Chapter 428: Han Zhou Preaching

The Jade Steel Mountain stood towering and majestic,Its crags precipitous, lush green hues dripping.The mountain soil, rich in jade-moist profound steel, presented a Qingyu color.Viewed from afar, it resembled a giant clad in jade robes, magnificent and splendid.Mountain streams gurgled, like an ancient zither gently played, echoing with resonant sounds.Mountain rocks were hard and crystalline, shimmering and radiating light.Open-pit mines were layered upon the mountain body, mineral veins crisscrossing, incredibly abundant.Its mine shafts were deep and intricate, extending like a giant net deep into the mountain's core,Mining lights flickered, like scattered stars.Miners, like ants, toiled diligently, never shirking from hardship.Halfway up the mountain stood Jade Steel Mountain Town, with towering city walls and numerous watchtowers.Since Meng Zi's heavy defeat at Mist Concealing Mountain, the situation here had undergone a dramatic transformation.Now, numerous cultivators patrolled day and night, taking turns on guard duty,The defenses were much more stringent than before.Han Zhou was currently in a small courtyard within the mountain town, gazing at the rolling thick smoke in the air,This was due to the smelters within the town operating non-stop day and night.Furnace fires blazed, unceasingly, day and night."Fellow Daoist Han Zhou, everyone has arrived." An elderly man pushed open the courtyard gate and entered.Han Zhou nodded: "Please invite everyone in."Thus, a large group of clansmen from the Ning clan's branch family streamed into the courtyard.Han Zhou scanned the group, seeing twenty to thirty Ning clan members, all at the Qi Refining stage of cultivation.Some were young, some were old, but regardless of age, their eyes held a glimmer of light.Han Zhou, having experienced many hardships and witnessed cultivators of various levels,Liked the light in everyone's eyes very much.Because he knew that this light was hope for the future, anticipation for happiness.He directly sat cross-legged on the grass.The Ning clan members exchanged glances, and soon followed Han Zhou's example, sitting down one by one.Han Zhou: "Next, I will impart to you the Bitter Cold Scripture."He was quite direct, getting straight to the point.This group of Ning clan members immediately pricked up their ears and focused intently.After Han Zhou finished the instruction, everyone remained silent, some with eyes closed, racking their brains, contemplating with all their might.Ning You Fu, standing nearby, witnessed the entire process and couldn't help but smile.Han Zhou imparted the cultivation technique, directly giving the Qi Refining chapter and the Foundation Establishment chapter, quite readily.Ning You Fu, listening in, knew that although he had no intention of changing his cultivation, this Bitter Cold Scripture was exceedingly profound,No less so than the Heart of Ice Secret, the top-tier technique of the Ning clan's main lineage.When the Ning clan members of the branch family were at the main family,If they wanted to cultivate the Heart of Ice Secret, they would likely have to dedicate most of their lives, accumulating merit for the family.But here in the Ning clan's branch family, they received such high treatment so easily."Clan Head Ning Zhuo truly has his methods.""This time, he even dispatched such a strong cultivator, specifically to teach scriptures to our Ning clan members.""Furthermore, this time Old Ancestor Ning Jiu Fan also came to Jade Steel Mountain, and was treated warmly by the town master all day long. With his support this time, our Ning clan's branch family's reputation on this Jade Steel Mountain will soar significantly, and many matters will become very simple."Ning You Fu felt greatly invigorated.Ning Zhuo's action this time exceeded his expectations.In fact, since Ning Zhuo became the clan head of the branch family, he had occasionally brought shock to the entire branch family.Originally, Ning You Fu was quite worried when he learned that Ning Zhuo had left Fire Persimmon Immortal City and was traveling the world.Now it seemed that geniuses could never be estimated with common sense."I was old and dim-sighted, underestimating our clan head." Ning You Fu gazed at the azure sky, unable to help but envision the future."With such a heaven-blessed talent, a young clan head with profound means, why worry about the family not prospering?""I never thought that this old frame of mine, in my twilight years, could still follow such a person and have such a life."Ning You Fu felt satisfied, and Han Zhou also felt quite satisfied."What Young Master Ning Zhuo advised me was truly good.""Sometimes, choice is far more important than effort.""This time, imparting the scripture was effortless, teaching twenty to thirty people.""According to the agreement, with Young Master Ning Zhuo's help, I will teach even more in the future."Thinking of Ning Zhuo, a feeling of admiration immediately arose in Han Zhou's heart, along with a faint sense of guilt."This won't do.""Young Master Ning Zhuo's magnanimity far surpasses ordinary people, his virtue is lofty and his integrity is bright, but I cannot only think of myself.""Logically speaking, the Bitter Cold Scripture is very suitable for cultivators to mine. But to be safe, I still need to test it out in the mine, and only after personally confirming it can I truly be at ease."Thinking of this, Han Zhou proposed this request to Ning You Fu.In his letter to Ning You Fu, Ning Zhuo stated that Han Zhou was a strong cultivator at the Foundation Establishment stage, and had come to impart cultivation techniques and help oversee the town.Unexpectedly, Han Zhou was so proactive, wanting to verify the effectiveness of the Bitter Cold Scripture in mining.Ning You Fu immediately expressed his gratitude, persuading Han Zhou that having imparted the cultivation technique today, he was likely mentally and physically exhausted, and it would be fine to rest and go tomorrow. Anyway, Han Zhou was staying here for quite some time, so there was no rush.Han Zhou resolutely shook his head: "Old Ning, I come from a humble background, and before entering the path of cultivation, I was a beggar.""The noble Young Master Ning Zhuo treats me as a confidante and friend, never disdaining my origin, and after meeting a few times, he directly lent me the Diagram of Comprehension, allowing me to study Frost spells.""You don't need to be overly polite with me, imparting cultivation techniques is not tiring at all. If it's convenient for Old Ning, let's go now!"Han Zhou's straightforwardness delighted Ning You Fu, making him beam.Han Zhou's temperament and disposition truly resonated with Ning You Fu.Ning You Fu said: "In front of Fellow Daoist Han Zhou, I am nothing more than Old Ning, simply call me Fellow Daoist. Since Fellow Daoist is inclined, let's go to the mine now."The mine was not far from the mountain town. More precisely, a large number of mines were enclosed within the mountain town.The cultivators guarding the mine, upon seeing the token Ning You Fu displayed, immediately granted passage.Unlike the first time, when Ning Zhuo and Sun Ling Tong entered the mine, they had to pay a fee.Now, the Ning clan's branch family controlled a part of the mining rights, and could be said to be half masters.Han Zhou entered the mine shaft, gradually going deeper.He activated the Bitter Cold Scripture and attempted to mine.Soon, he discarded tools such as pickaxes and dug with his bare hands.Under the blessing of the Suffering Body, the more tired and injured he became, the more his physical strength, power, and so on were augmented, and his movements also became faster and faster.Ning You Fu, observing from the side, noticed the clue and said excitedly: "Good cultivation technique, good cultivation technique!""Our clan members generally lack magical artifacts and have low spiritual energy. Cultivating this technique not only allows for mining but also enhances cultivation, killing two birds with one stone, hitting two targets with one arrow, truly marvelous!"Han Zhou said: "Mining with magical artifacts is much more efficient than digging with my bare hands. However, if we consider the cost, using magical artifacts will accelerate the consumption of spiritual energy.""Cultivators need to absorb spirit stones in between to replenish spiritual energy to continue.""Furthermore, magical artifacts used for mining will also suffer damage and wear over time, and need to be repaired periodically.""Calculated this way... my Bitter Cold Scripture is really suitable for mining ore."Realizing this, Han Zhou let out a sigh of relief, murmuring: "It seems I have not failed Young Master Ning Zhuo."While he sighed aloud, his movements did not stop.Suddenly, there was a crisp crack.The rock wall he was excavating suddenly cracked.Cracks spread in an instant, immediately shattering a large section of the rock wall, revealing an opening.Han Zhou and Ning You Fu had already retreated more than ten steps, their hearts pounding.This change implied many dangers; in severe cases, it could even lead to a collapse.The dust settled, and the mine shaft remained stable.Han Zhou and Ning You Fu then let out a sigh of relief, and after calming their minds, carefully probed into the cave.A cultivator's divine sense is quite obstructed in mine shafts, as the abundant precious materials in the mines will isolate divine sense. Unlike ordinary mud and stone, which are easily penetrated by divine sense.After the divine sense spread within the cave for a moment, both Han Zhou and Ning You Fu showed signs of joy.After confirming safety, they followed the opening and descended all the way.Soon after, their field of vision widened, and they arrived at an underground karst cave.They saw that within this karst cave, many vines and weeds had grown.The vines were entirely yellowish-brown, very thick. The weeds were sharp like swords, emitting a sharp aura."These are Earth-Generating Vines and Stone-Breaking Grass," said Ning You Fu.Han Zhou, however, did not know about this and quickly inquired.Ning You Fu then told him that Earth-Generating Vines are buried deep within the earth, and in the process of growing, they can soften rock layers, transforming them into soil.As for Stone-Breaking Grass, it often grows alongside Earth-Generating Vines, and its leaves are sharp enough to break through rocks."Because of this, ordinary mountain rocks do not exist here. What remains are the minerals that are not afraid of Earth-Generating Vines and Stone-Breaking Grass."Ning You Fu didn't need to explain this; Han Zhou saw it himself.This underground karst cave was quite large, and the entire cave wall, up, down, left, and right, including the ceiling and ground, was Jade-Moist Profound Steel.And the quality of this Jade-Moist Profound Steel was far superior to that in other places, almost all of it being of top-grade quality.Ning You Fu's face was full of joy, and he looked at Han Zhou: "Fellow Daoist Han Zhou, upon your first arrival, you actually encountered such an opportunity. Such karst caves are also called 'Treasure Caves' by old miners. Judging by my divine sense penetration, these Jade-Moist Profound Steel layers are at least ten zhang thick, and the total market value should be thirty million low-grade spirit stones."Han Zhou was moved.According to his understanding, the total annual income of a small cultivating force at the Foundation Establishment level (with one to three Foundation Establishment cultivators) is only about forty-eight million low-grade spirit stones.The total value of this mine alone exceeded half a year's profit of an ordinary Foundation Establishment force!"Mining is good," Han Zhou exclaimed sincerely.Ning You Fu, while continuing to use his divine sense to detect, said with a smile: "According to the rules of our branch family, Fellow Daoist Han Zhou, since you discovered this place, you will receive a thirty percent share.""Ten million low-grade spirit stones?!" Han Zhou immediately widened his eyes.His heart pounded.Then, in the divine sea of his upper dantian, the True Meaning of Bitter Cold melted like snow in the sun.Han Zhou's expression immediately changed.He resolutely shook his head, a bitter smile on his face: "This is an external object, I do not need it."At first, Ning You Fu thought Han Zhou was being polite.However, after a few exchanges, Ning You Fu confirmed that Han Zhou truly did not want it.The elderly man from the Ning clan's branch family couldn't help but gasp inwardly, and his admiration for Ning Zhuo's methods deepened: "My heavens, where did Clan Head find such a person? Too suitable!""The Bitter Cold Scripture and mining are so perfectly matched. It is foreseeable that a considerable number of clan members will give up the rewards of mining for the sake of improving their cultivation.""So impressive, this is truly so impressive."Han Zhou suddenly turned his head and looked at the cave wall in the southeast direction: "Fellow Daoist Ning, beyond eighteen zhang here, it seems to conceal different Jade-Moist Profound Steel.""Oh?" Ning You Fu's divine sense could only penetrate ten zhang, and even then it was quite strenuous, with the latter half of the perception being quite blurred.Ning You Fu immediately activated a magical artifact, regardless of the severe consumption of spiritual energy, and dug a deep hole.After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, he dug out a metallic ore from the deep hole.The ore was deeply green, with a faint hint of blue, and on the surface, a weak silver-white radiance shimmered, like a lake surface sprinkled with moonlight, sparkling.The surface of the ore was smooth as a mirror, cool to the touch, and scattered with wisps of the clear, cold aura of moonlight.Ning You Fu became excited: "This is Qingyue Fine Steel, the essence of Jade-Moist Profound Steel, formed from Jade-Moist Profound Steel combined with moonlight.""It must form gradually over hundreds or thousands of years in a clear, cloudless night, where moonlight penetrates the cold air and permeates the mineral veins.""This is a Jindan-level mineral!"Ning You Fu looked at Han Zhou: "Fellow Daoist Han Zhou, do you truly not want this share?"Han Zhou's face became even more bitter, and he shook his head with difficulty: "No need, no need."Ning You Fu was filled with respect, bowed to Han Zhou, and said solemnly: "Fellow Daoist's integrity is lofty, rarely seen in this world!""I shall trouble Fellow Daoist to work with me to seal this place.""The reserves of Qingyue Fine Steel still need to be explored.""If the reserves are too large, there will be great upheaval, and the outlook is worrisome.""Fortunately, Old Ancestor of the main family is here. I must report immediately."Han Zhou said: "Fellow Daoist, go ahead, I will guard here."Ning You Fu quickly left the mine shaft and went to the manor in the center of the town.Ning Jiu Fan was drinking with the current town master and Zhu Xuan Ji.Ning Jiu Fan once again raised his wine cup to Zhu Xuan Ji: "This time of misfortune, it was thanks to Fellow Daoist Zhu lending a helping hand, the grace of saving my life, I, Ning, shall engrave it in my heart!"Ning Jiu Fan had previously fallen into an ambush. Although he fought valiantly, he knew deep down that continuing the battle would be extremely dangerous. The opponent had come prepared, and were very likely targeting Old Woman Yuan.Zhu Xuan Ji and Shen Ling Shu stood watching from the clouds. Seeing that Ning Jiu Fan's moves were exhausted and he was about to be unable to hold on, they decisively acted. They broke the formation and rescued the people, not to mention that Zhu Xuan Ji crushed his opponents with overwhelming force, slaying three cultivators.His astonishing combat power greatly shocked Ning Jiu Fan.Zhu Xuan Ji was also very generous, emptying the wine cup in his hand. Just as he was about to speak, a servant came to report.Ning You Fu entered the manor and immediately bowed to Zhu Xuan Ji and the current town master, stating that he wished to report privately.Ning Jiu Fan led him to a side room. After hearing the good news, he patted Ning You Fu's shoulder and immediately rewarded him with two talismans, telling Ning You Fu to take one to Han Zhou.Returning to the wine table, Ning Jiu Fan directly admitted that a mine had been discovered, containing Qingyue Fine Steel.The current town master and Zhu Xuan Ji were quite satisfied with the Ning family's honesty and not concealing this point.The atmosphere at the wine table improved.For a time, cups were exchanged, and they enjoyed themselves immensely.After the banquet, Zhu Xuan Ji went to see Shen Ling Shu and informed the latter about the unexpected discovery of the mine."Senior, if Ning Zhuo had planted a Life-Binding Thread on Han Zhou, would he still have such good fortune with interconnected fate?" Zhu Xuan Ji asked.Shen Ling Shu took out the Xuanji Spirit Absorbing Bag.This leather bag was bulging, filled with the fortune absorbed from Ning Jiu Fan.Shen Ling Shu pondered: "I secretly observe daily. Ning Jiu Fan's fortune has suffered heavy losses, but it still remains at a high level.""If it were a Life-Binding Thread, there would be this anomaly!"