The Mine Vein's True Scale (Please Bookmark and Vote)

Traveling day and night in a desperate hurry, Ling Pengyun crossed more than two thousand li in just two days and returned to Lingxiao Mountain.

Upon returning to Lingxiao Mountain, Ling Pengyun immediately went to the General Affairs Hall halfway up the mountain and sought out its Hall Master, the clan's Grand Elder, Ling Ruda.

Not long after Ling Pengyun found Ling Ruda, Ling Ruda, his face brimming with excitement, hurriedly led Ling Pengyun to the summit of Lingxiao Mountain, an area reserved for the clan elders. There, they sought out Ling Yunhong, who was in seclusion within the sole cave residence atop the mountain, the Lingxiao Cave Residence.

Having just emerged from the Lingxiao Cave Residence, Ling Yunhong saw Ling Ruda's excited expression and noticed that Ling Pengyun, who ought to have been stationed at a low-grade spiritual mountain outside the clan, had returned and come looking for him. He was immediately puzzled and asked, "Peng Yun, weren't you stationed at Azure Stone Mountain? What is this about?"

"Yun Hong, let's speak inside the cave residence. It isn't safe here!" Ling Ruda glanced around warily and spoke to Ling Yunhong in a mysterious tone.

Ling Yunhong had served as the Ling Clan's Clan Head for several decades and was quite close to Ling Ruda, so he naturally understood the meaning behind Ling Ruda's words.

Ling Ruda feared that what he was about to say might be overheard, even by members of their own clan.

That meant the matter Ling Ruda wished to discuss was exceedingly important.

"Come in," Ling Yunhong said solemnly with a nod.

The three sat around a small table in the main hall of the Lingxiao Cave Residence. Ling Yunhong waved his hand and set up a Soundproof Restriction around the cave residence before curiously asking Ling Ruda, "Eleventh Uncle, what urgent matter do you and Peng Yun have to discuss?"

"Let Peng Yun explain," Ling Ruda said, turning his gaze toward Ling Pengyun.

Ling Pengyun nodded lightly and gave a rough account of how he had discovered a Mystic Water Iron Mine that was at least of a miniature scale.

"Is this true?" Even Ling Yunhong, with his Foundation Establishment cultivation, was greatly shocked upon hearing that a Mystic Water Iron Mine had appeared within their territory. He shot to his feet and urgently questioned Ling Pengyun.

"Third Grandfather, every word this grandson has spoken is true! Please examine this ore!" Ling Pengyun patted his Storage Bag, summoned a piece of Mystic Water Iron Ore he had collected earlier, and solemnly handed it to Ling Yunhong.

When Ling Yunhong saw that the ore Ling Pengyun had handed over was indeed raw Mystic Water Iron ore, he immediately became thoroughly convinced of the mine's existence.

The matter of a mine vein was of tremendous importance. Ling Pengyun had no reason to lie; a later investigation would reveal the truth soon enough.

"I never expected the Underground River within the great lake beside Azure Stone Mountain to contain a Mystic Water Iron Mine. When I led the clan members to wipe out the Snake Demon tribe in those mountains, I also entered the Underground River beneath the lake to investigate, yet I never found the Azure Scale Water Python's nest. It seems that the Azure Scale Water Python only discovered that mine vein while you, Peng Yun, were stationed at Azure Stone Mountain! If not for that Demon Serpent, our Ling Clan might have possessed this mine vein and still failed to find such a fortunate opportunity. Looking at it this way, the clan has benefited from your good fortune!" Ling Yunhong said with a smile.

No matter what type of mine vein it was, a special layer of rock would grow across its surface, concealing the mine vein's aura.

Under normal circumstances, mine veins were extremely difficult to discover. Only those exposed above ground had a chance of being found by cultivators.

As for why Ling Yunhong, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator with powerful divine sense, had failed to find the Mystic Water Iron Mine in the Underground River, while the Azure Scale Water Python with its feeble divine sense had discovered it instead, that might have been the python's own fortunate opportunity.

Based on Ling Pengyun's own guess, the Demon Serpent might have coincidentally opened its nest at that location and accidentally shattered the rock layer that concealed the Mystic Water Iron Mine's aura. Drawn by the mine vein's pure Water Spiritual Energy, it then opened another passageway within its nest, leading deep into the mine.

"Third Grandfather, you praise me too highly. I am a member of the Ling Clan, raised and nurtured by the clan. Without the clan, there would be no me. My good fortune is no different from the clan's good fortune!"

Hearing Ling Pengyun's reply, Ling Yunhong was exceedingly satisfied. Inwardly, he praised Ling Pengyun before saying with a smile, "Peng Yun, you have rendered a great service this time. We can discuss the reward for discovering the mine vein and the matter of dividends later. Investigating the scale of this Mystic Water Iron Mine is the foremost priority! Come with me and show me the way!"

"Alright!" Ling Pengyun replied.

Seeing Ling Pengyun agree, Ling Yunhong immediately led him out of the Lingxiao Cave Residence and called over an Immortal Spirit Crane resting at Lingxiao Back Mountain, whose cultivation had reached Qi Training Completion.

The Ling Clan had, after all, endured for more than two hundred years—longer than the founding history of most Foundation Establishment Families—and naturally possessed some reserves of strength.

That Immortal Spirit Crane at Qi Training Completion was the king of a small flock of twelve Immortal Spirit Cranes that the Ling Clan had raised for more than a century.

Immortal Spirit Cranes were demon beasts with elegant forms and formidable combat prowess. They possessed some renown even among demon beasts of the same rank, especially for their speed, which was enough to rank among the very best of their level.

Given the strength of the Immortal Spirit Crane King at Qi Training Completion, traveling five thousand li in a day was no problem at all.

Ling Yunhong and Ling Pengyun rode the Immortal Spirit Crane King together, heading toward Azure Stone Mountain.

In less than half a day, the two arrived at the shore of Azure Stone Lake. Led by Ling Pengyun, they entered the Underground River beneath the lake, made their way into the Demon Serpent's nest, and found the Mystic Water Iron Mine.

As Ling Yunhong gazed at the great swathes of raw Mystic Water Iron ore visible along the sides of the narrow passage, wild joy surged within him. Even though he noticed that the ground in the passage was spotlessly clean, an extreme abnormality that led him to suspect Ling Pengyun might have collected some ore fragments, he said nothing.

Even if Ling Pengyun had taken some, it was what he deserved.

At that moment, the Mystic Water Iron Mine was the only thing in Ling Yunhong's heart.

For a newly established Foundation Establishment Family, having one more mine vein would serve an enormous purpose.

Suppressing the joy in his heart, he mobilized the powerful divine sense of the Foundation Establishment realm and probed along the direction in which the mine vein extended.

Ten breaths later, after Ling Yunhong had investigated the overall scale of the Mystic Water Iron Mine, the joy in his heart could no longer be contained. He burst into loud laughter.

"My Ling Clan shall flourish! Ha! Ha! Ha!"

Only after quite some time did he regain his composure.

Based on Ling Yunhong's expression, Ling Pengyun also guessed that this Profound Water Mineral Vein was likely larger than the "miniature scale" he had initially estimated. Otherwise, why would Ling Yunhong look so overjoyed?

He asked curiously, "Third Grandfather, just how large is this Profound Water Mineral Vein?"

Ling Yunhong did not conceal it. Ling Pengyun was the discoverer of this mine vein and naturally deserved to know its true condition.

"The Profound Water Mineral Vein extends more than four hundred and eighty zhang eastward, and its deposits are extremely rich. It can already be considered a fairly good small Mystic Water Iron Mine. If this mine vein is fully excavated, it should yield at least nearly one hundred thousand jin of raw Mystic Water Iron ore. Once refined into Mystic Water Iron, there should be at least eight or nine thousand jin."

"This mine vein is actually this large!" Ling Pengyun exclaimed. A smile spread across his face as he began calculating how many spirit stones he could obtain from this mine vein.

After making some calculations, Ling Pengyun's heart blossomed with joy.

"Peng Yun, your contribution this time is truly immense. When you reported this mine vein to the clan, you must have already decided that the clan would organize people to mine it, while you would receive a ten percent dividend from the mine vein's profits, correct?" Ling Yunhong said with a smile.

Ling Pengyun did not speak, but he nodded in acknowledgment.