185: Chapter 185 The Outer Clothing of the Ore

Zhao Yi let out a furious roar as his immortal power surged wildly.

The great sumeru treasure hoe embedded itself deeply into the stubborn rock. The muscles on his arms bulged like knotted roots, and his veins stood out like dragons. Like a savage beast pushed to its limits, he gritted his teeth and gave a sudden, violent heave.

Rumble!

The massive rock shattered, sending a wave of dust skyward.

Immediately following, a soft yet brilliant light erupted from the cracks, illuminating the entire mine.

That light wasn't purple-gold or a rosy glow; it was a white light of the utmost purity.

The warm white was like solidified moonlight, or perhaps a condensation of stardust.

A palm-sized, sharply angled stone lay quietly in the center of the shattered rock.

Simultaneously, the System's notification chimed in Zhao Yi's mind.

[You have mined a low-grade immortal stone, experience points +1.]

[First time mining a low-grade immortal stone. Reward: Ore's Coat]

"Hahaha~"

Zhao Yi held the Immortal Stone in his hand and laughed towards the sky.

Heart-Nature, Human Immortal, Ancestral Master, Face—all of it was tossed to the back of his mind.

It had been thirty years.

Who knew how he had lived through these thirty years?

Without sleep or rest, never stopping for even a moment.

If his cultivation had been even slightly lower, Zhao Yi would have collapsed.

Fortunately, he had endured.

Half a day later, Zhao Yi put away the low-grade immortal stone and fixed his gaze on the attribute panel.

He wasn't surprised by the one experience point; what truly concerned him was the reward.

The Ore's Coat?

Do Ores even have coats?

What use does it have?

But this was the second physical item rewarded by the System. With the great sumeru treasure hoe as a precedent, Zhao Yi didn't dare to be negligent.

He even felt a faint sense of anticipation.

"System, claim reward."

As soon as he spoke, Zhao Yi felt a chill on his skin, and then... nothing else happened.

"What the hell?"

Thinking the reward hadn't been claimed, Zhao Yi summoned the attribute panel.

"System."

[Miner: Zhao Yi]

[Cultivation: Mid-stage Human Immortal Realm (Insufficient experience points, cannot level up)]

[experience points: 1/100]

[Reward: None]

The reward column had already changed to 'None'.

Zhao Yi was dumbfounded.

"Where's my reward?"

"Ore's Coat, come out!"

A light breeze blew through, leaving Zhao Yi standing alone and bewildered in the mine.

"I knew it. The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment."

"Fine, I'll just keep mining Immortal Stones."

"One stone every thirty years. A hundred experience points would take three thousand years. The road ahead is long and arduous."

Just then—

Buzz~

From the direction of the Scripture Tower, on the 108th floor, a brilliant golden light suddenly erupted.

The golden light was mixed with rainbow-colored mists, and bursts of illusory Daoist sounds rang out, sounding like ten thousand people chanting scriptures, yet also like the whispers of heaven and earth.

Rumble~

The top floor of the white tower exploded as a dragon shadow soared into the sky.

"Wahahaha~"

"Lord Dragon has finally found his own Dao!"

Approximate flew through the air, a joy emanating from deep within his body that he could not contain.

At this moment, it was hard to tell if he was the Spell helping Zhao Yi locate mineral veins or the Golden Dragon Immortal who had been wandering for ten thousand years away from the Dragon Clan.

His entire body was wrapped in countless golden runes, his dragon scales shimmered with Daoist charm, and a pair of illusory dragon horns actually grew from his head.

Behind him, a massive character for 'Lie' faintly emerged.

Within the character was the Dao; within the Dao were lies; within the lies was truth; and within the truth was the void. It cycled endlessly, seemingly forming its own world.

"Today I lie..."

Approximate stood in the Void Realm, his voice like a great bell echoing through the Lower Profound Sect.

"Tomorrow I become..."

As his voice fell, a crack opened in the firmament, and from above the nine heavens, a gray tribulation cloud descended.

It wasn't a Lightning Tribulation.

It was a Word Tribulation.

Countless illusory mouths opened within the tribulation cloud, spitting out ten thousand words.

"Nonsense!"

"This Dao is absurd!"

"Playing tricks, how can this be a Dao?"

"How can the Heavenly Dao tolerate such jesting?"

The words turned into physical attacks, like blades and swords, piercing straight toward Approximate's Divine Soul.

But Approximate only sneered and spat out a mouthful of air.

"I was talking nonsense to begin with, but my nonsense is the Dao. My lies are the Dao, and my words are the Law."

"What can you do to me?"

He waved his hand violently, and the character for 'Lie' flew out, transforming into a giant mouth that swallowed all ten thousand words.

Word Tribulation,

Broken!

The firmament shook, the tribulation cloud dissipated, and three drops of golden dew fell, which Approximate swallowed into his belly.

"Word as Law, initial success."

Approximate whispered, his aura rising steadily until he had abruptly stepped into the Earth Immortal Realm.

Zhao Yi looked up, his mouth twitching. "This dog thing actually managed to lie his way into a Dao?"

In the next second, Approximate descended from the sky and whipped Zhao Yi’s back with his tail.

"What are you still standing there for?"

"Didn't you want to mine? Now that this Dragon has achieved the Dao, I shall lend you a hand~"

Zhao Yi was whipped into a stumble.

"Holy crap, are you trying to rebel?"

"Approximation Technique,"

"The Great Dao is Simple, approximation is heaven-sent..."

As soon as the incantation started, Approximate felt something was wrong.

His True Immortal-level dragon body was actually turning illusory.

"Wait, wait, wait!"

"Master, I was wrong,"

"I was really wrong."

"Heaven have mercy, I was just influenced by this body earlier."

Approximate wailed.

Zhao Yi remained unmoved. What a joke—he dared to strike him as soon as he became a True Immortal. If he rose another two Realms, wouldn't he try to eat him?

Soon, the illusory Approximate turned into a series of characters circling behind Zhao Yi's head.

"Not bad. It turns out that turning him into characters can suppress this Dead Dragon's consciousness."

This was equivalent to putting Approximate in solitary confinement. Zhao Yi was very satisfied with this.

Outside the Immortal Stone mine, the Disciples of the Lower Profound Sect were gathered together.

"What are you all doing crowding around here?"

One Who Listens to Emptiness braced himself and spoke.

"Old Ancestor Zhao, that Dragon Clan member..."

"Don't you already know? That's my mount, my pet..."

One Who Listens to Emptiness...

The many Disciples of the Lower Profound Sect...

A Cultivator in the Human Immortal Realm using a True Immortal Dragon as a mount and pet?

Weren't they afraid the pet would turn on the master and cost them their life?

"That's none of your concern. Have you all Cultivated today?"

"Have you finished your lessons?"

"One Who Listens to Emptiness, are you capable or not?"

"It seems to me these Disciples are quite idle~"

Boom~

The Disciples who had been surrounding the mine entrance scattered instantly.

One Who Listens to Emptiness...

"This Disciple also takes his leave!"

"Hold on. I have a technique here called the Immovable Void Technique. You should practice it well."

"If there's anything you don't understand, you can come and ask me."

A streak of golden light shot into One Who Listens to Emptiness's mind.

This was the first time Zhao Yi had taught a Spell since being called Ancestral Master.

As the golden light entered One Who Listens to Emptiness's forehead, the light left his eyes.

They were hollow, and it took him three whole months to wake up.

Having regained his senses, One Who Listens to Emptiness kowtowed three times to Zhao Yi with loud thuds.

He didn't care that blood was flowing from the impact.

He choked out,

"This Disciple thanks the Ancestral Master!"

"If this Disciple can undergo tribulation and achieve Immortal Ascension in the future, it will all be thanks to the Ancestral Master's grace in transmitting the Law."

Zhao Yi was currently bare-chested, striking a strange pose while swinging the great sumeru treasure hoe.

Hearing One Who Listens to Emptiness say this actually made him uneasy.

Leaning on the hoe's handle and remembering how One Who Listens to Emptiness had used his influence to strike at the Skill Transmitting Elder, Zhao Yi blurted out,

"What grace?"

"It'll be good enough if you don't sell me out in the future."

"Also..."

"You occasionally comprehended this Immovable Void Technique on your own. It has nothing to do with me, understood?"

Though Zhao Yi's voice was low, it carried an absolute decisiveness.