Yinshan Mine, on the western border of the Central Plains.
Thunder rumbled, lightning flashed, and the sky and the earth were dark.
The biting cold wind blew up huge waves of sand, which violently hit the large formation barrier covering the Yinshan Mountain.
The vast Yinshan Mountains stretch for thousands of miles, with dragon-like lightning spanning the sky, and the vegetation on the mountains is sparse.
Hong Tao took Jiang Yuebai and exchanged the tokens and stepped into the mine barrier. The strong wind stopped suddenly, leaving only the bone-chilling coldness, the rolling of the mine carts, and the clanging of the iron pickaxes.
Shaking off the yellow sand, Hong Tao glanced at the laborers carrying stones outside the mine. Suddenly, he released his foundation-building power and kicked the laborer who was passing by.
"Someone from the Internal Affairs Hall is here to tell your steward to come out and see me!"
Jiang Yuebai frowned. Hong Tao was usually kind and reasonable. She had never seen him so arrogant and domineering.
The skinny laborer rolled twice, and when he saw the token on Hong Tao, he went to report it in fear and trepidation. The surrounding miners all avoided him and watched from afar.
"Oh, I was wondering why the magpie kept chirping this morning. It turns out that the steward of the Internal Affairs Hall has arrived."
Cui Sheng, a middle-aged steward with a slightly plump figure, came over with a nod and a bow. He glanced at Jiang Yuebai and said with a flattering smile, "I wonder what the steward is doing here at Yinshan Mine?"
Hong Tao pushed Jiang Yuebai to his side, with an arrogant look, and said loudly: "I'm here to send you a person. This is a disciple chosen by the inner sect Jindan Zhenren. Because of some trivial matters, he was implicated and temporarily took refuge in the Yinshan Mine for two years. He will be taken back when Zhenren finishes dealing with the trivial matters."
Hong Tao's words were ambiguous, and many people around him could hear them.
Jiang Yuebai thought about it and suddenly understood, and was very grateful to Hong Tao.
Cui Sheng was not a very smart person. He never mentioned the title of Jindan Zhenren. But he was implicated and exiled here, which showed that he was not an important person either.
But we can't just ignore it. After all, he is a Jindan Zhenren, and he asked Hong Tao, the foundation-building manager, to send him off personally, which shows that he has some connections in the sect.
After figuring out the key points, Cui Sheng grinned and said, "I understand. I will definitely arrange a better mine for this... this junior sister. Just rest assured, sir."
Hong Tao nodded lightly, and Jiang Yuebai took out a storage bag and handed it to him with both hands.
"Thank you for the arrangements, Senior Brother. Please accept this small token of my appreciation."
Cui Sheng looked at Hong Tao. Hong Tao looked away. Cui Sheng took the storage bag with a chuckle. He found that there were a full hundred low-grade spirit stones in it. He was delighted.
"Why is my junior sister being so polite?"
Hong Tao said, "I'm here to inspect the Internal Affairs Hall. Lead the way."
Cui Sheng knew what Hong Tao meant, and quickly made a gesture to invite him and Jiang Yuebai to look around, so that everyone could see Jiang Yuebai, the "backer".
The mine is pretty much the same everywhere, nothing much to see.
Those below the third level of Qi training are all outside moving soil and rocks and digging new mines. Only those above the third level of Qi training can go down into the mines to mine.
The daily quota is one hundred low-grade spirit stones, and one medium-grade spirit stone can equal three days' quota.
The registration date is the day you go down to the mine. As long as you can hold on, it doesn't matter if you don't come out for a year or two. You just need to pay all the money when you come out.
If it is not enough, I will make up for the shortfall by continuing to work here for as many days as necessary.
"… The Xuancheng Master who guards the Yinshan Mine has been in seclusion in the deepest part of the mine. He will not come out easily. This is the center of the formation of the Yinshan Mine. Please take a drop of blood and inject it into it."
Jiang Yuebai looked at the ferocious stone sculpture of Kuiniu in front of her, standing in the center of the mine. She smeared the blood from her fingertips on the stone sculpture, and immediately felt as if her soul was oppressed and bound.
Thunder and lightning flashed across the sky, and the formation's barrier was looming.
Cui Sheng said: "Don't worry, Junior Sister. Although this formation is powerful, as long as you don't run around or escape, it is to protect the mine and protect us from being harmed by monsters or villains outside. When your labor period is over, the restriction will be lifted naturally."
Jiang Yuebai nodded and saw a stele under the stone sculpture. The stele was filled with names. Some names disappeared and were replaced by new names.
"What is this?" Jiang Yuebai asked.
Before Cui Sheng could say anything, Hong Tao explained, "If you don't come out of the mine for two years, you will be considered missing and your name will appear on the monument. If you don't come out for five years, your name will be erased, which is equivalent to losing the protection of the formation."
Cui Sheng nodded, "That's right. If you don't come out for five years, it's not a big deal if you die. If you don't die, you will be killed by the formation as soon as you come out. So Junior Sister, don't stay in the mines for too long, or you will be wiped out by the formation, and it will be useless even if Master Xuancheng takes action."
Cui Sheng then took Jiang Yuebai to familiarize himself with the places to eat and rest, and gave him two pickaxes, a tinderbox for lighting, and ten small lantern charms.
Finally, Cui Sheng took Hong Tao and Jiang Yuebai to a mine.
"Junior sister, you've been exhausted today. Don't you want to take a rest for a day and eat something before going down to the mine?"
Cui Sheng smiled in his heart at the childish nature and did not stop him.
"This Jiachou Mine is one of the richest mineral veins in the entire Yinshan Mountain. Junior Sister, be careful when you go down there. As long as you can find a good mining spot, a hundred ore a day will not be a problem."
"There is one thing. There are occasionally monsters that are good at digging through mountains underground. Most of them live in groups. It is extremely dangerous for a single person to encounter them. Junior sister, you must be careful when digging."
"Thank you, Manager Cui."
"There is also this "Mad Thunder Body Tempering Art", which was originally required for each person to purchase on their own. Today, I got along well with Junior Sister, so I will give her a copy."
Cui Sheng handed Jiang Yuebai a book. Jiang Yuebai took it with both hands, looking puzzled.
Cui Sheng explained: "Although there is abundant spiritual energy under the mine, it is adjacent to the ancient thunder lake. The spiritual energy is rich in thunder energy. If it is retained in the body, it will damage the meridians and dantian. Another method is needed to digest the thunder energy. This body-building method is in the hands of every cultivator here. It can enhance physical strength and dig out more minerals. It kills two birds with one stone."
Hong Tao said: "It's a very common ninth-grade body-building technique, very suitable for this place."
Jiang Yuebai thanked Cui Sheng again.
"That guy over there, Lao Peng, take this Junior Sister Jiang down to the mine and tell Fan Mazi not to cause any trouble for me!"
Jiang Yuebai looked at Hong Tao, and Hong Tao nodded.
"Take care of yourself. I'll come pick you up in two years."
Jiang Yuebai nodded, followed the fourth-level male Qi training practitioner called by Cui Sheng into the dark cave and set foot on an unknown road ahead.
Peng Sanyang took a torch and walked in front, secretly looking at Jiang Yuebai as he walked. He couldn't help but envy her for having reached the fourth level of Qi training at such a young age.
Although I am envious, I still feel mocking in my heart. No matter how powerful he is, he is still punished to be here. He might be forgotten in two years, and no one will know when he will die in some corner of the mine.
Thinking of this, Peng Sanyang's steps became lighter.
Jiang Yuebai followed at a trot, the mine was pitch black with many branching paths. Every time she caught up with him and asked where a branch led to, Peng Sanyang would sneer and not tell her, but just take many detours and go deeper.
After going down two or three levels, I realized how many hundreds of feet deep it was. The mine tunnel was narrow and the air was stuffy and oppressive. It was like drowning in water, with a heavy chest and difficulty breathing.
The torches were not bright enough to illuminate the way; Jiang Yuebai had completely forgotten the way he came.
There were only traces of excavation all around the mine tunnel, but no spirit stone mines were seen. Only tiny pieces of spirit stone residues were glittering on the mountain wall.
"Where exactly are you taking me?"
Jiang Yuebai shouted and saw a leaf carved on the wall of a nearby mine tunnel. The leaf was filled with rich spiritual energy and was shining like bright stars in the darkness.
Peng Sanyang didn't answer, and Jiang Yuebai stopped.
"I'm not leaving. I'm going to dig here."
After saying that, she went to the mine nearby. After walking a few steps, she saw clusters of colorful crystals embedded in the mountain wall. It was the spirit stone mine.
Jiang Yuebai reached out to touch him, and Peng Sanyang ran over and shouted in fear.
"Don't touch it, don't touch it. This is Ye Lianyi's mine."
Jiang Yuebai withdrew her hand and turned around. Peng Sanyang was very nervous and wanted to pull her away.
"Who dares to touch my mine?"
A woman in blue walked out of the darkness, carrying a pickaxe and with a fierce look in her eyes, followed by three male cultivators.
The burly male cultivator who was in the lead, with triangular eyes and a face full of pockmarks, stepped forward, put his arm around the female cultivator's shoulders, and spat to the side.
"Where did this little kid come from? Did you throw it down here to give me a snack?"
A burst of laughter was heard, and the two male cultivators behind the pockmarked man looked at Jiang Yuebai with ill intentions.
The man and woman in front were at the seventh level of Qi training, and the two followers behind were at the sixth level of Qi training. One of the followers was holding a bloody arm in his hand.
(End of this chapter)