They advanced while continuing their exploration.
Unknowingly, they arrived before the mouth of a canyon.
Swish!!
Suddenly, a strange spiritual radiance flashed through the Spirit-Communing Mirror. A wave of pitch-black light emerged from the ancient mirror. Instantly, the image within the mirror began to shift. A twisted ore vein appeared right inside it.
"There's a vein."
Yi Tianxing couldn't help but feel a surge of joy as he saw it, his heart trembling slightly.
This was excellent news. The discovery of this vein proved without doubt that the Spirit-Communing Mirror could truly detect subterranean mineral veins.
"My Lord, this old servant will go dig some up," said Cao Zhengchun at once.
The detected vein lay under the mountain to the left of the canyon.
Knowing they'd be prospecting, Cao Zhengchun had brought along an iron shovel from the village.
"Use this military-grade shovel instead." Yi Tianxing handed over a military-grade engineering shovel. In terms of sharpness and efficiency, it was far superior to an ordinary iron one.
Cao Zhengchun took the shovel and swiftly rushed to the foot of the mountain where the vein had been detected. He poured true qi into the shovel, making it razor-sharp. Digging became as easy as slicing through tofu, with soil flying away rapidly. With the strength of a cultivator and a powerful tool, the task was effortless.
The vein wasn't buried deep—almost exposed, merely hidden beneath a thin layer of soil.
Ding!!
Soon, a crisp metallic sound rang out from underground.
Cao Zhengchun quickly leapt out, holding a dark red ore in his hand.
"It's iron ore. This is an iron ore vein." Yi Tianxing's eyes gleamed as he recognized it. The color and heft confirmed it—this was hematite.
Judging by the scope detected, the hematite vein was not small. It stretched underground and beyond the canyon. Clearly not a minor vein, and its development would massively alleviate Xuanhuang Village's need for iron, potentially making it completely self-sufficient.
With enough iron ore, blacksmiths could forge a large supply of weapons, armor, and tools, drastically accelerating construction in the village.
"Good. Well done. This iron vein is a timely solution to our village's urgent need. The weapons and iron blocks we got from roaming traders won't last much longer. But with this vein, we'll no longer be shackled by our dependence on iron."
Yi Tianxing couldn't help but smile with satisfaction. This was incredibly important for the village's future.
"All thanks to your great fortune, my Lord," Cao Zhengchun said respectfully.
"An iron vein alone isn't enough. Let's continue our search. A phoenix does not roost where there is no treasure. If a phoenix made its nest in this canyon, there must be treasures nearby. This canyon must hold powerful spiritual energy."
Yi Tianxing wasn't about to settle for just iron ore.
"If there's something on the left, could there be something on the right?"
That thought surfaced in his mind, and he instinctively turned the Spirit-Communing Mirror toward the right side of the canyon.
Swish!!
Almost instantly, a dazzling spiritual radiance erupted from the mirror. The light was so intense it seemed to emanate pure spiritual energy.
"A spirit crystal vein!"
Even Yi Tianxing couldn't contain his shock, his eyes filled with ecstatic joy. The intense energy shown in the mirror confirmed it—this was definitely a vein imbued with spiritual essence. Most likely, a spirit crystal mine.
"Dig! Start digging at the foot of the mountain! I must know if it's truly a spirit crystal vein!"
Yi Tianxing's eyes flashed with excitement as he gave the order.
"Yes, my Lord!"
Cao Zhengchun didn't even need instructions. The moment Yi Tianxing cried out that it was a spirit mine, he immediately rushed over with the military shovel and began digging.
His arms moved like the wind, sparing no true qi.
This spiritual vein was also buried shallowly. As he dug with wild fervor, a series of crisp sounds rang out.
Soon after, Cao Zhengchun leapt out of the pit holding a few stones.
"My Lord, look! This is what I dug up. I can sense that these crystals are brimming with heaven and earth energy, and it's very pure."
He held out several pieces of ore, a look of joy on his face.
The stones looked like black coal, yet gleamed with a crystalline luster. Inside, they clearly contained a dense, highly refined essence of the natural world. This was no ordinary energy—it was practically tangible. It had condensed over time into spirit crystals.
"Spirit mines are formed from pure heaven and earth energy that gathers for some unknown reason. Over time, it condenses into solid form. These black crystals show we're at the outer layer, the lowest quality of the vein—Black Iron Spirit Crystals. As we dig deeper, the quality should improve. We may find Bronze Spirit Crystals, Silver Spirit Crystals, maybe even Gold Spirit Crystals—top-tier quality."
Yi Tianxing couldn't hide his excitement.
The value of discovering a spirit crystal mine was immeasurable. Many major sects were founded and flourished based on just one or two such mines. Their value was practically priceless.
Woof!!
Just as Cao Zhengchun was handing over the black iron crystal, a sharp bark rang out. A blur shot past, and the crystal disappeared from Cao Zhengchun's hand.
"Green Emperor..."
Yi Tianxing's brows twitched, and he felt a headache coming on.
No one but the Green Emperor could swipe a crystal from right under Cao Zhengchun's nose.
"Hah! I was wondering what sneaky business you were up to, creeping around like this. Fortunately, this emperor is brilliant and trailed you secretly. Otherwise, I'd have missed out on such a treasure!"
"So delicious! I can smell it! This is gourmet food! My mouth is watering!"
"You found something so tasty and didn't even tell me? Unforgivable. What is this stone? I feel like eating it would be really good for me."
"Stone, I'm going to eat you now. You got any objections? Doesn't matter—I won't listen anyway."
"You tempted me. This is your fault."
The Green Emperor glared disdainfully at Yi Tianxing and the others, then turned his attention to the black iron crystal beneath his paw, yapping nonstop. His eyes glowed green, and he wouldn't shut up.
Crunch!!
Still rambling, he chomped down on the crystal. No one knew how, but his teeth actually bit off a chunk. He crunched loudly as if chewing fried beans.
But after tasting it, his eyes narrowed in delight. In just a few bites, he devoured the whole thing.
"Delicious! Absolutely divine! I feel like I've just eaten a feast!"
The Green Emperor trembled all over with joy. Compared to gnawing on bones, this was pure paradise. He felt a warm energy circulating through him, invigorating every inch of his body.
"You damn mutt, you'll eat anything. No wonder you could stomach those moldy meat buns." Yi Tianxing twitched at the sight, shaking his head in frustration.
"How do you know about that!? Those buns were the reason I'm like this now. But they were delicious—way better than this dark stone. I still drool thinking about them!"
The Green Emperor looked blissful, clearly lost in nostalgic reverie.
"Drooling three thousand feet?!" Yi Tianxing nearly exploded hearing that phrase.
Still, deep down, he was startled. The Green Emperor could eat spirit crystals and enjoy them. His physique must have undergone some kind of fundamental transformation, something beyond comprehension.
"You want to eat crystals? Fine. But shut up. If you don't, I'll tie up your mouth again. That rotten aura of yours won't kill me, but I swear I'll hang you up and sun-dry you for three days straight."
Yi Tianxing warned, brows furrowing.
"No! You can't do that! I'm the Green Emperor! You can't treat such a handsome emperor like this! What face will I have before my subjects?"
The Green Emperor started yapping again in protest.
"Shut it. Stay quiet and behave. You'll get your daily spirit crystals. One more word, and you won't even get the crumbs."
Yi Tianxing's sharp rebuke cut him off.
Woof!!
The Green Emperor's eyes narrowed. He shut his mouth immediately and sat by the pit, drooling again.