Compared to the recruitment by the border immortal soldiers previously, there were even more cultivators here.

Su Zimo stood outside the crowd and was in no hurry to advance.

Xu Shi had once mentioned that there might be dangers in mining as well. However, he did not know the exact details.

“Fellow Daoist, please enlighten me,”

Su Zimo smiled gently and stopped a Grade 6 Black Immortal who was about to advance.

The Grade 6 Black Immortal frowned. However, when he swept his spirit consciousness and saw that Su Zimo was at the Level 7 Black Essence realm, his expression turned serious as he lowered his head slightly. “Exalted Immortal, please ask.”

“I wonder if there’s any danger in the mining process?”

Su Zimo did not beat around the bush and went straight to the point.

“Exalted Immortal, don’t worry. What danger can there be in mining? At the most, you’ll just feel fatigue and spend your days underground without seeing the light of day.”

The person replied with a smile.

“Fufu, ignorant,”

Right then, a scoff sounded from the side.

Su Zimo glanced sideways and saw another Grade 7 Black Immortal standing not far away. His face was filled with rotten flesh, as though it was corroded by something, emitting a stench. His nose was gone and was extremely terrifying.

There was no one around the noseless cultivator.

All the cultivators kept their distance and were unwilling to approach.

At that moment, the noseless cultivator looked at the crowd with a mocking expression and grinned. “If we truly encounter danger, no one here will be able to escape!”

The initial Grade 6 Black Immortal looked at that person and was shocked. He did not dare to refute and replied obsequiously before leaving hurriedly.

On the other hand, Su Zimo’s expression was calm as he came before the noseless cultivator and cupped his fists. “Fellow Daoist, you’re experienced and knowledgeable. Please enlighten me. What dangers can we encounter while mining?”

When the noseless cultivator saw that Su Zimo did not disdain him and greeted him respectfully instead, his expression softened.

The person said, “If we’re just mining ordinary ores, there won’t naturally be any danger. However, if we’re careless and dig up any flesh or bones, we’ll just have to wait for death!”

“What flesh and bones?”

Su Zimo frowned and asked.

The noseless cultivator said, “There are only two ways to form an Essence Spirit Mine. First, it can be formed by the constant infusion of Essence Qi over many years.”

“The second is to bury the corpses of some powerful living beings underground. The flesh and bones of these living beings contain a large amount of Heaven and Earth Essence Qi. After they die, the Essence Qi is buried underground and can’t be dispersed. As time passes, a mine will gradually form in the surroundings.”

Su Zimo pondered for a moment and asked again, “In that case, the formation of this mine will take at least hundreds of thousands of years. The corpses buried here should have rotted a long time ago, right?”

“Hehe, you’re right,”

The noseless cultivator gave a strange laugh. “Indeed, most of the corpses of living beings would have fused with the surrounding minerals without leaving any traces. However…”

The noseless cultivator changed the topic and his tone suddenly turned sinister with a menacing expression. “The flesh and corpses of some experts might not rot for hundreds of thousands of years! You’ll be unlucky if you manage to dig up those things.”

“More than a thousand years ago, a Spirit Mine Blood Calamity happened outside of Glass City. Someone dug up something and a drop of blood flowed out from the mine.”

“In the end, only a few of the tens of thousands of cultivators in the mine survived and the rest were buried underground!”

Psst!

A single drop of blood killed tens of thousands of people!

On second thought, what sort of immortal power did the blood that had not dried up for hundreds of thousands of years contain?

Just as he was secretly alarmed, he inadvertently glanced at the noseless cultivator from the corner of his eye.

At that moment, the noseless cultivator had a strange expression, as though he was reminiscing. There was a hint of struggle and fear in his eyes as his body trembled slightly.

“You…”

Su Zimo’s heart skipped a beat as he suddenly thought of a possibility and hesitated.

Suddenly, the noseless cultivator laughed in a deranged manner. “You’re right. I was one of the survivors of that calamity!”

“My face was corroded by the mist released by that drop of blood. Even after more than a thousand years, I still look like a ghoul!”

The noseless cultivator clenched his fists and grit his teeth.

After a moment of silence, Su Zimo asked again, “If we use our spirit consciousness to check the situation and the mine before proceeding with caution, we should be able to avoid such things, right?”

“What do you know?”

The noseless cultivator sneered, “The surface of the stones in the mines would have naturally formed a unique stone skin. Even the spirit consciousness of Heaven Immortals and Perfected Immortals won’t be able to penetrate it and see what’s inside, let alone the spirit consciousness of Black Immortals!”

“In that case, wouldn’t mining be even more dangerous than fighting at the borders?”

Su Zimo murmured softly, seemingly fearful.

The noseless cultivator patted Su Zimo on the shoulder. “You don’t have to worry either. It’s rare to encounter such situations where bloodied artifacts are dug up. If you’re lucky, you might not even come across one in a hundred thousand years.”

Su Zimo observed from the side.

The miners recruited were all Black Immortals.

The reason for that might be because they were worried that the Earth Immortals would enter the mines and use Essence Spirit Stones to cultivate.

However, that was not the case for Black Immortals.

Black Immortals who could cultivate the Taboo Mystic Classics were paragons and monster incarnates groomed by major families and sects—what cultivation resources did they not have?

There was no way those paragons would lower their statuses and come over to mine.

“What are the rules for becoming a miner?”

Su Zimo asked again.

“Everyone has to pay 5,000 Essence Spirit Stones every year. If you can pay 5,000 Essence Spirit Stones in advance, you can obtain the rewards of the Essence Condensation Pills in advance and come out to rest,”

The noseless cultivator said, “However, don’t underestimate those 5,000 Essence Spirit Stones. Hehe, most cultivators won’t be able to complete it.”

Su Zimo asked, “Are there people who enter the underground mines and hide the Essence Spirit Stones they dug up in their storage bags?”

“I advise you not to harbor such thoughts lest you get yourself killed!”

The noseless cultivator warned.

Su Zimo raised his brow slightly. “Do people come to search the storage bags every year?”

He had many treasures in his storage bag. If that was the case, he would have to hide his storage bag in advance.

“Not really. Who would have the energy to search us year after year?”

The noseless cultivator said, “Before entering the mines, Earth Immortal experts will intervene and seal our consciousnesses and storage bags with their spirit consciousnesses.”

“Once you enter the underground mines, you can’t even take anything, let alone hide it in your storage bag!”

“The Essence Spirit Mines have been maintained for so many years. How can there be a loophole for you to exploit?”

Su Zimo smiled without saying anything.

He had not thought of hiding any Essence Spirit Stones after entering the underground mines.

He wanted to use Essence Spirit Stones to cultivate directly!