The Fourth Calamity: My Sect Has Countless Prodigies

Chapter 24 Mineral Veins

A stroke of luck?

Where in this world of cultivation do you find such incredible luck to stumble upon?

Zhou Yi was somewhat puzzled, but he still went out of the room to see what was going on.

When Cangfeng Mingyue saw Zhou Yi push open the door and come out, his face lit up with joy: "Sect Master, your disciple Cangfeng Mingyue just discovered a mineral vein by chance while gathering herbs in the back mountain."

Mineral vein, what are you talking about, kid?

The three players outside widened their eyes instantly, their expressions freezing on their faces.

Li Fan gasped and instinctively clenched his sleeve.

Zhou Yi remained outwardly calm, but his heart trembled slightly.

Mineral veins and spiritual veins, though differing by only one word, have vastly different values.

Spiritual veins contain spiritual stones deep within, but they are often buried hundreds of feet underground, impossible to reach or dig out.

For ordinary sects, it serves no other purpose than providing a trace of spiritual energy to nourish their sect.

It can be described as tasteless to eat, but a pity to throw away.

The mineral veins, however, are quite different.

It often lies in the shallow layer of the earth, within easy reach.

The mined ore only needs a little forging to become excellent materials for magical artifacts, which can be directly exchanged for cultivation, equipment, and combat power.

Having a mineral vein in hand is like having real, solid financial backing.

If it really is a mineral vein—

That's more than just good luck; it's incredible fortune, a blessing earned over eight lifetimes.

A rare hint of joy flickered across Zhou Yi's usually calm and composed face.

"Your name is Cangfeng Mingyue, right? If this is indeed a mineral vein, the sect will surely reward you handsomely!"

After Zhou Yi finished speaking, he swiftly moved, carrying Cangfeng and Mingyue, and sped towards the back mountain.

"Sect Master, what about us...?"

"You may do as you please, there's no need to follow us for now."

Zhou Yi's voice lingered in the air, and his figure had already disappeared from the sight of the three Qianlongs.

He moved with incredible speed, like a gust of wind sweeping through the mountains and forests. Before long, he appeared at the back of the mountain with Cangfeng Mingyue.

"Sect Master, I feel a little dizzy..."

Zhou Yi gently released his grip, and Cangfeng Mingyue plopped down on the ground, panting heavily.

Without further ado, he handed Cangfeng Mingyue a Qing Shen Dan (a type of pill) and told her to take it.

After taking the medicine, Cangfeng Mingyue felt refreshed and much more relaxed.

"Thank you, Sect Master."

Zhou Yi waved his hand and got straight to the point: "Tell me, in which direction is this mineral vein located?"

Cangfeng Mingyue pointed to Zhou Yi's right and said directly, "Sect Master, he is on the right side of the back mountain. I discovered him by chance when I went to gather herbs with that group of Crimson Flame Monkeys."

The right side of the back mountain?

Zhou Yi looked around and surveyed the gently undulating hillside.

Generally speaking, this type of terrain can indeed lead to the formation of mineral veins.

It just so happens that this place is located in the former back mountain of Yunshan Sect. Could it be...?

Zhou Yi's mind raced, and he began to form a vague guess.

The back mountain of a sect is often a secret realm that is not accessible to anyone who is not a core disciple.

The world is bustling with activity, all for profit. It seems that the Yunshan Sect's establishment in this place where demonic beasts gather was not without reason.

Zhou Yi pondered for a moment, then slowly led Cangfeng Mingyue toward the small hill.

The hill looks short, but it takes some walking to get there.

Zhou Yi, accompanied by Cangfeng Mingyue, passed through a withered thicket of bushes. The soil beneath their feet gradually softened, interspersed with fine, grayish-white pebbles.

He crouched down, picked up a piece of gravel, and sniffed it. There was no spiritual energy fluctuation, but the stone was hard and the cross-section had a faint metallic luster.

"really……"

Zhou Yi stood up, his gaze passing over the top of the slope and landing on a pile of rocks in the shade.

A dark cave entrance can be vaguely seen there, half-hidden by wildly growing vines; if one does not look closely, it may be mistaken for a crack in the mountain.

He parted the vines, and a damp, cold smell rushed out.

The entrance to the cave was small, barely wide enough for two people to walk side by side. Zhou Yi raised his hand to signal Cangfeng and Mingyue to follow, while he himself stepped inside first.

The light inside the cave suddenly dimmed, with only a few rays of light filtering in from the entrance, casting long, thin shadows of the two people.

Zhou Yi slowed his pace, his gaze sweeping over the cave walls on both sides. The rocks were bluish-gray with messy textures, clearly indicating that they were naturally formed fissure caves.

But after walking a few more steps deeper, he suddenly stopped.

On the left side of the cave wall, there is a long, slanted indentation with sharp edges, which is completely different from the surrounding natural peeling marks.

"These are... signs of mining."

Zhou Yi raised an eyebrow slightly.

He continued forward, his gaze sharp. Soon, more grooves came into view.

You can still see the brute force that caused it to be driven in and pried open back then.

A few dozen feet further on, the chisel marks on both sides of the cave walls became more and more dense, and even large areas of depressions appeared, which were the empty areas left after a large amount of stone was removed.

Zhou Yi stopped and looked around.

This cave has been mined.

Moreover, judging from the scale and methods used, this is definitely not a casual, impromptu activity by one or two people, but rather an organized and planned long-term mining operation.

The chisel marks embedded in the stone wall are of uniform depth and consistent direction, clearly the work of experienced miners.

Just as Zhou Yi was about to lift his foot, two points of eerie green light suddenly shone from the depths of the cave.

The light hovered motionless in the darkness, like two floating will-o'-the-wisps.

The next instant, a bloody stench swept over us—

A giant black spider suddenly fell from the cave ceiling, its eight long legs spreading out, almost sealing off the entire passage.

Zhou Yi's pupils contracted sharply, but instead of retreating, he advanced, taking a step forward, and the Azure Cloud Sword was already drawn.

The black spider let out a sharp hiss and spat out a sticky strand of spider silk.

Zhou Yi dodged to the side, the sword blade gliding along the spider silk, and then slashed at the spider leg closest to him.

The blade sliced ​​into the joint, and dark green fluid splattered out; the long leg snapped off instantly.

The black spider winced in pain, its body jerking back as its remaining seven legs thrashed wildly, its fangs gleaming eerily in the darkness.

It sprang up suddenly and pounced down on Zhou Yi.

Zhou Yi stumbled, lowering his body by half a head, and swung his longsword upwards, slicing it across the black spider's soft abdomen.

The spider's abdomen split open, and a foul-smelling liquid poured out. The black spider struggled twice before collapsing to the ground with a thud.

Zhou Yi sheathed his sword, his breathing slightly disordered.

He stared at the spider carcass on the ground, then looked up into the depths of the cave.

It was still pitch black there, but something seemed to be wriggling in the darkness, and rustling sounds could be faintly heard.

"Walk."

Without hesitation, he grabbed Cangfeng Mingyue and turned to leave.

This black spider is merely a gatekeeper, yet it possesses the cultivation level of the second stage of Qi Refining. As for what lies hidden within the mine, who knows?

Venturing deep into enemy territory alone is clearly not a wise move.

This kind of work should be left to the players.

Lingtian.

While still dividing up the Black Robe Interceptor's legacy, the Hidden Dragon in the Abyss suddenly sneezed for some unknown reason.

"Who's after me again?"

The Hidden Dragon in the Abyss had some doubts.

Crouching Tiger rolled his eyes at him, annoyed, and said helplessly, "Still thinking about it? I think you're dreaming too much, Qianlong."

Li Fan smiled and defended Qianlong, saying, "It's not Qianlong's fault. Sometimes when people suddenly become successful, it can be quite distressing."

After he finished speaking, his gaze fell on the six storage bags on the table.