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

Zhang Yangqing also ate some slowly and deliberately, and carefully fed some well-cooked, boneless bits of meat to the lame little mouse that kept staring longingly and licking its lips from time to time.

The little mouse ate with great relish, and its affection for Zhang Yangqing grew even stronger.

After eating and drinking my fill, my strength was restored, and I even felt as if a trace of my body's original potential had been activated.

Sensing all this, Zhang Yangqing thought: It seems this body hasn't had enough to eat in a long time; that feeling of fullness is enough to make every cell in the body leap with joy.

Zhang Yangqing wiped his mouth, looked at the old miner who was carefully gathering the remaining pieces of meat and preparing to wrap them in clean leaves to hide them, and instructed him:
“Take care of this: when you go back, act as weak and tired as usual, or even more disheveled. Don’t let anyone see that you’ve eaten well and have energy. Those overseers and other miners have very sharp eyes.”

These are the details. Once the monitoring system and other miners discover them, they will know that the old miner has had a 'miracle,' and greed will follow.

The old miner immediately nodded seriously: "Understood! Don't worry, boss, I understand! Don't flaunt your wealth or show off your strength. Thank you for your guidance, boss!"

He knew all too well that in this cruel world, any abnormality could bring unnecessary trouble and disaster.

The food problem was initially solved, their strength was replenished, and they gained a loyal and intelligent follower who impressed them with his strength, as well as a warning mouse that had been initially tamed.

Zhang Yangqing glanced at the countdown timer on his wrist; less than an hour remained.

His gaze once again fell upon the darkness deeper within the mine, a darkness that seemed capable of swallowing everything.

Next, we should look for suitable ores for cultivation.

At this time, Zhang Yangqing had little cultivation and rarely used "finger calculation".

Those unfamiliar with the subject wouldn't know what he was doing, but Zhang Yangqing was actually using feng shui techniques to sense the flow of earth vein energy. His gaze locked onto a seemingly inconspicuous, even somewhat narrow and damp, side path, and he started walking down it.

He muttered some mysterious phrases to the old miners: "The earth fire is hidden in the Xun position, the metal energy is hidden in the Dui position, the water veins here are cut off, but the wood energy is growing. This abnormality must be due to a rare treasure, because only a rare treasure can change the normal structure."

The old miner followed closely, listening intently, both amazed and intrigued. He couldn't help but ask, "Boss, what you're talking about—earth fire, metal energy, the Xun and Dui directions—it all seems so mysterious. I really want to learn it. How long would it take?"

Zhang Yangqing didn't stop walking and casually replied, "According to what my master taught me, with your aptitude and foundation, if you study diligently and practice without distraction, you should be able to achieve some minor success in three to five years, just barely entering the field."

The old miner listened and, although he felt it was a long time, he also thought it was reasonable, since it sounded like something very profound.

He asked curiously, "May I ask, boss, how long did you study back then?"

Zhang Yangqing paused slightly, as if recalling something, before calmly uttering two words: "Three days."

Old miner: "."

His expression froze instantly, his mouth slightly open, remaining agape for a long time.

It felt as if a million underground creatures were stampeding through my mind.

Damn it, I shouldn't have asked that question!
You learned such complex material in just three days? Is that even possible?

What he didn't know was that Zhang Yangqing's mention of three days was simply because he didn't want to discourage him; it was already a very gentle gesture.

However, the old miner realized that his boss's ability to show off was deeply ingrained and always present. He could do it anytime, anywhere, and naturally, and you couldn't refute him because he was telling the truth!
However, despite his inner complaints, his admiration for Zhang Yangqing was genuine and grew day by day.

It's like climbing a high mountain; the lower you stand, the more insurmountable the mountain seems.

The higher you stand and the farther you see, the more you will appreciate the grandeur of the mountain and your own insignificance.

The more the old miner learned about the tip of the iceberg that Zhang Yangqing had shown, the more he could sense the unfathomable power behind it. The further they went into the mine, the more treacherous the environment became.

Strange conversations began to emanate intermittently from some inexplicable, seemingly naturally formed caves or rock crevices.

The voice was elusive, sometimes clear, sometimes blurry, and its content was bizarre and fantastical.

"I've heard that deep inside that abandoned mine tunnel to the east lies a treasure hidden away by the previous mine owner."

"No, no, it's something glowing at the bottom of that half-collapsed pool to the west."

"These two dared to walk this way; they're asking for death."

"Hey, who cares? The more they die, the more 'share' we might get."

At first, the old miner pricked up his ears, trying to hear if there were any clues about the treasure. He even subconsciously looked towards the cave entrance from which the sound was coming from, and slowed down his pace.

Zhang Yangqing didn't turn his head, but simply raised his hand and waved it behind him, signaling him to follow. At the same time, he said softly, "Don't worry about it. These 'invisible' things are probably the problem."

Because Zhang Yangqing knew that these things that seemed like intelligence were actually interference.

The place mentioned in the surrounding discussions does exist, but is it accurate?
Rule 4 is written very clearly.

[Whispers may sometimes come from deep within the cave. If you do not know the speaker, do not answer, do not try to find the source of the sound, and especially do not repeat it.]

The rule itself suggests that these whispers of unknown origin are very likely bait to lure miners into breaking taboos and falling into traps.

The veteran miners didn't know the specific rules, but Zhang Yangqing's hints were clear enough.

He immediately composed himself, stopped paying attention to the sounds, and followed closely behind Zhang Yangqing.

However, perhaps because of their disregard, the eerie voices seemed resentful, growing clearer and even appearing to be drawn closer to them, their content carrying a clear malice and provocation:

"Look, the old man is terrified, while the young man is just putting on an act."

"Going any further is a dead end! You fools!"

"That young guy looks so stupid, is he trying to get himself killed with that confident stride?!"

The old miner was enraged, especially when he heard the other party slander Zhang Yangqing. A surge of anger rushed to his head, and he instinctively wanted to turn around and hurl a few curses at them.
You can insult me, I don't care, but how dare you talk to my boss like that?
"Keep your mind calm, pay attention to your surroundings, and don't let noise distract you."

Zhang Yangqing's calm voice was like cool spring water, instantly extinguishing the restlessness in his heart.

The old miner was jolted awake and immediately realized what he had done, cursing himself for being too hasty.

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to stop listening to those annoying sounds and refocus his attention on the road beneath his feet and Zhang Yangqing's back.

Strangely enough, when they completely ignored these voices, neither responding nor searching for them, nor showing any sign of being provoked or curious,

The incessant whispers, like mosquitoes that have lost their target, gradually grew faint and indistinct, eventually disappearing completely into the whistling wind and dripping water deep within the mine, as if they had never existed.

The two walked for a while longer and came to an area with a rather strange smell. (End of Chapter)