Chapter 474: Chapter 343: Mine Slave, Breaking the Formation with One Arrow! (Part 2)

[You have learned your first skill, the Golden Blade Skill.]

[In the afternoon, you begin mining and quickly grasp the knack of it, saving a lot of energy.]

[You start observing this mine.]

[The mine is large and has obviously been exploited for some time; most of the slaves here are cultivators captured from sects and families attacked by Shallow Cloud Mountain.]

[Due to the mixed Spiritual Qi here, it’s hard to cultivate, and recovering True Essence is barely achievable.]

[The longer the slaves stay here, the worse their condition becomes.]

[You realize that you need to plan your escape soon; you didn’t pursue cultivation just to mine for others.]

[You spend three days observing the security forces here.]

[There are twelve Outer Disciples of Shallow Cloud Mountain taking turns guarding this place, and they rotate every month with another group of Outer Disciples.]

[There is also a Mid-Stage Qi Refining Outer Sect Steward stationed here.]

[Your current strength is First-Layer Qi Refining, approaching Qi Refining Second Layer...]

[You observe your companions and find that those slightly stronger in aptitude are none; the remaining ones are like you, with Five Spirit Roots, their gazes dull, seemingly resigned to their fate.]

"Brother Zhong, this is the Yangjin Stone I mined extra, I offer it to you." Zhong Heng smiled broadly in front of a middle-aged man, revealing the mining basket behind him.

"Oh? The quality is not bad, seems you have some skill in mining."

"Go ahead, Deacon Li doesn’t care about these things; you can take advantage of the Spiritual Qi over there to recover more True Essence."

"Young brother, you’re from the same family, and you have talent; wait, I’ll see if I can talk to those stewards and help you get a servant disciple status." The middle-aged man with the surname Zhong saw the basket full of top-grade stones, a hint of joy flickering in his eyes.

Every slave’s yield is limited daily, and these disciples hardly benefit, never expecting such efficient mining from a slave.

Extra stones? Give them to the sect? Or credit this slave? Of course, sell them privately.

Although Yangjin Stones are common, they are easy to sell.

As for the promise to this slave? His one-month stint is almost over; he won’t bother speaking for a slave.

"Thank you, Brother."

Zhong Heng sat not far from the middle-aged man with a smiling face.

They relied on the steward, and where the steward stayed, a simplistic Spirit Gathering Array was set up.

The Spirit Gathering Array purifies Spiritual Qi, enhances its concentration, and conditions it with other functions.

Far more versatile than the Spirit Gathering Arrays Zhong Heng knew of in his previous life.

This was the sole array inside the mine.

Outside the mine, there was another array combining warning and defense functions.

The middle-aged man with the surname Zhong smiled at the numerous Outer Disciples, then began cultivating himself. The others merely believed the youth with the surname Zhong found favor in this boy, due to being from the same sect, said nothing more, and also cultivated.

Although the Spiritual Qi here is mixed, at least it’s close to the Spirit Gathering Array.

This task offers many contribution points, albeit being quite arduous.

However, these disciples didn’t notice Zhong Heng’s slightly glowing white eyes, focused on the Spirit Gathering Array.

From Zhong Heng’s perspective.

The Spiritual Qi trajectories in the Spirit Gathering Array became distinct.

The ability of Spirit Illusion Gaze.

But the next second, the world paused.

Colors faded.

The surrounding Shallow Cloud Mountain disciples turned into blurred figures woven from black and white lines.

Not just them.

The surrounding cave walls, even the Spirit Gathering Array, transformed into countless lines.

If an ordinary person were to see this, they might find it frightening.

At this moment, Zhong Heng was entranced.

This is...

The capability of River Map!

He stared steadily at the Spirit Gathering Array.

The entire Spirit Gathering Array was being analyzed.

If it were an average person, even if the array were analyzed, they might not discern anything from it.

But Zhong Heng possessed the talent of an Array Master.

The talent, worth nearly two thousand Spirit Points, though not top-notch, allowed Zhong Heng to have the potential of an Array Master. Combined with River Map’s enhancement of array talent, Zhong Heng’s talent in arrays had already reached genius level.

Crucially, although no specifics of the cultivation technique were left in Zhong Heng’s mind, he held various cultivation knowledge.

Among them were the fundamentals of many arrays, though scattered, not inferior to some Array Apprentices.

Zhong Heng, who couldn’t even manage the simplest Array Patterns, now faintly comprehended the entirety of the Spirit Gathering Array in his mind.

[You unexpectedly awakened River Map’s capability, you’ve awakened a special talent, River Map · Analysis]

[You come back to your senses, finding that dawn is near, and you feel that you have consumed a significant amount of Essence, Qi, and Spirit.]

[You quickly find an excuse to retreat to the depths of the mine, falling into a deep sleep.]

[Fortunately, you had prepared adequate amounts of stones early on, ensuring that even though you slept for three days and nights, you wouldn’t suffer too many punishments.]

[In your mind, a blueprint contains all the information of the Spirit Gathering Array.]

[Simultaneously, you unexpectedly discover a space in your mind, seemingly possessing storage capabilities...]

[Time passes swiftly; soon you’ve been in the mine for a month, the guarding disciples have been replaced with a new batch, and the middle-aged man with the surname Zhong seems to have sold your information. Another Outer Disciple claiming to be related to the middle-aged Zhong is willing to shelter you, the price being the same as with the latter.]

[You continue to observe the Spirit Gathering Array.]