Chapter 7: Old Man Shangdi
Chapter 7: Old Man Shangdi
It was already late in morning when Xing Yan woke up from his sleep. Its been so long since he slept to a nice and comfy bed like this, back in the Trial Camps, he would always need to share his bed with someone. But not anymore! He got his own room now, how nice!
Xing Yan quickly got up and went outside to go greet Aunt Diao and see if he can help with anything.
But instead he found a note in the kitchen table. It was neatly arranged and also have a beautiful handwritting, this letter is undoubtedly from Aunt Diao.
Xing Yan skimmed the contents silently.
To Xing Yan. I'll be gone for about 2 months, a sudden mining expedition just happened, and I'm sent to the frontline. Don't worry about me and just take care of yourself.
The contents of the letter is short but straight forward.
Xing Yan didn't really care that much. In fact he's looking forward to these upcoming 2 months of complete freedom.
He always wanted to adventure in his own, and it can finally happen now!
Another reason, is because he wants to know more about this new world he's living. When he reincarnated in this world, he doesn't have prior knowledge about who he was, where he was, and what kind of world is this. He doesn't even know why he reincarnated in the body of this boy...
Although, when a certain name or place got mentioned, hazy memories would occasionally appear, like when Aunt Diao mentioned his dad leaving him in the academy, a hazy—almost blurred face of a man appeared in his mind. Like its trying to help him remember who he was.
"I need answers..." Xing Yan mumbled.
"Since this body is technically mine now, it's my responsibility to find answers and uncover the history of my family." Determination flashed in Xing Yan's eyes.
Speaking of family, his Aunt Diao never mentioned anything about his mom...
"I need to ask her when she's back.'
Xing Yan stepped outside the house, squinting against the soft light of the underground bright ores that mimicked daylight above the village. Gold Blood Village was already bustling with activity—miners sharpening tools, children running errands, traders setting up makeshift stalls.
With his crude pickaxe resting on his shoulder, Xing Yan walked outside the village.
---
Outside the village, 3,000 or so meters away. Xing Yan stood alone in a hollow cavern surrounded by man-made holes and big stone debris scattered around the cave.
A sign hung above his head.
"Excavation Site Level 0: Softsteel, Cold Quartz, Molten-Ember Crystal, Slagroot."
The air was damp and metallic, and the scent of burned minerals still lingered from past diggings. With every breath, Xing Yan could taste the earth—raw, untamed, and waiting to be claimed.
There are many man-made holes that leads deeper into the caverns, but Xing Yan didn't intend to take that, he's determined to create his own tunnel, not just for satisfaction but to train his strength.
Xing Yan adjusted his posture and relaxed his breathing.
"Iron-Burst Body!"
Boom!
A muffled thud souded as Xing Yan's feet cracked the ground beneath him. Soul Essence surged into his limbs, expanding his muscles as if inflated by pure force. A greyish fluid can be seen flowing through his veins along with his blood.
The next second, his pickaxe arced through the air like a sharp sword.
"Shattering Pick Technique!"
The edge of his pickaxe traced a glowing crescent in the air, slamming against the hard cavern walls with terrifying precision.
Boom!
A hole 15 meters deep, carved into the cavern walls precisely where his pickaxe hit.
"Not bad… but that's not how you use your legs."
A scratchy voice drifted in from behind.
Xing Yan's brow twitched. He turned, pickaxe still humming with residual force.
An old man stood at the cavern entrance, his clothes little more than dusty rags. His beard was long and tangled, stained with soot and ore dust. One eye was cloudy and blind, the other sharp and glinting like polished obsidian. Slung over his back was an rusty pickaxe that looked like it hadn't been used in centuries—but still bled a faint golden glow.
"Who are you?" Xing Yan asked, lowering his stance.
The old man didn't answer. Instead, he slowly limped into the cavern with the rusty pickaxe as his cane, dragging one foot behind him.
"Kid, I've seen better form from a rockworm. You swing like a newborn, with that power." the old man said adjusting the position of his dead right foot.
Xing Yan's eye twitched. "I'm still learning."
"Learning?" The old man cackled. "You picked a pickaxe technique, didn't you? Then stop swinging it like a sword!" the old man snapped, his tone laced with irritation.
He sighed, "Kids these days, don't know how to swing."
"Watch closely."
The old man lifted his old pickaxe with his one hand and threw it in the air with ease.
Then–
The old man vanished.
A blur cut through the air.
One, two, three strikes in succession, each more brutal than the last.
With every slash carrying a power enough to smashed that White Vein Warg to pieces!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The cavern wall shattered like glass, revealing a hidden ore vein a 100 meters deep behind it.
Dust clouded the cavern and debris flew like wild sharpnel because of the explosion.
Xing Yan's mouth was open, with a contorted expressions, clearly dumbfounded of what he saw.
A f*cking old man in his 60's, collapsed a 100 meters deep tunnel in just three strikes! Who would believe him if he said it out loud?
But the strangest thing wasn't the power—it was the rhythm of how fast he swung that pickaxe in just a second!
Each strike had weight, pause, and intent—as if he was not blindly swinging the pickaxe, but guiding it to strike.
When the dust settled, the old man exhaled and turned back to Xing Yan. "See that? A real strike doesn't just break things. It finds the weakness. Exploits the flaw."
Xing Yan's eyes narrowed. 'He used a technique. But that wasn't anything I've seen before…'
"What technique was that?" Xing Yan asked, unable to hold back.
The old man smirked. "Its not a technique, I just know how to use my senses well."
Xing Yan's heart skipped a beat. Senses?!
Right, he remembered seing something like that in the data when he scanned himself.
"I'm used to be called the "Third-eye'd Shangdi" back in my day. But now I'm just a wandering old fool."
Third-eye'd Shangdi?
That title doesn't sound simple at all.
"What is a master like you doing here?" Xing Yan asked.
"Master? Heh. Thank you, but I'm not like that anymore. You see this," Old Man Shangdi pointed at his right foot, covered with a cloth, but one can definitely picture what it looks like.
"Because of an accident I had to retire early." Old Man Shangdi spat at the ground. "If not for that sly fox, I would've risen to the top..." He murmured at himself.
Xing Yan obviously still heard this.
"What kind of monster did you face, to become like that..."
Oh sh*t! He unknowingly said it without thinking! If this Old Man get annoyed by it, he might as well say goodbye to his new life!
"I'm sorry Senio-"
Ximg Yan didn't get to finished his apology when a loud laugh echoed from Old Man Shangdi.
"Hahahaha! You're right, its foolish for me to face that bastard alone. But I didn't regret it, he might've defeated me but I'm sure he's still recuperating up until now. Kekeke." Old Man Shangdi laughed joyfully.
'What a strange Old Man...' Xing Yan quietly said in his mind.
"Ha... I never laughed like that for years now, thank's kid. Because I'm in a good mood, I'll teach you any of my technique, well the techniques that you can use at your current level. It's a rare opportunity to encounter a Master like me." Old Man Shangdi said, rubbing his beard joyfully.
"Anything?" Xing Yan asked again, confirming if what he heard is right.
"Yes, any techniques in your current level, I can teach you a greate Mining Skill, or do you want that Battle Skill I used earlier?" He asked, a hint of pride in his voice.
"Tell me how you did that." Xing Yan said, leaning in with genuine curiosity.
"The Battle Skill? Sure I can teach you tha–"
"Not that." Xing Yan interrupted.
"Teach me to use that "Sense" you're talking about."