When Huo Sining entered the stone cave, she faintly sensed light emanating from within, but at that time, her attention was preoccupied with the hot spring and the abalones, so she didn’t notice where the light was coming from.
It wasn’t until she approached the several plants by the waterfall that Huo Sining discovered that the light inside the cave was actually being emitted by these plants.
In the pitch-dark cave, beneath the hot spring waterfall, the leaves of these plants slowly unfurled on the water’s surface, as round as the palm of a hand, and the closed buds were slowly exuding streaks of golden light in the night.
At first, Huo Sining thought she was seeing things and hastily turned off her emergency light. To her surprise, with the light off, the golden glow from the plants became even more conspicuous.
It was then that Huo Sining noticed that the appearance of these plants resembled the Golden Lotus she had at home. The lotus-like leaves were the size of a palm, and the leaves were water repellent, with droplets rolling on them like transparent pearls.
At the top of these plants, there were five or six buds, some swollen and full, seemingly about to bloom, while others were still in the bud stage, looking unripe and far from flowering.
The Old Turtle was circling these plants, seemingly trying to reach the buds that were about to open. Despite stretching its neck as long as possible, it couldn’t reach the buds, which frustrated the Old Turtle. It turned its head towards Huo Sining, extending its claws and baring its teeth with meaningful looks, obviously asking for Huo Sining’s help.
Huo Sining stared at the lotus-like plants for a long time without comprehending, but seeing the Old Turtle’s anxious demeanor, she knew these plants must be something valuable. After thinking it over, she reached out her hand, intending to help the turtle by breaking off a bud.
However, to Huo Sining’s astonishment, just as her hand touched one of the plants, the waterfall from the cliff above rushed over her hand, and at that moment, the Water-Repelling Pearl on her forehead inconveniently flickered again.
Moreover, under the Heavenly Eye, Huo Sining saw that the plants, which resembled lotuses, were enveloped in a thick layer of Green Spiritual Energy, especially around the buds, where the Spiritual Energy seemed to be condensing into substance, as if it were about to flow out.
Huo Sining had encountered plant Spiritual Energy before, having tested it on the Golden Lotus in her home. So upon seeing the Spiritual Energy surrounding these plants, she was only stunned momentarily before quickly realizing what it was.
Plants’ Spiritual Energy varies in concentration; the more precious a plant is of the same age, the more Spiritual Energy it contains.
Just as there are no two identical leaves in the world, there are no two different plants with the same Spiritual Energy in this world.
Yet, the Green Spiritual Energy contained in the plants before her felt eerily familiar to Huo Sining, so much so that she felt it was no different from the Golden Lotus she had cultivated.
This led Huo Sining to a bold conjecture.
Perhaps the plants before her were indeed grown from the same root as the Golden Lotus she had cultivated!
With this hypothesis in mind, the more Huo Sining observed the plants before her, the more convinced she became of her guess. This made her even more curious to know where exactly the Golden Lotus Seed she had acquired from the girl named Tian Tian came from, and what connection it had to the plants before her?
With doubts in her heart, Huo Sining naturally wouldn’t just pick these lotus flowers for the Old Turtle, especially since the flowers contained such high levels of Spiritual Energy, making Huo Sining realize they might have another purpose. Thus, she absolutely could not let the Old Turtle waste such treasures.
Seeing Huo Sining retract her hand, clearly uninterested in picking the flowers for it, the Old Turtle grew annoyed. After circling the plants once more, it stubbornly refused to give up. Suddenly, its body halted as if struck by an idea, and the wily creature dove directly to the water’s bottom, seemingly ready to bite into the roots of the plants.
Huo Sining was shocked by this sight. If the Old Turtle were to bite through the root, would the plants even survive?
Without a second thought about the possible consequences, Huo Sining quickly stowed the turtle back into her storage ring. She then considered briefly before taking out some tools from the ring and began digging around the base of the plants.
Since she couldn’t comprehend the purpose of these plants at the moment, she decided to take them back first and figure it out later; after all, these things wouldn’t die in her storage ring.
Poor Old Turtle, it had guarded this cave for over a decade, watching as the flowers were finally about to bloom, getting ready to consume them to prolong its life. The creature was a miser when it came to its treasures, never sharing with anyone. If it hadn’t been for Huo Sining saving its life during a tsunami, it wouldn’t have led her to this cave.
At first, it had the intention of splitting the loot evenly with Huo Sining as a way to repay her kindness. But how could it know that by doing so, it was actually letting the wolf into the house?
It might have been a miser, but Huo Sining was a grand thief! Once she laid eyes on the treasure, there was no chance of splitting it halfway. She had hijacked it completely!
Huo Sining, without any reservation, dug up the plants with their roots and casually placed them into her storage space.
After finishing up, Huo Sining prepared to head back. She had been delayed at sea for an entire night, and it was already past ten in the morning. She had to rush back to the Luo Family in the fishing village, lest Luo Jinzhi start to worry.
Once she left the cave, she planned to return the same way she had come.
Since the Old Turtle was too slow, Huo Sining had no intention of letting it out again. Fortunately, she remembered the way. The cave might have seemed treacherous, but with just one path leading straight to the exit, it was fairly easy to navigate, which made Huo Sining’s departure not too difficult.
Having done it once, it was easier the second time. She hastened out of the cave and finally felt a sense of relief.
After such a long delay, she had gained quite a bit. Having busied herself all night, she felt hungry, but thankfully she had prepared in advance, taking out a packed meal from the storeroom to eat.
It was food she had prepared the evening before her sea venture, packed from a restaurant and placed in her storage space, still steaming when she took it out.
After a quick meal to replenish her energy, Huo Sining felt her strength returning. She stretched lazily, stood up, and prepared to walk back along the coastal sands.
Suddenly, a few voices came from not far away.