This time, the more than seventy thousand high-grade Heavenly Mystery Stones were almost as many as Moon-Gazing City produced across all of Mingyu Mountain in an entire year. The Nangong Family could only have come up with so many at once by tampering with Mingyu Mountain's Spirit Vein.
But Chen Xiao knew perfectly well that if the Nangong Family dared to tamper with Mingyu Mountain's Spirit Vein, it meant they weren't afraid of the Glazed Heaven Palace's punishment. That was not good news.
"The Chen Clan's total wealth only amounts to a few tens of thousands of high-grade Heavenly Mystery Stones. Now, a single mining district of the Nangong Family can produce several times as many as the Chen Clan..."
Chen Xiao let out a long breath. At last, he understood how the Nangong Clan could wipe out the entire Chen Clan overnight two years from now. The family's power went far beyond what it had shown.
The Chen Clan had deep roots in Moon-Gazing City. It had been the city lord's lineage for hundreds of years. Even if Chen Fengyang, its pillar, had died, the family still had other elders and senior members.
Yet the Chen Clan had been wiped out overnight. There was only one possibility: the Nangong Family was far stronger than the Chen Clan.
An even more troubling thought had also taken shape in Chen Xiao's mind.
"Young Master, what should we do now?"
Mengmeng was clever, too. Seeing the total number of Heavenly Mystery Stones they had seized this time, she was deeply shaken, and worry filled her face.
"If the Nangong Family can tamper with the Spirit Vein, why can't I, Chen Xiao? Come on, let's follow this mine. It should lead us into the Spirit Vein."
Chen Xiao slapped three more Heaven-Concealing Talismans onto them, then quickly slipped into the Nangong Family's mine.
Mengmeng and Cai Di exchanged glances. The Spirit Vein was the foundation of Moon-Gazing City, the source of spiritual energy for the city's cultivators. Since ancient times, no one had dared lay hands on a Spirit Vein unless they were a cultivator willing to defy the Glazed Heaven Palace.
"Let's go. Young Master has awakened an Immortal Spirit Root. In the Glazed Heaven Palace's eyes, he's worth far more than a Spirit Vein. We just have to follow him."
After thinking it over, Cai Di spoke, then followed after him.
For now, the Immortal Spirit Root was Chen Xiao's protective charm. Even if he turned Mingyu Mountain upside down, the Glazed Heaven Palace wouldn't lay a finger on him. First, he was the city lord's son. Second, he had an Immortal Spirit Root and was destined to become a Golden Immortal. The Glazed Heaven Palace would surely spend a fortune to win someone like him over.
So whatever Chen Xiao did here, it was the Nangong Family that would suffer. He wouldn't be affected at all.
Concealed by their Heaven-Concealing Talismans, the three swiftly made their way through the vast mine. In fact, all the Nangong Family's mines on Mingyu Mountain were connected, and this one was the main vein.
"Hm? Have we reached the end?"
About two hours later, the three of them reached the end of the mine. People were still chipping away at the ore, but no one was digging any deeper.
"Could I have been wrong? Maybe the Nangong Family hasn't tampered with Mingyu Mountain's Spirit Vein?"
Chen Xiao pondered for a moment, then slowly led the other two back the way they had come.
For three whole days, Chen Xiao, Mengmeng, and Cai Di roamed the mining grounds, searching every inch of the place. Yet they found nothing unusual.
"What on earth is going on? Where did the Nangong Family get all these Heavenly Mystery Stones?"
Chen Xiao sat in an abandoned mine tunnel, thinking with some frustration.
After all, the Nangong Family's sudden windfall of so many Heavenly Mystery Stones posed an immense threat to the Chen Clan.
"Someone's coming."
Cai Di, who was keeping watch at the entrance, immediately grew alert. The three of them quickly concealed themselves. The Heaven-Concealing Talisman was powerful, but its effect was time-limited. It couldn't be used forever.
A while later, Nangong Shenyao appeared to be inspecting the mining grounds. He strolled casually into the abandoned mine tunnel.
Once inside, Nangong Shenyao moved the large rock Chen Xiao had just been sitting on, then formed a hand seal. A huge entrance appeared out of thin air.
Mengmeng and Cai Di gave Chen Xiao strange looks. When they had first entered, Chen Xiao had sat on that very rock, directing them as they searched the tunnel. They hadn't realized the truth was right beneath his backside.
Chen Xiao's face turned slightly red, but the three of them didn't hesitate. They followed Nangong Shenyao into the passage behind the rock.
After they entered, the opening vanished instantly, clearly concealed by some kind of illusion.
"This isn't Mingyu Mountain's Spirit Vein."
The three relied on their Heaven-Concealing Talismans to follow closely behind Nangong Shenyao, communicating with each other through divine sense.
The passage was dark and deep, without a trace of light or another person in sight.
Cai Di also extended his divine sense, carefully probing the passage. At last, he said, "This isn't a mine. It's just a passage leading somewhere unknown."
After who knew how long, a faint glimmer appeared. The passage had reached its end.
A powerful formation seemed to guard the end of the passage, cutting off the spiritual energy on the other side. The instant Chen Xiao and the others followed Nangong Shenyao through, they shuddered all over, then were swallowed by a vast tide of spiritual energy.
"This..."
Chen Xiao swallowed, forcing down the Nine Heavens Thunder Virtue Universal Transformation Art just as it was about to circulate. He knew this was no time to cultivate.
This was clearly a space hollowed out inside a mountain. It stretched a hundred zhang across, and high-grade Heavenly Mystery Stones covered the surrounding walls. Some of the Nangong Family's core descendants were cultivating here, while others were mining the stones from the rock walls.
Chen Xiao drew a deep breath, cold light flashing in his eyes. This was clearly where Mingyu Mountain's Spirit Vein lay. He hadn't expected the Nangong Family to plunder its resources to cultivate their own descendants.
No wonder the spiritual energy in Moon-Gazing City was thinner than in other nearby cities. Every year, the City Lord's Mansion had to provide Heavenly Mystery Stones to power a formation and replenish it. The root of the problem was here.
"From today onward, all the Heavenly Mystery Stones you mine will remain here. The family will collect them once a year."
As soon as Nangong Shenyao arrived, he gave the order.
"Yes, Uncle."
The Nangong Family members in charge of the place were puzzled, but they didn't dare object. They answered at once.
Nangong Shenyao nodded, then headed toward another passage.
Chen Xiao knew there had to be more secrets here, so he followed close behind.
"Cai Di, you and Mengmeng stay here... Oh, right, didn't you say you needed a Poison Chief? Everyone here would be a perfect candidate."
Chen Xiao stopped Mengmeng and Cai Di from following. The people here were all elite descendants of the Nangong Family. If he refined them all at once, he would wipe out the family's very foundation.
Cai Di's eyes lit up at Chen Xiao's words. There were several hundred people here. The strongest was at the Out-of-Body Realm, while even the weakest had reached the Golden Core Realm.
But he understood that now wasn't the time to make a move. If the Nangong Family grew wary and retaliated, Cai Di would be reduced to ashes.
Besides, who would believe there were no powerful guardians here?
Chen Xiao had asked Cai Di to stay behind only to make some preparations, such as secretly setting up a deadly poison formation.
By now, Chen Xiao had followed Nangong Shenyao into the passage.