Chapter 6: Unprovoked Targeting, the Jade Pendant's Power Awakens in the Mine
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Sitting on the wooden bed, Yu Xian calmed his mind and regulated his breath for a while.
He casually opened the bundle beside him.
Inside were two sets of clean clothes — the standard outer sect attire of the White Cloud Sect.
There were also four books, titled:
White Cloud Qi Cultivation Method
Ten Basic Spells
Compendium of a Hundred Ores
Miscellaneous Talks of the Spirit Realm
Two bottles accompanied them, labeled Fasting Pills and Spirit Water Pills.
Looking at the two types of pills, Yu Xian took one of each and swallowed them.
The hunger and thirst from fatigue vanished instantly.
These two pills could sustain someone for seven days without food or water. Each bottle contained ten pills.
Only after reaching Foundation Establishment could a cultivator absorb spiritual energy from the heavens and earth to survive without eating or drinking — known as those who eat Qi become divine and long-lived.
Otherwise, one had to eat, drink, or rely on these pills.
With the pills in his stomach, Yu Xian felt much better. He shook out the clean clothes and changed, then sat cross-legged on the bed and began cultivating.
As he cultivated, he realized how rich the spiritual energy within White Cloud Sect was — ten times denser than the outside world!
No wonder so many outer disciples would rather serve as laborers than leave.
After about two hours of cultivation, his Qi Sea expanded slightly — from one chi to one chi and one cun.
Opening his eyes, a sharp light flashed within them.
“This is truly a major sect!”
He knew this place was a treasure trove for cultivation and must not be abandoned lightly.
Where else could he find such spiritual richness?
Though it was still dark outside, Yu Xian guessed it would be dawn within half an hour.
He stopped cultivating and picked up the Compendium of a Hundred Ores.
As the name implied, it contained information on tens of thousands of ores and treasures — bloodstone, black jade, green agate, blazing sun crystal, icy crystal, and various grades of spiritual stones from low to supreme.
Knowing he would likely be sent to mine, he wanted to quickly memorize the names, appearances, and identification methods of these materials.
Yu Xian read swiftly, and in half an hour, he had memorized data on over two thousand types of ores and treasures.
Bang!
Suddenly, the door was pushed open.
Startled, Yu Xian looked up.
He hadn’t even heard any footsteps!
The visitor was clearly strong.
“You the new disciple?”
A cold-faced man stood at the door, expression unreadable.
Yu Xian got up and bowed, “Disciple Yu Xian greets the elder.”
The man glanced at him and replied coldly, “Follow me.”
Yu Xian quickly packed up his things and followed.
They returned to the main hall, and the man led Yu Xian through more than ten teleportation arrays until finally reaching the last one and stepping in.
A flash of light — the world spun.
When Yu Xian opened his eyes, wind and sand lashed at his face.
Before him stretched a desolate land of rocky desert and endless mountains. The sun had just risen, yet the heat was already blistering.
“Brother Zhao! The newcomer is here!”
The man who brought Yu Xian shouted loudly toward a row of houses ahead.
Four people emerged, one of them laughing, “Hey! Brother Huang! What brings you here? It’s not the season to recruit new disciples, right? What’s with the newcomer?”
“No idea where he came from.”
Brother Huang gave Yu Xian a look and said solemnly, “Listen, this comes from the sect master himself. You are to take care of him.”
“Take care of him? Don’t worry, brother.”
Zhao glanced at Yu Xian with a knowing smirk and nodded.
“I’m leaving.”
Brother Huang nodded, waved off the sandstorm, and stepped back into the teleportation array.
“Farewell, Brother Huang.”
The four bowed respectfully until he vanished.
Zhao turned to Yu Xian and asked, “What’s your name?”
“Disciple Yu Xian greets the elder.”
“Yu Xian… alright.”
Zhao said nonchalantly, “You’ll be in charge of Mining Tunnel Ding-18. Whether you mine or not is up to you, but every month, you must hand in one piece of Blazing Sun Crystal. Fail, and you’re out of White Cloud Sect. Of course, if you mine more, each crystal can be traded for ten low-grade spirit stones.”
The other three disciples flinched slightly.
Tunnel Ding-18… wasn’t that the abandoned mine?
This guy’s probably doomed to be kicked out…
To be part of White Cloud Sect was a rare fortune.
As a rogue cultivator outside, the hardships were endless.
Yu Xian could tell from their reactions and Zhao’s tone that his assigned mine was in terrible condition.
But he had no choice. “Disciple obeys.”
“Old Third, take him to his quarters, then come back and keep drinking,” Zhao sneered and left with the others.
Now only the “Old Third” was left. He snorted, “Unlucky bastard. Follow me.”
They passed a row of dozens of rooms. At the last one, Old Third threw Yu Xian a key. “Everything’s inside — map, mining tools. Find your own way. Just remember: one Blazing Sun Crystal a month. No crystal, no sect.”
Yu Xian entered.
The room was full of dust — clearly uninhabited for a long time.
But the mining knife on the table was still sharp.
One map. One tool.
Yu Xian examined the map. The Blazing Sun Mountains stretched over five hundred li, with eighty-three mining tunnels.
His Ding-18 was the closest to the living quarters.
Closest meant earliest excavated. Earliest meant long-mined. Long-mined meant exhausted.
A waste mine. He was clearly being targeted.
But Yu Xian didn’t mind.
Being able to join a cultivation sect like this was fortune enough.
Even if it meant mining, he would persevere!
Exhaling deeply, he took up the mining knife and left.
No time to waste — better to check it out now.
If after a few days there was still nothing, he would consider alternatives.
The tunnel was massive — fifteen meters wide and over nine meters high.
Ding-18 lay just at the base of the first mountain.
The mine stretched deep into darkness. Yu Xian held his knife in one hand, spell-ready fireballs in the other.
The deeper he went, the darker it grew. The air was vast and eerie.
Roughly fifty meters in, he stopped and began digging experimentally.
A waste mine was a waste mine.
After three full hours of digging, creating a hole several meters wide and deep, he hadn’t even seen a single speck of crystal — not even scraps.
Covered in sweat, Yu Xian paused to catch his breath.
As he stood, not focusing on the rock wall, he suddenly felt a faint warmth on his chest.
It was subtle, nearly imperceptible.
Confused, he looked down and opened his collar.
In the dim tunnel light, his pendant — the one left to him by his mother — was glowing faintly and emitting warmth.
He picked it up, stunned.
This pendant had once saved him by absorbing most of a fireball’s force.
But aside from that, it wasn’t very powerful — more sentimental than magical.
So why now? Why was it glowing and warm again?
Was it a sign? A guide? A message from his mother?
He stepped back.
The light dimmed, the warmth faded.
He stepped forward.
The glow brightened, the heat grew stronger.
A flash of realization struck him.
Without hesitation, he slung the pendant around his neck, gripped his mining tool tightly, and began to dig with all his might!
One meter. Two meters. Three meters.
The pendant grew hotter, brighter!
Finally, with a swing of his blade — a blinding orange-red glow burst forth from the rock!
A gemstone, the size of a walnut, gleaming with sun-like brilliance and blazing heat — embedded in the stone!
Yu Xian recognized it immediately —
A Blazing Sun Crystal — formed from the essence of the sun and spiritual energy!
Panting, he stared at it, dazed.
Then slowly, tightly, he clutched the pendant at his chest.
What exactly had his mother left him…?
He carefully wrapped the crystal in cloth to hide its light and pressed forward into the tunnel, tracking the pendant’s warmth.
Two incense sticks of time passed — the pendant grew hot again.
Yu Xian stopped, dug with renewed determination, not even pausing to rest.
Eight meters deep — another Blazing Sun Crystal revealed itself!
Dripping with sweat, he leaned against the stone wall, laughing quietly…
Then tears ran silently down his face.
And finally — he raised his head and let out a long, roaring howl.
