"Heh heh! You get what you work for!"
Chen Zongfu explained, "It depends on the quality of the spiritual treasures you collect! Of course, the cultivators in Red Sun Valley come from all sorts of backgrounds. There are prisoners, applicants, and, naturally, cultivators from the sect's own lineages, as well as people from small sects affiliated with the sect."
"Even the prisoners get Spirit Stones! So, while mining here is hard work, it's still much better than wandering around outside as a Rogue Cultivator."
"I never imagined the people here came from such a complicated mix of backgrounds! If Senior Brother hadn't told me, I never would have guessed!"
Li Yunjing marveled.
It truly was beyond anything he had imagined.
"Heh heh! That's why Red Sun Valley has countless hidden sentries inside. In truth, they're there to deal with internal threats! As for the outside world, there are naturally ways to handle enemies from beyond."
Chen Zongfu smiled mysteriously. He didn't elaborate on the matter.
"I see!"
Li Yunjing understood and nodded with a smile. He didn't press for details.
That was a touchy subject!
The two of them headed toward the mining area.
Li Yunjing could feel it again: divine senses swept over him from time to time.
The defenses here had tightened once more.
It seemed just as Chen Zongfu had said: security checks inside were far, far stricter than those outside.
Along the way, Li Yunjing saw several groups of cultivators leaving the residential area and heading into the mines.
Their cultivation didn't seem very impressive. They all seemed weaker than the four Outer Disciples he had killed.
This was what the cultivation world was really like.
Li Yunjing had forgotten that the menial disciples recruited by the Divine Firmament Dao Sect all had mid-grade spiritual roots!
In other families and sects, mid-grade spiritual roots were pillars of the community.
They were nothing like those expendable cannon fodder.
Those who had sunk to mining were the true bottom rung of the cultivation world.
Li Yunjing had only just left home for the first time. He had yet to experience the invisible privileges enjoyed by disciples of a great sect!
Given time, he would realize what a rare opportunity it was to join the Divine Firmament Dao Sect.
The two of them strolled around outside the mining area, then Chen Zongfu took Li Yunjing to the dining hall for a meal.
The food was far worse than what they served at Elegant Fragrance Garden!
Life in Red Sun Valley really was a bit rough, nowhere near as comfortable as life inside the sect.
Li Yunjing had recently grown accustomed to finer food, and these plain meals didn't suit his tastes.
After a quick meal, Li Yunjing said he wanted to rest for a while. Chen Zongfu understood and took him straight to a three-courtyard residence.
Once there, Li Yunjing looked around. It was decent enough.
The accommodations were probably of a very high standard.
The courtyard was cooler than outside. There must have been a formation set up to shield it from the scorching heat.
What's more, there were even a few rare green plants in the three-courtyard residence.
That surprised Li Yunjing.
He was naturally very grateful to Senior Brother Chen for arranging such a place.
"Hahaha! This is where they put up important figures from the sect when they visit the mining area."
Chen Zongfu laughed and explained, "An important figure always comes by every ten or twenty years, so this is the best place your brother could arrange for you!"
"Many thanks, Brother Chen!"
Li Yunjing looked grateful and said earnestly, "Brother Chen, if you're ever transferred back to the sect, you must come find me!"
"Hahaha! Of course, of course!"
Chen Zongfu laughed. That was exactly what he had wanted to hear.
Having gotten the result he wanted, Chen Zongfu left at an unhurried pace, reminding Li Yunjing to get some good rest.
After seeing Chen Zongfu off, Li Yunjing checked the rooms, then returned to the bedroom.
He sat cross-legged on the bed, his mind wandering as he began reviewing everything that had happened in Red Sun Valley, especially all the details surrounding Deacon Fang.
In the end, Li Yunjing decided that Deacon Fang was staying neutral.
Deacon Fang didn't want to offend either side over this matter, so he had genuinely chosen to stay out of it.
That was good. At least Li Yunjing had one less problem to worry about.
That night, Li Yunjing sat in meditation and practiced qi refinement.
All of a sudden, thunder rumbled through the sky.
"Autumn thunder's here!"
The crash of thunder shattered Li Yunjing's meditative focus.
I hope the rain doesn't wash my Storage Bags away.
Li Yunjing opened his eyes and knitted his brows slightly.
He stood up, opened the door, and stepped beneath the eaves. He looked up at the sky, thick with dark clouds, and watched silvery snakes flash across it.
He stretched a hand beyond the eaves and felt raindrops pattering into his palm. Li Yunjing began to panic.
He was afraid the rain would grow too heavy and wash away the place where he'd hidden his treasures.
That was the treasure inside four Storage Bags!
Especially that nameless giant python—it was a treasure from head to toe. Its dismembered remains were all packed inside the Storage Bags!
But no matter how anxious Li Yunjing was, there was nothing he could do. He couldn't possibly leave at a time like this!
Seeing no sign that the rain was getting heavier, Li Yunjing felt a little calmer.
Then he thought about how the rain would wash over the scene of his killings and erase every trace.
That cheered him up a little.
At that point, Li Yunjing had no desire to go back inside and meditate.
He just stood there in a daze, staring up at the flashes of lightning that streaked across the sky from time to time.
Hm? Why do I feel so uneasy? Is this lightning going to strike me again?
A sudden pang of dread seized Li Yunjing, and he immediately turned to run back inside.
But with a rumble, a streak of silver lightning cut through the sky and fell toward the courtyard below.
"Damn it! You rotten heavens! You're striking me again?"
The flash of lightning startled Li Yunjing. He felt as though there were nowhere to hide beneath the heavens.
With a boom, dazzling silver light erupted all around him.
The glare stung Li Yunjing's eyes, blinding him completely.
Without the slightest warning, lightning struck. Li Yunjing was almost numb to it by now.
The next instant, his entire body tingled. It felt as if countless bolts of lightning were coursing over him.
But this time was different from the last, when he had nearly been struck dead.
Li Yunjing wasn't hurt at all. Instead, he felt the same soothing comfort as if he'd just had electrical therapy.
"What's going on? Do I have a body that conducts electricity?"
The thought left Li Yunjing's mind completely blank.
As if in answer to his question, blue sparks began crackling across his right hand...
"This..."
Li Yunjing was stunned. Had he really become like those people who got shocked whenever they touched a car door?
Would he have to keep conducting electricity forever?
At the thought, Li Yunjing sighed. "Does that mean I can't go outside after it rains?"
"This is so damn frustrating!"
Li Yunjing cursed and flicked his right hand. The blue lightning crackled as it flew from his palm and, with a boom, struck a poplar tree.
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