How could someone who offends you possibly have a good ending?

Meanwhile...

Deep within the dark and profound mine, over a thousand numb-faced laborers dressed in tattered rags were struggling to mine Ore.

They all wore specially-made shackles engraved with reinforcement runes that even Golden Core Realm Cultivators could not easily break free from.

These mine laborers lived underground away from sunlight all day, long ago losing the pride they once possessed as Cultivators. They could only linger on in their daily heavy labor until death arrived.

Snap!

A long whip infused with spiritual power struck heavily against a laborer. The middle-aged miner's back was instantly flayed open, and he couldn't help but let out a heart-wrenching scream.

Seeing this, several laborers mining nearby trembled in fear, and the iron pickaxes in their hands swung even more vigorously.

"Dig faster for me, all of you! If you dare to slack off again, I'll skin you alive."

Seeing that the goal of "boosting morale" had been achieved, a full-spirited and fierce-looking overseer triumphantly put away the long whip, hanging it back on his waist, and warned coldly:

"The old rules still apply: if you don't finish today's quota, no one gets to eat tonight. If anyone dares to cause trouble, those people from before will be your fate!"

Hearing this, many miners subconsciously looked up.

They saw several mummified corpses that had long since rotted, hanging in mid-air and swaying with the wind, emitting a nauseating stench.

Looking at this scene, a thick sense of despair and sorrow emerged in the eyes of all the laborers.

This place was a living hell on earth!

...In another separate mine pit.

Bang! Bang! Bang!—

An overseer with neat clothes and a face full of fatty flesh was sweating profusely, huffing and puffing as he struck the mine rock with a chisel, burying his head in digging.

He was digging very hard, and more than ten pieces of Crimson Gold Ore of various sizes, shimmering with a faint fluorescence, had already piled up at his feet.

Not far behind him, a young man in shackles and tattered clothes sat leisurely.

For some reason, the burly man who was supposed to be the overseer was working hard, while the laborer who was supposed to be working was bored and lost in thought. This scene had an indescribable sense of the bizarre and grotesque.

This young man was none other than Qi Yuan, who had been sold by Chen Huai to this mine as a laborer for the price of five hundred Mid-Grade Spirit Stones not long ago.

A young and strong "Foundation Establishment Realm" Cultivator like him was naturally worth a high purchase price for the mine.

To avoid being recognized, Qi Yuan had specifically adjusted his appearance slightly. The name "Qi Da," which was destined to shock the entire Cultivation World, had once again emerged.

"I didn't expect the mine's Deacon Elder Situ Yun to be an unlucky fellow pushed aside by the Ji Clan. This makes the task a bit more troublesome than imagined."

"If I show Situ Yun the token given by Ji Chan'er, although I could easily escape the laborer status by relying on the Ji Family's influence, gaining Situ Yun's genuine recognition would be extremely difficult."

"Situ Yun isn't insane; how could he possibly recognize someone from his rival's side? Even if he did so on the surface, he wouldn't be convinced in his heart. Acting rashly would only lead to mission failure..."

Thinking of this, Qi Yuan stroked his chin thoughtfully and muttered to himself:

"Fortunately, I prepared a second plan in advance. It seems that sometimes one still needs to use their brain more; you can't just rely on brute force and killing."

Seeing that the time was about right, he stood up leisurely, casually brushed the dust off his clothes, walked over to the overseer, and took the iron pickaxe from the other's hand.

"Remember, you find the new laborer Qi Da unpleasant to the eye, so you brought him to this separate mine tunnel to work, planning to take the opportunity to make things difficult for him."

"Under your strict supervision, Qi Da could only honestly complete today's mining task. You are very proud of this and will continue to do the same tomorrow..."

At this moment, a purple light swirled in his dark, deep eyes, carrying a bizarre intent that could seize one's soul.

If Ji Chan'er were here, she would surely discover that he was using her unique Divine Ability, the Thousand Illusions Demonic Eye!

Hearing this, the fat overseer nodded blankly and repeated in a mechanical tone:

"Yes, I saw with my own eyes that Qi Da finished the mining..."

After a moment, the fat overseer gave a heavy shudder, and his eyes instantly became clear again.

Seeing Qi Yuan standing there with the iron pickaxe, the fat overseer snorted and said fiercely:

"What are you still standing there for? Are you slacking off?"

As he spoke, he untied the long whip from his waist with a menacing expression and raised his hand to strike.

"Wait!"

Qi Yuan calmly rested the iron pickaxe on his shoulder and said with a smile:

"I haven't been slacking off. On the contrary, I've already completed today's task. These Crimson Gold Ores on the ground far exceed ten catties. According to the rules, I can go back and rest now."

This fat overseer had a Foundation Establishment Peak cultivation and was built like a tank. The magic power in his body wasn't restricted either, so mining ten or so catties of Crimson Gold Ore in a day was like child's play for him.

"Ten catties?"

The fat overseer was stunned and looked down at the ground.

Sure enough, more than ten pieces of crystal-clear Crimson Gold Ore emitting a hazy glow were lying on the ground, and their quantity far exceeded ten catties.

An average laborer would be considered qualified if they could mine three to five catties a day. This guy had just arrived and could mine ten catties without even being out of breath; he was practically a natural-born beast of burden for mining.

The next moment, he felt something was wrong again.

He was clearly just the overseer on the side, occasionally cracking the whip when he felt like it; it should have been a very easy job.

But for some reason, he was now covered in sweat and his whole body ached, as if he had just plowed hundreds of acres of land. He was so tired he didn't even have the strength to lift the whip, otherwise, that strike just now would have landed long ago.

"I've really seen a ghost."

Unable to figure it out, he could only attribute it to overexerting himself at the House of Joy a few days ago, causing his body to be severely weakened.

Thinking this, the fat overseer waved his hand impatiently and said crossly:

"You can go back. You'll still come here to mine tomorrow. If I catch you slacking off, I definitely won't let you off!"

As he left the mine entrance, several familiar overseers immediately gathered around to ask:

"Boss, didn't you say you were going to teach that kid a lesson? But he looks perfectly fine now, even walking with a spring in his step."

The fat overseer snorted and said sinisterly:

"What you see is just the surface. That kid is actually just forcing himself. Today, I watched him mine a full ten catties of Crimson Gold Ore. Even if he doesn't die this time, he'll lose half his life."

"Tomorrow, I'll make him mine another ten catties. If this continues, in a few days he'll work himself to death, saving us the trouble of disciplining him."

Hearing this, the surrounding overseers all came to a sudden realization and gave a thumbs up in praise:

"Boss is brilliant! I knew it—how could anyone who offends you meet a good end?"