91: Chapter 91 Forbidden Zone Rumors, Primordial Ancient Mine

The fifth morning after the victory banquet.

Chaos Valley, third floor of the power hall, combat command room.

On the massive sand table, the terrain of the seven major city regions of the Eastern Wasteland was clearly displayed. Blue flags representing the Heavenly Court were planted across the entire Yan State, while the other six states—Chu, Qi, Han, Zhao, Wei, and Qin—were marked with flags of various colors, symbolizing different player factions.

Beside the sand table stood Lin Ye, Qin Ruoxue, Lu Ming, and Zhao Wuji.

"The movements of the Six Kingdoms Alliance have been basically confirmed." Qin Ruoxue pointed to the markers on the sand table. "Chu State's 'Chu Alliance' leader Chu Bawang, Qi State's 'Qitian Assembly' leader Qi Huan, Han State's 'Han Wang Sect' Sect Master Han Fei, Zhao State's 'Zhao Chamber of Commerce' leader Zhao She, Wei State's 'Wei Wu Soldier' commander Wei Wuji, and Qin State's 'Great Qin Iron Cavalry' commander Ying Zheng—these six people met in Zhongzhou City three days ago and signed the 'Six Kingdoms Alliance Treaty'."

She pulled up a Jade Slip and projected the contents of the treaty above the sand table:

[Six Kingdoms Alliance Treaty (Excerpt)]

1. The six state factions form a defensive alliance; if any party is attacked, the other five must provide reinforcements within twenty-four hours.

2. Establish a joint defense fund, with each party contributing 500,000 Spirit Stones annually for border defense and intelligence network construction.

3. Establish a joint military headquarters and hold regular joint exercises to improve coordinated combat capabilities.

4. In response to recent changes in the Eastern Wasteland situation (specifically the rise of the Yan State Heavenly Court), the six states will adopt a unified stance and take joint action when necessary to maintain regional balance.

5. The treaty is valid for three years and can be renewed upon expiration.

"A very formal treaty." Lu Ming frowned. "It seems they really feel threatened."

"500,000 Spirit Stones a year, that's three million for the six states." Zhao Wuji calculated. "This money is enough for them to assemble an elite force of five thousand, or purchase a large amount of war supplies."

Lin Ye's expression was calm. "As expected. The Heavenly Court unifying the Yan State has broken the balance of power in the Eastern Wasteland. If the six states don't unite, they will sooner or later be picked off one by one. They have simply made a wise choice."

"Then how should we respond?" Qin Ruoxue asked. "According to the Heavenly Secret Pavilion's intelligence model, the total strength of the Six Kingdoms Alliance exceeds 30,000, and there are over two hundred experts in the Four Extremities Realm. And we... at most, five thousand people, with fewer than thirty in the Four Extremities Realm."

A troop ratio of six to one, and a high-end combat power ratio of seven to one.

If the six states really joined forces to attack, the Heavenly Court would find it difficult to resist, even relying on the Yan State's defense lines.

"They won't start a war easily." Lin Ye shook his head. "The first clause of the treaty is a defensive alliance, not an offensive one. This means that unless we take the initiative to attack one of them, they will not collectively declare war on us."

"But the fourth clause..." Qin Ruoxue was worried.

"The fourth clause is a vague provision that gives them room to maneuver." Lin Ye analyzed. "'Take joint action when necessary'—what is necessary? The standard is set by them. This is more of a deterrent than a clear threat of war."

He paused. "Of course, deterrence can also turn into actual action. So we must prepare in two ways."

"First, strengthen the Yan State's defense lines. Build fortifications at important border passes, set up early warning Formations, and organize rapid response units."

"Second, divide and conquer. The six states cannot be monolithic; there must be contradictions and conflicts of interest. The Heavenly Secret Pavilion must make every effort to gather intelligence in this regard and find a Breakthrough."

"Third, and most importantly—" Lin Ye looked at everyone. "We must rapidly increase our strength. As long as the Heavenly Court is strong enough, strong enough to make the Six Kingdoms Alliance dare not act rashly, they will naturally retreat."

"Increase strength..." Zhao Wuji smiled bitterly. "Boss, this takes time. Although we now have a cultivation treasure land like Chaos Valley, it takes at least a month to Cultivate an expert in the Four Extremities Realm. What about five hundred? Five thousand? How long would that take?"

"That's why we need more resources, more Opportunities." Lin Ye said. "Conventional cultivation is too slow; we must find 'shortcuts'."

"Shortcuts?" Lu Ming was thoughtful. "Does the leader mean... Secret Realms? Ruins? Or Forbidden Grounds?"

"All of them." Lin Ye nodded. "In the world of the covering the heavens era, there are countless Opportunities hidden. As long as we can find and successfully obtain them, we can make the Heavenly Court's strength skyrocket in a short time."

He looked at Qin Ruoxue. "Pavilion Master Qin, has the Heavenly Secret Pavilion found any valuable leads recently?"

Qin Ruoxue perked up. "Yes! And it's a very significant discovery!"

She walked to the sand table, zoomed in on the Eastern Wasteland map, and pointed to an area at the border between the northern Yan State and the Burial Heaven Mountain Range.

There was a black skull mark there, with four characters written in ancient seal script next to it—Primal Ancient Mine.

"Primal Ancient Mine?" Lu Ming's pupils shrank. "One of the seven major life Forbidden Grounds? Isn't that place always closed?"

"Yes." Qin Ruoxue nodded. "In the three months since the server opened, the Primal Ancient Mine has been shrouded in dense 'Chaos Fog'. Any player who tried to enter would lose their way and eventually be teleported out for no reason. There were even rumors that intruders would be cursed, with their Rank permanently lowered."

"But just yesterday, the situation changed."

She pulled up a few recording Jade Slips and projected the images into the air.

The images showed the outskirts of the Primal Ancient Mine. It was originally covered by thick gray fog, with visibility of less than ten zhang. But now, the fog was dissipating at a speed visible to the naked eye, revealing the scene behind—

A desolate and ancient land.

The ground was dark red, as if stained by blood for millions of years. Sparse black strange rocks stood like tombstones, and some twisted, glowing plants grew in the crevices of the stones. Further away, the entrance to a mine could be vaguely seen, pitch black, as if leading to the depths of the earth.

"The fog is dissipating quickly." Qin Ruoxue said. "According to observations by Heavenly Secret Pavilion scouts, the fog covered a radius of one hundred miles at noon yesterday, and by this morning, it had retreated to within thirty miles of the Ancient Mine's core area. At this rate, the outskirts of the Ancient Mine will be completely exposed in at most three days."

"Why is it dissipating suddenly?" Zhao Wuji asked.

"The reason is unknown." Qin Ruoxue shook her head. "But according to ancient records, the fog of the Primal Ancient Mine dissipates once every hundred years, each time lasting about a month. During this period, Cultivators can enter the Ancient Mine to explore and search for Opportunities."

She paused. "And this year happens to be the 'hundred-year period' recorded in the ancient books."

A sharp light flashed in Lin Ye's eyes.

Primal Ancient Mine... He certainly knew this place.

In his past life memories, the Primal Ancient Mine was one of the most important large-scale dungeons in the early stage of the covering the heavens era. It not only produced various rare Materials but also offered the possibility of obtaining ancient Legacies, and even... clues to the Great Emperor's ruins.

More importantly, the Ancient Mine was rich in a special resource called 'primordial life stone'.

[primordial life stone (Legendary)]

[Type: Heaven and Earth Wonder / Cultivation Resource]

[Description: A magical Ore born in the depths of the Primal Ancient Mine, containing the Origin Qi of the primal beginning. Because it contains fragments of the Law of Life, it cannot be synthesized artificially and is only naturally generated in special areas of the Ancient Mine.]

[Attributes: All Attribute Resistance +10%, Life Recovery Speed +50%]

[Special Effect (Refinement): 1. Direct absorption can permanently increase the upper limit of Qi and Blood (Upper limit +20%); 2. As a main material for refining Medicinal Pills, it can refine 'life spring divine fluid' (significantly increases the cultivation speed of the Dao Palace Realm); 3. Dao Palace Realm Cultivators refining it can assist in opening the Divine Storehouse and breaking through Bottlenecks.]

[Rarity: Legendary]

[Known Origin: Primal Ancient Mine (Core Area), Ancient Ruins (extremely small amount unearthed)]

The primordial life stone was exactly what Lin Ye needed most right now!

He had opened the Divine Heart Palace (Fire) and the Divine Spleen Palace (Earth), and the next one to open was the Divine Liver Palace (Wood). Although he already had the Wood Element Divine Stone from the Five Elements Divine Stones, to open it perfectly, he needed more Wood-type Origin and Life Energy.

And the primordial life stone just happened to contain rich fragments of the Law of Life, which would be of great help in opening the Liver Palace.

More importantly, the Life Stone could be used to refine 'life spring divine fluid'—this Medicinal Pill could significantly increase the cultivation speed of the Dao Palace Realm. If mass-produced, the number of Heavenly Court's Four Extremities Realm experts would skyrocket in a short time!

"The opening of the Primal Ancient Mine is our Opportunity." Lin Ye said in a deep voice. "But it is also everyone's Opportunity. The Six Kingdoms Alliance will definitely send people in, as well as factions from other major cities, and even... NPC factions like the Yaoguang Holy Land."

"The competition will be very intense." Lu Ming frowned. "And the Ancient Mine is full of dangers, not only with powerful Yao Beasts and ancient creatures but also with various natural traps and Restrictions. According to ancient records, every time the Ancient Mine opens, the mortality rate of those who enter exceeds 50%."

"Wealth is sought in danger." Lin Ye made his decision. "The Heavenly Court must participate, and we must take the lead."

He looked at Qin Ruoxue. "Can the Heavenly Secret Pavilion get a map of the Ancient Mine?"

"Yes, but it's incomplete." Qin Ruoxue took out a yellowed sheepskin map and spread it on the table.

The map was very rough, only depicting about one-tenth of the outskirts of the Ancient Mine. It marked some basic terrain: mine entrances, abandoned mine shafts, Ore distribution points, danger zones, etc.

[Item: Primal Ancient Mine Map · Outskirts (Incomplete Manual)]

[Type: Special Item / Map]

[Description: A map of the Primal Ancient Mine's outskirts drawn by an ancient adventurer, very old, some information may have changed.]

[Effect: Use in the corresponding area to unlock the map fog and mark known resource points and danger points.]

[Manual Completeness: 15%]

[Marked Points: Mine Entrances (3 known), Abandoned Mine Shafts x 12, primordial life stone Vein (suspected, unconfirmed), Danger Zones (marked with skull x 7)]

"Only 15% completeness..." Zhao Wuji clicked his tongue. "How is this any different from a blind man touching an elephant?"

"Better than nothing." Lin Ye said. "Besides, we can explore it ourselves and supplement the map information."

He looked at the System interface—just now, when Qin Ruoxue displayed the map, the System prompt had popped up:

[System Prompt: You have obtained 'Primal Ancient Mine Map · Outskirts (Incomplete Manual)', triggering the hidden quest chain 'Mystery of the Primal Ancient Mine'.]

[Quest chain opened.]

[Phase 1: Initial Exploration of the Ancient Mine]

[Quest Description: The fog of the Primal Ancient Mine has dissipated, and the Forbidden Ground is open. As the first faction to discover this change, you have obtained priority exploration rights. Please organize an elite team to enter the outskirts of the Ancient Mine, explore at least three marked points, and collect relevant information.]

[Quest Requirements: 1. Explore Ancient Mine outskirts marked points (0/3); 2. Collect primordial life stone samples (0/1); 3. Draw new map areas (at least 10% completeness).]

[Quest Rewards: Experience +1,000,000, Reputation +5,000, primordial life stone x 3, Ancient Mine Map Completeness +5%.]

[Recommended Rank: 45+]

[Quest Number Limit: 5-10 people]

"Quest chain..." Lin Ye's eyes lit up.

A hidden quest chain meant more phases and more rewards later. If he could complete the entire chain, the harvest would be immeasurable.

"Organize an elite team." Lin Ye ordered. "Keep the number of people within ten, and the Rank no lower than 45. I will lead the team personally."

"Boss, you're going?" Chen Hao pushed the door open and happened to hear this. "That's too dangerous! You are the leader of the Heavenly Court; if something happens..."

"It is precisely because I am the leader that I must go." Lin Ye interrupted him. "The Opportunity of the Primal Ancient Mine is related to the future development of the Heavenly Court. I must grasp it personally."

He looked at everyone. "The team members are tentatively decided: myself, Su Qingyue, Chen Hao, Shi Potian, Lu Ming, Qin Ruoxue. Six people, with a reasonable job balance. In addition, select four of the most elite members from the four major legions as supplements."

"Pavilion Master Qin is responsible for intelligence and map drawing, Brother Lu is responsible for breaking Formations and identifying traps, Shi Potian is responsible for frontal assault, Chen Hao is responsible for long-range support, and Qingyue is responsible for crowd control and healing. I am responsible for... dealing with the most troublesome enemies."

The division of labor was clear.

"Then I want to go too!" Zhao Wuji said anxiously. "Although my combat power is not good, I can be responsible for logistics! Ancient Mine exploration requires a lot of supplies, I can..."

"You stay in the Chaos Valley." Lin Ye shook his head. "The Ancient Mine is too dangerous, you are not suitable to go. Besides, someone needs to sit in the Yan State. The Six Kingdoms Alliance is eyeing us covetously, we cannot have all our core members leave."

Zhao Wuji wanted to say more, but seeing Lin Ye's firm gaze, he finally sighed. "Okay... then you must be careful."

"I'll leave the supply preparation to you." Lin Ye said. "Prepare exploration supplies for ten people according to the highest standards. The focus is: Evil-Warding Talismans, Detoxification Pills, lighting tools, mining picks, and... Substitute Death Talismans."

"Substitute Death Talismans?" Zhao Wuji's face bittered. "That stuff is priceless and hard to find! The five we bought last time have already been used up, and now they can't be bought on the black market at all..."

"Do your best." Lin Ye said. "If there are no Substitute Death Talismans, prepare other life-saving items. In short, safety first."

"Understood!" Zhao Wuji gritted his teeth. "Even if I have to smash the pots and sell the iron, I will get the best equipment for you!"

Over the next two days, the entire Heavenly Court entered a high-speed operating state again.

Zhao Wuji almost turned the chamber of commerce warehouse upside down and urgently purchased through various channels, finally gathering the top exploration equipment for ten people:

[Exploration Equipment List (For Ten People)]

[Armor: Earth Vein Armor x 10 (Rare Grade, Defense +600, Curse Resistance +20%, Yin Qi Resistance +25%)]

[Weapon: Evil-Breaking Blade x 4 (Fine Grade, Damage to Yin Evil Creatures +30%), Elemental Staff x 3 (Fine Grade, Spell Power +20%), Mining Pick x 3 (Fine Grade, Mining Speed +50%)]

[Accessories: Evil-Warding Jade Pendant x 10 (Fine Grade, Mental Attack Resistance +15%), Illumination Pearl x 10 (Rare Grade, can provide continuous lighting for 12 hours, range of thirty zhang)]

[Consumables: Advanced Blood Recovery Pill x 200 (Restores 3000 Qi and Blood per second, lasts for 10 seconds), Advanced spirit recovery pill x 200 (Restores 2500 Divine Power per second, lasts for 10 seconds), Universal Detoxification Pill x 100, Evil-Expelling Talisman x 500, Burst Talisman x 200, Earth Escape Talisman x 50 (Can escape ten zhang underground, lasts for 30 seconds)]

[Special Items: Substitute Death Talisman x 2 (Legendary Grade, resurrects immediately after death, restores 30% status), Positioning Teleportation Talisman x 10 (Can teleport to preset coordinates, maximum distance of 100 miles)]

[Total Cost: Approx. 200,000 Spirit Stones]

"The two Substitute Death Talismans were bought from a mysterious merchant at three times the price through special channels." Zhao Wuji handed the two golden-glowing Talismans to Lin Ye. "That's all I could get."

Lin Ye took the Substitute Death Talismans, feeling the majestic life energy contained within, and nodded. "Thank you for your hard work."

On the other side, Qin Ruoxue was also collecting intelligence with all her might.

The Heavenly Secret Pavilion sent out three reconnaissance teams, risking approaching the outskirts of the Primal Ancient Mine, and brought back more detailed information:

[Primal Ancient Mine Outskirts Intelligence (Latest)]

[1. Environmental Characteristics]

1. The fog dissipation area has expanded to fifty miles in the outskirts of the Ancient Mine, and the fog in the core area is still thick.

2. The air in the outskirts is permeated with a faint 'Chaos Spiritual Qi' (different from regular Spiritual Qi, with corrosive properties), and prolonged exposure will lead to a slow decrease in attributes (expected to be -1% to all attributes per day).

3. The ground soil is dark red, containing trace amounts of 'Blood Fiend Qi', which will cause illusion interference to those with weak willpower.

4. Plants are scarce, all are mutated varieties, and some are aggressive.

[2. Biological Distribution]

5. Seven types of Yao Beast populations have been discovered, ranging from level 45-55, including: Cave Demon Spider (gregarious), Petrified Lizard (powerful individual), Ghost Wolf (spirit type), and Gold-Eater Rat (numerous), etc.

6. Traces of activity suspected to be from "Primordial Creatures" (claw marks, scales, etc.) have been found, but no entities have been sighted.

7. Low, deep roars occasionally emanate from the direction of the core area, estimating the presence of powerful creatures above level 60.

[III. Resource Points]

8. Three "star iron Ore" deposits (Grade 3 Artifact Refining Materials) have been confirmed, with medium reserves.

9. Two "Nether Grass" growth areas have been discovered (Grade 4 Alchemy Materials, can be used to refine anti-curse Medicinal Pills).

10. According to energy fluctuation detection, a "primordial life stone" vein may exist deep within the Primal Ancient Mine, but deep exploration is required to confirm.

[IV. Movements of Other Factions]

11. The Six Kingdoms Alliance has dispatched a vanguard team and is currently establishing a temporary camp thirty miles outside the Primal Ancient Mine. Each country has about fifty people, totaling three hundred people, with an average level of 46.

12. Cultivators from the Yaoguang Holy Land have been spotted, but their movements are secretive and their objective is unknown.

13. A small number of independent players and small-to-medium guild teams have been discovered, but the scale is not large.

"The Six Kingdoms Alliance is moving fast," Lin Ye said after reading the intelligence. "A vanguard team of three hundred—they are looking to seize territory."

"They wouldn't dare to go deep," Qin Ruoxue analyzed. "The dangers inside the Primal Ancient Mine are unknown; if a large force enters, it's easy to be wiped out. They will likely establish a stronghold on the outskirts first, then send small, elite groups to explore deeper."

"Then we will bypass their stronghold and go straight in," Lin Ye said. "Our goal is the primordial life stone, not fighting them for territory."

"But..." Qin Ruoxue hesitated. "Going straight in is too dangerous. According to the map, the primordial life stone vein might be in the middle layer of the Primal Ancient Mine, which is a distribution area for monsters at least level 50 or higher."

"That's why we need to form an elite team," Lin Ye said with a firm gaze. "Ten people, high mobility, small target, we can avoid most dangers. As long as we don't run into large-scale beast herds or Primordial Creatures, it should be fine."

He looked at Lu Ming: "Brother Lu, do you have any suggestions regarding Formations?"

Lu Ming pondered and said: "The environment in the Primal Ancient Mine is filled with chaotic Spiritual Qi, which will interfere with conventional Formations. I suggest preparing three sets of Formations: First, the 'Jingchen Formation' (to purify the erosion of chaotic Spiritual Qi); second, the 'Concealment Formation' (to hide aura and tracks); third, the 'Early Warning Formation' (to sense danger in advance)."

"Additionally, I need some special Formation Materials—'Star Stabilizing Stones' (to stabilize Formation nodes), 'Clearmind Wood' (to resist illusions), and 'Barrier Breaking Powder' (to crack natural Restrictions)."

"The Chamber of Commerce warehouse should have some of these Materials," Zhao Wuji said, flipping through the ledger. "I can urgently procure what is missing, but the price will be high..."

"Buy it," Lin Ye decided. "When exploring the Primal Ancient Mine, Formations are a key investment; we cannot skimp on them."

"Understood!"

Preparations were carried out in full swing.

On the morning of the third day, the exploration team was officially formed.

In addition to the six core members designated by Lin Ye, four of the most elite warriors were selected from the four major legions:

From the Azure Dragon Legion, "Tieshan" (Level 48, Shield Warrior, deputy to Wang Iron Pillar, known for defense).

From the White Tiger Legion, "Shadow Killer" (Level 47, Assassin, Personal Disciple of Shadow Blade, skilled in reconnaissance and assassination).

From the Vermilion Bird Legion, "Flame Dance" (Level 46, Fire Mage, younger sister of Fire Dance, skilled in Spell manipulation).

From the Black Tortoise Legion, "Holy Light" (Level 47, Paladin, Junior Brother of Iron Wall, skilled in healing and buffs).

A ten-person team, all over level 46, with perfect class composition.

[Exploration Team "Heavenly Court Vanguard" successfully formed]

[Average Level: 46.7]

[Class Composition: Melee x3 (Lin Ye, Shi Potian, Tieshan), Assassin x1 (Shadow Killer), Mage x3 (Su Qingyue, Flame Dance, Lu Ming), Archer x1 (Chen Hao), Support x2 (Qin Ruoxue, Holy Light)]

[Comprehensive Combat Rating: Can handle conventional enemies below level 55, can briefly contend with level 60 elites.]

At the hour of Chen, at the East Gate of Chaos Valley.

The ten-person team was ready to set off.

Everyone had equipped Earth Pulse Armor, was wearing warding jade pendants, and was carrying various equipment and supplies. Lin Ye had the myriad things mother qi cauldron embryo and the broken star mirror hanging at his waist, Shi Potian carried his black giant axe on his back, Su Qingyue held an ice jade staff, and Chen Hao carried a dark golden longbow on his back...

Zhao Wuji, Wang Iron Pillar, Shadow Blade, Fire Dance, Iron Wall, and other remaining members came to see them off.

"Boss, you must be careful!" Zhao Wuji's eyes were slightly red. "I've prepared enough supplies for you, but... that place, the Primal Ancient Mine, is wicked. You must not be careless!"

"Don't worry," Lin Ye patted his shoulder. "I'll leave Chaos Valley to you. Keep an eye on the Six Kingdoms Alliance."

"Understood!"

Wang Iron Pillar walked up to Tieshan and handed him an ancient bronze shield: "This is my family's heirloom, the 'Mountain-Suppressing Shield'. Its defense is 30% stronger than standard shields. Take it and make sure to protect the Leader!"

Tieshan took it solemnly: "Don't worry, Hall Master. Unless I die, no one can hurt the Leader!"

On the other side, Su Qingyue was saying goodbye to Fire Dance.

"Sister, you must return safely." Fire Dance held Su Qingyue's hand, her eyes full of worry.

"I will," Su Qingyue smiled. "You take care of yourself too. While I'm away, the Vermilion Bird Hall is in your hands."

"Mm!"

Everyone said their goodbyes one by one.

Finally, Lin Ye looked at the people seeing them off and cupped his hands: "Everyone, I leave the Heavenly Court to you for the time being. We will be gone for at least seven days, at most half a month, and we will definitely return."

"Wishing the Leader a triumphant return!"

"Heavenly Court will be victorious!"

Amidst everyone's blessings, the ten-person team stepped into the teleportation array.

White light flashed, and their figures disappeared.

The next moment, they appeared in a small town on the northern border of the Yan State.

They were still a hundred miles away from the Primal Ancient Mine, but they could already feel the special aura coming from the direction of the Ancient Mine—a kind of ancient, vicissitudinous aura that carried a faint pressure.

"Proceed on foot," Lin Ye ordered. "For the last hundred miles, let's get familiar with our coordination."

The ten people left the small town and headed north.

Along the way, the scenery gradually became desolate.

Vegetation became increasingly sparse, and the color of the ground changed from normal earthy yellow to dark red. Faint gray mist began to permeate the air; that was the dissipation of chaotic Spiritual Qi.

The closer they got to the Primal Ancient Mine, the more obvious the environmental changes became.

Two hours later, they arrived at the outskirts of the Primal Ancient Mine.

Standing on a high slope, they looked ahead.

It was a scene completely different from the ordinary world.

The dark red earth looked as if it had been stained with blood, extending to the end of the horizon. Black, strange rocks stood sparsely on the ground, and twisted plants emitting a faint light grew in the crevices of the rocks. Further away, gray mist stood like a wall; that was the mist of the core area of the Primal Ancient Mine that had not yet dissipated.

And just ten miles ahead of them, the temporary camp of the Six Kingdoms Alliance was clearly visible.

The camp was of considerable scale, with tents standing everywhere, surrounded by fences, and even simple watchtowers. Six different flags fluttered above the camp—Chu, Qi, Han, Zhao, Wei, and Qin.

"They move really fast," Chen Hao squinted. "Judging by the scale, at least three hundred people. Should we go around?"

"Go around," Lin Ye nodded. "Our goal is the depths of the Primal Ancient Mine; there's no need to conflict with them here."

He took out the Primal Ancient Mine map Incomplete Manual and compared it with the terrain in front of him.

Although the map was only 15% complete, it marked three paths into the Primal Ancient Mine:

The first, the "Rift Valley Trail" on the east side, is the shortest path, but it is narrow and steep, making it easy to be ambushed.

The second, the "Abandoned Mine Road" on the south side, is relatively safe, but the detour is long.

The third, the "Mist Canyon" on the west side, is a hidden path, but it requires crossing a mist area that has not completely dissipated.

"Take the Mist Canyon," Lin Ye made the choice. "Although we have to cross the mist, it is the most hidden and not easily discovered by the Six Kingdoms Alliance."

"But the line of sight is obstructed in the mist, what if we encounter danger..." Qin Ruoxue worried.

"I have a way." Lin Ye took out the broken star mirror.

Although the star mirror's main function is to guide the power of stars, it also has a certain sensing and purifying effect on chaotic Spiritual Qi. With it, the risk of crossing the mist area will be greatly reduced.

"Let's go."

The ten-person team quietly bypassed the Six Kingdoms Alliance's camp and headed towards the Mist Canyon on the west side.

The closer they got to the Primal Ancient Mine, the richer the chaotic Spiritual Qi in the air became.

Lin Ye could feel his Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body spontaneously operating, absorbing these chaotic Spiritual Qi and converting them into Chaos Divine Power. But the other team members were not so lucky—they needed to continuously operate their Cultivation Techniques to resist the erosion of Spiritual Qi and wear warding jade pendants to keep their attributes from dropping.

An hour later, they arrived at the entrance of the Mist Canyon.

This was a narrow valley sandwiched between two mountains, filled with thick gray mist, with visibility of less than three zhang. In the mist, strange sounds could be vaguely heard—like the sound of wind, and also like the hissing of some creature.

"Jingchen Formation, activate." Lu Ming quickly set up the Formation.

Ten Formation Flags were inserted into the ground, forming a circular area with a diameter of ten zhang. The Formation Flags lit up with pale golden brilliance, purifying and dispersing the surrounding chaotic Spiritual Qi. Within the area, the air returned to normal, and the line of sight became much clearer.

"The Formation can only be maintained for two hours," Lu Ming said. "After that, it needs to be redeployed. We must hurry to pass through the canyon."

"Proceed."

The ten people stepped into the Mist Canyon and moved quickly under the protection of the Jingchen Formation.

The two sides of the canyon were towering black stone walls, covered with crisscrossing cracks, as if they had been torn apart by great force. The ground was rugged and uneven, scattered with debris, and occasionally, shimmering Ore fragments could be seen among the debris.

"It's star iron Ore." Qin Ruoxue picked up a fragment. "The purity is not high, but it is indeed star iron. It seems the ancient records are correct; there is indeed a star iron Ore vein on the outskirts of the Primal Ancient Mine."

"Never mind that for now," Lin Ye said. "Our goal is the primordial life stone. We can mine the Ore on the outskirts when the main force comes later."

Everyone nodded and continued moving forward.

The canyon was about five miles long. At their speed, they could normally pass through in a quarter of an hour. But for safety, they walked very slowly, always alert to the movement around them.

When they were halfway through, a sudden change occurred.

On the stone wall to the left, a seemingly ordinary shadow suddenly squirmed and turned into dozens of palm-sized black bats!

Those bats were pitch black, with blood-red eyes and sharp fangs in their mouths. They let out sharp hisses and swarmed towards the team like a tide!

"It's 'Soul-Eater Bats'!" Lu Ming's expression changed. "Level 48 gregarious Yao Beasts, skilled in mental attacks and bloodsucking! Watch out for their sonic attacks!"

Before the words fell, the bat swarm had already pounced in front of them.

"Ice Seal!" Su Qingyue reacted the fastest, waving her staff, and the cold air swept out.

The dozen or so bats at the front were instantly frozen into ice sculptures, falling to the ground and shattering into pieces.

But the number of bats behind was even greater, and their sonic attacks ignored physical defense, directly impacting everyone's Divine Soul!

Lin Ye felt a stinging pain in his head, as if countless needles were pricking him. He immediately operated his Chaos Divine Power to protect his Sea of Consciousness, while shouting in a low voice: "Mental defense!"

Shi Potian roared, his Tyrant Body Bloodline ignited, dark golden brilliance enveloped his whole body, and the sonic attack was forcefully shaken away.

Chen Hao drew his bow and nocked an arrow, arrows shot out like a string of pearls, each arrow accurately hitting a bat. The explosive runes attached to the arrows exploded, blowing the bat swarm into pieces.

Tieshan raised the Mountain-Suppressing Shield, the shield surface emitting an earthy yellow halo, offsetting most of the sonic attacks. Holy Light began to chant a holy song, and soft Holy Light enveloped everyone, healing the injuries from the mental impact.

Shadow Killer's figure flashed, turning into several afterimages, his short blades shuttling through the bat swarm, each flicker taking away the lives of several bats.

Flame Dance held her staff high, and the flames swept through like a tornado, burning a large group of bats into charcoal.

Although Lu Ming and Qin Ruoxue were not good at fighting, they also used their own means—Lu Ming set up a small containment Formation to restrict the bats' flight; Qin Ruoxue released reconnaissance Spells to lock onto the "leader bat" in the bat swarm.

The battle lasted less than three minutes.

Nearly a hundred Soul-Eater Bats were completely annihilated by the ten-person team.

The ground was covered with the corpses of the bats, black blood seeped into the dark red soil, and the air was filled with a burnt and bloody smell.

"Is everyone alright?" Lin Ye asked.

Everyone checked themselves; except for consuming some Divine Power and Mental Energy, no one was injured.

"These bats are not strong, but there are many of them, and they appeared too suddenly." Chen Hao still had lingering fears. "If it weren't for our quick reaction, it would have been troublesome if they got close."

"This shows that the Primal Ancient Mine is full of crises," Lin Ye said in a deep voice. "We must be more careful on the road ahead."

They rested a little and continued on.

They didn't encounter any large-scale attacks for the rest of the journey, only occasionally some stray Yao Beasts, all of which were easily dealt with.

Finally, before the energy of the Jingchen Formation was exhausted, they passed through the Mist Canyon.

The view suddenly opened up.

Ahead was a relatively open basin. In the center of the basin, three huge mine cave entrances opened like the mouths of giant beasts, pitch black, as if wanting to swallow everything.

Around the mine caves, some abandoned mine carts, rusted tools, and... piles of white bones were scattered.

There were human ones, as well as Yao Beast ones, and many strange, unrecognizable bones.

"This is the real entrance to the Primal Ancient Mine." Qin Ruoxue compared the map. "Three mine caves, according to the map, the left one is the 'Abandoned Mine Cave', the middle is the 'Main Mine Cave', and the right is the 'Unknown Mine Cave'."

"The map suggests taking the Main Mine Cave, but it is marked as 'dangerous'."

Lin Ye walked to the mine cave, feeling the cold wind blowing from the cave. The wind carried rich chaotic Spiritual Qi, and a trace of... ancient and evil aura.

He looked at the System mission interface:

[Stage 1 Mission: Preliminary Exploration of the Ancient Mine]

[Explore the marked points of the Primal Ancient Mine outskirts (0/3)]

[Collect primordial life stone samples (0/1)]

[Draw a new map area (0/10%)]

"Three marked points..." Lin Ye pondered. "According to the map, there should be two marked points in the Main Mine Cave: one is the 'Miner Camp Ruins', and one is the 'First Mine Layer Intersection'. The third marked point might be in the Abandoned Mine Cave or the Unknown Mine Cave."

"Then which one should we explore first?" Su Qingyue asked.

Lin Ye looked at the three mine caves, and his gaze finally fell on the Main Mine Cave.

"Since we are here, choose the one most likely to have gains. Although the Main Mine Cave is dangerous, it is also the richest in resources. Let's go in."

The ten-person team stepped into the dark mine cave.

And behind them, at the entrance of the Mist Canyon, several figures quietly emerged.

"The Heavenly Court people have gone in... should we follow them?"

"No, let them scout the path. After they find good things, we will then..."

A cold laugh echoed in the mist and gradually dissipated.

Deep in the Ancient Mine, something was waiting for them.