Chapter 225 - 217: Mineral Vein Mission
Over the next few days, Li Yuan produced another batch of Spirit Water Talismans.
His success rate stabilized at a steady thirty to forty percent, and he ended up with a total of ten Spirit Water Talismans.
According to his prior agreement with Qin Ruoshuang, the Spirit Water Talismans would be sold through the Purple Abyss Trading Company, and Shopkeeper Han was his contact.
Li Yuan took the ten Spirit Water Talismans and walked along the main street toward the Purple Abyss Trading Company.
Inside the shop, Shopkeeper Han was organizing his accounts behind the counter. When he saw Li Yuan enter, he quickly put down his pen and came to greet him.
"Senior Li."
Li Yuan placed the ten Spirit Water Talismans on the counter.
Shopkeeper Han picked up the Spirit Water Talismans one by one to inspect them, pressing his finger on the surface of the talismans to sense the Spiritual Power density, then nodded.
"The quality is quite good. For ten talismans, at one hundred and twenty Spirit Stones each, the total is one thousand two hundred Spirit Stones."
He took out a cloth bag from under the counter, counted out the Spirit Stones, and placed them on the countertop.
"Senior, would you like the Spirit Stones, or would you prefer to trade for other items? The company has some newly arrived Spirit Grass and elixirs, and their quality is quite decent."
"Spirit Stones."
Shopkeeper Han nodded and pushed the Spirit Stones over.
Li Yuan put the Spirit Stones into his storage bag and turned to leave the shop.
When he returned to his courtyard, the Protector Token in his storage bag suddenly vibrated slightly.
Li Yuan took out the Token.
A line of faint golden text appeared on the Token’s surface, shimmering slowly.
Li Yuan infused it with Spiritual Power and probed it with his Divine Sense. Soon, he saw fine text slowly forming.
Mission: Lead a team to excavate the deeper regions of the Ghost Mist Forest’s ore vein. The mining of Spirit Iron ore in the mine’s shallow layers is nearing completion, and the Primordial Yang Sect plans to conduct exploratory excavation into the deeper sections. The concentration of Evil Qi in the deeper regions is extremely high, preventing ordinary Cultivators from staying for long. The team requires a Foundation Establishment Cultivator who can withstand the environment to lead them.
The Contribution Point reward will depend on the results, and a portion can be paid in advance.
After reading the mission details, Li Yuan put the Token away.
’The deeper parts of the ore vein.’
’I’ve been to the mine’s depths before to mine Evil Stones, so I’m familiar with the environment. The concentration of Evil Qi there is extremely high, making it the most efficient place to cultivate with my Evil Essence Convergence passive effect.’
’I can lead the mining team and absorb Evil Qi to cultivate at the same time. Killing two birds with one stone.’
’Plus, I can get an advance on Contribution Points, just in time to learn a Tier Two Magic.’
Li Yuan left his home and walked toward the council hall.
The council hall was a three-story stone building in the northern part of the market square. Four disciples stood guard at the entrance. Li Yuan showed his Protector Token, and the guards bowed and let him pass.
He walked down the corridor to Chen Yi’s room and knocked three times.
"Come in."
Li Yuan pushed the door open and went inside.
Chen Yi was sitting behind a stone table, with several bamboo scrolls and a map spread out before him. Seeing Li Yuan enter, he closed the scrolls.
"You received the mission. What do you think? Are you willing to go?"
"I’ve read it." Li Yuan sat down on a stone chair. "What are the specific arrangements?"
Chen Yi spread the map on the table and pointed to a marked location.
"You’ve been to the mine in the Ghost Mist Forest. The Spirit Iron ore in the shallow layers has been mined for over half a year, and production is starting to decline. The Sect has decided to push deeper to see if there are other ore veins in the depths."
His finger traced a line marking a mine shaft downwards on the map.
"The main problem with the deeper levels is the Evil Qi. The concentration is too high, and ordinary Qi Refining Stage Cultivators can’t stay inside for long before they have to withdraw. We’ve tried having people work in shifts, but the efficiency is too low."
He lifted his finger from the map and looked at Li Yuan.
"The reason we chose you is simple. You’re often active in the Ghost Mist Forest area and are familiar with the environment. Besides..."
He paused, his tone becoming a little more casual.
"You bought an Evil Qi Cultivation Technique at a trade fair before, the Evil Spirit Transformation Skill."
"You’re the only Foundation Establishment Cultivator in this area who can stay in an Evil Qi environment for an extended period. That makes you the most suitable candidate for this mission."
"You’ll set out in a few days. You will lead the team in and be primarily responsible for clearing the Evil Qi obstacles in the deeper levels, ensuring the excavating Cultivators can work normally. The Sect will arrange the manpower for the excavation. Some will be Primordial Yang Sect disciples, but most will be hired Loose Cultivators."
"The Contribution Point reward will depend on the excavation’s success. Generally, the base reward is one thousand five hundred. If a new ore vein is discovered, the reward will be higher."
He pushed the map toward Li Yuan.
"You can have the advance on your Contribution Points now. How much do you want?"
Li Yuan thought for a moment.
’I currently have five hundred Contribution Points on my Protector Token. The cheapest Tier Two Magic costs five hundred and ten, so I’m short ten points.’
’But since I can get an advance, I don’t have to take just ten.’
"Six hundred."
Chen Yi considered for a moment, then nodded.
"It’ll be done in a moment. I’ll transfer six hundred Contribution Points directly to your Token."
Li Yuan was about to stand up, but after a thought, he settled back down.
"Elder Chen, there’s something I’d like to ask."
"Speak."
"The situation with the Demon Sect."
Chen Yi’s movements paused, and he placed the bamboo scroll in his hand on the table.
"Why do you ask?"
"While I was active deep in the Ghost Mist Forest before, I occasionally sensed some unusual aura fluctuations," Li Yuan said. "They weren’t like a Demon Beast, nor a Loose Cultivator."
This wasn’t entirely an excuse. There really were some aura fluctuations in the depths of the Ghost Mist Forest whose origins were hard to discern; Li Yuan just hadn’t looked into them before.
Chen Yi was silent for a few moments before speaking.
"All the Golden Core Stage Cultivators of the Demon Sect have been eliminated. During the joint suppression over a hundred years ago, several Golden Core Ancestors and the Golden Cores from other Sects personally took action, leaving none behind."
He rested his fingers on the tabletop and tapped it lightly twice.
"But there are still some remnants from the Foundation Establishment Stage."
"These people weren’t strong enough back then to be considered primary targets. After the suppression, they scattered and fled. Some ran to other regions, while others are hiding in remote corners, barely surviving."
He turned his gaze out the window.
"The Primordial Yang Sect has been tracking them, but these people are very hard to find. They cultivate demonic techniques, so their auras are very different from orthodox Cultivators. Once they go into hiding, they are difficult to discover unless they reveal themselves."
"Furthermore, the Sect speculates that these Foundation Establishment remnants are receiving support from other factions."
Li Yuan’s gaze shifted slightly. "What kind of factions?"
Chen Yi shook his head.
"We’re not sure. It could be Demon Cultivator factions from other regions, or it could be certain orthodox Sects that have conflicts of interest with the Primordial Yang Sect. In short, someone is secretly providing these remnants with protection and resources."
He lifted his fingers from the table.
"However, these remnants don’t have a strong desire for revenge. They are Demon Sect Cultivators, after all. Why would they seek revenge for their former Sect?"
"Their activities are focused in two main directions. First, they are searching for the armories and treasuries left behind after the Demon Sect’s fall. The Demon Sect operated in this area for over a hundred years and accumulated a vast amount of wealth and resources. During the suppression, there wasn’t time to plunder everything, and many things were hidden in secret places. These remnants have been searching for them ever since."
"Second, cultivating demonic techniques requires a large amount of special resources, and the most convenient way to obtain them is—"
His tone grew heavy.
"Killing. So these remnants occasionally slaughter innocents in remote places."
Li Yuan committed this information to memory.
’Demon Sect remnants. Foundation Establishment Stage. Supported by external factions. Searching for treasuries, killing for Demonic Qi.’
"Understood."
Chen Yi glanced at him. "If you encounter anyone suspicious in the Ghost Mist Forest, don’t engage rashly. Inform the Sect first."
Li Yuan nodded, then rose and left the council hall.
He walked along the main street toward the exchange office.
The exchange office was in a stone house next to the council hall, managed by a Primordial Yang Sect disciple.
Current Contribution Point Balance: 1,100.
Li Yuan opened the exchange list and found the page for Tier Two Magic.
Fire Python Skill. A Tier Two Fire Element attack Magic. Contribution Points: five hundred and ten.
Its power far exceeds the Tier One Fireball Technique. It can condense a large amount of Fire Spiritual Power to form a Fire Python for attack, with a longer range and a larger area of effect.
Wind Escape Skill. A Tier Two Body Technique-type Magic. Contribution Points: five hundred and twenty.
A flight Magic exclusively for Foundation Establishment Cultivators, allowing one to fly through the air at speeds far surpassing the Divine Movement Step.
"These two: the Fire Python Skill and the Wind Escape Skill."
The disciple in charge checked the list, confirmed he had enough Contribution Points, and made an entry in a register.
"The Magic jade slips need to be retrieved from the storehouse. They will be delivered to Senior’s residence in a few hours."
Li Yuan nodded, put away his Token, and returned to his courtyard.
About two hours later, a knock came from the courtyard gate.
A Primordial Yang Sect disciple delivered two jade slips wrapped in brocade.
Li Yuan took the jade slips and placed his finger on each one in turn.
There was no reaction.
Neither of the jade slips had an entry.
Li Yuan put the jade slips away. ’No entries. That’s to be expected; items with entries are rare.’
He took out the Fire Python Skill’s jade slip, infused it with his Divine Sense, and began to study it.
The Spirit Pattern structure of the Fire Python Skill was a level more complex than the Fireball Technique.
But Li Yuan had a foundation from his mastery of the Micro-Control Spiritual Skill, and with the precise control over liquefied Spiritual Power he gained after his Foundation Establishment, it shouldn’t be difficult to get started.
He also went over the Wind Escape Skill’s jade slip. Its principle was simpler than the Fire Python Skill. The core was to condense Spiritual Power at the soles of the feet and around the body to form a supportive layer of Spiritual Power, which was then used to propel oneself in flight. The speed depended on the output of Spiritual Power and the stability of control.
He committed both Magic techniques to memory.
Li Yuan put away the jade slips and headed out toward the south gate.
「Ghost Mist Forest.」
The Spiritual Qi concentration and cultivation environment in the market square couldn’t compare to the Ghost Mist Forest. Deep within the Ghost Mist Forest, the Evil Qi was dense, allowing his Evil Essence Convergence passive effect to operate at full capacity. At the same time, the Spiritual Qi concentration wasn’t low either. Practicing the new Magic there would be far more efficient than in the market square.
He left the city through the south gate, activated his Divine Movement Step, and reached the outskirts of the Ghost Mist Forest in less than four hours.
As he stepped into the thick fog, Evil Essence Convergence activated automatically. Evil Qi gathered from all directions, seeping into his muscles and fascia for Body Tempering, with a portion being converted into Spiritual Power to replenish his Dantian.
Li Yuan walked deeper for a while, found the clearing he had used for cultivation before, and sat down cross-legged.
First, he would practice the Fire Python Skill.
Spiritual Power surged from his Dantian and gathered in his right palm.
Condense, compress, then shape.
The Spiritual Power in his palm began to elongate from a spherical shape, transforming into the shape of a serpent.
On his first attempt, the Spiritual Power dissipated halfway through being elongated. The shaping had failed.
His Great Success in the Fireball Technique meant that condensing Fire Spiritual Power was no problem; the bottleneck was in the shaping. His mastery of the Micro-Control Spiritual Skill gave him sufficient precision in his Spiritual Power control, but switching from a sphere to a serpent required developing a new muscle memory.
Unhurried and unfrustrated, Li Yuan continued to practice.
On his fifth try, a crimson Fire Serpent shot from his palm. It flew for dozens of feet before crashing into a dead tree and exploding.
The dead tree snapped in two, the break charred black.
The power was a huge leap above the Fireball Technique.
A panel popped up.
[Magic: Fire Python Skill — Initiate (0/400)]
’I’ve reached the Initiate level.’
Practicing the Wind Escape Skill also went smoothly. He condensed Spiritual Power at the soles of his feet to form a supporting layer, and his body slowly lifted off the ground.
At first, he could only rise about ten feet high before he started to wobble. The Spiritual Power was distributed unevenly, making him feel like he was standing on a piece of floating ice in mid-air.
After a dozen or so tries, he stabilized himself. He could fly slowly at a height of thirty feet. It wasn’t fast, but at least he wouldn’t fall.
[Magic: Wind Escape Skill — Initiate (0/400)]
’Both Tier Two Magic techniques have reached the Initiate level.’
Li Yuan landed back on the ground, sat cross-legged, and continued to cultivate.
The cultivation environment deep in the Ghost Mist Forest was indeed far superior to the market square. The passive Body Tempering from the Evil Qi, the efficiency of Spiritual Qi absorption, and the tempering of his Divine Soul by Evil Qi—all three progressed simultaneously. Plus, with no one around to disturb him, he could devote himself entirely to cultivation.
’Compared to drawing talismans in my courtyard, receiving guests, and handling trivial matters every day, this is a proper place for cultivation.’
Li Yuan decided to stay and cultivate in the Ghost Mist Forest for a long time. He would only need to return to the market square periodically to handle matters there.
The Evil Spirit Transformation Skill continued to operate during the lulls in his cultivation. The permanent entry for Evil Essence Convergence made the flow of Evil Qi in his body fully automatic. Although the Evil Spirit Transformation Skill was already permanent, the Cultivation Technique’s operational pathways still functioned within his body, and its proficiency continued to accumulate.
After two consecutive days of cultivation, the panel popped up.
[Cultivation Technique: Evil Spirit Transformation Skill — Skilled (200/400)]
The Evil Spirit Transformation Skill had advanced from Initiate to Skilled.
The efficiency of the Evil Qi in tempering his Divine Soul and its boosting effect on his Cultivation both had a perceptible increase. Each time the Evil Qi washed over the nodes of his Divine Soul, it was more precise, and its conversion rate into Spiritual Power as it passed through his meridians was also higher.
Li Yuan continued to cultivate, waiting for the departure time for the ore vein mission in a few days.