Fang Hao had already been at the Spirit Stone Mine for nearly two months.

Working like a dog during the day and secretly cultivating like an immortal at night—life was truly a mix of ice and fire.

The mine was no place for humans. A hundred fathoms underground, never seeing the sun, the air was thick with stone dust that could make one choke for ages with a single breath. Swinging a heavy sledgehammer against the mine walls for eight hours a day left his arms so weak he could barely lift them.

The supervisor, surnamed Liu, was a burly man with a face full of fat and a menacing look, always clutching a whip. He’d lash anyone who rubbed him the wrong way. Not a single Servant Disciple at the mine wasn’t afraid of him.

"Fang Hao. Stop daydreaming. Get back to work." Supervisor Liu cracked his whip against a rock near Fang Hao, sending a shower of sparks flying.

Fang Hao quickly swung his hammer and continued mining, but his mind was already on his cultivation session that night.

Ever since he obtained the Myriad Manifestations Heaven Swallowing Art, Fang Hao’s life finally had some hope. Every night, once everyone was fast asleep, he would sneak into the depths of the mine shafts, find a secluded spot, and press his hands against the walls to Cultivate.

This Cultivation Technique was truly no joke; it absorbed Spiritual Qi with incredible ferocity. In just over a month, Fang Hao had already achieved a Breakthrough to the Qi Refining Second Layer. This speed was countless times faster than when he was at the Medicine Garden.

His roommate, Xu Bao, had just reached the Qi Refining Second Layer a few days ago and was so arrogant his nose was practically pointing at the sky, bragging to everyone he met. Fang Hao chuckled inwardly; if the kid knew he had also reached the Qi Refining Second Layer, he wondered what his face would look like.

However, Fang Hao didn’t dare breathe a word. He hadn’t told anyone about the secret on the last few pages of his Basic Breathing Technique. In this world, one could never be too cautious of others.

That night, Fang Hao snuck out of the barracks as usual. The moonlight was tightly veiled by dark clouds, leaving everything in pitch-black darkness.

He expertly slipped into a remote branch deep within the mine shafts. He had scouted this place before; no one ever came here.

Fang Hao sat cross-legged, pressed his hands against the cold mine wall, and circulated the Myriad Manifestations Heaven Swallowing Art. Suddenly, a surge of majestic Spiritual Qi gushed out from the mineral vein, pouring through his arms and into his body.

Refreshing. Truly refreshing.

Fang Hao felt every pore on his body open up, greedily absorbing the Spiritual Qi. At this rate, he would Breakthrough to the Qi Refining Third Layer in less than a month.

Right as he was cultivating intensely, he suddenly heard footsteps and voices coming from the distance.

Fang Hao’s heart skipped a beat. He quickly stopped his technique and tried to find a place to hide, but the mine tunnel was straight and narrow—there was nowhere to go!

"Who’s there?" A beam of light shone over, blinding Fang Hao.

It was Supervisor Liu and two patrolling Disciples. Supervisor Liu held an lighting charm, his face looking menacing.

"Fang Hao? What are you doing here in the middle of the night?" Supervisor Liu asked, squinting his eyes.

Fang Hao felt guilty, but he forced himself to stay calm. "Reporting to the supervisor, I... I couldn’t sleep, so I came out for a walk."

"A walk?" Supervisor Liu sneered. "Coming to this godforsaken place for a walk? Who are you trying to fool?"

He stepped forward and grabbed Fang Hao’s wrist, his expression suddenly changing. "Such strong Spiritual Qi fluctuations! Were you just cultivating?"

Fang Hao cried out in his heart, stammering, "No... I wasn’t..."

Supervisor Liu didn’t believe him and searched Fang Hao, pulling out the Basic Breathing Technique. He flipped through it, found nothing special, and shoved it back into Fang Hao’s robes.

"Speak. Did you steal Spirit Stones?" Supervisor Liu suddenly shouted sternly.

Fang Hao was startled. "No. Absolutely not."

Stealing Spirit Stones was the ultimate taboo in the mine. Last month, a Servant Disciple stole a Low-Grade Spirit Stone, was caught on the spot, had his legs broken, and was thrown out of the Sect.

Supervisor Liu didn’t believe him and had the two Disciples hold Fang Hao while they searched the area thoroughly. As it turned out, they actually found three Low-Grade Spirit Stones hidden in a crack between the rocks in the corner.

Fang Hao was dumbfounded. This was clearly a frame-up.

"Caught red-handed. What do you have to say for yourself?" Supervisor Liu said triumphantly. "I was wondering why the Spirit Stone production had dropped lately; it turns out you were the one behind it."

Fang Hao broke into a cold sweat. "Supervisor, please be fair. I really didn’t hide those. If I had stolen Spirit Stones, why would I hide them in such an easy-to-find place?"

Supervisor Liu didn’t listen to any explanations and slapped Fang Hao across the face. "Still trying to talk your way out of it. Take him away."

Early the next morning, Fang Hao was tied to a pillar in the center of the mine to be punished publicly.

In front of all the Servant Disciples, Supervisor Liu announced Fang Hao’s crimes.

"Servant Disciple Fang Hao, caught red-handed for sneaking into the mine shafts at night and stealing Spirit Stones. According to Sect rules, he is sentenced to thirty lashes, half a year’s worth of cultivation resources will be docked, and he will be reassigned to serve in the abandoned mine shafts."

Fang Hao had no way to defend himself, feeling incredibly frustrated. He had just found a shortcut for his cultivation, only for this to happen.

The whip lashed against his body, burning with pain. Fang Hao gritted his teeth and didn’t make a sound. In the crowd below, that kid Xu Bao was laughing the hardest. Fang Hao knew in his heart it was likely his doing.

After the whipping, Fang Hao was untied and nearly collapsed to the ground.

Supervisor Liu threw a set of even more tattered utility robes and a ragged bundle at him. "Pack your things and report to the abandoned mine shafts immediately."

The abandoned mine shafts was at the very edge of the mining area, a depleted mineral vein. There was almost no Spiritual Qi there, and it was said to be prone to cave-ins. Those sent there were essentially abandoned Disciples.

Fang Hao limped back to the barracks to pack. When his roommates saw him enter, they all kept their distance, except for one small Disciple who secretly handed him a steamed bun.

"Senior Brother Ning, take care," the small one whispered.

Fang Hao nodded gratefully. In this cold and indifferent place, even a small gesture of kindness was precious.

On the way to the abandoned mine shafts, Fang Hao felt his chest; the Basic Breathing Technique was still there. Luckily, Supervisor Liu hadn’t checked it thoroughly, or else discovering the secret of the Myriad Manifestations Heaven Swallowing Art would have led to far worse than just a whipping.

The abandoned mine shafts was indeed desolate. Only an old man was guarding it; seeing Fang Hao, he barely lifted an eyelid and pointed to a dilapidated shack in the corner.

"Stay there. Do a patrol once a day to check for cave-in risks. Other than that, there’s nothing else to do."

Fang Hao set down his luggage and looked around the place, which was almost entirely devoid of Spiritual Qi. His heart sank. In a place like this, the Myriad Manifestations Heaven Swallowing Art would have no use!

That night, Fang Hao lay on the hard wooden bed, his whip wounds stinging intensely. He took out the Basic Breathing Technique and flipped to the last page; the characters for the Myriad Manifestations Heaven Swallowing Art were still clear.

"All things have spirit, all can be a source." Fang Hao murmured the phrase, and a sudden spark of inspiration hit him.

Although the abandoned mine shafts was depleted of Spiritual Qi, it had been a Spirit Stone vein after all. Could there be residual Spiritual Qi left within the walls?

Fang Hao sat up abruptly, ignoring his pain. He slipped out of the shack, found a section of the wall, pressed his hands against it, and circulated the Myriad Manifestations Heaven Swallowing Art.

At first, there was no reaction. Fang Hao didn’t give up and continued to circulate the technique. Finally, a trace of Spiritual Qi, so faint it was almost imperceptible, seeped from the wall and flowed into his body.

Though this Spiritual Qi was thin, it was exceptionally pure—much higher in quality than the chaotic Spiritual Qi in the main vein.

Fang Hao was overjoyed. Truly, the heavens never bar every path.

And so, Fang Hao spent his days patrolling the abandoned mine shafts and his nights secretly cultivating. Although his progress was much slower, it hadn’t come to a complete standstill.

During a patrol one day, Fang Hao discovered an extremely hidden crack that seemed to lead deeper. Curiously, he squeezed inside and crawled for about the time it takes an incense stick to burn before the view suddenly opened up.

It was a massive underground cavern, and in the center was actually a pool of milky-white spring water, emitting an incredibly dense Spiritual Qi.

Fang Hao was stunned. Could this be a Spiritual Spring?

He carefully scooped up a handful of spring water and drank it, immediately feeling a surge of pure Spiritual Qi flowing through his entire body.

Excellent. This place was extremely hidden, making it the perfect spot for cultivation.

Fang Hao was so excited he nearly jumped for joy. Truly, a blessing in disguise. Being exiled to the abandoned mine shafts had turned out to be a stroke of good fortune!

From that day on, Fang Hao pretended to patrol during the day, but spent most of his time hiding in that secret Spiritual Spring cave to Cultivate. With the help of the Spiritual Spring, his progress with the Myriad Manifestations Heaven Swallowing Art was lightning fast.

At the same time, Fang Hao learned to be even more cautious. He erased his tracks every time he entered or exited and remained vigilant while cultivating, fearing he might be discovered again.

That night, while Fang Hao was cultivating by the Spiritual Spring, he suddenly heard a strange noise in the distance, sounding like people fighting.

His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly suppressed his aura, quietly creeping toward the source of the sound.