Qingmu County also had a Red Nitre Stone Mine, but it was a small-scale one with limited ore output.

As a result, the production of Explosive Potions had always remained low.

But here, Lin Feng looked up at the mine walls, where crimson ore veins stretched deep along the rock face.

One, two, three... they were densely packed, spreading out like a massive web.

"So much Red Nitre Stone?"

Tie Dun leaned in, his eyes wide and round.

"My goodness, if we dug all this out, how many Explosive Potions could we make?"

Zhao Hu squatted down and picked up a fragment ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) of ore scattered on the ground.

He weighed it in his hand and said in a heavy voice, "The quality isn't low; the grade is better than the mine in Qingmu County."

Wang Wu looked around, his tone carrying a hint of disbelief:

"Could the entire third floor of this Dungeon be a Red Nitre Stone Mine? If so, this could be considered a giant Red Nitre Stone Mine."

Everyone laughed, and Tie Dun had already started counting on his fingers: "Mining 300 units of raw ore a day, one unit makes one bottle of Explosive Potion, one bottle sells for... I can't even finish the math, but anyway, we're rich!"

Feng Qingyan also approached the wall and poked the crimson ore with her finger.

She turned back to Jiang Zhaoyue and said, "Sister Jiang, this stuff isn't common where we're from. The several Red Nitre Stone Mines in Zhenyue City have been mined for decades, and their output has plummeted, causing prices to jump several times over in recent years."

Jiang Zhaoyue stood in the middle of the mine tunnel, her gaze sweeping across the crimson veins one by one.

Even her usually composed face showed a look of shock.

She naturally knew that Red Nitre Stone was a strategic resource; Explosive Potions, Fire Arrows, and Incendiary Potions all relied on it.

A giant Red Nitre Stone Mine was enough to change the military potential of a territory.

Jiang Zhaoyue turned to look at Lin Feng, her tone carrying a hint of complex emotion.

"Lord Lin, this Dungeon... its value is too great. This is only the third floor, and it has already far exceeded my imagination."

Lin Feng didn't respond directly, only nodding.

He walked to Jiang Zhaoyue's side and asked, "How is the terrain here? Can you scout it clearly?"

Jiang Zhaoyue snapped out of it, closed her eyes, and the silver moon emblem on her forehead lit up.

The light was exceptionally prominent in the dim tunnel, casting flickering shadows against the surrounding rock walls.

A few seconds later, she opened her eyes, her brow furrowing slightly.

"The area is still very large. The mine tunnels are intricate and complex, even denser than the karst cave maze on the first floor."

She paused and pointed to a branch tunnel on the right.

"Let's go this way first; it's relatively open over there with fewer forks."

Lin Feng nodded. "Let's go." 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Everyone followed Jiang Zhaoyue, continuing deeper along the main passage.

The tunnel grew narrower as they walked, shrinking from three meters wide to two, and then to barely enough for two people to walk side-by-side.

The rock ceiling above also pressed lower, and the density of the Red Nitre Stone veins increased.

The dark red light reflected on everyone's faces, making them look flush as if they were wearing red masks.

After walking for about ten minutes, clusters of grey mushrooms appeared in the damp corners of the tunnel.

The mushroom caps were as large as a palm, with thick, stout stems; they looked rather chubby and simple.

They grew beside abandoned drainage ditches, on seeping rock walls, and at the base of mine pillars.

In cluster after cluster, they looked like little paratroopers.

Feng Qingyan squatted down curiously, reached out to touch a mushroom cap, and then let out an "Eh?": "This mushroom is warm?"

Su Yurou also squatted down, gently picked one, and cradled it in her palm.

The mushroom cap felt warm to the touch, like a steamed bun that had just come out of the pot and cooled slightly.

"It's because they're near the Red Nitre Stone veins," Lin Feng glanced over and explained.

"Red Nitre Stone generates heat. The mushrooms absorb trace amounts of heat from the minerals, so they feel warm to the touch and never get cold."

Tie Dun also picked one, turning it over and over in his hand: "Can you eat it?"

"I don't know," Lin Feng said.

Tie Dun hesitated for a moment but didn't dare shove it into his mouth. He tucked the mushroom into his belt: "I'll take it back for Pharmacist Zhou to look at."

The group continued forward, and a rhythmic "thump-thump" sound echoed from deep within the tunnel.

It wasn't an echo; it was a real sound, and it was getting closer.

Each sound was like a blunt instrument striking rock—dull, powerful, and evenly spaced.

Arrow Eye tilted his head to listen: "It's just ahead, not far."

Jiang Zhaoyue closed her eyes, did a quick scan, and then opened them with a somewhat strange expression: "It's a... marmot-like monster. It's mining."

"A marmot?" Tie Dun was stunned. "A mining marmot?"

Everyone lightened their footsteps and crept toward the source of the sound.

The tunnel turned a corner, and a large cavern appeared ahead. It looked like it had been deliberately excavated by something, and the space was about half the size of a basketball court.

The cavern walls were covered in Red Nitre Stone veins, and the dark red light illuminated the entire cave in a crimson glow.

In the center of the cavern, several marmot-like monsters that walked upright were busy at work.

They were about a meter tall and round, their grey-brown fur covered in dust and rock fragments.

The most striking feature was their front paws—huge, curved, and possessing a metallic sheen, they looked like two natural pickaxes.

They stood on their hind legs, leaning slightly forward, and then struck the rock wall forcefully with their giant claws.

"Thump! Thump! Thump!" With every strike, a small piece of Red Nitre Stone ore was chipped away.

【Cave Marmot · LV15】

Ore was scattered across the ground. They picked it up with their mouths and tossed it into a small minecart behind them.

The minecart was already more than half full, and the crimson ore gleamed under the dark red light.

Tie Dun's mouth fell open: "It really is a marmot... a mining marmot..."

Feng Qingyan was also dazed: "They're quite professional at mining; they even have a minecart..."

Before Feng Qingyan could finish her sentence, the marmot closest to the entrance suddenly stopped its movements.

Its nose twitched twice, and then it jerked its head around, its small black-bean eyes staring intently at the entrance.

"Squeak!!!" it let out a sharp, piercing scream that echoed back and forth in the cavern.

The other marmots looked up at the same time, and upon seeing the group, their reactions were surprisingly consistent.

They lunged for the Red Nitre Stone ore on the ground, each grabbing a large piece, and then scampered off on their short legs toward the depths of the cavern.

The fastest one didn't even forget to use its tail to hook the minecart over, causing the ore to spill all over the ground with a clatter.

Tie Dun: "...Why are they carrying the ore away?"

Tie Dun wanted to give chase, but Lin Feng stopped him.

"Forget it."

Lin Feng squatted down, picked up a scattered piece of Red Nitre Stone ore, and weighed it in his hand.

He turned to the group and said, "Continue. The third floor has only just begun."

The group smiled knowingly and followed him deeper into the mine tunnel.