"Everyone... hand over the ore!"
"Those who are late... hmph!"
The voice was icy and bone-chilling, carrying the unique pressure and intense spiritual power of a high-ranking cultivator.
It echoed throughout the entire Azure Gold Mine Shaft.
Forcing one ragged servant after another, like walking corpses, to emerge from the mine shaft.
Lu Li clutched four pieces of Azure Gold Ore in his hand, blending in with the crowd.
His face was as sallow as everyone else's, but a bright light flickered deep in his eyes.
"Twenty-eight pieces!"
"A full twenty-eight pieces of Azure Gold Spirit Ore!"
Lu Li's steps were somewhat excited.
From yesterday until tonight, he had dug up a total of twenty-eight pieces of spirit ore!
This efficiency was terrifying.
And the extra spirit ore, along with the two items from Blue Star in 2099, had already been placed into the Jade Pendant.
Yes, with the Azure Gold Ore, Lu Li discovered that the Jade Pendant not only connected to China.
It also had a storage function.
Very much like the storage bags used by cultivators.
"Although with my current strength and status, I can't own a storage bag."
"But... the storage space of this Jade Pendant is definitely not weaker than an ordinary storage bag."
Recalling when he input spiritual power into the Fish-Patterned Jade Pendant.
The boundless and mysterious space that appeared in his mind.
Lu Li couldn't help but clench his fist.
The storage function of this Jade Pendant was a timely boon.
Greatly facilitating his actions...
"Everyone, pass through the artifact in order."
"Do not shove, those with insufficient quotas, don't line up, stand to the left automatically."
The icy voice rang out once more.
A thin figure appeared before Lu Li.
A middle-aged man in a white robe, with a gloomy expression, was staring at the servant disciples emerging from the mine shaft.
In front of him floated a palm-sized bronze mirror.
The mirror's light flickered, scanning each disciple that passed by.
"Senior Brother! Spare me, Senior Brother!"
"Please spare me one more day! I'm just one piece short, just one piece and I'll meet the quota."
"Next time! Next time I'll make up for it, I'll hand over five pieces of Azure Gold Ore!"
"Senior Brother!"
"......"
Just as Lu Li silently passed by the bronze mirror artifact.
A simple-looking servant disciple threw himself at the feet of the white-robed middle-aged man.
Crying and wailing with despair that echoed throughout the mine shaft area.
"Oh? One piece short?"
"No problem... just one piece short..."
"Remember to make up for it in your next life."
The indifferent voice sounded like a consolation in the servant disciple's ear.
Before the words were finished, a black light suddenly shot out.
"Whoosh!"
The black light spun in the air, then plunged straight into the disciple's neck.
"Pfft!"
The next second.
A good head flew high.
The headless body fell heavily, making a dull sound.
The shocked servants shivered uncontrollably, yet dared not speak.
They could only lower their heads silently, fearing they would be next.
"Hmm, a Qi Refining 3rd Stage, no less."
"Not bad, this body and soul shouldn't go to waste, send it to the Soul Hall while it's fresh and warm!"
His gaze swept over the corpse, as if inspecting a slaughtered cow or sheep.
The white-robed middle-aged man showed no emotion, on the contrary, he seemed slightly excited.
With a flick of his fingers, a pitch-black small banner appeared out of thin air.
Wrapping the corpse and a soon-to-be departing transparent soul, it swiftly flew towards the distant cold mountains and water...
After doing all this, Bai Sheng finally turned his gaze to the crowd.
Casually urging with indifference.
"Quickly, don't dawdle, those with insufficient quotas stand to the left."
"Those who meet the quota... pass through the artifact on the right."
Listening to Bai Sheng's voice, Lu Li's expression didn't change.
But the tremor in his heart grew stronger.
He felt a wave of nausea, his hands and feet cold.
Forcing himself to look away, yet unable to resist glancing at the bloodstain with his peripheral vision.
Quickly suppressing these discomforts with strong rationality.
Telling himself he must stay calm.
This is the world of cultivation, this is the world of cultivators!
A disagreement, killing as easily as breathing.
It's either you die or I live.
If he hadn't awakened the Jade Pendant last night, then today...
"Phew~"
He exhaled deeply.
Lu Li forced himself to calm down.
Placed the four pieces of Azure Gold Spirit Ore into the bamboo basket under the bronze mirror, and walked to the right.
But before he could walk far, the icy voice suddenly echoed in his ear.
"Hmm... wait a moment!"
Lu Li's body paused, turning back to meet Bai Sheng's surprised and cold gaze.
"Qi Refining 1st Stage, meeting the quota?"
"Reporting to Senior Brother, Junior Brother had good luck today, happened to find a nest of loose..."
Lu Li cupped his fists, trying his best not to appear unusual, and spoke the excuse he had prepared long ago.
Hearing this, Bai Sheng remained silent for a long time, just silently watching Lu Li.
After a long while, a faint smile appeared on his face.
"Heh, good luck... quite good."
"Hope... Junior Brother's luck is just as good next time."
With a cold laugh, Bai Sheng withdrew his gaze, as if he truly believed him.
Standing silently behind the crowd.
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Lu Li's eyes flickered, his thoughts racing.
After entering the sect, servant disciples have a few months to comprehend cultivation techniques.
During this time, only by advancing to Qi Refining Level 2 can they barely complete the tasks.
If they can't...
The sect doesn't support idlers, and often half of the disciples in the same period are killed the first time they go down the mine.
This made Lu Li feel like the Demon Sect did it on purpose...
He happened to have poor aptitude, and lacked a bit of luck, unable to barely break into Qi Refining Level 2 like others. Thus, he was extremely conspicuous among the servants.
"Bai Sheng is a legitimate Outer Sect Disciple of the Qingchi Demon Sect."
"Specifically responsible for overseeing this mine shaft, his cultivation has reached the Late Qi Refining Stage, and his artifacts are quite strange."
"The Qingchi Demon Sect doesn't treat servant disciples as humans."
"Only the lives of Outer Sect Disciples are somewhat guaranteed."
"For me, this Bai Sheng... is a threat."
"There are still seven days until the next mining... meeting the quota every time with Qi Refining 1st Stage..."
"There's a risk..."
While the crowd was still being inspected, Lu Li had already begun planning for the future.
Running away was impossible, the entire Qingchi Demon Sect, with its three prefectures and six counties, he couldn't even leave a single county with his cultivation.
For now, if he wanted to ensure his life... the only path was to ascend to the Outer Sect.
"Before, I had no means, no resources, no backing, relying solely on my wits couldn't get me anywhere in this Demon Sect."
"As for ascending to the Outer Sect, it was a pipe dream..."
"But now I'm a cultivator, with over twenty pieces of Azure Gold Spirit Ore... there are many ways to think."
More importantly...
"I have backing now!"
"The Fish-Patterned Jade Pendant is my greatest asset, the country behind the pendant is my confidence."
"I must leverage my greatest advantage... my homeland behind me!"
Thinking of this, Lu Li felt a slight stir in his heart.
A powerful nation with 1.4 billion citizens supporting him from behind.
He had no reason to be afraid, no reason not to trust the country behind him.
And no reason to doubt the strength of Great Xia!
Other transmigrators at most have a golden finger.
But he has a nation!
One in ten thousand geniuses, he could find 140,000 behind him.
With such strong support... there's no reason he can't stand firm in this foreign world.
A clear plan quickly formed in Lu Li's mind.
"Next time I communicate, I can't just ask for help. I need to provide enough information: the sect's rules, Bai Sheng's cultivation, the characteristics of Azure Gold Ore..."
"And my goal—ascend to the Outer Sect!"
Proofreader: Peter Pan