Chapter 683

Besides the Ningxu Mine, Tang Luo and the others also knew the locations of the other mines and mountains.

As for the legendary hiding place of the demons, "Jiuyou," Si Zhong was not clear about it; he frankly said it was merely a legend.

It could not be confirmed whether such a place as Jiuyou truly existed.

Tang Luo's questions about Jiuyou made Si Zhong realize that it was not actually demons and qi cultivators joining forces to reenact the ancient war.

It was merely a few pitiful "people" huddling together for warmth.

Was killing the divine envoy done to obtain a recommendation letter for entering Jiuyou?

Si Zhong himself did not know and could not help further; all he could do was tell Tang Luo and the others everything he knew.

He hoped his family and his lifesavers could live a little longer together.

Si Zhong bore no grudge against Tang Luo and the others; although the incident was indeed caused by these people who started it, the choice was his own to make.

He was not an ungrateful person.

At the same time, Si Zhong also mentioned that the heavenly gods did not pursue and exterminate qi cultivators as relentlessly as they did demons, but they still held a hostile attitude.

If they encountered them, they would not show mercy.

This led to the number of qi cultivators being very small, and even rarer to appear in public.

If Jiuyou could not be found, nor qi cultivators, one could leave Kaiyang and the feudal lords' territories and head to the desolate mountains and evil waters of uncivilized lands.

The heavenly gods had little interest in those places.

There were also rumors that demons who did not go to Jiuyou hid in those desolate mountains and evil waters; going there might lead to finding demons.

Being able to hide from the heavenly gods' pursuit, the demons' concealment skills must be extraordinary.

Si Zhong thought that Tang Luo and the others asked clearly about the mine and mountain locations to avoid the heavenly gods.

After all, those places were where encounters with the heavenly gods were most likely to occur.

Who would have thought that Tang Luo and the others' target was precisely those mines and mountains?

Capture the person in charge and ask a few questions.

If they could capture a heavenly god, it would be even better.

"Master, you said those crystalline ores—what good things could they be?" Ao Yulie, transformed into a dragon-shaped flyer, said.

The heavenly gods obviously valued those crystalline ores greatly.

"I don't know, but they must be useful," Tang Luo said.

"But..." Zhu Bajie beside him spoke up, "If those ores were truly of great use to the heavenly gods, why would they still have people come to mine them?"

The heavenly gods' might, as recorded and passed down in legend, was that of great beings capable of moving mountains and filling seas.

Back then, the Great Li Dynasty, feeling strong, dared to rebel against the heavenly gods, but only three heavenly gods appeared and directly destroyed the Great Li Dynasty—including those feudal lords who had raised their flags together.

At that time, the Great Li Dynasty's army still had a large number of powerful qi cultivators.

Yet they were utterly no match for the heavenly gods, like mayflies trying to shake a tree.

After the fall of the Great Li Dynasty, the glorious era of qi cultivators completely passed, becoming history.

They became the tears of the present age, and their situation was only slightly better than that of the demons.

If the heavenly gods are so powerful and those crystalline ores are truly important to them, they should not rely on others to handle them.

Is it because they disdain doing things like mining, or is there another reason?

Ao Yulie flew swiftly through the high skies, gradually approaching the Ningxu Mine.

The Ningxu Mine is located in a basin, occupying two-thirds of its area; most of the crystalline ores are hidden underground, making it an underground "mine."

If the crystalline ores were hidden within the mountain's interior, it would be called a "mountain mine."

The lowest point of the basin is nearly fifty meters below ground level, while the highest point is about twenty meters above.

It can almost be said that the surroundings are all vertical cliffs.

Only a single constructed stone staircase leads to the outside, maximally preventing slaves from escaping.

And above the basin, at regular intervals, there is a watchtower used to guard against wild beasts that might leap out.

It is also used to monitor and prevent slaves from climbing out through the cliffs to escape; such incidents have occurred before.

Besides the approximately 150,000 slaves, the Ningxu Mine also has several thousand guards.

They belong to the mine's administrators—the private army of the Wen family.

In the Kaiyang Dynasty, the Wen family originally belonged to the scholar-official class, but now it is different; since Si Zhong arrived, the family head Wen Yu can even chat and laugh freely with him.

The Ningxu Mine is basically a barren land; looking down from the sky, one can see everything at a glance.

On the ground, some areas are pitted and uneven, revealing more than twenty black earth holes of various sizes leading underground.

Constructed similarly to subway stations and underground passage entrances.

In the basin, there are two distinct architectural complexes: one is the dwelling place of the slaves.

The other is the residence of the Wen family guards.

The Wen family, meanwhile, built a large manor near the stone staircase leading to the outside world, outside the basin.

But not all members of the Wen family live here.

In a town more than two hours' carriage ride from the mine, that is where the Wen family's true manor lies.

The mine's manor, however, is constantly inhabited and guarded by Wen family members.

The family head Wen Yu, as well as Wen Bo, the eldest son who can now stand on his own, and Wen Xue, the second son.

Basically, they take turns in shifts, or two of them stay together.

Tang Luo and the others were not in a hurry to go find the Wen family to ask about the situation; they planned to first study the crystalline ore.

After using illusion techniques to conceal their forms, Ao Yulie began descending, and when he descended into the basin's range, he suddenly sank.

His dragon body transformed into human form, and he fell uncontrollably downward.

He directly smashed into the ground, landing in a messy heap, unable to get up for half a day.

Even the illusion technique disappeared directly.

Zhu Bajie and Tang Luo adjusted their postures in midair, not falling like Ao Yulie did.

Zhu Bajie merely staggered a few steps before standing firm.

Only Tang Luo landed very steadily, oh, and the Heavenly Hound shot out its claws, gripping the brocade kasaya tightly, not falling to the ground.

"Master!"

Ao Yulie crawled on the ground for a long time before staggering to his feet, "I suddenly feel so weak."

His hands and feet ached, went limp, his limbs were powerless, even his feet felt a bit unsteady.

Ao Yulie appeared like a patient suffering from altitude sickness.

Zhu Bajie also had a bad complexion; upon entering the basin, a strange sense of weakness enveloped him.

"Is it the effect of those crystal ores?" Zhu Bajie looked aside, where some crystal ores were piled up.

The crystal ores varied in size, large ones about the size of an adult male's fist, small ones barely larger than a fingernail.

Overall they appeared semi-transparent, without special color, somewhat like diamonds.

Except they were completely irregular in shape.

Zhu Bajie walked over, feeling no increase in weakness, he casually picked up a crystal ore and squeezed hard.

The ore's veins did not budge.

It was not that the ore was extremely hard.

Know that normally, Zhu Bajie's squeeze could crush diamond into powder.

But now, weakened as he was, he could not budge this ore at all.

This feeling was terrible.

Ao Yulie walked with unsteady steps, feeling like stepping on a pile of cotton, and also walked over.

After examining for a moment, he even picked up a piece of ore and bit it twice, Ao Yulie said: "Confirmed, this thing is kryptonite for us cultivators."

A simple and clear metaphor, not to mention Tang Luo, even Zhu Bajie understood.

This crystal ore has a terrifying weakening effect on cultivators.

Why did Ao Yulie emphasize cultivators when talking about weakness?

The reason is simple: if the crystal ore had some special poison, even they would be "poisoned" into this state, then ordinary people would have long been dead beyond death, let alone mining.

Upon entering the basin, not only was the body weak, but even the circulation of true essence and mana became extremely sluggish and difficult.

It felt like returning to the initial state of severe injury.

"Is the Heavenly God collecting these things to deal with monsters?" Zhu Bajie frowned and analyzed, "No, could it be we guessed wrong, the Heavenly God is not a qi practitioner but an ordinary person?"

Originally everyone guessed the Heavenly God should be a group of powerful cultivators (qi practitioners).

But now, the crystal ore has such a special effect, the situation has become confusing again.

"Master, is this thing related to the source?" Zhu Bajie looked toward the approaching Tang Luo and asked.

Tang Luo took out the Summoning Heart, threw it onto the ore pile, and there was no response.

Practice yields true knowledge.

The two seem to have no connection.

He shook his head, took back the Summoning Heart: "First deal with these people, Bajie, protect the White Dragon well."

"Good." Zhu Bajie nodded.

Even weakened, he is now of the level of a fierce general of our side's world battlefield.

Ao Yulie, well, is like a feverish patient, being able to stand and walk is already not bad.

Although at the critical moment, Ao Yulie reverted to human form, three living people suddenly appeared on the minefield.

Unless the nearby guards were blind, they could not fail to see them.

At this time they had already gathered and approached, their weapons, besides swords and halberds, actually also included crossbows.

Over twenty crossbows aimed at Tang Luo and them.

With the sound of the crossbow strings tightening and then loosening, sharp crossbow bolts flew forth.

Tang Luo raised his right hand, gave a fierce swing, the brocade kasaya rustled loudly, a gale surged up.

Those crossbow bolts were swept by the gale, immediately lost their aim, some fell to the ground, some struck friendly troops.

"Feels like I don't need to act." Zhu Bajie said.

Even weakened, the master remains terrifyingly strong.

Exactly when did the master suddenly become so strong…… no, it seems from the moment we saw the master, he has been growing stronger every moment.

The cultivation during the westward journey sometimes even amounted to self-torture.

Even the eldest senior brother said, fortunately there is a merit jade lotus by his side, otherwise with the master's cultivation method, his life might have been lost in cultivation.

Zhu Bajie was a bit distracted, while Ao Yulie beside him had thought of something, furtively taking out the White Dragon Fierce Wind Staff.

He raised the staff, pointed at a guard, three ice cones appeared out of thin air, shooting toward that guard.

That guard had already been hit by an arrow in the knee, where could he block or dodge the ice cones, several blood blossoms burst from his shoulder and abdomen, he fell directly to the ground.

The armor on his body was shattered.

The killing power of the ice cones is far greater than that of bullets.

"Master, skills can be used!" The delighted Ao Yulie exclaimed after successful experiment.

Mage, output Ao Yulie online!

One hundred kinds of magic available for use.

"Is that so?" Tang Luo responded with a sound, without further action.

Skills, his skills are all support skills ah!

I'm here!

Ao Yulie leapt out, Zhu Bajie deployed the Hunyuan Shield, enveloping Ao Yulie as well, blocking the crossbow bolts aimed at him.

Wind blades and Heavenly Gang fire were used in succession, eliminating several more guards.

After the three axe strikes, Ao Yulie's mission was complete.

My output is spent; from now on, I rely on Master and senior brother.

"Hold your magic shield yourself." Zhu Bajie reminded him, retracted the Hunyuan Shield, and charged straight at the remaining guards.

Easily dodging their attacks, one slap per child.

He swiftly disposed of all the guards, demonstrating what a battlefield berserker's strength truly is.

But more guards, and even the slave miners, were approaching.

From the watchtower outside the basin, the sound of a horn rang out.