Demonstone Minor World, Mountain-Quelling Sect.
Within a gloomy mine tunnel, Zhuzi, a seventh-level Qi Refinement cultivator, was hammering away at a second-tier purple stone ore the size of a human head.
He held a hammer in one hand and a chisel in the other. Strands of blood-colored spiritual power flowed through his meridians as he chipped away pieces of grayish-white ore skin.
He did not know that with every strike of his mining tools, a trace of his lifespan and blood essence seeped away imperceptibly, flowing into the purple stone ore and completing a process akin to refinement, enhancing the ore's essence as much as possible.
Zhuzi continued chiseling for several hours.
Ding!
With a crisp ring, a thumb-sized gemstone emerged from within. It carried a faint bloody hue and shone with light.
This was a finished Purple Jade Stone.
"It's out. Brother Zhuzi finished half an hour early today."
Dozens of other human Qi Refinement cultivators were busy nearby, and some revealed envious expressions.
"Brother Zhuzi has been at this for fifteen years already, right?"
"Five more years, and he can go home, marry a wife, have children, and take thirty-six wives in one go. What boundless joy! From then on, Brother Zhuzi will live in comfort..."
"He'll still have to work. He'll have to gather talisman herbs. We're born to toil; we're not the Sect Master, who can only rest once he closes his eyes in death..."
"What are you saying? Gathering talisman herbs is easy as turning one's hand over. How can it compare to mining..."
Amid the clanging of chisels against stone, the Qi Refinement cultivators chatted and discussed things among themselves. Many seemed to regain a little strength through such idle talk, mustering a little more vigor and power.
"It's still early."
Zhuzi wore a