Clearly, Han Li’s question took the three miners completely by surprise.
The three exchanged glances for a moment before the other two eventually turned their gazes toward the miner in the middle.
This caused the demonic miner’s expression to shift several times, and he couldn’t help but inwardly lament his misfortune, realizing that the matter they had been reluctant to disclose could no longer be concealed.
Thus, with another bitter smile, the miner could only reply honestly:
“Before the tunnel collapsed, all the previously discovered demonic gold had indeed been mined out. However, during the few days we were trapped here, while digging randomly in search of an escape route, we accidentally stumbled upon a new vein containing demonic gold. Given our limited abilities, we naturally couldn’t extract it ourselves, so we simply sealed the spot with rubble and dirt. If you’re interested, my lord, I can take you there now.”
“So there really is more demonic gold left untapped. Those other fellows might have known about it but, fearing the delay was too long, didn’t dare to continue searching. Well, that just means it’s my gain. But before that, take me to the sites where the incidents occurred,” Han Li chuckled before issuing another command.
“Yes, my lord!” The middle miner felt somewhat puzzled but didn’t dare to disobey, hastily complying.
Then, at Han Li’s wave, the three miners nervously stood up and led the way out of the cavern.
Within half an hour, Han Li had inspected all the locations he wished to see, including the newly discovered vein that had been concealed by the three miners.
“Good. Since you’ve spoken truthfully, I’ll grant you a way out,” Han Li finally said with satisfaction, flicking his sleeve and releasing a vast expanse of azure light.
The three miners felt a flash of green before their vision spun, and suddenly they found themselves right next to the collapsed area.
A ripple appeared beside them, and Han Li silently materialized nearby.
The miners were both elated and fearful, unsure whether Han Li would truly honor his word and let them leave.
But Han Li paid them no further attention. Instead, he raised his arm, fingers spread, and lightly uttered, “Break.”
A golden glow flickered in his palm as a golden orb instantly formed.
With a deafening roar, the orb transformed into a dazzling beam of light that shot forward.
A muffled *thud* later, a wave of scorching wind surged toward them.
A tunnel roughly ten feet in diameter had been blasted through the rubble, its edges molten red before rapidly cooling and blackening.
“I’ve reopened a path for you. Follow it to escape,” Han Li said indifferently, glancing at the miners before his figure blurred and vanished like a ghost.
Witnessing this, the three miners were overjoyed. They bowed deeply toward where Han Li had disappeared before rushing into the tunnel without hesitation.
Though the passage was still searing hot, they gritted their teeth and pressed on, ignoring the pain.
Meanwhile, Han Li had returned to the previously inspected locations. Using magic, he extracted several wisps of faint green energy from the ground, carefully storing them in a small vial before heading to the hidden vein of demonic gold.
These green wisps were none other than the mutated Earth Fiend Yin Energy. Originally, they had parasitized the miners, draining their life essence before retreating underground, lying dormant for the time being.
Fortunately, when Wu You and his group had inspected the area, they had been solely preoccupied with the demonic gold and had passed through hastily without thorough examination. Had they discovered this Yin Energy, another disaster might have ensued.
As for the newly discovered vein of demonic gold, though referred to as a branch vein, it was actually just adjacent to the original tunnel. The three miners had merely dug about thirty feet to the side before finding it.
Based on the locations where the Earth Fiend Yin Energy had leaked, Han Li deduced that if the Yin-Yang Great Five Elements True Light truly existed, it was likely beneath this branch vein.
Thus, after dismissing the demonic miners, he returned to the site and, without hesitation, flicked his sleeve.
Over a dozen azure lights flew out, transforming into towering green ape puppets, each standing ten feet tall with fierce expressions and chilling auras.
At Han Li’s mental command, white light extended from their fingers, and they marched into the tunnel, beginning to excavate the demonic gold with ruthless efficiency.
After completing this task, Han Li paused briefly before releasing a faint golden shadow from his sleeve.
The shadow solidified into a small, golden beast—none other than the Leopard-Lion Beast!
The creature had evidently been napping inside its spirit beast ring, and though now released, its eyes were only half-open, its expression adorably confused.
Amused, Han Li instructed, “Keep watch over these puppets. Don’t let anyone interfere.” Then, with a flash of yellow light, he vanished into the ground.
The golden beast blinked its large eyes, finally understanding. With a low growl, it leaped into the tunnel to supervise the green ape puppets.
Time passed steadily.
Each of the green ape puppets possessed strength comparable to a Golden Core cultivator. With their white-clawed fingers working tirelessly, the hard earth yielded like tofu, revealing chunks of demonic gold buried within.
What would have taken a hundred miners a month to extract was fully excavated in just two or three hours.
Once finished, the small beast gathered all the demonic gold into a single storage bracelet before idling alongside the now-inactive puppets.
Another hour later, as the Leopard-Lion Beast grew restless and considered stretching its legs, the entire tunnel suddenly trembled violently.
Countless rocks tumbled from the crumbling walls as if the entire structure were on the verge of collapse.
The beast froze momentarily before splitting into several golden afterimages, darting through the tunnel.
Wherever the golden light passed, the green ape puppets vanished. Then, the afterimages merged into a single radiant golden streak that pierced through the ceiling, shooting straight toward the surface.
The moment the beast escaped, the tunnel collapsed with a thunderous roar, burying everything beneath rubble.
Simultaneously, the towering peak aboveground shuddered violently before crumbling with an earth-shaking crash.
A massive dust cloud erupted as boulders and debris rolled outward in all directions, as if the heavens themselves were collapsing.
A sharp screech pierced the chaos as a golden streak shot from the falling rocks, circling high in the air before stabilizing—revealing the small golden beast.
It stared anxiously at the ruined mountain below.
Almost at the same instant, a deafening explosion erupted from the ground like a thunderclap.
The remnants of the peak burst apart like a volcano, sending rocks shooting skyward in a torrential downpour.
Startled, the golden beast slashed its claws through the air, releasing a flurry of golden streaks that shattered every incoming boulder.
Yet its eyes remained fixed unwaveringly on the ground below.
A dragon-like roar echoed from beneath.
In a flash of azure light, a ten-foot-long sword beam erupted from the earth, its radiance blinding as it pulverized every obstacle in its path.
The light flickered, revealing Han Li hovering midair, his face slightly pale. Strangely, one hand clutched a dazzling green orb—a fist-sized emerald stone—while the other gripped a massive golden sword. His gaze was solemn as he surveyed the chaotic terrain below.
The golden beast roared joyfully, darting to Han Li’s side and affectionately nuzzling his leg.
Han Li smiled faintly, patting its head.
“Be careful. There’s a big fellow down there that won’t be easy to deal with. I might have to get serious,” he warned.
Rather than alarmed, the beast seemed excited by the prospect of a fight. With a fierce growl, the golden patterns on its body flared, and its form expanded into a massive, several-yard-long beast.
From below, a series of furious croaks erupted.
The earth trembled violently as waves rippled across the ground. Then, a colossal, deep-yellow creature emerged like a mountain, its dozen compound eyes glaring venomously at Han Li.
The monster’s towering body was covered in multicolored stones, some even translucent and precious.
“A Magnetic Light Beast! I’ve heard of such creatures but never imagined encountering one here. No wonder the Yin-Yang Great Five Elements True Light’s core wandered underground—this thing must have been influencing it. Well, this works out. After accompanying the True Light for who knows how long, this beast has absorbed some of its power. If I capture and refine it, I should have enough material for the Extreme Mountain,” Han Li mused aloud, glancing between the green stone in his hand and the behemoth below before breaking into a faint smile.
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