The Struggle for the Ore Vein: Striking from Behind!

Only after watching the two tribal soldiers of the Inkstone Mountain Tribe rush past with gusts of wind swirling around them did Qingyang Huan rise from the dead grass and rotten mud. He had firmly committed the purple copper mine to memory!

In the Great Wilderness, ore veins were essential resources for a tribe's survival and growth. Otherwise, where would weapons and armor come from? Taking the entire Qingyang Clan as an example, most people actually wore beast-hide robes. After all, fierce beasts roamed everywhere in the Great Wilderness, making hides the easiest things to obtain, and most of their weapons were bone spears.

Ore veins, however, were not so easy to find. Take the Jade Qilin Spear in his father's hands: the entire Qingyang Clan had searched ten thousand li in every direction, spending a full three years before finding a Jade Qilin mine. They had then spent several more years mining it and refining jade qilin metal essence before finally forging that single divine spear.

Now that there was actually a purple copper mine where the two tribes' territories met, he naturally could not remain indifferent.

Besides, the purple marten had fled toward the depths of this very mountain range. He rose and trailed far behind them, traveling more than ten li without seeing a single fierce beast. Clearly, the Inkstone Mountain Tribe's soldiers had cleared out the beasts nearby.

Finally, more than ten li away, where an ancient mountain curved, faint flames rose into view. It was a fairly small hollow surrounded by mountains on three sides. Two li away, Qingyang Huan crouched among a jumble of rocks and dead wood.

"Beast bone powder."

Seeing the faint ashen residue around him, he recognized it at a glance. It was powder ground from the bones of high-ranking fierce beasts, retaining a trace of their former might, just enough to drive other fierce beasts away.

Clearly, the Inkstone Mountain Tribe had made thorough preparations. Through the dense ancient forest, he could make out several hazy figures in the distance, as well as a pitch-black opening beneath the mountain wall that slanted downward. Figures constantly emerged from it, carrying wooden baskets of broken rock and earth on their backs.

Lying concealed among the rocks and dead wood, Qingyang Huan showed not the slightest impatience. He silently circulated his cultivation formula, directing his blood Qi to slowly batter his bloodlines while secretly watching the distant figures.

He also grew increasingly convinced by what the two Inkstone Mountain Tribe soldiers had said earlier. In the lingering sunlight, he could see faint purple flecks glittering in the earth carried out of the dark opening, like brilliant stars in the sky. They were truly beautiful.

There was purple copper ore here!

His heart itched all the more. An ore vein could at least provide the Qingyang clansmen with more weapons, armor, and arrows, strengthening the tribe. Since the tribe supported his cultivation with all its resources, he naturally needed to fight for resources for the tribe.

He had considered rushing straight back to the tribe, but finally shook his head. Even if he hurried back, the people from Qingyang would still arrive after those from the Inkstone Mountain Tribe.

Watching the scene before him, he reckoned that these Inkstone Mountain Tribe soldiers had not yet sent word back to the Yanshan Clan. This should be his chance!

Even as night fell, he remained motionless among the rocks. His eyes gleamed eerily amid the tangled wood, looking somewhat frightening, but he had established that there were roughly a dozen Yanshan Clan soldiers in the distance.

Even beneath the night sky, the Inkstone Mountain soldiers did not stop working. A fire fueled by beast materials burned at the mine entrance.

"Purple copper!"

A man covered in loose dirt emerged from the tunnel, clutching a purple stone the size of a baby's fist. It shimmered with a mesmerizing purple light in the firelight.

"Pure copper that only needs a little refining to become purple copper essence!"

At last, cries of excitement rang out, drawing Qingyang Huan's attention. The cheering took a long time to subside.

Despite their delightful discovery, the Inkstone Mountain Tribe soldiers did not relax in the slightest. Two men always guarded the mine entrance, and the sparse ancient trees outside it left him no opportunity to strike.

He was not discouraged, however. Instead, he quietly withdrew, retreating a full five li along the route anyone coming here would have to take. He found an ancient tree a full zhang thick, hollowed out a cavity on the side facing away from the mine, and crawled inside.

The next day, as the rosy dawn approached, sounds came from the direction of the mine. Two warriors rode Scale-Horned Horses, galloping toward the edge of the ancient forest with a beast-hide bundle slung over a shoulder.

Just as the two tribal soldiers galloped past the tree a zhang thick, Qingyang Huan sprang from the hollow, stone spear in hand.

Whoosh!

Violent air currents sent fallen leaves rustling and swirling. His body shot sideways into the air, and his stone spear came smashing down at one of the men.

Bang!

The warrior he struck had developed keen vigilance through years of fighting in ancient forests and instantly moved to block. But reactions and strength were not the same thing. Ten thousand jin of force crashed down.

Crack!

His arms broke outright, and he flew sideways off his Scale-Horned Horse, crashing into the soldier riding beside him!

"Who's there!"

Bang!

His movements flowed together in a single breath. Without the slightest pause, Qingyang Huan brought his stone spear crashing down on the other soldier.

Even someone at the peak of Body Forging would suffer under a direct blow carrying ten thousand jin of force, let alone these two, who were still a hair short of that level. One was knocked unconscious on the spot, while the other's arms were a bloody mess.

"Qingyang Clan!"

His face twisted savagely and his eyes bulged wide as the wounded soldier glared at Qingyang Huan and growled.

Bang!

The next instant, however, Qingyang Huan's stone spear struck again. He did not kill either of them. He carved out a cave in an ancient mountain some distance away, then bound them with vines as thick as his arms. These vines, common in the Great Wilderness, were extremely tough. Even now, he could not tear them apart and had needed his stone spear to cut them.

Once all that was done, he returned to the tree hollow. Under normal circumstances, the two men would need a day or two to travel to Inkstone Mountain and back with their report, so the remaining Yanshan Clan soldiers at the mine would not suspect anything.

He waited for noon. These Inkstone Mountain men needed food, after all. At midday, two more Yanshan Clan soldiers headed in his direction. Without the slightest hesitation, he knocked them unconscious, tied them up, and tossed them into the cave.

Bang! Bang!

While he was at it, he gave the first two captives another blow each with his stone spear.

"Now you won't be waking up, will you!"

Qingyang Huan nodded in satisfaction as he looked at the figures sprawled on the ground.

Even so, Qingyang Huan was still uneasy. After some time, he returned and gave each of them another blow with his stone spear. Of course, by then there were already six people in the cave!

"One." "Two." "Three." "Four."

"Five-no, I already hit this one."

Bang!

Amid the repeated thuds inside the cave, Qingyang Huan raised his spear and struck. Even unconscious, the burly men could not help twitching all over.

Bang!

"Six. That's enough knocks now."

Only after checking that none of them showed signs of waking did Qingyang Huan head out of the cave in satisfaction.

The failure of the first two hunters to return had naturally drawn the Inkstone Mountain Tribe soldiers' attention. Fierce beasts roamed everywhere in the Great Wilderness, and dangers abounded. They had not considered that Qingyang Huan might be ambushing them.

Of course, once the second group of soldiers sent out also vanished without a trace, the Yanshan Clan soldiers had begun to take notice.

Bang!

He struck one man until his head split and bled and his chest caved in. Qingyang Huan's beast-hide robe had also been slashed open. Three people lay before him. He reckoned that only three or four Inkstone Mountain Tribe soldiers remained at the mine now.

After dragging these three into the cave, Qingyang Huan could not help sinking to the ground. This felt unlike anything he had experienced hunting fierce beasts, leaving him somewhat weary. But when he thought about how he could return to the tribe and seize an ore vein for the Qingyang Clan once he dealt with the remaining men, a smile appeared on his face.

As usual, he gave each of the nine men another blow with his spear to prevent anyone from waking and causing unnecessary trouble. His blows were carefully measured, however. Though he had injured them, he had not killed a single one.

"Once I deal with those last few men, I can hurry back to Qingyang first and tell Eldest Brother. The ore vein will belong to our Qingyang Clan!"

Soon, his eyes shone once more. Being able to gain some benefits for his clan made him very happy.

Yet just as he was about to leave the cave, the whistle of rushing wind came from behind him.

"Not good!"

These days of hunting fierce beasts had given him keen reflexes. He turned and swung his stone spear, but he was still a moment too late. Amid his hurried response, his body went flying sideways out of the cave.