CHAPTER 516: CHAPTER 282: THE WRATH OF THE MINE SLAVE

Deep within the mine, Gu Sheng was focused on digging, his Divine Thought quietly spreading outward as the Demon Soul of the Green Vine extended through the darkness, searching for traces of Spiritual Energy.

Suddenly, a faint sound of air being split reached his ears. His heart tightened, and he immediately raised his head cautiously.

A short-statured miner appeared, clutching an iron pickaxe, his face twisted in a feral grin as he charged toward Gu Sheng.

"Kid, hand over the Spirit Stones, and I might leave you with an intact corpse!" the short miner growled viciously.

Gu Sheng sneered coldly and said, "If you want the Spirit Stones, let’s see if you have the skill to take them."

With that, his figure shifted. The Carefree Ascension Step was instantly activated, leaving behind a blurry afterimage as he vanished from where he stood.

The short miner’s eyes briefly flashed with surprise, but his reaction was swift. He swung his iron pickaxe fiercely toward Gu Sheng’s former position.

"Boom!"

A loud explosion echoed in the mine, sending dust flying everywhere. But Gu Sheng had already appeared behind him, his golden palm striking out ferociously at the miner’s back.

The short miner sensed danger from behind and hurriedly turned, sweeping the pickaxe across in desperation.

Yet Gu Sheng’s golden palm was as hard as tempered iron, effortlessly sending the pickaxe flying before slamming heavily into the miner’s chest.

"Ah!" The short miner let out a pained scream, fresh blood spurting from his mouth as his entire body was flung backward, crashing forcefully against the mine wall.

Gu Sheng didn’t give him any respite. His figure flickered and appeared in front of the miner again.

The short miner’s eyes showed unmistakable fear. He wanted to flee, but it was too late.

Gu Sheng’s golden fist struck out fiercely, directly piercing through the miner’s chest.

The miner’s eyes widened in disbelief, unable to accept his fate as he died with his eyes open.

The battle was swift and decisive. Gu Sheng hadn’t given the miner a single chance. His sheer strength shocked everyone in the mine.

"Such overwhelming power!"

"So, this is the pinnacle strength of the Golden Bone Realm."

"That golden flesh—it’s terrifying!"

The miners whispered among themselves, their gazes filled with awe.

The supervisors, on the other hand, harbored their own scheming thoughts, secretly testing Gu Sheng’s limits and abilities.

"Hmph, this guy is definitely no ordinary cultivator," one supervisor muttered coldly.

"Looks like we’ll have to tread carefully. He’s not easy to deal with," another supervisor agreed.

"Luckily, his Storage Ring was confiscated. Without weapons, he’s less of a threat for now!"

Gu Sheng paid no attention to their discussions. He simply collected the short miner’s corpse and continued his digging.

He knew that everyone here had their own hidden agendas. If he wanted to survive, he had to demonstrate enough strength.

Activating the Demon Soul of the Green Vine once more, he began searching for traces of the next Spirit Stone.

This time, he was more cautious, ensuring no one could track his movements.

Using the mineral vein patterns summarized by the Green Vine Demon Soul, Gu Sheng discovered four or five Spirit Stones within just three days.

With clear directions and a mapped-out mineral plan, Gu Sheng activated his Ancient Sacred Body, rapidly accelerating his digging process. He didn’t even need the iron pickaxe—his golden claws sufficed.

Following the mineral vein patterns mapped by the Green Vine Demon Soul, Gu Sheng ventured deeper into the mine. After three more days, he arrived at a narrow chamber.

The surrounding Spiritual Energy was so dense it seemed to nearly liquefy—an enchanting, dreamlike sight that dazzled the senses.

"A spiritual core!" Gu Sheng’s heart leaped with joy as he laid eyes on hundreds of Spirit Stones resting quietly, their glow captivating.

Gu Sheng activated an isolation array, sealing off this chamber from the outside world. He sat cross-legged and began calmly refining the Spirit Stones.

As the energy from the Spirit Stones flowed into him, his body seemed to undergo a mystical baptism.

His golden palms grew even sturdier and mightier, as if capable of tearing through anything.

Though he hadn’t yet broken through in cultivation, he could feel himself edging closer to the next level.

"Haha, this haul is incredible!"

Gu Sheng’s heart was brimming with excitement—he felt as though he were standing within a treasure vault, with the Spirit Stones constituting his newfound wealth.

Suddenly, the subtle sound of air splitting jolted him back to attention. Gu Sheng’s eyes snapped open, instantly catching sight of several figures appearing before him.

"Well, well, so the kid really did find the core!" one supervisor sneered wickedly.

"These Spirit Stones—they’re ours now!" one miner exclaimed greedily.

Gu Sheng smirked coldly and said, "You think you have what it takes to take these Spirit Stones from me?"

"Hmph! Kid, don’t think that just because you’ve got some strength, you can flaunt it here. This is our territory, and we won’t tolerate your arrogance!" one supervisor barked.

Gu Sheng slowly stood up, his golden flesh radiating dazzling brilliance. He replied in a frosty tone, "Then go ahead and try."

With that, he moved, transforming into a streak of golden afterimages as he charged toward the supervisors and miners.

His speed was astounding, as if he had broken free from the constraints of space—his movements were impossible to track.

"Gale Nine Swords!" Gu Sheng shouted, unleashing an explosion of golden sword rays that sliced toward the supervisors and miners.

"Shhhk!" As the sword rays surged through the air, they tore it apart, producing an ear-piercing screech.

The supervisors and miners scrambled to evade, but their movements couldn’t possibly match Gu Sheng’s speed.

One by one, several were struck by the sword rays, sent flying while coughing up blood.

"Such blistering speed!"

"These sword rays... they’re terrifying!"

The others in the mine were deeply shaken by Gu Sheng’s might, retreating immediately and not daring to approach.

Gu Sheng allowed them no chance to catch their breath. His figure flashed again, appearing instantly before one of the supervisors.