Chapter 144

"Regardless of whether there is a harvest, you must return to report and rest once within seven days. The passages inside are very complex; you must make unique marks all the way.

Also, the passages extend in all directions, and you may encounter people from the Yan Clan at any time in the passages, so no matter when, you must remain vigilant.

Alright, each of you pick a passage to enter. I hope you can all return safely," an old man with a white beard said with a heavy heart.

Soon, Xia Daoming's group of five entered a passage.

Entering the passage, the light became dimmer, and the surrounding atmosphere became colder.

However, it is said that the colder it is and the deeper and more concentrated the dark light is, the greater the possibility of Dark Nether Ice Stone mines being buried there.

After all, they had no old grudges or recent hatred with the Yan Clan.

Xia Daoming had never thought about neglecting his duties in the passage to specifically engage in killing and looting.

If others came looking for trouble, that would be a different matter.

As for Lu Ziying and the others, in their view, their team was small in number, and the most powerful were only a ninth-rank Martial Grandmaster and a cultivator who had just stepped into the fourth layer of Qi Refinement. It was best not to encounter people from the Yan Clan; otherwise, as long as the other side had a powerful figure leading the team, they would probably be in big trouble!

If they encountered a team led by a sixth-layer Qi Refinement cultivator, they would basically have no choice but to run!

They didn't even dare to think about engaging in killing and looting.

Their only greatest wish now was to find mines and dig mines with peace of mind, and then return safely.

Therefore, the group of five began to head toward the ore as soon as they entered the passage.

The passage went straight down.

The first section of the passage was pitted and bumpy on both sides, and some had even been dug into another passage.

The reason why there were so many passages under Cold Star Valley was largely due to natural formation, and a considerable portion was also dug out by the two families.

Seeing that the traces of digging in front were very heavy, the five of them estimated that it had been searched by many people, so they didn't linger and went deep all the way, occasionally turning into side passages.

"No wonder the old man at the mine cave entrance urged us to make marks. With so many forks, if we don't make marks, we would really get lost!"

The further Xia Daoming walked, the more he discovered that the underground of Cold Star Valley was like a huge underground maze. Even with his powerful spiritual sense and superhuman memory, he already felt a bit dizzy.

After walking for half a day, they stopped on the way and started digging a few pits in places where the debris and dark light seemed dense.

However, they only dug up one piece of Nether Ice Stone the size of an egg, and they didn't even see a speck of Dark Nether Ice Stone debris.

The group continued to descend.

Finally, at a time when it should have been night outside, under the guidance of Xia Daoming's powerful spiritual sense, the group finally found a relatively reliable Nether Ice Stone mine pit and dug out four pieces of Nether Ice Stone the size of a fist.

Putting the Nether Ice Stone into the ore basket carried by Lu Zhen, a joy of harvest bloomed on Lu Ziying's face.

"Xu Shixiong Uncle, your ability to find mines is really amazing! At this rate, when we return in a few days, we might be able to fill this basket and exchange it for four or five catties of spirit rice from the clan," Lu Ziying said with a grin and a happy smile.

Xia Daoming looked at Lu Ziying's happy appearance and didn't know what to say.

If in this dark, cold, and uncomfortable place, a grandmaster-level figure like him led four people to work hard for several days, only to earn four or five catties of spirit rice, then what the hell was the point!

At the very least, they had to get a few pieces of Dark Nether Ice Stone to barely count as having some prospects.

It was already late at night outside.

They came to a cave deep underground, where a dark river flowed slowly from under the rock wall on the side of the cave.

"Let's rest here for the night!" Xia Daoming said.

"Xu Shixiong Uncle, aren't we going to continue looking for mines? With everyone's cultivation, it's not a big problem not to rest for a few days." Lu Ziying had been poor for too long and rarely had the opportunity to dig mines to make money. She was actually a bit carried away. Seeing that it was only the first night, Xia Daoming suggested resting, so she said hurriedly.

"Don't forget, you could encounter people from the Yan Clan here at any time!" Xia Daoming said indifferently.

"Xu Shixiong Uncle's teaching is correct; Ziying was careless!" Lu Ziying felt a chill in her heart upon hearing this and said with a serious face.

Xia Daoming curled his lips in disapproval.

He just found a random reason to say it; the main thing was that he felt mining had no prospects and wanted to rest.

Soon, everyone found a place against the rock wall to rest.

Lu Ziying sat cross-legged, breathing and refining Qi. Lu Zhen, the old servant, was truly loyal, sitting upright beside Lu Ziying, his eyes vigilantly watching the surroundings.

"Ziying, you just broke through and don't have any bottleneck restrictions. Why don't you use spirit stones to cultivate and speed up the progress?" Xia Daoming glanced at Lu Ziying and saw that she was still honestly breathing and absorbing the pitifully little spiritual energy between heaven and earth in such a place, so he couldn't help but frown.

"Replying to Xu Shixiong Uncle, I want to use spirit stones at critical moments. Now there is no need to waste spirit stones; I can just slowly absorb the spiritual energy between heaven and earth into my body to refine it," Lu Ziying replied.

"Do you think it's better that the person is still here but the spirit stones are gone? Or is it better that the person is gone but the spirit stones are still here?" Xia Daoming asked.

"That is naturally better if the person is still here but the spirit stones are gone!" Lu Ziying blurted out, and then she was stunned.

"With resources in hand, use them as soon as possible to improve your strength! As long as your strength improves, are you afraid you won't be able to earn spirit stones? You don't even understand such a simple principle?

Remember, only as broad as your mind and ambitions are can your future path and world possibly be as broad! If your mind and ambition are only for such a little wealth, what you can keep in the future will be nothing more than this," Xia Daoming said in a deep voice.

Lu Ziying felt a great shock in her heart upon hearing this.

Soon, her gaze toward Xia Daoming was filled with fanatical worship.

No wonder Xu Shixiong Uncle is so old and yet determined to change to the path of immortality.

Only a rare man of heaven and earth like Xu Shixiong Uncle could have such courage and ambition!

Compared to Xu Shixiong Uncle, I am really too weak and have too little ambition!

"Thump!"

The ground in the cave shook slightly.

Lu Ziying's iron-tower-like body actually knelt straight on the ground.

"Ziying has been taught. Xu Shixiong Uncle, please accept my bow!" Lu Ziying kowtowed solemnly with a serious face.

Xia Daoming watched Lu Ziying's heroic body bowing to him, and his little heart trembled. Suddenly, he began to admire Xu Shixiong Lu a little.

At the same time, he appreciated Lu Ziying more and more.

She is only seventeen years old; this woman is really not simple!

"Get up. Of course, I didn't mean for you to be extravagant and wasteful!" Xia Daoming added specifically, fearing that his remark about the person dying but the spirit stones remaining would lead Lu Ziying onto the path of a "spendthrift."

"Ziying understands. Use it when it should be used, and save it when it should be saved! Now Ziying's starting point is low, and I am in this dangerous environment, so I should strive to catch up, rather than feeling distressed about saving," Lu Ziying said.

Xia Daoming nodded, his gaze toward Lu Ziying becoming more appreciative.

This girl's comprehension is really not generally strong. I wonder who will be lucky enough to withstand her in the future!

Soon, Lu Ziying sat cross-legged on the ground again, holding a spirit stone in her hand, and continued to cultivate.

Lu Huiyun saw this and also sat cross-legged quickly, circulating her blood and strength.

Xia Daoming pulled Lu Ye aside to give him special instruction.

With a cultivation base inferior to his wife, Xu Shixiong is under great pressure every day. How could he, as a junior brother, bear it?

After some guidance, Lu Ye benefited a lot. At the end, just as he was about to return to his wife's side to sit cross-legged and circulate his blood and strength, Xia Daoming cut a small piece of Dragon-Pattern Purple Blood Ginseng, put it in a small box, and handed it to him.

"What is this?" Lu Ye looked at the thin piece of something in the box, which was still covered with white juice, and couldn't help but be stunned.

"A great tonic. You'll know after you eat it!" Xia Daoming said.

He only had one-third of this thing left in his hand. He didn't dare to consume it at Jin Guifeng and specifically saved it to consume in Cold Star Valley.

It was just that he felt sorry for his senior brother in the end, so he prepared to eat most of the rest himself and then save a tiny bit to give Lu Ye a tonic every few days.

Lu Ye was overjoyed, took the box, ate the piece of Dragon-Pattern Purple Blood Ginseng, and then licked the juice stuck in the box clean.

That day, the group rested in the cave for a night.

The next day, when everyone got up, they were all full of energy, except for Lu Ye, whose eyes were red and who looked at Lu Huiyun like a wolf or tiger, making Lu Huiyun mutter to herself.

This shouldn't be. I've fed him for three nights in a row; is he still not full? But he begged for mercy the night before last!

This day, the group's harvest was about the same as yesterday.

The joy of yesterday's harvest was already gone from Lu Ziying's face.

Because she had consumed half a spirit stone in one night yesterday, this little harvest was not enough to exchange for resources from the clan, let alone her consumption for one night.

Completely living beyond her means made Lu Ziying anxious.

Xia Daoming didn't care, but finding and digging mines in this dark place was indeed a bit boring and dull after a long time.

Just as Xia Daoming felt a bit bored and dull, six people walked out of a side passage ahead.

The number of people was only one less.

But the strength difference seemed a bit large; the other side actually had a sixth-layer Qi Refinement cultivator and a fourth-layer Qi Refinement cultivator, as well as three eighth-rank and one seventh-rank Great Martial Masters.

"People from the Lu Clan!" The leading sixth-layer Qi Refinement cultivator was a thin, tall old woman. Seeing Xia Daoming's group, her eyes suddenly lit up, revealing a trace of greed and murderous light, as if she had seen prey.

"Retreat!" Lu Ziying sensed the aura fluctuations on the old woman and her expression changed drastically. She made a decisive decision and gave the order, flipping her palm to reveal a talisman, which she threw forward.

The talisman was activated, and a huge rock suddenly appeared in front to block the passage.

Xia Daoming glanced at Lu Ziying without taking away her leadership, let alone making a move directly.

Now the struggle between the Lu Clan and the Yan Clan in Cold Star Valley is still limited to those below the high level. For Xia Daoming, there is no danger for the time being, and it is a good opportunity to observe and temper Lu Ziying.

Of course, it is also a good opportunity for the senior brother couple and Lu Zhen to be tempered by life and death.

The group retreated rapidly.

"Boom!"

Just as the group retreated, the giant rock blocking the way exploded and disappeared into a cloud of yellow smoke.

The thin, tall old woman led a group of people to chase them rapidly.

While still five or six zhang away, the thin, tall old woman pinched a magic formula with one hand and pointed at Lu Ziying with the other.

A golden flying knife flew out through the air, killing toward Lu Ziying.

PS: Reminding again, starting tomorrow, the first update will be at noon. Also, please support the genuine subscription as much as possible. A man approaching fifty, with old people above and children below, it is not easy to write books and earn money!

(End of chapter)