3: Chapter 3 The Golden Core is Not a Dream

Half a day passed.

The ground beneath Zhao Yi's feet was covered with faint, shimmering Spirit Stones.

Sweat beaded on his forehead; it was unclear whether it was from excitement or exhaustion.

"Keep going, keep going."

The hoe did not stop.

The System's notification sounds also rang in Zhao Yi's ears every now and then.

It wasn't until Zhao Yi dug twenty or thirty times in a row without any Spirit Stones coming out that he finally stopped.

"Did I dig into a nest of Spirit Stones?"

"System."

[Miner: Zhao Yi]

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

[experience points: 38/40]

[Reward: None]

"Holy crap, thirty-eight experience points, thirty-eight Spirit Stones?"

Zhao Yi quickly picked up the Spirit Stones at his feet, and the count matched the System's exactly.

"I'm only two experience points away from a Breakthrough of Qi Refining Layer Five."

"What a pity~"

Zhao Yi looked at the hoe in his hand; the blade was already curled, and it would take a lot of effort to dig through the mountain rock in front of him.

Unwilling to give up, Zhao Yi swung the hoe.

Bang~

A huge counter-shock force traveled up, making Zhao Yi's arms go numb.

"Damn it, just two Spirit Stones away from a Breakthrough to Qi Refining Sixth Layer. By then, I'll be a Cultivator at the Peak of the Middle Stage of Qi Refining."

"Spirit Stone, come out for me!"

Zhao Yi gripped the hoe handle and dug hard!

But the results were often unsatisfactory; until the time for today ended, Zhao Yi didn't dig up a single Spirit Stone.

Dragging the hoe, a clinking sound rang out. After digging hard for several hours, Zhao Yi didn't even have the strength to carry the hoe on his shoulder.

"Hurry up, hurry up, you're the last one. Day after day, just wasting time."

Bai Chuanfeng was unusually short-tempered today.

"Spirit Stones aren't something you can dig up just by being diligent; it depends on fate. If you don't have that fate..."

Before Bai Chuanfeng could finish his sentence, the Formation Spirit nearby spoke in a stiff voice.

"Zhao Yi, thirty-eight Low-Grade Spirit Stones. Wages: three Low-Grade Spirit Stones and eighty purple gold coins."

"Th-thirty-eight Spirit Stones?"

Bai Chuanfeng's eyes widened, looking at Zhao Yi in disbelief.

Except for when the mine first opened, he had never seen anyone in the first level of the mine dig up more than thirty Spirit Stones in a single day.

"Good luck today!"

Zhao Yi took his Spirit Stones and purple gold coins, dragging his exhausted body along; he only wanted to lie down now.

"No, I have to change the hoe first."

...

Treasure Artifact Pavilion.

This was a Magical Artifact shop built directly on the Lesser Strange Spirit Stone Mine. Unlike other shops, it sold hoes of all sizes.

Zhao Yi walked into the shop, but the shop assistant didn't even move.

"Which kind of hoe do you want?"

"The gold one is a Grade 3 Magical Artifact, priced at one hundred Mid-Grade Spirit Stones; the silver one is a Grade 2 Magical Artifact, priced at fifty Mid-Grade Spirit Stones; the black one is a Grade 1 Magical Artifact, priced at ten Mid-Grade Spirit Stones."

Zhao Yi...

Magical Artifact?

He didn't even dare to think about it.

One Mid-Grade Spirit Stone could be exchanged for one hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones. A Grade 2 Magical Artifact, fifty Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, was equivalent to five thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones, which could pay off all his debts.

"I want this one..."

Zhao Mo pointed at the wooden-handled hoe by the door.

Although these hoes weren't Magical Artifacts, they were still at the level of divine Sharp Weapons.

"That will be one Low-Grade Spirit Stone or one hundred purple gold coins."

Zhao Yi put down one hundred purple gold coins, carefully picked out a hoe, and looked at those Magical Artifacts again.

"If I could use these Magical Artifacts, I'm afraid I would be able to reach Foundation Establishment very quickly, right?"

Shaking his head, Zhao Mo returned to the cultivation room.

Looking at Zhao Mo's back, the shop assistant spat.

"Another poor ghost."

A sleepless night.

The next day, Zhao Yi was the first to enter the mine shaft carrying his hoe.

After Zhao Yi entered the mine shaft, a figure also appeared behind Bai Chuanfeng and followed Zhao Yi into the mine.

Bang bang~

Zhao Yi didn't change locations; he still came to the old spot.

With a little bit of force, the hoe completely sank into the mountain rock.

"A new one really is better to use."

"Today's goal: two Low-Grade Spirit Stones."

Having dug thirty-eight Spirit Stones yesterday, Zhao Yi didn't think he would have such good luck again today.

"Hmm?"

But in just one hour, Zhao Yi's spirit sensing ring lit up.

[You dug up a Low-Grade Spirit Stone, experience points +1.]

"Whoa."

"It's not going to explode with loot again today, is it?"

Zhao Yi picked up the Spirit Stone at his feet, overjoyed.

"Again!"

The banging sounds started again.

Half an hour later, the spirit sensing stone lit up again.

[You dug up a Low-Grade Spirit Stone, experience points +1.]

"Good luck, I have enough experience points for a Breakthrough to Qi Refining Sixth Layer."

Compared to Spirit Stones, Zhao Yi cared more about experience points.

"This really is a blessed spot."

"Zhao Yi, right?"

"I've taken a liking to this mine shaft. You, find another place."

Just as Zhao Yi picked up the Spirit Stone, a voice rang out in the quiet mine shaft.

"Who?"

A burly man carrying a hoe walked into the mine shaft carelessly.

Bai Jia Gang.

Seeing Zhao Yi not moving, Bai Jia Gang frowned.

"Didn't you hear what I just said?"

He pointed a finger at the mine shaft entrance.

"Get the hell out."

Zhao Yi...

He held the hoe handle with both hands and adjusted his shadow recording hat.

"And if I say no?"

"You—"

"You're so young, how can you be deaf?"

"My name is Bai... Jia Gang."

Bai Jia Gang emphasized the word 'Bai' particularly heavily.

"I don't care if your surname is Bai or Black, don't disturb my mining."

The rules in the first level of the mine were strict; no one dared to make a move in the mine. Zhao Yi didn't care what his surname was; he just wanted to mine in peace.

"Fine, fine, fine. This is the first time I've met someone with as much guts as you."

Bai Jia Gang's gaze looked as if he wanted to eat Zhao Yi.

Zhao Yi...

He couldn't be bothered with Bai Jia Gang.

He turned around to continue his great undertaking of digging for Spirit Stones.

Banging sounds rang out in the mine shaft.

"You—"

Bai Jia Gang's face turned white and blue with anger.

But he really didn't dare to start a fight in the Spirit Stone Mine.

Bang bang bang.

Dust rose from the mountain beside Zhao Yi; it turned out Bai Jia Gang was swinging his hoe, digging in a spot about a dozen meters away from him.

"What's the meaning of this?"

"Digging for Spirit Stones, what else?"

"What? Is there a rule saying I can't dig here?"

Bai Jia Gang was clearly acting like a rogue.

"What? Do you think it's too crowded? If you think it's too crowded, you can change to another mine shaft,"

Bai Jia Gang looked at Zhao Yi with a fake smile.

"Fine, fine, fine!"

Zhao Yi took a deep breath, suppressing his anger.

He swung his hoe at the Ore, treating the person next to him like a dog.

Neither of them spoke, only swinging their hoes incessantly, but Bai Jia Gang was at Qi Refining Sixth Layer, and his speed was noticeably faster than Zhao Yi's.

However, digging for Spirit Stones wasn't something that could be done just by being fast.

"What the hell?"

Zhao Yi looked at the spirit sensing ring on his wrist; its brightness this time was clearly different from usual.

[You dug up a Mid-Grade Spirit Stone, experience points +100.]

[First time digging up a Mid-Grade Spirit Stone, reward: Approximation Technique]

Mountain rocks fell away, and a flash of light burst out from within.

Zhao Yi was quick and snatched it up immediately.

Bai Jia Gang's cry of surprise came from the side.

"A Mid-Grade Spirit Stone!?"

At this moment, Bai Jia Gang's eyes were bloodshot as he looked at Zhao Yi. If they weren't in the Spirit Stone Mine, he would have stepped forward to snatch it long ago.

A Mid-Grade Spirit Stone! Although there was only one, it was equivalent to one hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones, which would earn a wage of ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

How many damn girls could he get with that?

Zhao Yi looked at the ping-pong-ball-sized Spirit Stone in his hand. He wasn't shocked by the Spirit Stone; he was shocked by the experience points.

One Mid-Grade Spirit Stone gave one hundred experience points. If he got a few more...

Golden Core is not a dream.