"Should we water it some more?"
Just as Xu Taiping was about to go find some water, the clod of earth he had used to cover the soybean seeds was suddenly pushed aside by something.
"Huh? It... it sprouted? So quickly!"
Curiously, he squatted down and was stunned to find that the soybean he had just planted had already sprouted a tender shoot.
Not only that, after breaking through the soil, the sprout began to grow stems and leaves at a visible speed, then flowered and bore fruit.
In just a moment, a mature soybean plant appeared before Xu Taiping.
This soybean plant was about four feet tall, with leaves so green they seemed to drip with water. The three pods hanging from it were as translucent as jade, and anyone could tell they were no ordinary things.
"Could the opportunity Grandpa mentioned be the beans inside these three pods?"
Xu Taiping reached out in amazement, wanting to pick the three pods.
Just as Xu Taiping extended his hand toward the three pods, a very pleasant voice suddenly sounded from the soybean plant.
Immediately, Xu Taiping saw a milky white light, like smoke, rise from the stems and leaves of the plant, eventually converging into the figure of a beautiful fairy before him.
"Don't be in a hurry to pick them."
The fairy smiled sweetly at Xu Taiping, who was already stunned.
"You... you... are you a monster or a fairy?"
Xu Taiping, finally regaining his composure, tried to calm his mind, but his voice was still a bit shaky.
"Fairy? Perhaps I was once, but now, I can only be considered a remnant soul, barely surviving by parasitizing this bean."
The woman thought for a moment and then laughed bitterly.
"Little one, don't be afraid. I won't harm you, and I can't harm you. I only appeared now to make a deal with you."
She continued to Xu Taiping.
Xu Taiping was a bit puzzled.
"My name is Chu Lingyue. Six hundred years ago, I was betrayed by my enemies, my physical body was sealed, and my soul was shattered, leaving only this remnant soul to escape by relying on this bean. Later, the bean traveled thousands of miles and ended up in your grandfather's hands, who eventually passed it on to you. Today, you planted it in this spiritual land, allowing the bean to be reborn, and I have been able to see the light of day again."
The beautiful woman spoke sincerely to Xu Taiping.
"If I hadn't come up the mountain, wouldn't you have to stay in the bean forever?"
Xu Taiping asked curiously.
Although he was mature for his age, he was still a teenager, and his curiosity far outweighed his fear.
"Yes, and not only would I have to stay in the bean, but in a year or two, when the spiritual energy in the bean is completely depleted, my remnant soul will also dissipate."
Chu Lingyue nodded, not hiding anything from Xu Taiping.
"Then what deal did you mention?"
Xu Taiping did not let his curiosity overshadow the main issue.
"Can you take only one of the three pods on this soybean plant and leave the other two for me?"
Chu Lingyue asked Xu Taiping seriously.
"According to what you said, only I can pick the pods on this soybean plant?"
Xu Taiping looked at Chu Lingyue with wide eyes.
"Having such a smart grandson, Xu Zhian can rest in peace."
Xu Taiping's words surprised Chu Lingyue. She laughed bitterly and nodded, saying, "That's right. Only the person who planted it can pick the fruit."
"Since it's a deal, what do you plan to offer in exchange?"
"If you take only one, I am willing to tell you part of the secret of this bean and a formula that can help the White Bone practice."
Chu Lingyue said very seriously.
Her eyes clearly no longer treated Xu Taiping as a child.
Hearing that Chu Lingyue had a formula to help the White Bone practice, Xu Taiping's eyes immediately lit up with joy.
"I can give you the formula first. If you find it effective, we can make the deal later."
Chu Lingyue said with a straightforward expression.
Xu Taiping stared intently at Chu Lingyue's eyes for a long time before nodding, "No need to test it. I agree to the deal with you."
"Aren't you afraid I might deceive you?"
Seeing Xu Taiping agree so readily, Chu Lingyue was somewhat surprised.
"Grandpa said that after I planted the bean, I would gain an opportunity. Now it seems that my opportunity is you, Fairy."
Xu Taiping answered seriously.
Chu Lingyue was taken aback for a moment, then covered her mouth and laughed,
"I didn't expect you to be such a smooth talker. You're much better at this than your grandfather."
"Do you know my grandfather well?"
Xu Taiping suddenly asked curiously.
From Chu Lingyue's words, Xu Taiping could vaguely tell that she had interacted with his grandfather.
"I don't have much time to stay out, so let's talk about the bean first."
Chu Lingyue changed the subject.
Xu Taiping nodded, not dwelling on the previous question, and sat cross-legged on the ground, ready to listen attentively.
"The bean your grandfather gave you is also known as the Ksitigarbha Fruit. It is an extremely mysterious spiritual object. When planted in a fairy mountain, it can absorb the mountain's spiritual energy and use it as a base to nurture unique treasures within its fruit."
Fairy Lingyue explained straightforwardly without beating around the bush.
"Do you mean that if this seed is planted in different fairy mountains, the final fruit will be very different?"
Xu Taiping felt amazed and had a question.
Fairy Lingyue nodded approvingly.
"The spiritual energy contained in each fairy mountain is different, just like people, each one is unique. Therefore, the fruits and treasures nurtured by the Ksitigarbha Fruit on different mountains are also different."
She explained in more detail.
"This tiny soybean is so extraordinary. No wonder Grandpa said it was a great opportunity."
After listening to Fairy Lingyue's detailed explanation, Xu Taiping was amazed.
At first, he thought this soybean seed was at most some kind of precious fruit, but he never expected it to be a divine object that could nurture treasures.
"Pick one of the pods and open it."
Fairy Lingyue pointed to the three pods on the soybean plant.