I am a full-level celestial master, you let me enter the strange talk of rules?

In this underground mining area, there seems to be no concept of day or night, only the limited halo created by the miners' lamps overhead, and the boundless darkness that seems to devour the soul.

Time here is simplified to the cold countdown numbers on your wrist.

Upon entering the perilous No. 7 mining area, Zhang Yangqing was indeed unfamiliar with the situation. To be on the safe side, he naturally followed the more experienced veteran miners.

As they went deeper, Zhang Yangqing and all the chosen ones clearly noticed the difference.

The air here is even more stagnant than outside. The aura of death is as tangible as a sediment in every inch of space, mixed with a faint, ever-present, rusty, bloody smell.

The further you go in, the stronger the smell of blood seems to become, and occasionally you can also smell a sweeter, more rotten odor, which makes you involuntarily tense up.

After entering the main mine tunnel, the dozens of miners quickly dispersed like water droplets seeping into a sponge, each choosing a different branch tunnel or mine wall to begin their work.

The dim yellow lights twinkled in the crisscrossing mine shafts, casting eerie, flickering shadows.

The interior of the mine is more complex than one can imagine.

The rock face is not a solid monolith; often, huge, bottomless cracks can be seen winding like centipedes, from which wisps of cold wind seep out, making a whistling sound.

Besides the gravel, the ground also features some strangely colored moss, slippery fungi, and some bizarrely shaped multi-legged insects that crawl quickly by. They are extremely sensitive to light and dart into the shadows as soon as a miner's lamp shines on them, leaving behind a faint rustling sound.

Occasionally, small pebbles or dust fall from above, a reminder of the instability of the structure here.

Following the normal procedure, if the chosen one fails to rescue the old miner and establish trust at the beginning like Zhang Yangqing did, then following those miners who appear experienced and skilled and imitating their behavior is undoubtedly the safest choice.

Zhang Yangqing naturally didn't need to do that; he already had a ready-made guide and underling by his side.

It has to be said that this old miner is really something else to have survived in such a place.

His expertise lies not in martial arts or mystical powers, but in the almost instinctive survival and exploration experience he accumulated through countless brushes with death.

He walked to a relatively open area near a wall with slightly mottled rock layers, but did not rush to dig.

Instead, he first bent down and carefully touched the surface of the rock in different areas with his rough, thin fingers, feeling its temperature, humidity and roughness.

He would even lie on the ground, press his ear against the cold earth, and listen intently for a moment, as if trying to catch the faintest echoes or vibrations deep within the rocks.

What surprised Zhang Yangqing even more was that the old miner would carefully lick the cross-section or crevices of certain rocks with the tip of his tongue!
The movements were swift yet cautious; after licking, it immediately spat it out, savoring something carefully.

He noticed Zhang Yangqing's gaze and explained somewhat embarrassedly, "Young man, don't mind the dirt. This is an old method. Some special ores have a very faint 'sweet and fishy' or 'astringent and numbing' taste. Ordinary people can't taste it, but our old-timers' tongues have long been honed by the dust and strange smells here, so we can taste some of the nuances."
Mineral veins with "spiritual energy" often have a "pure" taste; even if they are bitter, the bitterness is clean and pure. On the other hand, mineral veins that carry danger, may contain poisonous gases, or strange substances, will taste nauseatingly "turbid," or cause a slight numbness on the tongue.

As he spoke, he continued his exploration process, interspersed with some very simple yet practical tips such as "judging the distance and cleanliness of groundwater by the color of moss", "identifying cavities and potential collapses by listening to the sound of the wind", and "inferring the direction of the ore vein by observing the bedding of rocks".

These indigenous people cannot see the rules and regulations. They have gained these experiences, which are ingrained in their very being, through the lives of countless fellow human beings and their own long suffering. In Zhang Yangqing's view, this in itself is extremely valuable intelligence.

In other live stream footage, many of the chosen ones, in order to survive, also put aside their pride and so-called face, and followed behind some seemingly reliable miners, imitating their actions.

Lying on the ground to listen, getting close to smell, and even enduring nausea to lick rocks.
Although their posture was disheveled and their movements clumsy, in such a desperate situation, learning a few survival or efficiency-enhancing skills was more important than anything else. Only by surviving could they hope to leave this hellish place.

However, Zhang Yangqing's approach was completely different.

He neither lay down nor licked the stone.

He simply stood there quietly, his gaze calmly sweeping over the surrounding environment, the contours of the rock face, the subtle changes in the airflow, and even the refraction of light on the rugged surface.

It wasn't until the old miner, relying on his experience, selected a spot and began to dig with his pickaxe, making a clanging sound.

He dug skillfully, avoiding potentially weak layers, and soon he actually unearthed a fist-sized ore with a dark metallic luster and a few crystals mixed in.

The old miner picked up the ore, examined it carefully under the light, and a look of satisfaction appeared on his face.

"The quality is alright, it's a 'Black Iron Associated Crystal', which can be exchanged for some points, but it's far from the merit needed to become a 'Judge', and it's barely enough to eat a full meal."

The old miner carefully placed the ore into the compression box on his waist. The indicator light on the box's surface flashed slightly, and the weight seemed to have increased a little.

He wiped his sweat and then noticed that Zhang Yangqing had been standing still. He asked in confusion, "What's wrong, young man? Don't you know how to judge? How about I teach you step by step?"

It's clear that the veteran miners still value loyalty and friendship.

After all, there is no conflict of interest between them at the moment.

Zhang Yangqing shook his head, interrupting him, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable air: "Come with me."

The old miner was stunned. He looked at the spot where he had just dug out the ore, then at Zhang Yangqing, his face full of confusion.

But thinking of Zhang Yangqing's amazing insight and composure, as well as the trust brought by the life-saving grace, he hesitated for a moment, then nodded, picked up his pickaxe and followed.

The two left the relatively lively area where other miners were clanging their weapons nearby and headed deeper into a quieter, unremarkable side road.

The old miner followed behind, increasingly uneasy.

He noticed that Zhang Yangqing walked slowly, but his steps were unusually steady. When his gaze swept across the complex mine environment, it seemed to have a clear direction, without any of the confusion or hesitation of a newcomer.

"That's strange. How come this kid seems to know where there are good things? Is it just my imagination?"

This was what the old miner was thinking, but he didn't say it aloud.

After walking for about seven or eight minutes, Zhang Yangqing stopped at a seemingly ordinary, even somewhat narrow, corner.

The rock walls here are dark gray, the moss is sparse, and the air doesn't circulate much. According to the experience of veteran miners, the probability of finding good ore here is extremely low.

Zhang Yangqing extended his index finger and lightly tapped the tip of a seemingly thick and solid rock wall in front of him. His tone was calm, yet carried a strange certainty: "From where you are standing now, dig forward to a depth of about three feet and one inch, slightly to the lower left, about two inches. There's something good down there." (End of Chapter)