"Low-grade spiritual stone!"
Lu Lin couldn't hide the burning heat in his eyes as he carefully examined the object in his palm.
Though indistinguishable in size and shape from a shoddy spiritual stone, it was uniformly milky white throughout, with pure, flawless insides and not a single blemish, feeling warm and smooth to the touch, its glitter soft, crystalline and translucent.
It was the currency of choice and also an indispensable precious resource for every cultivator, and at the same time... the crucial material the Martial Dao Furnace upgrade required!
With a thought, this valuable low-grade spiritual stone was stored away in the Inner Space of the Martial Dao Furnace.
"Still two more pieces short." Lu Lin murmured to himself, a tone of anticipation in his voice.
It had only been ten days since he took over this rich mining area, and he'd already harvested a low-grade spiritual stone. The efficiency far exceeded the past, greatly satisfying him.
This tremendous gain came from finding a "nest of spiritual stone" on the tenth day, bigger than any he'd encountered before.
Apart from this low-grade spiritual stone, all the shoddy spiritual stones mined during this period had been converted into Training Time.
Deep in his mind, he looked at the panel of the Martial Dao Furnace:
Owner of Martial Dao Furnace: Lu Lin.
Realm: Body Tempering Sixth Level.
Training Time: 35 years 2 months.
Martial Arts: Demonic Ape Blood Qi Art (Third Level), Steel Elephant Body (Sixth Level), Nimble Cat Technique (Fourth Level).
Combat Skills: Ferocious Elephant Charge (Proficiency); Nimble Cat Step (Uninitiated).
Essential Guidance for Miners: Proficiency.
Self Concealment Technique: Proficiency.
Inner Space: One foot.
The panel had become more detailed than before, with more specific descriptions of martial arts.
"As my Realm deepens day by day, I must further my mastery of the 'Self Concealment Technique', otherwise there's a risk of exposure. My mastery of 'Essential Guidance for Miners' also has to be improved. As the saying goes, sharpening the axe does not delay the chopping of wood."
Having made up his mind, the vast amount of Training Time immediately poured into the 'Self-Concealment Technique' like a flood from an opened sluice gate.
In any martial art or combat skill, achieving Proficiency was relatively easy, but reaching Perfection was difficult.
Some martial artists, despite their insufficient talent, could train in a single combat skill to Proficiency through ten or twenty years of arduous practice. But attaining Perfection was a daunting objective.
The same went for the Self-Concealment Technique and the Essential Guidance for Miners.
Of course, geniuses were the exception.
Lu Lin was obviously not a genius.
Therefore, arriving at Proficiency in the Self-Concealment Technique and the Essential Guidance for Miners hadn't taken much time. But reaching Perfection cost him a full twenty-eight years.
This left him with only seven years and two months' Training Time.
But he didn't feel the slightest bit of sting.
In a rich mining area, he could obtain shoddy spiritual stones far more easily. Replenishing his hoard was a matter of time.
He kept neck-deep in digging...
The sudden destruction of the Blood Wolf Gang caused quite a stir among the warriors at the Xuan-iron Mine.
Everyone speculated wildly, wondering if the Black Tiger Gang had recruited some formidable expert, allowing them to crush the Blood Wolf Gang, their rival of many years, in one fell swoop.
But soon, "confirmed" news spread that Li Zitian and Gang Leader Huang Lang, blinded by greed, had jointly ventured into the perilous "Toxic Mining Zone" without authorization, ultimately meeting a tragic fate. A strange poison had rotted away their bodies, bringing a horrible end to their life.
It was precisely because their leaders perished unexpectedly, leaving them leaderless, that the Black Tiger Gang was able to seize the opportunity and swallow up the Blood Wolf Gang's territory.
This news had convinced most people.
Of course, a few harbored doubts. Given Li Zitian and Huang Lang's status, why would they have risked venturing into a forbidden zone?
But, as all superintendents kept silent and did not bother with an in-depth investigation, their doubts soon submerged in the daily news at the mine.
It seemed as if Li Zitian and Huang Lang had never existed here.
Time flew by. In the blink of an eye, two months had passed since Lu Lin took over this rich mining area.
One morning, as everyone went about their morning training, two sudden dazzling streams of light tore through the clouds in the sky and came shooting over with astonishing speed.
"Look! Immortal Masters!"
"It's really Immortal Masters! They... they're flying!"
Countless warriors looked overhead, their faces filled with shock and reverence.
Lu Lin also gazed up.
He saw a male and a female cultivator, both young-looking, standing on brilliantly shining flying swords in midair, their robes fluttering in the wind, looking unspeakably graceful and otherworldly, like figures from a painting.
"Soaring across the sky, touring the Northern Sea in the morning and reaching the Cangwu Mountain(a faraway southern mountain) by dusk... this is what being an Immortal Master means..." someone murmured softly, their tone filled with endless envy.
"Alas, stop being envious. Immortal Masters are favorites blessed by the heavens, born with a spiritual root. How can we ordinary martial artists ever hope to match them? We... can only admire them forever."
A nearby onlooker voiced the harsh reality with a sigh.
Had this world ever been fair? The starting point for some people was a finish line that others could never touch in their entire lives.
"Greetings, Immortal Masters!" The superintendents present were the first to react, making quick, ceremonious bows with reverence.
"What are you all still standing around for? Hurry and greet the Immortal Masters!" A superintendent turned and sharply rebuked the warriors who were still dumbstruck.
"Gre... greetings, Immortal Masters..." Immediately, uneven, fearful, and reverent greetings sounded over the mine.
"No need to do that." The male Immortal Master waved his hand dismissively, his indifferent gaze sweeping over the warriors below, his eyes calm like still water, as if looking at a bunch of insignificant ants.
"May I ask, Immortal Masters, what brought you to our humble mine? Is there any order we may follow?" The most senior superintendent, with the highest Realm---Body Tempering Tenth Level, stepped forward from the crowd and respectfully inquired.
"The sect has a task that requires a large number of warriors to participate." The male Immortal Master's tone was flat, devoid of emotion. "Two hundred people from your Xuan-iron mine have been selected. Here is the list. Take it."
With that, he casually tossed a thin booklet, which drifted right into the superintendent's hands.
"The task time is set for three days from now." The female Immortal Master, with a cool demeanor added, her voice crisp and sweet, yet carrying an unquestionable authority. "This task was from two Foundation Establishment Great Cultivators. There must be absolutely no error. Specific details are recorded in the booklet. You are to make immediate arrangements without delay!"
"A task assigned by Foundation Establishment Great Cultivators?!" The superintendents trembled upon hearing this, not daring to be the slightest bit negligent.
Having conveyed their instructions, the two Immortal Masters said no more. Their flying swords glared with light before transforming into two fleeting meteors that shot straight into the azure sky, leaving only two almost invisible black dots in everyone's vision.
Only after they left did the atmosphere at the scene relax slightly.
These superintendents immediately huddled together, nervously flipping through the name list and discussing in low voices.
After a while, that Body Tempering Tenth Level superintendent projected his voice, booming throughout the entire mine, "Next, those whose names are called, step forward and assemble here! Li Ming, Shi Dahai, Wang Qingchuan, Lu Lin..."
One name after another was called out.
Those whose names were called instantly went pale and pulled a long face.
"I'm on it...!" Lu Lin's heart also sank, cursing his luck internally.
But he could only contain himself and follow the other named warriors to the designated open area for assembly.
Soon, two hundred names had been called.
They exchanged glances, eyes full of unease and suspicion.
"Something's wrong... what kind of task needs two hundred people?"
"Probably not just us. Didn't you hear the Immortal Master? Two hundred people from our Xuan-iron mine were selected. There are probably other warriors from elsewhere. The total number is definitely larger!"
"From my experience, the more people a sect task requires, often the more... dangerous it is!"
As everyone whispered among themselves, their faces grew paler.
Soon, someone noticed something even more unusual: these two hundred people's Realms varied greatly.
Among them, those with a higher Realm, like Liu Heihu, who fought Lu Lin that day, were at the Body Tempering Sixth Level, while those at the bottom were only at the First or Second Level. Lu Lin was an example, who in everyone's eyes was only at the Body Tempering Second Level.
This was too unreasonable.
There was a huge gap between martial artists with different Realms. How could they possibly carry out the same mission together?
It was too bizarre!
And at the Xuesha Demonic Sect, the more bizarre the task, often the greater the danger it threatened. It represented death, abandoned pawns, cannon fodder...
Realizing this, all those selected were ashen-faced, while those not named secretly congratulated themselves on a narrow escape.
"So unlucky... originally thought I'd at least be at the Body Tempering Fourth Level or above before having to carry out a mission..." Lu Lin sighed inwardly, feeling an ill omen deep inside.