620: Rich mining area, dispute!

Just as Lu Hao was closing his eyes to rest, a fierce quarrel entered his ears.

He opened his eyes and looked toward a mine tunnel branch not far away. There, nearly twenty people were gathered, split into two groups, facing off aggressively.

One of the groups was exactly Old Wood and his party, whom he knew.

"Bullshit! This area was clearly discovered by us first! What right do you have to steal it!"

A young Cultivator behind Old Wood roared furiously. His face was covered in dust, and his veins were bulging with rage.

"A joke! Who saw it? Anything in the Chaotic Soul Mountain belongs to whoever mines it. You haven't even started, so why do you claim it's yours?"

The burly man leading the opposing side was robust, his voice rough, carrying a domineering tone. The several people accompanying him also looked fierce, and their cultivation Qi was slightly stronger than Old Wood's side.

"We already made a mark! You shameless scoundrels!"

Old Wood, the leader, was also trembling with Qi, and he heavily struck the ground with his pickaxe. The eight Cultivators behind him were all uncontrollably furious.

Their luck was indeed very good; on their very first day, they discovered a small rich Ore zone. However, before they could start mining, they were targeted by this group who forcefully tried to occupy it.

Inside the Chaotic Soul Mountain, once an area is discovered and mining has begun, others are forbidden from seizing it.

But this group had only just discovered it and hadn't started mining yet, which is why they were discovered by the other party, leading to the current situation.

This rich Ore zone was the hope of survival for the Cultivators in the Chaotic Soul Mountain.

Lu Hao listened for a moment and understood the general situation.

It was all to compete for a newly discovered rich Ore zone.

In the Chaotic Soul Mountain, the distribution of chaotic soul stone is uneven. In some places, one might dig all day and not find a single one, while other areas have rich concentrations of Ore, known as rich Ore zones.

Finding a rich Ore zone meant that they could easily complete their tasks for a long time, perhaps even having a surplus.

For Cultivators struggling to survive in the Chaotic Soul Mountain, this was undoubtedly a massive Opportunity. Furthermore, if the rich Ore zone was large enough, they could accumulate enough pure filth pill to give themselves a complete purification!

The two parties faced off here for a moment, and it looked like a fight was about to break out.

However, the commotion quickly attracted the Black-armored Soldiers patrolling the Chaotic Soul Mountain.

A Black-armored Soldier walked over expressionlessly. His steps were heavy, and every step seemed to weigh on the hearts of the crowd.

The jet-black armor reflected the dim light of the mine shaft, exuding an oppressive aura.

"What is going on?"

The Black-armored Soldier's voice was icy, carrying an unquestionable authority.

The two groups of Cultivators immediately quieted down, pointing at each other and arguing vociferously.

"Sir, we discovered this rich Ore zone first, and they are ignoring the rules of the Chaotic Soul Mountain and trying to steal it!"

Old Wood pointed at the opposition, his voice filled with suppressed fury.

"Sir, they only made a mark; they haven't started digging yet! According to the rules of the Chaotic Soul Mountain, whoever mines it first owns it! It cannot be called their Ore zone yet!"

The burly man countered, his voice Hong Liang, immediately overpowering Old Wood.

The Black-armored Soldier listened to both sides' arguments, his face devoid of expression. He slowly scanned the area, finally settling his gaze on the two groups of Cultivators.

"Do not cause trouble here over such trivial matters, or you will all be severely punished without exception!"

His voice was emotionless:

"According to the regulations of the Chaotic Soul Mountain, private fights between Cultivators are forbidden, but in case of major disputes, a one-on-one duel is permitted!"

He paused, and silence fell all around.

"One person from each side steps forward. The outcome will be decided in a single move. The winner possesses this rich Ore zone, and the loser scrambles away!"

The Black-armored Soldier's voice was icy, leaving no room for negotiation.

This was the customary way the Chaotic Soul Mountain handled such disputes

simple and efficient, and it prevented large-scale casualties among the miners, which would affect mining efficiency. After all, to them, only living miners were useful.

Once dead, they were worthless.

Hearing the Black-armored Soldier's words, Old Wood's expression turned extremely grim.

The opponent's leader was a burly man whose cultivation had reached the Yuan Xu Realm Seventh Layer, while he himself was only at the Yuan Xu Realm Fifth Layer. Moreover, because he had previously gathered five thousand heavenly jade shard, he had sustained internal injuries, and his Qi and blood were somewhat depleted... his strength was far from his Peak state.

Coupled with the gap of two Realms, under a full-strength strike, this was an almost insurmountable chasm.

"Old man, are you going to fight?"

The burly man looked at Old Wood provocatively, a cruel smile playing on his face:

"I advise you to scram honestly, save yourself a beating. How about this: after I mine it, I'll give you one chaotic soul stone?"

Old Wood clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning slightly white.

He knew he was very unlikely to be the burly man's opponent, but the eight brothers behind him were all depending on this rich Ore zone to survive.

However, the cultivation of the other members of their small team was even lower than his, making it even more impossible for them to be the big man's opponent.

If he backed down, they would have no hope left.

He could not retreat. He had to step forward.

He still had his final trump card unused!

"Fine! I'll do it!"

Old Wood gritted his teeth and stepped out from the crowd. His voice carried a slight tremor, yet it was firm.

Just then, one of the eight people behind Old Wood spoke up:

"Old Wood! Forget it. We don't want this rich Ore zone anymore. You can't beat him, let's give up..."

As soon as he said this, he was echoed by the others.

"That's right, Old Wood, don't fight. At worst, we'll find another rich Ore zone. You can't get injured here!"

"Getting injured in a place like this is too dangerous. Let's just give up..."

Listening to the dissuasion of the eight people behind him, a look of relief flashed in Old Wood's eyes, but it was immediately followed by an even more resolute expression!

For the sake of the teammates who trusted him, he had to go forward, and no matter what, he had to win against the opponent!

Seeing Old Wood continue to step out, the smile on the burly man's face grew wider.

He stretched his neck, producing cracking sounds.

"Old geezer, you have some backbone, but you better think this through. If I land this punch, those old bones of yours might not hold up!"

The burly man said with a sneer, a fierce light flickering in his eyes.

The two stood facing each other and began to gather their cultivation strength.

The atmosphere in the cave became extremely tense. The other Cultivators retreated, leaving enough space for the two men.

Everyone knew that this single clash would determine the fate of Old Wood's team.

If they won, Old Wood's team would enjoy good days for a long time. If they lost... trying to find another rich Ore zone like this would be too difficult... the probability was too low...