Crisis (2)

Zhang Tie slowly opened his eyes and carefully sensed the state of the Undying Pearl. It had yet to fully solidify, but it was likely not far from completion.

After all, this was already his fourth absorption of Low-grade Spirit Stones. Altogether, it had amounted to nearly five hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones. He still remembered that the last time had taken only a little over three hundred, yet this time required so many more.

Zhang Tie quietly calculated in his heart that after absorbing them one more time, whether he succeeded or not, he had to leave and rest for a while.

He felt that he had definitely spent more than a month in this Mine Cave. If he stayed any longer, it would surely arouse suspicion.

With that thought, Zhang Tie rose to his feet and threw himself back into the grueling work of mining.

At this moment, two people stood in the plaza, both filled with anxiety. They were the white-haired old man and Elder Su.

They had already come twice, yet each time, they had failed to see Zhang Tie emerge from the Mine Cave.

As for why they had not entered the Mine Cave to search for him, it was because there were too many forks inside, as well as too many people.

If they rashly entered to look for him, Zhang Tie might emerge just as they went in. Therefore, they could only wait for Zhang Tie to come out himself, then secretly follow him deep into the Mine Cave and find an opportunity to subdue him.

However, after waiting and waiting for over a month, that fellow still had not shown himself. Left with no choice, the two decided to return first and instruct the captain of the management team to send them a message the moment Zhang Tie emerged. They would then rush over again.

Once the arrangements were made, the two finally left the plaza.

Half a month after they departed, Zhang Tie finally emerged from the Mine Cave.

He went to the management team and handed his Storage Pouch and mission token to someone. Inside the Storage Pouch were twenty-three Low-grade Spirit Stones, the results of his labor over the past two months.

Zhang Tie took back his mission token and was just about to leave the plaza when the captain of the management team suddenly blocked his path.

"There has been an unexpected situation in Spirit Stone Mine Cave No. 2. Outer Sect disciples at the seventh level of the Qi Refining stage and above are being temporarily conscripted to investigate.

"This mission can count toward next month's task." The long-haired young man spoke expressionlessly, his gaze cold.

Zhang Tie had been thinking only of returning to cultivate as soon as possible and quickly refining and absorbing the Tier 1 High-Grade Spirit Beast Blood, but this sudden temporary mission interrupted him. Still, he reacted quickly and replied, "All right. When do we set out?"

"Just wait. We will depart when it is time. Rest here for now." After speaking coldly, the long-haired young man turned and walked away.

Helpless, Zhang Tie could only sit cross-legged and close his eyes to rest. About the time it took to drink a cup of tea later, a short, fat young man ran over and said, "Zhang Tie, come with me now."

Without waiting for Zhang Tie's reply, he turned and headed toward Spirit Stone Mine Cave No. 2.

Zhang Tie hurriedly rose and followed closely behind.

What puzzled Zhang Tie was that this was supposedly an emergency, so why were there only him and little fatty? But Zhang Tie knew his status was low, and he did not dare ask too many questions. He could only silently follow behind.

Yet a faint sense of foreboding rose within him.

If you can't find it by searching the book title, try searching for the author instead. It may have simply been renamed!

Just over a dozen breaths after Zhang Tie and the short, fat young man entered Spirit Stone Mine Cave No. 2, the white-haired old man and Elder Su appeared in the plaza. Without pausing for even a moment, they flew directly into Spirit Stone Mine Cave No. 2 and vanished in an instant.

Inside Spirit Stone Mine Cave No. 2, the short, fat young man suddenly stopped. Then, without saying a word, he turned and ran back in the direction behind Zhang Tie. Zhang Tie stood there dumbfounded, having no idea what had happened.

Just as he too was about to turn around and run back, he suddenly saw two figures flying toward him from the opposite direction.

Zhang Tie looked into the distance. The two figures seemed somewhat familiar. A few breaths later, he saw them clearly. They were the white-haired old man from the Hundred Treasures Pavilion and Elder Su.

Why had the two of them come together? Thinking of the strange behavior from the management team captain to the short, fat young man today, Zhang Tie knew something was terribly wrong. There was an eighty to ninety percent chance that these two had come for him.

Zhang Tie turned and rushed into a branching tunnel, raising his hand to slap a Divine Movement Talisman onto himself.

At that moment, Elder Su's voice drifted over. "Zhang Tie, you cannot escape. Our divine sense has already locked onto you. Do not resist, and you may suffer a little less."

Zhang Tie's heart sank. He knew that some of his secrets must have been exposed, but now was not the time to think about such things.

Zhang Tie took out a stack of Tier 1 High-Grade Talismans. He knew they might not be very useful against Foundation Establishment cultivators, but he only wanted to make as much commotion as possible.

In an instant, Fire Rain Talismans shot backward like they cost nothing. Because there were so many of them, they looked like a massive pillar of fiery light surging forward from the front, immensely imposing.

The white-haired old man and Elder Su instantly raised spiritual energy shields before themselves. Not a single flame could pierce those shields, though their advance slowed slightly.

"No rush. It is merely the struggle of a dying man. This is the mining area. Where could he possibly run?" Elder Su said calmly and unhurriedly.

Zhang Tie knew full well that he could not hesitate in the slightest now. He had to risk everything, or he would undoubtedly die.

With that thought, Zhang Tie hesitated no longer. He no longer cared about the rules of the Enforcement Hall either. Staying alive came first.

Zhang Tie took three bottles of Tier 1 High-Grade Spirit Beast Blood from his Storage Pouch, opened them all, and poured every drop into his mouth in one gulp. Then he frantically circulated the first revolution cultivation technique of the Nine Revolutions Undying Body.

At the same time, Elder Su and the white-haired old man drew ever closer. They were neither hurried nor flustered, as though they had not come for a life-and-death battle but were merely conducting an inspection. Then, an incomparably violent surge of energy suddenly erupted ahead.

"Not good! Retreat quickly! This brat is going to self-destruct!" the white-haired old man roared.

The two flew backward at once. As they retreated, one waved his hand and produced a red umbrella. Once opened, it floated in front of them and spun rapidly. The other also produced a silver shield, placing it before them.

The two frantically poured spiritual energy into their two artifacts. One breath, five breaths, thirty breaths...

As time slowly passed, the explosion they had expected never came. The violent energy from before gradually stabilized as well.

They swept the area with their divine sense, only to discover that the brat was sitting cross-legged on the ground, cultivating. At this moment, his blood and qi were as vast and surging as the sea.

The two exchanged a glance. Though they did not know what he was doing, they were both shrewd old hands and knew that they only needed to stop him.

Just as the two were about to attack, one barrier after another suddenly appeared around Zhang Tie, densely packed and layered atop one another. There were at least thirty of them, all formed from Tier 1 High-Grade Adamantine Talismans.

The white-haired old man and Elder Su both darkened. Though they were only Tier 1 High-Grade Talismans, Adamantine Talismans were purely defensive talismans, and there were so many of them. It would take the two at least the time it took to drink a cup of tea to break them all.

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