Chapter 98 of 100
Chapter 98
12 min read2,974 words
"From today, I will be your overseer, responsible for all your activities. My name is Hoffman, and I hope we can work together pleasantly. However, I must lay down some rules: you are not allowed to absorb the energy of heaven and earth at will, you are not allowed to hide crystals, you are not allowed to cause trouble, and you are certainly not allowed to defy the overseer. Anyone who dares to violate any of these rules will be recommended to a very 'fun' place, where you will truly understand what it means to wish you were dead."
Before the half-day rest period was over, a towering, muscular blonde giant, standing at 2.5 meters tall, arrived at Tang Yan's house. His roar was like thunder, his eyes fierce, and he looked like a demon. He held a black iron whip as thick as an arm, standing like a small mountain at the door, looking down at the five people inside.
"Wow! What a monster!" Tang Yan was taken aback by the giant.
"Brother, we agreed, don't cause trouble, absolutely don't cause trouble. I haven't even kissed a woman yet, I don't want to die young here!" Du Yang whispered to Tang Yan.
"Am I the kind of person who causes trouble?"
"Aren't you?"
"..."
"What are you mumbling? Get out here now!" Hoffman glared, his voice like thunder.
None of the five wanted to be the first to step out, so they obediently walked out of the door.
"Follow me!" Hoffman strode forward, the ground trembling beneath his massive body, which was enough to match five Tang Yans!
As they left the slave quarters, the other slaves were also being driven out, each overseer leading them in different directions. They would be assigned to different places to do different tasks, but the suffering they would endure would likely be the same.
The air was heavy with despair, even affecting the usually cheerful Tang Yan. Thinking about his weak body, he wondered how he would survive the days to come.
They moved forward, as if trekking on a rugged mountain path. There were no trees around, only laborers, scattered minerals, and iron-backed dogs roaming everywhere! The further they went, the more of these snarling iron-backed dogs they saw!
What were these iron-backed dogs, the size of calves, for?
After walking a kilometer, they witnessed five iron-backed dogs tearing apart a slave, the shrill screams and the sound of bones breaking made the nearby laborers shudder and tremble.
The overseers, however, watched leisurely, using the scene as a lesson for their slaves.
After crossing three low mountains and walking about five kilometers, Hoffman led Tang Yan and the others to the top of a very high mountain. The space before them was vast, a wave of scorching heat hit them, and the boiling firelight illuminated the area.
Before them was a pit stretching for hundreds of kilometers, filled with laborers and various terrifying beasts, the sounds of metal clanging, screams, and roars echoing everywhere. This was the true Jinghuo Mine!
A complete and utter hell on earth!
In the center of the mine, there stood a thousand-meter-tall tower furnace, like a colossal cauldron or a towering mountain piercing the clouds, guarding the area. The tower furnace, having been scorched for hundreds of years, was now entirely red-hot, emitting a terrifying heat. Thousands of steel channels extended from the ground to the tower, filled with laboring slaves.
Inside the tower furnace, the 'mine water' boiled and churned, spewing out in scorching waves like a rainstorm, drenching the ground. The 'mine water' was as hot as lava, and anyone it touched would be burned to a crisp, or even evaporated without a scream.
The closer to the tower furnace, the more dangerous it became, as the 'mine water' rained down, posing a constant threat to life.
Even from a distance, the cruelty of the scene was palpable.
"The leaders specifically instructed that since you are all Martial Ancestors with strong endurance, you will work near the furnace. It's dangerous, but the working hours are short, and the treatment is good," Hoffman said with a sinister smile, his eyes scanning the five pale faces. He then roared, "Move!!"
Tang Yan took a deep breath, clenched his fists, and stepped forward. Retreat was useless; escaping from here was a pipe dream. Not only was it impossible to reach the surface 20,000 meters above, but the mine itself was filled with thousands of iron-backed dogs, ghost-faced spiders, and five-colored pythons, most of which were second or third-level beasts, extremely brutal and bloodthirsty from years of devouring humans.
If anyone tried to escape, these beasts would detect and act before the overseers.
Hoffman led them to a spot less than a hundred meters from the thousand-meter tower furnace. The scorching heat seared their skin, and the hot waves hit them. Dense 'mine water' rained down, splattering on the ground.
Bang!! A hundred-pound 'mine water' landed beside them, splattering violently. The sturdy man among the five was the first to be hit, his body riddled with holes, and he let out a shrill scream. Tang Yan and the others were not spared; the 'mine water' pierced their bodies like arrows, causing excruciating pain.
"Ouch!!" They gritted their teeth, their faces pale, desperately channeling their spiritual energy to heal their wounds.
"Be careful, don't get burned," Hoffman laughed, stomping on the screaming man, sending him flying over ten meters to two ghost-faced spiders. The beasts let out strange screams, looking extremely excited.
"Get lost, bastards!" The man, with a grim face, gritted his teeth and stood up.
"Fifty meters wide, fifty meters long, half a meter deep. This is your first task. After completing it, you can drink water, eat, and have a half-hour rest. Now, start!" Hoffman stood to the side with his iron whip, and three calf-sized iron-backed dogs walked over, nuzzling him affectionately while snarling at Tang Yan and the others.
Tang Yan and the others dared not speak, silently channeling their protective spiritual energy to resist the splashing 'mine water.'
Tools were piled nearby, and Tang Yan picked up an iron pickaxe, striking the ground with all his might. But... Clang! The sound of metal on metal was deafening, and the ground remained unscathed. He was thrown backward, his hands scraped and bleeding.
"Are you okay?" Du Yang hurried to help him up but was met with a lash from Hoffman's iron whip.
Smack!!
Du Yang's shoulder was a bloody mess, and he almost fell to his knees.
"Brat, who told you to help? Work!!" Hoffman roared.
"You damn...!" Du Yang was furious.
"Don't be impulsive, I can handle it," Tang Yan reminded Du Yang, suppressing his anger, and swung the pickaxe again, channeling his spiritual energy. Clang, sparks flew, and a crack finally appeared in the ground, but Tang Yan's hands were once again bloodied.
"Consider it a form of training, body tempering!" Xu Yan stood nearby, picking up a massive iron pillar from the pile of tools, swinging it casually a few times, and then striking the ground with all his might. Boom, the ground trembled, and a head-sized hole was blasted through the steel-hard surface.
Sigh!! Whether it was Tang Yan, Du Yang, or the other two, they all looked at him in shock. What kind of monstrous strength was this?
Even Hoffman was stunned by the terrifying power!
Xu Yan himself was also surprised, as he was not satisfied with the result.
"Work! Work! Work now!!" Hoffman lashed his iron whip, the sound of the whip cracking in the air making everyone's scalp tingle.
"Learn to endure, treat it as a way to hone your martial skills," Tang Yan took a deep breath, channeling his spiritual energy according to the Flame Technique, and struck the ground twice, doubling his power. Finally, he broke through the surface, but only a small area the size of a palm, and only a thin layer was removed.
Again!!
Clang, clang, clang!!
Tang Yan adjusted his mindset, treating the digging as a slashing motion, gradually increasing his speed. He could already perform the Flame Technique's three strikes, and this training would help him solidify his skills and aim for the fourth strike.
But Tang Yan's body was too weak, and he soon collapsed from exhaustion.
"Work! Work! You old bastard!! Don't even think about slacking off!!" Hoffman howled, lashing his iron whip repeatedly, causing flesh to tear and blood to splatter.
Tang Yan trembled, his face pale, but he gritted his teeth and endured.
There was no choice; his body was too old.
Fortunately, the Undying Heaven Technique could quickly heal his injuries, preventing him from losing his ability to work after a beating.
Du Yang was in the worst condition, his spiritual energy barely enough to maintain his protective shield and avoid being burned by the 'mine water.' As for digging, he could only rely on his physical strength, which only produced sparks without breaking the ground.
This weak performance also enraged Hoffman, who lashed him repeatedly, causing more injuries.
Xu Yan and the other two men were genuine Martial Ancestors, in their prime, and their progress in digging was relatively good. In comparison, Tang Yan and Du Yang were clearly the problem cases, one frequently collapsing to catch his breath, the other unable to break the ground. Hoffman was furious and focused on them, repeatedly lashing them.
Xu Yan, feeling sorry for them, tried to help, but was met with Hoffman's angry shouts and lashes.
He had decided to target the old and the young, treating them as problem cases and planning to replace them with stronger slaves.
Tang Yan and Du Yang silently endured, repeatedly reminding themselves to be strong and encouraging each other with their eyes.
Both had strong wills, enduring the suffering, tempering themselves, and supporting each other.
On the red earth, laborers were everywhere. Anyone who could work here had once been a Martial Spirit of at least the third rank, or even a Martial Ancestor. In the outside world, they were formidable and honored, but here, in this endless mine, they were reduced to slaves, their abundant spiritual energy used only to protect themselves and break the steel-hard ground.
This was inevitable. As the Taiwu Mine's various mines were dug deeper, the rock's hardness had become unimaginable. At five kilometers, ordinary slaves could no longer break it. At ten kilometers, even some third-rank Martial Spirits struggled. Below ten kilometers, such hard areas became more common, making digging increasingly difficult. Currently, one-fifth of the areas required third-rank Martial Spirits or even Martial Ancestors to break through.
Fortunately, the deeper they dug, the higher the purity of the minerals, and high-quality crystals were abundant, making the benefits far outweigh the costs, driving them to continue digging.
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