Chapter 50: Mission End

In the blink of an eye.

The two-year term had reached its end.

In a secret chamber, forty feet underground within the spirit stone mine.

Inside the silent and pitch-black chamber, a figure sat cross-legged in the center, surrounded by a thin layer of gathered spiritual qi.

Before long.

Cheng Buzheng slowly ceased his cultivation, and the surrounding spiritual qi dissipated rapidly.

He suddenly opened his eyes, which were clear and distinct in black and white. A sharp light flashed in his eyes as his gaze instinctively swept across the secret chamber.

Cheng Buzheng stood up, brushed off his robes, and walked to the corner. He hoisted a basket filled with raw spirit stone ore onto his back and gripped a mining pick in his right hand.

He took a deep look at this secret chamber, knowing that he might never appear in this room again.

This was his original place of development.

With a thought, a yellow light flashed.

In the blink of an eye.

He vanished from the secret chamber, a streak of yellow spiritual light darting rapidly through the underground tunnels.

A quarter of an hour later.

Cheng Buzheng arrived at the main mining tunnel. After sensing that no other cultivators were nearby, he extended a strand of divine sense to carefully inspect the surroundings. Once certain no one was around, a yellow light sped upward from three feet below the ground.

A moment later, a yellow light appeared in the main mining tunnel. As the light dissipated, Cheng Buzheng appeared in place. After scanning the area once more.

With a thought.

His spiritual pressure, which had originally been at the peak of the third layer of Qi Refinement, suddenly dropped to the appearance of the early third layer. After checking to ensure nothing was amiss, he performed a set of familiar movements: lowering his head, bending his waist, and walking toward the mine entrance with a numb expression.

After walking for a long time, he saw a glimmer of white light in the distance, knowing he was about to reach the mine entrance.

Despite his numb expression, his pace involuntarily quickened slightly.

Before long.

He arrived at the mine entrance and squinted his eyes at the rising sun. Although there was no greenery in sight, he could still sense a hint of vitality.

Following the old routine, the weight of the raw spirit stone ore was measured, a fee of two spirit stones was collected, and then three rigorous inspections were conducted.

A moment later, Cheng Buzheng left the mine entrance without incident.

He did not hesitate, heading straight for the Storage Pavilion. Before long, he arrived at its main gates.

Cheng Buzheng strode into the hall and approached cubicle '1520'.

Then, he injected a trace of spiritual power into his left wrist. A beam of white light shot from the largest piece of spiritual jade in the center of the secret ring, wrapping around a layer of spiritual film in front of cubicle '1520'.

Instantly.

The spiritual film in front of cubicle '1520' vanished, revealing a gray storage bag placed inside.

With a wave of his hand, Cheng Buzheng pulled it into his grasp. He reached into his bosom with his right hand to retrieve two spirit stones and a long-necked porcelain bottle.

With a thought.

The porcelain bottle and the two spirit stones were stored inside the bag. He then hung the storage bag at his waist and walked toward the Storage Pavilion's counter.

A moment later.

Cheng Buzheng saw that the round-faced senior brother behind the counter was still half-reclining in a rocking chair, swaying leisurely.

"Senior Brother..." Cheng Buzheng called out softly.

He had no desire to shout or cause trouble by irritating the round-faced senior brother.

This senior brother was at the peak of the ninth layer of Qi Refinement, only one step away from the position of a Foundation Establishment Uncle, yet that single step represented a world of difference.

The round-faced senior brother opened his eyes, looked at his junior fellow disciple, and smiled.

"Junior Brother! Is something the matter?"

Cheng Buzheng cupped his hands and said

"Senior Brother, my task is complete. I have come specifically to return my secret ring!"

As he spoke, he removed the secret ring from his left wrist and placed it on the counter.

"Has it been two years?"

"Yes... Senior Brother, it has been two years. When I first arrived, you were the one who issued this ring to me!"

Hearing this.

The round-faced senior brother glanced at Cheng Buzheng and let out a long, faint sigh.

"Two years... It has been two years since you came to the spirit stone vein, and I have been here for nearly five years. It is time for me to return to the sect!

...It is also time to make preparations.

If I do not take a gamble now, there will be no more opportunities!

Success means moving one step further; failure means death and the dissipation of one's Dao!"

As he finished speaking, a look of determination flashed across the senior brother's face.

Cheng Buzheng asked with deep suspicion

"Senior Brother...?"

The round-faced senior brother gripped the arms of his chair tightly and spoke slowly.

"The Seed Trial!"

At this moment, he was not as calm as he appeared on the surface; it was simply that years of cultivation had ingrained the trait of remaining expressionless into his very bones.

Hearing this.

Cheng Buzheng was slightly stunned. Although he did not know exactly what the situation was like inside, he had read extensively in the first floor of the Sutra Tower, where numerous travelogues recorded real cases of those who entered the Seed Trial.

In every trial, the survival rate was roughly thirty percent, or even lower. Such a low survival rate was enough to show just how extreme the dangers within were.

Where there is high risk, there is high reward.

He knew that no one could change the senior brother's decision unless the senior brother obtained a Foundation Establishment Pill.

But how precious was a Foundation Establishment Pill? It was worth tens of thousands of spirit stones and was practically impossible to find on the market.

Seeing this.

Cheng Buzheng did not try to dissuade him, knowing it would be useless. An ordinary cultivator wishing to advance on the immortal path would never give up their only chance to obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill.

On the contrary, those with no hope for the immortal path would be even more eager to join.

He glanced at the round-faced senior brother and said with a smile

"Senior Brother, I wish you a safe return and a further advancement in your cultivation!

...When that time comes, I shall have to change how I address you to 'Uncle'!"

The round-faced senior brother smiled upon hearing this.

"Then I shall borrow your auspicious words!

Alright... now that the ring is returned, go to the 'Material Pavilion' to hand over your tools and task credentials, and then you can leave whenever you wish!

In a month's time, I should also be returning to the sect!"

"Thank you for the guidance, Senior Brother!

Since we are of the same sect, I shall take my leave!"

"Mm!" The round-faced senior brother nodded.

Before long, Cheng Buzheng arrived at the center of the wooden hut, completed the handover of his mining pick and basket, and received his task credentials.

Cheng Buzheng held the task talisman in his hand, his fingertip rubbing the back of it.

The front was engraved with complex patterns, with the words 'White Cloud Sect' embossed in the center. The back had 'Spirit Stone Mine' incised in the middle, with 'Outer Disciple, Cheng Buzheng' engraved below it.

And below the text 'Outer Disciple, Cheng Buzheng' on the back, there was an additional small character: 'Excellent'.

This meant he had completed his task excellently, allowing him to collect forty spirit stones from the Salary Pavilion. Combined with the forty-eight spirit stones he had earned in the spirit stone vein over the past two years, this single task yielded a total of eighty-eight spirit stones.

Although he had already spent twenty-four spirit stones, the remaining amount was a massive fortune for an early-stage Qi Refinement cultivator, more than enough for his upcoming plans.

Seeing that everything was settled and he could leave the spirit stone vein at any time, Cheng Buzheng began to wander through the canyon.

Unsurprisingly, he would never come to the spirit stone vein to perform tasks again; this place was merely his original place of development.