17: Chapter 17 The Conflict Over Spirit Ore

"A Spirit Iron Vein?"

Zhao Tieshan's eyes instantly lit up as he stared at Lin Muchen. "Are you sure? Where is it?"

"Right in the depths of the den. If you go in about ten meters, the stone wall feels off—it's exceptionally hard." Lin Muchen pointed toward the pitch-black entrance. "I tapped it with a rock; the sound is different from ordinary stone."

He was telling the truth, though he omitted the part about the System's scan.

Manager Zhou listened from the side with a beaming smile, but his hands were behind his back, fingers rubbing together.

"Old Zhao, this is a major matter," Manager Zhou spoke up. "A spirit iron mine, even if it's a small one, is worth far more than an ordinary iron mine. We must report this immediately."

Zhao Tieshan ignored him and asked Lin Muchen directly, "Can you lead the way? Let's go take a look right now."

"I can," Lin Muchen nodded.

"Alright, lead the way." Zhao Tieshan turned to the several Disciples nearby. "You lot, return to the camp and stand guard. Chen Shi, come with me."

"Elder Zhao, I'm coming too." Manager Zhou took a step forward. "I have to manage the affairs of the Menial Servant area. If this mine really opens, we'll need the labor of the Menial Servants. I should check the situation first."

Zhao Tieshan glanced at him and didn't object. "Fine, let's go together."

The four of them crawled back into the Wolf's Den.

Lin Muchen walked at the very front, holding an Illumination Stone given to him by Zhao Tieshan.

The dim yellow light illuminated the tunnel, revealing the carcass of the Male Wolf on the ground, which had yet to be processed.

"System, scan it again, more detailed this time," Lin Muchen said in his mind.

【Deep scanning in progress...】

【Target: Spirit Iron Vein.】

【Location: Behind the stone wall on the left side at the end of the tunnel, buried approximately three meters deep.】

【Quality Analysis: Low Grade spirit iron, average purity 35%, purity in local core areas can reach 45%.】

【Estimated Reserves: Approximately 7,000 catties.】

【Value Assessment: Can yield approximately 2,500 catties of Standard Spirit Iron, with a market value of around 500 Low-Grade Spirit Stones.】

【Mining Difficulty: Medium; requires professional tools to break through the surface rock.】

Lin Muchen now had a clear idea of the situation.

Reaching the end of the tunnel, he stopped and pointed at the seemingly unremarkable stone wall on the left. "It's right here."

Zhao Tieshan walked over, felt the stone wall with his hand, then drew his saber and struck it hard with the back of the blade.

"Clang!"

The sound was muffled, carrying a slight metallic echo.

"There's definitely something to this." Zhao Tieshan's eyes brightened even further. "Old Zhou, listen to this."

Manager Zhou also leaned in, followed suit by tapping on it, and pressed his ear against the wall to listen.

"Hmm... it's the scent of spirit iron." Manager Zhou straightened up and patted the dust off his hands. "Though it's buried deep, this sound doesn't lie. Old Zhao, we've struck it rich."

Zhao Tieshan didn't respond; he knelt down and carefully examined the seam between the stone wall and the ground.

"This mine isn't small," Zhao Tieshan said. "We need to organize people to mine it immediately. Lin Muchen, you've performed a great service this time."

Just as Lin Muchen was about to speak, the System's notification sound suddenly rang in his head.

【Warning: Weak Formation fluctuations detected.】

【Source: Approximately half a meter beneath the ground directly in front of the Ore Vein's core area.】

【Formation Type: Residual defensive warning Formation (Damaged, remaining effectiveness less than 10%).】

【Trigger Condition: Significant Spiritual Qi disturbance or direct excavation.】

【Effect: May trigger a small-scale Spiritual Qi oscillation; no substantial damage, but will expose the location.】

A Formation?

Lin Muchen's heart tightened.

"Elder Zhao," Lin Muchen spoke up, "this place... I feel like something is wrong."

"What is it?" Zhao Tieshan looked at him.

"I can't quite say, but it feels like there's more than just a mine behind this stone wall." Lin Muchen tried to be as vague as possible. "Maybe... we should be careful first?"

Manager Zhou laughed. "Nephew Disciple Lin, you're being too cautious. This is just a wolf's nest; what else could there be? Could it be that wolves can set up Formations?"

As he spoke, he actually pulled a small shovel from his robes, knelt down, and began digging into the soil at the foot of the stone wall.

"Old Zhou, what are you doing?" Zhao Tieshan frowned.

"Checking if the Ore Vein has surfaced yet." Manager Zhou's hands didn't stop. "The sooner we confirm it and report it, the more clearly it can be recorded in the merit books."

Looking at his impatient manner, Lin Muchen knew this old fox was trying to snatch the primary credit.

"System, can I have the Iron-toothed Ants check exactly where that Formation is?" Lin Muchen asked in his mind.

【Can establish a brief mental link to command the Source Star Ant Colony to perform a simulated investigation.】

【Cost: 5 points.】

【Confirm exchange?】

"Exchange!"

【points -5.】

【Current points: 190.】

【Link established.】

Lin Muchen's consciousness once again connected with the Iron-toothed Ants in the Origin Star.

"Go, simulate that patch of ground ahead. Half a meter down, there's a damaged Formation. Check its specific range and trigger point."

The Iron-Tooth Ant Colony quickly got to work on the open ground of the Origin Star, using finer sand to mark out the outline of the Formation.

Through the shared vision, Lin Muchen "saw" it clearly.

It was a circular Formation vestige about two meters in diameter, located slightly to the left of where Manager Zhou was digging.

The core trigger point was exactly where Manager Zhou's next shovelful was likely to hit.

"Manager Zhou!" Lin Muchen suddenly shouted.

Manager Zhou stopped his hand and looked up at him. "What's wrong?"

"The color of the soil where you're digging... it seems a bit off." Lin Muchen walked over and pointed to a spot slightly to the right of the Formation's core. "Why not try digging here instead? I see a larger crack in the rocks here; it might be easier to dig."

He was trying to lead Manager Zhou's shovel away.

Manager Zhou squinted at the spot Lin Muchen pointed to, then back at where he was currently digging.

"Boy, do you understand mining?" Manager Zhou's tone was somewhat impatient.

"I don't," Lin Muchen said honestly. "I just feel like it would be easier to dig over there."

"Feel?" Manager Zhou sneered. "Mining relies on experience, not your 'feelings'."

After saying that, his shovel dropped again, and it happened to veer slightly to the left, aimed right at the Formation's core!

"Wait!" Zhao Tieshan also sensed something was wrong and called out to stop him.

But it was too late.

The tip of Manager Zhou's shovel struck the buried Formation core.

"Hum—"

A low-pitched hum rang out.

Centered on where Manager Zhou's shovel hit, a ripple of pale blue light suddenly expanded, sweeping through the entire cave!

Although the light was very weak and vanished almost instantly, everyone felt that surge of Spiritual Qi oscillation.

Manager Zhou was so startled that he fell onto his backside, dropping his shovel.

"What... what on earth is this?" His face turned pale.

Zhao Tieshan stepped over, pulled Manager Zhou up, and knelt down to clear away the loose soil.

Beneath it, several fragments of stone carved with blurred patterns were revealed.

"It's a Formation fragment," Zhao Tieshan said with a heavy expression. "It was for warning purposes and was nearly defunct. Old Zhou, you almost triggered a complete one."

Manager Zhou was still shaken, but his eyes darted around, and he suddenly pointed at Lin Muchen. "You! You brat, did you know there was a Formation here all along? Why didn't you say so clearly just now? Were you trying to kill me?"

This false accusation came both swiftly and viciously.

Lin Muchen cursed inwardly, but his face showed a look of bewilderment. "Manager Zhou, I really didn't know. I just felt something was wrong, which is why I told you to be careful."

"You felt something was wrong? Then why didn't you clearly state there was a Formation just now?" Manager Zhou was relentless.

"Because I wasn't sure either," Lin Muchen said. "I'm only at the Fourth Layer of Qi Refining Stage; how would I understand Formations? I just felt the Spiritual Qi in that spot was a bit chaotic, so I suggested you dig to the side."

Zhao Tieshan stood up and patted the dirt off his hands. "Enough, Old Zhou. If Lin Muchen really knew there was a Formation, he wouldn't have just 'felt something was wrong.' He saved you from that shovel stroke; don't be ungrateful."

Manager Zhou was choked into silence, only able to glare fiercely at Lin Muchen.

Zhao Tieshan ignored him, turned toward the stone wall, channeled his Spiritual Qi, and threw a punch!

"Boom!"

Several cracks split across the surface of the stone wall, and debris came cascading down.

Behind the cracks, dark, metallic-lustered Ore was revealed.

The spirit iron Ore had surfaced.

【Ore Vein core exposed.】

【Quality Confirmed: Low Grade spirit iron, core area purity reaches 48%.】

【Exchangeable Item Unlocked: ‘Basic Spirit Ore Refining Technique (Mortal Realm Version)’.】

【Price: 300 points.】

【Effect: Master basic spirit iron Ore identification, mining, and crude refining techniques. Increases Origin Star iron mining efficiency by 50% and provides a knowledge base for dealing with external Ore Vein mining.】

Lin Muchen looked at the System prompt, his heart itching with desire.

Three hundred points. He currently had 190, still 110 short.

He had to earn them quickly.

Zhao Tieshan looked at the exposed Ore Vein, a smile finally appearing on his face. "Good! Excellent Ore! The purity is quite high! Lin Muchen, you've rendered no small service this time. I'll report this as soon as we return. You won't be missing a single Spirit Stone of the contribution points you're owed."

"Thank you, Elder Zhao," Lin Muchen expressed his gratitude.

Manager Zhou watched from the side, his eyes flickering.

He quietly pulled a small notebook from his sleeve, turned away, and quickly used a charcoal pen to record the detailed location of the Ore Vein and the quality of the Ore he had just seen.

He was calculating.

If reported to the Sect, the lion's share of the credit would surely go to Zhao Tieshan and Lin Muchen; he would at most get a few scraps.

But if... if he could find a way to suppress the information about this Ore Vein, or privately find someone to secretly mine a little...

Then the profits would be enormous.

"Old Zhao," Manager Zhou tucked away his notebook and turned around, putting on that smiling face again. "Now that the mine is confirmed, let's hurry back and arrange the manpower. The sooner we start mining, the sooner we can contribute to the Sect."

Zhao Tieshan nodded. "Right, we'll arrange it as soon as we get back. Lin Muchen, you deserve credit for leading the way. When the mining team is assembled, you come too. You'll be responsible for guiding and assisting."

"Yes," Lin Muchen complied.

The four of them left the Wolf's Den and returned to the camp.

On the way back, Manager Zhou was exceptionally quiet, keeping his head down as he pondered something.

As Lin Muchen walked, he felt the changes in his body.

Ever since discovering this Ore Vein, he could feel the faint Metal-element Spiritual Qi permeating the air whenever he was near it, which was being automatically absorbed by his body.

Although it was very slow, his Physical Body strength was indeed improving bit by bit.

【Host is in the radiation zone of a Spirit Iron Vein.】

【Micro-absorption of Metal-element Spiritual Qi in progress...】

【Physical Body strength continuously strengthening: +0.01 (Ongoing).】

【points Settlement: Environmental exploration and resource discovery, points +50.】

【Current points balance: 240.】

Another fifty-point increase.

Lin Muchen was delighted.

Upon returning to the camp, Zhao Tieshan immediately began making arrangements.

He sent two Disciples back to the Sect overnight to deliver the news, while he began planning tomorrow's mining operation.

Manager Zhou claimed he needed to oversee the Menial Servants' preparations and returned to his own tent first.

Lin Muchen sat by the campfire, gnawing on cold dry rations.

Chen Shi leaned over and asked in a low voice, "Junior Brother Lin, did you really find a spirit iron mine?"

"Yeah," Lin Muchen nodded. "Elder Zhao said the purity is quite good."

"Then you've really performed a great service," Chen Shi said enviously. "The contribution points will surely be plenty."

Lin Muchen smiled and didn't say much more.

His mind was on that 300-point refining technique.

Still sixty short.

Night deepened.

Lin Muchen lay on the hay, his consciousness sinking into the Origin Star.

The little fox was sleeping, the Iron-toothed Ants were still mining, and the Condensation Dew Grass had already grown to the height of a finger.

Everything was developing steadily.

He withdrew from his internal vision and listened to the mountain wind howling outside the tent.

The dispute over the spirit mine had only just begun.

That old fox, Manager Zhou, certainly wouldn't let things rest.

He had to be on guard against him.

Lin Muchen rolled over and closed his eyes.

Tomorrow, there would be much to do.