463: Chapter 463 Martial Arts Strength

[You stand where you are, scanning your surroundings.]

[In this mining area, several hundred miners are scattered about.]

[Some are buried in their work, chiseling away, while others have stopped to size you up with looks of curiosity and schadenfreude.]

[On the distant cliff face, mining tunnels of all sizes are clustered like a honeycomb, with the constant clinking and clanging of tools echoing out.]

[Just as you are about to move, a miner nearby suddenly approaches you.]

[He looks around first to make sure no one is watching before lowering his voice to ask:]

["Brother, what did you do to get sent here?"]

[You grin. "Nothing major, just killed a few people from the Liu Clan Immortal Family."]

[The miner freezes, his pupils shrinking slightly as the way he looks at you instantly changes.]

[He pauses for a moment, then gives you a thumbs up:]

["Brother, you're amazing!"]

[Ignoring him, you turn and pick up a mining pick, aiming it at the wall and swinging it down.]

["Clang!"]

[Sparks fly, but the wall doesn't budge, only a few small pebbles chipping off.]

[Staring at the faint white mark, you frown:]

["Damn, it's this hard?"]

[The miner beside you is stunned for a moment before bursting into laughter. "Brother, if you mine like that, forget ten thousand pieces; you'll struggle to even get a thousand."]

[He leans in and points to a natural crack in the wall. "Look closely, you have to hit this node. Follow the grain, and every swing will net you a piece."]

[As he speaks, he swings his pick at the intersection of the cracks.]

[With a "clang," a fist-sized piece of black Ore falls to the ground, its edges clean.]

[You nod, now understanding the trick.]

[At his speed—one piece every two or three breaths—ten thousand pieces a day really isn't just a dream.]

[Following his example, you aim at a crack and swing your pick.]

["Clang—"]

[After ten breaths, you barely manage to pry one piece loose, and it shatters into fragments.]

[Taking a breath, you can't help but curse inwardly:]

["This piece of junk is so hard to dig out."]

[Blackstone Essence Ore is one of the Materials used to refine Magical Artifacts, Spiritual Artifacts, and Magic Treasures.]

[To low-level Cultivators, it's a treasure, but in your eyes, it's just junk, pure garbage.]

[Yet, even for such junk, extracting it is incredibly exhausting.]

[You suddenly want to laugh.]

[Thinking of your own belongings, how many mining tunnels like this could you buy?]

[Now, all that wealth is with Qin Han.]

[Before coming to the Heavenly Palace, you never intended to return alive.]

[So at that time, your main body only brought the immortal slaying sword.]

[The immortal slaying sword is a Lifebound Treasure, connected to your Divine Soul and nurtured within your body; unless you die, no one can take it away.]

[As for the xuantian seal, it was taken by Liu Qingtian when you were captured.]

[Unfortunately, because your cultivation is sealed, you cannot summon the immortal slaying sword within you.]

[As for everything else—like the Venerable Tianming's jade token, Heaven And Earth Treasures, and Spirit Stones—they were all given to Qin Han.]

[You had instructed him—]

[If you died, he should consume all those resources to increase his strength, and once he reached the Mahayana stage, come to avenge you.]

[As for why Liu Xuerong threw you onto this Mining Star...]

[You think about it and have a rough idea.]

[She is waiting.]

[Waiting for Qin Han to come and rescue you.]

[When that happens, she can use Qin Han to blackmail you.]

[Unfortunately, she miscalculated.]

[Because you don't know where Qin Han is, and you've told him to hide and not show himself.]

[As for the Torch Dragon, you don't think it will come to save you.]

[Then there's Qin Yu; she is the Academy Prodigy and is protected by them. As long as she doesn't leave the Academy, no one would dare move against her openly.]

[You feel like your life is over.]

[There's no need to involve them.]

[Besides, your Spiritual Root Aptitude isn't high enough.]

[Wanting to Breakthrough to Body Integration? Mahayana?]

[Heh, there's likely no chance in this lifetime.]

[While thinking, you mechanically swing your mining pick.]

[Every time you chip off a piece of Ore, you touch the jade token to it, and the Ore is instantly sucked inside.]

[This jade token is a specially made spatial Magical Artifact that can be used without Divine Thought. By touching the Ore, it identifies it using the Ore's energy and automatically stores it.]

[It's actually quite convenient.]

[Time passes bit by bit,]

[As the sun sets, the mining tunnel is shrouded in a dark red afterglow.]

["Clang—"]

["Clang—"]

["Clang—"]

[Inside and outside the tunnel, the clinking and clanging of tools rise and fall.]

[In the distance, a burly miner strides toward you.]

[He has an old scar on his face. His gaze sweeps over you with a condescending air as he says coldly:]

["New here?"]

[Without even looking at him, you continue your work and casually reply, "What is it?"]

["Give me that jade token of yours."]

[You stop your mining pick, look at him, and then point to the jade token at your waist, your tone calm:]

["You can't open it anyway, so what do you want it for?"]

[The miners here are all like you—their cultivation is sealed, making them no different from Mortals.]

[Laws cannot be sensed, and Divine Sense cannot be projected.]

[No one can open this specially made jade token.]

[The scarred man grins, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth:]

["You don't need to worry about that. Just give it to me."]

[You look at him and spit out a single word:]

[" 滾."]

[The scarred man freezes.]

[As if he hadn't heard clearly, he tilts his head and picks his ear, then starts laughing:]

["What did you say? Say it again?"]

[The surroundings suddenly fall silent.]

[The hundreds of nearby miners stop what they're doing and turn their heads in unison to watch.]

["Oh, Brother Biao is going to teach the newcomer the rules again."]

["This kid actually dares to offend Brother Biao? He's probably going to get a brutal beating."]

["He must be new, doesn't know how things work. Just wait, he's in for it."]

[The whispers drift into your ears, but you pay them no mind.]

[This scarred man, Brother Biao, is actually named Chen Biao. He has a Soul Transformation cultivation and is a Loose Cultivator. Because he was short on Spirit Stones, he robbed a merchant guild, not realizing it was a property of the Heavenly Palace, and was caught and sent here as a miner.]

[You glance at Chen Biao, your tone still flat but laced with a chilling coldness:]

["Don't provoke me. Otherwise, you will die."]

["Hahaha—" Chen Biao throws his head back and laughs so hard he's doubled over, tears nearly coming to his eyes.]

[The next second, the laughter stops abruptly.]

[His gaze turns cold, and he suddenly exerts force with his feet, leaping into the air with arms wide. His fist intent condenses into the shape of a fierce tiger, pouncing toward you with the momentum of wind and thunder—]

["Fierce Tiger Descending the Mountain!"]

[The corners of your mouth curl up slightly as you move your feet, leaving a trail of afterimages.]

[It is exactly the Subtle Steps of Ling Bo—your top-tier Martial Arts Cultivation Technique.]

[Although your cultivation is sealed, your Martial Arts remain.]

[You had already tested this back in the Immortal Suppressing Tower.]

[Combined with your Physical Body's foundation, though you are currently like a Mortal, you are a top-tier expert among Mortals.]