23: Chapter 23 Mineral Vein for Peace?

The night was as dark as ink, slowly soaking into the eaves and corners of Sunset Town's rooftops.

Inside the study, a single candle flickered.

Lin Yue sat alone at his desk, his fingertips twirling a strange blade of grass he had brought back from the Grotto-Heaven.

The leaf shimmered with a cold metallic luster, and a silver glimmer seemed to flow through its veins.

His gaze, however, pierced through the window lattice, casting toward the distant, deep silhouette of the Black Wind Forest, which looked like the spine of a beast.

The cold, snake-like prying eyes of the Green Robe Hall Cultivators seemed to still be clinging to his back, sending a chill down his spine.

Although the Four Symbols Maze Array had been set up, and a pale green mist shrouded the entire town—capable of blocking the prying and forced attacks of Cultivators below the Late Foundation Establishment Stage...

But if the opponent truly spared no expense and sent several Late Foundation Establishment Stage experts, or even a False Core realm old monster... the Formation might find it difficult to hold for long.

Applying a little pressure with his fingertips, he found the metallic leaf to be exceptionally tough.

The key to breaking the deadlock lay solely in the word "strength."

The Family's overall strength had to undergo a qualitative leap.

With this thought, he closed his eyes, and his consciousness sank into that Chaos Grotto-Heaven that belonged only to him.

Inside the Grotto-Heaven, there was no distinction between day and night, yet it possessed a unique rhythm.

The world tree sapling swayed gently in the center. On its only three tender leaves, those profound silver patterns flickered like breathing.

It was drawing in and transforming the most primal Origin Spiritual Qi from the surrounding endless Chaos mist at a slow and steady pace.

Lin Yue sensed it for a moment, a trace of joy appearing on his face.

Perhaps because the Grotto-Heaven was gradually stabilizing, the world tree sapling's efficiency in absorbing Spiritual Qi at night was actually more than thirty percent faster than during the day.

At this rate, the Chaos at the edge of this nascent continent could be dispelled and solidified into nearly three square feet of new land every day.

Accumulated over time, the potential was limitless.

He walked to the spiritual field plains he had opened up.

The purple leaf orchids he had planted earlier had already grown to half a foot tall. The mysterious purple veins on the back of the leaves became increasingly clear, emitting a unique Spiritual Qi that calmed the mind.

Lin Yue took out a small jade bottle and poured out a dozen or so profound ice grass seeds, which were as fine as dust but emitted a piercing cold air.

He carefully sowed the seeds in a relatively cool and moist area at the edge of the spiritual field, then drew a thin stream from the gurgling Spirit River nearby to gently irrigate them.

The moment the seeds touched the Spiritual Qi-rich soil and the water from the Spirit River, they were instantly activated.

A faint, visible layer of white frost and cold mist rose from the sowing site.

However, this cold air did not destroy the overall warmth of the spiritual field; instead, it formed a wonderful dynamic balance with the abundant Spiritual Qi.

The speed at which the seeds absorbed nutrients was actually several times faster than in an external spiritual field!

"As expected, the environment within the Grotto-Heaven is more suited for the growth of Spiritual Plants with such peculiar attributes."

Lin Yue's heart settled.

If he could stably cultivate High Grade profound ice grass here, the success rate and quality of refining 'Heart Ice Pills'—which assist in Foundation Establishment and suppress Heart Demons—would be greatly increased in the future.

This would undoubtedly be a great safeguard for the Family's younger generation when they attempted to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage.

He summoned the profound panel of the Grotto-Heaven.

【Chaos Spiritual Qi Conversion Points: 12】

These were the "points" accumulated by the world tree sapling from converting Chaos Spiritual Qi, which could be used to accelerate the growth of various functions within the Grotto-Heaven.

Without hesitation, Lin Yue invested all 12 points into the embryonic "Spirit Stone Mineral Vein" that was currently gestating.

A faint muffled sound echoed in his consciousness, seemingly coming from deep within the earth.

The rock walls in the area where the Mineral Vein was located became lustrous at a speed visible to the naked eye.

He could even vaguely perceive that the probability of "Mid-Grade Spirit Stones" appearing among the future output of Spirit Stones seemed to have increased by a minuscule margin.

Exiting the Grotto-Heaven, the eastern horizon was already turning the color of a fish's belly.

Pushing open his door, the morning breeze was slightly cool.

He happened to run into the Second Elder, Lin De, who was returning from the direction of the back mountain's spiritual fields with a medicine basket full of herbs on his back.

In addition to a large amount of qi condensing grass, the basket also contained several tender leaves of profound ice grass with ice crystals on their edges.

"Clan Chief, you're up."

Lin De had bloodshot eyes, but his expression was quite excited.

"These were harvested this morning and are full of Spiritual Qi. I plan to start another batch and try that recipe for the improved qi gathering pill."

He paused and lowered his voice, speaking with a hint of mystery and excitement.

"Also, that metallic leaf you gave me last time... I tried extracting its juice last night and found that it's excellent at stabilizing the internal spiritual energy field of the Pill Furnace!"

"Perhaps... it can significantly increase the success rate of pill Formation!"

"Oh? It has such a miraculous effect?"

Lin Yue's eyes lit up upon hearing this.

In Alchemy, heat control and spiritual energy regulation are paramount.

If there truly was a spiritual object that could stabilize the environment inside the furnace, its value would be immeasurable.

"What auxiliary Materials do you need? You may take whatever you want from the Family's storehouse."

"We aren't lacking in Materials."

Lin De shook his head, a troubled look on his face.

"It's just that extracting this juice is extremely time-consuming and laborious. It needs to be simmered over a gentle fire and carefully extracted with spiritual energy... I estimate it will take three days to get enough for one batch."

"No matter, safety and stability come first."

Lin Yue nodded, watching Lin De hand the medicine basket to an apprentice and hurry off toward the Alchemy room, a warm current flowing through his heart.

The growth of a Family is built brick by brick by these clansmen who work silently and tirelessly in their respective fields.

He turned and walked toward the training grounds where the Guard Team was doing their morning exercises.

"Ha!" "Heh!"

The shouts were powerful and rhythmic, breaking the silence of the early morning.

More than thirty members of the Guard Team had all changed into matching black martial outfits, their movements perfectly synchronized.

In each of their hands was a uniformly shaped dagger.

The blades bore strange silver patterns, and as they were swung through the air, they actually produced a faint, sharp whistling sound.

Lin Hu stood at the front of the team, personally demonstrating a set of fierce and ruthless close-quarters dagger techniques.

His Moves were concise, and the circulation of his spiritual energy was perfectly combined with the thrusts of the dagger.

Occasionally, the silver patterns on the blade would light up, and a flash of cold light would appear, striking fear into the hearts of onlookers.

"Clan Chief!"

Seeing Lin Yue arrive, everyone greeted him in unison without stopping their movements.

Lin Hu finished his set, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and strode over with excitement on his face.

"Clan Chief, this 'silver-patterned dagger' is truly formidable!"

He handed over the one in his hand.

"I just tested it with Shi Tou. The protective spiritual light he activated with all his might was like a thick piece of window paper in front of this dagger!"

Lin Yue took it and gave it a casual flourish.

With a slight release of spiritual energy, the silver patterns on the blade—which looked like mere decorations—instantly lit up, connecting into a faint silver halo.

An indomitable sense of sharpness emanated from the blade.

"Sharpness is only one aspect."

He handed the dagger back, his gaze sweeping across every young and determined face on the field.

"You must practice until the dagger Moves with your will and you become one with it. Only then can you seize the initiative in a life-and-death struggle."

"Starting today, add an extra hour of actual combat training every day."

"I will arrange for all the Family's disciples at the Late Stage Qi Refining to take turns as your sparring partners."

"Yes!"

The Guard Team members shouted their agreement. Instead of fear, a raging Battle Intent ignited in their eyes.

Being able to spar with senior clansmen of higher cultivation was a training opportunity they could only dream of.

At that moment, a guard responsible for outer perimeter scouting hurried onto the training grounds.

In his hand, he held an arrow about half a foot long with a green shaft and a shimmering cold arrowhead.

On the shaft of the arrow, a blooming Green Lotus was clearly carved.

"Clan Chief! This was found on a locust tree at the edge of the Four Symbols Maze Array outside the town!"

The guard presented the command arrow with both hands, his face filled with anger and alertness.

Lin Yue took it.

It was cold to the touch, and the shaft was made of a tough material, not ordinary wood.

A small scroll of paper was tied to the tail of the arrow.

Unrolling it, there was only a single line of scrawled but sharp handwriting:

"Three days from now, at the northern entrance of the Black Wind Forest, trade your Mineral Vein for peace. If you are late, bear the consequences yourself."

There was no name at the bottom, only a faint Green Lotus mark.

"How arrogant!"

Lin Hu snatched the paper, and after reading it, his anger flared up.

"The Mineral Vein? They want to get their hands on it too? Clan Chief, let me take a team of experts and sneak over tonight to take out a few of their outposts first!"

"Calm down."

Lin Yue took back the note. With a slight release of spiritual energy from his fingertips, the paper instantly turned into a pile of fine ash and scattered with the wind.

"The fact that they are directly demanding the Mineral Vein proves that they have limited knowledge of our true situation."

"Perhaps they just happened to discover that the Ore quality is extraordinary, and greed arose, so they came to test us."

He looked at Lin Hu, his gaze calm.

"Immediately take some men and find out two things."

"First, the terrain and environment of the northern entrance of the Black Wind Forest, and if there are any special features."

"Second, find out if there have been any signs of Green Robe Hall personnel activity or temporary strongholds near that area recently."

"Remember, only investigate; do not alert the enemy."

"Yes! I'll go right away!"

Lin Hu took the order, picked a few members skilled in stealth and reconnaissance, and quickly departed.

Lin Yue toyed with the Green Lotus command arrow, a cold light flickering in the depths of his eyes.

The target of the Green Robe Hall was undoubtedly that companion spirit iron ore vein.

The last transaction with the Black Stone Chamber of Commerce and the improved Ore quality had likely been noticed by some observant people, which had drawn in these hungry wolves.

"They want the Mineral Vein?"

The corners of his mouth curled into a cold arc.

The true core of the Mineral Vein was hidden deep within the Grotto-Heaven, unknown to outsiders.

The mining site in the outside world was merely a bit of "bait" he had intentionally released under his control, with a yield less than one-tenth of what the Grotto-Heaven produced.

Even if it were truly taken, it wouldn't harm the Lin Family's Foundation.

However, he absolutely could not back down.

In the world of immortal cultivation, the strong prey on the weak; taking a step back might be seen as being soft and easily bullied.

At that point, it wouldn't just be the Green Robe Hall coming, but perhaps even more jackals, wolves, tigers, and leopards who smelled blood.

He turned and returned to his study, while also having someone invite the Grand Elder Lin Cang and the head of the Artifact Refining Workshop, Lin Shi.

The two arrived quickly.

Lin Yue placed the green command arrow on the desk and spoke bluntly:

"The Green Robe Hall has issued a challenge. Three days from now at the northern entrance of the Black Wind Forest, they want our Mineral Vein."

Lin Cang and Lin Shi's expressions both darkened simultaneously.

"They certainly have a large appetite," Lin Cang snorted, his beard twitching slightly.

"Clan Chief, just give the order! Our blades are already thirsty!" Lin Shi was even more direct, his fists cracking loudly.

Lin Yue raised his hand, signaling the two to be calm.

"Grand Elder, you are proficient in Formations. Can you secretly set up an array near the northern entrance of the Black Wind Forest within three days?"

"It doesn't need to kill or trap the enemy for long, but it must be able to create Chaos, obscure their vision, and delay them."

Lin Cang stroked his beard in contemplation, and after a moment, he said:

"Time is tight; there isn't enough time to set up a large-scale Formation."

"But if I use 'Maze Powder' mixed with 'Illusion Grass' juice, combined with simple formation patterns, it's feasible to set up a 'Chaotic Shadow Misting Array'."

"This array is only at the first rank, and its range isn't large, but when suddenly activated, it can create a large area of misty phantoms, disrupting the senses of Qi Refining Stage Cultivators for about a dozen breaths."

"A dozen breaths... that's enough."

Lin Yue nodded and looked at Lin Shi.

"Lin Shi, have the Artifact Refining Workshop work at full capacity now. How many silver-patterned daggers can you produce in three days? Also, can you rush out a batch of disposable 'Armor-Piercing Awls'?"

Lin Shi did a quick calculation and said decisively:

"For the silver-patterned daggers, with sufficient Materials and shifts, we can produce fifteen!"

"Armor-Piercing Awls? That's simple! They don't need to be exquisitely crafted; as long as they are sharp and hard enough to break through spiritual energy protection, they'll do!"

"Give me two days, and I guarantee the task of thirty Armor-Piercing Awls will be completed!"

"Good!"

A sharp light flashed in Lin Yue's eyes.

"Then it is settled. Grand Elder, secrecy is the priority for the Formation."

"Lin Shi, prioritize quality for the forging. When the time comes, I want the people of the Green Robe Hall to have a good taste of the power of my Lin Family's Sharp Weapons!"

The two felt the determination and confidence beneath Lin Yue's calm tone, and a surge of heroic spirit rose in their chests as they replied in unison, "By your command!"

After everyone left, Lin Yue entered the Grotto-Heaven once more.

This time, he didn't go to check the spiritual field or the Mineral Vein but went straight to the world tree sapling.

He took out five Mid-Grade Spirit Stones brimming with spiritual energy and carefully set up a simple "Small Spirit Gathering Array" around the sapling in a specific orientation.

As the Formation activated, the pure spiritual energy within the Spirit Stones was slowly drawn out, turning into five gentle streams of spiritual energy that circled the world tree sapling and were actively absorbed by the silver patterns on its leaves.

The sapling seemed to give a joyful tremble.

The three tender leaves swayed violently, and the silver patterns glowed dazzlingly.

The speed of drawing in and converting Origin Spiritual Qi from the surrounding Chaos mist suddenly surged!

On the Grotto-Heaven panel, the number representing "Chaos Spiritual Qi Conversion Points" began to jump rapidly.

13... 14... 15... 20... Half an hour later, the five Mid-Grade Spirit Stones lost all their luster and turned into ordinary white stones.

The world tree sapling had visibly grown half an inch taller, and on its originally emerald-green stem, an extra ring of very faint golden patterns had appeared, making it look even more divine.

The number on the panel finally settled at 【25】 points.

And at the edge of the Grotto-Heaven continent, the churning Chaos mist had been consumed by a noticeable layer.

The land had tangibly expanded outward by nearly a foot!

"The effect of Mid-Grade Spirit Stones is indeed far superior to Low Grade ones."

Lin Yue was delighted.

The World Tree was the core of the Grotto-Heaven's growth; every time it grew, it meant the Grotto-Heaven's Origin became more robust, and its future development potential became greater.

He didn't hesitate and invested all of the newly accumulated 25 "Chaos Spiritual Qi Conversion Points" into the "companion spirit iron ore vein."

A low rumble came from deep within the earth, as if the earth's veins were churning.

The quality and yield of the Mineral Vein were improved once again.

The daily output quietly leaped to forty-five pounds, and the "Star-Patterned Silver Silk" embedded within the Ore became more condensed and pure, its quality already infinitely close to "High Grade" spirit iron ore.

"With this Ore, the power of the Magical Artifacts forged should be able to reach another level."

Exiting the Grotto-Heaven, the sun was already slightly to the west.

Lin De came looking for him again excitedly, holding a warm jade bottle in his hands with an uncontrollable look of pride on his face.

"Clan Chief! It's a success! The first batch is a success!"

He opened the bottle stopper.

Five orange-yellow Medicinal Pills, the size of longans and perfectly round, floated out on their own.

Faint cloud patterns flowed on the surface of the pills, and the spiritual energy fluctuations they emitted were pure and robust, far superior to before.

"By using that metallic leaf juice to stabilize the furnace temperature and harmonize the medicinal properties, this batch of qi gathering pills yielded five, all of which reached Medium Grade!"

"Good!"

Lin Yue took one and sensed it carefully.

The spiritual energy within the pill was mild and pure, extremely easy to absorb, and contained very few Impurities.

This quality was already not inferior to some Medium Grade qi gathering pills sold by chambers of commerce.

"The Second Elder has performed a great service! These pills will be of great benefit to the cultivation of the Family's disciples!"

"Pass the order: this batch of Medicinal Pills is to be prioritized for distribution to the members of the Guard Team whose cultivation has reached the Peak of the sixth level of Qi Refining, to help them break through to the Late Stage as soon as possible!"

"Yes! I'll go arrange it right away!" Lin De said with a face full of smiles, carefully stowing the jade bottle and walking away quickly.

Lin Yue stood alone in the courtyard and looked up.

The pale green mist formed by the "Four Symbols Maze Array" shimmered with magnificent luster under the reflection of the setting sun, gently guarding the entire Sunset Town within it.

The threat of the Green Robe Hall was like a sword hanging over their heads.

But it was precisely this pressure that forced everyone in the Family to stay alert, bursting forth with astonishing potential and efficiency.

The Guard Team was preparing their weapons and horses, their Battle Intent high.

The arts of Alchemy and Artifact Refining were constantly breaking through and improving due to practical needs.

Even the growth rate of the most fundamental Grotto-Heaven had accelerated because of this.

A crisis is also a whetstone.

For the appointment in the Black Wind Forest in three days, he not only wanted to hold onto the Mineral Vein but also take this opportunity to ruthlessly chop off the claws the Green Robe Hall was reaching out with.

He would let everyone see clearly that the Lin Family of Sunset Town already had fangs and was by no means a piece of dough that could be kneaded at will.

The setting sun gradually sank, dyeing the clouds on the horizon and the houses in the mountain town a warm orange-red.

From the direction of the back mountain's spiritual fields, the faint sound of clansmen singing folk tunes as they finished work and returned home could be heard—light and melodious, filled with satisfaction and hope for life.

The peace and vitality of this land had not come easily.

Lin Yue knew that to protect all of this, he needed stronger power, a more resilient will, and... when necessary, a decision as sharp as a blade.

He turned and walked toward the Artifact Refining Workshop.

There, the furnace fire was burning brightly, the clanging sounds were incessant, and sparks bloomed in the twilight like golden chrysanthemums.

Every strike of the hammer added a bit of hardness to the Family's backbone.

The undercurrents of the Black Wind Forest were already surging.

But the Foundation of Sunset Town was also becoming increasingly deep and indestructible amidst these ceaseless sounds of tempering.