At the entrance of the Abyssal Demonic Mine, a small stone fortress sat. Inside, the drunken Ashen Dwarves, who were stationed there, lay on the ground in a drunken stupor, snoring away.
The only two Lizardman warriors responsible for keeping watch stood on top of the stone fortress, lazily watching the misty mine tunnel ahead. Every now and then, they would cast envious glances at the four Wolf Tribe warriors guarding outside the fortress.
Being sent here to guard was truly a stroke of bad luck for those who hadn't accumulated any virtue in their past lives.
Let's not even mention the incalculable dangers inside the Abyssal Demonic Mine. Dealing with these damn Ashen Dwarves alone was a nightmare. They would incessantly drink and, when intoxicated, swing their hammers around, causing chaos. Working with them was truly... unfortunate.
The four Wolf Tribe warriors, sent here by Shi Meng to assist Wu Tie, squatted in a corner, their weapons within easy reach. They squinted their eyes, chewing on dried meat with a leisurely pace.
"That kid, he won't die in there, will he?" muttered one of the Wolf Tribe warriors vaguely. "Well, Sixth Master said that if he doesn't come out after ten days, he won't come out at all."
"You Elderly Guardians lasted only a few days when you ventured in initially. Just a few days?" Another Wolf Tribe warrior shook his head and threw a piece of jerky to the Ratman scout squatting beside him.
"Ratling, do you dare to go in and find out if that kid is still alive?"
The Ratman scout took the jerky and grinned at the four Wolf Tribe warriors, revealing two shiny front incisors. He nonchalantly sat on the ground, assuming a posture that said, "Even in death, I won't take a step."
The four Wolf Tribe warriors burst into laughter.
Amidst the laughter, there was a hint of unease. Over a day ago, the mine trembled with a tremendous boom, followed by waves of scorching heat. It was unclear what had happened inside the mine.
However, neither the Ratman scout, the four Wolf Tribe warriors, nor the Ashen Dwarves and Lizardmen responsible for guarding the place dared to venture in. It was simply not worth it to risk one's life in there. Besides, they had already sent the Ratman scout dispatched from the stone fortress back to Daishi City to deliver the message.
These troublesome and dangerous matters should be handled by the important figures of their respective families.
As the four satiated and bored fellows were about to have some fun with the Ratman scout, their ears suddenly twitched. They instinctively grabbed their weapons and stood up.
The Ratman scout, on the other hand, was quicker than them. When the four Wolf Tribe warriors stood up, he had already vanished into the dark corner of the stone fortress, concealed in the pitch-black darkness.
Several enormous Grayrock Lizards, each about ten meters in length, came running from outside the mine tunnel. Each of these Grayrock Lizards had a sturdy, muscular old man wearing robes seated on its back.
Behind these Grayrock Lizards were more than two hundred Sharpfang Spiderhounds.
These jet-black hounds, of considerable size and swift as the wind, carried two armored warriors on their backs. Each hound had a heavily armored spearman and a leather-clad archer with a longbow.
While the heavily armored spearman controlled the hound's movement, the archer remained vigilant, scanning their surroundings.
Every warrior exuded powerful aura, with sharp facial features and a glint in their eyes. Each one was an elite warrior, a top-tier selection.
When the large group arrived at the entrance of the mine, nearly a dozen old men hopped off the backs of the Grayrock Lizards, silently standing there. Then, the remaining two hundred elite soldiers, urged by the old men, formed an orderly formation behind them, lined up in a row.
The group stood there motionless, not making a sound. Occasionally, the Grayrock Lizards would shake their heads and release long hisses, as if sighing.
The four Wolf Tribe warriors cautiously walked out of the mine, gripping their weapons. Upon seeing the people outside the mine entrance, the four Wolf Tribe warriors trembled and approached the elderly man standing at the forefront. They knelt down on one knee, respectfully saluting him. "Elder."
The old man was quite imposing, standing around two meters forty-five in height, with a thickset frame and prominently elevated joints visible on his exposed bone structure. He exuded a wild and overbearing aura.
However, it was evident that he was quite old. Although his muscles were still bulging, his skin was covered in brown age spots. In some places on his face, his skin had sagged. His hair, in particular, was a dull yellow color, exuding a decaying smell reminiscent of withered grass. His eyes were cloudy, whites tinged slightly yellow, with countless tiny, reddish areas, devoid of any gleam.
“Why are you here?” the old man, overlooking the four Wolf Tribe warriors, asked in a resonant voice.
The four Wolf Tribe warriors lowered their heads, revealing every detail without concealing anything, and explained in detail Shi Meng's order for them to assist Wu Tie in this place. They also mentioned that Wu Tie, while young, was already a elemental mage who had mastered the powers of wind and fire.
"A teenage elemental mage?" The old man's murky eyes flickered slightly. "It's truly enviable... It's not about his talent but his age."
"Teenage, an elemental mage. He could break through to the Profound Tower realm at such a young age... and perhaps even glimpse beyond the Profound Tower realm."
"Youth is truly enviable."
"Young flesh, boundless vitality, the breath of youth... these are things we didn't cherish when we possessed them, only realizing their value when we are about to lose them."
The old man muttered to himself. "However, being favored by Liu Patriarch means he is a person of talent... Since he is a person of talent, and not one of the Stone Clan's own talents, he needs to be used boldly."
The four Wolf Tribe warriors looked at the old man, bewildered.
Why not use him as one of the Stone Clan's own talents? In this world, shouldn't each clan primarily use their own talents? Shouldn't rare resources be used on their own people?
"You don't understand," the old man said, looking at the four Wolf Tribe warriors, snorting coldly.
One of the Wolf Tribe warriors, slightly cleverer, grinned at the old man, opening his mouth. "Elder, did you come because of the anomaly that occurred in the mine just now?"
Sticking out his long tongue, the Wolf Tribe warrior licked his nose, grinning. "It was really scary just now. With a loud 'boom,' the entire mine shook, and numerous rocks fell... Ah, then a wave of hot air spewed out, burning our fur."
The old man's gaze flickered, looking deeply at the Wolf Tribe warrior. Just as he was about to inquire about more information, he suddenly turned around and saw a group of about a hundred people already arrived about a hundred meters away.
These people didn't ride mounts; they relied solely on their own feet. However, they bounced and flew like jumping frogs, leaving afterimages behind them, while faint black mist enveloped their bodies. With his cultivation, it was only when they approached within a hundred meters that he sensed their presence.
The old man's nearly bald eyebrows trembled. He uttered in a low voice, "First Palm Leader, you came quickly."
The team, wearing tight black leather armor with black metal masks on their faces, and led by several individuals in black cloaks, stopped a hundred meters away. Only a man wearing a cloak walked calmly towards them, stepping forward until he stood before the old man.
Lifting the hood of his cloak with both hands, the man, who had snow-white hair and seemed somewhat older than the Stone Clan's Elder, smiled, revealing mouthfuls almost completely devoid of teeth. He softly said, "We were already not far from Daishi City... When we received the news, we naturally rushed over."
"By the way, I am now the Grand Leader of the Misty Knife Sect." The old man coughed a few times before smiling at the Stone Clan's Elder. "So, the title of 'First Palm Leader'... must be changed."
"Mm, Grand Leader, you came quickly. That's wonderful." The Stone Clan's Elder pointed to the mine and said solemnly, "What's going on with this Abyssal Demonic Mine? You may know as the Grand Leader. There has been some movement... Perhaps a valuable treasure has appeared."
The Grand Leader's smile grew even brighter, and more drool flowed from his mouth. He was truly too old. His body could no longer control small details like "salivation."
"Or perhaps some evil demons have shown themselves... It doesn't matter. We'll see."
With a smile spreading across his face, the Grand Leader rubbed his hands eagerly. "The Deputy Sect Master is highly interested in such things, both treasures and demons. In any case, whatever is inside, we'll present it to the Deputy Sect Master, and we will surely be rewarded..."
The Grand Leader's body trembled slightly. He looked at the Stone Clan's Elder and muttered, "If you stop consuming vital life energy, you might be able to suffer for a few more decades... I can't. I will breathe my last within three years at most..."
"I have to obtain the Eternal Life Technique of the Immortal Sect!" The Grand Leader grinned, and two trails of drool fell onto his clothes, wetting a small area.
The Stone Clan's Elder gazed at the entrance of the mine with profound fear.
After a while, he solemnly said, "That's what I thought too... However, I've witnessed the horror inside... That's why I asked you to explore this damned mine together with me."
"If there are any benefits..." The Stone Clan's Elder pointed towards the Grand Leader.
"We'll share. That's only fair," said the Grand Leader, who smiled even more brilliantly, with more drool flowing from his mouth. "I don't monopolize everything...it's just that, why don't I see your brothers here?"
The Stone Clan's Elder remained silent. He simply strode toward the mine entrance.
The Grand Leader nodded slowly. "So, you're a person who monopolizes everything. Hehe."
The four Wolf Tribe warriors stared blankly at their Elder and then at the Grand Leader. After some time, their simple minds finally understood what had happened. They suddenly stood up, horrified, and looked at the Stone Clan's Elder, exclaiming, "Elder, you... you..."
The Grand Leader chuckled.
Behind the four Wolf Tribe warriors, black shadows appeared one by one.
In a flash of cold light, the four Wolf Tribe warriors suddenly froze. Blood spewed continuously from their mouths, their bodies trembled a few times, and they collapsed heavily onto the ground.
The Grand Leader waved his hand. Among his subordinates who had come with him, nearly half of them blurred their bodies and slowly merged into patches of black smoke, hiding near the entrance of the cave. He led the remaining fifty or so subordinates and, with a sense of urgency, rushed into the mine.
Out of the five hundred warriors who had come with the Stone Clan's Elder, nearly two hundred were left guarding the mine entrance. The other warriors formed an orderly formation and marched into the mine.
Among the Stone Clan warriors left outside the mine, a few warrior leaders emitted sharp whistles.
Instantly, a dozen Grayrock Lizards lined up outside the mine, securely blocking the entrance.
Over two hundred Sharpfang Spiderhounds climbed up the cliff and hid in the shadows at the top. Some Sharpfang Spiderhounds hid in the nearby mushroom grove and fern forest, tightly curling their long legs. Only their eyes emitted a faint fluorescence in the shade.
Inside the cave, the Misty Knife Killers led by the Grand Leader rapidly advanced.
The drunken Ashen Dwarves in the stone fortress were obliterated without any chance to react. The two Lizardman archers didn't even have time to grab their weapons before they, too, were easily killed by these assassins.
Shoulder to shoulder, the Stone Clan's Elder and the Grand Leader walked step by step towards the mist-shrouded depths of the mine.
The viscous gray mist gradually wrapped around them, like countless spider webs.
A gust of wind blew from ahead, sending a bone-chilling cold breeze, causing both of them to instinctively furrow their brows. However, amidst the waves of cold wind, there were also waves of heat.
The cold wind and the heat nearly coexisted as they blew, causing the Stone Clan's Elder and the Grand Leader to burst into laughter.
"I can feel it... There's a tremendous power up ahead," the Grand Leader laughed happily. "But these mist and cold wind are really annoying."
The Stone Clan's Elder took a deep breath. He flipped his palm, and a light glowed, a bronze lamp appearing out of thin air. It detonated with a snap, and a quaint and peculiar bronze lamp emerged in his hand.
"Giant Spirit Lamp." The Stone Clan's Elder, somewhat proud, glanced at the Grand Leader. "We Stone Clan specialize in opening veins and digging tunnels... We inevitably encounter miasma and poisonous gas accumulated for countless years in the cave."
"This Giant Spirit Lamp is a treasured bloodline item of the Giant Clan. It excels in dispelling various cold, poisonous miasma."
The light suddenly illuminated, and a surge of heat spread outwards. The mist in the tunnel burst apart, and the cold wind dissipated.
The Grand Leader's gaze flickered as he glanced deeply at the Giant Spirit Lamp. "What a precious treasure... Actually, if we don't gain anything this time, presenting this treasure to the Deputy Sect Master would also be wonderful."
The Stone Clan's Elder remained silent.
Step by step, they continued to walk deeper into the Abyssal Demonic Mine.
(End of this chapter)