"It... when did it get so powerful?! The speed at which it's cutting through the ore is incredible. Even a World Lord Level plant life-form wouldn't be any better!"
Man Ji was just as dumbfounded. "I could've sworn your Thunderlight Vine was only Universe Level. How come it feels even stronger than me now?"
Shadow Shuttle said nothing, but he couldn't hide the shock in his eyes.
They all knew Lu Ming had an auxiliary plant life-form, but it shouldn't have been this powerful!
It was cutting through E9-class metal with such ease!
Lu Ming smiled faintly and trotted out his all-purpose excuse again. "This breakthrough benefited Little Thunder too. It evolved once as well."
He didn't explain further. Pointing at the ever-growing pile of ore beside them, he said, "Don't just stand there watching. Little Thunder will handle the mining, and we'll handle the loading! Use your storage rings and take as much as you can! Move!"
Only then did the three snap out of it. They forced down their shock and confusion. Now wasn't the time for questions; dividing up the treasure was what mattered!
They sprang into action, opening their World Rings and frantically stowing the freshly cut chunks of Ink Meteor Mother Gold ore.
For a while, the only sounds in the inner valley were the whirring of vines cutting through ore and the swishing of rocks being swept away.
Before long, the entire mountain had been mined out!
Under the Thunderlight Vine's terrifyingly efficient mining, the towering mountain of Ink Meteor Mother Gold rapidly "shrank" before their eyes.
In less than half a day, the entire mountain had been mined away, leaving only a huge crater and a layer of crushed stone dust.
The enormous haul of Ink Meteor Mother Gold ore was now packed into the Space Rings of Lu Ming and the others.
Even the Space Rings with the greatest capacity were stuffed to the brim. Each of them could feel their storage space weighed down more than ever—not just by the physical weight, but by the sheer scale of the fortune they'd acquired.
Looking at the now-empty inner valley, all four wore barely restrained, exhilarated smiles.
"All right, that's that."
Carlos, the one who had discovered the place, spoke first.
"This Ink Meteor Mother Gold ore is incredibly valuable. Dividing it up now would be rushed, and mistakes could easily happen. I say we wait until we've finished exploring the secret realm and left safely, then find somewhere secure to count everything carefully and divide it fairly. What do you think?"
Lu Ming nodded in agreement.
"Sounds good. Now isn't the right time to divide it."
Man Ji patted his bulging World Ring and grinned. "I'm fine with that! The ore's in our rings, so it's not going anywhere! Haha, I've never been this rich in my life!"
Shadow Shuttle silently nodded too.
"Then let's keep exploring."
Lu Ming looked toward the mist still swirling beyond the valley.
"This mountain is a priceless find, but it may not be the only treasure in the secret realm. The place is enormous, and we haven't spent much time exploring our separate areas. We might find something else."
"Exactly!"
Man Ji was raring to go.
"We've barely been here, and we've already found a mountain of treasure. There's bound to be more good stuff ahead! I can't wait!"
Carlos nodded.
"Right. We'll stick to the original plan and continue exploring our assigned areas. Same rules as before: stay in contact through the Virtual Universe, and call for help immediately if you run into trouble or discover something major."
"Got it!"
"No problem!"
The four reached an agreement, then shot out of the mist-shrouded inner valley as four streaks of light. They returned to the vast secret-realm continent and sped toward the areas they had yet to finish exploring.
After the enormous haul from the Ink Meteor Mother Gold mountain, everyone was more eager than ever to explore.
Over the next five months, the four conducted a thorough search of the vast, primeval secret-realm continent.
With the Ink Meteor Mother Gold mountain setting the bar, their standards had risen. Ordinary Universe Level materials and fierce-beast lairs could hardly excite them anymore.
Even so, the secret realm's abundance still surpassed their wildest expectations.
With his sharper senses and the Thunderlight Vine's help, Lu Ming discovered another ore deposit containing Void Crystals. These crystals were precious materials used in crafting space-type weapons. They weren't as outrageously valuable as Ink Meteor Mother Gold, but they were still worth a fortune.
Deep in a poisonous marsh, Carlos found a Nine-Orifice Poison Lotus that was almost ripe. It was a rare treasure used to prepare top-grade poisons and cultivate certain special secret techniques.
Man Ji had good luck. In a volcanic crater, he killed a Fifth Order Domain Lord Level Lava Behemoth and obtained an Earth Fire Core brimming with pure fire energy.
On top of that, they collected a huge assortment of other Universe Level materials, rare plants, and valuable parts from fierce beasts. Everyone's storage space was more packed than ever.
Five months later, the four met again at their original rendezvous point: a crater on Ash Planet.
"Hahaha! That was incredible! We made a killing this time!"
Man Ji had barely jumped off the ship before bursting into laughter, unable to conceal his excitement.
Carlos was beaming too. He tried to stay composed, but the smile in his eyes gave him away.
"Indeed. We've gained more from this expedition than from any of our previous ones. We're probably richer than quite a few Immortals now."
Shadow Shuttle silently nodded.
Lu Ming smiled. "Most of all, we were quick, and we got lucky. Over these five months, I occasionally sensed faint external scanning waves sweeping across this starfield, but none of them seemed to pinpoint the secret realm's entrance. If we'd stayed much longer, things might not have gone so smoothly."
They'd been able to explore in peace for five months without outside interference partly because the secret realm's entrance was well hidden, and Carlos had set up a jamming device in advance.
More importantly, they'd acted extremely quickly. From discovering the secret realm to delving into its depths, they hadn't wasted a moment, making the most of their head start.
"Exactly. The longer we stay, the more likely something is to go wrong. We've explored just about everything, and our haul is far better than expected. It's time to leave."
Carlos's smile faded as he spoke seriously.
Everyone nodded.
The secret realm was wonderful, but it wasn't a place to linger.
With a fortune like this, they needed to sell everything and turn it into wealth as soon as possible.
"Let's go. We'll leave the secret realm and head back to Horned Dragon Planet. Once we're settled, we can take our time counting and dividing up the haul."
Lu Ming made the call.
The four didn't waste any time. Each boarded their own ship.
They flew out of the starfield.
Half a month later, inside a private hall belonging to He Ya, the Planet Lord of Horned Dragon Planet.
A powerful isolation barrier rose, cutting the hall off completely from the outside.
In the center of the hall lay a mountain of treasures, some radiating immense energy and others gleaming with strange light. They filled nearly half the chamber.
Ink Meteor Mother Gold ore, Void Crystals, Nine-Orifice Poison Lotus, Earth Fire Core, Phantom Demon Dove Feathers... along with countless other rare materials. The dazzling collection glimmered with a hazy radiance, bathing the entire hall in shimmering light.
He Ya gazed at the "treasure mountain." Even as a seasoned Domain Lord with a wealth of experience, he couldn't help breathing a little faster.
"The value of the Ink Meteor Mother Gold alone is impossible to estimate. And then there's all this other stuff... Honestly, in all my years, I've never seen so many precious treasures gathered in one place at once."
Carlos, Man Ji, and Shadow Shuttle were all beaming with the joy of a successful haul.