Zhang Li of the Hundred Spirits Sect (Please Bookmark, Please Recommend)

More than twenty days later, the Yellow Jade Spirit Rice, Qi Training Grass, and Sword Star Grass that had been planted in the Spirit Soil for some time had all sprouted in succession.

After sprouting, these spirit plants also gained the characteristics of spirit plants, releasing wisps of spiritual energy outward.

It so happened that Start of Spring was drawing near. Many insects, birds, and beasts that had slumbered through winter all awoke.

Just as last year, these sprouted spirit plants that released spiritual energy attracted many flying insects and birds.

Fortunately, the Yellow-Feathered Sparrow halfway up Azure Stone Mountain had also awakened from its slumber. Once more, it took up its role as guardian of the six mu of Spirit Fields on Azure Stone Mountain, protecting the spirit plants in the six mu of fields atop the mountain.

Ordinary flying insects were no match for it and could only become food in the Yellow-Feathered Sparrow's beak.

There were, however, some birds and peng birds with relatively profound cultivation that the Yellow-Feathered Sparrow could not withstand. Whenever that happened, Ling Peng Yun, its Master, had to step in.

Pressed for time and immersed in bitter cultivation, Ling Peng Yun did not want such trouble. He had no choice but to capture another Gray-Feathered Peng Bird that had been drawn in by the spirit plants atop the mountain.

He implanted a Recognition of Ownership Restriction within its body and subdued it. With the combined strength of one bird and one peng, they guarded the spirit plants in the six mu of Spirit Fields atop the mountain.

With the bird and peng working together, Ling Peng Yun no longer received any calls for help.

Apart from the matters of flying insects and birds, once these spirit plants had sprouted, they could also withstand Ling Peng Yun casting the Lingxiao Ripening Technique on them once every three days, accelerating their growth.

Another twenty-odd days passed.

Ling Yunhong, the Ling Clan Head, who had been away from the Clan Mountain for nearly three months, rode the Immortal Spirit Crane King and led a white-haired old man standing atop an Azure Flying Boat into the skies above Azure Stone Lake.

The white-haired old man's eyes gleamed as he lowered his head to examine Azure Stone Lake below and asked Ling Yunhong.

"Clan Head Ling, is this where the Mystic Water Iron Mine lies?"

"Indeed. Please follow me beneath the lake, Senior!" Ling Yunhong said with great courtesy, lowering his bearing considerably and making the white-haired old man's lofty status apparent.

Before the two could move, a figure shot up from the lakebed. The white-haired old man frowned and instinctively drew a flying sword brimming with spiritual charm from the Storage Bag at his waist, preparing to strike down the suddenly appearing figure.

"Senior, he is a member of my Ling Clan, dispatched by me to guard the Mystic Water Iron Mine beneath the lake!" Seeing the white-haired old man's movement, Ling Yunhong's heart jolted, and he hurriedly explained.

Only after hearing this explanation did the white-haired old man put away the flying sword he had drawn.

The person who had burst from the water was precisely Ling Ruxian, the Ling Clan's Second Elder, who had long been stationed at the mine.

While guarding the mine, Ling Ruxian had heard the distinctive cry of an Immortal Spirit Crane. He had thus left the mine to see what was happening.

He first cupped his hands toward Ling Yunhong, then turned his gaze toward the white-haired old man standing upon the flying boat.

As he looked him up and down, he saw the words "Bai Ling" embroidered on the sleeves of the man's Daoist robe, along with numerous array-pattern designs. Two golden threads were also inlaid at the right side of his chest, and his expression immediately trembled.

Those golden threads represented a Second Rank master of the Hundred Arts, the mark of such masters within the Hundred Spirits Sect.

Then, seeing that Ling Yunhong had remained behind the white-haired elder instead of standing alongside him, Ling Ruxian immediately understood that this white-haired old man must hold no low status.

Ling Yunhong also noticed Ling Ruxian's confusion and introduced him. "Thirteenth Uncle, this is Senior Zhang Li, disciple of Spirit Array True Person, the Supreme Elder of the Hundred Spirits Sect and overseer of Spirit Array Hall. He has come this time to inspect the Profound Water Mineral Vein!"

Ling Ruxian was shaken, and a trace of surprise appeared on his usually cold face.

The title of "True Person" was not one anyone could bear. Only those whose cultivation had reached the Golden Core realm could be called such, and the Hundred Spirits Sect had a Golden Core powerhouse with the Daoist title Spirit Array.

A disciple of a Golden Core powerhouse was surely a dragon or phoenix among men.

Rarely showing such respect, Ling Ruxian cupped his hands and said, "Senior Zhang!"

Zhang Li appeared somewhat impatient and said to Ling Yunhong, "Quickly take me to see where this mine lies!"

Seeing Zhang Li show his elder such little respect, Ling Yunhong felt somewhat displeased. Yet, mindful of the man behind Zhang Li, he did not dare reveal it and could only nod in agreement.

Before long, the three entered the passageway to the Mystic Water Iron Mine within the demon serpent's nest in the Underground River beneath Azure Stone Lake.

When Zhang Li saw that the surroundings of this passage were filled with Mystic Water Iron Ore, then extended his Divine Sense and confirmed that the Mystic Water Iron Mine truly stretched for more than four hundred and eighty zhang, just as Ling Yunhong had said, his expression immediately turned overjoyed.

"This mine is indeed not bad. Your Ling Clan did not deceive my Hundred Spirits Sect. Sign the contract we drafted together, and this matter shall be settled!"

As he spoke, Zhang Li handed two sheets of yellow paper to Ling Yunhong.

Ling Yunhong accepted them. Although he had participated in drafting the contents of these two yellow sheets, he still gave them a rough inspection to ensure the Hundred Spirits Sect had made no alterations. Seeing that the contract was in order, he used blood as ink and signed both sheets with his own name and the words "Lingxiao Ling Clan."

This contract was not particularly useful. Its primary purpose was to allow the other party to seize the moral high ground and directly act against the party that broke the agreement.

To preserve its thousand-year reputation, the Hundred Spirits Sect would not easily violate the contract.

For the safety of its Lineage, the Ling Clan was naturally even less likely to breach it.

Of the two contracts, Ling Yunhong kept one and returned the other to Zhang Li.

Zhang Li accepted the contract. Seeing that all was settled, he swept several items out of his Storage Bag and said, "The contract has been made, so our transaction is complete. These are the Second-Order Alchemist Inheritance, First-Order Refiner Inheritance, First-Order Array Master Inheritance, and the Foundation Establishment cultivation technique, the Geng Metal Sword Classic, which your Ling Clan exchanged for fifty thousand jin of Mystic Water Iron Raw Ore from this mine."

"As for these ten Early-Stage Qi Training Humanoid Puppets, they are specifically for mining. Consider them loaned by my Hundred Spirits Sect to your Ling Clan for the purpose of mining. We provide the puppets, while you provide the Spirit Stones needed to operate them! At the rate of five thousand jin of Mystic Water Iron Ore per year, you must hand over fifty thousand jin within ten years. If you are late, you know the consequences!"

"Enough. You may leave. I will set up an array formation here to protect this place, lest people from other sects cast covetous eyes upon it!"

Hearing that they needed to hand over fifty thousand jin of Mystic Water Iron Ore to the Hundred Spirits Sect within ten years, Ling Yunhong frowned slightly before quickly relaxing.

After accepting the four manuals handed to him, his eyes flashed brightly. Ignoring Zhang Li's discourteous words, he hurriedly flipped through the four books to verify their authenticity.

After examining them carefully, he found that the contents of all four manuals were correct. The alchemy, refining, and array formation inheritances were merely rather ordinary, without any special features.

Ling Yunhong did not mind this. Having complete inheritances was already good enough. He believed that the Ling Clan's descendants would surely continue improving the contents of these three Hundred Arts in the future, strengthening these inheritances.

He put away the four manuals and the ten humanoid mining puppets, then left the mine with Ling Ruxian, leaving the entire mine space to Zhang Li, the Second Rank Array Formation Master.

Before long, Zhang Li set up a prepared set of Second-Order Defense Array Flags over the mine.

A massive light curtain suddenly rose from Azure Stone Lake, enveloping the entire lake, which spanned several thousand zhang.

Once the light curtain formed, it vanished. Shortly afterward, the clanging of metal rang out from beneath the lake.

After only a few breaths, Zhang Li burst out from the lakebed with delight written across his face and arrived beside Ling Yunhong and Ling Ruxian at the lakeside.

"Clan Head Ling, this is the Control Array Disk for the Second-Order Low-Grade Water Accumulation Curtain Formation. This formation can only defend, but its defensive power ranks among the best of formations of the same grade. Even if controlled by a Qi Training Stage cultivator, so long as there is enough spiritual energy, it can withstand the simultaneous attacks of more than three Early-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivators! Ten years from now, after your Ling Clan has handed over the Mystic Water Iron Ore owed to the sect, the sect will also collect this formation. Do not deliberately damage it! Otherwise, you will compensate us at full price!"

Ling Yunhong had long been displeased by Zhang Li's unfriendly words.

Seeing Zhang Li's flushed face, along with the sounds of metal striking metal that had come from beneath the lake moments earlier, Ling Yunhong needed no further guesswork to understand that Zhang Li had likely used a magical artifact to cut away a fair amount of ore for himself.

Such conduct was hardly aboveboard.

With leverage over this man, a teasing smile appeared on Ling Yunhong's face. He reached out to accept the Formation Plate and said meaningfully.

"Let the ore Senior Zhang took be considered a token of respect from my Ling Clan to Senior. In the future, please take good care of my Ling Clan! Otherwise, the things of my Ling Clan are not so easily taken! He is merely a Second Rank Low Grade Array Formation Master!"

Zhang Li's expression stiffened. Yet as he looked at Ling Yunhong's sharp gaze and saw that Ling Yunhong had boldly placed his hand atop his Storage Bag, clearly looking as though he might draw a magical artifact and fight at the very next moment, he hesitated.

He was already in the wrong for secretly taking some ore. This matter could be large or small; if no one pursued it, it was nothing at all.

But if it were exposed within the sect, his reputation would surely plummet. It might even affect his own advancement within the sect, or that of his descendants.

He still wanted to sit in the position of deputy Hall Master of the Hundred Spirits Sect's Spirit Array Hall during his lifetime.

Zhang Li felt somewhat guilty and thought, I actually ran into a hard bone to chew!

"I understand!" Zhang Li answered in a deep voice. Looking thoroughly deflated, he controlled his flying boat and left the area.

Ling Yunhong continued to watch Zhang Li's departing back coldly. Only when Zhang Li's figure could no longer be seen with the naked eye did he withdraw his gaze.

Then, he handed the Formation Plate in his hand and a Storage Bag to Ling Ruxian. "Thirteenth Uncle, only you can spare the time within the Lineage, so I must trouble you to continue guarding this place for a while. I leave this Water Accumulation Curtain Formation's Control Array Disk and these ten mining puppets to you. There are also five hundred Spirit Stones here, to activate these ten mining puppets and, in times of crisis, activate this Vein Protecting Array Formation!"

"You are overstating it. As an elder of the Lineage, I naturally must shoulder responsibility. When I was on the Clan Mountain, I was idle anyway. Guarding this place is no different from staying in the Lineage! When I have time, I can also guide Peng Yun a little in comprehending sword arts!" Ling Ruxian had always devoted himself wholeheartedly to the Lineage. Being valued by the Lineage and sent to guard such an important place actually delighted him greatly.

Both chapters today are three thousand characters, equivalent to three chapters' worth. Please follow along tomorrow.