In the puddle lay a quietly resting white jade bottle with a lid.
He picked up the jade bottle, looked at the tightly fastened lid, and tried twisting it with his hand, but it wouldn't budge.
After a moment of thought, he tucked it inside his robe and searched the surrounding area carefully.
Finding nothing else of interest, he refocused his mind on the Immortal Seed.
"Master, this disciple has thoroughly searched the cave and found a shallow pool with dripping spring water, and inside that pool, I found a strange white bottle."
"Oh? A white jade bottle? Can it be opened?"
Lu Ming fell silent for a moment, secretly wondering if this little porcelain bottle could possibly be the Heaven-Defying Bottle from Old Devil Han's hands?
Good grief, to hold Old Wang's script while getting Old Han's props?
Only, wasn't the Heaven-Defying Bottle green? Did changing environments make even the props change along with it?
"It won't open."
Wang Ran shook his head.
Lu Ming said, "Try smashing it with a stone to see if you can break it open."
Hearing this, Wang Ran looked around, picked up a rock, and smashed it hard against the small porcelain bottle.
With a loud crash, the rock split in two, but the small porcelain bottle remained completely undamaged.
A thought stirred in Lu Ming's mind, and he secretly muttered, "Heh, it's got potential. As expected of a protagonist template."
He immediately transmitted his voice: "It must be some kind of treasure, then. Come out of the cave. To the left of the cave entrance, there is a protruding rock. You can place the bottle there and let it sunbathe. Check it in a few days to see if there are any other changes."
Wang Ran put down the small jade bottle with little enthusiasm, feeling rather puzzled inside. "Why is Master so familiar with this precipitous cliff? He even knows where there's a protruding rock? I'm afraid Master is going to be disappointed. You don't just stumble upon treasures anywhere—this isn't the world inside a storyteller's tales."
Lu Ming chuckled inwardly. "Never mind. Since there are no extraordinary treasures, we can look for spiritual herbs instead. Close your eyes and clear your mind; Master will borrow the power of heaven and earth to search for you."
Hearing this, Wang Ran quickly sat cross-legged and obediently closed his eyes.
Then, as if his heavenly eyes had been opened, the scenery nearby naturally appeared in his mind.
Grass and trees swayed in the breeze, and his consciousness gradually expanded along with the foliage.
A moment later, he opened his eyes. Within his mind, Master's voice sounded once again.
"Good. On the cliff to your left, there is an old wild ginseng that is about fifty years old. Carefully harvest it, and after swallowing it, continue your cultivation. Strive to enter the Qi Refining 3rd Layer as soon as possible so that you can save yourself."
Although protagonist templates were generally unkillable cockroaches, Lu Ming couldn't guarantee that someone would come to save Wang Ran this time.
Could a protagonist without a Golden Finger still be considered a protagonist?
Lu Ming didn't know; or perhaps that white jade bottle was Wang Ran's Golden Finger?
If this bottle really was the Heaven-Defying Bottle, Lu Ming could secretly use it to ripen some spiritual herbs and help Wang Ran reach the Qi Refining 3rd Layer as quickly as possible.
Yet he didn't dare to try rashly, even though the bottle was only a centimeter away from his roots.
Now, it all depended on whether the Immortal Seed would pull its weight and enable Wang Ran—whose spiritual roots were not apparent—to quickly enter the Qi Refining 1st Layer.
Following his Master's instructions, Wang Ran indeed found the spiritual herb on the cliff to his left.
Without delay, after harvesting the old wild ginseng, he entered the cave, swallowed it in a few gulps, and began to circulate the Mysterious Heaven Sensing Scripture.
This cultivation session lasted until nightfall.
When the stars filled the sky and the moon illuminated the cliffside, Lu Ming's grassy body breathed in the moonlight, faint fluorescence flickering in and out of existence.
Beside him, that small white jade bottle was also quietly absorbing the moonlight, faint rays of light flashing across its surface and vanishing.
"It truly is a treasure, though I wonder if it's the original Heaven-Defying Bottle."
Ending his evening cultivation, Lu Ming was quite satisfied.
Inside the cave, Wang Ran was still meditating, and one could see his aura growing stronger bit by bit.
Early the next morning, Wang Ran successfully broke through to the Qi Refining 1st Layer. It was as if some kind of restriction in his body had been shattered; his previous injuries from the fall had completely healed, and at this moment, he felt full of strength, much lighter than before.
He opened his eyes and felt as though the entire world had changed drastically. Everything had become clear and distinct.
Sinking his consciousness into his dantian, he said happily, "Master, this disciple has successfully broken through to the Qi Refining 1st Layer."
Outside the cave, Lu Ming stretched his green leaves and transmitted his voice.
"Very good. However, the Qi Refining 1st Layer is still not enough to get you out of this place; do not become complacent. I have found a century-old Ganoderma for you. Be careful later, go fetch it, and then continue your cultivation."
Wang Ran nodded in acknowledgment. He came to the puddle, scooped up a handful of clear water, drank a few mouthfuls, and washed his face.
Although he hadn't eaten for two days, because of his cultivation, the sensation of hunger was no longer so unbearable.
Emerging from the cave, Wang Ran stood once again at the edge of the cliff.
According to his Master's instructions, he needed to descend about ten meters down this precipice.
Fortunately, there were some vines not far away. He tied several vines together, secured one end to a massive boulder, tied the other end around his waist, and slid down the cliff face.
The fierce wind of the cliff blew the vines swaying wildly, and his body hung like a swing with nowhere to rest.
The abyss beneath his feet was bottomless. He could only grip the rope tightly with a worried expression as he watched the vines constantly scraping against the rock wall.
"Gods protect me, I hope these vines can hold up."
At this moment, he was terrified, but since his body was already suspended in mid-air, regret came too late.
So he gritted his teeth and tried to control the direction of his body amidst the fierce wind.
Perhaps due to successfully entering the Qi Refining Stage, his vision and physical strength had both improved.
This allowed him to easily spot the face-sized Ganoderma on the cliff wall.
It was just that controlling his body in the wind was truly difficult; several times he almost succeeded, only to have his rhythm disrupted by the violent gusts at the critical moment.
"Got it."
Finally, his hand touched the Ganoderma. With a surge of joy, he exerted a little force, and the Ganoderma was plucked.
"I did it!"
Just as he was about to shout out loud, his expression suddenly changed as he saw that the vine above was finally beginning to snap from the friction.
"Help!"
Wang Ran's voice echoed above the cliff, while Lu Ming could only watch helplessly as he plummeted downward.
At that very moment, a sword-cultivator suddenly swooped down from above, and with a flash, caught the falling Wang Ran.
"Save me!"
Wang Ran's limbs thrashed wildly in the air, but the scenery before his eyes was receding backward.
When he finally snapped out of it, he realized he was already hanging in mid-air, being carried up toward the cliff top by someone.
"As expected of a protagonist template; an ordinary person would have been smashed to pieces in a situation like this."
Seeing all this, Lu Ming hurriedly retracted all his leaves, and then his roots wriggled, pulling the small white jade bottle down into the soil.
Then, casting his mind back onto the Immortal Seed within Wang Ran's body, he began to silently observe how things would unfold.
"Tie Dan, why are you so foolish? Even if we can't cultivate immortals, we can still do other things! How could you leave your parents behind and pull a stunt like this?"
At the top of the cliff, the sword-cultivator dropped Wang Ran and quietly retreated to the side.
The elderly Wang couple, who had finally found their son, burst into loud tears, while the rest of the clansmen who had helped search for Wang Ran pointed fingers at him.
"I..."
Wang Ran opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but ultimately fixed his gaze on the Ganoderma in his hand. Thinking back on his ordeal from two days ago, he felt a surreal sense of having lived through another lifetime.
"Dad, Mom, your child is unfilial and has made you worry."
He knelt straight down, yet in his heart, there wasn't much lingering sadness.
Even the mocking jeers of the crowd didn't seem quite as grating anymore.
"You... sigh. It's enough that my son is safe. We won't join this immortal sect; let's go home. With your old man's carpentry skills, we won't starve."
"Senior Brother, what's the deal with the Ganoderma in that kid's hand? It looks like it has some years on it."
Beside the sword-cultivator, Outer Gate Deacon Ma Xianliang looked at Wang Ran, a trace of greed flashing in his eyes.
"He harvested it himself, risking his life."
The sword-cultivator's expression was indifferent as he glanced sideways at Ma Xianliang.
"In that case, perhaps this child can be admitted to the outer gate. It's just that handing such a Ganoderma over to an ordinary person is a bit of a waste."
Ma Xianliang's eyes gleamed. Seeing that the family of three was already getting to their feet, he hurriedly stepped forward.
"Little friend, wait a moment. Would you be willing to enter our sect's outer gate to cultivate?"
Wang Ran froze at those words, and the family of three turned back in a daze.
"Accept."
Right at that moment, Lu Ming's voice echoed in Wang Ran's ear.