Chapter 60: Chapter 60: Limestone Ghosts and Earth Fat Fragrant Ore
"This item is a mechanical portal crafted by the Mo Family."
"It is bound within this mechanism, capable of directly removing the Buddha’s Crown Gold that one wishes to take out."
"So you can take it home and mine it yourself, Junior Brother, just pick any one..."
The White Rat scratched the little fur on its head with its paw, lowering its voice, muttering:
"Hmm, I vaguely heard something unusual about the eleventh vein on the left side, uh, don’t blame me for my poor memory, Junior Brother."
It cupped its paw in a gesture and its face was full of an obvious smile, its small eyes blinking several times.
Li Ye: "..."
This is indeed a clever mouse.
Since that’s the case, he should return the favor.
He stifled a laugh: "Junior Brother has a bottle of Peach Blossom Wine here, with some Purple Oil Spring Rain added. If Senior Brother doesn’t mind, you can try it."
He took out a bottle of wine about one tael in size.
"Oh oh!" The White Rat’s eyes lit up: "Of course, of course, Junior Brother should go have a look.
Remember to be careful, the mine has been closed for a long time, and though there are no high-tier demon beasts, there are some small creatures.
I’ll be here drinking and waiting for you, with such fine wine, truly a beautiful time and scene, more than enough!"
It hugged the bottle of Peach Blossom Wine, eyes filled with intoxication.
Taking a deep sniff, its whole body started trembling, wobbling, relying solely on its tail for support to stay upright.
The Purple Oil Spring Rain is indeed a good item, irresistible to both Spirit Beasts and Spirit Plants.
But it mentioned there are some small creatures, so it seems I need to clear those out.
"Then I’ll go take a look first, Junior Brother."
Li Ye, thoughtful, recited the White Rat’s mention of the eleventh vein on the left and found its portal. Gazing at the rippling portal before him, he stepped straight in.
After a brief moment of disorientation, a very deep mine tunnel appeared before him.
He looked around, finding this place would only accommodate two people side by side, with a height of around three meters, which might feel cramped for slightly taller cultivators.
Behind Li Ye was a portal made of mechanisms and gears.
On the sides of the mine walls hung miner lamps, where flickering flames revealed strands of exposed ore—
They extended into a spread, gleaming under the lamp light, like a connected light of colors.
Even though Li Ye didn’t know much about ore veins, this was undoubtedly a rich mine.
If he brought those Golden Horned Ants here, they would probably go mad with mining.
"Is this how having connections works, then?"
"But what exactly is Buddha’s Crown Gold to make the Mo Family invest so much effort and practically give away the rights to mine?"
"Let’s see if I can find a piece."
He attempted to search inside, and after roughly a half-tea’s time, he didn’t find any material related to "gold."
He did see a large quantity of other ores like copper and iron.
The lack of results naturally caused some disappointment.
Frankly, he wanted to claim this mine vein purely to let the Golden Horned Ants help him earn some extra while evolving.
After all, he spent quite some Vital Essence binding them, and their future potential should be promising.
As for himself, he certainly didn’t know any mining magic to search for ore in such deep mines...
"Hmm?"
He vaguely sensed a gloomy aura flashing through the distant mine wall, accompanied by "drip-drip" drops of white liquid.
"There really are creatures, then."
A moment ago, he managed to see a white shadow lurking over there, easily sensed by cultivators when spied upon.
Li Ye didn’t retreat; this was the mine he was soon to explore. If there was danger, it had to be eliminated—Senior Brother Shu only advised caution, indicating no real threat to himself.
Any danger must be thoroughly eradicated!
He quickened his steps in pursuit, the shadow fleeing ahead, seemingly out of reach.
As he approached, he calculated the distance, channeling Spiritual Qi through his fingers to the ground, tossing several gold-red fireballs.
"Go!"
Enhanced Earth Surge Technique with Spirit Vein Willow promptly melted the ground along with the mine wall, rolling rock layers blocking the creature’s path, the fireball slamming down with a thundering boom.
"Awoo!"
The creature let out a wail, the gold-red fireballs igniting it like fat, engulfing it in an instant, the blaze accompanied by a strange fragrance.
The burning was exceptionally swift.
By the time Li Ye arrived, it had nearly burned to ashes.
Fortunately, the panel still functioned—
[Name]: Limestone Ghost
[Mood]: Feeling Pain
[State]: On the Verge of Being Consumed by Flames
"Limestone Ghost."
Li Ye watched the creature burn like a candle in the flames until it was completely consumed, then looked towards the deeper part of the mine, taking a deep breath.
The strange fragrance from the burning creature still lingered in the air, a cold yet refreshing scent, not unpleasant, almost invigorating.
If he wasn’t mistaken, this place likely contained "Asphaltum Fragrant Ore."
It’s a kind of special mineral wax, previously mentioned by Su Ya in conversation. This wax is material for crafting "Earth Wax."
"Earth Wax enables cultivators to calm their minds. When lit, its light reveals even the finest details.
For cultivators refining pills, drawing talismans, assembling mechanisms, or constructing arrays, it’s an excellent auxiliary item."
—He still remembered Su Ya’s voice back then, clearly showing anticipation, indicating this wasn’t easily obtained.
"So I’ve found treasure."
Murmuring, Li Ye cautiously proceeded forward.
The retreat of the creature suggested no wall-passing magic, continuously fleeing this way, indicating something here aids it, possibly its lair.
Finding its lair naturally leads to the discovery of Asphaltum Fragrant Ore.
Li Ye moved slowly forward, eliminating dozens of Limestone Ghosts before discovering a gnawed, battered wax wall in a downward depression.
The wax wall was the raw ore of Asphaltum Fragrant Ore, seamlessly connected to the surrounding rock walls, emitting a cold, refreshing scent.
"So much, how much is there?" Li Ye’s eyes shone, immediately beginning mining without a word.
But the mining process wasn’t smooth; these looked like wax but were incredibly hard.
Even with Li Ye wielding magical power and a mining pick, his palms began to ache from the vibration.
Ultimately... after a great effort, he managed about sixty pounds of ore, the mining pick showing clear cracks.
"...so difficult?"
"Never mind, better go out first; it’s already been a full two-hour. If Senior Brother Shu sends someone, it’ll be trouble."
He reluctantly gazed at the ample wax wall, packing his harvest into his Storage Pouch, marking the path to leave the mine.
As he departed, a rumble echoed in the darkened mine tunnel.
Something massive seemed to roll over, burying the wax wall completely underground, transforming it into a common rock wall.
The marks left by Li Ye also vanished amid such tumultuous changes, returning the mine to silence once more.