Chapter 25

In the following days, the Ling family, along with the Gao family and Feng family warriors, mined fire crystals together. In the evening, they would hand over the fire crystals to Liu Yan for tallying, then separately capture small beasts, set up tents, start fires to cook meals, practice for a while, and then go to sleep.

Gao Yu and the Gao family warriors never interacted much with the Ling and Feng families. After each task was completed, they would rest in their own encampment.

Liu Yan, responsible for this mission, after tallying the fire crystals, would go to the Gao family side to get some food, and he was closer to Gao Yu.

The Ling and Feng family warriors were relatively familiar with each other and often visited each other during these days.

In this regard, Ling Yushi could not impose restrictions and could only let it be.

After the incident from the first two days, Ling Yushi no longer gathered with the Feng family. Each time, she would bring Qin Lie and a few warriors who were not familiar with the Feng family to start fires and cook meals.

Feng Yi seemed to have put the small conflict from a few days ago out of his mind. He would find opportunities every day to chat with Ling Yushi, discussing the distribution of fire crystals and exchanging mining experiences.

Sometimes, when he saw Qin Lie, he would greet him friendly. Seeing that his attitude was good, Ling Yushi could not keep a stern face all the time and occasionally smiled and responded.

Qin Lie did not participate in the Ling family's mining. During the day, he often wandered alone in the surrounding mountains and forests, choosing secluded places to practice his techniques.

Only when it was time for meals would he appear in the canyon and eat with the Ling family.

Regarding the Ling family bringing a fool to mine, Liu Yan did not comment. He clearly did not take Qin Lie seriously and ignored him when he saw him.

Most of the time, Liu Yan would rest with his eyes closed, only intervening when the Ling, Feng, and Gao families had minor disputes over mining issues.

The three families were scattered on both sides of the canyon. Sometimes their positions would conflict. The Ling and Feng families, being familiar with each other, rarely had disputes among their warriors. Only with the Gao family would there occasionally be some minor friction, which Liu Yan would always control well, ensuring that the mining could proceed smoothly.

One day, Qin Lie returned to the canyon entrance at the time of the evening meal.

He noticed that the Ling, Feng, and Gao family warriors had not ended their mining activities for the day. Many Gao family warriors were gathered at a certain rock wall.

The rock wall had been chiseled into a deep cave, and beside the cave entrance, Gao family members were hanging from ropes, whispering excitedly.

The Ling and Feng family warriors, noticing the abnormal behavior of the Gao family warriors, also approached out of curiosity.

Gao Yu, with a slightly pale face, was trembling slightly. He kept waving to Liu Yan, who was climbing up, and said, "Brother Liu! Over here! Come and see this!"

Under the sunlight, the cave entrance where Gao Yu was located emitted a magnificent orange-red glow.

"Sunfire Jade! It's Sunfire Jade! A third-grade mystic-grade material!"

Liu Yan, not yet at the cave entrance, identified it by experience alone and could not help but shout in surprise, his slightly plump face showing excitement.

Sunfire Jade is a mystic-grade material that can be used to refine mystic-grade fire-attribute spirit weapons, providing ample energy for the spirit weapons.

Moreover, warriors practicing fire techniques can directly absorb the fire energy from it to enhance their cultivation, making it much more effective than spirit stones.

A third-grade mystic-grade Sunfire Jade is far more valuable than fourth- or fifth-grade fire crystals! Fire crystals are just basic fire sources, while Sunfire Jade is a material that can be used by great power warriors in the Myriad Phenomena Realm and the Profound Abyss Realm!

To put it bluntly, a piece of Sunfire Jade of the same size is more precious than dozens of fifth-grade fire crystals!

"Areas with Sunfire Jade have extremely high temperatures, which explains why there are fire crystals around. It seems that the fire crystals on this rock wall are due to the Sunfire Jade!" Liu Yan grinned, "This time, our Nebula Pavilion has truly had good luck. We don't know how much Sunfire Jade there is, but it's a valuable resource that can be exchanged for supplies from the Hall of All Things!"

Gao Yu, who usually had a cold expression, also smiled, feeling elated.

The Feng and Ling families, upon hearing that there was Sunfire Jade, were also overjoyed, knowing that everyone involved in the mining would receive credit.

"Gao Yu, Sunfire Jade is different from fire crystals. This matter must be reported immediately to the higher-ups, and they should send experts here!" Liu Yan took a deep breath and instructed, "Your Gao family is closest to here. Immediately send someone back to the Gao family to inform your father, and have your father inform the Nebula Pavilion, so they can reassign the task."

"Alright!" Gao Yu did not waste words and immediately shouted, "Gao Yuan! Go back immediately and report this within two days!"

A Gao family warrior, without a word, descended from the cliff and rushed back to the Gao family.

"It's getting late. Everyone, let's hunt some game and have a good drink to celebrate!" Liu Yan smiled and encouraged everyone, "Starting tomorrow, we'll temporarily put aside the mining of fire crystals and focus on the Sunfire Jade! Rest assured, all three families will receive great credit, and no one will be left out!"

Everyone responded enthusiastically.

The Gao, Ling, and Feng family warriors then dispersed, forming small groups, each excitedly heading to the nearby forests to hunt game and prepare for the evening celebration.

"Truly, we have had good luck. Sunfire Jade is invaluable and a rare treasure for the Nebula Pavilion. This trip to mine has been worth it. After this, the spirit stones we will gain will far exceed our expectations! Perhaps, I can even use this opportunity to break through to the seventh level of cultivation!" Ling Xin clenched his fists and laughed.

Ling Feng, Ling Ying, and others also had broad smiles, and Ling Yushi's beautiful eyes sparkled as she fell into pleasant thoughts.

The next day, the three families excitedly went to mine the Sunfire Jade, while Qin Lie, as usual, left the valley after eating.

He practiced in a secluded area of the forest. His luck was good today, and by afternoon, the clear sky turned overcast, and soon thunder and lightning rumbled.

Under a large tree, Qin Lie sat cross-legged, focusing on the Heavenly Thunder Strike technique.

"Zzzt!"

Fine threads of lightning flickered at his fingertips, like agile electric snakes.

As he delved deeper into the technique, with his spiritual energy gradually permeating his entire body, he could faintly hear a low rumble in his chest, as if echoing the thunder in the sky.

"Rumble!"

The thunder was deafening, and lightning began to intertwine in the sky, wreaking havoc.

The lightning circled above the forest, and after a while, it seemed to be drawn to him, gathering in his direction.

"Boom!"

Occasionally, thunder would strike around him, and lightning would shoot down from the sky, landing directly on him.

"Ouch!"

Struck by lightning, Qin Lie could not help but cry out in pain. His hair turned black and charred, and his body trembled uncontrollably.

The violent current surged into his body, rushing through his meridians like wild horses!

His entire body was burning with pain, and the current, following the direction of the Heavenly Thunder Strike, surged towards his chest, intensifying his pain several times over, almost making him roll on the ground in agony.

"Too terrifying! I might not be able to withstand this, I need to take it slowly!"

Qin Lie quickly realized that even with his well-built body, directly enduring the thunder strikes was still too much for him, giving him a sense of impending death.

The strange array inside the Medicine Mountain had the effect of weakening thunder and lightning, allowing the lightning to be distributed across the electrical grid, making it easier to endure.

Without those arrays, he found it too difficult to bear the direct strikes and had to adjust his body to attract less lightning.

He intermittently practiced the Heavenly Thunder Strike, and the gathering of thunder and lightning in the sky was significantly reduced, and the lightning that struck was relatively weaker, making it easier to practice.

"The stronger one's cultivation, the more refined and pure the spiritual energy, the more powerful the thunder and lightning attracted after practicing the Heavenly Thunder Strike. In this way, as my realm increases, I can continue to practice in this manner, always attracting stronger thunder to temper my increasingly powerful flesh and blood!"

"According to Grandfather Qin Shan, by persistently practicing the Heavenly Thunder Strike and using the power of the Nine Heavens' thunder to temper the flesh, meridians, bones, and organs, the body can become extremely strong, forming a 'Heavenly Thunder Holy Body.' Once the 'Heavenly Thunder Holy Body' is formed, the body undergoes a qualitative change, and with a thought, thunder will explode within, allowing one to directly summon the thunder and lightning from the depths of the sky, wreaking havoc in the world!"

Recalling Grandfather Qin Shan's description of the 'Heavenly Thunder Holy Body,' he felt inspired and became even more diligent in attracting lightning to temper his body, causing the area around him to be filled with lightning and thunder, with thunderbolts occasionally striking.

After an unknown amount of time, the lightning stopped, and heavy rain began to fall.

Practicing in the rain for a long time, he suddenly heard the joyful sounds of small beasts nearby and smelled a strong scent of blood.

Qin Lie felt puzzled, paused his practice, and frowned as he headed in the direction of the beasts' cries.

Under a dense tree, several earth wolves were gathered, digging in the soil and tearing at something, making it bloody and mangled...

Earth wolves, unable to absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, were not spirit beasts and posed no threat to Qin Lie. With the lightning still surging in his body, as soon as he approached, the earth wolves were startled and fled.

"This, this is... Gao Yuan!" Upon closer inspection, Qin Lie's face changed, and he could not help but cry out in shock.

It was a bloody and mangled corpse. From the clothing and the unrecognizable face, Qin Lie immediately identified the deceased.

Gao Yuan, a Gao family warrior!

He was a warrior who had returned to the Gao family last night to report, with a cultivation level of the sixth level of body refinement, and it was impossible for him to be killed by earth wolves!

Upon closer inspection, he noticed that the surrounding soil was soft and had formed a small pit due to the heavy rain, with traces of thunder strikes nearby...

He immediately understood that Gao Yuan had been killed and buried the previous night.

It was likely that during his practice, he had attracted the thunder, which struck this area, and the heavy rain had washed away the soil, revealing the scent of blood, which the earth wolves had then detected and come to tear at the body.

"Killed last night, why was he killed? He was supposed to report to the Gao family... Who could have done this? Is there another force hiding nearby?" Qin Lie frowned, feeling a strong sense of unease.