuan smiled. The hamster had a terrifying natural talent for farming, but he lacked theoretical knowledge. He was a savant who hated studying. Since Little Yellow couldn’t sit still for lectures, Wu Yuan had adopted a “management by walking around” teaching style, inserting lessons into their daily inspections.

“Purple Jade Bamboo is a mutant variant,” Wu Yuan explained. “It starts as a Low Grade plant. But to break the ceiling into Middle Grade, it requires a specific catalyst.”

Little Yellow looked up, captivated. “What catalyst?”

“[Purple Jade Marrow].”

Ding.

As if on cue, a familiar green text unfurled in Wu Yuan’s mind.

[Green Intelligence: A massive concentration of heavy Earth Qi has pooled beneath the bamboo grove. By a stroke of fated chance, it has condensed into First Rank Middle Grade “Purple Jade Marrow.”]

Wu Yuan’s whiskers twitched.

Purple Jade Marrow. A rare treasure formed by the convergence of Earth Qi.

Though only Middle Grade, its value exceeded many High Grade materials. It stabilized Arts, purified Spiritual Energy, and calmed chaotic energies.

For a cultivator, Earth Qi was heavy, stable, and grounding.

Wu Yuan’s mind immediately raced to the [Nine Spirits Absorbing Essence] Art gifted to him by the Cat King.

A pang of nostalgia hit him. The Cat King had vanished the day before the Night of Emperor’s Liquid, leaving Wu Yuan with only a manual and a memory. He had even commissioned a small statue of the Cat King to sit beside the Fox Immortal idol in his shrine.

Layer One of the Art required the Emperor’s Liquid, Wu Yuan mused. That gave me the [Stomach Spirit Storage] talent.

Layer Two requires a new elemental source. This Earth Qi… this Marrow… it is the perfect foundation for strengthening my stomach and digestion.

He felt a mix of joy and frustration.

Joy, because his own deduction had beaten his Cheat System. He had identified the resource before the Green Intelligence popped up. My wisdom is truly shocking.

Frustration, because the Karma Pearl was still laggy.

Ever since he burned his Fortune to save his life, the Pearl had been in a stony slumber. It was waking up, but the data transfer speeds were abysmal. In the old days, this notification would have appeared the moment he entered the forest.

Wu Yuan shook off the moodiness. Results are what matter.

He looked down. Little Yellow was already on his knees, frantically digging at the roots of the bamboo with his paws like a common field mouse.

“Step aside,” Wu Yuan commanded gently.

A vine whip shot out, wrapping around Little Yellow’s waist and lifting the confused hamster into the air.

Wu Yuan stepped forward. He didn’t dig. He simply stomped his foot.

The soil beneath the Purple Jade Bamboo turned liquid and parted silently, revealing a dark, bottomless crevice.