35: Chapter 35: A sudden realization dawns; I need to go into seclusion.

After Zhou Yan and Mi Yao left the branch mine tunnel, Zhao Yi turned around and beckoned to Bai Chuanzheng, "Come~"

Before the word 'come' had even faded, Bai Chuanzheng had already lunged forward, and an earthy-yellow mace appeared above Zhao Yi's head.

Judging by this stance, he clearly intended to finish off Zhao Yi in one blow.

"Damn it, you fight without any honor."

Bai Chuanzheng launched attack after attack, dancing his earthy-yellow mace until it was an impenetrable wall of strikes; his combat experience was far beyond that of Zhao Yi.

Bang!

After dodging dozens of moves, Zhao Yi had a momentary lapse in concentration and was struck on the back by Bai Chuanzheng's mace.

His entire body was sent flying dozens of meters instantly, embedding him into the mine wall.

Bai Chuanzheng, pressing his advantage, followed him to the mine wall and swung his mace down repeatedly.

Bang, bang, bang!

He didn't know how many times he struck, until he had hammered Zhao Yi deep into the mine wall.

"Come out, don't play dead. This level of injury is nothing to a Late Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator."

Bai Chuanzheng flashed away, distancing himself from the mine wall.

Within the mine wall that had been struck, he sensed the presence of a Lesser Strange Demon.

He knew exactly how so many Foundation Establishment Cultivators of the Bai family had perished.

"Cough, cough!"

Zhao Yi wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. After being ruthlessly hammered by Bai Chuanzheng, he looked fine, but in reality, his internal organs had been severely shaken.

If not for the thick true energy of a Late Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator, he feared his internal organs would have already been reduced to pulp.

"Hehe!"

"I'd only ever heard of people being smashed into a wall so hard they couldn't be pried out."

"I never expected that I would actually experience it myself one day."

"If you have the ability, put down your weapon and let's fight hand-to-hand. What kind of hero relies on the power of a Magical Artifact?"

Looking at that mace, Zhao Yi revealed deep wariness; that thing really hurt when it hit someone.

As for the many black dots in that human-shaped pit, Zhao Yi did not even notice them.

"Oh, if you hadn't mentioned it, I would have forgotten."

Bai Chuanzheng discarded the mace in his hand.

He held his hands out as if cupping something, and a golden mace slowly appeared in his hands.

Zhao Yi's expression turned solemn.

"A Natal Magical Artifact?"

This was a Magical Artifact that shared a telepathic connection with its owner, usually nurtured within the Dantian when not in use.

As for its power, it was definitely greater than the one Bai Chuanzheng had just discarded.

Zhao Yi wanted to slap himself; why did he have to run his mouth...

After searching his Storage Pouch for a long time, Zhao Yi finally realized, where was the great sumeru treasure hoe rewarded by the System?

With this thought in mind, the great sumeru treasure hoe appeared in Zhao Yi's hand.

"You also have a Natal Magical Artifact?"

Bai Chuanzheng looked at Zhao Yi in disbelief.

Wasn't it said that he still owed Spirit Stones to the Cultivation Academy? How could he have a Natal Magical Artifact?

Zhao Yi...

What kind of Natal Magical Artifact was this?

He didn't even know where the great sumeru treasure hoe had come from, but it was certainly not nurtured in his Dantian.

But now was not the time to worry about that.

Outside the branch mine tunnel, the shrill cries of Zhou Yan and Mi Yao could already be heard; it was clear they were also in a fight.

With so many of Bai Chuanzheng's subordinates outside, how could the two of them possibly be a match for them?

Zhao Yi grew anxious.

"Take this!"

He raised the great sumeru treasure hoe and struck toward Bai Chuanzheng.

He was treating Bai Chuanzheng as if he were the mine wall.

Seeing the hoe strike, Bai Chuanzheng didn't think much of it.

He channeled his true energy and swung his mace to block.

Bai Chuanzheng would never have imagined that because of this move, he had sealed his own fate.

The great sumeru treasure hoe smashed onto the mace, and the mace, as if made of tofu, snapped directly into two pieces.

With his Natal Magical Artifact destroyed, Bai Chuanzheng was immediately severely wounded, and the momentum of Zhao Yi's hoe did not diminish, reaching right in front of Bai Chuanzheng.

In his haste, Bai Chuanzheng could only channel his true energy in an attempt to withstand it.

What kind of Magical Artifact was this?

This was the question Bai Chuanzheng never got to ask before he died.

Zhao Yi looked at the mangled body of Bai Chuanzheng, completely dumbfounded. He had killed someone with a single strike of the hoe?

This was a Late Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator who had been suppressing him just a moment ago, and he was sent away by a single strike of the great sumeru treasure hoe?

Hearing the fighting outside becoming more intense, Zhao Yi hurriedly looted the body and rushed out.

In the main mine tunnel, Zhou Yan and Mi Yao were retreating as they fought, and they had now been forced into a corner.

"Little ladies, give up the resistance."

"Don't worry, we won't hurt you."

These Cultivators spoke nicely, but in reality, they had lecherous grins on their faces.

"That's right, give up the resistance."

"I won't hurt you."

Zhao Yi's gloomy voice rang out.

The Cultivators surrounding the two women turned around abruptly and saw Zhao Yi carrying a hoe.

"I won't make things difficult for you either."

"Put down your Storage Pouches, and I can spare your lives."

Those who rob others must be prepared to be robbed in return; Zhao Yi firmly believed in this saying.

"Bai, Master Bai, were you killed by him again?"

"Hmm?"

Feeling that familiar fluctuation, Zhao Yi's scalp went numb.

Could it be such a coincidence?

He didn't care about these Cultivators anymore, went up, and grabbed Zhou Yan and Mi Yao.

"Run quickly!"

"Damn it, the Lesser Strange Demons are coming."

Zhao Yi held Zhou Yan with his left hand and Mi Yao with his right.

He activated his Collapse Step and ran.

"Damn it, what are you all still doing?"

"Why aren't you running?"

Zhao Yi's figure had already vanished from the main mine tunnel, leaving only echoes reverberating in the mine.

Why aren't you running...

Why aren't you running...

After a dozen breaths, these Cultivators finally reacted.

"What did he say?"

"Lesser Strange Demons?"

"We are the ones killing the Lesser Strange..."

Before they could finish their sentence, they witnessed a terrifying scene: countless black shadows surged out from the branch mine tunnel, dense and endless.

"Run!"

These Cultivators fled frantically, wishing they had been born with two more legs.

At the same time, they were cursing those three Golden Core True Persons.

Wasn't it said that the Lesser Strange Demons had already been wiped out?

"Ahhh~"

Feeling the increasingly overwhelming pressure from behind, Zhao Yi was almost going crazy.

What was wrong with recent times?

Both times he went into the mine, it was a demon tide.

Did they not even let people mine properly?

Moving with lightning speed, Zhao Yi and the two women were the first to rush out of the mine tunnel.

Seeing Zhao Yi's disheveled state, Bai Chuanzhu had originally intended to mock him.

But the words stuck in his throat.

Because he remembered that Bai Chuanzheng had ignored his advice and taken a group of people into the second level of the mine.

"Could it be?"

Bai Chuanzhu felt a chill run down his back.

Slowly turning around, Cultivators were constantly running out.

"Bai, Steward Bai."

"Demon tide!"

"Quickly call the Golden Core True Persons! If it's too late, all the Cultivators in the mine will die!"

Bai Chuanzhu went numb. He turned and glanced at Zhao Yi, then immediately went to seek help.

"Let's go, let's avoid the limelight."

With two consecutive demon tides, who knew if those Golden Core True Persons would interrogate the three of them?

With so many Spirit Stones, who could guarantee that those Golden Core True Persons wouldn't be greedy?

Taking advantage of the chaotic crowd, the three of them returned to their cultivation room.

"Quick, quick, quick, let's see how many Spirit Stones we dug up this time."

Zhou Yan and Mi Yao had turned into money-grubbers.

After half a day, looking at the Storage Pouch in front of them, the two women were full of excitement.

"A total of 9,962 Low-Grade Spirit Stones, and one High-Grade Spirit Stone."

Mi Yao covered her little mouth. Although Zhou Yan was also full of surprise, her reaction was not as exaggerated as Mi Yao's.

"It's a pity it's not a Mid-Grade Spirit Stone, otherwise we could have retired."

Zhao Yi joked.

"Alright, let's split it equally among the three of us."

"Don't refuse, we aren't outsiders."

Seeing Mi Yao about to speak, Zhao Yi hurriedly interrupted.

The phrase 'aren't outsiders' made Mi Yao lower her head.

"Okay, I'll listen to you."

After the Spirit Stones were divided, Zhao Yi handed both his own and Bai Chuanzheng's Storage Pouches to Zhou Yan.

"What is this for?"

A bad premonition arose in Zhou Yan's heart.

Zhao Yi looked indifferent.

"I have had a sudden realization, and I am going into seclusion."