Within the mine, the air was polluted, pervading with a faint haze of blood red fog.
This was the blood fiend energy brought by the raw bloodstone ore, causing discomfort to the living and corroding any creatures that remained within its presence for too long.
However, everyone present were cultivators of the Demon Path, as well as demons, and hence they felt quite refreshed within the Bloodstone Mine.
The blood fiend energy, which ordinary people feared as much as fierce tigers, was actually where the demon cultivators thrived, akin to fish experiencing the water.
Every Outer Sect Disciple was taking deep breaths joyfully, as if breathing in the fresh air of ordinary people.
Guan Xiaoshun whispered softly,
“The energy of blood fiend in this Bloodstone Mine is so dense, it greatly benefits demon cultivators… Why doesn’t the Sect send Outer Sect Disciples to mine here?”
Being in the mine for an extended period was like receiving a boon that enhanced cultivation.
Yet, the miners arranged by the Refinement Demon Sect were all common people, with no demon cultivators among them.
Li Muyang shook his head and explained in a low voice, “The blood fiend energy of the raw bloodstone ore is too tyrannical. Occasional contact is alright, but being immersed over long periods, even demon cultivators will suffer corrosion.”
“Once one’s mind is corrupted by the blood fiend energy, expelling it becomes difficult.”
“That’s why the Sect arranges for ordinary people to mine, and when they can no longer work due to the corruption of the blood fiend energy, a new batch of commoners is brought in as miners.”
The exploitation tactics of the Demon Sect were almost akin to dark coal mines.
Even more ruthless than coal mines, they treated common miners as disposable resources.
While he explained, Li Muyang constantly surveyed the Bloodstone Mine before him, as if he was searching for something.
The moment he had stepped into the mine, he faintly heard the familiar sound of a sword’s cry.
But no one else heard that sword cry, and everyone reacted as if nothing had occurred.
Li Muyang was puzzled—could it be the magic sword was slumbering within this Bloodstone Mine?
Yet, after walking through the mine for a long time, he never heard the sound of the sword cry again.
It seemed that the initial sword’s cry was just his hallucination.
In the low-ceilinged mine, the passages branched out in all directions, with columns built against the rock walls to stabilize the pathways.
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Before seeing it with his own eyes, it was impossible to imagine that the underground of the Demon Sword City was hollowed out.
The crisscrossing dark passages were like the massive nest of ants.
Soon, an order came down—Elder Yan instructed all disciples to disperse into the tunnels to insert the flags deep within the underground mine, laying out a grand array for refining vengeful ghosts and dissolving lingering souls.
The disciples accepted the command and dispersed. Li Muyang, Guan Xiaoshun, and Li Yuechan, the three of them, received a flag and a map, directing them to place the flag at a designated spot.
The task wasn’t difficult, and once Li Muyang’s trio reached the specified location and set up the flag, their only job was to protect the flag from falling.
With the activation of the grand array, the flag began to radiate a faint purple glow.
Strands of purple light wove and darted about unceasingly within the mine, fusing to form a complex grand array.
Li Muyang’s trio stood at the edge of the flag, feeling the purple light fly past them constantly, initially fearful of any accidents.
But as time went by and nothing happened inside the mine, they relaxed.
The job was even more leisurely than imagined.
Although the Bloodstone Mine was rumored to be haunted, after the influx of over a hundred Outer Sect Disciples, the supposed ancient spirits failed to appear.
Not to mention, with more than twenty Inner Sect Disciples patrolling the tunnels and Elder Yan’s Direct Disciples occasionally walking around, checking on the flags in the mine, the place which used to be somewhat eerie now felt unexpectedly lively.
Elder Yan sat at the center of the grand array, operating it to refine souls.
But the results were meager.
Li Muyang’s anticipated grand battle between the living and specters hadn’t materialized.
After the array flags had been spread throughout the Bloodstone Mine and the formation set, the vengeful spirits within the mine didn’t leap out to attack the living; instead, they vanished without a trace.
“…These ancient leftover souls really are bullies who only pick on the weak and fear the strong,”
Guan Xiaoshun whispered.
The giant rat Demon King spirit they had encountered in the city before was the same, bullying the weak and fearing the strong, hiding away at the sight of higher-level cultivators.
To tell the truth, this was actually quite troublesome.
When the vengeful spirits hid and didn’t show themselves, it was tough to deal with them, even with a large formation laid out.
However, Elder Yan had come from afar to the Magic Sword City and was unlikely to give up easily.
The grand formation within the Bloodstone Mine had been set for an entire night, and disciples weren’t requested to collect the flags and leave until daybreak.
Although there were no gains, Elder Yan was ready for a prolonged standoff.
As Li Muyang and the others departed, they saw Elder Yan with a cold demeanor, appearing as if everything was within his grasp.
The many Outer Sect disciples who returned without any achievements were led back to Wamuxiang by Senior Brother Xiao Cheng, to their respective temporary accommodations.
“Everyone is free to do as they please after eating. Rest well, and gather at the entrance to the alley at dusk. We’ll continue to the mine tonight,”
Senior Brother Xiao Cheng gave a few simple instructions and then dispersed the disciples.
This haughty young brother wasn’t old, but he was very aloof.
It was when everyone was dispersing that he made a point of cautioning Li Muyang and Guan Xiaoshun as he passed by them.
“You two, don’t go wandering around in the next few days. Be careful of those demons taking revenge.”
Even though the demons had temporarily lowered their heads, Senior Brother Xiao Cheng had not let his guard down.
Li Muyang and Guan Xiaoshun were his “accomplices” in slaying demons, and he especially reminded them with a word of caution to not be careless.
If the demons sought revenge, Li Muyang and Guan Xiaoshun would also be targets.
Li Muyang was indifferent; he wasn’t one to enjoy idling around anyway.
With Senior Brother Xiao Cheng’s warning, he felt even more justified staying in his room, busily playing games.
After a period of solitary behavior, the Outer Sect smarty-pants had gradually come to understand Li Muyang’s temperament; knowing he didn’t like to be disturbed, they rarely bothered him.
Thus, Li Muyang became even more of a solitary figure among the Outer Sect disciples, who were all chatty and seemed very close on the surface; he hardly participated in any social activities, making him a reclusive oddball.
However, his cheery adoptive sister Li Yuechan got along very well with the group of female disciples, almost universally loved, with no one who disliked her.
This young girl’s emotional intelligence, intelligence, and way of dealing with people left no room for criticism.
She also had a deep friendship with Elder Yan’s Direct Disciple, Sister Ning, and often met up with her.
At this point, Li Yuechan had simply become the most popular figure among the Outer Sect disciples on the trip to Magic Sword City.
From the courtyard next door, laughter and conversation flowed without end, as people chatted merrily.
Yet just a wall away in the empty room, Li Muyang, who lay down after finishing his meal, seemed to have fallen asleep.
But his firmly closed eyes could see the gaming interface on his system.
The mighty demonized half-demon general, Luo Feng, wielding the Startling Geese Magic Sword, swung a furious strike at Li Muyang, who was charging towards him.
[Half-Demon General Luo Feng: Jiang Xiaoyu! You dare to intercept me? Mind your own business!]