I furrowed my brow and listened carefully. Apart from the howling wind, there did not seem to be any other sound. But after listening for a moment, it seemed that some strange low tone was mixed in, so I guessed, "Could there be something inhaling?"
Li Zhi'er immediately nodded in agreement at my guess. "Don't you think it sounds like that?"
I chuckled, somewhat noncommittal. But I was still very interested in exploring this enormous ore deposit, so I immediately suggested, "Let's look around. Maybe we'll find something."
Li Zhi'er's cultivation was higher than mine. Although my actual strength might have been somewhat greater if we truly fought, the gap in our senses was simply too large. Perhaps she was right, so I followed her and began searching the area.
This bizarre ironstone was incredibly sturdy. I drew my long sword and knocked one of the ore chunks flying on the spot, discovering that its hardness was indeed remarkable. If it were used for smelting, it would absolutely be top-grade material.
However, Li Zhi'er wanted to see the mining area in its entirety. I could not very well start smelting a mountain of steel right then.
Li Zhi'er's thoughts differed from mine. She seemed to be following some kind of sound, which surprised me greatly. As we flew closer and closer, strange noises also began ringing in my ears. The whooshing sound was not caused by wind or turbulent currents scraping against something. It actually sounded more like the snoring of some primordial ancient beast! It was only because it was too close to the sound of the wind that it was difficult to tell that the two were unrelated.
"It seems... you're really right." I looked toward the seemingly smooth land and could not help falling into deep thought.