Zhao Hu's footsteps echoed in the narrow mine tunnel, each one striking Ye Chen's heartstrings. His sinister eyes were fixed on the corner where Ye Chen had just been digging, a mocking smile playing on his lips like a cat toying with a mouse.
“Kid, you’re quick with your hands. What did you dig up? Let Uncle Hu take a look.” Zhao Hu pointed his whip, and the two lackeys behind him grinned and stepped forward, blocking all escape routes.
Wang Tiechui instinctively tightened his grip on the large mining pick in his hand and stepped in front of Ye Chen, saying in a gruff voice, “Overseer Zhao, we just got here, haven’t dug up anything good yet…”
“Shut up! I didn’t ask you!” Zhao Hu interrupted sharply, his gaze passing over Wang Tiechui to lock onto Ye Chen. “Are you going to hand it over yourself, or should I search you? If I have to do it myself, don’t blame me if you end up missing a limb.”
Ye Chen’s heart pounded, his mind racing. A direct confrontation was impossible. Hand over the Star Stone? He was unwilling! This ore resonated with the Ascension Token, and it must be related to his future path to immortality. His only chance of survival might lie in Zhao Hu’s greed and his underestimation of them as “useless.”
He forced a perfectly calibrated expression of fear and weakness onto his face, shifting slightly. One hand, seemingly weakly, protected his chest （ where the Spirit-Infused Mushroom residue and Coarse Grain Biscuit were hidden ）, while his other finger pointed to a few pieces of Black Iron Ore by Wang Tiechui’s feet. His voice was breathless, “Overseer… Overseer Zhao, we really only dug up this much Black Iron Ore… We were just resting over there, we’re really out of strength…”
He deliberately steered Zhao Hu’s attention, implying that what he was hiding was something worthless like food, while the more valuable Black Iron Ore was with Wang Tiechui.
As expected, Zhao Hu glanced at the substantial pieces of Black Iron Ore, a flicker of satisfaction in his eyes, but then he looked suspiciously at Ye Chen’s protected chest. “What are you hiding? Take it out!”
Ye Chen feigned extreme reluctance, slowly taking out the tattered cloth bundle from his chest, containing only a bit of residue from the Spirit-Infused Mushroom and half a Coarse Grain Biscuit.
“It’s… it’s just some food…” he said weakly, his voice barely audible. Combined with the not-yet-healed whip marks on his face and his mud-covered body, he looked particularly pathetic.
Zhao Hu frowned in disgust and cursed, “Beggars!” He clearly lost interest in the meager leftovers and pointed to the Black Iron Ore instead. “This will be your protection fee for this month! Consider yourselves lucky!”
With a wave of his hand, his two followers immediately stepped forward and swiftly carried away all the fruits of Wang Tiechui’s hard work.
Wang Tiechui’s fists clenched, making cracking sounds, his eyes wide and red. But under Ye Chen’s restraining gaze, he forced himself to endure.
Zhao Hu weighed the Black Iron Ore, seemingly feeling the trip wasn’t in vain. He finally snorted coldly and left with his followers, not forgetting to warn them before departing, “If I catch you slacking off again, I’ll break your legs!”
Only after the three figures had completely disappeared around the mine tunnel’s bend did the oppressive atmosphere finally ease.
Wang Tiechui slammed his fist into the rock wall, his face filled with unwillingness and guilt. “Ye Chen, I’m sorry… for the ore I dug…”
“It’s not your fault, Tiechui.” Ye Chen let out a long sigh, his back soaked with cold sweat. He patted Wang Tiechui’s sturdy arm and comforted him, “We can dig more ore, as long as we’re alright. And…” he changed the subject, a sharp glint in his eyes, “we didn’t come away entirely empty-handed.”
He carefully reconfirmed that the Star Stone, wrapped in layers of cloth in his chest, was safe. Its cool touch and the faint connection to the Ascension Token greatly reassured him.
The immediate crisis was averted, but Ye Chen knew he had to improve his strength quickly. Zhao Hu was like a venomous snake, ready to strike again at any moment. He picked up the worn mining pick again and said to Wang Tiechui, “Tiechui, let’s continue. We need to hurry and dig more to meet the quota.”
This time, Ye Chen no longer viewed mining as mere labor but actively used it as a touchstone to hone the Basic Body Tempering Art 》. He carefully felt the stretching of his muscles, the flow of Qi and Blood with every exertion, and even attempted to guide the minuscule warmth of Spiritual Power from the Spirit-Infused Mushroom into his movements.
【《Basic Body Tempering Art》 Proficiency +2】
【Gained insight into Spiritual Power guidance, 《Basic Body Tempering Art》 Proficiency +3】
【Skill: 《Mining》 Proficiency +2】
The System Prompt sounded again, becoming more frequent. With intense concentration and continuous practice, his pickaxe swings became more precise, and his efficiency improved significantly. He even managed to dig up a small piece of Black Iron Ore on his own.
As Nightfall approached and the Miasma began to spread again, the two of them, dragging their weary bodies, climbed out of the mine pit with just enough ore to meet their quota.
Back at the crude shack, Wang Tiechui collapsed and fell asleep, his snores soon filling the air. He was simple-minded and had expended a lot of energy; sleep was the best recovery.
Ye Chen, however, had no intention of sleeping.
Outside the shack, the swamp's nocturnal creatures began to stir, their eerie sounds rising and falling. He sat cross-legged on the dry grass, first entering a static posture of the Basic Body Tempering Art 》 to regulate his breathing and recover his strength, while keeping his guard at its highest.
Once he felt his condition had slightly recovered, he carefully took out the Star Stone.
In the near-total darkness, the silver specks on the surface of the Star Stone spontaneously emitted an extremely faint Starlight, like a miniature universe, mysterious and magnificent. The Ascension Token in his chest once again radiated a clear warmth.
“How should I use this stone?” Ye Chen held the Star Stone, attempting to channel his Qi and Blood to touch it, as he had done to catalyze the Miasma Mushroom before.
However, his Qi and Blood were like a clay ox entering the sea, with no reaction.
He pondered for a moment, then tried to concentrate his mind and perceive it with his will. This time, as he focused his entire being, he seemed to “hear” an extremely subtle hum from within the Star Stone, like the turning of stars.
At that moment, the warmth from the Ascension Token intensified sharply! A faint, almost imperceptible golden Flowing Light flowed from the token, along his arm, and directly into the Star Stone!
“Hum—”
The Star Stone vibrated slightly, and the Starlight on its surface suddenly brightened for an instant! Immediately after, a cool, pure energy, carrying a sense of distant vastness, surged out from the Star Stone like a Trickle, flowing back like a gentle stream. It coursed along Ye Chen’s arm and into his limbs and bones!
This energy was entirely different from the gentle Vitality of the Spirit-Infused Mushroom; it was more akin to a pure “Quenched” process!
Ye Chen felt as if his muscles, bones, Meridians, and even every cell in his body were being scoured and cleansed by countless tiny points of starlight! A sensation of soreness, numbness, and swelling, yet accompanied by extreme comfort, spread through him. The impurities accumulated in his body from injuries and fatigue seemed to be expelled bit by bit by this power.
【Absorbed unknown Star Energy, Physique received minor Quenching.】
【《Basic Body Tempering Art》 Proficiency greatly increased!】
【Physique strength slightly enhanced.】
【Dantian injury received minor nourishment.】
System prompts popped up one after another!
Ye Chen was overjoyed and dared not delay. He immediately circulated the Basic Body Tempering Art 》 with all his might, guiding this Star Energy through a full cycle. He could clearly “see” the Proficiency of the Basic Body Tempering Art 》 on the system panel leaping forward at an unprecedented rate!
After an unknown amount of time, the energy flow from the Star Stone gradually weakened, eventually returning to a calm state. The Starlight on its surface seemed to have dimmed slightly.
Ye Chen slowly opened his eyes. In the darkness, his gaze shone like cold stars. He clenched his fist gently, his knuckles emitting crisp cracking sounds, and a surge of power far more abundant than before coursed through his body. Although his cultivation realm had not changed, he could feel that his Physique strength and the richness of his Qi and Blood had increased by at least twenty percent! Even the stubborn injury in his Dantian seemed to have shown a minuscule improvement!
“This Star Stone is a treasure for Quenching the Physique!” Ye Chen marveled, rubbing the stone, which had become slightly smoother.
However, after the joy came deeper contemplation. The Ascension Token could activate the Star Stone and even actively stimulate its energy… What secrets lay hidden between these two? And why would this Black Marsh Mine conceal such a wondrous object?
Night deepened, and the roars of beasts outside the shack continued. But in Ye Chen’s heart, a fiercer flame had ignited. The road ahead was still perilous, but he now had one more trump card in his hand.
He carefully hid the Star Stone and the Ascension Token close to his body again, feeling the strength that had grown within him, and resumed his cultivation of the Basic Body Tempering Art 》.
Heaven Rewards Diligence. With the aid of this “Star Quenching,” his “diligence” would surely be rewarded with more abundant “returns”!