diskusbooks Chapter 584 - 583: Cozy Nest
Chapter 584 - 583: Cozy Nest
If Si Shuo hadn’t needed so much Spiritual Energy to replicate Crystal Stones, it would have been difficult to distinguish the natural Spiritual Energy from what was leaking out of the Crystal Stone Mine during replenishment.
The closer they got, the more the Spiritual Energy seemed to be drawn from the cracks, which was how Ji Liang had found the spot.
Wei Ce quickly followed a crack, feeling the Spiritual Energy grow increasingly dense. The rat hole only led close to a fissure in the rock, but the sheer concentration of Spiritual Energy seeping out had already condensed into droplets!
A powerful, excited shiver ran through him.
"Brother Ce, what’s wrong? Did you use too much spiritual power?" Si Shuo asked softly, worried she might disturb him.
Wei Ce slowly opened his eyes and pulled her into a fierce hug. "No, I’m just overjoyed and excited. The Spiritual Energy outside the forest, where we’re from, is too scarce. There are Crystal Stone Mines, but everyone jealously guards the ones they have, and they aren’t very large anyway.
The Spiritual Energy on the Yongchang Continent is abundant, and there are many Crystal Stone Mines, but nearly all of them have been guarded by the same families for generations. New discoveries are rare.
We’re really lucky. I suspect the Crystal Stone Mine below is quite large."
Si Shuo looked at him, happy and curious. "Brother Ce, how do you know this Crystal Stone Mine is so large?"
"Just the concentration of Spiritual Energy leaking from the cracks is enough to prove it. Plus, I think I detected Crystal Marrow," Wei Ce explained patiently.
Ji Liang added, "A Crystal Stone Mine that has Crystal Marrow can absorb natural Spiritual Energy to produce Crystal Stones. When the Crystal Stones reach a certain point, they can in turn nurture more Crystal Marrow... Crystal Marrow is incredibly pure, and its effects are heaven-defying. While it can’t bring the dead back to life and regrow flesh on bones, it can easily awaken a superpower in a Beastman who doesn’t have one.
So whichever family, tribe, or nation controls a Crystal Stone Mine can produce a force of highly talented Abnormal Beast Soldiers!"
It dawned on Si Shuo. "So you’re saying that the High level Beastmen on the Yongchang Continent might have taken elixirs refined from Crystal Marrow? Is that why their cultivation is generally three or four levels higher than the Beastmen from outside the forest?"
Ji Liang nodded. "That’s right. The Spiritual Energy on the Yongchang Continent is dense, so ordinary Beastmen with superpowers are typically only one or two levels higher than us. Anyone higher than that has either had an extraordinary opportunity or comes from a powerful family."
At the end of the day, the resources outside the forest were simply too scarce, limiting the Beastmen’s ability to awaken and level up their superpowers.
After a moment of sober reflection, they immediately refocused their attention on the Crystal Stone Mine at their feet.
Wei Ce said in a low voice, "Shuo, we don’t have the power to protect this Crystal Stone Mine right now. Mining it on a large scale would just expose its existence."
Ji Liang frowned as well. "Forget large-scale mining. If we so much as chisel a tiny hole in the rock face, the leaking Spiritual Energy would probably be detected by those madmen who hunt for mineral deposits."
A Crystal Stone Mine was a heaven-defying treasure, the kind that could make a Beast King launch an all-out invasion to conquer and plunder it.
Si Shuo’s expression grew solemn. Many people were already watching her because of the Beast Mark. If word got out that she also possessed a Crystal Stone Mine, her entire family—and even the Iron eating Beast Clan—would be one step away from annihilation.
"Then let’s not mine it. When the time comes, I’ll just have Xiao Cheng turn into a rat or a snake and take me inside. We can stick close to the cracks and absorb the Spiritual Energy to replicate Crystal Stones!" Si Shuo said with a light laugh. "I’ll just replicate Seventeenth Level attributeless crystal stones anyway. With a mine this huge, it doesn’t matter what element it is. Our whole family will be able to use the stones I make, and they’ll have fewer impurities.
From now on, I won’t have to make such a big commotion and find a new place every time I replicate a single Crystal Stone."
Ji Liang and Wei Ce glanced at each other, both realizing they had been thinking about it all wrong. They were focused on how to mine the Crystal Stone Mine without being discovered, but they never imagined she was just looking for a quiet, safe haven to do her replications.
Who could stand guard over such immense wealth and not be blinded by greed? They had almost taken a huge risk, forgetting the old saying: the only way to keep a secret is to not do the deed at all.
They never expected her request to be so simple.
"Alright, whatever you say," Ji Liang said, affectionately putting his arm around her shoulder.
Si Shuo smiled, pressing her lips together. "And it won’t just be me and Xiao Cheng. You can all take turns. I heard that cultivating in a place with such dense Spiritual Energy can also gradually nurture and improve one’s talent!"
At this, her eyes shone even brighter. "Why don’t we leave one person on night watch in the guest cave, while the rest of us shrink down and cultivate underground? The coldest season is long. If we cultivate here, we’ll be ready to astonish everyone come spring!"
The two men couldn’t figure out what went on in her head. Since the Crystal Stone Mine couldn’t be moved, she wanted to move into it, so eager she might as well set up a home there.
With that in mind, they didn’t want to waste another moment. After returning to the cave, Ji Liang explained the situation in a few quick words.
Zhi Le raised an eyebrow and smiled. "I have the Clone Ability, so I’ll stand guard. That way, I can cultivate while monitoring things here and handle both at once."
They would definitely be using the Time Law. Male lifespans were already longer than those of females, but no male would bear the thought of standing guard outside for one night while she spent ten days inside the bubble of the Time Law.
"Bro, you’re a true brother," Xiao Cheng praised generously.
Si Shuo nodded enthusiastically and said with a smile, "My Zhi Le is such a keeper!" Then she leaned close to his ear.
Zhi Le’s ears turned red. He ruffled Si Shuo’s hair and, with a knowing look, set up a Protective Shield to give them some privacy.
"Since our Zhi Le is doing the work of two or three men, he naturally deserves a reward..."
Zhi Le wrapped an arm around her waist and leaned down to claim his reward. His passion was just as it was when they first met, always leaving her flustered and happy, unable to resist.
Zhi Zhan stayed behind while Ji Liang led the rest of the family back to the mountain with the Crystal Stone Mine.
Wei Ce uncovered the rat hole hidden among the tree roots and looked at Xiao Cheng with a raised eyebrow. "Alright, brother. Time for you to do the dirty work. Go scout the path for us."
Xiao Cheng’s mouth twitched. He glanced at Si Shuo and sighed. ’To think that someone as handsome, dashing, and suave as me now has the great responsibility of squeezing into a rat hole. It’s a serious blow to my magnificent reputation.’
’Still, he was secretly delighted to be making a contribution to the family.’ He immediately transformed into the hamster Si Shuo had once turned the cub into.
Si Shuo’s eyes sparkled. She couldn’t help but crouch down and poke Xiao Cheng’s head with her finger.
Xiao Cheng nuzzled her finger. Under the jealous stares of his Couple Brothers, he reluctantly waved a tiny paw at her, then resolutely jumped into the rat hole and began scurrying after the trail of Wei Ce’s Spiritual Power.
The rat hole twisted and turned, and Xiao Cheng was almost dizzy from the winding path before he finally started following the trail of dense Spiritual Energy.
When he reached the deepest part of the tunnel, he found it opened into the widest area yet—a full square meter!
An eerie green Wood Element Spiritual Energy wafted from a fissure in the rock. As the energy touched the ceiling, it condensed into liquid. DRIP. DRIP. It splashed into a small pool about the size of two palms.
Xiao Cheng couldn’t help but take a deep breath. He felt a satisfaction and euphoria, like the afterglow of reaching the pinnacle of pleasure with Si Shuo...