Evan Lin immediately sensed something was off. This fat, big-eared guy had appeared behind him without a sound, and Evan hadn’t noticed at all. There was only one explanation: the man’s strength was formidable—at least much greater than Evan’s own.
Though a bit worried inside, Evan wasn’t the type to back down from trouble. He pretended not to see the man, turned around, and got ready to leave. But the fat, big-eared middle-aged man just smiled and said, “Kid, you’ve got guts, sneaking around the mine like this. Did you know this place is off-limits? Break the rules here and you’ll be punished.”
“I don’t know any rules here. Besides, I just arrived and I’m leaving now, so that shouldn’t count as breaking any rules, right?” Evan replied, though he was inwardly frustrated—looks like he couldn’t leave even if he wanted to. This place was clearly some kind of prison for convicts. He cursed himself for wanting to train here; now he’d gotten himself into trouble for nothing.
The fat, big-eared middle-aged man glanced at Evan and laughed, “Now that you’re here, don’t even think about leaving. The mine is short on hands right now, so your arrival is just what we need. Actually, the mine isn’t exactly what you saw before—those people coming and going are all serious offenders, so of course they’re punished.
People who go straight into the mine rarely come out, since there are independent rest areas inside the tunnels. In fact, plenty of folks actually volunteer to come here to temper themselves. Any Immortal Stones you dig up can be absorbed on the spot, though you can’t take them out. As long as you work hard, breaking through realms is easy, and once your cultivation rises, you’ll get promoted. This is a place where lots of nobodies make it big—don’t underestimate it. Not just anyone can get in here.”
Evan was stunned—the mine sounded way better than he’d expected. He laughed, “It’s not easy for people to get out, right? Isn’t it basically a nine-deaths-one-life kind of place? You really think I don’t know? And this whole thing about freely absorbing Immortal Stones—come on, that’s a scam. Nothing in this world is that easy.”
“Heh, you’re not stupid, kid! True, most who go in die in there. But anyone who makes it out gets the City Lord’s favor—no question about it. This world’s survival of the fittest; only the strong live. I doubt you’re weak. As for Immortal Stones, you really can absorb them, but there’s a catch.”
Evan thought the guy was probably telling the truth. Judging by his attitude, this man’s status in the mine was pretty high. So he asked, “What’s the catch? I bet it’s pretty harsh, right?”
“Immortal Stones are extremely precious in the Immortal Realm. The Coldriver Immortal Mine is actually pretty small. High-grade Immortal Stones are tough to find—maybe a hundred a year at most. But there are plenty of low-grade and mid-grade stones: tens of thousands of low-grade and thousands of mid-grade every year.
The ore is incredibly hard, so mining it is a pain. That’s why I set up a reward system: dig up fifty low-grade Immortal Stones and you get one as a bonus, plus two days’ rest. Five mid-grade stones earns you two low-grade stones and two days off. If you manage to dig up a high-grade Immortal Stone, you get five low-grade stones and three days’ rest.
Most ordinary Immortals don’t even own a single low-grade Immortal Stone. Normally, they have to cultivate by absorbing the thin Immortal Essence in the air, which makes breakthroughs nearly impossible. So I’m basically helping everyone train, indirectly. You’re a smart guy—you get what I mean, right?” the middle-aged man said.
Evan thought for a moment and asked, “Are you the mine master here? Has anyone ever dug up a supreme-grade Immortal Stone? What kind of reward would they get?”
“Supreme-grade Immortal Stones have appeared before, but that was thousands of years ago. This vein is only low-grade, so high-quality stones are extremely rare. If someone really digs one up, they’ll immediately regain their freedom, get hundreds of low-grade Immortal Stones, and be promoted to a mine guard with a monthly salary of ten low-grade stones,” the middle-aged man replied.
“Sounds good. I’ll go in and take a look. But I prefer solitude—I don’t like working with others. Are there any tunnels I can use alone?” Evan asked.
“Of course there are solo tunnels, but they’re all abandoned waste tunnels. I’d advise against it, though. You have to hand in Immortal Stones every month—less than ten and you end up like those guys you saw outside, hauling waste rock as a laborer for a month until the next batch of failed miners takes over, while you go back underground to dig,” the middle-aged man said.
“I see. Still, I want to try the abandoned tunnels. I usually have pretty good luck—maybe I’ll dig up some Immortal Stones,” Evan said.
The middle-aged man hesitated for a moment, then said, “If you want to enter the waste tunnels, I’ll grant your request. What’s your name?”
"I’m Evan Lin. By the way, what tools do I need for mining Immortal Stones? Don’t tell me I have to dig with my bare hands!" Evan suddenly asked—this was a crucial question.
“You’ll get the tools once you enter the tunnels, don’t worry about that. Come on, let’s head inside—I’m curious what kind of surprises you’ll bring me,” the middle-aged man said.
Evan followed the mine master into the tunnels. People glanced over, whispering with surprise—it was rare for the mine master to show up in person, and even stranger to see him bring along a new face. That unfamiliar young man must be a fresh miner, right?
Curious murmurs rippled through the crowd, mixing with the shouts of guards and the groans of laborers nearby. After nearly half an hour of walking, the mine master finally stopped and pointed ahead, saying to Evan, "This whole area is basically the abandoned tunnel zone. It’s been mined for tens of thousands of years—almost all the Immortal Stones are gone. Sure you don’t want to reconsider?"
“No need—I like challenging myself. Just have someone get me the tools. After a month, the Immortal Stones will naturally show up,” Evan said confidently.
“Good, I hope you can deliver on that. One more thing: if your luck’s really good and you hand in twenty Immortal Stones in a month, you’ll get ten days’ rest; thirty stones earns twenty days; fifty stones means a whole month off. And only in the third month will someone check your haul. Work hard!” the middle-aged man said.