"I wouldn't dare," Qian Duoduo said, cupping his hands.
"Zhu Anshun, I am here by order to await Senior Brother." Although Zhu Anshun was not handsome, his features were regular, and his attitude was humble and amiable, making him not so annoying to look at.
"I wouldn't dare be called Senior Brother," Qian Duoduo corrected him again. For someone at Qi Condensation Level Five, being called Senior Brother by a Ninth Level of Qi Condensation Cultivator was a bit too much honor.
Zhu Anshun lowered his head and smiled, "Senior Brother, you surpassed all others and took first place in the Outer Sect minor competition. You are no ordinary Disciple."
"The news of me taking first place actually spread this far?" Qian Duoduo's heart was as clear as Lingwu Avenue, but he humbly said, "It was just a small skirmish, pure luck."
"Senior Brother, please get in the carriage. My father has already prepared a banquet in the castle and is waiting," Zhu Anshun said, opening the carriage door.
The carriage door was inlaid with a golden 'Zhu' character. Inside the carriage were two soft seats made of white spirit fox fur, and on the tea table in the middle were spiritual food, spiritual tea, and spiritual fruits.
The two got into the carriage, and Zhu Anshun instructed the driver, "Go directly to the castle hall." In front of the war chariot were two magnificent red Spirit Horses and a coachman. Along the way, Zhu Anshun softly introduced the scenery and local specialties. With such extensive knowledge, such a kind attitude, and such pleasant speech, he was unlike any Cultivator Qian Duoduo had encountered in the Sect.
The half-day journey passed so quickly that it felt like the blink of an eye.
At the entrance of the castle hall stood a majestic middle-aged man, Zhu Pingdao, the Zhu Family Clan Chief, and Zhu Anshun's father.
After some pleasantries, they took their seats and the banquet began. As the atmosphere warmed, Qian Duoduo learned that Zhu Anshun's older brother was actually Zhu Anquan. All the major and minor news from the Sect was relayed back by him. Zhu Anquan's talent was far inferior to Zhu Anshun's, so he found a comfortable position as a Jail attendant, living a leisurely life while serving as the Zhu Family's eyes and ears.
Qian Duoduo's mission to the Phoenix Mountains to search for Ore was not a confidential task. Zhu Anquan should have easily known about it. This led to Zhu Anshun's early welcome.
After the banquet, Zhu Pingdao handed over a Storage Pouch, "Here is a map Jade Slip of the Phoenix Mountains, Qi Return Pills, trauma medicine, and beast-repelling ointment. May young friend complete the mission soon and return triumphantly."
Qian Duoduo repeatedly declined, but unable to refuse, he had no choice but to accept it. To his surprise, the Zhu Family had secretly placed one hundred thousand gold coins inside the Storage Pouch. Although not explicitly stated, these one hundred thousand gold coins were compensation for Zhu Anquan's failure to look after Jin Buhuan in the Jail.
Settling down in a meticulously prepared independent courtyard in the Zhu Family, Qian Duoduo felt it was even better here than Mengyuan Mountain.
"Did you enter the dream before you even slept?" Liu Boli emerged from the Golden Toad.
"I'm not an idiot. How could I not know this is borrowing the Palace Lord Dajiu's Face?" Qian Duoduo blushed slightly.
Qian Duoduo, an Outer Sect Disciple at Qi Condensation Level Five, a very ordinary existence, being personally accompanied and banqueted by a Family Clan Chief, must have had another reason.
Qian Duoduo was well aware of this.
However, being treated with such respect truly felt comfortable. It was impossible to say he wasn't vain at all.
"For you, the Zhu Family is simply forging a good relationship," Liu Boli said, taking out the Phoenix Mountains map Jade Slip, browsing it, and then handing it to Qian Duoduo. "Furthermore, the Zhu Family Clan Chief is only at the early Foundation Establishment Realm. His cultivation can only explore a few dozen miles of the Phoenix Mountains' periphery. Beyond that, it's all blank. If you want to discover anything, you'll have to rely on yourself."
"The Zhu Family has been here for thousands of years. Why haven't they found a way to go deeper?" Qian Duoduo looked at the map and pouted.
This mission was to collect Ore at three unfamiliar locations deeper within the Phoenix Mountains. To complete it, pleasantries and polite formalities would be useless.
On the map, these three unfamiliar places were three hundred miles from the castle, marked either with ancient trees or Spirit Beasts. Even the ancient trees and Spirit Beasts they drew might not be accurate.
"It's not that they don't want to, but that they can't. The Spirit Beasts in the mountains have higher cultivation than the Zhu Family Clan Chief. Who would dare to go in?"
"Then why doesn't the Sect send people over?" Qian Duoduo recalled that there seemed to be Nascent Soul-level Grand Cultivators in the Sect.
"Underground spirit mines are not easy to find. Unlike the surface, where you can see what grass grows and what birds are present, a Grand Cultivator can usually tell with Spiritual Awareness. Besides, Grand Cultivators can't just scout for you without a purpose. Generally speaking, only when a rare treasure appears, or if it's originally a Secret Realm, will Grand Cultivators spend time searching for treasures."
Liu Boli's words were all true. Let alone a Grand Cultivator, even Qian Duoduo himself, if he hadn't wanted to fully understand the spirit mine scroll, wouldn't have wandered outside the Sect.
"I'm not thinking about treasure hunting anymore. Learning more about spirit mines is what's truly important," Qian Duoduo said, sitting on the Spiritual Platform and beginning to Cultivate.
The mornings at the Zhu Family were richer than at Mengyuan Mountain. The sounds outside the window were much more chaotic and wild.
Pushing open the courtyard door, Zhu Anshun was already waiting outside. This surprised Qian Duoduo. Regardless of Zhu Anshun's intentions, or if it was just his father's arrangement, this respect was worth returning twofold.
After breakfast, Zhu Anshun looked at Qian Duoduo, "Senior Brother's mission should be to ascertain the mineral situation in several places. If you don't mind me being in the way, I am willing to accompany Senior Brother deep into the Phoenix Mountains, paving the way where there is none, and building bridges where there are none."
Qian Duoduo's heart warmed, and he rose to bow, "How could I allow that? I've already troubled Brother Zhu enough. I wouldn't dare to bother you further with the mission."
Zhu Anshun insisted repeatedly, and Qian Duoduo declined again and again. Seeing that Qian Duoduo's resolve was firm, he took out a Talisman and handed it over, "The Phoenix Mountains occasionally have beast hordes. This is a Divine Movement Talisman. If you stick it on your leg, your speed can double for fifteen minutes."
His words were sincere. His gift was appropriate. It made it impossible for Qian Duoduo to refuse while successfully earning Qian Duoduo's heightened goodwill.
Bidding farewell to Zhu Anshun, Qian Duoduo hurried towards the first exploration point. East of the Zhu Family Castle was the Phoenix Mountains.
The first five miles of the mountain range's periphery were a safe zone.
Beyond five miles, dangers and trees, like each other, began to grow denser and taller.
"That's Spirit Fir wood, it can actually grow a hundred zhang tall. What just flew away was a Golden Horned Pheasant!" Qian Duoduo muttered to himself, telling Liu Boli about the spiritual plants, Spirit Beasts, and Spirit Birds he saw.
Buhuan Estate certainly didn't have these.
"Pick up that white stone on the left," Liu Boli suddenly said from inside the Golden Toad.
The white stone was the size of a watermelon. Qian Duoduo picked it up, examining it repeatedly, but found nothing special; it was just a common spirit granite.
"Use your sword to pare it down. The item is inside," Liu Boli prompted.
When the stone was pared down to the size of a fist, Qian Duoduo struck it again with his sword, and a blue light penetrated from within.
There really was something! He squinted, recognizing it as a transforming spirit Ore recorded in the spirit mine scroll—Lanmocrystal, an excellent material for refining magic mirrors.
Such a small piece could sell for over two thousand at Wanjin Pavilion!
"Is there a mine around here?" Qian Duoduo carefully put away the Lanmocrystal and began to fantasize that he was standing on a mountain of Lanmocrystal. If so, not only would he have hope for the money to reach the Ninth Level of Qi Condensation, but he could also achieve the Foundation Establishment Realm.
"Look it up in the encyclopedia," Liu Boli's calm tone did not support Qian Duoduo's excited fantasy.
Reading the entry carefully, the encyclopedia stated: Lanmocrystal is formed when Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi impacts mountain ranges. If found with spirit granite, it is a scattered Ore. If found with spirit copper Ore, it is a vein-shaped Ore, with a chance of being a giant mine.
He had read this passage before, but hadn't understood it. Now, comparing it with the treasure in his hand, it was hard for Qian Duoduo to forget.
Blazing Sun Silver, Profound Blood Iron... one by one, spirit Ores appeared vividly before him. Bit by bit, Qian Duoduo could even see their past from the spirit Ores: how they were formed, who they were with, whether they fell from the mountain or were washed out from the riverbed...
"Alright, it's time to find a place to hide, unless you want to fight wild beasts all night," Liu Boli's words made Qian Duoduo suddenly look up—the sky was almost completely dark.
He was already fifty to sixty miles from the Zhu Family Castle. In the dense forest, the eyes of the Spirit Beasts and the stars in the sky flickered on and off together.
The first night in the wilderness had arrived.