164: Thunder Crystal Cave

The Black Bear Spirit walked forward hunched over. The cave entrance was too low, so it could only keep its head down, its furry back rubbing against the stone with a rustling sound.

Shen Xiaochuan followed half a step behind, his right hand on his saber hilt, ready to act at any moment. His left hand touched the copper gear pendant in his sleeve; the pendant was a bit hot, as if it had just been taken out of a furnace.

"How much longer?" he asked.

"Soon," the Black Bear Spirit said in a low voice. "Once we pass through this crack, we'll be in the main hall."

The wind blew from ahead, cold and harsh, carrying a metallic scent of rust. Shen Xiaochuan squinted, seeing small blue points of light begin to appear on the stone walls on both sides, flickering slightly brighter than fireflies. He raised his hand to shield his eyes, not yet adjusted to the light.

He stared at the Black Bear Spirit's back. "Aren't you afraid of light?"

The Black Bear Spirit didn't look back, saying dully, "It's the Thunder Crystals. The further in we go, the brighter it gets; my head can't take it. I can go this far at most; any further is truly impossible."

Shen Xiaochuan sneered. "The contract states that if you disobey orders, you die. Want to try it now?"

The Black Bear Spirit's body stiffened, its ears twitched, and it stopped in its tracks.

"I'm not trying to escape," it said quietly. "I'm just reminding you that there's more than just ore inside."

"What else?"

"I don't know." The Black Bear Spirit slowly turned its head, its eyes yellow and pupils narrowing into thin lines. "I've smelled the scent of very old blood, and... something very heavy, so heavy it makes it hard to breathe."

Shen Xiaochuan looked at it for two seconds, then stepped around it and walked ahead.

"Keep up," he said. "Don't make me come back for you."

The Black Bear Spirit lowered its head, tail tucked against its legs, and silently followed.

The crack ahead suddenly widened, and the ceiling opened up to reveal a massive cavern. The top was out of sight, and the surrounding stone walls were densely embedded with fist-sized blue crystals. A layer of grayish-white powder covered the ground, crunching underfoot. In the center was a natural stone platform with a fissure that emitted a faint blue light, occasionally spitting out half-foot-high electrical sparks.

Shen Xiaochuan stood at the entrance without moving. In his mind, the Faith Mall was running automatically, his balance steadily rising by 3 points every second. He closed his eyes and summoned the System interface, tapping in the air.

[High-grade resource point detected: Thunder Crystal Vein]

[Rank: Level 5 Field]

[Attribute: Lightning-type Infinite Refresh]

[Strategic Rating: S]

[Suggested Action: Take over immediately]

He opened his eyes, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly.

"You said you've never been inside?" He looked back at the Black Bear Spirit.

"No," the Black Bear Spirit shook its head. "I occupied the den outside; I didn't dare touch this place."

"Yet you know it's valuable."

"A patrol came once and took a few stones. The next day, they were charred black and died on the road. After that, no one dared to enter."

Shen Xiaochuan nodded and walked forward. His feet left a trail of footprints in the powder. Reaching the stone platform, he crouched down and reached out to touch the blue light in the fissure.

As soon as his fingers touched it, an electric current surged up, heading straight for his forehead. He frowned but didn't pull back; instead, he pressed down firmly.

*Hum—*

The entire cave shook. The blue crystals in all directions lit up simultaneously, and electric snakes danced wildly on the walls. Shen Xiaochuan's hand was pressed against the fissure, his whole body illuminated in a bluish hue, but his gaze remained steady and unchanged.

"It can be mined," he said in a low voice. "Infinite refresh, high purity, can be used directly."

He withdrew his hand, shook his numbed fingertips, and turned to look at the Black Bear Spirit.

"Relinquish your occupation."

"What?"

"Renounce your ownership of this land now," Shen Xiaochuan said calmly. "The System needs to recognize a master, and the original owner must actively terminate the agreement."

The Black Bear Spirit was stunned. "You mean... this cave is mine?"

"You've lived here for three months, killed people, and received offerings; you haven't lost out," Shen Xiaochuan looked at it. "Now I want it. Hand it over."

The Black Bear Spirit lowered its head, and the rune on its forehead began to heat up. A few seconds later, it grinned, revealing white teeth.

"Aren't you afraid I'll play tricks?"

"You wouldn't dare," Shen Xiaochuan said. "The contract clearly states: disobedience means death. If you want to live, you must be obedient."

The Black Bear Spirit grunted, pressed its right hand to its chest, closed its eyes, and muttered something unintelligible. The rune on its forehead flashed, and a wisp of black Qi was drawn from its body, flying toward the stone platform and sinking into the fissure.

*Boom!*

The cave shook violently, all the Thunder Crystals burst with light, and a thick arc of electricity struck down from the air onto the stone platform, exploding into a shower of blue sparks.

[System Prompt: Unowned Level 5 Field detected. Take over?]

[Yes / No]

Shen Xiaochuan reached out and tapped "Yes" in the air.

[Takeover successful]

[Obtained incense value: 400]

[New resource point: Thunder Crystal Vein (Level 5 Field)]

[Mining permissions enabled]

He took a deep breath, feeling the faith points flow faster within him. Although it was only 400 more points, this was just the beginning. The real benefits were yet to come.

The Black Bear Spirit looked up, looking confused. "You made me do that?"

Shen Xiaochuan countered, "Otherwise? Did you want to just sit there and watch me work?"

The Black Bear Spirit grit its teeth but didn't resist. It walked to the rock wall and used its claws to scratch three deep marks that extended into the depths.

"This side is the densest, but there's a lot of electricity. This side is steady with average yield. Over there..." It pointed to a narrow path on the left. "It's deep, and I don't know if there are forks, but the energy is the strongest."

Shen Xiaochuan walked over to inspect them one by one. The Thunder Crystals on each vein shimmered with a cold light, their surfaces covered in fine lines. He tapped them; the sound was crisp.

"Just these three. Start work immediately."

He closed his eyes and mobilized the squad of Believers outside. Twenty basic Believers were already waiting at the mountain pass, carrying toolkits—insulated pickaxes, anti-electric gloves, and storage boxes.

"Target: Thunder Crystal Cave," he ordered in his mind. "Follow the markers once you're inside. Mine the middle one first. Leave once you've filled up. Work in shifts; no more than two hours per person."

With the order sent, he opened his eyes.

"You stay at the cave entrance," he said to the Black Bear Spirit. "When they arrive, bring them to the stone platform to report."

"I can't go in?"

"Your eyes can't handle the bright light; who's to blame if you go blind?" Shen Xiaochuan said indifferently. "Besides, I don't believe you haven't kept something up your sleeve. You'll be fine watching from outside."

The Black Bear Spirit didn't speak. It slowly retreated into the shadows of the cave entrance, crouched down, and lowered its head like a stone guardian beast.

Shen Xiaochuan stood by the stone platform and waited.

Before long, footsteps were heard. The first batch of Believers had arrived. The leader was a tall, thin man wearing goggles and a thick coat, carrying an insulated pickaxe.

"My Lord!" He immediately stood at attention upon seeing Shen Xiaochuan.

"Follow the plan." Shen Xiaochuan pointed to the three markers. "Mine the middle one first. Be careful, and don't come back empty-handed."

"Yes!"

The Believers dispersed, following the markers toward the veins. Some put on gloves and carefully chipped away Thunder Crystals with their pickaxes. The excavated stones were placed in wooden boxes lined with sackcloth and wax paper to prevent electrical discharge.

The first box was filled in less than ten minutes.

"Good efficiency," Shen Xiaochuan thought.

He walked over and opened a box to inspect it. The Thunder Crystals varied in size; the smallest were like fingernails, while the largest were the size of a fist. All were very bright, vibrating slightly at the bottom of the box.

"These things will be useful for many things in the future," he whispered.

Controllable nuclear fusion required high-purity energy cores, and Thunder Crystals were one of the best Materials for it. He had already eyed the blueprints in the mall; he just lacked the resources.

The second batch of Believers also entered, their lines orderly and movements skilled. No one spoke, and no one slacked off. Shen Xiaochuan stood in the middle of the stone platform, watching them work and thinking about the next step.

"Once production stabilizes, a transfer station needs to be built," he thought. "And get a few anti-electric carts to transport things faster."

He suddenly asked, "What are you listening to?"

The Black Bear Spirit looked up. "There's... a sound inside."

"What sound?"

"Doesn't sound human," it shook its head. "Like... the stones are making noise."

Shen Xiaochuan frowned and didn't respond. He walked to the rock wall and pressed his hand against it. The vibration was more noticeable than before, like something was pulsing underground with a rhythm like a heartbeat.

"The vein is very active," he judged. "It might be self-charging."

He returned to the stone platform and watched the first group carry the boxes out. On the way, someone touched the rock wall, their hand went numb, and they almost fell, but they quickly regained their footing and continued.

"Have them wear full protective gear," he ordered. "Gloves, goggles, insulated boots—not a single piece missing. If one person gets hurt, I'll hold the captain responsible."

The Believer acknowledged and left.

Shen Xiaochuan stood still, looking at the entire cave. The blue light shone on his face, and a faint golden light occasionally flashed in his eyes. His faith points increased by 3 every second, rising continuously.

"This is only the beginning," he said softly.

With the Thunder Crystal mine, there was a stable source of high-grade resources. Next, he could upgrade the Divine Kingdom, strengthen the Believers, and even jumpstart the technology tree early.

He walked to the middle vein and saw a Believer prying a large crystal stuck in a crack. After a few taps, the crystal loosened and exploded with a *pop*, sparks flying everywhere. The Believer quickly retreated, the edges of his gloves scorched black.

"Change tools," Shen Xiaochuan said. "Use a Shock Hammer; don't pry it forcefully."

The Believer nodded and ran to get the new equipment.

Shen Xiaochuan stared at the crack, lost in thought.

"This mine... might be even deeper than I imagined."

He touched his copper gear pendant and turned toward the stone platform.

"Notify the second batch to add more people," he ordered in his mind. "Starting tomorrow, twenty-four-hour shifts. I want the output doubled."

With the order sent, he stood by the stone platform without moving.

Believers came and went, boxes were constantly filled and transported away. Only the sound of pickaxes hitting stone, the crackle of electricity, and the crunch of footsteps on the powder remained in the cave.

The Black Bear Spirit glanced at him from the cave entrance and then lowered its head again.

Shen Xiaochuan stood in the center of the blue light, his long shadow cast against the wall, motionless.