Chen Jie watched for a while, finding only two items useful.
One was a piece of iron essence, and the other was a type of ruby.
To craft a complete storage ring, at least three or four more materials were needed. Among these, one type of gemstone was extremely rare.
After some thought, Chen Jie told Xiao Ding about these materials, asking him to keep an eye out for them and stating that he would purchase them at a high price if found.
As for the iron essence and ruby, Chen Jie directly instructed Xiao Ding to contact the seller for pricing and purchase them first.
"Master Chen, rest assured. While my network isn't as extensive as yours, I do have some connections in the auction resource business. The items you're looking for, I'm likely to find!" Xiao Ding said to Chen Jie over the phone.
Chen Jie nodded. "Thank you. If you need any help, don't hesitate to ask."
Xiao Ding was overjoyed. He knew that the current Chen Jie was far superior to his past self, his abilities being beyond his own comprehension. Receiving a promise from Chen Jie held immeasurable future benefits for him. However, what Xiao Ding valued even more was establishing a good relationship with Chen Jie.
With this in mind, he said to Chen Jie, "It's a small matter, you don't need to worry about it... Someone has just contacted me. Master Chen, I must go now. I'll handle it for you as soon as possible!"
"Alright, you go ahead then."
...
Inside Villa No. 2, Fei Fei was looking at a secret manual with a solemn expression.
This was precisely the ancient cultivation method of the Gu family.
Following this, Fei Fei began to cultivate according to the ancient cultivation method.
The Gu family's ancient cultivation method was incredibly profound. According to it, the initial stage of cultivation, the Innate Realm, was merely the beginning.
In the foundational stage, achieving the Innate Realm required little effort. This was the marvel of the Gu family's ancient cultivation method and the source of their power. Consider this: an Innate Realm martial artist was already a formidable expert in the Great Xia. If one followed the ancient cultivation method and had sufficient resources, they could reach the Innate Realm in just one month. In contrast, some secular martial artists could never achieve the Innate Realm even in a lifetime. This illustrated the immense power of the ancient cultivation method.
Originally, Ding Qing and Fei Fei, father and daughter, had made thorough preparations and were confident of progressing from low-level martial artists to the Innate Realm within a month. With the strength of Innate Realm experts, they could then escape from this place. The world was vast, and even with the Gu family's far-reaching influence, finding them would not be easy. However, they only had thirty million in assets, enough to stay at Peace Villa for just ten days. Achieving the Innate Realm within such a short period seemed unlikely.
Fei Fei opened her eyes, a sharp glint appearing within them.
"Fei Fei, has your strength improved?" Ding Qing asked excitedly.
While the ancient cultivation method allowed for rapid progress in the early stages, it also depended on individual aptitude. Ding Qing lacked such talent; it would take him at least several years to reach the Innate Realm. Fei Fei, however, was different. Her aptitude was excellent, and she had the potential to reach the Innate Realm in a short time. Therefore, Ding Qing was not rushing his own cultivation.
"Dad, I've discovered that my physique is highly compatible with the ancient cultivation method, and I'm expected to reach the Innate Realm quickly. Moreover, when I cultivate, I sense that the energy here is very abundant. I can reach the Innate Realm in less than a month!" Fei Fei exclaimed in surprise.
It turned out that Villa No. 2 was relatively close to Villa No. 1, and some of the spiritual energy emanating from Chen Jie's Villa No. 1 had been inadvertently absorbed by Fei Fei. If Chen Jie were present, he would be astonished. Normally, spiritual energy was most beneficial to cultivators and only served as an aid to martial artists. Yet, the Gu family's ancient cultivation method, designed for martial artists, could absorb spiritual energy, which was indeed quite unbelievable.
"It's a pity we can only stay here for ten days at most. Otherwise, why would we fear the Gu family!" Fei Fei said angrily.
Ding Qing sighed. "We should stick to Plan B. Peace Villa can protect us for ten days, which is already remarkable! I never expected that such a small provincial capital could have a force that even the Gu family would compromise with."
Although the father and daughter were displeased with Chen Jie's last-minute price increase, they had to inwardly admire him. In any other place, the landlord would have buckled under pressure and handed them over.
"Heh, it's his tremendous loss for not accepting my offer," Fei Fei said with a cold laugh.
"Dad, contact the local auction houses immediately and leak the news about the ancient cultivation method!"
"Alright, I'll do it right away!" Ding Qing nodded heavily.
No money? Then find a way to make money. They had already memorized the contents of the ancient cultivation method. Once sold, they could easily fetch billions, and then they could stay for as long as they wished.
Ding Qing immediately contacted some media outlets online, intending to leak information about the ancient cultivation method and build momentum. However, he was soon shocked. "What? 'Ancient cultivation method' is a sensitive term and cannot be posted?"
He rephrased his introduction of the ancient cultivation method to the media and discovered that his internet connection had problems.
"Damn it! Who is playing games here!" Even a fool like Ding Qing understood that he had been targeted by a network expert. Otherwise, his phone would not lose its internet connection the moment he tried to send information about the ancient cultivation method.
In the darkness, Ronan sat before his computer monitor, a cold smile on his lips as he closed his eyes. With his current hacking prowess, he could compromise Ding Qing and Fei Fei's phones without even looking. He was simultaneously dreaming and using his mental energy to control the computer, hacking their phones. He was truly multitasking.
"An ancient cultivation method? Reaching the Innate Realm in a short time is indeed exaggerated. However, the cultivation technique Chen Jie taught me seems equally impressive, perhaps even more miraculous," Ronan murmured.
After some thought, he called Chen Jie and informed him of the Ding Qing father and daughter's actions.
"Intercept them!" Chen Jie ordered.
Afterward, Chen Jie also relayed Ding Qing and Fei Fei's plan to Gu Yue.
"You mean they intend to auction off my Gu family's ancient cultivation method?" Gu Yue's pretty face turned icy. "They're simply courting death!" She looked at Chen Jie. "I advise you to hand them over immediately, or you will not be able to bear the wrath of my Gu family!" Even with their engagement, she could not indulge Chen Jie on such a significant matter.
Chen Jie replied, "I apologize, but rules are rules. I can only help you intercept their network; I can't do anything else."
"Then let's have a fight! Show me what gives you the confidence to oppose my Gu family!" Gu Yue flicked her sleeves and rapidly approached Chen Jie. "Reveal your trump card!" She struck at Chen Jie with a palm, carrying immense power.