Xie Ming saw Shu Han hesitating and couldn't help but persuade, "Brother Shu Han, you don't have to worry so much, the two incidents mentioned above rarely happen. If unfortunately, there is a collapse, the three of us together still have a great chance of survival, trust in me and Kang's years of mining experience."
Shu Han thought for a while and nodded, "Then I will have to rely on the guidance of you two brothers!"
"Haha, good, we will rest in Green Mountain Town tonight, and go to the Heaven-grade vein of White Feathers Sect tomorrow. By the way, we have another young friend waiting!"
Shu Han asked in surprise, "There are others coming with us?"
"That young friend's name is Lin Wenguang, a Qi Refining seventh-level cultivator. His cultivation has been stagnant recently, so he also wants to become a freelance miner and earn some spirit stones. Kang and I saw that he lacked experience, and mining could be dangerous, so we invited him to join us. After all, the more people, the greater the power, and the more likely we are to find traces of top-grade spirit stones!"
Shu Han saluted, "You two brothers are truly kind!"
That night, Lin Wenguang arrived at the inn as promised. He was a few years older than Shu Han but still showed some restraint. According to him, he specially brought spirit tea, a local specialty of his hometown, to gift Kang Guangwen and Xie Ming on his way back home. He said that he came to the cultivation world of Great Cloud alone, thanked the guidance of the two older brothers, he had avoided many detours, and greatly praised their kindness.
The four had a good time talking in the tavern, and Shu Han and Lin Wenguang, both newcomers to the cultivation world, quickly became familiar due to their similar experiences.
The next day, the four of them left Green Mountain Town early in the morning.
The White Feathers Sect was not far from Green Mountain Town, located in the White Water Mountain Range about a hundred miles away, and the heaven-grade vein they controlled was also at the head of the White Water Dragon Vein.
When the four of them arrived here, the mine entrance was already crowded. More than a hundred people were squeezed into the narrow registration area. The line was long, and cultivators were coming from all directions.
Kang Guangwen urgently said, "It's not good, it seems that the news of the top-grade spirit stones has spread, otherwise there wouldn't be so many freelance cultivators coming to register! Let's hurry up and queue to secure a place!"
The four hurriedly rushed into the queue, Shu Han was even quicker, rushing to the front. In front of him was a girl in a white gauze dress. As soon as he approached her, Shu Han's spiritual sense sent out waves of warning.
This person is not easy to provoke! Better keep my distance!
Just as Shu Han was about to retreat, the three people behind him rushed over. At that moment, he couldn't stop and directly knocked Shu Han flying. Coincidentally, he bumped into the girl. Suddenly, his arms were filled with a soft and fragrant jade.
"If you don't want to die, let go of me!"
The icy words made Shu Han shiver. He quickly let go, full of apologies, "I'm sorry, it was an accident just now, I didn't mean to touch you, please forgive me."
The girl turned her head, she was wearing a light veil, only revealing a pair of deep, unhappy eyes.
"I'll let it go this time, but if you dare to do it again, I'll kill you!"
This cold tone made Shu Han feel a chill. He couldn't see the girl's specific cultivation level, but it was definitely not lower than his, otherwise his spiritual sense wouldn't have given a warning.
"Understood! Understood!"
At this time, Lin Wenguang came over with a smirk and said, "Brother Shu Han, did you enjoy that hug just now? It looked like you did!"
Hiss!
Shu Han quickly turned around and glared to stop him. This guy really didn't know fear. If the girl heard him, the apology he just gave would be wasted!
The people in front registered one by one, and all entered an array pattern. Once the pattern lit up, they could jump into the mine. As time went by, it was finally Shu Han's turn. Shu Han could see clearly that the old man guarding the array pattern had a very deep level of cultivation, even scarier than Cui Xiangming from Treasure Light Pavilion.
"Old brother, what's the cultivation level of this old man?"
Kang Guangwen said, "You mustn't offend him. This is Elder Luo from the White Feathers Sect, a super powerhouse in the late Foundation Establishment stage!"
Late Foundation Establishment Stage!
Shu Han felt fear in his heart.
Entering the Foundation Establishment stage, each realm was a world apart. His Qi-concealing technique definitely couldn't fool his eyes.
Finally, the girl in front of Shu Han came to Elder Luo's table and wrote down her beautiful name.
"Chu Ruolin."
Then it was Shu Han's turn to come in front of Elder Luo. He held his breath and wrote down his name. However, Elder Luo didn't seem to have any objections to his Qi-concealing technique. He just mechanically said, "Okay, go to the Spirit Memory Array."
Shu Han couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat. He didn't believe that his Qi-concealing technique could fool a late Foundation Establishment stage powerhouse, so why didn't Elder Luo expose him on the spot?
Shu Han thought about it and felt that maybe it was unnecessary. After all, in the eyes of others, he was just like a worm crawling on the ground. A worm pretending to be a smaller worm, what's the point? He went to the Spirit Memory Array, a cluster of spirit light welled up under his feet and covered him. Then he was urged to jump into the mine.
The mine shaft was eighty feet wide, and the surrounding rock walls were smooth, it didn't look like it was man-made, but more like it was made by some magic tool.
Shu Han leaped down, dropping more than a thousand hundred feet before finally landing at the bottom of the mine. The bottom of the mine was a bit hotter than the top. Looking up from below, the eighty feet wide mine entrance became a small white dot. Inside the mine, there were many glowing stones providing light, it wasn't dark at all.
A voice shouted, "What are you standing there for? Come here, be careful of getting hit by other falling cultivators!"
Shu Han looked in the direction of the voice and saw a stall set up next to the mine. The person guarding the stall was a cultivator in the early Foundation Establishment stage.
Shu Han hurriedly went over, "Greetings, senior!"
The man mechanically said, "There are 163 mine tunnels here, and countless branches further down, interweaving into a whole. Take this map and don't get lost in it, no one will come to save you. No matter how long you stay down there if you want to get paid, you have to dig up a hundred spirit stones and hand them in with this map. Do you understand?"
Shu Han took the jade slip, puzzled, "How do I use this map…"
"You… haven't used a jade slip before?"
"Sorry, senior, he's new here and doesn't know the rules. I'll teach him."
At this time, Kang Guangwen and the others came down too, took the map, and took Shu Han away.
Xie Ming took out the jade slip and said, "Pour your magic power into it, and the map will naturally appear."
Shu Han and Lin Wenguang did as instructed, and sure enough, a clear map appeared above the jade slip.
Only then did Shu Han realize how dense these mine tunnels were below, they were like the fine roots of garlic in the ground, dense and crisscrossed, each one interconnected, like a giant underground labyrinth.
Without this map, if one were trapped in the labyrinth-like tunnels below, he might never find the exit in his lifetime.
Kang Guangwen said, "If you want to dig up ore, you have to go to the bottom branches of the mine tunnels. Those are newly dug and most likely to have spirit stones. The other mine tunnels have been cleaned out long ago. You two follow closely behind me and Xie. Don't get lost!"
Xie Ming saw Shu Han hesitating and couldn't help but persuade, "Brother Shu Han, you don't have to worry so much, the two incidents mentioned above rarely happen. If unfortunately, there is a collapse, the three of us together still have a great chance of survival, trust in me and Kang's years of mining experience."
Shu Han thought for a while and nodded, "Then I will have to rely on the guidance of you two brothers!"
"Haha, good, we will rest in Green Mountain Town tonight, and go to the Heaven-grade vein of White Feathers Sect tomorrow. By the way, we have another young friend waiting!"
Shu Han asked in surprise, "There are others coming with us?"
"That young friend's name is Lin Wenguang, a Qi Refining seventh-level cultivator. His cultivation has been stagnant recently, so he also wants to become a freelance miner and earn some spirit stones. Kang and I saw that he lacked experience, and mining could be dangerous, so we invited him to join us. After all, the more people, the greater the power, and the more likely we are to find traces of top-grade spirit stones!"
Shu Han saluted, "You two brothers are truly kind!"
That night, Lin Wenguang arrived at the inn as promised. He was a few years older than Shu Han but still showed some restraint. According to him, he specially brought spirit tea, a local specialty of his hometown, to gift Kang Guangwen and Xie Ming on his way back home. He said that he came to the cultivation world of Great Cloud alone, thanked the guidance of the two older brothers, he had avoided many detours, and greatly praised their kindness.
The four had a good time talking in the tavern, and Shu Han and Lin Wenguang, both newcomers to the cultivation world, quickly became familiar due to their similar experiences.
The next day, the four of them left Green Mountain Town early in the morning.
The White Feathers Sect was not far from Green Mountain Town, located in the White Water Mountain Range about a hundred miles away, and the heaven-grade vein they controlled was also at the head of the White Water Dragon Vein.
When the four of them arrived here, the mine entrance was already crowded. More than a hundred people were squeezed into the narrow registration area. The line was long, and cultivators were coming from all directions.
Kang Guangwen urgently said, "It's not good, it seems that the news of the top-grade spirit stones has spread, otherwise there wouldn't be so many freelance cultivators coming to register! Let's hurry up and queue to secure a place!"
The four hurriedly rushed into the queue, Shu Han was even quicker, rushing to the front. In front of him was a girl in a white gauze dress. As soon as he approached her, Shu Han's spiritual sense sent out waves of warning.
This person is not easy to provoke! Better keep my distance!
Just as Shu Han was about to retreat, the three people behind him rushed over. At that moment, he couldn't stop and directly knocked Shu Han flying. Coincidentally, he bumped into the girl. Suddenly, his arms were filled with a soft and fragrant jade.
"If you don't want to die, let go of me!"
The icy words made Shu Han shiver. He quickly let go, full of apologies, "I'm sorry, it was an accident just now, I didn't mean to touch you, please forgive me."
The girl turned her head, she was wearing a light veil, only revealing a pair of deep, unhappy eyes.
"I'll let it go this time, but if you dare to do it again, I'll kill you!"
This cold tone made Shu Han feel a chill. He couldn't see the girl's specific cultivation level, but it was definitely not lower than his, otherwise his spiritual sense wouldn't have given a warning.
"Understood! Understood!"
At this time, Lin Wenguang came over with a smirk and said, "Brother Shu Han, did you enjoy that hug just now? It looked like you did!"
Hiss!
Shu Han quickly turned around and glared to stop him. This guy really didn't know fear. If the girl heard him, the apology he just gave would be wasted!
The people in front registered one by one, and all entered an array pattern. Once the pattern lit up, they could jump into the mine. As time went by, it was finally Shu Han's turn. Shu Han could see clearly that the old man guarding the array pattern had a very deep level of cultivation, even scarier than Cui Xiangming from Treasure Light Pavilion.
"Old brother, what's the cultivation level of this old man?"
Kang Guangwen said, "You mustn't offend him. This is Elder Luo from the White Feathers Sect, a super powerhouse in the late Foundation Establishment stage!"
Late Foundation Establishment Stage!
Shu Han felt fear in his heart.
Entering the Foundation Establishment stage, each realm was a world apart. His Qi-concealing technique definitely couldn't fool his eyes.
Finally, the girl in front of Shu Han came to Elder Luo's table and wrote down her beautiful name.
"Chu Ruolin."
Then it was Shu Han's turn to come in front of Elder Luo. He held his breath and wrote down his name. However, Elder Luo didn't seem to have any objections to his Qi-concealing technique. He just mechanically said, "Okay, go to the Spirit Memory Array."
Shu Han couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat. He didn't believe that his Qi-concealing technique could fool a late Foundation Establishment stage powerhouse, so why didn't Elder Luo expose him on the spot?
Shu Han thought about it and felt that maybe it was unnecessary. After all, in the eyes of others, he was just like a worm crawling on the ground. A worm pretending to be a smaller worm, what's the point? He went to the Spirit Memory Array, a cluster of spirit light welled up under his feet and covered him. Then he was urged to jump into the mine.
The mine shaft was eighty feet wide, and the surrounding rock walls were smooth, it didn't look like it was man-made, but more like it was made by some magic tool.
Shu Han leaped down, dropping more than a thousand hundred feet before finally landing at the bottom of the mine. The bottom of the mine was a bit hotter than the top. Looking up from below, the eighty feet wide mine entrance became a small white dot. Inside the mine, there were many glowing stones providing light, it wasn't dark at all.
A voice shouted, "What are you standing there for? Come here, be careful of getting hit by other falling cultivators!"
Shu Han looked in the direction of the voice and saw a stall set up next to the mine. The person guarding the stall was a cultivator in the early Foundation Establishment stage.
Shu Han hurriedly went over, "Greetings, senior!"
The man mechanically said, "There are 163 mine tunnels here, and countless branches further down, interweaving into a whole. Take this map and don't get lost in it, no one will come to save you. No matter how long you stay down there if you want to get paid, you have to dig up a hundred spirit stones and hand them in with this map. Do you understand?"
Shu Han took the jade slip, puzzled, "How do I use this map…"
"You… haven't used a jade slip before?"
"Sorry, senior, he's new here and doesn't know the rules. I'll teach him."
At this time, Kang Guangwen and the others came down too, took the map, and took Shu Han away.
Xie Ming took out the jade slip and said, "Pour your magic power into it, and the map will naturally appear."
Shu Han and Lin Wenguang did as instructed, and sure enough, a clear map appeared above the jade slip.
Only then did Shu Han realize how dense these mine tunnels were below, they were like the fine roots of garlic in the ground, dense and crisscrossed, each one interconnected, like a giant underground labyrinth.
Without this map, if one were trapped in the labyrinth-like tunnels below, he might never find the exit in his lifetime.
Kang Guangwen said, "If you want to dig up ore, you have to go to the bottom branches of the mine tunnels. Those are newly dug and most likely to have spirit stones. The other mine tunnels have been cleaned out long ago. You two follow closely behind me and Xie. Don't get lost!"
