Chapter 28

The ground was littered with white bones, causing one's heart to race.

From the postures and clothing of the bones, Lin Xun could immediately tell that these were likely the slaves who were captured to mine in the past.

Lin Xun squatted down, picked up a bone with a faint dark red hue, and examined it. He knew these people must have died from the blood poison of the crimson bats.

Reflecting on his journey so far, Lin Xun felt a sense of sorrow. These dead slaves were all ordinary people; how could they possibly resist the attacks of the crimson bats?

Without lingering in sorrow, Lin Xun searched the area and indeed found a series of cave-like nests on the side of a rock wall, densely packed.

These must be the nests of the crimson bats. Lin Xun approached and easily saw that each nest was filled with a pile of fine, white, sand-like fangs.

This is "Blood Marrow Sand," each grain as small as a pebble, snow-white like jade, and cool to the touch.

Snap!

Lin Xun picked up a grain of Blood Marrow Sand and squeezed it with his fingertips. The white shell of the Blood Marrow Sand broke, and a bright, flame-like liquid flowed out.

Seeing this, Lin Xun felt a surge of excitement. There were no fewer than a thousand nests nearby, each filled with Blood Marrow Sand. If he collected them all, it would be a staggering fortune!

Without hesitation, Lin Xun began to act. He stripped some rags from a nearby skeleton, made a bag, and started collecting the Blood Marrow Sand.

After a full teacup of time, all the Blood Marrow Sand was collected, and the bag in Lin Xun's hand was already heavy, weighing at least five pounds!

Lin Xun smiled. With this bag of Blood Marrow Sand, he wouldn't have to worry about money for a while.

Just as Lin Xun was about to leave, his gaze inadvertently swept over the end of the mine tunnel, where a rock wall stood, and he let out a light exclamation.

He walked up and tapped the rock wall, seemingly recalling something. He then gripped his Sky-Cleaving Saber and fiercely slashed at the rock wall.

Rocks crumbled, and a crack four fingers deep appeared.

Lin Xun used his fingertips to touch the rock powder in the crack, lightly rubbing it. A slight warmth spread through his fingertips.

Lin Xun's eyes lit up. He continued to dig with the blade, and after digging about a foot deep, a faint red glow appeared in his field of vision.

This made Lin Xun even more excited. He dug another half a foot, and a mottled red stone was unearthed.

The stone was the size of a fist, with a rugged surface, and a bright red streak in the middle.

Lin Xun swiftly cut the stone with his saber, and soon only a thumb-sized piece of Fire Copper remained in his palm.

The surface of the Fire Copper was like a misty haze, vividly red and beautiful. Despite its small size, it was heavy, weighing about seven to eight pounds!

Indeed!

The "Crimson Cloud Fire Copper" ore in this mine had not been completely mined!

Lin Xun smiled. A casual glance earlier had revealed that the rock wall was quite dry, unlike the cold and damp environment around it.

This anomaly made him suspect something, so he started digging the rock wall and indeed found this item.

This was truly a pleasant surprise!

Crimson Cloud Fire Copper is a spiritual material used for forging weapons. When combined with refined steel, it can create weapons that are sharp, flexible, and hard. If inscribed with fire-attribute spirit patterns, the weapon's power can be greatly enhanced!

In terms of value, although Crimson Cloud Fire Copper is not as expensive as Blood Marrow Sand, it is more popular among cultivators!

"Blood Marrow Sand, Crimson Cloud Fire Copper vein..."

Lin Xun took a deep breath to calm himself. In the end, he did not continue to mine the Crimson Cloud Fire Copper but returned along the mine tunnel.

He knew that with his strength alone, it was unrealistic to completely mine the "Crimson Cloud Fire Copper" in this mine.

So, he needed to discuss this matter with the village chief, Xiao Tianren.

Lin Xun was not a greedy person. Now that he was living in Crimson Cloud Village, he had received much kindness from Xiao Tianren, and he needed to repay this debt.

...

By afternoon, Lin Xun returned to the village, carrying a bag of Blood Marrow Sand.

However, as soon as he appeared at the village entrance, a child playing nearby let out a loud cry and ran into the village.

"He's back! Lin Xun is back! He's not dead!"

The young voice was filled with joy.

Lin Xun was taken aback, feeling a bit puzzled. He quickly walked forward and soon saw a group of people approaching, a large crowd.

Leading the group was Xiao Tianren, followed by other villagers. Among them, Sun Mazi was tied up and being escorted like a prisoner by Zhou Zhong and others.

In an instant, Lin Xun understood the situation. He stepped forward and greeted Xiao Tianren with a smile, "Uncle Xiao."

Xiao Tianren, who had been anxious, felt a great relief upon seeing Lin Xun return unharmed. He smiled and said, "Is the matter resolved?"

Lin Xun nodded with a smile, knowing that Xiao Tianren was asking about Qian Qi and Lu Ting.

Xiao Tianren let out a long sigh, patting Lin Xun's shoulder hard. "Good! Well done, well done."

Seeing this, the other villagers understood that Qian Qi and Lu Ting would likely never return.

For a moment, they looked at Lin Xun with shock. Qian Qi was a cultivator at the True Martial Third Level, yet he was no match for Lin Xun?

This was truly astonishing.

At this moment, Xiao Tianren pointed to the bound Sun Mazi and said, "Sun Mazi has confessed to today's events. What do you plan to do with him?"

Sun Mazi, with a bruised face and a dejected look, cried out, "I was forced! Qian Qi said if I didn't agree, they would kill my three-year-old child. I... I had no choice."

He burst into tears.

Many villagers felt sympathy. Sun Mazi was known for being honest and simple. It was impossible for him to have conspired with Qian Qi and Lu Ting to harm Lin Xun.

Lin Xun scanned the expressions of the crowd and understood. He smiled and said, "This matter has nothing to do with Brother Sun. Everything was forced. I humbly request Uncle Xiao to let him go."

Xiao Tianren also felt relieved. He knew the truth and, seeing that Lin Xun did not intend to pursue the matter, he waved his hand to release Sun Mazi.

"Thank you, thank you, Brother Lin Xun!"

Sun Mazi, overwhelmed with gratitude, tried to kneel and kowtow but was stopped by Lin Xun, who comforted him.

"Alright, Lin Xun has returned safely. Everyone, let's disperse."

Xiao Tianren waved his hand.

...

In Lin Xun's courtyard.

Lin Xun was eating while recounting the events of the day, but he did not mention the discovery of the Crimson Cloud Fire Copper vein.

Xiao Tianren, listening to the account, felt a mix of admiration and shock as he looked at the 13-year-old boy eating attentively across from him.

Qian Qi, who had traveled far and wide and had rich combat experience, was a top expert just below Lian Rufeng. Yet, he was killed by Lin Xun, who was one level lower in cultivation!

How strong must Lin Xun's combat ability be?

Most importantly, Qian Qi was not alone; he had Lu Ting with him. Even with the two of them attacking, they could not defeat Lin Xun. This showed just how powerful Lin Xun was.

Could this be what the cultivation world calls a "genius with exceptional talent"?

Xiao Tianren's mind was in turmoil, unable to calm down.

If not for Lin Xun's confirmation, he would hardly have believed it.

"Uncle Xiao, when I entered the abandoned mine tunnel in the heart of Liyan Mountain, I had an unexpected discovery."

After finishing his meal, Lin Xun picked up the bag beside him and poured out a pile of Blood Marrow Sand onto the table. The grains were snow-white and shiny, like crescent moons made of sand.

Xiao Tianren was puzzled. "What is this?"

Lin Xun, realizing that Xiao Tianren did not recognize it, patiently explained, "This is Blood Marrow Sand, the fangs shed by crimson bats. It is a highly valuable spiritual material for cultivation..."

Xiao Tianren did not recognize Blood Marrow Sand but knew about crimson bats. He couldn't help but draw a sharp breath, shocked. "You encountered crimson bats?"

In Xiao Tianren's memory, crimson bats were bloodthirsty monsters. Many of the slaves who mined the Crimson Cloud Fire Copper were killed by these creatures!

This was why no villager had dared to approach the abandoned mine tunnel for years, knowing that it was infested with crimson bats.

Lin Xun smiled. "Uncle Xiao, don't worry. Those beasts have all been killed."

Killed?

Xiao Tianren was stunned, feeling a bit dazed. After a long moment, he managed to laugh bitterly. "Don't blame me for my reaction. Today's events have been too shocking."

Lin Xun understood. Although Xiao Tianren was the village chief, he was ultimately just an ordinary person who did not understand cultivation.

In his eyes, crimson bats were no different from demons.

After calming down, Xiao Tianren said, "Put these Blood Marrow Sand away quickly. Now, in our Crimson Cloud Village, you are the only cultivator. These treasures cannot be wasted by others."

This statement also showed that Xiao Tianren no longer considered Lian Rufeng and others, who were still abroad, as part of the village.

Moreover, Xiao Tianren's actions proved that he truly cared for Lin Xun. If it were anyone else, they would have been eager to share in the wealth.

But Xiao Tianren did not, showing that he already considered Lin Xun as one of his own.

Lin Xun did not refuse and, because of Xiao Tianren's words, made a decision.

"Uncle Xiao, there's another piece of good news..."

He then took out the thumb-sized piece of Crimson Cloud Fire Copper and handed it over. "I discovered an unmined vein of Crimson Cloud Fire Copper."

Puff!

Xiao Tianren sprayed out a mouthful of tea, stunned.

Today, he had been shocked too many times...

---

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