Grizzly Mine, the sun was gradually setting.
Before the mine entrance, the bed of the Electric Tricycle was already piled high with ores of every size, along with eight logs thick enough for one person to wrap their arms around. The small-truck-sized Electric Tricycle was packed to the brim.
"No wonder this Big Three-Wheeler costs so much. Expensive things really do have their reasons."
Looking at the cartful of ores and logs, Lin Qi sighed inwardly, wondering when he would own one himself.
The ores on the Electric Tricycle weighed at least two tons by rough estimate. One trip alone meant 600 Bits, and that was before counting the eight logs. If ordinary people from this high-martial world had been made to haul them, who knew how many trips it would have taken? Yet now, a single Electric Tricycle was enough.
It could be said that after just four round trips, not only would the Big Three-Wheeler's monthly rental be earned back, they would also have an extra thirty-two logs. With those logs, making a few repairs to the dojo's training room should not be a problem at all.
The dojo's training room was a separate large building, covering nearly two hundred square meters. It was also where the players currently rested and slept.
Now that the number of players had reached ten, the training room's floor had long been riddled with holes. Many spots could no longer be used, so a room of nearly two hundred square meters could currently sleep only nine people.
As for the remaining person, they could only sleep in a small corner of the training hall.
If it could be repaired, not only could it accommodate more players resting there, they could also charge the players higher lodging fees. It was truly killing two birds with one stone.
"Alright, let's go."
Lin Qi climbed directly onto the Big Three-Wheeler and waved to Luo Wu Shang and the other three, signaling for them to sit on the logs.
"Ah, we're leaving already?" Twilight of the Gods looked troubled when he heard that.
Meanwhile, Fang Zhen kept looking back at the distant woods with every step, looking unbearably reluctant to leave.
"What? Are you two planning to sleep here?" Luo Wu Shang looked curiously at the reluctant pair. "Or did you chop trees here until you developed feelings for them?"
"How could that be? We just think the scenery here is beautiful," Twilight of the Gods hurriedly explained.
"That's right. Normally, we stay underground, where it's dark as pitch and the sun never shines. Now that we can see the sky and these green trees, our moods have improved a lot," Fang Zhen said, nodding with an utterly sincere expression.
"Fine. Next time we come, I'll let you two chop trees again, alright?" Zhang Qingwei laughed as she looked at the pair who had apparently gotten addicted to chopping trees.
The ore-hauling mission had earned points far too easily. This trip had allowed her and Wu Shang to earn sixty points in one go. If the Big Three-Wheeler had not needed to carry lumber and had still had room for ore, earning two hundred points in one go would not have been a problem.
"Alright! Then next time we come, leave the tree chopping to us."
"Coming out once in a while to enjoy the scenery is pretty nice too. We might earn a little less, but mood is what matters most."
The moment Fang Zhen and Twilight of the Gods heard that, they immediately seized the pole once the snake had been struck, their smiles growing wider. They climbed straight into the Big Three-Wheeler's bed, unable to hide the excitement in their eyes.
"What's with those two?"
Lin Qi found the pair rather strange. Chopping trees was hard labor, and he had even planned to increase the reward next time, afraid that no one would be willing to do it.
Yet these two looked like they were enjoying themselves. If that was not strange, then nothing was.
Lin Qi then pulled up their data panels.
"Damn!" Lin Qi looked at their data and nearly sucked in a sharp breath.
Fang Zhen, Crushing Stone Fist, First Layer, Shattering Pile Realm, Beginner (54%)
Twilight of the Gods, Crushing Stone Fist, First Layer, Shattering Pile Realm, Beginner (33%)
In only half a day, both of their Crushing Stone Fist proficiency had risen by more than 15%. It was practically like they had turned on cheats. The higher proficiency rose, the harder it became to train, especially for Fang Zhen—his Crushing Stone Fist proficiency had already surpassed Lin Qi's.
"Dojo Master, when are we coming here again?" Fang Zhen asked Lin Qi expectantly.
At Grizzly Mine, he had spent only half a day raising the first layer of Crushing Stone Fist to 54% Beginner. Calling this place a sacred training ground would not be an exaggeration. If he could come every day, it probably would not even take a week.
He would become the first person to break past Beginner in Crushing Stone Fist. By then, he would be able to fully unleash all the power of the first layer of Crushing Stone Fist.
"We'll come once every day from now on." Looking at Fang Zhen in the rearview mirror, Lin Qi was ecstatic inside.
He had never expected Grizzly Mine to bring such enormous gains. Not only could they make money and repair the dojo, they could now farm Crushing Stone Fist proficiency as well. If they did not come every day, it would be an outrageous loss.
When Fang Zhen and Twilight of the Gods heard this from the truck bed, the joy on their faces grew even stronger.
"Those two are so strange. Could they be hiding some secret?" Luo Wu Shang looked at the pair smiling even more broadly, feeling that this matter was anything but simple.
"It doesn't matter. We're earning quite a lot too." Zhang Qingwei smiled and opened her own status panel.
Strength: 97.8 kilograms. (Quasi-Apprentice: 100 kilograms) Speed: 10.1 meters per second. (Quasi-Apprentice: 10 meters per second) Martial Skill: Leopard Shadow Steps, First Layer, Chasing Wind Realm, Beginner (43%)
Although Zhang Qingwei did not know why using Leopard Shadow Steps inside the mine produced such remarkable improvement, she was more than happy to accept the opportunity others were willing to give up.
The sky darkened, and night fell.
Lin Qi drove the Big Three-Wheeler carefully through the ruined wasteland, his attention constantly fixed on the surroundings.
The wilderness around City of Light Chasing was extremely dangerous, even in places close to the city.
That was because in the wilderness, they would not only encounter monsters and various forms of radiation, but also large numbers of unregistered drifters.
Within City of Light Chasing, whether in the abandoned district or the outskirts, people followed some rules to a certain extent. But in the wilderness, all rules became useless. Everything depended on strength.
That was why Lin Qi had never been too willing to come out. If he had not gained a certain degree of self-protection now, he would not have come out even if beaten to death.
"Dojo Master, there seems to be something in those ruins over there." Fang Zhen suddenly pointed at a dilapidated little house and spoke urgently.
"Something?"
Lin Qi immediately followed Fang Zhen's finger, tense as he looked over.
Sure enough, something was lying beside that small building. The sky was too dark, so he could only vaguely make out a silhouette. If they had not paid particularly close attention, they might have overlooked it entirely.
"Yes, there really is something there. I smell a faint scent of blood." Luo Wu Shang nodded as well.
"A special plot?" Looking at the situation, Twilight of the Gods felt it had to be a special plot.
The moment Twilight of the Gods spoke, Lin Qi almost instinctively rolled his eyes at him.
What the hell kind of special plot was this?
They had clearly run into trouble—and major trouble at that.
In such a desolate place, the appearance of a strange figure was already no small problem. Add the smell of blood, and it was obviously huge trouble.
Fortunately, if not for Fang Zhen's sharp eyes and Luo Wu Shang's keen nose allowing them to discover the problem in advance, dealing with what came next would have been difficult.
"Fang Zhen, can you see what's going on with that figure?" Lin Qi stopped the vehicle and asked quietly.
They were still more than thirty meters away from the building. If the other side tried anything, they would have time to respond.
"It seems... it seems to be a monster." Fang Zhen looked carefully before confirming it. "That monster looks a little like a rhinoceros, except it has sharp horns all over its body and should be more than three meters long. But... this rhino monster is a little strange."
"Like a rhinoceros? Sharp horns all over its body?" Lin Qi felt terrible upon hearing that, but he still calmed down and asked, "What's strange about it?"
A Crocodile Fang Rhinoceros!
This was a fairly common monster in the wilderness, and it was extremely powerful. Ordinary Quasi-Martial Artists would have to run when they encountered one. Only true Martial Artists could kill a Crocodile Fang Rhinoceros.
It could be said that a Crocodile Fang Rhinoceros possessed strength comparable to a Martial Artist. If Martial Apprentices encountered one, they would almost certainly die, unable even to escape.
"That rhino monster..." Fang Zhen rubbed his eyes, a trace of confusion in his voice. "It seems like it only has less than half its body left."
"Less than half its body?" Lin Qi was stunned and could not help asking, "Are you sure?"
"I'm sure." Fang Zhen nodded.
"Good! Very good!" Lin Qi could not help smiling.
The corpse of a Crocodile Fang Rhinoceros was a great treasure to anyone living in City of Light Chasing. With less than half of the body remaining, there was a strong chance that another monster had killed the Crocodile Fang Rhinoceros, eaten most of it, and then left.
If a Martial Artist had killed the Crocodile Fang Rhinoceros, nothing would have been left behind. After all, its flesh was worth more than 600 Bits per kilogram. Even if there was only one ton, it would still be worth 600,000 Bits, much less less than half of a Crocodile Fang Rhinoceros. Even for a Martial Artist, that was no small income.
This was wealth falling from the sky!
"Quick! Move that rhino monster onto the vehicle. Forget the logs on the truck." Lin Qi issued the order almost immediately.
Less than half of a Crocodile Fang Rhinoceros was enough in value to repair most of the dojo, let alone with players on his side. If they saved a little, completely refurbishing it was not impossible.
Fang Zhen and the other three immediately sprang into action. Working with Lin Qi, the five of them spent nearly ten minutes before finally managing to move less than half of the Crocodile Fang Rhinoceros into the Big Three-Wheeler's bed.
"Good. Get in quickly, all of you."
Looking at the Crocodile Fang Rhinoceros loaded onto the vehicle, Lin Qi urged Fang Zhen and the others to get on quickly.
Just as Fang Zhen and the others climbed back onto the vehicle, an arrow shot over from the distance. With a sharp whoosh, it grazed Twilight of the Gods's ear and struck the Big Three-Wheeler, piercing through the metal plate.
Twilight of the Gods looked at the arrow lodged in the Big Three-Wheeler, then touched his cheek, and flew into a rage.
"Fuck! Who shot at me?"
Before you continue