Black Stone Mine Treasure Hunt

Early the next morning, just as the rising sun pierced through the inn's window lattice, Xiao Yan had finished preparing. He carefully put away the nearly thousand gold coins earned from selling demonic beast materials the previous night, then checked the Healing Pills and Qi Gathering Powder in his Storage Ring. After confirming he had enough, he set off for the depths of the Black Stone Mine. The discussions among the adventurers at the inn last night had made him especially concerned about the "Spirit Cleansing Ore" deep within the mine—something capable of improving the purity of Dou Qi was precisely the cultivation aid he needed most right now.

"The depths of the mine are dimly lit, with countless forks in the tunnels. It's easy to get lost, so remember to use your soul power to mark the route. The demonic beasts inside are mostly Second-tier Demonic Beasts skilled at ambushing, such as Stone Armor Rats and Iron Spine Snakes. You may also encounter traps left behind by miners, so stay completely alert," Elder Yao's voice sounded in his mind, carrying a detailed warning. Xiao Yan nodded, tucked his Short Blade at his waist, held a luminous stone in his left hand—a mineral used for nighttime illumination—and stepped into the mine entrance.

The moment he entered the mine, the light abruptly dimmed. Only the occasional droplets falling from above rang out with a "drip-drop." The air was filled with the damp scent of ore and a faint sulfurous smell. The ground beneath his feet was uneven, littered with rubble and tools abandoned by miners. Following Elder Yao's advice, Xiao Yan left a faint mark on the rock walls with his soul power every so often. At the same time, he held the luminous stone before him to light the way ahead, his wary gaze sweeping over the dark corners on both sides.

After walking for about an hour, a sudden rustling came from ahead, accompanied by sharp squeaks. Xiao Yan immediately stopped and raised the luminous stone. In the darkness, more than a dozen pairs of gleaming green eyes were staring at him—it was a pack of Second-tier Demonic Beasts known as Stone Armor Rats. Stone Armor Rats were the size of cats, their bodies covered in hard gray shells and their teeth sharp as blades. They excelled at attacking in groups. Once surrounded by them, even a Fighter Four Stars would struggle to escape.

Xiao Yan's heart tightened. His right hand swiftly pulled out the Short Blade, and Dou Qi quietly began to circulate, a pale blue glow enveloping the blade. Seeing that Xiao Yan had not retreated, the leading Stone Armor Rat let out a piercing shriek and pounced at him first. The dozen or so Stone Armor Rats behind it followed closely, surging toward him like a gray tide!

Xiao Yan did not panic. He used Windwalk Steps, his body flashing to the side like a phantom as he avoided the leading Stone Armor Rat's pounce. At the same time, he swung his blade backward, Dou Qi trailing from it as it fiercely struck the rat's shell. With a crisp clang, a shallow mark appeared on the Stone Armor Rat's shell. It squealed in pain and turned to flee. How could Xiao Yan give it that chance? With a twist of his wrist, he drove the Short Blade into its eye—the Stone Armor Rat's only weakness.

With a pfft, the Stone Armor Rat fell to the ground, convulsed a few times, and lost breath. The other Stone Armor Rats did not retreat at the sight. Instead, they became even more frenzied and pounced at Xiao Yan together. Xiao Yan took a deep breath, placed the luminous stone atop a protruding rock nearby, and gripped the Short Blade with both hands. Dou Qi surged at full force, making the glow around the blade shine even brighter. Like a tiger charging into a flock of sheep, he rushed into the pack of Stone Armor Rats, slashing left and stabbing right, targeting their eyes and bellies.

A Stone Armor Rat pounced from the side. Xiao Yan twisted aside to evade it, then kicked it flying into another Stone Armor Rat charging toward him. Two more Stone Armor Rats ambushed him from behind. Xiao Yan bent sharply at the waist and swept his Short Blade backward, precisely stabbing their bellies. For a time, the mine was filled only with Stone Armor Rats' screams and the crisp clanging of blade against shell. Xiao Yan's figure darted through the pack, and every swing of his blade claimed the life of a Stone Armor Rat.

Half an hour later, the last Stone Armor Rat collapsed on the ground. Xiao Yan leaned on his Short Blade and panted heavily, sweat sliding down his cheeks and dripping onto the rubble below. Several tears had been clawed into his clothes, and shallow scratches marked his arms, but none were serious. Looking at the dozen or so Stone Armor Rat corpses on the ground, a trace of fatigue flashed through Xiao Yan's eyes, along with excitement—this was his first time facing so many demonic beasts at once, and his combat experience had grown considerably.

"Not bad. You understood how to use your speed advantage to disrupt the pack's attack rhythm and avoided being surrounded. You've improved quickly," Elder Yao said approvingly. "But you took too many risks several times just now. If the Stone Armor Rats had tied you down, you could easily have run out of stamina. Rest for a moment, tend to your wounds, then continue deeper. Spirit Cleansing Ore is usually hidden near associated mine veins. The ore there gives off a faint blue light, making it easy to recognize."

Xiao Yan nodded. He took a Healing Pill, wrapped the scratches on his arms with strips of cloth, and removed the most valuable parts of the Stone Armor Rats—their shells and teeth. The shells could be used to make defensive equipment, while the teeth were supplementary materials for refining low-grade pills. He stored them in his Storage Ring and continued deeper into the mine.

The deeper he went, the darker it became. The sulfurous smell in the air grew stronger, and the path beneath his feet became increasingly difficult to traverse. From time to time, he encountered abandoned tunnels and bottomless mine pits. Following Elder Yao's guidance, Xiao Yan searched for ore that glowed blue. After about another hour, he finally saw faintly blue-glowing ore on the wall of a spacious mining chamber—it was an associated mine vein!

Delighted, Xiao Yan quickly stepped forward and carefully inspected the rock wall. Scattered across the associated mine vein were many blue crystals the size of fingernails. They were the Spirit Cleansing Ore he had been searching for! He took out a small pickaxe he carried with him and cautiously chipped the Spirit Cleansing Ore from the wall. Every piece he removed was wrapped in soft cloth and placed into a dedicated wooden box.

Just as Xiao Yan chipped off the fifth piece of Spirit Cleansing Ore, a crashing sound suddenly came from deep within the mining chamber, accompanied by heavy crawling noises. Xiao Yan's heart tightened. He immediately gripped his Short Blade and turned to look. From the darkness, a thick demonic beast covered in black scales slowly crawled out. Its head was triangular, its eyes glowed yellow-green, and its forked tongue constantly flicked from its mouth. It was a Second-tier Demonic Beast—an Iron Spine Snake!

The Iron Spine Snake's scales were as hard as iron and carried deadly poison. If it bit someone, their Dou Qi would instantly solidify. Without a Detoxification Pill, the poison would take effect and kill them within half an hour. Worse still, it was incredibly fast. Within the narrow mine tunnels, it was far more agile than it would be in the wild, making it difficult to evade.

Xiao Yan did not retreat. He placed the wooden box containing the Spirit Cleansing Ore on a nearby rock, gripped the Short Blade with both hands, and pushed his Dou Qi to its limit. The blade shone with dazzling blue light. Seemingly sensing Xiao Yan's hostility, the Iron Spine Snake let out a threatening hiss. Its body arched slightly like a drawn bow, ready to attack at any moment.

Suddenly, the Iron Spine Snake darted out like a bolt of black lightning, lunging straight for Xiao Yan's throat! Xiao Yan had been prepared. Using Windwalk Steps, he flashed to the right and narrowly avoided the attack. Having missed, the Iron Spine Snake whipped its tail like a lash, carrying a strong wind as it smashed toward Xiao Yan's back!

Xiao Yan bent down sharply, braced himself with both hands, and rolled away from the tail strike. At the same time, he thrust his Short Blade toward the Iron Spine Snake's belly—the place where its scales were weakest. With a clang, the blade struck its scales and left only a faint white mark, failing to break through its defense.

This Iron Spine Snake's scales are even tougher than I expected! Xiao Yan thought in alarm as he quickly retreated and widened the distance between them. Seeing its attack fail, the Iron Spine Snake darted out again. This time, instead of lunging directly, it rapidly slithered around Xiao Yan, searching for an opportunity to strike.

Xiao Yan's gaze sharpened as he quickly considered his options. He could not break through its defenses by force, so he could only wait for an opportunity to attack its vital point, seven inches below its head—the equivalent of a heart. He deliberately slowed his steps and exposed a small opening, luring the Iron Spine Snake into attacking.

Sure enough, the Iron Spine Snake took the bait. It suddenly darted out and lunged for Xiao Yan's chest! Just as it was about to strike him, Xiao Yan abruptly lowered himself, gripped the Short Blade with both hands, and fiercely stabbed toward the underside of the Iron Spine Snake's belly, where its vital point lay! This time, he gathered all the Dou Qi in his body into the blade, making its blue glow shine even more brilliantly.

With a pfft, the Short Blade smoothly broke through the Iron Spine Snake's scales and pierced its vital point. The Iron Spine Snake let out a piercing scream, its body violently twisting as it tried to throw Xiao Yan off. Xiao Yan gripped the Short Blade tightly and refused to let it break free. At the same time, he planted both feet against the rock wall and used the recoil to drive the blade several inches deeper.

The Iron Spine Snake's struggles gradually weakened. In the end, it collapsed on the ground and stopped moving. Xiao Yan released the Short Blade and panted heavily, his arms trembling slightly from the excessive exertion. This battle had been even more dangerous than fighting the Stone Armor Rat pack. If he had failed to accurately strike its vital point just now, the Iron Spine Snake would likely have bitten him.

After resting for a while, Xiao Yan removed the Iron Spine Snake's most valuable parts—its scales and venom gland. The scales could be used to make defensive equipment, while the venom gland was a key material for refining Detoxification Pills and poisons. He stored them in his Storage Ring, picked up the wooden box containing the Spirit Cleansing Ore, and prepared to leave the mining chamber.

Just then, footsteps suddenly sounded at the entrance to the chamber, accompanied by several voices. "I think we heard a snake scream just now. There must be a demonic beast inside. Maybe there are other people in there too. Let's go in and take a look. If there's anything good, we'll just snatch it!"

Xiao Yan's heart tightened. Judging from the voices, there were at least three people, and their hostile tone made it clear that they were bandits who had spent years robbing people in the mine. He did not panic. He swiftly stored the wooden box containing the Spirit Cleansing Ore and Blood Leaf Flower in his Storage Ring, gripped his Short Blade, and hid in a dark corner on one side of the mining chamber. Holding his breath, he waited for the bandits to arrive.

Before long, three burly men dressed in coarse cloth garments entered the mining chamber, bows and cleavers on their backs. The leader had a scar across his face and a vicious gaze. They were the remnants of the bandit group Xiao Yan had encountered earlier on the outskirts of the Monster Beast Mountain Range, as could be judged by their clothing and their talk of robbery. When they saw the Iron Spine Snake's corpse on the ground, greed flashed in their eyes. "Damn, a Second-tier Iron Spine Snake! Looks like someone's been in here, and they're not weak. They must have found plenty of good things!"

Another man noticed fragments of Spirit Cleansing Ore on the ground and shouted excitedly, "Boss, there are traces of Spirit Cleansing Ore here! This is good stuff—it can sell for a lot of money!"

A vicious glint flashed through Scarface's eyes. "Search! Search carefully! Find that person and take their things! In this mine, we make the rules!"

The three men spread out and began searching the mining chamber. Xiao Yan held his breath. When Scarface approached the corner where he was hiding, Xiao Yan suddenly darted out, his Short Blade carrying Dou Qi as it stabbed straight toward Scarface's chest! Caught completely off guard, Scarface was struck by the blade. He let out a scream and fell to the ground.

The other two men were both shocked and furious. They pulled out their cleavers and rushed toward Xiao Yan. "Kid, you dared to ambush our boss? You're seeking death!"

Xiao Yan did not panic. He used Windwalk Steps and circled around behind the man on the left like a phantom. With a sweep of his Short Blade, he slashed across the man's back. The man screamed and stumbled forward. Xiao Yan took the opportunity to kick him to the ground, then pressed his Short Blade against the man's throat. "Don't move! Move again, and I'll kill you!"

Seeing his companion subdued, the man on the right showed a trace of fear in his eyes, but he still tried to sound tough. "Kid, don't get cocky! We still have companions outside. If you don't let us go, don't think you'll leave this mine alive!"

Xiao Yan sneered. "Is that so? Then call your companions in and let's see whether you have more men, or whether my blade is faster!" As he spoke, he pressed the Short Blade slightly harder. The man with the blade at his throat immediately begged, "Don't kill me! I surrender! We only came to try our luck. We didn't mean any harm!"

Xiao Yan ignored the begging man and fixed his gaze on the man to the right. "Get out! Take your people and leave the mine immediately. Don't let me see you again!"

The man on the right did not dare say another word. He helped up the injured Scarface and the begging man, and the three fled the mining chamber in disgrace. Watching their retreating backs disappear, Xiao Yan let out a breath of relief. After checking himself and confirming he was not injured, he picked up his Short Blade and headed for the mine exit.

By the time he emerged from the mine, it was already evening. The afterglow of the setting sun fell upon him, warm and comforting. Xiao Yan found a patch of shade beneath a tree, took out the wooden box containing the Spirit Cleansing Ore, and opened it. Inside were eight pieces of Spirit Cleansing Ore, each crystal-clear and glowing with faint blue light. His heart was full of satisfaction. This trip into the mine had been perilous, but the gains were plentiful. Not only had he obtained Spirit Cleansing Ore that could improve the purity of his Dou Qi, but he had also slain an Iron Spine Snake and a pack of Stone Armor Rats, greatly increasing his combat experience.

"Not bad. Whether fighting a pack of demonic beasts or dealing with bandits, you were far steadier than before. You're beginning to look capable of standing on your own," Elder Yao said with satisfaction. "Next, find a safe place to absorb the Spirit Cleansing Ore's energy and improve the purity of your Dou Qi. Strive to break through to Fighter Five Stars as soon as possible. Once you do, we can visit Wind Wolf Valley in the central region of the Monster Beast Mountain Range. There are peak Second-tier Wind Wolves there, perfect for testing your strength. Their demon cores are also key materials for refining Windwalk Pills, pills that can increase speed, and they are quite valuable."

Xiao Yan nodded and found a concealed cave. He lit a bonfire, placed the Spirit Cleansing Ore before him, sat cross-legged, and began absorbing its energy. The energy within the Spirit Cleansing Ore was gentle and pure. It slowly flowed from Xiao Yan's palms into his body and merged with his Dou Qi. His formerly somewhat mixed Dou Qi gradually became more condensed under the nourishment of the ore's energy, its color slowly changing from pale blue to deep blue.

A night passed. When the first ray of sunlight shone through a crack in the cave, Xiao Yan slowly opened his eyes, a sharp gleam flashing within them. The purity of his Dou Qi had improved greatly. He was only a step away from Fighter Five Stars! Clenching his fists, he felt the increasingly condensed Dou Qi in his body, his heart filled with fighting spirit.

After packing his things, Xiao Yan set out for Wind Wolf Valley. He knew the coming challenges would be even more difficult, but he would not retreat. Only by constantly surpassing himself could he travel farther down the road of cultivation, achieve his goals sooner, and live up to the Xiao Clan's expectations. His trials in the Monster Beast Mountain Range continued, and Xiao Yan's growth had never ceased.