The abandoned cannon fodder girl's path to immortality

Chapter 319 Star Sand Mine

"Three days? Fellow Daoist Chen's alchemy skills are so advanced?"

Zhao He was completely astonished, never expecting Chen Jinshu's alchemy skills to be so formidable.

Ordinary alchemists, especially those of higher rank, often need ten days to half a month to refine a batch of pills. Alchemists like Chen Jinshu, who can refine pills in three days, are extremely rare.

"Fellow Daoist Zhao is too kind. I've only refined it a few times with my master, so I have some experience," Chen Jinshu explained immediately after hearing this.

Upon hearing this, the two immediately understood, and their faces showed more respect.

The person who could become Chen Jinshu's master must be a Nascent Soul Transformation True Monarch. Thinking this, their original ulterior motives vanished instantly.

A moment later, after emerging from the poisonous forest, the three rested at the foot of a secluded cliff.

Sand Scorpion sat down against the stone wall, took out a yellowed animal hide map from his pocket, looked at it carefully, and then said, "Fellow Daoist Chen, look here."

Chen Jinshu leaned closer and saw a simple diagram of a cave entrance drawn on the map, with a few lines of small characters written in ancient seal script next to it:

"The place where stardust is stored can be used to repair magical artifacts, but it is protected by a restriction, so enter with caution."

"Stardust?" Chen Jinshu raised an eyebrow.

“Exactly.” Sand Scorpion raised his head, a glint in his eyes.

"My jade slip records that there is a mine in the Chenguang Secret Realm, whose walls are covered with stardust. This is a treasure for repairing ancient magical artifacts, and even a small amount of it would be priceless in the outside world. If we can acquire some, this trip will be worthwhile."

Zhao He looked up upon hearing this, grinning as he said:

"Stardust? That's a real treasure! I saw a tiny bit in the Eastern Region Market, about the size of a fingernail, and it cost three thousand spirit stones. If we could really find a mine, wouldn't we be rich?"

"Whether it will be issued or not is another matter." Chen Jinshu carefully examined the map, noted down the route, and looked up at the gray-yellow skyline in the distance.

Where is that mine shaft?

"About forty li to the southeast." Sand Scorpion put away the map and stood up, leaning on his cane.

"However, the restrictions on that mine are said to have been set up by ancient cultivators, and their power is extraordinary. It will take some effort to break the restrictions."

Chen Jinshu was silent for a moment, then nodded: "Let's go. Since we're here, we should at least take a look."

The three followed the route marked on the map, passing through a dead stone forest and climbing over two low stone hills, finally arriving at their destination in the afternoon.

“This is it.” Sand Scorpion pointed to the crevice in the steep rock wall, his voice a little hoarse.

Chen Jinshu squatted down and reached out to touch the rock at the edge of the crevice.

The rock was cold, its surface covered with a fine powder that, when rubbed between the fingers, had a strange metallic sheen.

"Be careful." She stood up and squeezed into the gap first.

The passage was very narrow, with stone walls on both sides almost touching our shoulders, and the ground was uneven, with loose stones hurting our feet.

After walking for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the view ahead suddenly opened up.

A huge underground cavern appeared before the three of them.

The cave is oval-shaped, with a diameter of several tens of feet and a height of over ten feet. The cave walls are dark gray, and the surface is covered with fine cracks and protrusions.

The cracks and bumps were covered with a large number of fine, silvery-white particles.

"Stardust!" Zhao He gasped, his voice trembling slightly with excitement.

So many...so many!

Chen Jinshu's gaze swept across the cave wall. The silver particles were densely packed, and he couldn't help but look surprised.

The sand scorpion walked to the cave wall, stretched out its finger, and gently scraped off a grain of stardust with its fingernail, placing it in its palm to examine it carefully.

The silvery-white particles were cool to the touch, with a smooth, mirror-like surface. You could vaguely see a very fine silver thread flowing inside, moving slowly as if it were alive.

"Superior quality." Sand Scorpion's voice was filled with barely concealed excitement.

"If all of this stardust were collected, it could be used to refine at least seven or eight magical artifacts. In all my years of life, this is the first time I've ever seen so much stardust gathered in one place."

Chen Jinshu did not rush to start mining. She stood still, her divine sense quietly spreading out and scanning the entire cave.

The cave was quiet, seemingly devoid of any other living creatures.

However, there was a subtle sense of oppression permeating the cave, as if something was lurking in the shadows, silently watching them.

"Something's not right," Chen Jinshu said in a low voice, his fingers already resting on the Star Moon Guqin at his waist.

Upon hearing this, Sand Scorpion's smile faded slightly, and he looked around warily: "What have you discovered, fellow Daoist?"

"It's too quiet," Chen Jinshu said slowly.

“Such a treasure land must have something guarding it. Moreover, we have been in the secret realm for several days now, and the Blood Fiend Sect has not made a move, which is not normal.”

As soon as she finished speaking, a chilling laugh came from the direction of the cave entrance:

"It was Fairy Chen who was more vigilant."

The voice was hoarse and grating, like sandpaper rubbing against metal, carrying a chilling, eerie quality.

Chen Jinshu turned around abruptly and saw five figures slowly appearing at the cave entrance.

The Blood-Handed Demon was dressed in a dark red Taoist robe, the grotesque skull patterns on which looked particularly eerie under the glow of the luminous pearl.

His face was pale, his cheekbones were high, and his sunken eyes flickered with bloodlust. A cruel smile hung at the corner of his mouth.

Behind him stood four disciples of the Blood Fiend Sect, all with cultivation levels between the early and mid-stages of the Golden Core realm. Each of them held a magic weapon in their hands and stared at Chen Jinshu and his companions with hostile eyes.

"Bloodhand Old Demon!" Sand Scorpion's face instantly turned ashen, and the veins on his hand gripping his cane bulged.

"How will you be here?"

"Jie Jie Jie Jie..."

Bloodhand Old Demon let out a piercing laugh, slowly walked forward, and glanced at Chen Jinshu.

“Sand Scorpion, Sand Scorpion, do you think that only you know the secrets of this secret realm? I learned of the existence of this Star Sand Mine through other channels long ago. I just didn’t expect that you would find this place as well.”

"That's fine. It saves me the trouble of going to find you one by one."

Chen Jinshu remained calm, but his fingers were already on the strings, ready to strike at any moment.

"Bloody Hand, you've been tracking us?"

"It's not really tracking," Bloodhand Old Demon waved his hand.

"I just happened to be handling some personal matters nearby when I sensed a familiar aura."

I remember the sound waves from your broken zither very clearly.

His gaze fell on Chen Jinshu's face, with a hint of amusement:

"Last time in Flowing Sand City, you managed to escape by sheer luck. This time, I'll see who can save you."

Chen Jinshu did not answer, but slowly took half a step back and exchanged a glance with Sha Xie and Zhao He.

Sha Xie's expression was solemn. He said in a low voice, "Fellow Daoist Chen, this old demon is at the late Golden Core stage. With his four disciples as well, our chances of winning are slim. We should retreat first and look for another opportunity."

Zhao He nodded, gripping his short blade tightly: "As long as the green hills remain, there's no fear of running out of firewood. No matter how valuable these stardust particles are, they're not as important as life."

Chen Jinshu shook his head: "They can't escape. He's already sealed the entrance."

Her gaze swept across the cave entrance and she saw that the four Blood Fiend Sect disciples had already dispersed, forming a semi-circular encirclement that completely blocked the only exit.

"Fairy Chen is indeed clever." Bloodhand Old Demon clapped his hands, a smile of appreciation on his face.

"Now that I'm here, I naturally want to make sure everything goes perfectly. However, if you're willing to hand over that zither and cripple your cultivation, I might consider sparing your life."

Upon hearing this, Chen Jinshu's lips curled into a cold smile: "Crippling your own cultivation? Do you think that's possible?"

"Then there's nothing more to say." The Blood Hand Demon's smile vanished, and his eyes blazed with crimson flames.

He suddenly raised his hand, and a small, blood-red banner the size of a palm appeared out of thin air in his hand.

The banner was dark red all over, the surface was tattered, and there were several tears along the edges. But as soon as it appeared, the temperature in the entire cave dropped sharply, and a thick, pungent smell of blood filled the air.

"A Nascent Soul level magic treasure... the Blood Demon Banner!" Sand Scorpion exclaimed in shock, his face instantly turning deathly pale. "You...you actually possess such a treasure!"

Bloodhand Old Demon smiled smugly:

"I obtained this by risking my life in the ancient cultivation mansion. Although it is damaged, it is more than enough to deal with the three of you."

With a flick of his wrist, the Blood Demon Banner grew longer in the wind, transforming in the blink of an eye into a giant blood banner over ten feet tall.

The banner fluttered in the wind, and streams of blood-red mist gushed out from it, surging towards Chen Jinshu and the other two like a tide.

Wherever the blood mist passed, the moss on the cave walls withered instantly, and the stones emitted a hissing sound of corrosion.

Chen Jinshu's pupils contracted slightly, and his fingers plucked the strings heavily.

"Zheng—!"

A moon-white sound wave spread out and collided with the oncoming blood mist.

The blood mist was partially dispersed by the sound waves, but it quickly reformed and continued to surge forward with undiminished momentum.

"Such a powerful aura of bloodlust!" Chen Jinshu felt a chill in his heart, knowing that he could not withstand it head-on, so he quickly took several steps back while his fingers rapidly plucked the strings of the zither.

"Shangxian: Soul Suppressor!"

'Ding ding dong—'

The music changed from deep and calm to rapid and urgent, transforming into invisible ripples that surged towards the Blood Hand Demon's sea of ​​consciousness.

Bloodhand Demon frowned slightly, his figure swayed in mid-air, but he quickly regained his balance.

"A soul-suppressing sound?" He licked his lips, the blood-red flames in his eyes burning even brighter.

"You're a bit better than last time. But do you think I'll fall for the same trick twice?"

He formed a hand seal, and the Blood Demon Banner shone brightly with blood-red light. The blood mist quickly condensed, transforming into a huge phantom of a blood-red hand, which slammed down on Chen Jinshu's head.

The bloody hand phantom was the size of a millstone, with its five fingers spread out, its nails as black as ink, and it carried a nauseating bloody smell, as if it wanted to crush Chen Jinshu's entire body.

Chen Jinshu dared not be careless, pressing both hands on the strings at the same time, his fingertips trembling slightly.

"Feather String - Break!"

She suddenly flicked her hands, and a beam of moon-white light shot up from the zither, colliding fiercely with the blood-red hand phantom.

boom!

A deafening roar exploded in the cave.

The blood-red phantom and the moon-white pillar of light exploded simultaneously, turning into countless blood-red light spots and moon-white fragments, illuminating the entire cave with flickering light and shadow.

The violent energy shockwaves spread in all directions, shaking some stardust off the cave walls and scattering it on the ground with a tinkling sound.

Chen Jinshu groaned, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, his hand gripping the strings trembling slightly.

Late-stage Golden Core cultivator, coupled with a Nascent Soul level magic weapon, is indeed terrifying.

Bloodhand Old Demon was also not in good shape; his face turned slightly pale, and the light on the Blood Demon Banner dimmed a bit.

He glanced down at the blood banner in his hand, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "To be able to withstand my Blood Demon Hand head-on, the quality of your zither must be quite high, right?"

Chen Jinshu did not answer, but secretly adjusted his breathing to recover the spiritual energy he had just consumed.

Sand Scorpion stepped forward and whispered, "Fellow Daoist Chen, I'm here to help you!"

"No need." Chen Jinshu shook his head, his eyes fixed on the Blood Demon Banner in the Blood Hand Old Demon's hand, his mind quickly searching for a solution.

Her gaze swept over the shimmering stardust on the cave wall, and suddenly a flash of inspiration struck her.

Stardust can repair magical artifacts; it is the crystallization of pure star and moon power. And her "Zhou Tian Xing Yue Yin" is itself a technique that draws upon star and moon power.

If the power of the stars and moon in the Star Sand is drawn out, and combined with the sound of the zither to set up an array, it might be possible to suppress that Blood Demon Banner.

She took a deep breath and turned to Sha Xie and Zhao He, saying, "Gentlemen, please help me buy some time."

Although Sand Scorpion was puzzled, he gritted his teeth and stepped forward, leaning on his cane.

"Alright! I was given this life by chance, so I'll risk it all today!"

Zhao He also gripped his short blade tightly and grinned: "Don't worry, fairy. Although my cultivation is not high, I still have the ability to run errands and delay."

After saying that, he blurred into a gray shadow and rushed towards the four Blood Fiend Sect disciples.

Sand Scorpion formed a hand seal, and an earth-yellow protective shield rose up, enveloping the three of them.

He bit his tongue, spitting out a mouthful of blood essence, and the light on the protective shield immediately brightened.

"Old devil, show me what you've got!"

Bloodhand Old Demon sneered, and with a wave of his Blood Demon Banner, streaks of blood-red chains flew out like serpents, coiling around the Sand Scorpion's protective shield.

The sand scorpion gritted its teeth and endured, causing the protective shield to tremble violently and develop spiderweb-like cracks on its surface.

Chen Jinshu ignored the outside world, sat down cross-legged, placed the Star Moon Guqin across his lap, and placed his fingers on the strings.

"Ding--"

The first note of the piano was crisp and ethereal, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, creating invisible ripples in the air.

The stardust on the cave wall began to tremble slightly as if summoned.

"Hmm?" Bloodhand Old Demon sensed something was wrong, frowned, and his gaze fell on the stardust.

"This is……"

As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Jinshu's fingers began to move rapidly.

"Ding-dong—"

The music changed from gentle to rapid, like a mountain stream flowing into a mighty river, gradually becoming powerful and vast.

The stardust began to tremble violently, peeling off grain by grain from the cave wall and floating in mid-air, shimmering with a silvery-white light.

Chen Jinshu's fingertips danced rapidly across the strings, his face gradually losing color, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

She continuously poured her true energy into the strings of the zither, drawing upon the power of the stars and moon within the stardust.

"The Five Sacred Mountains Sealing Demon Sound!"

She gave a low shout and plucked the strings heavily with her fingers.

The sound of the zither suddenly rose to a high pitch, like the collapse of the Five Sacred Mountains and the rolling of rocks, carrying a heavy and murderous aura as it surged toward the Blood Hand Demon.

At the same time, the stardust suspended in mid-air surged toward the Blood Hand Demon along with the music, transforming into streaks of silver-white light that slashed toward the Blood Demon Banner.

Bloodhand Old Demon's expression changed, and he hurriedly activated the Blood Demon Banner to defend himself.

Blood and silver light collided violently in the air, bursting out with dazzling light.

"Excellent technique!" Blood Hand Demon gritted his teeth, his eyes blazing with even more intense crimson flames.

"I didn't expect you could use your music to manipulate stardust! However, this little trick is no match for me!"

He formed a hand seal, and the Blood Demon Banner shone brightly with blood-red light. An even denser blood mist surged from the banner, colliding with the silvery-white starlight and producing a sizzling sound.

However, the silvery starlight seemed to have a restraining effect on the blood mist, which dissipated at a visible speed under its illumination.

"How is this possible!" Bloodhand Old Demon's expression finally changed.

"You're only at the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, how could you possibly suppress my Blood Demon Banner!" (End of Chapter)