Dashing Student-Chapter 1223: Skin You Alive

Chen Nan squinted at Luo Tuo in the sky, indeed a bona fide Great Cultivator of the Golden Core Realm Fifth Layer, lofty and indifferent, watching the beast tide attack the island.

Among the beast tide, the sea beasts had cultivations no higher than the First Layer of the Golden Core Realm. If Luo Tuo took action, he could easily deal with these sea beasts, but he just watched and let the sea beasts destroy Luoyue Island.

As for the people on the island, he cared even less.

"Are we just going to watch the sea beasts destroy our home and eat the people on the island?" A voice suddenly rang out; it was an indignant loose cultivator.

Luo Tuo suddenly laughed, a cold and sinister smile like a venomous snake, chilling to the bone. His gaze swept over the crowd below, and he suddenly reached out to grab a cultivator from the crowd. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

It was the cultivator who had just spoken.

"What do these ants’ lives have to do with me? Once they’ve fed the sea beasts, the tide will recede."

Zhong Ling and Chen Nan were shocked to hear such words; they underestimated Luo Tuo’s heartlessness. As an island master, he showed no baseline nor principles.

If one doesn’t want to take responsibility, then don’t be the island master. To take on the role and yet refuse responsibility; such a person deserves death. Chen Nan silently placed Luo Tuo on his kill list.

Luo Tuo laughed twice, exerting force in his hand, strangling the cultivator to death, then turned and flew toward the distant spirit vein.

"Hurry and take people to mine. If even one is missing, I’ll skin you alive!"

Luo Tuo’s minions who went out to hunt loose cultivators didn’t dare to slack off, hurriedly leading their captured cultivators to the spirit vein to mine because Luo Tuo’s "skin you alive" was no bluff!

Watching the beast tide unable to dissipate for the time being, Zhong Ling nervously clutched Chen Nan’s arm: "Master, I didn’t expect Luoyue Island to become like this..."

"Rest assured, this won’t last long."

Chen Nan gently patted his back for comfort, turned back to see the island’s residents running toward the center of the island.

The center of the island was where the island master resided; without Luo Tuo’s command, no one could enter. Even conscious of this fact, they still rushed over there.

After all, only there could they survive. Even if their homes were destroyed by sea beasts, as long as they lived, there was hope.

Chen Nan and the others were taken to the bottom of the spirit vein. Here, many mine tunnels had been excavated, the sound of clinking resounding from inside.

The entrance to the mine had several tall poles, on which hung the bodies of several cultivators, seemingly as a warning to the miners.

"From now on, you will be mining here. You must excavate at least a hundred spirit stones daily, or face severe punishment!"

The supervisor of the mines spoke viciously, his gaze intentionally or unintentionally lingering on the bodies swaying on the poles, for everyone to understand the rules here.

Chen Nan’s face was somewhat unsightly, Zhong Ling was full of anger. Originally, the spirit veins were places of natural beauty, but now they had become a sooty, filthy place.

Someone handed tools to Chen Nan and the newly captured cultivators, merely a pickaxe, and took them into the mine tunnels.

The space within the mine was not small, the tunnels branching out in all directions, with torches planted throughout, and many people constantly digging.

Spirit stones were in the vein but not visible everywhere, hidden within rocks and soil, needing excavation. Each spirit stone was irregular in shape.

The rock enclosing spirit stones was much harder than ordinary stone; even a First Layer Foundation Establishment cultivator needed to exert all effort to break it open.

If luck was good, a hundred spirit stones in a day was doable. But if unlucky, one might not find even one in a whole day.

It was Chen Nan’s first time inside a spirit stone vein, realizing only then how they were extracted. Before they could examine closely, they were led to a new tunnel.

Outside, the beast tide continued. Even in the spirit stone mine, one could feel minor vibrations, yet none of the miners stopped.

Their gazes were numb, like living dead, just wanting to quickly mine a hundred pieces to avoid punishment for the day.

Even if outside was a literal last day of the world, they still had to mine.

"Master, we won’t become like this, will we?" Zhong Ling tightly clutched Chen Nan’s arm, as if only then did she feel secure.

"Of course not." Chen Nan comforted her softly.

He was already somewhat impatient, initially hoping to recover here peacefully, but this environment was highly unappealing, the entire mine filled with thick resentment.

Staying here too long would affect cultivators, turning to despair.

"What are you looking at? Get mining fast; if you don’t reach a hundred pieces, just wait and see!" A supervisor came over, scolding Chen Nan’s group.

Chen Nan squinted slightly, picked up a torch nearby, and led Zhong Ling deeper inside to where only they were.

The supervisor paid no mind, for there was no other exit from the vein, leaving only from the front, not fearing any escape.

Even those attempting escape, after receiving a few beatings, would behave.

"Master, what should we do?" Zhong Ling asked nervously.

Chen Nan smiled and said, "Just focus on cultivating. The nature’s spiritual energy here is extremely abundant, perfect for quickly improving your cultivation."

Then he patted the Spirit Beast Bag at his waist, out jumped Shi Zhongsheng, flexing hands and feet.

Though appearing as small as before, Shi Zhongsheng had cultivated the Demon Ape Form, his body strength akin to a demon beast of the Golden Core Realm.

"Little Monkey, the spirit stone excavation is up to you." Chen Nan patted Shi Zhongsheng on the head.

Zhong Ling was full of joy, stepping forward to embrace the small monkey: "What a lovely little monkey, is its name Shi Zhongsheng? Why does it sound strange?"

"Because he sprang from a stone." Chen Nan chuckled, "You go cultivate quickly. Once you reach the Fifth Level of Foundation Establishment, I’ll assist in avenging you."

At this, Zhong Ling eagerly agreed: "Thank you, Master, I will strive to cultivate!"

Then she went to find a spot to cultivate, Chen Nan provided her with enough spirit stones and elixir pills, with the assistance of the Devouring Spirit Technique, her speed of cultivation would far exceed same realm cultivators.

Shi Zhongsheng, on the other hand, fiddled with a pickaxe larger than him, rushing to the side and clinks and clanks on the rock, soon extracting a spirit stone, making it grin happily and work even harder.

This scene made Chen Nan helplessly smile; it seemed Shi Zhongsheng really enjoyed mining, truly a born Saint Physique miner.