The seal of the Five Great Mountains was lifted.
The exit leading to the outside world reappeared.
A group of stone giants were busy at the bottom of the mine, flipping over the rubble-covered bodies of the Church of Longevity and Mist Blade Assassins, reluctantly arranging them on the side.
Shi Bao, also known as Shi Fei and Shi Meng's great-uncle, a twenty-meter-tall iron giant, sat by the mine, grinning with his mouth wide open.
"I told you, that Shi Hui, heh, it was just a slap in the face."
"You little brats still don't trust my strength."
"Why make things so complicated when it can be solved with a slap?"
As Shi Fei and Shi Meng stood in front of Shi Bao with gloomy expressions, Shi Bao laughed so hard that his saliva flew, splattering their faces.
Shi Meng tightly clenched his fist and eagerly wanted to punch Shi Bao's big face. But after considering it for a long time, he ultimately suppressed the impulse completely.
Shi Fei took a big bite of roasted meat and complained with a grimace, "You... the Blue Crystal Ore... you nearly destroyed it with one strike. You truly didn't waste your big size growing up, did you?"
Shi Bao's complexion darkened, his eyes widened as he glared at Shi Fei and asked, "What do you mean by that?"
Wu Tie stood by the side, also enjoying a large piece of roasted meat. He had already swallowed nearly a hundred catties of it, yet his belly showed no sign of swelling. Hot streams continuously flowed throughout his body, gradually restoring a bit of muscle contour under his withered skin.
Hearing Shi Bao's words, Wu Tie vaguely said, "If I'm not mistaken, Second Young Master Shi is saying that you've grown such a big size for nothing, lacking a brain."
Shi Fei's expression suddenly changed. Shi Bao quickly extended his right hand like lightning, poking Shi Fei's head with his finger.
With a loud 'thud', Shi Fei's eyes rolled back, his body swayed left and right as he staggered a few steps before finally regaining his balance, panting heavily.
Shi Bao raised his head arrogantly and proudly said, "If I can solve everything with a slap, why would I need a brain? Hahaha, pure power can solve any problem, why waste brainpower?"
Shi Bao was very proud, spreading open his arms, flexing his muscular arms in a show of strength.
"Although the brain is irrelevant, dare to disrespect me... you brat deserves a beating." Shi Bao grinned, then harshly tapped Shi Fei's bloated belly. Laughing 'haha', he stood up and walked towards the exit, taking large strides.
"Let's go, to the Great Stone City. Since I'm here, I'll help you deal with that confused bunch of idiots from the Church of Longevity properly."
"Hmph, benefiting oneself at the cost of betraying the entire clan? Does living a bit longer hold that much importance?"
Shaking his head, Shi Bao sneered, "Really... living a bit longer, is it that important?"
Wu Tie, with his mouth agape, shook his head and said nothing as he continued to devour the roasted meat in big bites.
Shi Meng sighed softly, "Great-Uncle, for members of your giant clan, you naturally have a long life... and, you believe that rocks have spirits, even if you die, you will merge with the rock spirit and it will become an extremely joyful and delightful ceremony."
Shi Fei shook his dizzy head, looking disheveled as he stood up from the ground. He patted his bloated belly and saw the sweat dripping off his face. He sighed, "But, it's different for us."
Shi Fei sighed deeply, calculating with his fingers, "Power, wealth, beautiful women, delicious food, extravagant clothing... so many good things, yet we haven't enjoyed them all."
"If they were rock dwarf slaves, or those wild wandering rat people, it would be different. They don't live with any taste, so it doesn't matter if they die."
"But for our elders in the Shi family... they haven't had enough of life yet."
"Especially someone like Elder Shi Hui, he has already seen the hope of breaking through to the Heavy Building Realm. As long as he lives a bit longer, if he can break through to the Heavy Building Realm, his lifespan can increase by at least several times, and he could enjoy hundreds of years more."
Shi Fei looked at Shi Bao with a touch of resentment, "They seek longevity, as us younger generations, we can understand... but for them to gain longevity by betraying the family... the Shi family is our Shi family."
Shi Bao swung his fist forcefully, "I can't be bothered with your Shi family matters... hmm, killing Shi Hui will do, right? Or should I kill a few more?"
Shi Fei hurriedly shook his head, "Enough, enough. Killing Elder Shi Hui is the most urgent... if you kill too many, it will cause great damage to the Shi family's strength. After all, the entire Cangyan Province is not just the Shi family."
Shi Bao's face twitched, muttering in a low voice, "You guys are such a bother."
Wu Tie, who had remained silent beside them, continued to consume the roasted meat without saying a word. This was an internal matter of the Shi family. No matter what Shi Fei and Shi Meng thought or did, regardless of the consequences...
These were all internal affairs of the Shi family, and he was just a hired steward from outside, someone hired to do work for money. Why should he be concerned about these matters?
Lava Grass, that's all he wanted now.
Coughing once, Wu Tie interrupted Shi Bao, "Second Young Master Shi, Sixth Young Master Shi, if you were just acting, well, that's great... um, the Nether Demon Mine has returned to normal. I'll return to the Great Stone City, how much Lava Grass can I get?"
Shi Bao wasn't interested in this matter. He raised his head, took large strides towards the exit, and said, "Since there's nothing else, I'm going back... When you're ready to deal with people, give me notice. Prepare the food and wine, I'll be there at your call, hahaha!"
The rock layers beneath Shi Bao undulated as if he was walking on waves. His massive body created faint afterimages in the air, yet he made very little noise. With each step, he disappeared without a trace.
It was as if the entire earth was undulating, his body being propelled forward by the undulating earth, rather than him walking quickly.
Shi Fei and Shi Meng shook their heads helplessly and then exchanged glances. They looked at Wu Tie, and finally, their gaze fell on the long pennant hanging from Wu Tie's belt.
The six-foot-long pennant moved on its own without any wind, and smoke clouds continuously swirled on its surface, with faint black smoke drifting out, swirling and dancing around Wu Tie's body. The thin smoke twirled, making Wu Tie's figure blurred.
Even though Wu Tie was standing less than five meters away from them, they were amazed to find that they couldn't determine his position.
The feeling Wu Tie gave them was like that of a mirage, ethereal and elusive, not like a real person.
There was no doubt that the pennant was a treasured artifact.
Thinking of the abnormal changes in the Nether Demon Mine and considering Wu Tie's impoverished appearance when he joined the Shi family, Shi Fei and Shi Meng naturally thought that Wu Tie obtained the pennant in the Nether Demon Mine.
Stone Meng blinked his eyes and felt a bit envious of the pennant.
Shi Fei, on the other hand, had a brilliant smile. He walked up to Wu Tie, vigorously wiped his greasy hands on his clothes, cleaned off most of the oil, and then warmly patted Wu Tie's shoulder.
"Little Tie, it's great that the Nether Demon Mine has recovered. You have achieved great merit."
"Hehe, as for Lava Grass, it won't be without your share."
"As for the promised reward on the mission list from the External Affairs Department, I'll double the amount of Lava Grass for you."
"Wu... when things settle down in a few days, I will hold a feast. There are still several beautiful sisters in our Shi family who haven't married yet. You should get to know them well at that time."
Shi Fei smiled brightly. Shi Meng also smiled significantly beside him.
Treasures may not be lacking in the Shi family, after all, they were one of the Three Major Families in the Cangyan Province.
But when it came to talents, the more the merrier.
The Shi family, even with the help of the Lu family, couldn't solve the Nether Demon Mine issue. But with Wu Tie's arrival, it was resolved, and he even gained a treasure.
This was talent.
No matter if it was due to good luck or if he obtained the treasure out of thin air, it was still talent.
The current Shi family didn't lack treasures, what they lacked were people... they were extremely lacking in people!
Stone Gui's elite warriors left behind near the mine entrance, as well as the assassins remaining with Wu Tie outside, were all suppressed and captured by Shi Bao and the group of stone giants' violence. All of the Shi family's elite warriors were captured alive, while not a single assassin from Mist Blade was spared.
Shi Fei didn't know where Shi Zhen had disappeared to, and Shi Le didn't accompany them. Wu Tie rode a Gray Rock Lizard, followed by dozens of Shi Meng's guards, as they returned to the Great Stone City.
A dense smell of blood permeated the entire city district, and nearly a hundred bodies were hung on the city gate, their necks tied with ropes, lined up in a row on the gate. The wind blowing in from the distant passageway howled as it swept through, causing these bodies to sway slightly.
Wu Tie halted his mount, looking up at the hanging bodies on the city gate. Shi Meng also stopped his steed and glanced at the corpses, casually waving his hand, "Hmm, all of them are the confidants of Shi Zhen in the Great Stone City. Tsk, I heard they conspired with enemies of our Shi family, trying to combine inside and outside forces to break through the city gates."
Stretching out his hands, Shi Meng smiled, "Even though we weren't here, the warriors loyal to our Shi family in the city took the initiative to deal with them."
Whistling, Shi Meng laughed loudly, "With this, the entire Great Stone City is clean, squeaky clean!"
Wu Tie fell silent for a moment, then asked Shi Meng, "So, what about Second Young Master Shi?"
Shi Meng rubbed his chin, looking at Wu Tie with a pleased smile. "Older Brother, Shi Fei, and I... all Shi family members know that it was I who fought for power and expelled him from the Great Stone City. Now, I'm the one in charge of the city. It's that simple."
Squinting his eyes and sighing, Shi Meng shook his head. "I have a bad temper and like to solve problems with violence. So this time... it's natural for me to be the target, the scapegoat. As for Second Brother and Third Brother, it's better for them to stay behind and stab me in the back."
Wu Tie remained silent.
It didn't matter what Shi Fei, Shi Meng, and even Shi Le planned.
These were internal matters of the Shi family, and it had little to do with Wu Tie. He came to the Shi family primarily for cultivation resources.
Besides, Wu Tie didn't have much attachment to the Shi family either. He had no strong connection with Shi Fei, Shi Meng, and the others.
He didn't want to focus too much on the internal struggles of the Shi family. What did it have to do with him?
The wind blew, causing the several hanging bodies on the city gate to sway. Their heads gradually knocked against the city wall, making a 'knocking' sound.
The gates of the Great Stone City opened, and a fully armed squad of warriors greeted them. Shi Meng laughed triumphantly, waving his hand forward. "Brothers, from now on, the Great Stone City is under my command!"
"Follow me, and you'll have all the good food and liquor you can handle, hehe..."
Shi Meng intentionally amplified his laughter, the rumbling laughter reverberating far and wide.
Three hours later, Wu Tie sat in the main building's practice room of the large courtyard assigned to him. Before him, there were twelve neatly arranged steel boxes.
Each box contained ten Lava Grass each, for a total of one hundred and twenty Lava Grass.
He closed each box tightly and calculated with his fingers.
With one hundred and twenty Lava Grass, it would be no problem to cultivate to the pinnacle of Foundation Building Realm. Moreover, he had enough if he followed Lao Tie's advice and deliberately suppressed his realm breakthrough, solidifying his foundation even more.
"Resources... time... and strength." Wu Tie recalled his miserable state when he was chased by Bo Xi but couldn't retaliate in the Nether Demon Mine.
Especially Bo Xi's final move, the wide-range destructive divine spell. If it weren't for Shi Bao's rescue, Wu Tie would have been killed by that move.
So, strength was the most important.
Taking out a Lava Grass, Wu Tie was about to take it, but then he suddenly heard a low reprimand from outside the training room.
"Old Whitehair, what are you doing here?"
After returning to the Great Stone City, Shi Meng replaced Wu Tie's residence.
When the members of the Foreign Affairs Department brought the Lava Grass to Wu Tie, they also came with an order from Shi Meng.
Due to the loss of a group of mid and high-level members, Wu Tie, as a first-tier executive of the Foreign Affairs Department, was appointed as the captain of the City Defense Corps, commanding one hundred elite warriors belonging to the wolf and lizard tribes. They were now under Wu Tie's command.
Now, in this mansion, besides Wu Tie, there were also one hundred warriors under his command living here.
Outside his practice room, two wolf warriors and two lizard warriors stood guard.
After a loud shout, the sound of a long blade cutting through the air stopped. Wu Tie put down the Lava Grass in his hand and shouted loudly, "Is it Old White? Let Old White come in..."
The sound of a long blade cutting through the air abruptly ceased. Wu Tie walked to the edge of the stone door, pulled out the three steel door latches, and opened the heavy stone door. Old White sneaked in like a ghost.
[End of Chapter 83]