Chapter - 21

'Ding. Attention, host.'

'Mission: Get the Cloudbeast bone from Hongyun Valley.'

'Reward: Five elements Cultivation Sutra - 2/9 - Qi Refinement Stage.'

'System's honest comments: It's time to enter the next stage.'

'System additional comments: Hongyun Valley is the most dangerous place in the Cursed Mountains. Chances of death 99%.'

Long Chen looked at the panel in front of him and immediately closed it.

"Host, let me explain the details of the..."

"System, I am not accepting this mission."

"Host, are you not willing to cultivate to the next level?"

"System, when I saw that the chance of death is 99%. Sorry, I have no interest."

'Ding. Attention, host.'

'Five elements Cultivation Sutra - 2/9 - Qi Refinement Stage is now available in the store for 100 karma points.'

"System, we have been together for some time now. Can we move on quickly, please?"

'Ding. Attention, host.'

'Mission: Get the Fire Elemental Bead.'

'Reward: 20 Karma Points.'

'System's honest comments: Mysterious Fire Mountain.'

'System additional comments: That place is becoming hot. Let's cool it down a bit so people can visit.'

Long Chen narrowed his eyes.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mysterious Fire Mountain was rumoured to have appeared when a Fire Emperor Star from the heavens fell onto the cultivation world. Over time, a mountain started to form, which became a cultivation ground for fire element cultivators.

Given how cultivators fight to the death over a spirit stone, it's predictable that several clans and sects began a fight with the end of several elders and disciples.

Seeing that the fight was going nowhere, one old man proposed to hold a competition amongst the younger generation. Whichever disciples won the event, their sect would control the mountains.

Finally, one disciple from a local sect won the event.

His sect was massacred the next day. In a few years, the one who killed this sect got slaughtered.

This went on for a while.

After a severe reduction in the population of several sects, other battles started out... anyway, that's a whole different story.

Right now, the Mysterious Fire Mountain fell into the hands of the Mysterious Fire Sect.

Various clans around the area made deals with the Mysterious Fire Sect to mine multiple resources and manage these mountains.

Long Chen and Huian finally arrived at that same mountain range late afternoon.

".... and Young Master, that's all I know about Mysterious Fire Mountain, huff." Huian finished her story.

At this time, the duo was wearing a miner uniform that they stole from some poor sleeping dudes. They were hiding at a certain distance from the entrance.

As they neared the mouth of the mine, a keeper of the Jiang clan looked at these two. He angrily asked. "Why are you two this late?"

Long Chen answered with a smirk, "Brother, we were discussing life. You understand, right?"

"He... He... He" The keeper looked stunned. Then, peeking at Huian, he smirked and gave a thumbs-up to Long Chen.

This mine wasn't safe, and therefore low-level cultivators were usually sent. As a result, a small village started to form around the area with all businesses popping up.

The keeper assumed that this boy had basically spent all his money on such a girl.

Long Chen didn't give any detailed explanation. Instead, after greeting the keeper, he went straight into the mine, holding Huian's hand.

The keeper immediately blurted out: "Brother, be careful. If something happens to her in the mine, I can't accept responsibility."

"Brother, don't worry." Long Chen declared. "I'll take full responsibility."

The keeper didn't say another word upon hearing his words and allowed them to enter the mine. He had seen this several times before; these miners lie to these girls about how much they earn and take them for a tour.

Inside the mine, Huian glanced around curiously as they walked along. "Young Master, I didn't understand what you two talked about?"

"Huian, don't call me Young Master in this place." Long Chen answered, changing the topic.

"Young Master, why are we here?"

"Sigh. Huian, I am here to steal something."

"Young Master, I understand. But you want to capture this mine later. So, you want to take a look now and see whether it's worth it."

Long Chen took a deep breath and said: "Huian, do you know anything about a Fire Bead?"

Huian looked up at the glowing rocks that hung above. She managed to mine some of these rocks with a simple wave and observed them.

"Follow me." Long Chen grabbed her arm and walked down the dark stone path. Huian followed him wordlessly, gazing around with great curiosity. Every now and then, she would grab some stones.

As they walked deeper, many male cultivators from various surrounding clans greeted Long Chen and sneered when they saw Huian. This is something they had all done.

Only the female cultivators sighed and continued their work.

"Good day, brother."

"Be careful, little girl. It's not safe in there. Some areas collapsed just a few days ago."

Long Chen nodded and widely smiled back to every one of them. He even talked to the clueless Huian about the dangers of the mine.

The surrounding cultivators felt respect looking at the effort this little brother had put into capturing this beauty.

"Young Master, these are low-level beads typically used by alchemists or forgers." Huian thought briefly when she saw no one was around. "At this level, you won't find anything, but I think we can find the source if we go deeper."

"Have you ever seen this before?" Long Chen asked.

"No." Huian shook her head, her eyes somewhat dim. "I remember the time when master wanted to..." and didn't continue.

Don't leave cliffhangers. Long Chen cursed in his heart.

Long Chen reflected on what she said. Soon after, he asked Long Chen One in his mind. "Hey, Long Chen One, do you know anything about your background?"

Long Chen One answered: "No. I have no idea."

Long Chen Two interrupted: "I think you might have a huge background. I once read a novel where..."

"System, mute, please."

"Let's go." The duo kept marching deeper.

After a while, Long Chen discovered a narrow path that led to various tunnels. Cultivators and a few mortals were digging labouriously. And some were storing the rocks on baskets within these tunnels. A red-robed cultivator with a whip in his hand would then keep these in his rings.

As they went into a small tunnel, a skinny man suddenly showed up at the intersection and warned, "Brother, don't go there. Masters have told us not to go in without their permission."

Long Chen immediately stopped. He noticed a mark on the skinny man's head and said with a serious face, "Thank you for the warning. We were sent by the Master to get some rocks."

"I.. Master... I'll leave you be." When he noticed no mark on Long Chen's forehead, his voice was full of fear. He kowtowed once and ran. He soon vanished.

Long Chen looked at the vanishing back and asked: "What's that mark on his forehead?"

Huian fell into silence for a while and continued, "That's a slave mark."

Long Chen turned silent. No matter which world it is, sometimes there's no difference.

"Who's that red-robed cultivator?" Long Chen asked. The information he got from Long Lin didn't cover any of this.

"Young Master, looking at this dress, he should be from Mysterious Fire Sect."

"I didn't see them before. So why is he here?"

Huian patiently said, "Young Master, I had once gone to the Long Clan mine similar to this. So he should be here to take some of the stones on his own."

"The slaves just do it? They won't tell this to anyone."

"Young Master, they have been slaves since childhood. Other than mining here, they might not say anything at all."

"I understand."

"Young Master, the world is like this. Either be a slaver or get enslaved. That's why Young Master when you rule this world...."

Long Chen felt nauseous on the inside, and his face also appeared slightly grieved while hearing about this. Every time people here say that there is no space for the weak. Everyone assumes that the weak are worthless and could be thrown into slavery or killed for fun. This was something he could never adapt to.

"This cultivation world has no future," said Long Chen while shaking his head.

Huian was silent, but she nodded.

"Alright, let's move on." Long Chen stopped her.

Before long, the duo arrived in a cave-like area at the bottom of the mine.

Close to the cave entrance were several rocks glittering faintly with dark-red gloss.

"Stop." Huian suddenly stopped him. She whispered, "Young Master, I can sense several powerful aurae's inside this cave."

Afterwards, she looked towards Logn Chen and asked: "Young Master, why are we here?"

"Didn't I tell you? I need the Fire Bead."

"Young Master, there is indeed a Fire Bead inside, but it's not a simple bead. Instead, it's the core of a Fire Dragon."

"System?"

"Host, I can't say anything."

Long Chen sighed and asked Huian: "Can we take it out without alerting the people inside?"

Huian entered the mine with a nod and returned a few minutes later. In her hand was a large rock about the size of a building. The stone was glowing, and the heat waves that emanated from it were enough to cause him to sweat. The temperature of this rock was simply inconceivable.

"Young Master, let's leave."

Keeping the rock inside the ring, the duo soon disappeared.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Long Chen was sitting inside a cave at a distant location, looking at the massive rock in front of him. Huian was probing it with some dagger.

"Here it is!" She drew the dagger and picked at a specific part of the rock.

A dark-red bead of burning flames immediately jumped out. It suddenly flew up, trying to escape; however, Huian simply stretched out her palm and trapped it.

"What's this thing?"

Long Chen looked at the fire bead and found an exquisitely beautiful lotus flower carved upon it. The inner lotus design consists of 13 petals, and the exterior design consists of 29 petals.

As he stretched out his hand, a turquoise coloured flame suddenly bloomed from within this bead. The tongues of flame from this fire created petals just like an exquisitely engraved lotus. He was shocked. This was the first time Long Chen had ever seen a natural flame shaped like a flower.

Meanwhile, Huian showed disdain on her face.

"Young Master, this is just a two-layered low-level fire essence." Huian said: "The dead beast seems to have absorbed this and died during refinement. If this essence had been left for a longer time, perhaps it would turn into a five-layered fire lotus."

Long Chen had read about Fire Essence in the jade slip given by Long Lin. It seems this lotus or essence was the top favourite item to die for in the eyes of many artefact masters or pill refiners.

Due to its low level, the essence would slowly wither and fade away with time. So to keep it alive, the essence has to be placed under elemental fire stones that could constantly cultivate it.

It seems someone from Mysterious Fire Sect had found this lotus under the Mysterious Fire Mountain and had secretly planned to nurture it there.

'Ding. Attention, host.'

'Mission: Get the Fire Elemental Bead. - COMPLETE'

'Reward: 20 Karma Points.'

'System's honest comments: It's not a bead but a flame essence.'

'System additional comments: Host, be careful.'