txolops Chapter 46 The Stream Stops Flowing
Chapter 46 The Stream Stops Flowing
The case of Song Yang's death was hastily closed. It was regrettable that a cultivator in the early stage of Foundation Establishment died at the hands of a demon beast, but it was not unusual.
Although Songyang's Core Formation master felt sorry for his disciple, he did not investigate further. The two Nether Water Toads in the deep ravine took the blame and were killed by the cultivators of Spirit Beast Mountain, which was considered revenge for him.
The mine returned to calm.
Half a month later, the sect sent new cultivators.
The new cultivator's surname is Chen. He is a peak early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator who has reportedly been at the Foundation Establishment stage for nearly fifty years. He has a square face, speaks succinctly, and is exceptionally experienced in handling affairs.
Zhang Tie had a good first impression of him. The first thing this man said to him was: "Junior Brother Zhang, we can discuss the mine matter later."
Zhang Tie thought to himself, "He truly is a cunning old fox who has lived for over a hundred years; his way of handling things is impeccable."
However, one must keep some secrets when dealing with smart people. Some of one's trump cards must never be revealed in front of Chen Yuanshan. Just play the role of a newly established Foundation Establishment cultivator who has only recently broken through!
That's how the two started working together.
As it turned out, Chen Yuanshan was a smart man like Zhao Dashan, unlike the reckless Songyang who relied on his cultivation and background to boss Zhang Tie around.
They would consult Zhang Tie on matters concerning the mine and discuss them together. Zhang Tie was happy to have some free time; he would stand guard when he was supposed to, and when it was his turn to rotate, he would cultivate and study formations.
A year passed peacefully, and there were still six months left until Zhang Tie's mission ended.
Although it was a pity that he didn't find any Earthly Fiend Qi, Zhang Tie had thoroughly studied "An Introduction to the Five Elements Formation" this year. In addition to the Six Harmonies Sealing Formation, Zhang Tie also asked Sun Feng to help him find the materials for the Wutu Pan Shi Formation flags, and now he was almost able to gather them!
Then they will have another trump card in their hands; the Earth Rock Formation can withstand attacks from mid-Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Chen Yuanshan would occasionally discuss cultivation experiences with Zhang Tie. Chen Yuanshan's fifty years of staying in the early stage of Foundation Establishment was not in vain. All his experiences were enlightening for Zhang Tie. Although his cultivation did not break through, his foundation became more solid!
However, cultivation in the Foundation Establishment stage cannot rely solely on hard work; elixirs, spiritual items, and opportunities are all indispensable.
Although he was disappointed that he couldn't find the Earthly Fiend Qi, Zhang Tie was prepared to return to the sect's Spirit Treasure Pavilion after the mission to exchange for a few bottles of Earthly Fiend Qi in order to condense the golden embryo prototype of the "Mysterious Earth Contains Gold Technique".
According to Zhang Tie's prediction, the time when the Golden Embryo is formed will be the time when he enters the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.
There are still about seven or eight years before the demonic invasion of Yue Kingdom. We must improve our strength as soon as possible, and it would be best if we could reach the late stage of Foundation Establishment.
......
"Junior Brother Zhang, the Iron-Toothed Rats have been attacking the mines far too frequently lately! I feel something's not right!"
Just when Zhang Tie thought he could get through the last few months peacefully, Chen Yuanshan, who was on duty, came looking for him.
When Chen Yuanshan reminded him, Zhang Tie recalled that he had killed about ten level-one Irontooth Rats while on duty last month, but they posed little threat to him, so he hadn't paid them any mind.
There are indeed level one monsters around the mine, but they never appear that often. This is almost the same number of times we've seen them in a month as we have in the previous two or three months, and they're all Iron-Toothed Rats!
"Junior Brother Zhang, since you haven't cultivated the Spirit Control Technique, you may not know this. Iron-toothed Rats aren't particularly bold and generally don't dare approach human settlements. The fact that they're appearing so frequently now must have a reason!"
"Does Senior Brother mean there's a high possibility of a swarm of Iron-toothed Rats appearing nearby?!"
Zhang Tie frowned secretly. The appearance of a large number of iron-toothed rats would inevitably threaten the safety of the mine. If it affected production, both of them would have to take responsibility.
Without hesitation, the two began to investigate the unusual situation around the mine separately.
When Zhang Tie stopped at a ditch in the eastern part of the mine during his inspection, his brows furrowed.
The ditch in front of us was the same stream that used to be filled with eerie energy, but now it has dried up completely. If I remember correctly, its source was a bottomless pool!
Furthermore, there are far more traces of monster activity in the eastern region than in other regions.
Zhang Tie activated the communication talisman in his hand, and a moment later, Chen Yuanshan also arrived at the scene.
Zhang Tie briefly explained what he had discovered, and upon hearing this, Chen Yuanshan's square face also showed a look of dismay.
"Senior Brother Chen, shall we go and take a look at that pool?" Zhang Tie suggested.
Chen Yuanshan thought for a moment, then nodded: "Go check it out!"
The two walked upstream along the dried-up riverbed and soon saw the deep pool.
Even the deep pool has dried up!
As the two approached, they discovered that the bottom of the pool was not straight down, but rather vertical for a hundred meters before suddenly widening to a horizontal line, beyond which their divine senses could no longer probe.
However, the traces by the pool were very clear, with claw marks and fur everywhere.
"It seems there's a cave below, but it's dried up for some reason, and there are quite a few monsters inside!" Chen Yuanshan picked up a few strands of hair from the ground and examined them carefully.
"It's the Iron-Toothed Rat. It seems these beasts have made this their lair! With such a large swarm of rats, there must be a rat king!" Chen Yuanshan concluded after observing for a while.
"Iron-Toothed Rat King, isn't that a level two demonic beast?!" Zhang Tie's face showed surprise at the right moment.
"That's right. However, although there are a great many Iron-Toothed Rats, their bloodline can only reach the level of a second-level demon beast at most. Very few can break through the bloodline shackles! Junior Brother, don't worry!"
"If the rats here are not eliminated, there will be endless trouble. Junior brother, are you willing to help me?" Chen Yuanshan asked solemnly.
Zhang Tie will be returning to his clan in a few months, but he still has a year left here!
If we don't eliminate these iron-toothed rats, it will be troublesome if the rat king attacks the mine one day.
Zhang Tie hesitated, and Chen Yuanshan frowned slightly, realizing that Zhang Tie had concerns. It seemed that he would have to bleed a little!
"Junior Brother Zhang, aren't you interested in spirit control techniques? I have some insights into spirit control here, how about I lend them to you for a look?" Chen Yuanshan tentatively asked.
Zhang Tie had previously been very interested in his method of cultivating spirit beasts. You should know that although he was only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, he had cultivated two level-two spirit beasts. Even if he encountered a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, he could fight them off and even hold his own!
Spirit control was a skill he was proud of, and showing Zhang Tie his insights was a sign of his sincerity!
As he expected, Zhang Tie's eyes lit up immediately upon hearing this!
To be fair, although Chen Yuanshan's cultivation level isn't that high, his experience in cultivating spirit beasts is truly remarkable. He's not like Zhao Dashan, who only has a half-baked alchemy skill; he's someone who can actually cultivate level two spirit beasts!
As far as Zhang Tie knew, cultivators who practiced spirit control techniques usually only raised one natal spirit beast. It wasn't that they didn't want to raise more, but they simply couldn't afford to. The resources consumed in raising spirit beasts were no less than those consumed by cultivators.
With two level-two spirit beasts, Chen Yuanshan's strength is among the top in the early Foundation Establishment stage among the cultivators of Spirit Beast Mountain.
After all, how many early Foundation Establishment cultivators dare to say they can win against a combined attack from one person and two beasts?