Chapter 27

Lin Xun did not know that in Qian Qi and Lu Ting's original plan, they also intended to kill him and discard his body in the abandoned mine shaft.

However, no matter how they calculated, they ended up being the ones who were calculated against, something they probably never thought of while they were alive.

This abandoned mine shaft was extremely deep, with no end in sight.

After carefully observing, Lin Xun carried the bodies of Qian Qi and Lu Ting and walked in.

The mine shaft was winding and dark, with jagged rocks on the walls, appearing a blood-red color. Many places had been excavated.

This place once contained a small vein of "Crimson Cloud Fire Copper," but it had been abandoned for over a hundred years. The "Crimson Cloud Fire Copper" was likely all excavated long ago.

However, Lin Xun did not come for this. After walking through the winding mine shaft for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Lin Xun stopped at a pit.

He threw the bodies of Lu Ting and Qian Qi into the pit and did not leave. Instead, he continued deeper into the mine shaft.

The deeper he went, the more damp and cold it became, and the atmosphere grew increasingly silent. The dark environment made one's skin crawl.

Squeak!

Suddenly, a sharp whistling sound rang out, and a streak of fire shot from the depths of the mine shaft, piercing the darkness, blindingly bright.

Indeed!

Lin Xun, seeing this, not only was not surprised, but a smile even appeared on his lips.

Pfft!

His wrist flicked, and a blade of light flashed, splitting the streak of fire. It fell to the ground as a shower of fire.

Lin Xun bent down to look. It was a bat, but its head had been severed.

This bat looked extremely fierce, with protruding fangs and bulging eyes. Its wings were bright red, as if made of fresh blood.

A Blood Bat!

When Lin Xun was young, he had read a book called the "Spectrum of Ten Thousand Spirits" in Mr. Lu's collection, which mentioned the Blood Bat.

This creature is a variant, active at night and dormant during the day, feeding on blood. If bitten, one would suffer from blood poisoning and die within three days if not treated in time.

However, Lin Xun was not concerned about this. According to the "Spectrum of Ten Thousand Spirits," where Blood Bats are found, "Blood Marrow Sand" is also present!

Blood Marrow Sand is actually the teeth shed by Blood Bats. Every three years, Blood Bats would hit stones with their mouths to knock out their fangs, rest for a month, and then grow new ones.

For cultivators, Blood Marrow Sand is a highly valuable spiritual material. It can be used in medicine or to refine spiritual ink, but its greatest value lies in helping cultivators refine their bones and marrow!

For cultivators who wish to break through to the fifth level of True Martial, the "Bone Marrow Refinement" stage, obtaining Blood Marrow Sand would increase their chances of success by at least 20%!

Thus, Blood Marrow Sand is also a highly valuable spiritual material.

When Lin Xun learned that the Crimson Cloud Village had a mine shaft containing "Crimson Cloud Fire Copper," he was immediately intrigued. He knew that places where Crimson Cloud Fire Copper is found often attract Blood Bats, as the natural environment of Crimson Cloud Fire Copper provides a natural protection for them.

Lin Xun, knowing this, had the idea to explore this place. However, he could not be sure if the big shots who dug the mine had also discovered this secret.

But now, seeing this Blood Bat, Lin Xun was certain that there were definitely many "Blood Marrow Sand" deposits deep in this mine shaft!

Thinking of this, Lin Xun quickened his pace.

Blood Marrow Sand is a good thing. Even if sold, it would fetch a high price. If he could collect some, it would be like acquiring a substantial fortune.

Currently, Lin Xun was penniless. If he wanted to enter the Purple Dawn Empire in the future, he would need money.

Even to cultivate and advance in the art of spirit patterns, he needed to earn money.

There is a saying in the world: every spirit pattern master is born from mountains of gold and silver.

This is not an exaggeration. Engraving spirit patterns requires spirit pens, spirit ink, and carriers, all of which are essential. Spirit ink, in particular, is the most expensive.

Spirit ink is made from various spiritual materials. The higher the grade of the spirit pattern, the higher the requirements for the spirit ink, and thus the higher the requirements for the materials used to refine it.

This is just for spirit ink. If you consider the selection and refinement of spirit pens and carriers, it is impossible without money.

Moreover, failure in engraving spirit patterns is common, and each failure means a significant loss of money. No spirit pattern master can guarantee a perfect success rate.

Therefore, to become a spirit pattern master, one needs not only talent and potential but also a vast amount of money.

Lin Xun, if he wanted to advance further in the art of spirit patterns, would also need money.

Of course, once he truly became a spirit pattern master, earning money would be easy.

There is another saying in the world: the fingers of every spirit pattern master are tinged with the scent of money, for the spirit patterns they engrave often sell for astronomical prices that drive people mad.

Lin Xun, who had learned the art of spirit patterns from Mr. Lu since childhood, understood this well.

Before becoming a spirit pattern master, he must earn money, study, and engrave spirit patterns intensely to have a chance of becoming one.

And once he truly became a spirit pattern master, wealth, status, and fame would be within reach.

To Lin Xun, engraving spirit patterns was his survival skill. Only by surviving could he provide the financial and material support needed for his cultivation.

He was not a wealthy heir or a noble descendant with various cultivation resources. He came to the Purple Dawn Empire alone, penniless, and could only rely on himself.

...

The deeper he went into the mine shaft, the more Blood Bats appeared. Fortunately, these small creatures, though fierce-looking, had weak attacks and were easily killed by Lin Xun.

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

The journey was filled with the dull sounds of killing Blood Bats, and the only other sound was Lin Xun's footsteps.

However, as time passed, the number of Blood Bats increased. Sometimes they came in groups, like a shower of fire, forcing Lin Xun to be cautious, swinging his greenish-blue short blade with great skill.

This greenish-blue short blade was a gift from Mr. Lu when Lin Xun was young, made from several rare spiritual materials. Unfortunately, even with Mr. Lu's abilities, he could not engrave spirit patterns on it.

Thus, this greenish-blue short blade, though extremely sharp, was still an ungraded item, a mere "mundane weapon."

To be graded, an item must have spirit patterns engraved on it. Such items are called "spirit weapons."

Spirit weapons are classified into four categories based on their power: Human, Earth, Heaven, and Pure Yang. Each category is further divided into lower, middle, upper, and peak levels.

Generally, only cultivators at the "Spirit Aura" level or higher can fully utilize the power of spirit weapons.

Currently, Lin Xun was only at the second level of True Martial. Even if he had a spirit weapon, he could not fully utilize its power.

However, this greenish-blue short blade, though ungraded, was still a powerful mundane weapon, made from several rare spiritual materials, far superior to ordinary weapons.

Lin Xun called this short blade "Skybreaker," meaning "there will be a time to break through the sky."

With the Skybreaker in hand, Lin Xun continued forward. To his surprise, this mine shaft was extremely deep, seemingly endless.

By now, he had been walking for over an hour, covering at least several dozen miles.

The deeper he went, the darker it became, and the surroundings were pitch black. He could only barely see the path ahead with the help of the dark red glow on the walls.

This greatly affected his vision, making him somewhat clumsy when facing the sudden attacks of Blood Bats.

Eventually, Lin Xun gave up on using his eyes to spot the Blood Bats. He held his breath and focused, using his senses to perceive the dangers around him.

This was no different from fighting with his eyes closed.

At first, Lin Xun was not used to it, and several times he almost got bitten by the Blood Bats. But gradually, he became familiar with this fighting style and began to handle the battles with ease.

Fighting by relying on his senses also gave Lin Xun many insights into martial cultivation. He began to understand the obscure and profound aspects of the "Six-Character Blade Technique" that he had not grasped before.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Blades of light flashed, cutting through the darkness and killing the Blood Bats that attacked.

At this point, Lin Xun was completely immersed in the study of the "Six-Character Blade Technique," oblivious to the passage of time, his mind clear and focused.

In this state, his blade technique became increasingly refined and powerful, with a subtle and profound essence emerging.

Fortunately, Lin Xun had studied the "Small Nether Spirit Technique," which had greatly enhanced and trained his soul, making his perception of the surroundings much clearer.

If another cultivator at the second level of True Martial tried to fight without relying on their vision, they would likely have been bitten to death by the Blood Bats long ago.

After an unknown amount of time, Lin Xun suddenly felt his senses empty, and he immediately became alert. Looking around, he saw that he had reached the end of the mine shaft.

At the end of the mine shaft was a massive rock wall, unexcavated and clearly impassable.

Upon closer inspection, Lin Xun's eyes narrowed. The ground was covered with decayed bones and skeletons!