"Taking Ye Chen's opportunity was the cause, and now, driving away the ominous entities for him is the effect," Lu Xuan mused. "This settles the karma between us. I won't take too much of this Spirit Crystal Mine—Ye Chen and I will split it, fifty-fifty!"

Lu Xuan continued deeper. Some of the ominous entities, driven by their Persistent Thought, manifested as murky black fog. The moment they sensed him, they immediately tried to flee. Too late. A profound, mysterious resonance descended, and they were instantly pulverized into dust. Lu Xuan thought to himself, "Well, that's convenient. At least I'm only running into Saint King and Profound Saint level entities at most."

Moments later, Lu Xuan shifted his consciousness, using the wisp of divine sense he'd left on Ye Chen to observe the fight.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Ye Chen's white robes billowed, his body radiating brilliant divine light. Behind him, his Martial Dao Furnace raged like a hundred thousand burning flames, the sound of the Dao roaring. Every move he made, every lift of his hand, unleashed supreme destructive power. He channeled the Desolate Heaven Art, manifesting the Invincible Stance that cloaked him in an overwhelming, tyrannical force—a power that felt inexhaustible.

Only Luo Feng remained. The rest of the Heavenly Net Hall members lay dead, their bodies scattered across the ground, a gruesome scene of blood and gore. Luo Feng was wreathed in an intensely ominous black mist, giving him a spectral appearance. His attacks were formidable, yet they paled drastically before Ye Chen.

The two clashed wildly, a blur of motion. Luo Feng was visibly failing. His face was ghastly pale and contorted into a snarl. "Ye Chen, what in the hell is that technique? Why do you just get stronger the longer we fight?"

Ye Chen merely sneered, offering no reply. Blood sprayed from Luo Feng's body; Ye Chen's martial power had already shattered his internal organs. Luo Feng couldn't comprehend it. He had unleashed his ultimate secret technique—a treasure bestowed upon his father by the Heavenly Net Hall Master, Soul Severer, for meritorious service—yet he was still nowhere near Ye Chen's level. Rage and disbelief consumed him. "I won't accept this! I'm a Profound Venerate Stage Four cultivator, and you're only Profound Sovereign Late-stage!"

In a flash, Pfft! Ye Chen's palm struck Luo Feng's chest. His martial will erupted in a golden wave, instantly purifying the ominous black mist shrouding Luo Feng. Martial Will shatters all laws!

Luo Feng screamed, "No, no!" The black mist was his life-saving trump card; its dissipation meant a catastrophic drop in power.

Ye Chen stared down coldly, his hand clamping around Luo Feng's throat. "Die."

Luo Feng let out a final, twisted laugh. "My father is the Heavenly Net Hall Master of Yunzhou, a Five-star Great Emperor! If you dare kill me, he will hunt you to the ends of the world—"

Ye Chen cut him off with a contemptuous scoff. "Try me." He squeezed. Crack! Luo Feng's head was severed from his body, which plummeted from the sky. Blood erupted like a geyser. Luo Feng was instantly dead.

Just then, a wisp of ominous black mist floated from Luo Feng's corpse, drifting toward Ye Chen. Yao Yan cried out in alarm, "Chen'er, dodge! That's the Heavenly Net Hall's Death Mark! Once it brands you, they can track your location using a secret art!"

Ye Chen immediately retreated, but it was useless. The mark attached itself directly to his white robes, manifesting as a small, black palace emblem.

Hiss! Yao Yan gasped, drawing a sharp breath. "It's the Heavenly Net Hall's signature mark! This must be the work of Luo Feng's father!" Ye Chen frowned slightly.

Yao Yan said, "Let me try to erase it." A profound, obscure power flowed from the jade pendant on Ye Chen's chest, surging toward the black palace emblem. Two forces clashed, a terrifying confrontation of destructive power. In the space of a breath, Yao Yan was defeated. He coughed once. "Chen'er, my apologies. That is a Great Emperor's technique; I cannot erase it."

Ye Chen nodded. "Thank you, Elder Yao. We'll ignore the mark for now."

Yao Yan reassured him, "However, if that Hall Master dares to strike at you, your Master will certainly intervene! We have nothing to fear." Divine light surged in Ye Chen's eyes. "Understood."

Yao Yan spoke with unconcealed excitement. "A supreme magnate like your Master, when you call his name, he will sense it! At that time, Peak Master Lu need only make a slight move, and that will be the absolute limit of the Southern Wilds' power."

Ye Chen's heart trembled, and he clenched his fist. "I hope it doesn't come to disturbing Master!"

Yao Yan smiled faintly. "Your Master won't interfere in the battle of the younger generation. But if anyone tries to bully you with their seniority or power, Peak Master Lu will strike them down, no matter the distance!" Ye Chen nodded in solemn agreement.

Soon after, Ye Chen collected all the Heavenly Net Hall disciples' storage rings and headed toward the mine entrance. Watching this, Lu Xuan remarked casually, "Ye Chen's martial heritage is terrifying, possessing the will to shatter all laws! But by killing Luo Feng, he's incurred a major karmic debt."

He then glanced at the pile of corpses on the ground. A slight, irritating itch, like a foxtail brushing his heart, bothered him. Something was missing. Lu Xuan slowly shook his head. "What a shame. After killing them, he neither destroyed the bodies nor erased the battle traces, nor did he send their souls to reincarnation. His attention to detail is lacking!"

He mused, "Even Ye Chen's Quasi-Emperor protector missed this detail. It seems attention to detail has nothing to do with cultivation realm." In his opinion, a man should be... ahem, no, he should be meticulous! He refocused on Ye Chen.

Ye Chen had reached the entrance formation. Although Yao Yan was a Quasi-Emperor, his mastery of formations was rudimentary, forcing him to slowly guide Ye Chen through the array's weak points. Ye Chen moved cautiously, appearing somewhat clumsy. Sometimes, Yao Yan's guidance was wrong, causing the formation to unleash a destructive strike that Ye Chen had to resist with a full-force punch!

Lu Xuan internally calculated, "At this rate, it'll take Ye Chen several days to enter the Supreme Spirit Crystal Mine. Even with the subtle help of the Power of Destiny, he'll need at least four days." His own time was ample. He wasn't worried, as his wisp of divine sense on Ye Chen allowed him to monitor the situation constantly.

Lu Xuan's consciousness returned to his body, and he began mining the Spirit Crystal Mine. This wasn't unearned wealth! With a flick of his sleeve, Lu Xuan summoned a massive number of wooden puppets. They instantly transformed into a mining crew. Men and women, old and young, of every cultivation realm—from Nine-star Profound Saint down to Qi Condensation—poured out like a tide, scattering across the mine.

The Profound Saint puppets were serious and composed, their eyes devoid of emotion as they diligently retrieved their spirit hammers and began mining. In contrast, the lower the cultivation, the more cheerful the puppet. The Qi Condensation puppets grabbed their hammers, beaming with joy, even cheering, "Yahoo! Time to work!"

Clang! Clang! Clang! Wielding their spiritual artifact hammers, the cultivators struck the Supreme Spirit Crystal Mine again and again. The entire mine instantly filled with the rhythmic clang of metal on stone, like a massive forge at work. Clink! Clank! The dislodged crystals shone with divine light, illuminating the tunnel in a dazzling display. Lu Xuan supervised the operation, taking a brief rest.

Soon, a steady stream of Spirit Crystals flowed into his storage ring. A rare feeling of satisfaction stirred in Lu Xuan's heart. The feeling of a good haul is truly excellent! He allowed himself a small moment of happiness.

Two days later, Lu Xuan's mining army was in full swing. From Nine-star Profound Saints to Qi Condensation cultivators, they mined in silent diligence. Spirit Crystals continuously fell wherever they worked. While the Profound Saints were the main force, the Qi Condensation puppets, though inefficient, were better than nothing. Lu Xuan meticulously controlled the distribution of the loot. Since he had promised Ye Chen a fifty-fifty split, that's exactly what he would take—no more! It was Ye Chen's due reward.

Now, Lu Xuan had a more important task: the "Ancient Method of Antiquing." What did that mean? He needed to erase all traces of his excavation and infuse the remaining Spirit Crystal Mine with an ancient, obscure power, making it look exactly as primitive and weathered as it had before, filled with the marks of time. This was an area Lu Xuan was quite proficient in, and something he genuinely enjoyed doing. He called it "Restoring the Scene."

With a thought and a flick of his sleeve, Lu Xuan channeled a spirit art. An endless, profound, and obscure power surged out like a tide, radiating an ancient aura. He had already studied the spiritual patterns and geological structure of this Supreme Spirit Crystal Mine. He could restore it to 98% of its original state. The only difference was that before, he had to duck and bend to enter; now, the tunnel was wide enough for him to walk through freely. Lu Xuan muttered, "Well, that saves Ye Chen a lot of effort." However, without his mining army, it would still take Ye Chen a considerable amount of time to excavate the rest of the mine.

With this in mind, Lu Xuan moved in and out of the mine tunnels. He imprinted profound, ancient patterns onto the walls. Soon, the previously smooth crystal surfaces were replaced by rough, irregular edges, rippling with dazzling light. But that wasn't enough! That was just the form. Lu Xuan continued to channel his spirit art, condensing the ancient 'Dao and Essence' onto the remaining Spirit Crystals. He even thoughtfully installed a "random detachment" feature for the remaining crystals.

For example, as Ye Chen walked, a chunk of crystal might fall from the ceiling and hit his head. Or, as he stepped, the crystal beneath his feet might suddenly loosen, causing him to fall into a large pit. A slight smile touched Lu Xuan's lips. "This truly captures the essence of a Supreme Spirit Crystal Mine that has endured endless years of erosion." He was dedicated to crafting the most authentic, primeval mining experience for Ye Chen!

While working, Lu Xuan checked on Ye Chen's progress. Ugh... Ye Chen was still struggling to advance at the entrance of the Supreme Spirit Crystal Mine, moving as slowly as a snail burdened by its heavy shell. Lu Xuan muttered, "This ancient remnant formation is Quasi-Emperor tier. It's certainly difficult for Ye Chen, who is only Profound Sovereign Late-stage. And his Quasi-Emperor protector is clearly not a master of formations."

Another half-day passed. Lu Xuan had successfully extracted exactly half of the Supreme Spirit Crystal Mine. "That's a wrap!" Lu Xuan commanded. The wooden puppets cheered and rushed back toward him.

"Yahoo!" The Qi Condensation puppets raised their hammers in celebration. The Profound Saint puppets remained mostly expressionless and silent. A massive tide of puppets surged forward. After two and a half days of non-stop mining, the puppets looked exhausted. One of the Qi Condensation puppets plopped down, whining, "I'm so tired."

Lu Xuan announced, "Each of you gets one Supreme Spirit Crystal as compensation! If that's not enough, come find me, but absolutely no stealing!" A wave of excited chatter followed. Lu Xuan smiled faintly and flicked his sleeve, collecting all the wooden puppets. The operation had indeed drained a lot of their life force. He'd have to let them recover once they left this inheritance realm. He knew the puppets were merely extensions of his divine sense, so talking to them was essentially talking to himself. It was a small joke he played on himself. Since the haul was significant, he could afford to be happy.

Lu Xuan, in good spirits, performed one final check of the Supreme Spirit Crystal Mine. Everything was ready, awaiting Ye Chen's arrival. With his work complete, Lu Xuan prepared to leave.

Boom! His figure blurred instantly, transforming into a wisp of light wind and vanishing from the spot.

Another two days passed.

Ye Chen finally stepped into the Supreme Spirit Crystal Mine. As he pushed open the heavy, ancient stone door, his eyes met endless dust covering the steps and scattered piles of dry bones in the corners. An ancient wind blew in from outside, and the bones instantly disintegrated into fine powder, scattering on the air.

Yao Yan suddenly sounded excited. He laughed, "Chen'er, hurry and look around! This Spirit Mine is extraordinary!"

Ye Chen asked curiously, "Elder Yao, have you found something new?"

Yao Yan chuckled. "I suspect this isn't just a Supreme Spirit Stone Mine—it's a Supreme Spirit Crystal Mine!"

Shock flashed across Ye Chen's face. After a moment of silence, he began descending the steps. Elder Yao instructed, "I will use my divine sense to scout for dangers. You just focus on moving forward." Ye Chen replied, "Understood."

***

Back at the Grand Dao Sect.

In a hidden area, the Heavenly Star Old Ancestor was still fishing. Lu Xuan, lying on a stone slab, asked, "Heavenly Star Old Ancestor, is the Great Emperor Dao Pattern baptism finished yet?"

The Heavenly Star Old Ancestor replied, "Just give me one more hour!"

Lu Xuan: "..." Sigh. The Heavenly Star Old Ancestor was completely hooked! Lu Xuan understood—once you get obsessed with fishing, there's no stopping it.

Ji Fuyao approached Lu Xuan, her starry eyes flickering, and whispered, "Master, what should we do?"