The next morning, the sky was just beginning to lighten.
Chu Bai rose early and first went to the instructors’ office to request a leave of absence from his Instructor, Zhou Changkong. As for Dean Chen, Chu Bai had already reported to him yesterday during his patrol. Monitoring the Law Net was a routine task; it wouldn’t fall apart without him, so taking a few days off was no issue.
"Going to the abandoned mine area to clear out a rat infestation?"
Hearing Chu Bai’s destination, Zhou Changkong nodded slightly, showing no sign of objection. "As your Cultivation improves, it’s true that you can’t just study in a bubble. Participating in more practical combat training is a good thing. A Demon Beast extermination mission like this, in particular, will give you a more direct understanding of the harsher side of the Cultivation Realm."
He asked casually, "Which team are you joining?"
"An elite squad led by a third-year, Senior Sister Wang Qingli."
"Wang Qingli?" Zhou Changkong thought for a moment, then recognition dawned. "That girl’s defenses are solid, and she has a steady temperament. Following her, you’re not likely to run into trouble. However..."
His tone shifted as he offered a reminder. "From what I know, your team isn’t the only one that took this rat infestation mission. Several other strong third-year teams are also heading there. While you’ll be cooperating to clear them out, who kills more and who earns more Daoist Merit will come down to individual skill."
"I understand." Chu Bai made a mental note. ’It seems that besides the Demon Beasts, I’ll also have to watch out for competition among my fellow disciples.’
After bidding farewell to his Instructor, Chu Bai returned to his room and quickly packed his belongings. Besides the essential dried rations and fresh water, he also begrudgingly went to the Pill Medicine Pavilion and spent twenty Daoist Merit points on two bottles of Qi Recovery Pills.
Looking at the remaining balance of seventy points on his nameplate, Chu Bai winced in pain.
’Nothing ventured, nothing gained,’ he thought. ’These Qi Recovery Pills could be a lifesaver in a critical moment.’
「5:45 AM, at the main gate of the Daoist School.」
When Chu Bai arrived, Wang Qingli, Zhang Shan, and the others were already geared up and ready to go.
"Everyone’s here. Let’s head out."
Wang Qingli was decisive and efficient. As she led the team out, she took out a yellowed parchment map and explained, "This is a topographical map of the abandoned mine area. The zone we need to clear is primarily concentrated around the T-shaped Mine Pit, spanning a radius of about ten li."
She flipped her hand over, revealing a palm-sized, antique-looking bronze mirror.
"This is a Low-Grade Dharma Artifact, the Demon-Seeking Mirror, which I borrowed from the Task Hall. When we get close to the mine area, it will glow to alert us if it detects any Demon Qi fluctuations. Our strategy is simple: we’ll scout the perimeter first, draw out and kill any scattered rat packs we find to weaken their numbers, and finally, we’ll strike the main nest and slay the Rat Monarch."
Everyone nodded, showing they understood.
After registering at the Steward’s office by the gate, the five of them stepped out of the Daoist School’s great gates, which symbolized shelter and peace.
This was also the first time since arriving in Dayuan Prefecture that Chu Bai had truly set foot in the bustling Prefecture City.
The moment he stepped outside, the clamor of the mortal world washed over him.
The wide streets were bustling with traffic, flanked by rows of shops with vendors’ cries rising and falling. Though most people were Mortals, one could occasionally see Cultivators in various Magic Robes walking among them. The Mortals were long used to this, and would even respectfully make way and bow.
As the seat of a prefecture, Dayuan Prefecture was vast, spanning a radius of three hundred li with a permanent population of several million. The Daoist School was located in the core Inner City, while their destination—the South City Abandoned Mine Area—was in the most remote, outlying region.
"That’s the Drunken Immortal Tower. I hear their Spirit Wine is one of a kind."
"The talisman paper sold at that shop up ahead is expensive, but the quality is excellent..."
Along the way, Zhao Gang and Zhang Shan would occasionally point out shops and chat idly. Although Chu Bai was too broke to buy anything, he listened with great interest, secretly learning a lot.
’If I get the chance,’ he thought, ’I should take more missions like this that let me get out for a bit. Of course, that’s assuming I can make a good profit this time.’
Although the journey was long, a full hundred li, all five were Cultivators, so they traveled extremely fast. Using the Light Body Technique to speed their way, it took only a single double-hour for the bustling scenery to gradually give way to desolation.
Huge, abandoned structures came into view.
They were the former mine workshops and residential areas, now long deserted, with only broken walls and ruins standing in the wind like silent, giant beasts.
"I wonder what kind of mineral they used to mine here?"
Chu Bai gazed at the magnificent ruins, a sense of curiosity stirring within him.
"Hundreds of years ago, this place was the lifeblood of Dayuan Prefecture. What it produced was—Spirit Stones."
Wang Qingli’s cool voice floated over.
"Spirit Stones?" Chu Bai’s heart skipped a beat.
He was all too familiar with them. Before the Great Zhou Dynasty established the Law Net system, Spirit Stones were the most important hard currency in the Cultivation Realm, as well as the core resource Cultivators used to absorb Spiritual Qi and achieve Realm-Breaking. It could be said that without Spirit Stones, the path of an Ancient Cultivator would have been impossible.
"That’s right."
Wang Qingli explained, "Back then, Dayuan Prefecture relied on this massive Spirit Stone Vein to grow and prosper.
But later, when the Law Net was established, the Grand Ancestor of Great Zhou used his supreme power to integrate nature’s spiritual energy into the Celestial Court’s system. Cultivators only needed to go through Receiving Talisman to be able to directly absorb nature’s spiritual energy—a much more efficient and safer method. As a result, the importance of Spirit Stones gradually diminished."
"Of course, even so, Spirit Stones are still precious."
Zhang Shan added from the side, "After all, while the Law Net’s coverage is vast, there are still places it doesn’t reach.
Besides... using Spirit Stones to cultivate is considered an ’ancient method,’ and it allows one to bypass the Law Net’s monitoring and restrictions. That’s why the Court maintains extremely strict control over Spirit Stone Veins. After this place was abandoned, it was likely picked clean by officials long ago."
"They also have another use: as offerings to Deities."

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