94: Chapter 94 Deep within the mining area, the vein of lifestone

Before the stone stele, a pale blue light flowed ceaselessly.

After the ancient Divine Thought dissipated, the cave fell into a brief silence. Everyone looked at Lin Ye, waiting for his decision.

“‘A corner of the truth’ is sealed beneath the stone stele...” Qin Ruoxue softly repeated the words she had just heard. “Is this related to the intelligence we obtained from the Yaoguang Holy Land? That ‘Primordial Alliance Fragment’?”

Lin Ye gazed at the stone stele and did not answer immediately.

The corpses around the stone stele still maintained a kneeling posture; although the armor had weathered the passage of time, one could still discern the exquisite craftsmanship. Judging by the style of the armor, these people must have been elites in the miner guard squad during their lifetime.

And they had all knelt here to die, facing the stone stele.

What did this mean?

Did the power of the stone stele kill them? Or did they sacrifice themselves voluntarily? Or... did they encounter some irresistible existence while guarding the stone stele and ultimately died in this posture?

“Our top priority right now is to collect the primordial life stone.” Lin Ye finally made a decision. “The trial of the stone stele sounds very dangerous and requires time. If we accept the trial now, regardless of success or failure, it will delay our core objective.”

He looked at the group: “My suggestion is: temporarily record this location, and after we complete the task of collecting the primordial life stone, if our condition permits, we can come back and try.”

Su Qingyue nodded in agreement: “Safety first. We just went through a bitter battle, Tie Shan and Shadow Killer have fallen, and everyone is not at their Peak state. Accepting an unknown trial at this time is too risky.”

“I agree too.” Lu Ming observed the ground around the stone stele. “And look at the arrangement of these kneeling corpses—it is a type of Formation. The energy flow around the stone stele is very unusual; if we touch it rashly, it might trigger a chain reaction.”

Chen Hao bent his bow and nocked an arrow, aiming at the base of the stone stele: “How about I shoot an arrow to test it?”

“Don’t!” Lin Ye and Lu Ming stopped him simultaneously.

“For unknown Formations or Restrictions, the best way to handle them is not to touch them.” Lin Ye said seriously, “We will go around.”

The group reached a consensus.

The squad carefully bypassed the stone stele area and continued to go deeper from the other exit of the cave.

After leaving the stone stele cave, the mine path began to slope downward significantly, and the gradient became steeper and steeper. The excavation marks on the cave walls were also more refined, and one could even see some residual illumination runes—although they had long since failed, the rune structure remained intact.

“Judging by the craftsmanship, the mining technology of the ancient miner civilization was quite Advanced.” Lu Ming studied those runes. “The inscription technique of this ‘Eternal Light Rune’ is more than 30% more exquisite than the illumination runes currently circulating on the market. It is a pity that the energy core has been exhausted, otherwise we could reverse-engineer it.”

Qin Ruoxue recorded the findings along the way: “According to the miner’s log, the Seventh Miner Squad was responsible for mining the ‘Third Layer’ vein. We should still be in the area transitioning from the first layer to the second layer.”

“There are Rank 50 Soul-Eater Mist Demons on the first layer, the second layer, the third layer...” Zhao Wuji shuddered, “I dare not think about it.”

Lin Ye walked at the forefront of the team, his Divine Sense fully expanded, covering a range of two hundred zhang in front.

The advantage of the Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body became increasingly obvious in this environment—the Chaos Qi was an erosion to ordinary Cultivators, but it was a supplement to him. Every time he breathed, the Chaos Qi in the air was automatically converted into Chaos Divine Power, replenishing his consumption.

Moreover, as he went deeper, the operating speed of the Chaos Divine Storehouse in his body was also accelerating, especially the Divine Palace of Lungs (Metal) and the Divine Palace of Spleen (Earth), which resonated subtly with the Metal-attribute and Earth-attribute Spiritual Qi in the mine cave.

“Stop.”

Lin Ye suddenly raised his hand.

The team stopped immediately and entered a combat stance.

From the corner of the mine path fifty zhang ahead, a faint rustling sound came, like the sound of some multi-legged creature crawling.

“Shadow Killer is not here, I will scout.” Chen Hao said in a low voice.

He closed his eyes and used the exclusive skill of the archer profession, “Eagle Eye Vision”—this is a reconnaissance skill unlocked at Rank 30, which can temporarily convert vision into energy perception to observe living beings through obstacles.

Three seconds later, Chen Hao opened his eyes, his expression solemn: “It is a ‘Rock Cave Spider Swarm’, the number... is large. The Rank is between 48-52, most of them are normal monsters, but there are three elite Spider Kings, Rank 55.”

He shared the perceived image with everyone.

That was a huge natural rock cave, with countless stalactites hanging from the top of the cave. The ground was densely covered with black spiders the size of millstones, their carapaces gleaming with a rock-like luster, and their eight eyes flashing with dim green light.

Three larger Spider Kings lay in the center of the rock cave, each the size of a calf, their abdomens bulging, and corrosive venom dripped from their opening and closing mouthparts, creating sizzling small pits on the ground.

[Name: Rock Cave Poison Spider (Normal)]

[Rank: 48-52]

[Type: Yao Beast / Insect]

[Attribute: Earth-attribute, Poison-attribute]

[Traits: 1. Rock-hard Carapace (Physical Defense +40%); 2. Venom Spray (Ranged attack, causes continuous poison damage); 3. Spider Web Binding (Shoots sticky spider webs, restricts target movement)]

[Name: Rock Cave Spider King (Elite)]

[Rank: 55]

[Type: Yao Beast / Insect (Leader)]

[Attribute: Earth-attribute, Poison-attribute]

[Traits: 1. Rock-hard Carapace (Physical Defense +60%); 2. Toxic Spittle (Large-area venom attack, comes with ‘Corrosion’ effect, reduces target defense); 3. Summon Offspring (Can summon 10-20 normal Rock Cave Poison Spiders); 4. Earth Spike Raid (Manipulates rock and soil to form spikes for attack)]

“Troublesome.” Shi Potian frowned, “My Tyrant Body’s anti-poison ability is average; with this magnitude of spider swarm, charging in head-on will result in being poisoned to death.”

“What about taking a detour?” Su Qingyue asked.

Qin Ruoxue checked the map: “Taking a detour requires returning to the stone stele cave, taking another fork, at least five miles more, and that road is marked with ‘high risk of collapse’.”

“We cannot detour.” Lin Ye observed the rock cave structure, “And look at the depths of the rock cave.”

Everyone looked in the direction he pointed.

In the deepest part of the rock cave, some pale gold Ore were embedded in the rock wall. Those Ore were in the shape of irregular crystals, emitting a soft golden halo, and even from a long distance, one could feel the majestic life energy contained within them.

[Item: primordial life stone Raw Ore (Unrefined)]

[Type: Heaven and Earth Wonder / Ore]

[Description: Rare Ore from the Primal Ancient Mine, containing the Origin Qi of the Primal Beginning and fragments of Life Law.]

[Quality: Medium (Raw Ore state, needs refining)]

[Visible quantity: About thirty-plus pieces (exposed part)]

[Estimated total reserves: Calculated based on the energy fluctuations of the vein, this is a small vein node, the total reserves should be between 100-150 pieces of raw Ore.]

[Mining difficulty: High (The hardness of the rock wall is extremely high, requires special tools or Spells)]

“primordial life stone!” Zhao Wuji’s eyes lit up, “Found it! There really is a vein!”

But the excitement was soon diluted by reality—the vein was guarded by hundreds of spiders, and there were three Rank 55 elite Spider Kings.

“Charging in is not an option.” Lin Ye analyzed calmly, “The number of spiders is too large, once surrounded, Holy Light’s healing cannot keep up with the poison damage. We need tactics.”

Lu Ming observed the rock cave terrain: “There are a large number of stalactites at the top of the rock cave, and the structure is unstable. If I can set up a ‘Rock Quake Formation’, it can trigger a partial collapse, crushing some spiders, but it will also block the road to the vein.”

“Then clear them in batches.” Lin Ye made a decision, “Let’s retreat to a safe distance first and formulate a detailed plan.”

The squad retreated a hundred zhang and stopped in a relatively spacious mine path.

Lin Ye used Divine Power to outline a simple topographical map of the rock cave on the ground.

“The entrance to the rock cave is narrow, only allowing three people to walk side by side. This is our advantage—the spider swarm cannot rush out all at once.”

“My plan is: use the terrain to lure and kill in batches.”

He pointed to the topographical map: “First, Shi Potian and Chen Hao will act as bait to provoke them at the entrance, attracting a portion of the spiders out. Su Qingyue and Flame Dance will prepare area-of-effect Spells on both sides of the entrance, and immediately freeze + burn the spiders after they come out. Holy Light is responsible for dispelling the poison, and Lu Ming will set up a containment Formation to prevent the spiders from escaping back.”

“After clearing a few batches, the number of spiders will decrease, and then we will advance into the rock cave and clear them using the same method. Finally, concentrate fire to deal with the three Spider Kings.”

“The key is to control the number of spiders lured out each time, not too many, and not too few.”

Shi Potian gripped his giant axe: “I have no problem! But how to ensure that the spiders will come out in batches?”

“That depends on Chen Hao’s archery.” Lin Ye looked at Chen Hao, “You need to use the ‘Splitting Arrow’ skill to attack three different spiders at the same time, enraging them, but do not attack the Spider King. The spider’s hate mechanism is: the attacked individual will lead a small number of surrounding peers to pursue.”

Chen Hao nodded: “Understood. My current Splitting Arrow can lock onto five targets at the same time, with an accuracy of 85%.”

“Good, prepare for action.”

Everyone took their positions according to the plan.

Shi Potian stood at the forefront of the mine path, his giant axe across his chest, his Tyrant Body Bloodline slightly activated, and his skin took on a pale golden hue. Chen Hao was ten steps behind him, his longbow fully drawn, with three arrows nocked on the string.

Su Qingyue and Flame Dance stood in the depressions on both sides of the mine path respectively; this was a natural bunker, which could avoid the spider’s venom spray. Holy Light stood behind them, the Holy Light scepter already lit up.

Lu Ming quickly set up the Formation at the entrance—twelve Formation Flags were inserted into the ground to form a small containment Formation “Rock Prison Formation”, which could generate rock barriers after activation to temporarily block the retreat path.

Lin Ye stood at the very back of the team, both as the commander-in-chief and as the final insurance. If an accident occurred, his Chaos Domain could instantly turn the situation around.

“Start.” Lin Ye ordered.

Chen Hao took a deep breath, and the bowstring vibrated.

The three arrows left the string and flew out, splitting into fifteen cold lights in the air, accurately hitting fifteen Rock Cave Poison Spiders on the edge of the rock cave!

Puff, puff, puff—

The arrows pierced into the gaps of the spider’s carapace, causing considerable damage. The attacked spiders let out sharp hisses, their eight eyes instantly bloodshot, and they rushed crazily towards the direction from which the arrows were shot.

But they did not all move out—each attacked spider only brought along three or four surrounding peers, with a total of about sixty spiders rushing to the entrance of the mine path.

“Ready!” Shi Potian roared lowly.

The first batch of spiders rushed into the narrow area of the mine path.

“Ice Seal Ten Thousand Miles!” Su Qingyue waved her staff.

Cold air poured out like a tide, and the temperature of the mine path plummeted. The twenty or so spiders rushing in the front were instantly frozen, turning into ice sculptures. The spiders behind collided with the ice sculptures, and their speed was greatly reduced.

“Flame Storm!” Flame Dance followed up by releasing it.

The crimson fire tornado swept through the mine path, and under the dual strikes of ice and fire, the carapaces of the frozen spiders cracked one after another, and green blood splattered. The flames ignited the spider corpses, emitting a mixture of burnt and foul odors.

“Rock Prison Formation, rise!” Lu Ming activated the Formation.

Four rock walls rose at the entrance, temporarily separating the mine path from the rock cave. The spiders that had already rushed in lost their retreat path and were trapped in the mine path.

“My turn!” Shi Potian rushed into the spider swarm, his giant axe sweeping across.

His attacks were simple and crude, but every axe swing was powerful. The spider’s rock-hard carapace was like paper in front of the giant axe, and one axe could smash two or three of them.

Holy Light’s healing halo steadily enveloped Shi Potian, dispelling the toxins constantly stacking on him. Occasionally, a leaking spider would spray venom, but it was also blocked by the Holy Light shield.

Three minutes later, the first batch of sixty spiders were all wiped out.

The floor of the mine path was covered with spider corpses and green blood, and the air was filled with a pungent smell.

“Rest for thirty seconds.” Lin Ye said, “Chen Hao, prepare for the next batch.”

And so it repeated.

The second batch, third batch, fourth batch...

Each batch lured sixty to eighty spiders, then they focused fire to eliminate them.

The squad's cooperation became increasingly tacit; Su Qingyue and Flame Dance's skill connections were almost perfect, Shi Potian's giant axe was like a meat grinder, and Chen Hao's arrows could always finish off the low-health spiders at critical moments.

Two hours later, over 70% of the ordinary spiders in the cavern had been cleared, leaving only about one hundred and three spider kings.

However, the squad's status also began to decline.

Su Qingyue's Divine Power was more than half consumed, Flame Dance's staff was overheated, and she could not release high-level Spells for a short time.

Shi Potian had seven or eight layers of poison on him, and although it was constantly dispelled by Holy Light, the accumulated damage kept his Blood Qi hovering below 60%.

Chen Hao's arrows were two-thirds consumed; most of the remaining were ordinary arrows, and there were very few enchanted arrows left.

Holy Light's healing Divine Power was near exhaustion, and Lu Ming's Formation Materials were also mostly used up.

"One last rest," Lin Ye looked at everyone. "Next, we are going to enter the cavern to deal with the remaining spiders and spider kings. This is the most dangerous stage; everyone must be on high alert."

He took out the remaining spirit recovery pills and distributed them to everyone: "Su Qingyue, Flame Dance, Holy Light, Lu Ming, you restore first. Shi Potian, Chen Hao, how is your status?"

Shi Potian gulped down a bottle of Advanced healing potion and grinned, "Still can fight! But the poison stacking is a bit uncomfortable, and my whole body is numb."

Chen Hao checked his quiver: "I still have twenty-three explosive arrows and forty-five ordinary arrows. It should be enough."

"Good," Lin Ye nodded. "After entering the cavern, we will adjust our tactics: Shi Potian will main tank one spider king, and I will be responsible for containing the other two. Chen Hao and Su Qingyue will focus fire on Shi Potian's target to kill it as soon as possible. Flame Dance will clear the remaining small spiders, Holy Light will focus on healing Shi Potian, and Lu Ming will set up restrictive Formations."

"If the situation is critical, I will open the Chaos Domain, but that is a trump card; try not to use it if possible."

Everyone swallowed the Medicinal Pill, adjusted their breathing, and restored their status to the best.

"Action."

The squad stepped into the cavern.

Once inside, the scene was even more shocking.

The top of the cavern was fifteen zhang high, with countless stalactites hanging down, the longest being three zhang.

The ground was uneven, covered with holes dug by spiders and spider webs.

The air was filled with a rich earthy smell and the unique sour stench of spiders.

The remaining hundred ordinary spiders sensed the intruders, turned around in unison, and eight dark green eyes locked onto the squad.

Three spider kings stood up from the center of the cavern, each the size of a calf, their mouthparts opening and closing, and the dripping venom corroded the ground, making sizzling holes.

"According to the plan!" Lin Ye whispered.

Shi Potian roared, and the Tyrant Body was fully activated!

Dark golden brilliance erupted from his body, complex patterns appeared on his skin, his muscles expanded, and his height increased by three inches.

He rushed towards the spider king on the far left, and his giant axe slashed down with the sound of breaking wind!

"Clang!"

The giant axe slashed on the top of the spider king's head, sparks flying.

The spider king's petrified carapace was extremely hard, and this axe only left a white mark.

The spider king was enraged, and its forelimbs slashed towards Shi Potian like blades.

Shi Potian blocked with his axe, the metallic collision sound was piercing, and he was shaken back three steps, leaving deep footprints on the ground.

"So hard!" Shi Potian shook his numb arm. "But this is enough!"

Chen Hao's arrows shot towards the same spider king like raindrops, specializing in attacking weak points such as joints and eyes.

Su Qingyue's ice-type Spell kept delaying the spider king's movements, creating opportunities for Shi Potian.

The other two spider kings wanted to support, but Lin Ye had already blocked them.

Chaos Domain deployed!

Within a thirty-meter range, gray mist permeated, the two spider kings' attributes were suppressed by 30%, and their movements were obviously slowed.

Lin Ye held the myriad things mother qi cauldron embryo, the cauldron body flowing with Chaos brilliance, every swing carrying the weight of a mountain.

He did not choose to fight head-on, but wandered to contain them, occasionally using chains condensed from Chaos Divine Power to bind the spider kings, buying time for the battle on the other side.

Flame Dance released a Fire Wall Spell to separate the remaining small spiders.

These ordinary spiders had a natural fear of fire and dared not cross the fire wall, only crawling anxiously on the other side.

Holy Light's healing aura always shrouded Shi Potian, dispelling the deadly poison attached to the spider king's attacks.

But the spider king's venom was extremely toxic; even with Holy Light's dispelling, Shi Potian's Blood Qi was still slowly decreasing.

Lu Ming quickly set up a "Slow Formation" and "Weakness Formation" to further weaken the spider king's combat power.

The battle entered a white-hot stage.

The fight between Shi Potian and the spider king was the most intense.

Each of the spider king's attacks was enough to crack stone, and although Shi Potian relied on the Tyrant Body to resist, every collision consumed a lot of Blood Qi.

His giant axe left scars on the spider king's carapace, and green blood kept splashing.

"Chen Hao! Shoot its eyes!" Shi Potian roared.

The spider king slashed with its forelimbs again, Shi Potian dodged sideways, and the giant axe took the opportunity to hack at the spider king's second eye on the left!

"Puchi!"

Green liquid sprayed out, the spider king issued a miserable hiss, struggling frantically.

That's now!

Chen Hao seized the opportunity, three explosive arrows shot out at the same time, accurately hitting the spider king's other three eyes!

"Boom boom boom!"

In the explosion, all four of the spider king's eyes were blinded, and it fell into a berserk state.

It frantically waved its forelimbs, and venom sprayed everywhere, regardless of friend or foe.

"Retreat!" Su Qingyue released an ice wall to block the venom.

Shi Potian took the opportunity to retreat to a safe distance, panting heavily.

His Blood Qi was only 35% left, and the Tyrant Body state was also reaching its limit.

"Last strike!" Lin Ye shouted from the other side.

He temporarily forced back the two spider kings, turned and rushed towards the blinded spider king, the myriad things mother qi cauldron embryo held high above his head, and Chaos Divine Power was poured in frantically.

The cauldron shone brightly, Chaos Qi flowing, as if to create the world!

"Suppress!"

Lin Ye smashed down with the cauldron.

It was not smashing towards the spider king's carapace, but towards its already destroyed eye area—that was the weakest part of the carapace.

"Dong!"

A muffled impact sounded, the spider king's head carapace shattered, and green blood and brain matter gushed out.

Its huge body twitched violently, its eight legs paddled powerlessly a few times, and finally collapsed to the ground.

[System prompt: Successfully killed 'Cavern Spider King' (Rank 55 Elite), gained Experience + 1,500,000, Reputation + 3,000.]

[Obtained items: Spider King Poison Sac (Rare) x 1, Petrified Carapace Fragment (Fine) x 8, Earth Spirit Crystal (Fine) x 3, Low-Grade Spirit Stone x 120.]

The first spider king fell.

But the battle was not over.

The other two spider kings saw their companion die and went completely crazy.

They no longer cared about Lin Ye's containment, and rushed towards Shi Potian together—the murderer who killed their companion.

"Protect Shi Potian!" Lin Ye shouted urgently.

Su Qingyue's ice wall, Flame Dance's fire wall, and Lu Ming's rock wall rose at the same time, forming a triple barrier.

But the impact of the two Rank 55 Elite spider kings was too strong, and the triple barrier was shattered like paper.

Shi Potian gritted his teeth, preparing to resist.

Just then, Holy Light made a move that surprised everyone.

He held the Holy Light scepter high and began to chant an ancient and obscure Spell.

At the top of the scepter, the originally soft white light became scorching, as if a small sun was being born.

"In the name of the light, grant my friend—Divine Protection!"

The Holy Light scepter shattered!

Yes, that Rare-grade Holy Light scepter shattered inch by inch the moment this skill was released, turning into light spots all over the sky.

And those light spots did not dissipate, but condensed into a brilliant pillar of light, shrouding Shi Potian within it.

In the pillar of light, Shi Potian's injuries recovered at a speed visible to the naked eye, and his Blood Qi soared from 35% to 100%!

At the same time, a thick layer of golden light armor covered his whole body, with holy runes flowing on the surface of the light armor.

[System prompt: Teammate 'Holy Light' released Forbidden Spell 'Divine Protection', effect: Designated target gains 'Absolute Defense' status (lasts 30 seconds, immune to all damage), and restores all status.]

[Cost: Caster's main weapon destroyed, Rank - 1, all attributes temporarily decreased by 50% (lasts for three days).]

Holy Light's face was pale, and he sat slumped on the ground; that Holy Light scepter that had accompanied him for a long time had turned into fragments.

"Holy Light!" Shi Potian's eyes turned red.

"Don't talk nonsense!" Holy Light shouted weakly. "Thirty seconds! Kill them!"

Shi Potian roared to the sky, and the Tyrant Body was pushed to the limit.

This time, he did not hold back at all.

The dark golden brilliance almost condensed into substance, and he was like a war god cast in gold, rushing towards the two spider kings.

Under the Absolute Defense status, the spider king's attacks were like tickling.

Shi Potian completely gave up defense, his giant axe slashing wildly, with every axe pouring out all his strength.

Lin Ye, Su Qingyue, Chen Hao, and Flame Dance also attacked with all their might.

Thirty seconds passed in a flash.

When the golden light armor dissipated, the two spider kings were already covered in wounds, their carapaces shattered, and green blood flowed all over the ground.

"Last strike!" Lin Ye's Chaos Domain was fully opened, suppressing the spider kings' last remaining strength.

Shi Potian seized the opportunity, his giant axe swept across, cutting off the head of one spider king.

Su Qingyue's ice spear pierced through the heart of the other spider king.

The battle ended.

In the cavern, there were only spider corpses all over the ground, and the exhausted crowd.

[System prompt: Successfully killed 'Cavern Spider King' x 2, gained Experience + 3,000,000, Reputation + 6,000.]

[Obtained items: Spider King Poison Sac (Rare) x 2, Petrified Carapace Fragment (Fine) x 16, Earth Spirit Crystal (Fine) x 6, Low-Grade Spirit Stone x 240.]

[Extra reward: Due to killing elite bosses above your level, gained 'Elite Hunter' title (Damage to elite enemies + 5%).]

The System prompt sounded, but no one cheered.

Holy Light lay on the ground, his breath weak.

His Rank dropped from 47 to 46, the Holy Light scepter was destroyed, and he lost most of his healing ability in a short time.

Flame Dance's staff was overheated and needed at least one hour to cool down.

Su Qingyue's Divine Power was exhausted, her face pale.

Chen Hao's arrows were running low.

After Shi Potian's Tyrant Body state was lifted, he fell into weakness, and all attributes decreased by 30%.

Lu Ming's Formation Materials were exhausted.

Zhao Wuji... he hid in the back the whole time, but was also shaken by the aftermath of the battle, his Blood Qi roiling.

Only Lin Ye's status was relatively intact; the recovery ability of the Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body allowed him to maintain 70% of his combat power.

"Rest first," Lin Ye said in a deep voice. "Holy Light, we will remember your sacrifice. After we go back, the Heavenly Court will compensate you with a better staff."

Holy Light smiled weakly. "It's okay... as long as I could help."

Everyone rested on the spot, dealt with their injuries, and restored their status.

Lin Ye walked towards the primordial life stone vein deep in the cavern.

Observing up close, these pale golden Ores were even more beautiful.

Each piece was like solidified sunlight, with liquid-like golden brilliance flowing inside, emitting a warm and majestic life aura.

He reached out to touch a piece of exposed raw life stone Ore.

A warm touch came from his fingertips, and at the same time, a pure life energy flowed into his body along his arm.

This energy was gentle and powerful, resonating with the Chaos Divine Power in his body, and both his Lung Divine Palace and Spleen Divine Palace vibrated slightly, as if cheering.

[Item: primordial life stone raw Ore (unrefined)]

[Quality: Medium]

[Size: 6 inches long, 4 inches wide, 2 inches thick]

[Weight: About 8 jin]

[Contains life energy: 850 units (full value 1000)]

[Estimated yield after refining: Standard primordial life stone x 1 (Quality: Fine), or life stone fragment x 3-5 (Quality: Ordinary).]

[Mining advice: Use earth-type Spells or special pickaxes to avoid violent destruction leading to energy loss.]

Lin Ye roughly estimated that there were more than thirty pieces of raw life stone Ore exposed on the rock wall, and according to the energy fluctuation calculation, at least two to three times the reserves were buried inside the rock layer.

The total reserves were indeed between 100-150 pieces.

This is a small mineral vein node, but for the current Heavenly Court, it is already a massive fortune.

"How is it?" Su Qingyue walked over and asked.

"Confirmed, it is a genuine primordial life stone mineral vein," Lin Ye nodded. "The reserves are considerable, enough for us to use."

He looked at everyone: "The problem now is how to mine it. The rock wall is extremely hard; ordinary pickaxes cannot chisel through it at all. Furthermore, we must be careful during the mining process; we cannot damage the internal structure of the primordial life stone, otherwise, the energy will leak, and its value will greatly diminish."

After resting for a moment, Lu Ming also walked over to study it: "We can use a 'Rock Layer Softening' Formation combined with a 'Precision Separation' Spell. But it will take time to set up, and it will consume a large amount of Divine Power."

"We have time," Lin Ye said. "According to the plan, we can stay here for a day. Holy Light needs to recover, and everyone's equipment and status also need to be adjusted."

"But we must also be vigilant against other dangers," Qin Ruoxue reminded. "The commotion from the battle just now was not small; it might attract other things. Moreover, exploration teams from other forces might also find this place."

"Then we will take turns keeping watch and mining," Lin Ye arranged. "Shi Potian, Chen Hao, you two are in relatively good condition, so you are responsible for the first round of watch. After Su Qingyue and Flame Dance recover their Divine Power, they will assist Lu Ming in mining. I will personally supervise the mining process to ensure the primordial life stone remains intact."

"Zhao Wuji, you tally our existing supplies and calculate the upcoming consumption."

Everyone began to act.

Two hours later, Su Qingyue and Flame Dance had recovered most of their Divine Power. Lu Ming had also finished setting up the mining Formation—it was a composite Formation that combined the three effects of "Rock Layer Softening," "Energy Stabilization," and "Precision Vibration."

After the Formation was activated, the rock on the surface of the wall became as soft as clay. Su Qingyue used an Ice-type Spell to condense extremely thin ice blades, carefully cutting the rock layer to strip away the primordial life stone raw Ore. Flame Dance used weak flames to control the temperature, preventing the ice blades from creating thermal stress when they contacted the primordial life stone, which would cause it to crack.

This was delicate work that required extremely high concentration and control.

When the first piece of primordial life stone raw Ore was stripped away intact, everyone held their breath.

Su Qingyue used her Ice-type Divine Power to support the pale golden Ore and gently placed it on the ground covered with a soft cloth. Under the light of the illumination pearl, the Ore shimmered with a charming golden radiance.

[Successful Collection: primordial life stone Raw Ore x 1]

[Integrity: 98% (Excellent)]

[Estimated Refinement Yield: High-Quality primordial life stone x 1, Success Rate 90%.]

"Success!" Flame Dance cheered.

Lin Ye also breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed this method was feasible.

What followed was repetitive labor.

One piece of primordial life stone raw Ore after another was stripped off and neatly stacked on the ground. After collecting each piece, Su Qingyue and Flame Dance had to rest for a moment to recover their consumed Divine Power.

Time passed during the mining.

Six hours later, all thirty-seven pieces of primordial life stone raw Ore exposed on the rock wall had been collected.

But this was just the beginning.

Next, they had to mine the primordial life stones buried inside the rock layer. This was more difficult and required using Spells to probe the internal structure first to determine the location of the primordial life stones, and then carefully excavating them.

After another four hours, they collected another forty-two pieces of raw Ore.

At this point, a total of seventy-nine pieces of primordial life stone raw Ore were piled into a small hill, emitting a warm golden glow that illuminated the entire rock cavern as if it were daytime.

"That's about it," Lu Ming wiped the sweat from his forehead. "If we mine deeper, the rock structure will become unstable, which could easily trigger a collapse. Plus, the energy of my Formation is almost exhausted."

Lin Ye looked at the pile of primordial life stone raw Ore and nodded with satisfaction: "Seventy-nine pieces, plus what might still be buried inside, the total reserve is indeed over a hundred pieces. This has already exceeded expectations."

Calculating based on one High-Quality primordial life stone being refined from each piece of raw Ore, this place is worth at least several million Spirit Stones.

More importantly, primordial life stones are priceless and often unavailable even if you want to buy them. With this batch of resources, the Cultivation speed of the core members of the Heavenly Court will increase several-fold!

"Organize the supplies and prepare to withdraw," Lin Ye ordered. "We have stayed here for almost a day; it's time to go."

Everyone began to pack up.

The primordial life stone raw Ore was carefully packed into specially made jade boxes, each of which could store five pieces to prevent energy loss. A total of sixteen jade boxes were packed and kept by Zhao Wuji—his Storage Pouch was specially made, with a large internal space and an energy stabilization function.

Other loot: fifteen Soul Crystals, three Spider King venom sacs, twenty-four pieces of petrified carapace fragments, nine Earth Spirit Crystals, and various Spirit Stones were also sorted and packed away.

Just as everyone was preparing to leave, a strange sound suddenly came from the depths of the rock cavern.

It was not the sound of spiders, nor the sound of rocks grinding.

But rather a low, rhythmic... heartbeat?

Thump... thump... thump...

The sound came from the ground at the deepest part of the rock cavern; every beat caused the rock walls to tremble slightly, and small debris fell down with a rustling sound.

"What is that sound?" Zhao Wuji asked nervously.

Lin Ye expanded his Divine Sense to investigate the source of the sound.

His Divine Sense penetrated dozens of zhang of rock layers and saw a shocking scene—

One hundred zhang deep below the rock cavern, there was a huge underground hollow. In the center of the hollow lay a behemoth.

The thing looked like a scorpion, but its size was outrageously large, at least ten zhang long from head to tail! Its carapace was dark gold, covered with natural runes on the surface. Its eight legs were as thick as sky-supporting pillars, and its two giant pincers were enough to snap mountains. The most terrifying thing was its tail; the end was not a normal scorpion stinger, but a crystal emitting an earthy yellow light, with ley line energy faintly circulating inside the crystal.

At this moment, this giant beast was sleeping, and that heartbeat was its own.

But when Lin Ye's Divine Sense swept over it, one of the giant beast's eyes... slightly opened a slit.

A dark golden vertical pupil, separated by a hundred zhang of rock layers, met Lin Ye's Divine Sense.

[Warning: Terrifying existence detected!]

[Name: Earth Dragon Scorpion King (Leader)]

[Rank: ??? (Estimated: 58-60)]

[Type: Yao Beast / Dragon Blood Creature]

[Attribute: Earth Attribute, Dragon Attribute (Thin)]

[Characteristics: 1. Earth Dragon Bloodline (Possesses a thin Dragon Clan Bloodline, Physical Defense +80%, Earth-type Spell Resistance +100%); 2. Ley Line Connection (Can control ley line energy, combat power doubles in underground environments); 3. Petrifying Gaze (Can gradually petrify targets within sight); 4. Great Earthquake Strike (Strikes the ground with great force, triggering area earthquakes and earth spike attacks)]

[Status: Sleeping (Waking up)]

[Danger Rating: Extremely High! Suggest immediate evacuation!]

Lin Ye instantly retracted his Divine Sense, his expression changing drastically.

"Run!" he growled, "Something has woken up underground!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire rock cavern began to vibrate violently!

The ground cracked, the rock walls collapsed, and countless pieces of debris fell. The Earth Dragon Scorpion King's heartbeat grew louder and faster, like the beating of war drums.

"It has discovered us!" Lu Ming's face turned pale. "It is sensing our position through the ley lines!"

"Retreat! Return the way we came!" Lin Ye made a prompt decision.

Everyone rushed toward the entrance of the rock cavern.

But just as they were about to rush out, the mine tunnel at the entrance collapsed with a roar!

It was not a natural collapse—it was the Earth Dragon Scorpion King controlling the ley line energy, intentionally sealing off their retreat!

The rock cavern began to collapse from all sides toward the center, and stalactites from the ceiling fell like rain. The ground split into several fissures, and scorching geothermal gas gushed out.

"It's over... we're blocked in..." Zhao Wuji looked despairingly at the collapsed entrance.

Lin Ye looked around, his brain working at high speed.

Returning the way they came was no longer possible; they had to find another way out.

He expanded his Divine Sense again, this time not to probe underground, but to look for other exits from the rock cavern.

Three seconds later, he locked onto a position.

"Over there!" Lin Ye pointed to the northeast corner of the rock cavern. "The rock wall is thinnest there; there should be an abandoned mine tunnel behind it! Shi Potian, blast it open!"

Shi Potian gritted his teeth, activated his Tyrant Body again, and rushed toward the northeast rock wall.

The giant axe was raised high and swung down with full force!

Boom!

A crack was split into the rock wall, and behind it was indeed a narrow mine tunnel. Although it was covered in spider webs and dust, the structure was still relatively intact.

"Go!"

The team filed in.

Just as the last person entered the mine tunnel, the rock cavern they had just been in collapsed completely. The Earth Dragon Scorpion King's roar came from underground, shaking the entire mine tunnel.

But fortunately, that mine tunnel did not seem to be within the Scorpion King's direct range of attack.

Everyone ran wildly along the mine tunnel, not daring to stop for a second.

They didn't know how long they had been running; it wasn't until the vibrations and roars stopped coming from behind that they dared to stop and catch their breath.

This mine tunnel had obviously been abandoned for a long time, and the air was filled with a musty smell and dust. There were no illumination runes on the cave walls; only the illumination pearls in their hands provided limited light.

"Are we... safe?" Chen Hao asked, panting.

Lin Ye expanded his Divine Sense to probe ahead and behind.

This mine tunnel was very long, extending forward for an unknown distance, while behind them, the area they had run through had collapsed, blocking their path back.

"Temporarily safe," Lin Ye said. "But we are trapped. Returning the way we came is impossible; we can only move forward and look for another exit."

He looked at everyone; each of them was in a sorry state, covered in dust and spider blood, and their condition was extremely poor.

Holy Light was still weak and needed support to walk. Su Qingyue and Flame Dance had very little Divine Power left. Shi Potian had overused his Tyrant Body and had fallen into a state of deep weakness. Chen Hao's arrows were almost exhausted. Lu Ming's Formation Materials were depleted. Although Zhao Wuji was not injured, he was mentally overstrained and on the verge of collapse.

And some of the supplies they were carrying had been lost during the mad dash just now.

"Let's rest first," Lin Ye made the decision. "We have already completed our core objective and collected the primordial life stone. Now, our primary task is to leave the Ancient Mine alive."

Everyone found a relatively spacious place and sat down to rest.

Lin Ye took out the remaining Medicinal Pills and distributed them to everyone, while simultaneously thinking about the route ahead.

This abandoned mine tunnel was not marked on the map, meaning they were exploring completely unknown territory. What dangers lay ahead and whether there was an exit were both unknown.

Moreover, although the Earth Dragon Scorpion King had not chased after them for the time being, no one could guarantee that it wouldn't find another path.

They must leave the Ancient Mine as soon as possible.

But before that, there was one more thing that weighed on Lin Ye's mind—

When the Earth Dragon Scorpion King woke up just now, he faintly felt that what this behemoth was guarding seemed to be more than just the primordial life stone mineral vein.

Deep in its lair, there was another more obscure and more ancient energy fluctuation.

That fluctuation... was somewhat similar to the aura emitted by the stone tablet.

How many secrets were actually buried in the depths of this Ancient Mine?

Lin Ye clenched his fists.

Regardless, he had to get everyone out alive first.

As for the rest, that could wait until they were safe.