Evan Chu's expression shifted slightly. "This mine is really nothing like those back in the Immortal Realm. Getting Violet Cloud Crystals here is a real pain. What tools do people usually use to dig? I want to try mining myself and see if I can get anything out of it."
"The tools are basically picks and shovels, but they're specially forged to be extra durable. If you really need them, young master, I can get some for you. But I don't get why you want to dig for Violet Cloud Crystals yourself. If you need them, I could just give you tens of thousands right now." The old man asked, puzzled.
"It's just a personal hobby of mine. Mining here helps temper my mindset, and it's best if nobody disturbs me. It might even help me get stronger. Spread the word—I don't want anyone coming into Mine Tunnel No. 19. Go get the tools ready." Evan said calmly.
The old man turned and left the tunnel. Evan Chu stood quietly, carefully surveying the surroundings. Violet Cloud Crystals were precious, but honestly, they weren't all that useful to him; he had tons of God Stones in his Coiling-Dragon Ring, enough to last him for ages. The real reason he was doing this was to see if there was a mine core hidden beneath this tunnel.
If he could dig up the mine core, that would be a whole different story. The quality of Violet Cloud Crystals would skyrocket, and if the quantity was big enough, it could be a huge help for founding his own sect in the future. Since he'd come to this treasure mountain, there was no way he'd leave empty-handed—that just wasn't Evan Chu's style.
After a while, the old man came back in. "Young master, here are the tools you wanted. I've put them all inside this ring, and I've officially made Mine Tunnel No. 19 a restricted zone. No one else can come near, so you can train here in peace. If you need anything, just send someone to let me know."
Evan took the storage ring and said, "Good. Go handle your own affairs. When I come out again, I'll definitely have a surprise for you."
The old man knew Evan was unpredictable, so he didn't say anything more and left. Evan then pulled out a shovel from the storage ring, ready to start a frenzy of digging in the mine tunnel.
He picked a spot nobody had worked on and gripped the shovel, digging into the rock. Immediately, he found the hardness was no less than steel. After nearly half a stick of incense, he'd only managed to dig out a small lump of ore, and as for Violet Cloud Crystals, he hadn't seen even a shadow of one.
His shovel was already badly worn. "This really isn't work for a normal person... Maybe I should try going down into the soil?" Evan muttered to himself.
With a thought, Evan activated Earthshift and sank into the soil. He found that using Earthshift to enter the earth was pure torment—the resistance underground was immense, and by the time he reached two meters deep, his movements had slowed to a crawl.
But during his descent, he spotted a few low-grade Violet Cloud Crystals. Evan knew the deeper you went, the higher the quality of the crystals—and the easier it was to find the mine core. But actually penetrating deeper was insanely hard. His Earthshift was only at second layer; maybe if he broke through to third layer, he'd have a shot. Problem was, breaking through to third layer was a huge challenge in itself.
Only by pushing through adversity can you break through and grow—Evan had always understood this truth. Maybe this brutal earth would be just what he needed to push his Earthshift to the next level.
Breaking through realms in the God Realm wasn't easy. Without luck and enough resources, becoming a top expert was impossible. Evan kept inching downward, every step a struggle—the elemental pressure in the earth was so intense, it felt like the crushing force inside a Space Domain, making it hard to breathe.
"This is the perfect place to train my resistance to pressure. If I can handle this, then when a powerful foe tries to trap me in a Space Domain, I'll be able to withstand the pressure and have enough time to break out and seize my chance." Evan thought to himself.
Determined, Evan decided to break through here. Bit by bit, he kept sinking deeper, sweat pouring down his body, the pain growing stronger. If he gave up now, everything would be wasted—he had to push himself to the limit.
It felt like facing a peerless enemy—if he couldn't endure, he'd lose his life. The exhaustion was brutal, but Evan pressed on. He'd reached three meters deep now, and around him, he saw traces of mid-grade Violet Cloud Crystals.
The whole process felt like a life-or-death battle, and his Chaos Divine Power was nearly drained. "Time to head up and recover my Chaos Divine Power. Once I'm restored, I'll dive again."
Evan surfaced, the pressure gone, and felt strangely light. He pulled out God Stones from his storage ring and split his focus, absorbing their energy.
After about a day, he was fully recovered and dove down again. Over and over, he repeated the cycle: absorb, dive, endure the crushing pressure, and each time his body's tolerance improved. Now he could go down to four meters, and his descent was a bit faster than before.
Half a month passed quickly. Evan was now holding steady at five meters deep—the absolute limit he could manage. Here, he started seeing high-grade Violet Cloud Crystals. He'd never seen them before, but he could tell from their energy fluctuations.
When he ran out of Chaos Divine Power, he absorbed God Stones; when he hit his limit, he paused to recover. Unknowingly, Evan's realm quietly broke through—and in just two months, he'd reached mid-stage Heavenly God Realm, a speed that was basically unheard of.
But Evan's face showed little joy. Even now, he was just an ant in the God Realm—he needed far more power. Progress was no excuse to stop. With his strength rising, his endurance grew as well; now he could stay at six meters deep.
Since Mine Tunnel No. 19 became a forbidden zone, nobody came to disturb him. Even Elder Lee, the Punishment Hall Master from the City Lord's Mansion, stayed away. He knew Evan needed time to get stronger, and although he had no idea how Evan was doing it, he was sure that when Evan emerged, his progress would be monstrous—after all, he was Lord Frostbane reborn.
In cultivation, time flies unnoticed. Evan ended up spending two whole years in the mine tunnel. Now, he was showing clear signs of breaking through to late-stage Heavenly God Realm. What he lacked was a final opening—a breakthrough point. Once he seized it, he was sure he could plunge ten meters down into the earth...