Chapter 2: The Pendant's Secret and a Risky Test

The cramped rented room had never felt so quiet to Lin Fan. He sat motionless before the screen, yet his mind churned in the Nine Realms Immortal Realm. The nameless, grey jade pendant lay in his novice inventory, inert, yet it held his gaze. The instinct of someone forged in poverty told him it was no ordinary item. The way the mutated Rat Wolf had suddenly fled, the faint green light that flashed then vanished… it couldn't just be coincidence.

Lin Fan didn't rush. He was always cautious, never acting without a firm grasp of the situation. He knew that in this game world, recklessness meant death. The first thing he did was find a secluded corner in the village, sit down, and open his inventory again. The pendant lay there, still. He ran his fingers over it, feeling its coldness. No description, no stats. It was completely unknown.

He tried everything. Touching it, shaking it, even gently biting it. Nothing happened. He wondered, did this thing need energy? Spiritual energy? He remembered forum posts about how even plants and rocks in Nine Realms contained spiritual energy, however faint.

A daring thought sparked. He recalled when the mutated Rat Wolf attacked, his hand had hit the ancient tree root. Could it be that the tree itself, or something near it, had activated the pendant?

Lin Fan returned to the small forest where he had narrowly escaped death. He carefully searched around the decaying ancient tree, looking for anything out of place. Nothing. He sat down, placed the pendant in his palm, then touched it to the moss-covered trunk.

Still nothing.

Disappointment crept in, but he didn't give up. "There has to be a way," he muttered. "If it really made that Rat Wolf run, then it can't be useless."

He suddenly recalled a detail from a game advertisement. "Everything in Nine Realms is filled with spiritual energy." Perhaps the pendant needed a purer form of energy?

Spiritual energy. He didn't have any yet. He was only level 2, hadn't even learned a cultivation technique.

But what about "Spirit Dew"? In the game, basic spirit plants often secreted tiny amounts of "Spirit Dew" that couldn't be used for cultivation but could slightly restore stamina or act as fertilizer. Village Chief Li had a quest to find Spirit Herb Mushrooms—a special type of mushroom containing a hint of Spirit Dew.

With that thought, Lin Fan returned to the forest. This time, he didn't just gather wild mushrooms; he painstakingly searched for Spirit Herb Mushrooms. They were quite rare, only growing in shady, damp spots, requiring careful observation to spot. It took him almost an hour, venturing deeper into the forest, to find a single small Spirit Herb Mushroom. He didn't rush to turn it in for the quest, but carefully plucked a small stalk from it, placing it in his palm.

Precisely! A cool sensation, a faint trickle of energy, flowed into his palm. This was Spirit Dew.

Lin Fan placed the grey jade pendant in the center of his palm, then gently squeezed a drop of Spirit Dew from the Spirit Herb Mushroom onto its surface.

Instantly!

A faint azure light erupted from the jade pendant, not blinding but bright enough for Lin Fan to clearly see. The trickle of Spirit Dew from the mushroom was seemingly absorbed by the pendant, vanishing rapidly. And then, the miracle happened.

The Spirit Herb Mushroom in Lin Fan's hand, from which he had just plucked a tiny stalk, suddenly began to grow at a visible rate! From a small stalk, it swelled, new caps sprouting from its edges, then growing even larger. In mere seconds, it became a Spirit Herb Mushroom twice its original size, exuding a much richer spiritual aura!

Lin Fan's heart pounded in his chest. His jaw dropped in utter astonishment. This was it! This was the "bug" he had been searching for! It could multiply and enhance the quality of spirit herbs!

He quickly tucked the pendant and the "enhanced" mushroom into his inventory. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead. He knew he had just uncovered an earth-shattering secret. If anyone found out about the pendant's ability, he would undoubtedly become a hunted target for countless powerful cultivators in the game, and perhaps even real-world forces.

Lin Fan's caution soared to its peak. He had to guard this secret at all costs. He returned to the village, his face calm as if nothing had happened. He turned in the Spirit Herb Mushroom quest to the Village Chief. The Chief looked surprised at the unusually large and potent mushroom, far superior to what other players brought in.

"Haha, traveler, you truly have a knack for spiritual objects! Your mushroom is quite rare, brimming with more spiritual energy than usual!" Village Chief Li stroked his beard, laughing. "Would you be willing to sell it to me? I'll offer you 10 gold coins, double the usual price!"

Lin Fan didn't bat an eye. He knew this mushroom was worth far more than 10 gold coins. But he couldn't reveal that. He simply shook his head slightly: "Thank you for the offer, Chief. I think I'd like to keep this mushroom to learn more about it."

Village Chief Li didn't press, simply smiling kindly. Lin Fan collected his quest rewards (only 5 gold coins and basic experience for finding the mushroom) and quickly left.

He retreated to his virtual rented room in the game (which he had just rented for the 5 gold coins he earned). It was a small, simple room, but it gave him the privacy he desperately needed.

He sat down, taking out the jade pendant and the enhanced Spirit Herb Mushroom. He tried dripping Spirit Dew onto the pendant again, but the mushroom didn't grow further. Did this mean each mushroom could only be "enhanced" once? Or did the pendant have a limit?

Lin Fan pondered. "What if I use it to multiply even rarer spirit herbs?" He calculated in his head. Rare spirit herbs could sell for hundreds, even thousands of gold coins. That was the path to wealth.

But the problem was, how could he get rare spirit herbs? He was just a novice, hadn't even learned a cultivation technique. Finding rare spirit herbs in this game felt like searching for a needle in a haystack.

He opened the game interface, navigating to the "Item Exchange" section. He wanted to check the market value of a normal Spirit Herb Mushroom.

Spirit Herb Mushroom (Low-grade): Market price 5 gold coins/unit.

So, how much would his "enhanced" mushroom be worth? He decided to test it. He went to the in-game market, a bustling place filled with players. With his usual caution, he found a secluded corner, used the system's anonymity function, and set a bid price for his enhanced Spirit Herb Mushroom.

He set a trial price: 20 gold coins. Four times the normal price. If it sold, he'd have a decent sum to begin cultivating and investing.

Lin Fan couldn't tear his eyes away from the auction screen. Every passing second was a tense wait. He knew if the mushroom didn't sell, or if someone grew suspicious, his secret could be exposed. He also feared he might have overestimated its value.

Suddenly, a notification popped up: "Your item has been successfully purchased! Buyer is anonymous. You received 20 gold coins."

Lin Fan let out a quiet sigh of relief. Twenty gold coins! This was a start. This proved the pendant's value was real, and its potential for earning money was also real.

He quickly left the market, finding a deserted spot to check his account balance. He now had a total of 35 gold coins. A small sum compared to the hundreds, even thousands of gold coins that veteran players boasted about, but for Lin Fan, it was a significant amount, a turning point.

He looked out the virtual window of his rented room, the clear moonlight illuminating the tranquil forest. A rare, faint smile touched his lips. The grey jade pendant in his inventory, the thing that had saved his life and brought him hope, was now not just a secret but a guiding light for his journey ahead. He would have to be even more careful, even smarter. The cultivation path of a mortal had officially begun, not by innate talent or divine fortune, but by a hidden "bug" and his own meticulous calculations. This was just the beginning of a journey he couldn't possibly foresee—a journey to earn money, to survive, and perhaps, to uncover the earth-shattering secrets of the Nine Realms Immortal Realm.