Chapter 390 - 386: Master, I See the Male Master

Chapter 390: Chapter 386: Master, I See the Male Master

"Excellent work. We can’t keep rushing like before. Otherwise, we might miss out on good things without even knowing it. Although a big reason we came to Nan’an Country was for those Jade Mines, it looks like the biggest prize from this trip might be this gold mine after all."

"Exactly, exactly." Cao Cao nodded vigorously, patting its chest with some lingering fear. "Master, this gold mine is huge. We won’t be able to excavate it all in a short time. I’m afraid we’ll have to come back dozens more times in the future."

It fretted, "Master, it’s all my fault I can’t upgrade yet. Otherwise, I could suck this entire mine into my space. Then it would be much easier and more convenient for us to dig whenever we want. And Space Stones! It would be great if we could find a Space Stone vein on this planet. Then we could refine a large number of storage items. Even if we had endless treasures, we wouldn’t have to worry about where to put them. Speaking of which, Master, your storage items are too few and can’t hold nearly enough."

"Ahem—"

Gu Nuan Nuan choked, patting Cao Cao’s little head with an amused smile. "Learn to be content. Besides, even if we found a Space Stone vein, I don’t know how to refine storage items. I still haven’t found the refining method in any of the Jade Scrolls inside the storage ring."

"Master, you may not know how, but Cao Cao does!"

Cao Cao proudly puffed out its little chest. "My clan is naturally skilled in the application of space. When the time comes, as long as I can borrow your Abnormal Fire, Master, I can refine storage items far larger than even the most powerful Artifact Refiner in the Cultivation World could make."

"You’re that amazing?" Gu Nuan Nuan was both surprised and tempted. "In that case, it seems we really should keep an eye out for a Space Stone vein on our Blue Water Star. I think the chances are a bit slim, though. After all, this isn’t the Cultivation World, right?"

"It’s hard to say. I used to think the Mortal World wouldn’t have any resources from the Cultivation World either, but now it seems that’s not necessarily true. Master, look how little ground we’ve covered, and we’re already finding one surprise after another." Cao Cao’s little mouth split into a wide grin.

"You’re right, anything is possible." Gu Nuan Nuan cheered up too. "All the Spirit Stones we find this time, regardless of their grade, will be for your upgrade. Whether it’s enough or not, I think you should just hurry up and upgrade. An upgraded you is definitely more useful than finding a Space Stone vein. After all, no matter how many storage items we refine, they can’t hold an entire mine vein. And they can’t be stacked. I can’t just refine a ton of storage items and then parade through the streets all day wearing a whole string of rings and jewelry, can I?"

Gu Nuan Nuan found the image amusing. "So it’s better for you to upgrade quickly. Otherwise, how frustrating would it be to find more good stuff in the future and not be able to take it with us? Besides, I’ve always wanted to store my important things with you. I feel safer with them in your space. Like those Jade Scrolls, for instance. It probably wasn’t easy to collect so many of them, and I don’t plan on leaving them for future generations. There isn’t enough Spiritual Energy here for them to practice the Cultivation Techniques from the Cultivation World, so leaving such things behind would be useless."

"Mhm, what you say makes sense, Master. We’ll find more energy in the future, and I’ll definitely work hard to upgrade." Cao Cao nodded frantically, like a chick pecking at rice.

Gu Nuan Nuan smiled and stroked its little head.

As they spoke, the two of them unknowingly arrived at the location of the gold mine Cao Cao had mentioned. For a Cultivator, mining tools were an essential part of their equipment when venturing out. After all, when you traveled far and wide, you never knew when you might get lucky and stumble upon a spirit stone mine or a companion ore deposit. Although most of the large mine veins had already been monopolized by the Great Sects of the Cultivation World, the universe was vast, especially for Cultivators capable of interstellar travel. Who could guarantee they wouldn’t be the lucky one to find an unclaimed spirit stone mine?

If you ran into one but didn’t have the right tools, wouldn’t you be kicking yourself?

That was why Cao Cao’s previous master’s previous master had a storage ring not just well-stocked with mining Magic Treasures, but with multiple sets of them. They were simple to refine, and even ordinary people without True Essence Power could use them. Gu Nuan Nuan casually picked up a small shovel that fit in her hand and tested it on a large, hard-looking rock. As expected, she could dig into the stone as easily as digging into tofu, using almost no effort.

The first order of business wasn’t to start digging, but to claim the territory. Gu Nuan Nuan unceremoniously treated the gold mine Cao Cao had discovered as her own private property. Without a second thought, she took out Array Stones and an Array Plate and set up a Mist Array around the outside of the gold mine. For the following days, the two of them went nowhere, content to act as miners.

Their main goal was the Spirit Stones. As for the gold mine, neither Cao Cao nor Gu Nuan Nuan gave it a second thought. The ore they dug out in the process of getting to the Spirit Stones was the gold ore anyway. They could just collect it as they went, so why rush to specifically dig for gold separately?

It wasn’t that Cao Cao didn’t want to just teleport the Spirit Stones directly into its space, but they were located too deep, far beyond the range of its ability. So, they could only resign themselves to their fate and start digging down by hand.

As they dug, the two of them didn’t forget to toss the excavated gold ore into the storage ring. When the storage ring was full, they would sit down and refine the ore. The Gold was piled up in a corner of the mine shaft, while the waste rock was taken outside to be discarded elsewhere. For seven or eight days straight, they worked tirelessly, only taking a breather to get some fresh air when they went out to dump the waste rock.

The two of them were really going all out. Gu Nuan Nuan didn’t even bother going out to roast hunted game for her three meals to get a change of pace, instead eating the ready-made food directly from her storage bag.

Before she left home this time, she had given her family a heads-up. Plus, she had waited for nearly half a month before and after attending Zhang Laodi’s wedding. During that period, Wen Xiu, Lin Qin, and Zhang Minzhen, terrified she wouldn’t eat well while traveling alone, had dedicated practically all their free time to the kitchen. The three of them had rolled up their sleeves and spent the whole time in the kitchen, cooking and cooking and cooking.

As a result, Gu Nuan Nuan’s storage ring was packed with tons of ready-made meals, enough to last her for a very long time.

On this day, the waste rock had once again filled the storage bag. The two of them left the mine as usual, and just as they were about to return after dumping the rock, Cao Cao did its routine scan of the area with its spiritual power. It suddenly tugged on Gu Nuan Nuan, its face a mask of astonishment. "Master, I see the male master!"

"Who did you say? Luo Hongyi?" Gu Nuan Nuan was astonished. ’Luo Hongyi? Isn’t this the territory of Nan’an Country? There’s only one reason he would be here, but... it’s hard to understand how he could have a mission all the way out here.’ She also sent out her spiritual power, but couldn’t see anything within her range. She asked doubtfully, "Which direction? What’s the situation?"