Chapter 649

Chapter 649: The Origins of Bai Xiaolu

Li Hui returned to the mine, lost in thought.

“Do they prefer stubborn miners? No rules, no order? Is this how they cultivate absolute obedience among workers? After all, those who endure monotonous work have hearts that become twisted with resilience. Spending sixty gold bars to buy this secret information—was it worth it? But I can give it a try. Breaking through the bottleneck now requires hands-on mining instead of relying on merit points. What a hassle.”

For someone like Li Hui, who pursued speed, making this decision was not easy. He plunged into the mining area that would take tens of thousands of miners a long time to excavate, stretching his muscles and continually shaking the rock layers.

“Shake, shake, shake…”

The Chaotic Dao Body surged wildly as he sought to understand what benefits this approach would bring.

“Boom, boom, boom!” The stone walls crumbled into dust. Three market bridges and hundreds of market towers floated high above; as soon as mining ore was exposed, he collected it immediately.

Li Hui hammered away for three days straight, switching between two different mining areas, yet he still hadn’t broken through the bottleneck.

“Goodness, it’s incredibly hard?”

“Forget it; I have to pull out my big move!” Li Hui retrieved the Kui Niu Drum, but upon further thought, he put it away again. This thing made too much noise and could attract powerful figures. How would he enjoy his exploration then?

“Shake for me…” The Chaotic Dao Body trembled slightly, and countless connections of hidden energy spread out. He watched as the unmined parts of the mining area caved in, instantaneously transforming into a sea of sand.

“Rise…” All the sand floated up, revealing pieces of ore of various sizes.

As the light swept over, the two market bridges instantly filled up, equivalent to two million iron frost coins entering his account. Soon, the third market bridge also reached its limit, with several market towers lighting up one after another.

“Still no breakthrough?”

Li Hui was truly astonished; he began to question whether he could break through on his own. An ordinary level twenty-two miner would need to continuously work for a month to clear one mining area, while he had already cleared three, which was equivalent to others working hard for three months.

“Let’s sell the ore and come back.”

Thus, Li Hui toiled underground for ten days straight.

On the eleventh day, around noon, the heart shield hanging at his waist emitted a crisp sound, and suddenly his body was bathed in a shimmering illusion of light and shadow.

“I’ve broken through; I finally broke through.”

Li Hui suddenly frowned as turbulent waves surged in his heart.

“What is this… Is this the enhancement of time force? How could this be? The reward for breaking through forcibly injects lifespan, and… it means taking away some miners’ lifespans as the price. Every person loses a year of life, turning into just ten days for me. The Chaotic Dao Body gains three hundred years of lifespan, while more than ten thousand people lose a year.”

“Could this be the secret behind the Extreme Huan Continent’s frenzied population growth? To grant some practitioners eternal lifespan? No, even so, the population is still too large.”

This seemed to solve a puzzle, yet many questions still remained.

“I need to try again to see what changes come with advancing to level twenty-four.” Li Hui reached for the heart shield and noticed that its surface had become quite marred and thinner, as if a shadow was dancing within the mirror.

Determined to level up once more, he decided to stay in the mining area, allowing the Ghost Emperor to inhabit the miners and help him handle the ore while he bought items he had his eyes on from the black market.

Thus, he toiled day and night in the mine. A month later, the heart shield emitted a clear and pleasant chime, and he finally achieved his desire to advance to level twenty-four.

The light and shadow flickered with brilliance; this enhancement didn’t lengthen his lifespan, but its effects were even more powerful. A resounding roar filled his ears, accompanied by a wave crashing toward him. Li Hui looked in disbelief at his hands and arms, and then at his chest and legs. He was disappearing, retreating into the river of time in an unbelievable manner.

“Have I merged with the time force of the mine? I can easily break through the gray obstruction covering the ore, allowing me to retreat into the depths of time and space for cultivation.”

With a loud “bang,” Li Hui returned to the mine. He released his mental thoughts to scan the market bridges and saw thick, oily black liquid dripping down. The Miao Jade in the market bridge exuded ethereal spiritual energy and could now be used normally.

“Incredible! Miao Jade is extremely expensive in the market, with a hundred-fold price difference compared to ore. As long as I find a way to sell Miao Jade, I can buy items in the black market. With the upgrade to level twenty-four and merging with the time force, I can wash away the obstructions on the ore. What about reaching level twenty-five? What benefits would that bring?”

Li Hui scratched his head, feeling that he had unknowingly embraced the path of Extreme Radiance cultivators. Was there any reason not to pursue this path, knowing it could grant unbelievable power?

“Let’s keep going; it’s just mining! However, the public mines are too limiting. It’s better to go to private mines where I can be more free, plus the chances of encountering time phantoms are greater.”

With his mind made up, Li Hui requested a two-month leave from the mine.

Taking leave was a challenge for others, but it was very simple for him; he just needed to deliver enough ore. The mine owners he worked with had already tasted the sweet rewards of cooperation, and Li Hui had even become a hands-off manager, allowing their income to double…

After working hard for a month, Li Hui returned to the small courtyard by Fragrant Lake and collapsed into a deep sleep.

In his slumber, he felt a pair of warm little hands gently wiping his body, a care that lasted for a whole hour, done meticulously and cautiously, as if afraid to wake him.

When Xiaolu finally finished cleaning her husband, she suddenly loosened her robe, her face turning crimson as blood. She averted her gaze from the bed and gently sat on Li Hui’s body.

Just as she leaned down to kiss him, Li Hui unexpectedly grabbed her wrist with a “snap.”

Li Hui opened his eyes, his gaze icy, sending a shiver down Xiaolu’s spine.

“Wife, I’ve actually thought a lot lately. Today, as I became a level twenty-four miner, I realized something while slipping into the flow of time.”

Bai Xiaolu shook her head, seeing her husband’s eyes return to normal, thinking, “I must have startled him, which is why I frightened him just now.”

“Ah? Husband became a level twenty-four miner?”

Li Hui released Xiaolu’s wrist and said, “Wife, your figure is truly magnificent; you resemble the Heavenly Demon’s Illusions. At first glance, I thought your beauty was just above average, but spending time with you revealed that you are not merely above average, but a stunning beauty, imprinted deeply in my heart. I would never want to forget you.”

“What are you saying, Husband?” Bai Xiaolu blushed and felt restless.

“Now comes the question.” Li Hui suddenly asked, “If you were the reincarnation of another, and she wanted to reach the most formidable merits in the world, stepping on you to reach me, what would you do? You and I would become her ladder for advancement.”

“This… What is Husband talking about? Xiaolu doesn’t understand.”

“Alas!” Li Hui sighed deeply, pulling Bai Xiaolu into his embrace, gently helping her smooth her hair, thinking, “How many years have you searched for me? You really can’t live without madness, but how many things have you set in motion? Ouyang Xiao Yi from the Heavenly Realm, a reverse demon just like me!”