Ahead was the Abyssal Demon Mine.
A nearly hundred-mile-wide conical pit, with a depth of nearly twenty miles.
This was the mine of the Shi Family, a miracle completely produced by the immense labor of generation after generation.
At least for Wu Tie, it was a miracle.
Such a massive pit...
"How many good things did the Shi Family excavate from here?" Wu Tie struggled to swallow his saliva.
Thinking back to the scale of the few mines that the Wu Family controlled, Wu Tie finally understood the true power of the three major families of the Azure Flame Domain. The current pit was just one of the many large veins controlled by the Shi Family.
The wind roared around them, and a gray mist hung in the air.
Within Wu Tie's body, his righteous qi circulated on its own. Whenever any gray mist came near his body within ten meters, it would instantly explode into dust and then combust spontaneously.
The grayish-white light smoke emitted a bone-chilling coldness, but under the roasting of dozens of large fireballs, the coldness quickly disappeared.
Standing at the edge of the mine, Wu Tie felt so small.
Strange sounds came from the depths of the mine.
Wu Tie found the spiral path leading to the depths of the mine. It was about seven to eight meters wide, enough to accommodate two large carts side by side. The road was deeply rutted, and the ground was scattered with ore.
With a swing of his right hand, over a dozen fireballs soared forward and landed in the deep pit of the mine.
The flames extended downwards, illuminating the deep mine.
Wu Tie saw humanoid shadows walking slowly along the mining tunnel hundreds of meters below. The fireballs burned away the gray mist along the way, and those figures looked up and emitted feeble roars towards Wu Tie.
Cracking sounds were heard as several figures walked up the mine shaft. They passed through the gray mist and approached Wu Tie step by step.
"What kind of creature is this?" Wu Tie looked at these figures.
Judging from their size, they should be dwarf miners from the mine. Their clothes were tattered and they were short in stature.
But the rock dwarves had thin arms and legs, and their bodies were slim. These figures, on the other hand, were as burly as the gray dwarves, with muscular and protruding bodies like rocks.
What was even stranger was that a layer of black bony plates replaced their skin, covering their bodies.
Their entire bodies were covered in half-inch thick bone plates, with only their two eyeballs exposed. Their eyeballs were a pale gray color, with pupils contracted to the size of a needle tip, faintly emitting a greenish light.
"What the hell are you guys?" Wu Tie instinctively took two steps back.
He had never seen such monsters before, nor did he have time to search through the information in the material inherited from Lao Tie. He instinctively dropped the beast skin bag onto the ground, clenched the steel spear tightly with both hands, and thrust it forward with force.
There was a crisp sound, and the finely forged spear accurately pierced the forehead of one of the monsters.
A piece of bone on the monster's forehead cracked, and a small piece of the spearhead broke as well. The bone pieces on these monsters' bodies turned out to be comparable in strength to refined steel.
Wu Tie couldn't help but complain silently.
In the armory of the Shi Family, there were naturally better weapons, and there were even the "Elemental Weapons" meticulously forged by the Lu Family, which were sharp and tough, and had various strange abilities.
However, those weapons required merits to exchange for them.
Or rather, as a Class A Executive Officer newly recruited by the Foreign Affairs Division, Wu Tie didn't have the qualifications to exchange for those precious "Elemental Weapons."
This finely forged steel spear was made of refined steel after hundreds of refining processes, and the spearhead used a relatively precious alloy to enhance its strength and toughness with a secret dipping and fire ritual.
However, in the end, it was just ordinary goods.
The spearhead shattered, falling to the ground with a "ding," and the monster that was stabbed by the long spear stumbled and rolled back.
The spear was useless, but Wu Tie was not lacking in strength.
After his bones mutated, his pure physical strength alone reached at least 100,000 catties. With this blow, he used over 10,000 catties of force. Since these monsters weighed only a few hundred catties, they were still sent rolling back like a ball along the mine tunnel.
"No, rock dwarves usually weigh no more than fifty catties. Why are you so heavy?" Wu Tie looked at these several figures.
By their size, they should be dwarven miners of the mine, dressed in tattered clothes and short in stature.
But rock dwarves had slender arms and legs, and were rather slim in build. However, these figures were as burly as rock dwarves, with protruding muscles resembling rocks.
What was even stranger was that a layer of black bony plates had replaced their skin, covering their bodies.
Their entire bodies were covered in half-inch thick bone plates, with only two eyeballs exposed. The eyes were entirely gray, with pupils contracted to the size of a needle tip, faintly emitting a greenish light.
"What the hell are you guys?" Wu Tie instinctively took two steps back.
He had never seen such monsters before, nor did he have time to search for similar existences in the information passed down by Lao Tie. He instinctively dropped the beast skin bag on the ground, tightly gripped the steel spear with two hands, and stabbed fiercely forward.
With a crisp sound, the finely forged steel spear accurately pierced the forehead of one of the monsters.
The bone on the monster's forehead split, and a small piece of the spearhead also broke off. The bones on these monsters' bodies were unexpectedly comparable in strength to refined steel.
Wu Tie couldn't help but complain inwardly.
In the Shi Family's arsenal, there were naturally better weapons, and there were even the "Elemental Weapons" forged by the skilled craftsmen of the Lu Family, which were sharp and tough and blessed with various strange abilities.
However, those weapons required merits to exchange for them.
Or rather, as a Class A Executive Officer who had just been recruited by the Foreign Affairs Division, Wu Tie didn't have the qualifications to exchange for those precious "Elemental Weapons."
This finely forged steel spear was made of refined steel after hundreds of refining processes, and the spearhead used a relatively precious alloy to enhance its strength and toughness with a secret dipping and fire ritual.
However, in the end, it was just an ordinary item.
The spearhead shattered, falling to the ground with a "ding," and the monster that was stabbed by the spear stumbled and rolled back.
The spear wasn't effective, but Wu Tie wasn't lacking in strength.
After his bones mutated, his physical strength alone was over 100,000 catties. With that blow just now, he used over 10,000 catties of force. These monsters only weighed two to three hundred catties, so when Wu Tie stabbed them with the spear, they lost their balance and rolled down the mine tunnel like a ball.
"This isn't right; rock dwarves usually weigh no more than fifty catties. How are you guys so heavy?" Wu Tie looked at the several figures.
Their figures should be dwarf miners of the mine, but they were burly and strong, with muscular bodies like rocks.
Even stranger was that a layer of black bone plates covered their bodies instead of skin.
Their bodies were entirely covered in bone plates half an inch thick, with only their two eyeballs exposed. Their eyeballs were a pale gray color, their pupils contracted to the size of a needle, and a faint green light radiated from them.
"What the hell are you guys?" Wu Tie instinctively took two steps back.
He had never seen these kinds of monsters before, and he didn't have time to search for similar existences in the information he had learned from Lao Tie. He instinctively dropped the beast skin bag on the ground, tightly gripped the steel spear with both hands, and thrust it forward forcefully.
With a crisp sound, the finely forged steel spear accurately pierced the forehead of one of the monsters.
The bone on the monster's forehead cracked, and the tip of the spear also broke off. The bones on these monsters' bodies were unexpectedly as strong as refined steel.
Wu Tie couldn't help but silently complain.
In the Shi Family's armory, there were naturally better weapons, and there were even "Elemental Weapons" forged by the Lu Family's skilled craftsmen, which were sharp, tough, and possessed various unique abilities.
However, those weapons required merits for exchange.
Or rather, as a Class A executive officer who had just been recruited into the External Affairs Division, Wu Tie didn't have the qualifications to exchange for those precious "Elemental Weapons."
This finely forged steel spear was crafted from refined steel through a hundred refining processes, and the spearhead used a relatively precious alloy. Its strength and toughness were enhanced through a secret dipping and fire process.
However, in the end, it was just an ordinary product.
The spearhead shattered and fell to the ground with a clank, while the monster that was stabbed stumbled and rolled backward.
The spear wasn't effective, but Wu Tie was not lacking in strength.
After his bones mutated, his pure physical strength alone reached around 100,000 catties. The blow he just delivered used over 10,000 catties of strength. Compared to the monsters that weighed only a few hundred catties, they couldn't withstand the force of Wu Tie's stab and were sent rolling along the mine tunnel like a ball.
"Something's not right; rock dwarves usually weigh no more than fifty catties. Why are you guys so heavy?" Wu Tie looked at the several figures.
Judging from their size, they should be dwarf miners from the mine. Their clothes were tattered, and they were short in stature.
But while rock dwarves had thin arms and legs, and a slender build, these figures were as burly as rock dwarves, with muscles protruding like rocks.
What was even stranger was that a layer of black bony plates had replaced their skin, covering their bodies.
Their entire bodies were covered in bone plates half an inch thick, with only their two eyeballs exposed. Their eyeballs were a pale gray, with pupils constricted to the size of a needle tip, and a faint green light emanating from within.
"What kind of creatures are you?" Wu Tie subconsciously took two steps back.
He had never seen these monsters before, and he hadn't had time to search for similar beings in the information obtained from Lao Tie. He instinctively dropped the beast skin bag to the ground, tightly gripped the steel spear with both hands, and forcefully thrust it forward.
With a "ding" sound, the precisely forged steel spear accurately pierced the forehead of one of the monsters.
A piece of bone on the monster's forehead cracked, and a small fragment of the spearhead also fragmented. The bones on these monsters' bodies were unexpectedly comparable in strength to refined steel.
Wu Tie couldn't help but inwardly grumble.
In the Shi Family's arsenal, there were naturally better weapons, and there were even "Elemental Weapons" forged by the exquisite craftsmanship of the Lu Family. They were sharp, tenacious, and had various strange abilities.
However, obtaining those weapons required merit points.
Or rather, as a newly recruited Class A Executive Officer in the Foreign Affairs Division, Wu Tie didn't have the qualifications to exchange for those precious "Elemental Weapons."
The steel spear he held in his hand was forged from refined steel after hundreds of refining processes. The spearhead used a relatively precious alloy, and its strength and toughness were enhanced by a secret dipping and fire process.
However, in the end, it was just an ordinary product.
The spearhead shattered and fell to the ground with a clank, while the monster that was pierced stumbled and tumbled backward. The monsters' bone plates were as solid as steel, and the spear failed to penetrate their bodies.
Wu Tie couldn't help but complain inwardly.
In the Shi Family's armory, there were naturally better weapons, and there were even "Elemental Weapons" crafted by the masters of the Lu Family, which were sharp, tenacious, and possessed various extraordinary abilities.
However, obtaining those weapons required merit points.
Or rather, as a Class A first-grade executive who had just been recruited into the External Affairs Office, Wu Tie didn't have the qualifications to exchange for those precious "Elemental Weapons."
The steel spear he held in his hand was forged from refined steel after hundreds of refining processes. The spearhead was made with a relatively valuable alloy, and its strength and toughness were enhanced with a secret dipping and forging technique.
However, in the end, it was just a regular item.
The spearhead cracked and fell to the ground with a soft clank. The monster that was stabbed toppled backward, rolling down the mine tunnel along with dozens of its companions.
Wu Tie's face twitched uncontrollably.
He had used all his strength and exerted the strength of 100,000 catties on that one spear, yet it failed to penetrate the body of the first monster.
When the bone fragments on the monster's body shattered, Wu Tie saw that his own body had also undergone some changes.
His entire body had turned into a bone-like structure.
In other words, these monsters had almost become "solid" bone stakes.
They were extremely hard, incredibly heavy, and had astonishing defense. Even the power of a spear strike using 100,000 catties of force couldn't pierce their bodies.
Wu Tie could somewhat understand why the Shi Family and the Lu Family's exploration teams that came here suffered such heavy casualties.
"Golden Diamond Devil, the righteousness of heaven and earth!"
Looking at the approaching monsters, Wu Tie suddenly unleashed a move called the Golden Diamond Devil Fist, infusing it with a strand of righteous qi.
A golden fist radiance whooshed out, like a shooting star crashing into one of the monsters.
With a thunderous boom, dozens of monsters were blasted to pieces. The fragments inexplicably ignited, and a gray-white light smoke rose with a thick bone-chilling coldness.
The fragments of the dozens of monsters burned, releasing an astonishing coldness. Even with the heat emitted by the hundreds of fireballs above Wu Tie's head, the temperature in the surroundings continued to plummet. Thin frost appeared on the ground.
Wu Tie nodded in satisfaction.
The introduction of the Golden Diamond Devil Fist mentioned its ability to awe evil spirits.
And the righteous qi was the ultimate embodiment of the "force of justice" in the world. It was the natural nemesis of all evil forces.
The combination of the two had indeed produced remarkable results.
"I don't fear you either. Although there are many of you, I can still fight and run." Wu Tie smiled, remembering the essentials of guerrilla warfare passed down by Lao Tie.
"Retreat when the enemy advances!"
Wu Tie shouted loudly, then leaped up and jumped into the mining tunnel below.
An invisible force field enveloped his body, allowing him to glide lightly like a bird. Every time he fell a hundred meters, he would land on the mining tunnel, then forcefully spring forward again.
The mining tunnel was densely packed with dwarf miners. They moved slowly and posed no threat to Wu Tie besides their tough bodies.
If he wanted to find the root of the mine's mutation, he had to go to the depths of the mine and take a look.
Wu Tie remembered the information that Old Bai had obtained—one of the causes of the mutation in the Abyssal Demon Mine seemed to be related to some strange objects unearthed by the miners in the depths of the mine. Once these oddities were excavated, the situation in the entire mine quickly became uncontrollable.
After several tens of jumps, Wu Tie landed on a mining tunnel that was still over two hundred meters above the bottom of the mine.
Dozens of mutated dwarf miners approached him. He swung his hands, and fist radiance whooshed forth, obliterating these miners into debris.
At the bottom of the Abyssal Demon Mine was a small plateau stretching three miles long and over a mile wide. Two rows of crude huts were built on top of it, probably for resting the dwarf miners working at the bottom of the mine.
Near the huts were various discarded tools scattered haphazardly—countless baskets, mining shovels, and the like.
On one side of the mine was a hundred-meter tall rock wall, and a mining tunnel that was several meters high and clearly visible was dug into it.
A faint cold wind continuously blew out from the tunnel, and dozens of completely black figures lay horizontally at the entrance. A string of ore-laden wagons lay askew outside the tunnel, with large pieces of gold ore strewn all over the ground.
Wu Tie's eyes widened as he saw the golden ores.
This was truly an unprecedented rich mine. The ores were a bright yellow color throughout, and the cut surfaces emitted a dazzling light. The gold content was estimated to be around seventy to eighty percent, and after a little refinement, it would be in usable gold ingot form.
Within those golden ores, a pile of deep blue crystals stood out clearly.
These deep blue crystals were transparent and exquisitely beautiful, with some rock pebbles and shells adhering to them. Even from a distance, Wu Tie could feel the chilly aura emanating from these crystals.
This should be called the Skyblue Crystal Ore. With one piece, you could exchange it for a hundred times its volume in gold.
That small pile of Skyblue Crystals could probably fill two baskets... How many good things could he exchange for with this?
A low roar came from the entrance of the mine. The figures lying there abruptly stood up, including a twelve-meter tall giant. Its eyes gleamed, with two green lights the size of soybeans flickering within its eye sockets. It slowly stood up, locking its gaze on Wu Tie.
In the next moment, with a loud sound, this giant made entirely of stone turned into a monster charged toward Wu Tie with a trail of afterimages. It even tore apart the air, creating successive explosions of shockwaves.
Wu Tie was already on guard the moment the mutated giant stood up.
By the time it brought up the afterimage and shattered the shockwaves, the moment it rushed toward Wu Tie had already come. Wu Tie reacted in a flash, swiftly evading to one side.
Never engage in a contest of strength with a giant.
This was Lao Tie's stern warning to Wu Tie.
No matter how powerful the cultivation technique you practice, never attempt to vie in strength against a giant unless you obtain a divine technique like the Demon Lord's Great Strength while in the Grade A realm. Otherwise, never try to vie in strength against a giant.
This was the racial gap, just like a snail would never try to vie in speed against a swallow; there were some gaps that couldn't be made up.
Especially a giant that had mutated.
Wu Tie stared fixedly at the charging giant. His movements were quick, and painfully buffeted by the shockwaves in the air. He narrowly dodged the giant's ferocious attacks.
After dodging, Wu Tie was in pain and swayed like a weak willow tree, barely evading the barrage of attacks from the mutated giant.
The shockwaves were so strong that his ears ached, air explosions struck his body one after another, and his skin couldn't bear the burden and tore open, emitting large amounts of blood mist.
Terrifying... It was really terrifying.
Wu Tie's eyes were fixed on the mutated giant in front of him, without daring to be the slightest bit careless.
If he were struck by a single blow from it, he would surely be crushed to pieces, right?
Well, maybe his bones wouldn't be crushed, but the outcome certainly wouldn't be good.
As he was desperately evading the wild attacks from the mutated giant, a sharp wolf howl suddenly came from behind in the direction of the tunnel.
Wu Tie's heart trembled.
Oh no, he saw that among the figures lying outside the tunnel, besides several giants were also a considerable number of cow and wolf tribe warriors.
It was obvious that these warriors were assembled by the Shi and Lu families to explore the mine's mutation—the prime elite fighters.
If they also mutated...
His heart thumped violently; the rapid approaching wolf howl sounded, and in a hurry, Wu Tie leaped up, his body enveloped by an invisible force field, and a gust of wind howled. He rose into the air for a few hundred meters.
Several stones measuring the size of fists brushed past his body at a high speed.
The stones' speed was extremely fast, and the stones that grazed his body left deep wounds that reached the bones.
(End of this Chapter)