2: Chapter 2 Is it about to take off?

[You have mined a Low-Grade Spirit Stone, experience points +1.]

The System's notification sounded in his ear.

Within the excavated rocks, a faint glow emanated from a Spirit Stone.

"It really is a Spirit Stone!"

Picking up the Low-Grade Spirit Stone, Zhao Yi saw no one around and buried it back into the nearby rocks.

"Does burying a Spirit Stone myself count?"

A light of cleverness flickered in Zhao Yi's eyes.

After waiting a moment, he dug the Spirit Stone out again.

No System notification sounded.

"As expected, there are no shortcuts. I'd better mine honestly."

Because the Lesser Strange Spirit Stone Mine was a medium-sized Spiritual Vein, it had three main mine shafts.

With his cultivation at the Qi Refining Third Layer, Zhao Yi could only stay in the first layer of the mine. In this layer, Spirit Stones were scarce, and difficulty in mining was inevitable.

In a day's time, Zhao Yi only mined one Low-Grade Spirit Stone. When leaving the mine, he received ten purple gold coins.

Ten purple gold coins could be exchanged for a hundred taels of gold. For an ordinary person, this was a windfall.

But Zhao Yi was a Cultivator; ten purple gold coins were only enough to pay for two days' rent of a cultivation room.

On the second day, Zhao Yi's luck was slightly better, and he mined three Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

On the third day, he came up empty-handed.

On the fourth day, it was another three Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

In fact, the number of Spirit Stones mined over these few days was the normal income for a Miner; the daily earnings could only maintain basic cultivation.

"System."

[Miner: Zhao Yi]

[Cultivation: Qi Condensation Level Four (Insufficient experience points, cannot level up)]

[experience points: 7/20]

[Rewards: None]

"Seven Low-Grade Spirit Stones in four days, seven experience points, averaging a bit over one per day."

"In other words, it will only take twenty days to Breakthrough to the Qi Refining Layer Five."

Zhao Yi felt a surge of excitement. Compared to thirty years of Cultivate without being able to Breakthrough the Qi Refining Third Layer, now he could Breakthrough the Qi Condensation Level Four in just ten or twenty days—what did he have to complain about?

Thus, Zhao Yi was the most proactive every day, always the first to enter the mine and the last to leave.

In the blink of an eye, twenty-two days had passed.

"Today is the day. As long as I can mine one Low-Grade Spirit Stone today, I can Breakthrough to the Qi Refining Layer Five."

As soon as he entered the mine in the morning, Zhao Yi swung his hoe so hard that sparks almost flew.

From morning until evening, Zhao Yi's arms grew sore.

He estimated the time.

"There's only half an hour left. Am I going to come up empty today?"

Zhao Yi's expression was grim, but there was nothing he could do.

In a Spirit Stone Mine, let alone a minor Qi Refining Cultivator like him, even if a Nascent Soul True Monarch came, they wouldn't know where the Spirit Stones were.

"Damn it, another day wasted."

Just as Zhao Yi was about to give up, the spirit sensing ring on his hand suddenly lit up.

"It's coming, it's coming!"

At this moment, Zhao Yi could feel his own heartbeat.

[You have mined a Low-Grade Spirit Stone, experience points +1.]

"System."

[Miner: Zhao Yi]

[Cultivation: Qi Condensation Level Four (Can level up)]

[experience points: 20/20]

[Rewards: None]

"experience points are sufficient."

Just then, a grand voice echoed throughout the Spirit Stone Mine: "Everyone, exit the mine shafts immediately."

This time, Zhao Yi didn't linger. He picked up the Spirit Stone and ran toward the mine entrance.

After handing in the spirit sensing ring and shadow recording hat and receiving ten purple gold coins, Zhao Yi went straight into the nearby cultivation room.

After entering the cultivation room, he didn't rush to Breakthrough but first performed his exercises to regulate his breathing.

The formula for the Qi Refining Layer Five of the Azure Spirit Scripture surfaced in his mind.

Inside his body, the Spiritual Qi followed the circulation path of the Qi Condensation Level Four of the Azure Spirit Scripture, flowing slowly.

"System, Breakthrough cultivation."

Zhao Yi called out in his heart.

A few breaths later, a massive amount of Spiritual Qi appeared out of thin air in Zhao Yi's Meridians and Dantian.

The bottleneck that had seemed like a mountain in Zhao Yi's eyes collapsed instantly under the impact of this massive Spiritual Qi.

Zhao Yi's body shuddered; the Qi Refining Layer Five was achieved.

"Is it that simple?"

At this moment, Zhao Yi truly felt that the previous thirty years of his life had been wasted on nothing.

"Qi Refining Layer Five."

Feeling the Spiritual Qi within his body, this was a Realm he hadn't dared to imagine before.

Of course, the time right after his Transmigration didn't count.

"System."

[Miner: Zhao Yi]

[Cultivation: Qi Refining Layer Five (Insufficient experience points, cannot level up)]

[experience points: 0/40]

[Rewards: None]

"Forty experience points? It doubled?"

"But as long as I mine forty Low-Grade Spirit Stones, I can Breakthrough. It doesn't seem that hard."

After checking the System panel, Zhao Yi finally put his worries aside and fell fast asleep.

The next day, as usual, Zhao Yi was the first to enter the mine.

"Zhao Yi, don't push yourself too hard. Mining is already a Heaven-Defying act, forsaken by the Heavenly Dao and loathed by heaven and earth. You must take it slow."

"Yes, yes, Manager Bai, I know..."

"Isn't it just because I'm in debt for four thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones?"

Manager Bai, named Bai Chuanfeng, was a Foundation Establishment Cultivator at the first layer, specifically responsible for issuing and collecting spirit sensing rings and shadow recording hats.

Because Zhao Yi entered the mine first every day, they inevitably became acquainted.

Watching Zhao Yi enter the mine, Bai Chuanfeng sneered.

"Tsk, tsk..."

"Paying back four thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones by mining? He really dares to dream."

"If mining could truly make one wealthy, would it still be the turn of you miserable wretches?"

Zhao Yi didn't hear Bai Chuanfeng's mockery, and even if he had, there was nothing he could do. This was a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, not someone he could provoke.

Thumping sounds echoed as Zhao Yi swung his hoe, but he gained nothing that day.

On the second day, Zhao Yi continued to come up empty.

On the third day, it was another empty day.

Bai Chuanfeng, who had been watching Zhao Yi, finally looked away.

The fourth day.

Inside the mine shaft, Zhao Yi looked back at the entrance of the Branch Mine. It connected to the main mine shaft and was already three hundred meters from where Zhao Yi currently was.

The original shaft was only twenty meters long; the rest was all Zhao Yi's handiwork.

"It's already three hundred meters from the main mine shaft."

"Three consecutive days of coming up empty. If I still blank today, I'll have to change locations."

"Dammit, did I use up all my luck breaking through to the Qi Refining Layer Five?"

The thumping sounds continued.

For the entire morning, Zhao Yi again had no harvest.

After pushing the excavated rocks into the Teleportation Array's light circle.

Zhao Yi sat on the handle of his hoe to rest.

"At least one last afternoon. If there's still no harvest this afternoon, I'll change spots tomorrow."

It was as if the mine shaft heard Zhao Yi's threat to leave.

After he started digging, in just two swings of the hoe, his spirit sensing ring lit up.

Rocks fell, and the System's notification sounded in his ear.

[You have mined a Low-Grade Spirit Stone, experience points +1.]

"Is my luck turning around?"

Zhao Yi picked up the Spirit Stone and swung twice more.

The spirit sensing ring lit up again.

Amidst the falling rocks, a Spirit Stone rolled right out.

[You have mined a Low-Grade Spirit Stone, experience points +1.]

"My luck really has turned."

Zhao Yi was delighted.

Picked up the Spirit Stone, and again!

With one swing of the hoe, the spirit sensing ring lit up again.

"Holy crap, I didn't even use a good luck card."

[You have mined a Low-Grade Spirit Stone, experience points +1.]

[You have mined a Low-Grade Spirit Stone, experience points +1.]

...

Next, the System notifications didn't stop.

Whether it took one swing or at most three, Zhao Yi would definitely mine a Spirit Stone.

"Holy cow."

"Is this about to take off?"