Lingyun Mountain is located in the southeast corner of Heiyun City. Lingyun Mountain is said to be a mountain, but it is actually composed of several mountains of varying heights.
The main peak, Lingyun Mountain, is thousands of meters high, towering into the clouds and filled with aura.
The surrounding hills are much lower than Lingyun Mountain.
Because of the rich spiritual energy around Lingyun Mountain, the surrounding mountains have their own unique characteristics.
Some mountain peaks have been planted with many spiritual herbs by the Lingyun Sect and are guarded by Lingyun Sect's disciples.
There are also some mountain peaks with higher-grade spiritual materials inside. Disciples of Lingyun Sect are also responsible for mining such peaks.
The peak where the Nie family cultivated Fire Cloud Stone was actually the most inconspicuous among the many hills surrounding Lingyun Mountain.
Nie Tian and Nie Qian arrived at the peak where Nie's family was digging fire cloud stones in the afternoon.
"Miss, it's not time to count the fire cloud stones again, why are you here suddenly?" At the entrance of the mountain mine, Nie Xiang, a steward of the Nie family, looked curiously at Nie Qian, who was carrying a child. , filled with doubts.
"This trip is not to count the fire cloud stones, but to bring my nephew to the mine to see the world." Nie Qian said with a smile.
"Come to the mine to see the world?" Nie Xiang was startled and became more and more strange.
Because the mines are not safe, only children who have made big mistakes in the Nie family have been sent to the mines.
Nie Qian brought Nie Tian here, saying that she wanted to show him the world, which puzzled Nie Xiang.
Nie Qian didn't explain too much. After saying hello to Nie Xiang, she pulled Nie Tian and went straight to the mine.
"Miss, this child... is still too young. If anything happens in the mine, I will not be responsible." Nie Xiang said quickly.
"Well, if anything happens, I'll be responsible for it," Nie Qian said.
After hearing what she said, Nie Xiang stopped talking and allowed Nie Tian and Nie Qian to go deep into the mine together.
Inside the mine, Nie Tian looked around curiously, "Is this where the Fire Cloud Stone is?"
"It's deep in the mine." Nie Qian took a breath and looked worried. "You remember, you must be obedient and always follow me. Due to over-exploitation, many places inside the mine are severely hollowed out, and sometimes as the The earth shook and collapsed. I know where is safe and where is dangerous, and you are not allowed to leave me."
Nie Tian raised his head, looked at the prismatic stones hanging on the cave wall five or six meters above his head, and nodded quickly.
Those stones weighed more than a thousand kilograms. If they really fell, he would be turned into a meat pie in an instant.
"follow me."
Nie Qian grabbed his arm and led him towards the dark stone passage inside the corridor.
Nie Tian looked around curiously and followed silently, appearing careful and cautious.
"Hello, madam, why are you here?"
"Miss, be careful. It's not safe inside. It only collapsed a few days ago."
"I've met the eldest lady."
Along the way, many descendants of the Nie family, as well as some laborers employed by the Nie family, greeted Nie Qian respectfully.
Nie Qian smiled and nodded to everyone, telling them to be careful and not to have any accidents.
Nie Tian could tell that those who mined fire cloud stones in the mine seemed to respect Nie Qian sincerely.
"The people who mine fire cloud stones in the mine are all hard-working people. Every one of them knows what they will face when they come in." When no one was around, Nie Qian sighed softly and said, "Xiaotian, if you can't Once you are accepted by Lingyun Sect, after you are fifteen years old, you may be assigned by your second grandfather to mine Fire Cloud Stone here."
"Isn't it true that only collateral members of the Nie family are arranged here?" Nie Tiandao said.
"That was the case in the past, but it may not be the case in the future." Nie Qian shook her head and said sadly: "There is a lot of mortality in the mines. Every once in a while, someone is buried here. And the main task of the Nie family is actually to help the Lingyun Sect. Mining fire cloud stone and other family affairs are not as important as this."
"In recent years, all the fire cloud stones on the periphery have been mined, and we can only continue to dig deeper, so it has become more and more dangerous."
"The elders of the clan clan are also trying their best to prevent their children and grandchildren from coming to the mine."
"But this is the foundation of the Nie family. People are afraid of death. The laborers hired by the family are unwilling to mine deep without the help of clan members. However, we need to pay enough tribute to Lingyun Sect every year. If the quantity of fire cloud stones decreases any year, Lingyun Sect may not value the Nie family."
"Without the protection of Lingyun Sect, it will be difficult for the Nie family to gain a foothold in Black Cloud City."
"Therefore, the mine is the top priority of the family. At any time, the mine needs to be guarded by clan members. Now your second grandfather is in charge of the family. He also said that reforms will be carried out. In the future, the direct clan members will also It will be arranged here.”
At this point, Nie Qian paused and said meaningfully: "Because your grandfather lost power in the clan, before he gave up his position as clan leader, I started to come to the mine often. Now we are even weaker. If you fail to become a disciple of Lingyun Sect, you will definitely be unable to escape in the future and will definitely be arranged here."
Nie Tian lowered his head and thought carefully, then nodded slightly, "I understand."
"Let's go." Nie Qian continued.
After a while, Nie Tian discovered that the stone path leading to the mountainside was getting narrower and narrower, and the distance between the top of his head and the stone wall was getting shorter and shorter.
He also noticed that the number of workers he saw along the way was getting smaller and smaller. Every one of them was as thin as wood and looked lifeless.
"Miss, it's dangerous ahead. You'd better not go forward." A dark and thin middle-aged man suddenly appeared from the corner of another stone road and kindly reminded: "Mine No. 73 just collapsed eight days ago. It happened once and two people died before we cleaned up."
Nie Qian stopped immediately. She hesitated for a moment with a solemn expression, and then said, "Thank you for the reminder. I'll go take a look and I'll be back soon."
"Then you must be careful, I... won't accompany you anymore." The man said fearfully.
"Oh, you go about your business." Nie Qian nodded, and the dark and thin man disappeared in an instant.
"The further inward, the higher the mortality rate, so the workers here are all lifeless, because they don't know which day the disaster will come." Nie Qian was silent for a while, and then said: "They are all from Black Cloud City Poor man, he took the risk to come here for the sake of his wife and children in the city."
"The Qi Refiners of Lingyun Sect are very powerful. If they come here, even if the mine collapses, they will be fine, right?" Nie Tian asked.
"When you reach the Zhongtian realm, you can run rampant in the mine. You will definitely not be afraid of sudden collapses in the mine." Nie Qian nodded lightly, and then said again: "However, how can a Qi refiner who has reached the Zhongtian realm Are you here wasting your time for the low-priced fourth-grade Fire Cloud Stone?"
"A powerful Qi practitioner is the most ruthless!"
"In their eyes, the Nie family is nothing. They won't take it seriously if some people die, let alone these miserable mortals employed by the Nie family?"
"Real Qi Masters are inherently superior. Families like our Nie family can only serve them."
"Similarly, those mortals in Black Cloud City also serve our Nie family."
"This world is so cruel, and neither you nor I can change it. There is only one way to be above other people, not to be enslaved by them, not to have their life and death controlled by them."
“That’s becoming one of them!”
Nie Qian followed the instructions.
Nie Tian looked solemn and nodded heavily, "I will definitely become a powerful Qi Refiner!"
"Let's go to Mine No. 73!" Nie Qian also made up her mind.
Not long after, Nie Tian appeared in a huge mine under her leadership.
As soon as he entered it, he noticed that there were red light spots flickering on the stone walls around the mine.
"Fire cloud stone!" Nie Tian became energetic.
"This place is dangerous, don't waste time, quickly try to use that piece of animal bone to absorb the power of fire in the unmined fire cloud stone! We'd better not stay for a long time, once the blood in the animal bone condenses, we will Leave immediately, lest things change later!" Nie Qian urged loudly.
"Okay!" Nie Tian immediately started to take action.