Chapter 72

Chapter 72: The Secret of the Spiritual Mine

Outside the door, Lin Xuanfeng stood composed. Lin Kai steeled himself and approached him, his voice filled with respect: "Elder Jiu, what if that kid learns the secret?"

Lin Xuanfeng stared at the mountain ranges of spiritual stones not far away, his expression darkening. "Then kill him."

Lin Kai’s heart clenched with fear.

No wonder Elder Jiu had agreed to let the kid stay alone in the room. He had already prepared to eliminate him.

With this realization, the worry in Lin Kai’s heart vanished completely.

Meanwhile, inside the room, Zhou Luo’s mind felt like mush, completely unable to find a way to turn the situation around.

Because under absolute power, all schemes and strategies were useless.

Even with the pile of poison he carried, including the Second Level low-grade Bone Corruption Powder, it all meant nothing.

"Forget it. Save him first."

Zhou Luo looked at the old man on the bed and made his decision.

The reason they hadn’t struck yet was likely fear of the Great Elder. Therefore, getting in touch with the Great Elder’s people might offer a glimmer of hope.

Thinking this, he took out a stack of spiritual symbols. He pasted them all over every corner of the room.

These mid-grade spiritual symbols were ones he had refined earlier, capable of blocking senses and sealing auras, preventing outsiders from scouting the room.

With this many symbols activated, even someone at the ninth level of Qi Refinement would find it extremely difficult to detect what was happening inside.

After completing this task and seeing the glowing symbols, Zhou Luo walked to the bedside. He took out a crimson potion and fed it into the old man’s mouth.

This was the real antidote.

The moment the old man ingested it, a gentle force instantly spread throughout his body. His strength-starved body gradually improved; his senses swiftly returned.

The old man’s right hand twitched slightly, triggering a familiar sensation rising in his heart.

Aaah—

He parted his lips, trying to make a sound.

A long time passed. He had recovered completely, and the old man’s aged face displayed an expression of conflict.

"You shouldn’t have come."

Looking at Zhou Luo, the old man’s first words were not gratitude, but resignation.

"To be honest, I regretted it earlier. But now, I have no way back," Zhou Luo said, taking a deep breath.

As he spoke, he briefly explained poisoning the second level gate to gain entry.

Upon hearing this, the old man looked shocked. "You dared to do that?"

Zhou Luo offered a pained smile. "I thought I wouldn’t be caught."

His actions had indeed been covert. If the family hadn’t sent Lin Xuanfeng, Lin Hui’s investigative ability would probably have led to the case being dropped eventually.

"Ai, you still underestimated how seriously the main family values this spiritual mine," the old man sighed.

"This is just a new mine, isn’t it?" Zhou Luo asked, puzzled.

In his understanding, besides being a newly developed source with more spiritual stones, was it any different from the other spiritual mines?

"Precisely because it’s a new spiritual mine, there must be secrets to hide." The old man straightened his back, leaning against the bed head.

"Secrets? What secrets?"

Zhou Luo instinctively sat up straighter, his expression turning serious.

So this is why the main family had been obstructing me all along.

But the old man suddenly asked, "Do you think you can leave this spiritual mine?"

Believing he worried for his safety, Zhou Luo replied, "In one month, I’ll attend the Qinyuan Sect for studies. I just need to remain safe during this month to leave."

"No wonder the Great Elder sent you." The old man mysteriously uttered these words.

Zhou Luo frowned slightly.

Didn’t the main family assign me this task?

He brushed the thought aside and pressed, "Senior, what is the spiritual mine’s secret?"

The old man gazed at him deeply and began his tale.

His name was Lin Xianlong, a high-tier formation master.

After the family seized the mine, he was dispatched to maintain existing formations and construct new ones.

Apart from him, another formation master worked on the second level.

As an operative of the Great Elder, Lin Xianlong knew his duties extended beyond formations—he was to spy on the main family.

Securing this new spiritual mine involved complex negotiations; the Great Elder relinquished his claim on it in exchange for control over the family’s other mines.

That explained the recent deployment of many formation masters to those sites.

The Great Elder suspected the main family’s intense focus on this new mine hinted at something far more valuable hidden within.

Thus, Lin Xianlong’s mission was to uncover its secret.

Yet, he never anticipated the main family had no intention of hiding it from him.

Soon, he and the other formation master were transferred to the mine’s fourth level.

"There’s a fourth level?"

Zhou Luo was visibly shocked upon hearing this.

Previously, according to Lin Shi, didn’t this mine only have three levels?

"Indeed. The fourth level is restricted, accessible only to the main family’s core members," Lin Xianlong clarified.

The main family escorted him to the fourth level, instructing him to build defensive formations to conceal it and prevent intrusions.

Only upon arriving there did Lin Xianlong finally understand the main family’s unwavering determination to control this new mine.

For it contained nothing less than a small spiritual vein.

Spiritual veins are classified into six categories by size: miniature, small, medium, large, giant, and unique variants.

Miniature veins, the most abundant variety, cater to individual cultivation and are exploited as spiritual mines by families and Immortal Sects.

Next are small veins. Boasting denser and purer spiritual energy, they are ideal foundations for establishing new families.

The Lin Family’s vein belongs precisely to this category.

Medium veins possess even greater density and purity, invariably monopolized by powerful Immortal Sects.

It is said the Qinyuan Sect was built upon one such vein.

The largest types—giant and unique veins—are exceedingly rare, typically controlled by imperial dynasties, great clans, or major Immortal Sects.

Simply put, a single small vein could birth a new long-life family, its potent spiritual energy enabling cultivators to progress by leaps and bounds.

Hearing this secret, Zhou Luo was profoundly shaken.

No wonder cultivating on the first level proved so remarkably swift.

He had assumed this efficiency was normal, unaware the mine hid a coveted small vein.

"Why won’t the main family announce this discovery? It could immensely strengthen our family." Zhou Luo couldn’t help but protest.

A new small vein could elevate the Lin Family above the other Five Great Long-Life Families, potentially even nurturing a new Foundation Establishment strong person.

"Hah." Lin Xianlong scoffed coldly.

"I once thought the main family, though authoritarian, still prioritized family benefit. Yet to cling to power, they’ve proven themselves utterly shameless."

"Upon discovering the vein, their first instinct was to suppress the news. They then dispatched waves of their own descendants to cultivate here privately, fully intending to conceal this from the entire family."

Zhou Luo fell silent.

So this was why the Great Elder had specifically sent Lin De to warn him before his assignment here.

Clearly, the main family had no ethical constraints left in their quest for dominance.

Simultaneously, Lin Xianlong’s words churned violent waves within Zhou Luo.

For at that moment, it suddenly occurred to him that he truly might be inevitably doomed.