CHAPTER 36: CHAPTER 36 STONE SPIRIT_1

He didn’t feel much pity for others with similar experiences. After all, his feelings for the original host’s parents were not particularly strong. Flipping through those vague memory fragments in his head was like watching someone else’s story.

But he knew well that the best consolation in this world was not telling someone that everything would get better.

Instead, it was putting on a gruff look and saying, "Stop crying, I’m worse off than you."

Just as he thought, Chen Mengze’s anguished brows relaxed slightly. "My father was initially bent on revenge, but... after a wasted youth, his cultivation saw little progress. Gradually, he let it go as well."

"He didn’t want to tell me about this, unwilling... for me to also be burdened by this family’s blood feud."

"Then how did you find out about it?"

"My father once got drunk and cried." Chen Mengze paused, then added, "Also, once when I was a child, I overheard some of his conversation with your father while I was pretending to sleep."

After learning all this, the once carefree little girl grew up.

A seed of hatred had been planted in her heart ever since.

She devoted herself to cultivation, always dreaming of the day she could take her revenge.

The atmosphere suddenly grew cold.

Shen Mo looked at Chen Mengze, unsure of what to say.

He didn’t blindly promise to take revenge for her if he got the chance in the future.

Although, given his relationship with Uncle Chen, if he really could cultivate to the point where he could crush the Liu and Wu families, he would certainly act.

But Shen Mo was also well aware that he currently lacked this strength.

At this moment, making such a promise would only be laughable.

So, all he could do was remain a quiet listener.

Just when they were at a loss for words...

"Ah..."

"Immortal Master... Save me!"

Suddenly, a mournful cry echoed from within the mine, shattering the night’s silence.

At the same time, the summoning jade tablets on Shen Mo’s and Chen Mengze’s waists began to flicker.

"There’s trouble!"

They exchanged a look, their expressions changing as they instantly became alert.

They quickly rose and rushed towards the source of the sound, one after the other.

「In the deepest level of the Dark Crystal Mine.」

A huge, man-high, inhuman creature made entirely of purple-gold ore was raising its hand.

In its grasp, it held a miner, his face gaunt.

The miner was being strangled by the creature’s large, steel-like hand; his face was purplish-blue as he struggled incessantly.

In the distance, some miners were trying to flee, only to be blocked by four similar creatures.

They shivered, desperately shouting for the Immortal Masters to save them.

"It’s Stone Spirits!"

Arriving at the scene, Chen Mengze looked at these creatures, her eyes turning cold. "These Stone Spirits are not weak."

"The one in the lead, judging by its aura, should possess strength comparable to a human cultivator at the Qi Gathering Realm. I’ll deal with it."

"The remaining four have auras roughly equivalent to the eighth layer of the Body Tempering Realm. You hold them off first. Once I’ve slain the strongest one, I’ll come help you!"

As Chen Mengze spoke, she flicked her sleeve.

CLANG!

An azure sword light flashed out, transforming into a blast of sword Qi that slashed towards the murderous Stone Spirit.

DING! DING!

Her sword Qi struck the Stone Spirit’s body, producing a sharp metallic sound, yet it failed to damage its body in the slightest.

"These Stone Spirits are formed from the metallic energy of the Dark Crystal Mine veins. Their bodies are as hard as Dark Iron, and they possess enormous strength, but they move clumsily. Don’t clash with them head-on!" Chen Mengze instructed Shen Mo, who was some distance away, while continuously unleashing waves of sword Qi.

"Understood."

Shen Mo unsheathed his Qingfeng Sword, positioning himself before the trembling miners.

After battling the Demon Snake in Yong’an Town, he had gained practical combat experience and was no longer the ignorant novice he once was.

Now, facing enemies, he remained unflustered.

"Shangqing Swordplay!"

The longsword swung upwards, and the Qinggang sword Qi transformed into sharp blades, slashing towards the Stone Spirits.

DING! DING! DING!

The sword Qi rained down. Even though the Stone Spirits attacked together, they found it difficult to advance an inch. They were continuously repelled by the impenetrable wall of sword Qi.

Although his cultivation was still at the eighth layer of the Body Tempering Realm, roughly on par with these four Stone Spirits in terms of raw power, thanks to his proficiency in martial arts and the boost from his Destiny, his true combat prowess far exceeded theirs. Now, facing four of them, he was not at a disadvantage in the slightest.

"Slash!"

Seizing an opportunity, Shen Mo poured all the true Qi in his body into his right hand and suddenly slashed down.

BANG!

This slash, empowered by his sword Qi, actually split one of the incredibly sturdy Stone Spirits in half.

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

With one Stone Spirit shattered, the numerous Crystal Stones on its body seemed to lose their Spiritual Qi, falling to the ground and transforming into ordinary crystal ore.

Only the single piece of Dark Crystal Mine at the very top still emitted a faint fluorescent light.

"It’s a Dark Crystal Mine essence."

He picked up the faintly glowing stone, inwardly pleased.

Dark Crystal Mine essence is the vital substance condensed from Dark Crystal Mine.

It is the most important material for forging magic artifacts.

The reason these Stone Spirits, which had transformed due to the high concentration of metallic energy, were able to move was because this Dark Crystal Mine essence served as their core.

Once a Stone Spirit is killed, all the iron and stone in its body turn into mundane materials, and only its source mine essence is preserved.

"Again!"

After slaying one Stone Spirit, Shen Mo attacked again.

His figure was like a nimble swallow; in an instant, he was before another Stone Spirit.

The next moment—CLANG!

An overwhelming torrent of sword Qi erupted from his sword.

Another Stone Spirit was slain by him, turning into a pile of waste rocks.

In this manner, he attacked continuously. Before half an incense stick’s worth of time had passed, Shen Mo had decapitated all the smaller Stone Spirits that were harming the miners, reverting them to their original forms.

Meanwhile, Chen Mengze had also finished her battle.

"Did you single-handedly exterminate all four Stone Spirits?"

As she was about to return to help Shen Mo, she saw him casually handling the four remaining Dark Crystal Mine essences and couldn’t help but feel astonished.

"Yes. Although these Stone Spirits are somewhat strong, they move too slowly and don’t pose much of a threat," Shen Mo said with a shrug.

Chen Mengze glanced at Shen Mo, secretly feeling that this fellow’s combat power seemed to exceed her expectations somewhat.

Although Stone Spirits lack significant gnosis and are cumbersome, they are generally no match for cultivators of the same rank in a direct confrontation.

However, to defeat four of them single-handedly and so quickly was definitely not an easy feat.

"Thank you, Immortal Masters, for your help..."

The miners, still shaken from their fright, thanked Chen Mengze and Shen Mo.

"It was merely our duty." Chen Mengze waved her hand and said, "With the Stone Spirits eradicated, you should be safe now. Return to work with peace of mind. If any urgent matter arises, use the summoning token to call for help."

Normally, for Stone Spirits to manifest, a large amount of metallic energy needs to consolidate for them to take shape.

So, once Stone Spirits have manifested in a vein, they will have drained most of the metallic energy from that section of the mine.

More would not appear for some time.

Because Shen Mo and Chen Mengze arrived promptly, the miners suffered no injuries and only needed a short rest.

They soon returned to work, mining the veins and toiling away for the Riverside Sect.

And Shen Mo and Chen Mengze, having slain the Stone Spirits, returned to the Guard Cave.