Chapter 132: Expedition into the Mine

Half a month later.

An off-road vehicle traveled unhurriedly along a mountain road.

Cheng Zhi, wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses, held a map and studied it carefully. This was no ordinary topographical map, but a mineral distribution chart, marked with deposits of various sizes.

"Fatty, turn left and follow this small ridge. This is the most secluded mining area, likely a jadeite mine. Sir, let's check this place out first; if it looks promising, we can start our search here."

Zhou Yi nodded. Leaving such matters to Cheng Zhi was a good arrangement.

Over the past few days, they had visited several locations. While they had indeed detected the presence of spirit stones, they were buried too deep to reach in a short time, and even with Fatty’s efforts, they were beyond reach. Consequently, they had begun scouting this region to stake out potential sites.

After all, there were countless mines here, and Chinese jade gamblers arrived in an endless stream. In such places, people died every day; profit was the greatest catalyst, and every day these mines staged dramas of surprise, expectation, and despair.

Zhou Yi stretched, a movement that instantly woke Sophia. Ever since she had bathed Zhou Yi last time, she had remained inseparable from him. Although Zhou Yi hadn’t offered an explanation or explicitly stated what had happened, Sophia sensed a lingering air of danger. Whether she rested in Zhou Yi’s room or stayed in the one opposite, she made no other moves, and Zhou Yi naturally did not stop her.

Seeing that Zhou Yi was awake, she handed him a bottle of water. Although it was only late April, it was already sweltering here. To inspect the mine, they rolled down the windows, and a wave of heat rushed in.

Raising their binoculars, the four of them looked toward the mine in the valley.

At the edge were some makeshift shacks, while in the center stood wooden-framed tunnels. Ore carts and piles of dilapidated equipment were scattered about; some were covered by tarps that had long since rotted away, and the rust on the machinery was clearly visible.

However, in such a large mining area, not a single person was to be seen, which was somewhat strange.

Zhou Yi closed his eyes slightly and extended his senses. There was no one in the shacks, the tunnels, or the surroundings. Yet, within the tunnels, he felt a faint, warm aura. Zhou Yi opened his eyes instantly.

He tossed the binoculars onto the seat and stepped out of the car.

"Let’s go down and take a look. This should be an abandoned mining area. I didn’t find anyone."

Sophia followed him out. She knew Zhou Yi’s sensory abilities best, and she, too, had detected no one nearby. The dust and rust on the equipment clearly hadn’t formed overnight.

"This place has been abandoned for quite a while; everything is rusted through."

The four of them exited the vehicle and walked quickly toward the tunnel entrance. The shacks were filled with all kinds of trash, and the ground was covered in thick dust and traces of excrement.

Cheng Zhi opened his backpack, put on his headlamp, and checked his walkie-talkie and other gear. He was the most experienced among them; as a geology major who had searched for spirit stones many times, he had prepared all the equipment.

Zhou Yi and the others followed suit, equipping themselves before heading down into the tunnel. The further they descended, the more intense the warmth below became.

Glancing at the other three, Zhou Yi’s gaze settled on Cheng Zhi in front.

"Cheng Zhi, do you feel any spirit stones?"

Cheng Zhi shook his head slightly, his brows furrowed in frustration.

"I’ve sensed a few in the surrounding area over the past few days, but they were too deep for us to reach. This location seems closer to where we found traces in the neighboring ridge. I want to see if the tunnel extends in that direction. If it does, we can try digging a section."

Zhou Yi nodded without further comment.

If Cheng Zhi couldn't sense them, what was the source of that warmth below?

Without ore carts, they proceeded on foot, making their progress slow. Cheng Zhi stopped from time to time to chip off a piece of rock for examination, slowing them down even further.

After walking and stopping for nearly two hours, they reached the bottom of the tunnel. Looking up, they saw two tunnels branching off to the left and right. The tracks on the ground remained, evidently having been in use.

Cheng Zhi turned to look at Zhou Yi. "Sir, which direction should we take?"

Zhou Yi looked around; neither direction seemed short, and as far as the eye could see, there was no end in sight.

"You and Fatty go to the north side; it’s closer to the tunnel of the mine across the way. Sophia and I will go to the south side to save time. Since this place was abandoned, I suspect the yield of jade and jadeite is minimal."

Cheng Zhi nodded and picked up a rock to show the group.

"The ore quality here is indeed poor, and the composition is quite complex. But I feel that the more complex a place like this is, the more likely we are to find spirit stones. After all, it was the same with the gold mines; the older the abandoned pits, the stronger the attraction I sense."

Fatty glanced at Cheng Zhi, then at Zhou Yi. It seemed Cheng Zhi was speaking with hidden meaning, and Zhou Yi understood perfectly. This feeling of being left out made him uncomfortable—his status as the "senior disciple" was in jeopardy!

"What are you talking about? Did you find other spirit stones in the previous world?"

Cheng Zhi fell silent, merely glancing at Zhou Yi before adjusting his backpack.

Zhou Yi smiled. This world was now isolated, and they were the only ones there, so it was safe to talk about it. They would eventually have to return to that world, and they would need to recover their stash sooner or later.

"The spirit stone we handed over in the 2000 world was the smallest one. Cheng Zhi found over thirty others, and we hid them in a secret location. That place is similar to Fatty’s air-raid shelter—it can avoid the world's 'refresh.' We’ll retrieve them when we have a chance. Back then, we didn't have storage capabilities, and I didn't know Sophia well enough, so we kept it a secret."

Sophia didn't seem upset; she smiled at Zhou Yi.

"I wouldn't have dared to say anything either. It’s too shocking—over thirty spirit stones! If the one we gave to Waldner was just a small one, I can’t even imagine how massive a fortune that is."

Fatty’s small eyes gleamed. He had heard Zhou Yi say that only by leveling up could they advance further. Hearing about such a reserve, his mouth hung open.

"I never imagined, Cheng Zhi, that you could keep such a secret. Boss, don't worry, I’ll definitely keep my mouth shut. Let’s not delay. I can see that Cheng Zhi is truly a master at searching. Let’s hurry to the south side; if we can find thirty more in this world, then this trip won't have been in vain."

Zhou Yi didn't want to raise expectations. Such things were a matter of luck; who could guarantee a find? Besides, this was a jadeite mine, and an abandoned one at that—it was unclear if they would find anything at all.

"Alright, enough daydreaming. Let’s get moving. Even if no one is here, we should be quick. Use the walkie-talkies if there’s a problem."

Fatty shrank his neck. His attempt at flattery hadn't landed quite right, but he figured it was true—you couldn't expect to find thirty spirit stones in every world, or you might end up collapsing the world itself.

The four split into two groups. Fatty followed Cheng Zhi, while Zhou Yi and Sophia headed toward the south tunnel.

They hadn't gone far before water began to trickle down the tunnel walls. The water flowed along the edges toward the depths of the tunnel. The further they went, the more water accumulated on the floor, eventually rising above their knees.

Sophia stopped and, seeing Zhou Yi continue to walk forward, asked in a low voice, "Should we still go in? Looking at this, it seems the mine was closed because of flooding."

Zhou Yi stayed close to the wall, his hand brushing against the rock. By this point, the sensation of warmth was becoming increasingly intense.

He looked ahead. Where his headlamp could reach, there was only water, and it appeared to be a rapidly descending slope.

"Stay here and wait. I’ll go take a look first. If it’s dangerous, I’ll head back. I want to see what’s at the very end."

Sophia nodded, her expression still filled with worry. "Zhou Yi, be careful. We don't have a map here. If the tunnel is too long, make sure to come back quickly."

Zhou Yi smiled at her. He knew his limits; no matter how valuable a spirit stone might be, it wasn't worth his life.

"Alright, wait for me here."