Chapter 113: Chapter 113: Golden Scale Stone Mine
Ning Xuan didn’t know how Tang Xue and the others had provoked the siege of Golden Scale Beasts. However, she had just discovered a place with unusually dense energy that seemed to be the creatures’ lair.
Lin Mo remained on guard by Ning Xuan’s side. Chen Nan and Leng Yue watched her, awaiting her command.
Golden Scale Stone, ranked second on the Artifact Refiner Association’s bounty list, was a rare ore that grew in the habitat of Golden Scale Beasts.
She stared at the glittering golden stones, feeling her vision awash in their brilliant color. Ning Xuan’s breath hitched. The valley before her looked as if a god had overturned a golden crucible, its layered veins of rock embedded with thousands of Golden Scale Stones. The surface of each ore shimmered with the luster of liquid metal. She bent down and reached for the nearest one. A strange sensation met her fingertips—the seemingly solid surface rippled like water, sinking in at her touch, only to return to its original form the moment she pulled her finger away.
"So this is the extraordinary malleability of Golden Scale Stone?" Lin Mo murmured, his eyes filled with awe as he surveyed the glittering valley.
"Miss Ning, have you awakened some special treasure-hunting ability? How else could you have found this place?" Leng Yue asked. Just moments ago, while following her, he had been complaining internally. ’All the paths she picks are so difficult to traverse.’ Who could have imagined she would actually discover a Golden Scale Stone Mine?
Golden Scale Beasts fed on Golden Scale Stone, and their shed scales, when infused with the energy of the ore vein, would generate new stones.
While Golden Scale Beasts were relatively easy to find, Golden Scale Stone Mines were notoriously difficult to locate. Many treasure hunters who entered the Secret Realm in past years had managed to capture Golden Scale Beasts, but they only ever found small quantities of Golden Scale Stone in the beasts’ territory. No one had ever found their actual habitat.
Golden Scale Stone possessed an extraordinary malleability. After special refinement, it could freely transform between solid and liquid states. It was an essential auxiliary material for crafting the ultimate Storage Treasure: the Mysterious Ring. Furthermore, Golden Scale Stone had many other marvelous applications, making it a precious material coveted by every Artifact Refining Master.
Chen Nan flicked the tip of his sword, lifting a fist-sized piece of Golden Scale Stone. A scratch appeared on the ore the instant his blade’s energy grazed it. Chen Nan picked it up and handed it to Ning Xuan, and by then, the scratch had already vanished without a trace.
"It has such powerful regenerative and transformative properties even before being refined," Leng Yue said, his face a mask of astonishment. "Perhaps only a material with these traits can withstand the energy impact of spatial folding."
"Chen Nan, get ready to mine," Ning Xuan instructed. Already eager to start, Chen Nan readily agreed, pulling mining tools from his Space Button and getting to work.
To preserve the integrity of the ore and minimize losses, a precious, shallow deposit like this Golden Scale Stone Ore Vein couldn’t be excavated with mechanized equipment. It had to be mined manually with small tools like shovels. The two small mining robots Ning Xuan had stored in her Mysterious Ring also proved to be quite useful.
Chen Nan and the others worked with great enthusiasm, and Ning Xuan didn’t remain idle. The group of six posted one person as a lookout while the rest threw themselves into the mining effort. About four hours later, more than half of the Golden Scale Stone Ore Vein was gone. Once all the surface-level deposits were excavated, the golden glow within the valley dimmed considerably.
"Time to eat. We’ll take a break afterward," Ning Xuan announced, feeling hungry herself. She called for everyone to stop for a meal and some rest.
But Chen Nan and the others couldn’t get their minds off the ore. They hastily finished their meal and immediately threw themselves back into the great mining endeavor.
By the time the sky grew dark and the last rays of the sun sank below the mountain ridge, most of the Golden Scale Stone in the valley had been completely excavated. After Ning Xuan and her team had dug out all the ore, the seven caves where the Golden Scale Beasts had nested were now significantly larger than before.
They were inside the Spirit Medicine Valley and had yet to find a suitable base of operations. This location was extremely well-hidden. After they set up some defenses around the perimeter, it would serve perfectly as their new foothold.
Ning Xuan took out a Space Button used specifically for storing ore. Extending her spiritual power inside, she "saw" tens of thousands of Golden Scale Stones shimmering with a rippling golden light. It was a spectacular sight.
The Golden Scale Stones were neatly arranged. She roughly estimated this one Space Button held about five or six thousand pieces.
And she had two more Space Buttons just as full. The six of them were now gathered around a bonfire. Ning Xuan raised one of the Space Buttons and said, "Everyone worked hard today. We’ve dug up a lot of Golden Scale Stone, so let’s discuss..."
Ning Xuan wanted to discuss how to divide the Golden Scale Stone, but the moment she raised the subject, both Zhao Qiu and Su He dropped to their knees. "Miss Ning," Zhao Qiu said with utmost seriousness, "we are here on a mission from our organization to assist you. According to organizational discipline, we receive our due compensation and benefits from the organization. During the mission, however, we are to follow your command completely and are forbidden from neglecting our duties for personal gain. Besides, if you hadn’t stepped in, we never would have made it past the entrance. You saved our lives. We will not take any of these stones, or any other loot."
Both Zhao Qiu and Su He were Yan Fuzhen’s subordinates and ordinarily took turns protecting Ning Xuan.
Leng Yue cupped his hands with equal gravity. "I’m the same as them, here on orders. Besides, you were the one who discovered this place. We never would have found it without you." ’Though he coveted the stones, he truly didn’t dare ask for any. Everything the Marshal owned belonged to Miss Ning, so how could he dare take something of hers?’
"Contractor, the legion’s rules cannot be broken," Lin Mo said to Ning Xuan. "However, once their mission is complete, you can grant them a reward based on their performance. That wouldn’t be considered a violation."
Ning Xuan nodded and put the Space Button into her Mysterious Ring. ’It was true, she had been planning to share some of the ore, but it wouldn’t have been much. And anyone who accepted it would have had to leave her team immediately. If she had to give away a portion of every treasure she found, she’d be better off just exploring the Secret Realm with only Chen Nan and Lin Mo. It might be more difficult, but it would be worth it to keep everything she discovered.’
"You have your rules, but in my team, you follow mine. I found this mine. When we leave the Secret Realm, I will give you an appropriate share; I won’t let you work all day for nothing. From now on, for high-ranking rare resources like these ores or precious spiritual medicines, the rule is finders keepers. Of course, if obtaining the treasure involves dangerous combat or competition, the shares will be divided based on each person’s contribution. If you are injured while protecting me or acting under my orders, I’ll consider it a work-related injury and will treat you free of charge. However, if you get hurt because of personal matters, you will have to pay a price for my treatment."
