Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Tsk-Tsk!

The mining martial artists quickly scattered as Jiang Yi’s two fire dragons quickly flew over, crashing into the giant crystal wall.

Boom!

As the two fire dragons smashed into the stone wall, it caused the entire stone wall to tremble. Standing in the stone cave, everyone felt as though the entire place was about to collapse. Dust from the surface of the ground was swept up, covering everyone’s line of sight.

“Uh…”

Jiang Yi used the black essence force to enhance his vision. He could effortlessly see the mark that was left on the stone wall. He knew that this crystal stone was tough, but he didn’t expect it to be so tough.

His all-out attack was only… able to open up a small hole that was the size of half a palm!

Without looking, Jiang Yi knew that this Divine Vein was definitely so big that it didn’t have a boundary. It might wind up over ten thousand miles. If he dug at this pace, it would only excavate around a mile-long tunnel after three years? If he was lucky, he might find a few celestial stones, if he was unlucky, he might not even find one celestial stone.

“Has all the methods been tested?” Jiang Yi looked over at General Gu while the latter let out a deep sigh and replied, “Everything that can be thought of has been tested. This crystal stone is too hard—even saint artifacts can’t do anything to it!”

“Swish!”

Jiang Yi flew over, cleaving at the crystal stone directly with the Fire Dragon Sword after pouring in his essence force. There was a loud sound of a metallic clash which echoed loudly. The Fire Dragon Sword was repelled, hurting the web between Jiang Yi’s index finger and thumb; and he nearly lost the grip of the Fire Dragon Sword. This all-out slash was only able to cleave open half a palm size of crystal stones.

Jiang Yi kept the Fire Dragon Sword and muttered for a moment. He then turned to ask General Gu. “The Azure Dragon Empire possesses a large number of celestial stones because they have a Divine Vein, right? How did they excavate the celestial stones? They can’t possibly rely on their old ancestor to dig by himself, right?”

“We are not sure…”

General Gu shook his head while the old grandma replied, “Regent. The Azure Dragon Empire definitely has the method of excavating the Divine Vein, but they wouldn’t offer such top-secret information, right?”

“That’s true.”

Jiang Yi was at wit’s end. He originally wanted to see if the Fire Dragon Sword was effective. From what he could see, with his current strength, the Fire Dragon Sword wouldn’t be able to do much.

He suddenly recalled something and asked, “Could it be that none of the vassal kingdoms discovered any Divine Veins? So the method of excavating the Divine Veins was never made known?”

“Nope!”

The old grandma replied in a firm tone, “In fact, every kingdom had excavated Divine Veins, but they were all pitifully small and could only produce a few celestial stones by using the simplest method. By constantly digging without rest using a group of martial artists wielding heaven artifacts…”

“Let me try again!”

Jiang Yi gritted his teeth and circulated the fiery red essence force in his first star sphere. He compressed it using the Exploding Essence Palm before slamming it directly at the stone wall!

Boom-boom!

The crystal wall shook again while the powerful explosion sent Jiang Yi flying back several meters. Everyone was shocked when they saw Jiang Yi’s essence force creating a small pit which was the size of a human face.

“Eh?”

After Jiang Yi was sent flying by the shockwave, he had this amazed expression in his eyes. The direct attack of his essence force was actually more ferocious than the saint artifact? Could it be that his essence force firepower was stronger than the Fire Dragon Sword?

Is my red essence force of a higher grade as compared to normal essence force? It even possesses a special ability?

Jiang Yi was silently bewildered. The Demon Empress didn’t tell him that after his first star sphere transformed, his essence force evolved into true essence that only Heaven Monarchs wielded. That was why he wasn’t very sure.

He then used the black essence force to slam at the stone wall, but it was obviously weaker and could only leave a mark which was the size of a thumb. His brightened eyes quickly dimmed. Although the essence force from his first star sphere was very dominant, this excavation speed was still too slow. He still had to cultivate and couldn’t waste his time like this.

Should I go ask the Principal and the Demon Empress?

Jiang Yi had a sudden thought which invigorated him, especially when he thought about the latter.

Could the reason for the dense heaven and earth energy at the Emperor Palace’s sky platform, be due to a Divine Vein running below the Fairy Peak? If the Demon Empress was formidable enough to create such a mystical sky platform, she might have a method to excavate the Divine Vein effortlessly.

Time to go back!

Jiang Yi made his decision and made a hand gesture to the old grandma, indicating that he wants to go out. Soon enough, he used the teleportation arrays to return to the royal palace. After exiting, he discussed with Su Ruoxue; and he had decided to return to Mt. Spirit Beast College before heading back to Fairy Peak after Su Ruoxue’s ascension to the throne.

“Jiang Yi!”

Just as Jiang Yi was preparing to head back into the Divine Vein to cultivate, Su Ruoxue called out to him. Her ancient divine essence ring glowed brightly as a few jade boxes appeared in her hands. She handed them over to Jiang Yi and said, “I have five celestial stones here. It is all the celestial stones that the royal clan has, including those two that you gave me back then. Take it and cultivate first.”

“How can I take it?”

Jiang Yi stared blankly and refused, “You better refine these for yourself. My cultivation requires a huge number of celestial stones, and these few stones aren’t enough! You need to raise your cultivation as well.”

“Ke-Ke!”

Su Ruoxue let out a bitter smile and said, “There are a thousand things to be done in the Great Xia Kingdom. Do you think I even have time to cultivate? Furthermore, three years later, it will be up to you to protect the Great Xia Kingdom. It is better to give it to you; it is useless for me to cultivate now. My strength is too inferior…”

“Very well then.”

Jiang Yi didn’t hold back himself and kept them all into his Fire Spirit Pearl. He then lightly hugged Su Ruoxue and said, “I will be cultivating underground and try to refine two or three of the celestial stones. I will be out of seclusion in two weeks. If there is anything, then ask someone to relay me a message.”

“En!”

Su Ruoxue let out a sweet smile and suddenly tiptoed to kiss Jiang Yi on the cheek. She then spoke in a gentle voice, “Don’t worry and go, Jiang Lang 1 . I will take good care of Xiaonu and Xiao Fei.”

Jiang Yi’s body froze while his heart was filled with happiness and an unprecedentedly intense fighting spirit. He nodded and quickly went out. He then informed Xiaonu and Xiao Fei before he went to the Divine Vein under the guidance from the old grandma. He then sat cross-legged near the Divine Vein and cultivated.

After cultivating for an entire afternoon, he then decisively asked General Gu to come over, asking him to send a few men to guard him by the side. He then took out a celestial stone and began to refine it.

His black essence force wrapped around the celestial stone as a surge of energy quickly pervaded into Jiang Yi’s body. He quickly controlled this surge of energy and guided it to enter his dantian. It was similar to when he cultivated previously, where all the nine star spheres were glowing bright and absorbing the energy violently, transmuting them into black essence force. This time, there was a slight difference. The transformed star sphere was still absorbing energy and would transmute it into fiery red essence force, but it was in pitifully small amounts.

Jiang Yi didn’t bother about it and rapidly refined. This time, his refinement speed was much faster, which took him just four days to completely refine the first celestial stone.

The second star sphere really requires twice the amount of essence force when compared to the first star sphere. It might require even more. I reckon that—for it to completely transform, it will need around seven celestial stones!

Jiang Yi silently lamented for a moment while General Gu quickly brought over a hot meal. After Jiang Yi finished his meal and had a drink, he rested for half a day before continuing his seclusion.

Time flew quickly, and Jiang Yi forgot about the time as he devoted himself to refining the celestial stones. The moment he exited from seclusion after refining the third celestial stone, General Gu quickly bowed with cupped hands and said, “Regent, today is the day of ascension, and the various kingdoms sent over their envoys. The Queen has given the order for you to go out after you finish your seclusion. There are some envoys who are obviously stirring up some trouble. She needs you to step forth and suppress them.”

“Stir up some trouble?”

Jiang Yi’s brows lifted as two chilling rays shot out from his eyes. He suddenly stood up and yelled out, “Let’s go. If there is anyone that dares to stir up any trouble, I will make them crawl out of Summer Rain City.”