"Good stuff!"
A thought stirred, and Xu Yuan hurriedly put away the dharma sword. It might be battered junk, but he had the Entry System. After repairing it, even if it retained only half its former power, it would still be enough for him to run rampant among early Qi Refining cultivators.
Xu Yuan knew well how precious a magical artifact was within the Hidden Moon Sect. Basically, only cultivators with ample wealth could afford one, and most of them wielded artifacts a full realm below their own cultivation.
Take Tu Fang from the Immortal Slave Mining District, for example. That old bastard squeezed the Immortal Slaves dry every day, yet in the end, he had still been unwilling to buy even a single magical artifact for protection. That alone showed how precious such cultivation resources were.
After putting away the dharma sword and spirit fruits, Xu Yuan continued searching through Yaksha Cave. By now, he had automatically ignored the stench. The dry bones, foul mud, and black blood all looked like treasure chests waiting to be opened.
Unfortunately, after searching around, he found nothing else particularly valuable—only some miscellaneous ores. It was quite a while before he finally climbed back up in disappointment.
Naturally. If there had truly been anything better, Rong Ling probably would not have left it for him.
He returned along the way he had come. Rong Ling really was reliable in this regard. Along the way, let alone demonic beasts or vicious ghosts, he scarcely encountered even a living creature.
Holding his identity token, he entered Biyou Market and let out a slight breath of relief. At least here, his life was safe.
He hurried home, immediately bolted the door from within, and only then took out the dharma sword and spirit fruits.
Repairing the dharma sword required refined black iron ore. Xu Yuan did not have any for the moment and would need to buy it from the mining grounds.
Had this happened before this morning, Xu Yuan might have worried about Zhang Chao's reaction. But now? Heh.
Sitting cross-legged, Xu Yuan placed the two washed spirit fruits before him. Earlier, he had consulted a herbal compendium he had bought and recognized them as Scarlet Spirit Fruits. They grew mostly in red earth, were nonpoisonous, and could be consumed directly.
At the same time, because they were quite beneficial to cultivators, the herbal compendium had specifically noted that such spirit fruits were usually priceless and unavailable on the market.
He tried putting one into his mouth and gave it a gentle bite. The skin instantly burst apart, juice and pulp flooding his mouth. The indescribable sweetness intoxicated him for a moment, until waves of spiritual qi surged from his abdomen and he finally focused on guiding it.
"The medicinal power is so overbearing."
Muttering to himself, Xu Yuan felt much as he had when absorbing Jade Marrow Crystal in the mine tunnels of the Immortal Slave Mining District. After eating both spirit fruits, the gain was almost equal to more than half a month of bitter cultivation.
"Refreshing!"
With a soft shout, Xu Yuan opened his eyes. Then, unable to resist, he began practicing the Little Blue Mountain Essence-to-Qi Art again. Only after all the spiritual qi in his body had been thoroughly refined, leaving him completely exhausted, did he lie down on the ground in satisfaction.
The second level of Qi Refining was not far off.
The next day, early morning.
With his coat on his back and a mining pick in hand, Xu Yuan headed toward the mine tunnels within Biyou Market, just as he had on countless ordinary days.
Sure enough, the moment he arrived at the mine entrance, he spotted one of Zhang Chao's subordinates watching him closely.
As soon as Xu Yuan entered, that subordinate immediately went into the stone house and reported to Zhang Chao inside.
"You said Xu Yuan came?"
Zhang Chao raised a brow, and his face immediately darkened again.
Biyou Market indeed prohibited killing, and the sect's rules also forbade fellow disciples from slaughtering one another. But did Xu Yuan really think Zhang Chao had no way to deal with him?
"Go. Invite him in!"
Meanwhile, Xu Yuan went to his usual familiar area and raised his mining pick to strike down.
But after only a few swings, that little tail appeared again. This time, however, he did not come over to watch Xu Yuan. He merely said coldly, "Come with me."
Xu Yuan put away his mining pick without changing expression. He asked no questions and directly followed behind him.
When he entered the stone house again, there was no longer a table full of fine food and wine before him. There was only Zhang Chao sitting firmly in the seat of honor, his face iron-blue.
"Brother Xu, I know your circumstances have not been easy. This time, I'll ask you one last time: are you truly unwilling to offer up your secret art and contribute to the sect's development?"
His fingers lightly tapping the armrest, Zhang Chao looked down at Xu Yuan with the bearing of a superior.
After asking, Zhang Chao saw that Xu Yuan did not answer right away. A brief flash of irritation appeared in his eyes before turning into impatience.
"Disciple Xu Yuan has repeatedly failed to follow the mining grounds' rules. Now, as the person in charge, I, Zhang Chao, have decided that you will no longer... Hm?"
Zhang Chao reined in his expression slightly as he watched Xu Yuan take something from his sleeve and hang it at his waist.
[Rong]
He rubbed his eyes to make sure he had not seen wrongly. Then the impatience, irritation, rage, coldness, and all the words he had yet to say were abruptly swept away, transforming into a warm spring breeze.
"Look at this, look at the mess we've made! Hahahaha!"
Zhang Chao rose from his seat and hurried down several steps, then warmly patted Xu Yuan on the shoulder.
"Your old brother here had a few cups too many just now. It was like I was possessed by a ghost, and I said the wrong things. I hope Brother Xu won't take offense."
After saying that, he viciously shouted at his two subordinates, "What are you still standing there for? Get Brother Xu a seat! And bring out my bottle of spirit wine, now!"
"Brother Zhang Chao is too polite."
Xu Yuan smiled and nodded, but he did not sit in the chair Zhang Chao's subordinate brought over. He merely continued looking at Zhang Chao.
That gaze made Zhang Chao's scalp prickle. His eyes inadvertently flicked again to the iron token at Xu Yuan's waist. Once he confirmed it truly carried the aura of that fierce figure from the Inner Mountain, he could not help crying bitterly in his heart.
How had this brat, a mere first-level Qi Refining cultivator, gotten involved with Rong Ling?
Seeing that Xu Yuan still would not state his position, Zhang Chao could only grit his teeth and turn to order, "And bring out the spirit fruits I bought yesterday too. Serve them all, so Brother Xu can have a taste."
"Brother Xu, please sit?" Suppressing his heartache, Zhang Chao forced out a smile and invited him again. Only then did Xu Yuan sit down.
As Xu Yuan sampled the spirit fruits and spirit wine, neither was particularly high-grade, but they had to be worth at least a dozen or so low-grade spirit stones. Otherwise, Zhang Chao, a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator, would not have been so pained over them.
"Brother Xu." Zhang Chao personally poured him a cup of wine and probed, "About this of yours..."
As he spoke, he gave a meaningful glance at the iron token on Xu Yuan's waist. The character [Rong] shone especially brightly in his eyes.
Among the hundred or so Inner Mountain disciples, this one was likely among the very best. Even the great figure backing Zhang Chao stood a head shorter before her.
Xu Yuan smiled without speaking and offered no answer. Yet his silence was itself an answer. Zhang Chao took a deep breath inwardly, knowing that he had truly stumbled today. Still, this brat had hidden himself far too deeply.
If you had ties to an Inner Mountain prodigy, just show it outright! Why hide it away and play the pig to eat the tiger here?
After the spirit wine had been drained and the spirit fruits sampled, Zhang Chao stood with a smile, intending to personally see Xu Yuan out. At that moment, Xu Yuan suddenly remembered something and asked:
"Right, she instructed me to find a piece of refined black iron ore. Are there still any such mineral deposits here?"
Before you continue