"It really is a Spirit Stone Vein!"

Yang Bingzhi knew that Jia Ren would not deceive him, but witnessing the mine full of Spirit Stones still made his heart surge with excitement.

All these are Spirit Stones!

Countless cultivators go insane for Spirit Stones that could easily be found everywhere here. With just a handful, one could rival the efforts of a low-level Loose Cultivator over several months.

The Spirit Stones in plain sight were just a fraction of the bounty; there were many more hidden underground.

Countless Spirit Stones seemed to beckon him, waiting to be unearthed by him.

The day to make a fortune is now!

Yang Bingzhi did not linger on the mining path for too long, as most of the Spirit Stone Vein on the mine walls were small and time-consuming to excavate.

What he was more interested in was the Medium-grade Spirit Stones—just one of the same size was worth a hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones.

Of course, mining was all about targeting the most valuable part!

With unknown enemies possibly lurking, it was imperative to claim the most lucrative part of the "cake" first. Even if he had to hand the Spirit Stone Vein over to the Five Elements Sect, he wouldn't feel the pinch.

"First, let's set up a restrictive formation at the entrance to be cautious."

Yang Bingzhi did not want to get carried away with the excitement of mining and be killed by other cultivators in a sneak attack while counting his gains.

After concealing the entrance, he set up a restrictive formation for alarm purposes.

Yang Bingzhi strode along the narrow mining path that could only accommodate one person, heading toward the deeper parts.

The mining path twisted and turned, snaking ever downward.

The walls were adorned with Luminous Pearls that served as illumination.

Several unnamed medicinal herbs emitting a faint fragrance were the legacy of previous miners.

The fragrant herbs played no small part—the air inside the mine was no longer stuffy.

The Spirit Stone Vein had not been mined for long, so the depth of the mine was modest. After descending several dozen meters, Yang Bingzhi reached the bottom where the ore lay.

Several Spirit Stone Vein with a deep color caught the eye.

"Indeed, Medium-grade Spirit Stones!"

Medium-grade Spirit Stones were relatively rare. Ninety-nine percent of the Spirit Stones in circulation were Low-grade, and even Sect disciples seldom saw Medium-grade Spirit Stones.

The reason for this was that veins possessing Medium-grade Spirit Stones were scarce.

Most of the Medium-grade Spirit Stones mined by Sects went to Foundation Establishment Cultivators for their use, rarely entering circulation as once a Spirit Stone was used, it was gone.

"Haha, from now on, I won't have to worry about Spirit Stones again!"

"Start digging!"

Yang Bingzhi took out five humanoid Mechanism Puppets and the related Puppet Jade Slips from his Storage Bag.

Mechanism Puppets were not merely lumps of iron; puppet makers used Special Secret Techniques to transform animal souls into refined spirits and infused them into the heart of the puppets.

The puppets could follow their controller's orders and carry out relatively simple tasks.

The Jade Slip contained the simplest Blood Control Art.

Dripping blood onto the core of the Mechanism Puppet and issuing commands to operate it was quite straightforward.

There were limitations to the operating range of the puppets—beyond a hundred feet, the puppets would not receive new commands.

The range was barely sufficient. Yang Bingzhi dripped blood into five humanoid Mechanism Puppets and then unlocked their central cores, placing six Spirit Stones for activation into each puppet.

BUZZ!

The gem-like pupils of the five humanoid Mechanism Puppets lit up. They were no longer inanimate objects and seemed to transform into iron beasts.

"What a fascinating puppet creation—interesting."

"Mine!"

Five prepared pickaxes were handed to the humanoid Mechanism Puppets, which he then directed to begin mining the Spirit Ore.

The idea was good, but sadly, the operation was not without its difficulties.

As the five humanoid Mechanism Puppets swung their pickaxes at the Spirit Stone Vein, they almost made Yang Bingzhi furious enough to spit blood.

This was a prime piece of Spirit Stone Vein, now covered in cracks.

I told you to mine, not destroy the Spirit Stone Vein.

This rough method could damage the Spirit Stones, causing a loss of Spiritual Power.

After Yang Bingzhi revised the commands several times, the Mechanism Puppets finally stopped targeting the Spirit Stone Vein directly, becoming competent miners.

The efficiency of mining wasn't fast, and their movements were stiff. Every strike on the rocks caused sparks to fly.

The rocks in the Spirit Stone Vein, nurtured by Spiritual Energy for who knows how many years, were notably tougher than metal, contributing to the slow pace of mining.

"Let me try!"

As a Body Cultivator, Yang Bingzhi's strength was far beyond that of ordinary cultivators. With a swing of his pick, the tool embedded deeply into the rock.

That's a bit jarring on the hands!

Body Cultivators are indeed the most suitable for mining—great strength produces miracles.

With Spirit Stones ahead, he worked with exceptional vigor.

With each successive strike, in less than the time it took for an incense stick to burn, a soccer ball-sized Spirit Stone Vein landed in his hands.

The exterior was ordinary Spirit Stone, but at its core was a Medium-grade Spirit Stone.

It was possible to cut five or six Medium-grade Spirit Stones out of it.

Five or six hundred Spirit Stones just like that?

Yang Bingzhi couldn't help but recall the Spirit Rice he painfully cultivated on Grand Wilderness Mountain. Many years of toiling had not yielded as many Spirit Stones as swinging the mining pickaxe now did.

He looked up at the distance, where an uncountable fortune mingled with interspersed Medium-grade Spirit Stones beckoned to him.

Loose Cultivators went crazy over Spirit Stone Mines naturally because a Spirit Stone Mine could change one's destiny.

A grey life turned into the Great Dao, paving the way to a smooth future.

Yang Bingzhi's destiny had been changed twice by Jia Ren.

The Corner Worm calamity turned the Spirit Farmers of Grand Wilderness Mountain into disciples of the Five Elements Sect.

The second opportunity for change lay before him now, and he had to seize it firmly.

Yang Bingzhi took a deep breath, strived to regain his composure, and refrained from continuing to mine with the pickaxe.

While the Spirit Stone Vein was indeed valuable, what was crucial was how to keep this Spirit Stone Mine secure.

Cultivators who became aware of the intelligence would not give up on a Spirit Stone Mine so readily accessible.

He was no different!

The most important thing right now is safety, to successfully bring the Spirit Stones back.

Yang Bingzhi was not blinded by the Spirit Stones and ordered the Mechanism Puppets to continue mining before returning to the Bear Cave.

"First, let's see how extensive the Spirit Stone Vein is."

"Mining Secrets Manual—Cease Breath!"

Yang Bingzhi injected a spell into a Spirit Stone Vein obtained from this place, capturing a strand of special earth breath.

"Earth Observing Spiritual Eye!"

Once the breath entered his eyes, in an instant, his pupils gained a different breath, seemingly linked to the Spirit Stone Vein underground.

Although observing the lay of the land with earth breath was like seeing only a part of the whole picture, he could still get a rough glimpse of the Spirit Stone Vein.

Yang Bingzhi paced underground, looking down below. His vision could not reach far, extending at most a hundred feet. Everywhere he looked were glimpses of the Spirit Stone Vein.

Below lay a dormant dragon, whose full length remained hidden from sight.

When the Earth Observing Spiritual Eye's duration ended, Yang Bingzhi had walked several miles without catching sight of the boundary of the Spirit Stone Vein.

"This Spirit Stone Mine is far beyond expectations..."

There wasn't much about Spirit Stone Veins in the Mining Secrets Manual, but it was certain that the scale of this vein exceeded that of a medium-sized one.

"Could this be a Large Spirit Stone Vein?"

"A Large Spirit Stone Vein stands a chance of containing even rarer Superior Grade Spirit Stones."

"If Superior Grade Spirit Stones can be unearthed, their value would be unimaginable."

Regardless of whether there are Superior Grade Spirit Stones or not, the mine is a wealth beyond common imagination.

Once word gets out, not only the Five Elements Sect but all Sects would spare no effort to delve deep into the Great Wilderness to seize the Spirit Stone Vein.

This isn't wealth that a single cultivator, family, or Sect can control.

Yang Bingzhi's heart raced, leaving him unable to recover his senses for a long time.

"Stay calm!"

"Now that the Spirit Stone Vein is exposed, safety has to be ensured no matter what!"

Yang Bingzhi thought of Jia Ren. With the Spirit Stone Vein so close at hand, Jia Ren would entrust it to him and would not risk venturing into the Great Wilderness himself.

What use is a load of Spirit Stones if life is lost?

"I don't want to become some unlucky soul who died in the Spirit Stone Mine!"

"Safety first, Spirit Stone Vein second."

Yang Bingzhi came to the Bear Cave and deliberately carved out a space above the entrance of the Spirit Stone Vein to hide in, carefully concealing his presence, quietly waiting.

It was better to slow down the mining than to be caught off guard by an attack.

The five Mechanism Puppets mined no slower than him, tirelessly working day and night. The only expense was Spirit Stones.

But the question is... could a Spirit Stone Mine run out of Spirit Stones?

If there were no issues with the Mechanism Puppets, they could keep mining indefinitely.

Yang Bingzhi maintained the puppets and ensured his own safety. The latter was especially crucial.

No longer the simple Spirit Farmer he once was, Yang Bingzhi, a cultivator who had been through the wars of the Five Elements Sect, had become accustomed to bloodshed and had grown through the experience of clan annihilation.

Inside the Spirit Stone Mine, his greatest fear was being trapped with an unknown number of cultivators.

If the one who had fled was from a family, then it was certain that more than one cultivator would arrive.

He had to prepare for the worst-case scenario in advance.

If few come, stealthily assassinate them to eliminate future troubles.

But if the number of cultivators was large enough?

He would flee from this place and report to the Five Elements Sect.

Unknowingly, I've been influenced by Jia Ren...

「Half a day passed.」

Yang Bingzhi replaced the Spirit Stones before hiding again.

No one disturbed the Spirit Stone Vein, and no accidents happened.

Could it be that the one who escaped was just an ordinary Loose Cultivator without the power to seek revenge?

Yang Bingzhi spent two days on tenterhooks. The mining went smoothly, and all the Medium-grade Spirit Stones nearby were extracted, leaving only the easily found Low-grade Spirit Stones.

Was this visit to confirm whether the Spirit Stone Vein was dangerous?

He had not come with the intention to mine for a long time but to report any accidents to the Five Elements Sect.

Two Ten Directions Storage Bags were filled to the brim with Spirit Stones.

Unlike Yang Shengwu, who had discovered Medium-grade Spirit Stones late, Yang Bingzhi's primary mining target was Medium-grade Spirit Stones.

Though fewer in quantity, their quality was high.

A rough estimate indicated that, while there might not be a hundred thousand pieces, fifty to sixty thousand were definitely achievable.

It was uncertain whether it was bad luck, if this location was not the core, or if this was a Large Spirit Stone Vein without any Superior Grade Spirit Stones.

Superior Grade Spirit Stones are difficult to form, and it's not rare for a Large Spirit Stone Vein to lack them.

Otherwise, the earnings potential of a Large Spirit Stone Vein would not vary so much. The key is whether or not the vein is rich with Spirit Stones.

A Large Spirit Stone Vein containing Superior Grade Spirit Stones truly qualifies as a rich mine.

"It's time to leave!"

"First, use the obtained Spirit Stones to buy Magic Artifacts and treasures to enhance my strength."

"Purchase a large number of First-Tier Superior-Grade Talismans, and even Second Tier Talismans. Unless they are Foundation Establishment Cultivators, I must ensure their journey here is one-way."

Having so many Spirit Stones on hand is unsettling. It's better to leave first.

Back in the mine, with little space left in the Storage Bag for the puppets, Yang Bingzhi did not dare to linger and swiftly left the place.

「Six hours after Yang Bingzhi's departure,」

...dozens of cultivators came en masse, heading straight for the Bear Cave where the Spirit Stone Vein was located.

At the forefront was a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

"This trip to the Great Wilderness Market was to bid for the Foundation Establishment Pill. Little did we expect that Wang Liang's demon hunting would lead to such a serendipitous find, earning a great merit for the family. Relying on the Spirit Stone Vein, the Wang Family will surely rise."

Yang Bingzhi was unaware that he had narrowly escaped a deadly threat.

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