Upon seeing the item in Chen Feng’s hand, Te nodded and said, “Yes, this is it. This kind of material is worlds apart from Perfect Crystals. Perfect Crystals are incredibly difficult to refine; you’d be lucky to get one from ten thousand pieces of this ore.”

“One Perfect Crystal from ten thousand pieces?” Chen Feng’s expression grew strange as he asked curiously, “How do they refine them?”

White shook his head. “I’m not entirely sure. Rumor has it you first have to bury it in an extremely cold place for over a decade, exhausting all its fire-elemental energy. Then, you need someone at the (Ming Zun) level to use (Ming Si) to painstakingly strip away the remaining energy bit by bit! Many crystals shatter due to the violent temperature change of being exposed to extreme cold. So, obtaining a single Perfect Crystal is exceptionally difficult.”

He shook his head as he spoke.

“Because Perfect Crystals are rare and difficult to refine, many practitioners of (Ming Si) use these stones as substitutes. However, the fire element within is incredibly strong and can often cause burns! But because they are useful for the cultivation of (Ming Shi), even a single one of these stones costs at least one coin, and they are always in short supply!” White explained.

Ten thousand Purple Fire Crystals were needed to refine one Perfect Crystal, and one Purple Fire Crystal was worth a thousand coins. In that case, a single Perfect Crystal was worth ten million?

Chen Feng’s face took on a peculiar look as he realized this. As long as he possessed the Purple Fire Crystals, he could naturally absorb their energy and manufacture countless Perfect Crystals!

This meant he could easily establish an overwhelmingly powerful financial empire using these Perfect Crystals!

And... if he could provide a continuous supply of these things, he could certainly recruit a legion of (Ming Shi) in a short period!

Chen Feng harbored no grand ambitions, but to find the spatial barrier and return to the world of the Dragon Domain, he would require a massive workforce. Furthermore, what connection this world had with Yan Long, and whether it had attracted the attention of the God of Light, remained a significant question.

Although the currency bore the likeness of Yan Long, Chen Feng was not foolish enough to assume everyone in this world would obey him. After all, Yan Long had fallen ten thousand years ago. For a society to advance from barbarism to civilization, the high-ranking religious officials had grown accustomed to their power. If he rashly claimed to be Yan Long’s successor, he would likely be branded as an insulter of the gods by the established religions and swiftly executed!

After all, these cardinals and even the Popes had enjoyed the glory of their god for ten millennia. Even the most devout would have grown weary without a sign. Gods demanded worship and the selfless contribution of faith; this required frequent divine miracles. With over ten thousand years devoid of any miracle, how could their hearts remain unwavering? This was not the Dragon Domain, where the Dragon race lived under Yan Long’s lingering influence, night and day praying for his return to finally escape their cage.

Therefore, until he understood the situation and possessed the strength for self-preservation, Chen Feng dared not reveal his connection to Yan Long. Otherwise, even if the cardinals and the Pope believed him, they would undoubtedly eliminate him without hesitation!

Because his arrival would disrupt their rule and strip them of their authority!

………………………………………………………………………………

Horses found it difficult to traverse the dense mountain forests. However, this group consisted of bandits; even the most arduous paths could be navigated smoothly. Only as they moved deeper into the mountains did a sense of fear begin to creep in among them, worried that Chen Feng was leading them into the wilderness to silence them.

A group of men fearing a single individual—Chen Feng had certainly established his authority.

After approximately four hours of travel, covering no less than a hundred miles, they arrived before a sheer, precipitous peak.

The mountain towered, jagged and steep, like a colossal pillar piercing the heavens.

“Here?” Chen Feng inquired.

White nodded.

“Select the twenty best horses; the rest are to be used as food!” White announced loudly.

“Use the horses for food?” Everyone present was stunned into silence.

“Hurry up!” Chen Feng coldly snorted.

Seeing Chen Feng’s expression shift, the bandits scrambled into hurried action, quickly leading out the twenty best horses while herding the remainder together. With over three hundred horses, they couldn't possibly consume them all at once, so they were left to graze initially. Since the mountain forest offered plenty of wild grass, there was no concern about them losing weight.

The more than three hundred men each ate five horses to complete their meal.

After eating and making the necessary preparations, White chose several quick-witted men from the bandits to tend to the remaining horses. Since Chen Feng had inflicted the fire poison upon them, they posed no risk of escape.

The rest of the group followed White around the base of the peak until they reached a rock face.

“The non-Perfect Crystal ore is inside the mountain belly behind this rock wall,” White stated.

Chen Feng surveyed the surroundings, discerning nothing unusual, and asked with a hint of confusion, “How did you know there was a mineral deposit here?”

“I discovered it when I led my troops through here years ago. There was originally a natural cave with lava inside. To prevent others from finding it, I ordered my men to blast the entrance shut. After a decade or so, it looks like this now,” White explained, then bellowed an order to the bandits: “Dig a hole here!”

“Dig a hole?” The faces of the bandits instantly contorted as if they had eaten bitter melon.

The rock in the mountain range was hard as iron. Relying only on the swords and blades in their hands, how long would it take to create even a small cavern?

“Quickly!” White snapped, effortlessly projecting the imposing authority he once held as a troop commander.

“Yes…” The bandits, after all, were little more than a disorganized mob. Seeing his anger, they reluctantly approached the stone wall, beginning to chip away with a cacophony of clangs and dings. Although many carried bronze armor, without proper steel chisels or hammers, their efforts against the rock face were futile, yielding no visible change after more than ten minutes of hammering.

White roared in frustration, “You useless curs! Where did the meat you just ate go?”

Carving stone in the mountains without gunpowder, steel chisels, or iron hammers—using only hands, swords, and blades—would be useless no matter how many men were present.

“Forget it, I’ll do it,” Chen Feng said calmly. “You all step back.”

His voice was not loud, yet the bandits reacted as if they had heard celestial music, their faces lighting up with relief.

When the crowd dispersed, Chen Feng unleashed his domain in the direction of the rock wall. His eyes snapped open, his left arm raised, and his right arm extended forward. With a deafening roar, he executed the move:

Hundred and Eight Forms of the Serpent Pheasant!

A colossal column of flame, resembling a roaring fire dragon, slammed directly into the rock face.

BOOM… A tremendous sound echoed against the wall, akin to a mountain flood bursting forth. Dust mingled with shards of rock sprayed everywhere, as if hundreds of pounds of explosives had detonated simultaneously.

When the smoke cleared, a perfectly circular opening, more than three meters in diameter, pierced straight into the mountain range.

The bandits watching from several hundred meters away were struck pale with terror by the sheer scale of the event. Their lips trembled, their legs involuntarily weakened, and they collapsed onto the ground.

To blast such a massive hole in the rock wall—was this young man even human?

A wave of terror washed over them, yet only White remained standing silently, deep in thought.

Approaching the newly formed cave, Chen Feng ordered the bandits to clear the rubble. A passage was quickly carved out.

Chen Feng, White, and the others proceeded slowly into the tunnel. After about twenty meters, they found the newly blasted section connected with a natural cavern system within the mountain.

Following these natural passages deeper, the air grew progressively hotter and drier.

After walking for about half an hour, the terrain suddenly dipped sharply downward, sloping straight into the depths, with waves of intense heat rolling upward.

Chen Feng paid the heat no mind, but the bandits struggled, their cultivation levels being relatively low. They forced themselves through the rising, suffocating heat to follow behind.

Descending for perhaps two to three kilometers, they spotted a glimmer of light ahead. Upon entering, the group couldn't help but gasp in awe.

It was an enormous cavern, spanning perhaps over a hundred thousand square meters, with a central circular void about 200 meters in diameter, resembling the shape of a volcanic crater.

From the base of the "crater," rolling waves of heat emanated, accompanied by the constant sound of boiling water. Looking down, all they saw was molten magma.

The cavern walls above the magma glowed with a vibrant purple light, scattered like a dazzling constellation map, exceptionally brilliant.

“All of this is Purple Fire Crystal… non-Perfect Crystal?” Chen Feng felt almost dizzy from the sight.

The magma walls were densely covered with Purple Fire Crystals, totaling thousands of tons!

Moreover, the closer these Purple Fire Crystals were to the magma, the purer they became. Compared to the crystals in the water flasks, those near the lava were utter garbage, belonging to an entirely different league.

But it made sense. The Purple Fire Crystals could only form near the lava. Unless one was a powerhouse specializing in the fire attribute, how could they approach this heat? And why would a fire attribute powerhouse personally venture to a mine to collect raw ore?

White explained, “Because these ores are too close to the magma, the heat is too intense, making it difficult for anyone to approach. Each person can only stay here for one hour per day. With nearly thirty bandits here, we can divide them into twenty-four shifts to mine the ore, and it should take about a year to collect everything!”

“A year?” Chen Feng was momentarily stunned.

White nodded. “One person can collect very little in an hour—a dozen pieces at most. After all, these Purple Fire Crystals are scorching hot, like red-hot branding irons.”

Purple Fire Crystals formed only under extremely specific conditions alongside magma, containing vast amounts of fire element, naturally making them intensely hot.

Chen Feng considered the situation briefly, then instructed the bandits trailing behind, “You all go out first and wait for my command!”

The bandits fled as if granted amnesty, wiping sweat from their brows, scrambling toward the exit.

Chen Feng shook his head as they vanished instantly. He made no move to avoid White, instead expanding his domain. A cluster of purple flames erupted around his body, and he shot toward the "crater" like a soaring bird, plunging directly into the abyss!

“You…” White stood frozen on the spot, utterly dumbfounded, unable to believe his eyes that Chen Feng could fly.

ps: Another chapter tonight. . . (To be continued. For more of this story, please log in to m. More chapters available. Support the author, support legitimate reading!) First publication

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