241: Chapter 241 Mid-grade Immortal Essence Stone

Over the next few days, everything seemed normal in the mine pit.

However, within Savage Stone's team, earth-shaking changes had occurred.

Using excuses such as discussing important matters or assigning special tasks, Savage Stone brought the other members of his team to Su Mo one by one.

Unsurprisingly, lured by the promise of infinite Lifespan and the ability to absorb immortal essence stones to improve themselves, everyone voluntarily submitted to Su Mo's command.

Su Mo and his group also moved to the eastern mining area occupied by Savage Stone. The immortal essence stone ore in this area was significantly higher than in other places, and the spiritual light on the rock walls was several degrees brighter.

With the two hundred-plus people from Savage Stone's team, plus the Cultivators waiting for death gathered from everywhere, the number of people under Su Mo's command had reached over three hundred.

After experiencing the benefits of freely absorbing Immortal Qi within the Buddhist Kingdom Space, everyone's enthusiasm for mining reached an unprecedented high.

Su Mo sat centered within the Buddhist Kingdom Space as a massive amount of surrounding immortal essence stones transformed into Immortal Qi and surged into his body.

The second tempering was completely finished, and the third tempering was already nearly half complete.

"Savage Stone, how do you think we should approach the western mine pit?"

Hearing this, Savage Stone's brow furrowed slightly.

"Senior, it might be very difficult to get that Jade-Faced Scholar, Liu Xuan, to submit."

"This man appears gentle and refined, but in reality, he is proud and arrogant, and he has an extremely strong desire for control. When I first arrived at the Ding-rank immortal essence stone mine, I don't know how long Liu Xuan had already been here. Moreover..."

Su Mo raised an eyebrow.

"Moreover what?"

Savage Stone's voice was low and his tone grave.

"Moreover, that fellow does not walk the same path as us. I suspect he has inextricable links with the Supervisors, and perhaps even Steward Li."

A sharp glint flashed in Su Mo's eyes.

"Oh? Elaborate."

"Liu Xuan tried to recruit me before. He said that as long as I followed him, I would have the chance to join the Li Clan Immortal Family in the future and escape this sea of misery that is the mine pit."

Savage Stone's tone carried a hint of disdain.

"At the time, I just thought he was drawing a cake to satisfy hunger, but later observations showed his strength far exceeds ordinary people. In front of him, I simply cannot muster any Battle Intent. He may have already completed eight, or even nine Immortal Qi temperings."

"Eight or even nine temperings?"

Su Mo was somewhat surprised.

Could it be that this Liu Xuan also had a method to absorb the Immortal Qi from the immortal essence stones?

Or had he reached some sort of unspeakable cooperation with that Steward from the Li Clan Immortal Family?

Su Mo was silent for a moment. Far from showing any fear, an aggressive smile appeared on his face.

"Interesting..."

...Just as Su Mo's side was secretly flourishing, Liu Xuan, the leader of the other major power in the mine pit, also keenly noticed the changes in Savage Stone and his group.

His subordinates reported that the mental outlook of Savage Stone's people had become completely different from before; they were less numb and had gained an indescribable sharpness.

Even stranger was that Savage Stone's team seemed to have become a monolithic block; previous small frictions and internal strife had all vanished.

Liu Xuan narrowed his long, thin eyes slightly.

"When things are abnormal, there must be a demon afoot. Go and investigate carefully for me exactly what has happened to them."

His intuition told him that Savage Stone was definitely hiding some secret, perhaps even a variable that could change the layout of the mining field.

"Savage Stone, oh Savage Stone, do not disappoint me..."

A meaningful smile curled at the corner of Liu Xuan's mouth.

He wasn't worried that Savage Stone could pull any tricks; rather, he hoped the commotion Savage Stone caused would be even bigger.

That way... he might be able to use the matter to become a member of the Li Clan Immortal Family ahead of schedule.

Having drifted through countless mine pits for a thousand years, relying on yun xian pills with an Immortal Qi content so meager it was practically non-existent, he had managed to complete eight temperings.

With only the final tempering left, Liu Xuan would be able to bring his immortal fetus to Perfection, truly possessing the Foundation to establish himself in this realm.

He would not allow any accidents to occur during this final step, and Savage Stone might just be the key to him taking that final step early... "Everyone! Get out of the mine tunnel!"

A coarse, harsh shout exploded in the mine tunnel, interrupting the actions of all the miners.

The time to hand over immortal essence stones had come once again.

After collecting the immortal essence stones from all the miners, the Supervisor frowned.

Something was wrong!

The collected immortal essence stones were at least thirty percent fewer than before, and this situation had persisted for several days.

The Supervisor violently cracked the black whip in his hand and roared.

"You Lower Realm natives! Is someone hiding immortal essence stones!"

The explosive crack of the whip tip made many miners instinctively tremble and shrink their necks.

Savage Stone sneered inwardly. Now that they could use the immortal essence stones to Cultivate, why would they hand over the stones they had worked so hard to mine? Handing over five stones a day for a yun xian pill was already generous enough.

However, he still put on a bitter expression, stepped forward, and cupped his hands.

"Exalted Immortal, please look into this! We work ourselves to the bone every day; we would never dare hide immortal essence stones! It's just... it's just that for some reason these past few days, the output of the vein seems inferior to before. The brothers have done their best."

Looking at the fearful eyes of the crowd, the Supervisor also began to ponder.

Even if these miners kept the immortal essence stones, they couldn't absorb them. They could only look but not use them; carrying them was just a burden.

Could it be that this ore vein was truly about to run dry?

He knew that this Ding-rank mining field was a branch of an immortal essence stone vein that had been mined for countless years; perhaps it really was on the verge of exhaustion.

"Hmph!"

The head Supervisor snorted coldly. His face was ugly, but his tone softened slightly.

"Even so, you must not hide immortal essence stones! If I find out, everyone will receive ten lashes!"

He was already planning to report this matter to Steward Li.

Liu Xuan saw at a glance what the Supervisor intended to do. Whenever a mine ran dry, everyone in the mining field would be reshuffled and reassigned elsewhere.

Over hundreds and thousands of years, he had been moved around like this countless times and knew the patterns well.

But based on his experience, although this was just a branch of the immortal essence stone vein, it was impossible for it to run dry so early.

After this incident, he was even more certain that Savage Stone was hiding a secret.

Watching all the miners re-enter the pit, a cold light flashed in Liu Xuan's eyes, and he no longer hesitated.

He straightened his robes, put on a gentle and refined smile, and walked slowly toward the Supervisor.

"Supervisor Zhao, please wait a moment."

Supervisor Zhao frowned, but when he saw it was Liu Xuan, his expression softened slightly.

Liu Xuan had been operating here for a long time; he was obedient and knew how to handle things, so the Supervisor had received no small amount of benefits from him.

"Is something the matter?"

Liu Xuan approached a few steps and lowered his voice.

"Supervisor Zhao, regarding the report to Steward Li, could it be delayed for two days?"

Supervisor Zhao raised an eyebrow, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes.

"What do you mean by this? The yield has dropped sharply; according to the rules, it must be reported immediately!"

Unfazed, Liu Xuan quietly slid an immortal essence stone of significantly better quality than usual from his sleeve and very discreetly pressed it into Supervisor Zhao's hand.

A Medium Grade immortal essence stone?!

The pure immortal essence energy made his heart skip a beat, and the reprimand on the tip of his tongue was instantly swallowed back down.

One Medium Grade immortal essence stone was equivalent to a hundred Low Grade immortal essence stones, and the chance of one being produced in a Low Grade vein like this was less than one in ten thousand.

He calmly tightened his fist, tucked the Medium Grade immortal essence stone into his robes, and the expression on his face became much softer.

As long as no one knew, he could keep any immortal essence stones found outside of the required yield.

This was a tacitly understood rule in the mining fields.

Otherwise, why would these Supervisors come to this desolate place filled with miasma where one couldn't even Cultivate?