Chapter 44: Chapter 42: Earth-level Spiritual Ore

"Heaven itself is on my side! Mo Qi, without those two old geezers, Yang Ming and Yu Liang, let’s see how long you can keep up this arrogance!"

"Your life is mine, and the secrets of the Wailing Abyss will be mine too!"

Wang Xinglong looked at the message he had just received, the corners of his mouth turning up in a sinister grin.

He took out a Communication Talisman and sent his Divine Sense into it. "Diao Qing, you have three days to return."

A burst of screams from a bloody battle, along with pleas for mercy and wild, crazed laughter, came from the Communication Talisman.

After a long moment, an excited, bloodthirsty voice replied, "As you command, Master."

Just then, Xu He pushed the door open and walked in, followed by a young man whose eyes were filled with sorrow.

"Qi Tian greets the Third Elder," the young man said, bowing respectfully to Wang Xinglong.

"And he is...?" Wang Xinglong asked, looking at Xu He in confusion.

Xu He smiled faintly and said, "Let him speak for himself."

Qi Tian took a deep breath and fell to his knees with a THUD.

"I beg you, Elder, to seek justice for me."

Wang Xinglong frowned and said in a grave voice, "Tell me everything in detail."

Qi Tian’s face was filled with hatred. "I had a younger brother named Qi Yun," he said. "He was an Outer Disciple of our Void Sect and had already perfected the Refining Essence stage. But just a few days ago, he was brutally murdered by Mo Qi and Liu Hui. Not even his bones remain. I beg you to seek justice for me, Elder."

This Qi Yun was the same Outer Disciple who had tortured Liu Hui for a full month, crippling his Dantian and his limbs.

Later, Liu Hui, having mastered the Dragon Transformation Divine Technique, had obliterated him into a bloody pulp with a single punch.

And Qi Tian was Qi Yun’s older brother, an Elite Disciple.

Hearing this, Wang Xinglong was overjoyed. ’This is the perfect excuse to arrest Mo Qi!’

He maintained a calm exterior and asked, "What evidence do you have? On what grounds do you claim your brother was killed by Mo Qi and Liu Hui?"

Qi Tian replied, "My brother and I are connected by blood. I used this connection to find the scene of the incident, which was Mo Qi’s former residence. Furthermore, I’ve investigated and found that my brother had a conflict with Mo Qi and Liu Hui before his death."

"This alone is not enough to convict them," Wang Xinglong said, shaking his head. "Do you have any more direct evidence?"

Qi Tian shook his head. It was precisely because he had no direct evidence that Mo Qi and Liu Hui had killed Qi Yun that he had sought out Xu He.

"Third Elder, I’m begging you! As long as you help me get my revenge, my life is yours from this day forward. I’ll do whatever you command."

Qi Tian kowtowed repeatedly. Their parents had died when they were young, and he and Qi Yun had relied on each other to survive. Qi Yun was his only family.

But now Qi Yun had been brutally murdered, and he was powerless to take revenge.

Mo Qi and Liu Hui were no longer the men they once were; they were far beyond what a mere Elite Disciple like him could handle, even with his Cultivation at the Refining God Ninth Heaven.

Watching Qi Tian kowtow endlessly, Wang Xinglong felt a stir of interest. He asked, "Are you sure you’ll do whatever I ask?"

"Yes! If I break this oath, may I be struck down by lightning and my Divine Soul be annihilated!" Qi Tian swore.

"Good!" Wang Xinglong stood up and helped Qi Tian to his feet. "Not only will I help you get your revenge, I will let you exact it with your own hands."

Qi Tian was overjoyed and quickly said, "Thank you, Third Elder."

"Go and prepare yourself. Be ready at a moment’s notice. We’ll make our move in the next few days," Wang Xinglong said with a smile, patting Qi Tian on the shoulder.

Overwhelmed by the favor, Qi Tian performed a deep, respectful bow before taking his leave.

"Third Brother, you...?"

This was the first time Xu He had seen Wang Xinglong so happy since Wang Hao’s death.

"Take a look at this first." Wang Xinglong handed Xu He a Jade Slip containing a message.

Xu He extended his Divine Sense into it to read its contents.

"What?! A spiritual ore deposit was discovered on the border between our Void Sect’s territory and the Wolf Fang Sect’s, and they even had a bloody skirmish over it?!" Xu He exclaimed in shock.

Wang Xinglong said, "It’s not just any spiritual ore deposit. It’s an Earth-level Spiritual Ore deposit."

"Earth Level!" Xu He gasped.

"Otherwise, why do you think the Wolf Fang Sect would make a move?" Wang Xinglong sneered.

Spirit Stones are the hard currency of the Martial Arts World and are also the single most important resource for a Cultivator’s Cultivation, bar none.

Spirit Stones come from spiritual ore deposits, and these deposits are strategic reserves for every Sect.

If a Secret Realm is a Sect’s trump card for its continued existence, then spiritual ore deposits are its pillar and foundation.

A Sect can survive without a trump card, but it absolutely cannot survive without its pillar and foundation.

Like Cultivation and Martial Techniques, spiritual ore deposits are also divided into four levels: Celestial, Earth, Profound, and Yellow.

Yellow-level spiritual ore deposits are the most common and numerous; even small Sects typically possess two or three.

Profound-level spiritual ore deposits are much rarer and more precious, forming the backbone of the major Sects’ resources and serving as a symbol of wealth.

Earth-level spiritual ore deposits are a resource that all powers will fight tooth and nail for. Regardless of their size or output, the simple fact that they can produce Top-grade Spirit Stones is enough to make every Sect green with envy.

Once a Cultivator reaches the Void Realm, the Spiritual Energy in the outside world is insufficient to support their Cultivation.

If they cannot enter a Secret Realm, their Cultivation will stagnate, making further advancement nearly impossible.

However, there are a few exceptions, and Top-grade Spirit Stones are one of them.

The Spiritual Energy they contain is potent enough to allow experts at the Void Realm and above to continue their Cultivation.

There’s an old saying that goes: an Earth-level spiritual ore deposit is half a Secret Realm.

The reason it’s not as good as a Secret Realm is that Top-grade Spirit Stones are a non-renewable resource. There’s a finite amount, and once they’re mined, they’re gone for good.

In contrast, the Spiritual Energy within a Secret Realm can regenerate on its own. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

There are also Celestial-level spiritual ore deposits, which are even higher-grade than Earth-level ones, but they exist only in legends. Not even the Mountain and Sea Empire possesses one.

"Third Brother, what’s your plan?" Xu He asked cautiously after finishing the message in the Jade Slip.

Wang Xinglong said, "If news of the Earth-level spiritual ore deposit reaches the Mountain and Sea Empire, they’ll definitely send people to take it over. When that happens, neither the Wolf Fang Sect nor our Void Sect will get anything out of it."

"So, in the end, the shares will certainly be decided the old-fashioned way."

Within the Mountain and Sea Empire, there are Four Great Sects: the Void Sect, the Wolf Fang Sect, the Celestial Sword Pavilion, and the Wuji Sect.

The Four Great Sects are rivals, yet they also watch over and support one another, all to avoid being eliminated and absorbed by the Mountain and Sea Empire one by one.

Therefore, when conflicts and disputes arise between the Sects, they usually send out their younger generation members to settle the matter through duels.

This method has three advantages: first, it doesn’t deplete the Sect’s core strength; second, it avoids creating blood feuds; and third, it’s considered fair and just.

"This time, in the contest with the Wolf Fang Sect over the Earth-level spiritual ore deposit... if we were to send Mo Qi, do you think he would be able to come back alive?" Wang Xinglong sneered.

Xu He said worriedly, "From what I’ve seen, his subordinate Liu Hui is not to be underestimated. Ordinary disciples are no match for him."

Wang Xinglong laughed. "I’ve already recalled Diao Qing. Add to that the Qi Tian from just now, and we have two experts at the Refining God Ninth Heaven. I refuse to believe that Liu Hui has three heads and six arms—he can’t possibly keep Mo Qi safe!"

Hearing Diao Qing’s name, Xu He’s expression changed slightly.

"Very well. I’ll go pull some strings and make sure Mo Qi is on the combat roster."

...

At "Uncle Niu’s Kitchen God" restaurant, on the second day of its opening, business was absolutely booming.

It was mainly the group of people who had gotten a taste of the benefits yesterday; almost every single one of them had returned today.

This time, their orders were no longer limited to just the Purple Bamboo Golden Fragrant Rice.

Trusting in the Medicinal Cuisine, many disciples also ordered the remaining two dishes and one soup, despite their bizarre names.

Liu Ruyan, wearing a veil, moved between the tables, skillfully greeting customers, taking orders, serving food, and clearing plates without a hint of arrogance.

This scene did not go unnoticed by Yang Ming and Yu Liang, and both were quite astonished.