Translator: AnubisTL
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Deafening thunder echoed through the deep, dark mine tunnel.
Rain pattered in from the entrance, adding a cold, damp chill to the air.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sharp clang of pickaxes striking rock formed a symphony with the thunder and rain.
Clang!
A brilliant spiritual light suddenly erupted from the Mine Pit, causing the spiritual energy in the heavens and earth to thicken noticeably.
Li Qing's soot-covered face was illuminated by the glow of the spirit stone, his eyes shining with unrestrained joy.
"A mid-grade spirit stone! This mining area is far richer than the previous barren one!"
His words barely faded before Li Qing snatched up the fist-sized spirit stone and began examining it closely.
The mid-grade spirit stone contained an astonishingly dense concentration of spiritual energy, far surpassing that of ordinary spirit stones.
"No wonder one mid-grade spirit stone is worth a hundred low-grade ones! This is a real windfall!"
The exhaustion from seven days of relentless digging, without a moment's rest, vanished instantly with the discovery of this priceless treasure.
Li Qing had to admit, the mining area he'd been assigned was truly exceptional.
Excluding the mid-grade spirit stone, he had already mined 237 spirit stones, far surpassing his previous haul from the poor mining area.
This was all thanks to his incredibly powerful Grandmaster-level physique and the Night Star Pickaxe he had forged himself. Each time its sharp golden light flashed, the rock shattered like tofu.
"I need to work harder. Since I've entered a rich mining area, the number of spirit stones I have to hand over will surely increase. If I get sent back to the poor mining area, it won't be worth it."
With those words, Li Qing began swinging his pickaxe tirelessly, like a diligent old ox.
Clang! Clang!
Each flash of golden light pulverized large quantities of rock.
And so, the final three days of the month in the mining area flew by. Li Qing had once again harvested 120 spirit stones!
Including the mid-grade spirit stone, this time Li Qing had mined a staggering 457 spirit stones—a number that would surely drop countless jaws.
Of course, Li Qing wouldn't hand over all of these spirit stones. He quickly completed a two-realm traversal.
Finally, carrying 107 spirit stones, Li Qing trudged toward the mine tunnel exit as the closing bell rang.
It was still raining in the mining area. When the other miners saw the dark circles under Li Qing's eyes, they were startled.
"Little Brother Li, what happened to you?"
Hearing the question, Li Qing feigned a bashful scratch of his head and replied, "Hehe, just left the poor mining area. I got a bit carried away with the digging in the last few days and didn't get much rest."
"Tsk tsk tsk, you're pushing yourself too hard. I'm not saying this to scold you, but no matter how much spirit stones you earn, it'll never be enough. Your health is what truly matters!" a fellow miner sighed and cautioned him.
"Thank you for the reminder!" Li Qing gratefully clasped his hands in a bow, though inwardly he wasn't taking the advice to heart.
If he were only mining for the Heavenly River Sect and the Liu Clan, Li Qing certainly wouldn't be pushing himself so hard.
But for every three spirit stones he mined, two went straight into his own pocket. Working hard for himself was something he found utterly enjoyable.
No matter how tough or exhausting the work, the thought of the spirit stones filling his pockets kept Li Qing's spirits high.
As he reached the exit for submitting spirit stones, a sudden gasp erupted from the front of the long line:
"Hiss! Is this... spirit gold?"
The Heavenly River Sect disciple responsible for inspecting the miners' harvests was stunned when he saw one miner present his haul.
The words immediately drew the attention of many.
"That's true, but what exactly is this purple spirit gold?"
"They actually unearthed spirit gold alongside the Spirit Stone Mine! Fan Meng, that bastard, truly stumbled upon a stroke of luck."
"Wait a moment... This purple spirit gold looks remarkably like a Thunder Spirit Crystal. I saw it mentioned in an ancient text called the Spirit Material Compendium."
The mention of "Thunder Spirit Crystal" sparked confusion among many, who wondered about its purpose.
The young Heavenly River Sect disciple, his voice trembling slightly, explained, "This is indeed a Thunder Spirit Crystal! It's a divine material used to forge Thunder Dao magic treasures!"
"If a Core Formation True Lord with a Thunder-attribute variant spirit root were to see this, they would stop at nothing to seize it!"
Magic treasures! Core Formation True Lords!
The moment these words were uttered, everyone present gasped in unison.
"Hiss!"
In the next instant, every gaze turned to the Thunder Spirit Crystal, burning with intense desire.
At the same time, they cast envious and jealous glances at the cultivator who had unearthed it, wishing they could immediately take his place.
In the back of the crowd, Li Qing gaped, his eyes burning with a sour envy.
Damn it! Why wasn't it me who dug this up!
Li Qing ground his teeth until they nearly shattered. He had initially thought finding a mid-grade spirit stone was the stroke of a lifetime, but he never imagined someone could be even more fortunate—unearthing a spirit material suitable for crafting magic treasures!
Comparing oneself to others truly could drive one mad with envy!
Fan Meng, the spirit stone miner, now realized the immense value of the irregular purple spirit gold he had unearthed. His face flushed crimson, and he stammered incoherently:
"Little Brother Li, from the upper sect... I'm the one who dug up the Thunder Spirit Crystal! Please don't forget me!"
Fan Meng rubbed his hands together, knowing he couldn't keep the Thunder Spirit Crystal for himself. He hoped to gain some personal benefit from its discovery.
"Rest assured, the Heavenly River Sect is never stingy with those who have contributed. Your name is Fan Meng, right? I'll remember that."
"However, the Thunder Spirit Crystal is a matter of great importance. I must return to the sect immediately to report this."
To ensure mutual oversight, the Heavenly River Sect naturally wouldn't station just one disciple to oversee such a crucial spirit stone mine.
In fact, being stationed at the mine was considered a lucrative position. To prevent corruption and theft, no fewer than five disciples from different factions within the sect were always stationed there.
As soon as the Thunder Spirit Crystal was discovered, the other Heavenly River Sect disciples stationed at the mine immediately gathered around.
"To stumble upon such a rare treasure as the Thunder Spirit Crystal... we've struck it rich!"
"I recall that one of our Ancestors cultivates the Thunder Dao."
"Ancestor Kong! He possesses a Thunder-attribute variant spirit root and his Thunder Dao divine abilities are truly profound. When he hears about the Thunder Spirit Crystal, he'll surely be unable to remain still."
"This matter is of great importance. At least three of us should return to the sect immediately, while the remaining two can handle the affairs of the mine."
Joyful expressions lit up each disciple's face. They knew full well that the Thunder Spirit Crystal would have to be handed over to the sect.
However, the sect would certainly reward them generously. At the very least, they could expect substantial compensation.
A spirit material that even Core Formation True Lords would find useful! If Ancestor Kong was particularly pleased, who knew? Perhaps each of them might even receive a Foundation Establishment Pill as a reward!
Of course, while a single Foundation Establishment Pill wouldn't mean much to a Core Formation True Lord, expecting one for each of them was likely wishful thinking.
At the very least, everyone would receive a share of contribution points—which they could later use to exchange for Foundation Establishment Pills within the sect.
Li Qing watched the Heavenly River Sect disciples quickly tally their rewards, his heart filled with envy.
This was the advantage of joining a sect: even though they hadn't been the ones to unearth the Thunder Spirit Crystal, they were guaranteed to receive the lion's share of the rewards.
As for Fan Meng, the spirit mine worker, he would likely only receive some compensation in the form of spirit stones afterward.
What exactly he would be compensated with depended entirely on how greedy the Heavenly River Sect was.
Thinking this, Li Qing sighed inwardly.
If he had unearthed such spirit gold, he would never have turned it over to the sect. He would have hidden it in the World of Eternal Night immediately.
Even if he couldn't identify it, he wouldn't let the Heavenly River Sect profit from it.
For the rest of the day, everyone's mood was mixed. Even the joy of the harvest had faded somewhat.
After the Liu Clan's spirit mine workers had finished handing over their spirit stones, Liu Haitian, the team leader, approached them, his eyes gleaming with delight.
"Hahaha, Fan Meng, Fan Meng, you've done a great job this time! You've earned a huge merit! When we return to the clan, I'll report this to the Clan Head!" Liu Haitian patted Fan Meng on the shoulder.
Suddenly, everyone remembered that the Liu Clan's triennial Clan Festival was just around the corner.
The Liu Clan would invite many guests to attend, including a large delegation from the Heavenly River Sect.
The discovery of the Thunder Spirit Crystal today had actually earned the Liu Clan a great favor with the Heavenly River Sect!
Thinking this, Li Qing couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity for Fan Meng.
The guy had probably used up a lifetime's worth of luck to dig up that Thunder Spirit Crystal, only to have his reward siphoned off at every turn.
Not only would the Heavenly River Sect disciples who had been present earlier take their share, but the Liu Clan itself would also demand a cut.
"What a bunch of bloodsuckers," Li Qing muttered inwardly, then dismissed the matter from his mind.
It had nothing to do with him anyway. He weighed the ten mid-grade spirit stones he had received after handing over his one hundred and seven, and shook his head indifferently.
Forget it. I'll just focus on living my own life. Whatever others earn has nothing to do with me.
(End of the Chapter)
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