Mining

Before he knew it, about two hours had quietly passed.

During that time, another seventeen or eighteen disciples arrived one after another.

The short-haired woman paced over, her gaze sweeping across the crowd. "I am Elder Qiu of the External Affairs Hall. I am currently responsible for overseeing this entire Spirit Stone Mine. For newcomers like you, none of the required procedures may be skipped."

Elder Qiu paused briefly, a trace of authority in her eyes, then continued, "I will not repeat the rules written in the manual.

However, there is one point I must emphasize. Some of you may harbor wishful thoughts, believing that the Spiritual Qi in the Spirit Stone Mine is abundant and hoping to cultivate in secret while mining.

I solemnly warn you now: the entire Mine Cave is equipped with detection formations. If you are discovered, it will be treated as theft of sect property. Think carefully about the consequences!"

At that moment, a youth could not help asking, "Elder Qiu, are there any techniques or tricks to mining?"

Elder Qiu glanced at him and said flatly, "Techniques? Figure them out yourself. As long as you mine honestly and do not entertain improper thoughts, that is enough."

With that, Elder Qiu turned and walked toward the right side of the square. "Follow me."

The crowd remained silent, their expressions filled with awe and caution as they quietly followed Elder Qiu. Before long, they crossed the square and arrived before an underground passage.

After entering through the passage and walking several hundred meters, everyone suddenly felt as though they had passed through an invisible barrier.

Then, a towering mountain suddenly appeared before them.

Beneath the mountain stood a neat row of disciples dressed in sect robes. Nearby were three similarly sized cave entrances leading deep underground, with an array plate displaying the date hanging above each entrance.

"All of you, go to Entrance Three." Elder Qiu raised a hand and pointed toward the cave entrance on the far right.

The dozen or so people entered Entrance Three one after another.

The moment they stepped inside, they entered a spacious hall.

A group of disciples stood in the hall. At their head was a long-haired youth. Expressionless, he stepped forward and handed each person a Storage Pouch without saying a single word throughout the entire process.

Zhang Tie found this rather strange, but he did not dare ask any questions.

After everyone had received their Storage Pouches, they continued onward.

First, they entered a broad cave passage. The farther they went, the more forks appeared.

Each tunnel was about two meters high. Array plates the size of bowls were embedded in the walls at short intervals, while glowing orbs like luminous pearls hung from the ceiling every so often, casting a gentle light that made the entire cave as bright as day.

As they continued deeper, people occasionally chose a fork and went their separate ways.

Zhang Tie did the same. He headed deeper alone. After walking for about the time it took to drink a cup of tea, he reached the end. This branch Mine Cave seemed only lightly excavated; among the rocks of various colors, Spirit Stones could only occasionally be spotted.

Zhang Tie did not dwell on it. He opened the Storage Pouch he had just received and found an iron shovel and a pickaxe lying quietly inside. One look told him they were low-grade magic artifacts.

Zhang Tie had already cultivated the Elephant Armor Technique to the third level, and his immense strength was unmatched. He took out the pickaxe, infused it with a little spiritual power, and began mining with his head down. "Clang, clang."

Every swing of his pickaxe carried formidable strength.

Fine beads of sweat gradually formed on Zhang Tie's forehead, but his gaze remained incomparably resolute. Within the silent Mine Cave, only the sound of the pickaxe striking stone echoed. Zhang Tie focused completely, as if he had forgotten everything outside. There was only one thought in his mind: finish the mining task quickly and return to cultivate.

Second by second, time passed, and fragments of stone gradually piled up beside Zhang Tie.

Occasionally, he stopped to inspect them carefully, hoping to find Spirit Stones gleaming with spiritual light among them. Yet most of the time, he found only disappointment. Still, Zhang Tie was not discouraged and continued digging tirelessly.

After an unknown amount of time, Zhang Tie's arms began to ache. He panted softly and stopped to rest for a while. Looking at the still-empty Storage Pouch, he gritted his teeth, tightened his grip on the pickaxe, and threw himself back into mining.

Within this deep Mine Cave, Zhang Tie seemed to have become a solitary warrior, locked in a long battle against the hard rock. His figure appeared firm and determined under the faint light as he worked silently for his path of Immortal Cultivation.

Time quietly slipped away in the silent, dim Mine Cave. Zhang Tie worked and rested intermittently, with no idea how much time had passed.

Then, he suddenly felt that familiar hunger surging over him like a raging tide, growing stronger and stronger. He knew clearly that the effects of the Fasting Pill had been completely exhausted. It seemed he truly needed to go out and rest for a while.

Zhang Tie slowly stood up, his movements carrying a hint of fatigue. He stored the pickaxe in his Storage Pouch, and his gaze inadvertently swept over the mere three Low-grade Spirit Stones inside. A strong sense of disappointment rose in his heart.

I worked so hard and got so little. This damn task is fit for dogs.

Following the coordinates of the exit formation that he had memorized, Zhang Tie hurried along. His heart held both a longing for rest and unwillingness at his meager gains. Before long, he successfully returned to the hall at Entrance Three.

When he reached the long-haired youth, Zhang Tie respectfully handed over his Storage Pouch.

The long-haired youth remained expressionless. He coldly accepted the Storage Pouch, removed the three Low-grade Spirit Stones from within, and casually placed them into his own Storage Pouch.

Then, without a trace of emotion, he gestured for Zhang Tie to take out his mission token. Zhang Tie did not dare delay and immediately complied. The youth took the token, injected a stream of spiritual power into it, then returned it to Zhang Tie.

Zhang Tie accepted the token in confusion, turning it over and examining it closely, yet he could not make sense of it at all. He could only shake his head helplessly before turning and leaving the hall.

Not far from Entrance Three, he took a meditation cushion from his Storage Pouch and sat down on the spot.

Next, he took out a Fasting Pill and swallowed it. I hope this Fasting Pill can let me hold on for a few more days. Before long, the intense hunger receded like a tide and vanished without a trace.

Looking around, he saw that there were another ten or so disciples resting nearby, just like him.

Zhang Tie raised his eyes toward the array plate above the cave that displayed the time. The moment he saw it, his heart jolted.

It turned out that he had spent an entire four days down there.

*It seems that under such intense physical labor, the effects of a Fasting Pill are reduced by more than half.

At this rate, I'll have to visit the Alchemy Hall later and ask whether they have better Fasting Pills.* He frowned deeply as he thought.

The Spiritual Qi here was rich. After Zhang Tie meditated quietly for about two hours, the spiritual power he had expended was basically restored.

He put away the meditation cushion, his gaze firm, and once again headed deep into the Mine Cave along the path he had taken before.

I only need seven more Spirit Stones to complete this month's task. It shouldn't take much longer. Zhang Tie thought to himself, his steps becoming steadier and more forceful.

The light in the Mine Cave remained faint and gentle. The array plates on the walls and the glowing orbs overhead emitted a mysterious radiance. Zhang Tie swung his pickaxe with full concentration, his heart filled with anticipation.

Suddenly, with a sharp crack, the stone wall before him broke apart, revealing a cluster of Spirit Stones gleaming with spiritual light.

Zhang Tie froze for a moment, then was overjoyed. Heaven never seals off every path! He hurriedly and carefully removed the Spirit Stones, taking exactly eight.

He was afraid of arousing suspicion. Who would happen to gather exactly enough?

After taking them, he carefully buried the remaining Spirit Stones beneath broken rocks. I'll leave these for next month. That will make things easier for me then.

Once everything was settled, Zhang Tie continued mining along the right side of the deep Mine Cave, his heart brimming with hope. He could not leave so quickly, or people would definitely become suspicious. He would keep digging for a while; even if he found no more Spirit Stones, he could at least create a false impression for others.

The more Zhang Tie thought about it, the more he felt that he was truly too clever.