Su Zhan wanted to continue studying the mysterious black mark, but a sudden growl from his stomach interrupted him.
"Eat first. Xiao Hei, tomorrow's mining will depend on you!"
This black shadow clone of his was incredible—it never got tired, never felt pain. It was the perfect tool for mining.
To make things easier, Su Zhan gave the clone a simple nickname.
Xiao Hei tilted his head in confusion, as if asking: "Why this name?"
Su Zhan chuckled, dismissed the clone, and stepped out of the dilapidated wooden hut, heading toward the market near the mines.
⸻
The mine market was as chaotic as ever.
This mine was enormous—what Su Zhan had seen during the day was just the tip of the iceberg. The exchange house with the long queue of thousands was only one of many.
In truth, this entire mining zone held tens of thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands of people. And the numbers kept rising.
One could only imagine how many unlucky souls had been thrown into this ghost-infested place.
"Boss, one bowl of noodles!"
Su Zhan had eaten the same tasteless noodles for nearly a month now. He was sick of them. But in a place like this, survival mattered more than taste.
Just as the noodles were being prepared, Su Zhan felt a sharp gaze on him.
He looked up and saw a man sitting across the noodle stall. His clothes were torn, just like everyone else's, but it was those narrow, triangular eyes that stood out.
The man smiled mockingly, showing a mouthful of yellow, crooked teeth. His expression was filled with disdain and ridicule.
Su Zhan's eyes turned cold.
Li Lichang.
Not only had they been captured together and thrown into this mine, but they had also once been friends—fellow villagers from the same hometown.
Su Zhan's journey in this world had begun in Clear Breeze Village, a remote place with just over a thousand people.
With no parents, no relatives, and no system to rely on, Su Zhan barely managed to survive with the help of kind-hearted villagers.
Luckily, he soon displayed remarkable cultivation talent. While others were still struggling to enter the Mortal Realm, Su Zhan had already reached Mortal Realm, First Stage, easily becoming known as a "genius" among the villagers—a promising youth with "the potential to become an inner disciple."
As a genius, how could he not join a sect and prove himself?
So, Su Zhan led a group of hopeful young men and women to the Sun Sect, the largest sect in the area, to try their luck in becoming disciples.
On the way, Li Lichang was extremely flattering, always sticking close to him. Su Zhan—naive and unguarded—was touched by the loyalty, thinking that if he passed, he would take Li Lichang with him.
But reality hit hard.
Outside their tiny village, Su Zhan's "genius" talent meant little. Tens of thousands of youths gathered each year for a shot at the Sun Sect.
Many of them were stronger than him—second stage, third stage, even fourth!
Su Zhan didn't even pass the first round of tests.
But Li Lichang? He did.
He'd broken through to the First Stage just in time—and everything changed.
He stopped flattering Su Zhan and started mocking him. He found a new group, joined their whispers, and began pointing fingers at Su Zhan behind his back.
At that point, Su Zhan didn't hate him—but he was thoroughly disappointed.
Later, while returning, their group was ambushed by a cultivator at the Sixth Stage of the Mortal Realm.
Claiming that "only the strong deserve to live," the man forced those who hadn't reached the First Stage to fight each other to the death.
What followed was a bloodbath. The teenagers who hadn't reached the First Stage were forced to fight each other to the death.
The fear. The despair. The screaming.
Ironically, it pushed many to break through. Desperation ignited hidden potential. Some of those who failed the sect's test advanced right there, in the mud, with blood on their hands.
It was the first true nightmare Su Zhan experienced in this world.