91: Chapter 91 I'm the mine manager; I can mine whichever mountain I want.

"What urgent matter?"

Zhao Yi asked curiously. He wasn't afraid of Zheng Qinghe tripping him up; as fellow Void Refining Cultivators, who was afraid of whom?

Zheng Qinghe looked at Zhao Yi with sparkling eyes.

"Speaking of this matter, it actually concerns Fellow Daoist Zhao."

"Does Fellow Daoist Zhao still remember the Lesser Strange Spirit Stone Mine and the Lu Mountain Spirit Stone Mine?"

"Of course I remember."

Was there anyone more familiar with these two Spirit Stone mines than Zhao Yi?

"It's good that you remember. These two Spirit Stone mines have both been decommissioned. They require your confirmation, after which Anning Prefecture will archive the records, report to the Immortal Dynasty, and simultaneously send a copy to the Chaotian Spirit Realm."

"What?"

"Is it that formal?"

Zhao Yi had thought that whoever bought a Spirit Stone mine owned it, and if there were no Spirit Stones left, it would simply be abandoned.

He hadn't expected it to be such a formal process.

"What are you saying?"

"All Spirit Stone mines belong to the Immortal Dynasty; Sects and individuals only have mining rights. Therefore, the life and death of a Spirit Stone mine are determined by the Immortal Dynasty."

"You are a newcomer; you must perform your duties diligently and not fail the Luck blessing of the Immortal Dynasty."

Lin Xingran lectured Zhao Yi with a face full of righteousness.

Zhao Yi...

"Judicial Assistant Lin must be joking. What Immortal Dynasty Luck?"

"Can it be eaten?"

Lin Xingran grew angry.

"With the blessing of the Immortal Dynasty's Luck, a Cultivator can attain clarity of mind and nature, comprehend scriptures, and ordinary Cultivation will be faster than that of common people."

"And then?"

Zhao Yi was speechless, looking at Lin Xingran as if he were an idiot.

"Judicial Assistant Lin, surely you haven't forgotten."

"I, Zhao, am a Death Cultivator."

"What's wrong with being a Death Cultivator?"

"Do Death Cultivators not Cul..."

Before the word 'tivate' could be spoken, Lin Xingran's voice grew smaller and smaller.

Asking a Death Cultivator to Cultivate—what was the difference between that and telling them to go die?

"Heh, Judicial Assistant Lin is truly a good person, actually wanting me to Cultivate?"

Zhao Yi could see it now; this bastard had an issue with him, even a bit of hostility.

But Zhao Yi clearly didn't know Lin Xingran.

So...

There was only one possibility: Zhao Yi, as the mining commissioner, had snatched someone else's position.

"You..."

Lin Xingran knew he had misspoke, but he didn't want to apologize. His face turned as red as a monkey's butt.

"Hmph!"

Seeing he couldn't win the argument against Zhao Yi, he let out a cold snort, flicked his sleeves, and vanished.

That was the good thing about being a Cultivator: they arrived fast and left even faster.

"Fellow Daoist Zhao, do not be angry. Judicial Assistant Lin's words were unintentional."

Zheng Qinghe looked like an honest man.

He had no choice but to be honest; he already knew that Zhao Yi had three big shots—Li Yingren, Li Yingzhen, and Li Yingzi—standing behind him.

Returning to Anning Prefecture now, Zhao Yi might very well be here to challenge Li Yingtang. How could he, a mere Void Refining Cultivator, dare to get involved in such matters?

The best course of action was to avoid offending either side.

"Fellow Daoist Zhao is a newcomer; please accept this small token of my respect."

A familiar object slid into his hand. Zhao Yi didn't even need to look to know it was a Mid-Grade Spirit Stone.

"Prefect Zheng, you are..."

"Oh, it's nothing much, just a small gesture."

"Just do your job well. Magistrate Ma and I are not your enemies."

Beside them, Ma Zhixing, who had seemed transparent until now, nodded.

"Fine, I understand."

Zhao Yi nodded and accepted the Mid-Grade Spirit Stone, which meant accepting Zheng Qinghe's goodwill. He had returned to Anning Prefecture to dig Spirit Stones and farm experience points, not for intrigue.

Having two fewer enemies was naturally excellent.

...

Lesser Strange Spirit Stone Mine.

Revisiting the old place, Zhao Yi was filled with emotions.

With a sweep of his Divine Sense, he discovered the entire Spirit Stone mine was completely deserted.

"What's the situation?"

With a wave of his hand, Zhao Yi transformed into a young man and headed toward Pingcheng County.

Pingcheng County, once bustling, was now desolate. The Cultivators who used to fill the streets had vanished.

Zhao Yi entered a random shop,

ordered a pot of tea, and asked,

"Waiter, I've come to Pingcheng County to visit relatives. Why has this county town become so deserted?"

The waiter placed the tea before Zhao Yi.

"You're a Cultivator, right?"

"Are you here to dig Spirit Stones at the Lesser Strange Spirit Stone Mine?"

"Don't bother. There are no Spirit Stones left there; it's already been abandoned."

Zhao Yi asked: "A perfectly good Spirit Stone mine, how could it be abandoned?"

"It's all because of True Lord Zhao. He dug out the purple strange crystal stone, which was the core of the Lesser Strange Spirit Stone Mine. Without the purple strange crystal stone, the Lesser Strange Demons in the mine shafts seemed to lose control."

"Those rioting Lesser Strange Demons devoured all the Spirit Stones in the mine and then consumed the Cultivators."

"Alas, that day the entire sky turned red. Wails were heard everywhere, and not one of the hundreds of thousands of Cultivators survived."

"Who dares to go to the Lesser Strange Spirit Stone Mine now?"

"It's too terrifying."

Zhao Yi...

He placed a purple gold coin on the table and vanished instantly.

The waiter shrugged as if he were used to such things. Picking up the purple gold coin from the table, he said happily, "I haven't seen one of these in years. Luck is good today."

Returning to the Lesser Strange Spirit Stone Mine, Zhao Yi looked at the familiar mine shafts.

He had entered and exited these shafts many times, but now only darkness remained.

With a snap of his fingers, a flame appeared before Zhao Yi.

The Forbidden Law Zone had failed; this Lesser Strange Spirit Stone Mine truly was ruined.

"Heh!"

"Not one of the hundreds of thousands of Cultivators survived?"

Zhao Yi sneered. The Bai family had ultimately refined the azure blood pill after all.

He just didn't know who had consumed it.

Was it Li Yingtang?

The rocks of the entire mountain were reddish-brown. Closing his eyes, Zhao Yi seemed to see the scene of hundreds of thousands of Cultivators being pushed into the Sacrificial Refining Heaven Mending Array.

"Mountain Breaking Art."

"Plowing the mountains into waves as a thousand peaks move; when the earth's axis turns, the hibernating dragon is seen."

The earth of the entire Lesser Strange Spirit Stone Mine surged, the mine shafts collapsed, and all traces of the Cultivators' lives were erased by Zhao Yi.

"Sigh!"

Zhao Yi let out a sigh.

The Lesser Strange Spirit Stone Mine...

Was now removed from existence.

As for the Lu Mountain Spirit Stone Mine, Zhao Yi didn't even go there.

It was already confirmed to be a Dead Mine; what else was there to confirm?

The next day, he submitted the documents regarding the decommissioning of the Lesser Strange Spirit Stone Mine and the Lu Mountain Spirit Stone Mine.

If nothing went wrong, these two Spirit Stone mines would soon disappear from the Immortal Dynasty's records and become legends.

Five hundred miles from Anning Prefecture City.

This was the largest Spirit Stone mine currently confirmed in Anning Prefecture, the Jishan Spirit Stone Mine.

He heard that in addition to Spirit Stones, there were over a thousand types of exotic Ores in the Jishan Spirit Stone Mine.

How could Zhao Yi hold back anymore?

After settling the matters of the Lesser Strange Spirit Stone Mine and Lu Mountain Spirit Stone Mine, he rode a cloud straight to the Jishan Spirit Stone Mine.

At the entrance of the mine shaft.

Zhao Yi stared at the few people before him,

dumbfounded.

In the Chaotian Spirit Realm, he had seen Ah Da and Ah Jiu with Li Yingzhen. At that time, Zhao Yi thought the numbers in between were empty.

He hadn't expected Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, and Eight to all be at the Jishan Spirit Stone Mine.

"Everyone, what are you doing?"

Ah Er pointed at the Cloud Tablet beside them, which read: Zhao Yi and dogs are not allowed inside.

Zhao Yi...

"Who set this rule?"

"Naturally, it was us."

Ah Er looked at Zhao Yi provocatively.

"Holy crap!"

Zhao Yi was furious.

He took out the Immortal Dynasty's appointment letter and threw it directly in Ah Er's face.

"I am the mining commissioner; I'll dig whichever mountain I want..."

"Pah, that's not right!"

"I'll enter whichever mine I want."

"Do you really want to block me?"

Ah Da looked at the words 'Zhao Yi is hereby appointed as the Mining Envoy of Anning Prefecture,' and his face looked as if he were constipated.

Block him?

Or not?