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

These words combined both soft and hard tactics.

First, demonstrate your firm resolve and set an example; then give others the right to choose, without forcing them, which is actually a strategic retreat; finally, use the most blatant threat to silence potential informants and saboteurs.

The miners began to seriously hesitate and weigh their options.

Who would want to stay here forever?
I've thought about rebelling or running away before, but without exception, the outcome has always been terrible.

But the legend of that "predecessor" who successfully escaped from prison is like a faint flame, always flickering in the darkness.

Now, it seems that a figure has emerged who is even more formidable, ruthless, and mysterious than the legendary predecessor. Perhaps he really can?
At this point, the "different scenery" that Eagle Eye Miner and most other miners subconsciously guessed was nothing more than Zhang Yangqing possibly leading them to escape from the control of the Qing Tong family and seek refuge with other families.

For example, the territory of the Bai Ying family or the Huang Jin family.

After all, they are able-bodied laborers who can work and mine. As long as they are given enough to eat and are not arbitrarily killed, following a powerful leader is better than staying here.

They even whispered among themselves, speculating whether Zhang Yangqing was sent by another family, or a powerful figure from a fallen family who had gone into seclusion.

Their limited knowledge and humble desires restricted their imagination.

They could never have imagined that the "different scenery" Zhang Yangqing spoke of, and what he might do three hours later, had a scope and goals that far surpassed the level of family feuds and basic needs like food and clothing.

For them, being able to escape the status of slave miners, have a full meal, and not be bullied at will might be paradise.

For Zhang Yangqing, however, that was merely the beginning, an insignificant step on the chessboard.

Eagle Eye Miner sat back down, no longer speaking, his eyes fixed on the direction of the mine tunnel where Zhang Yangqing had disappeared, filled with both trepidation and a burning, mad anticipation.

Some of the other miners quietly dispersed, choosing to play it safe and secretly search for ore in the vicinity.

The remaining twenty or so people, after hesitating and struggling, ultimately chose to stay, some sitting and some standing, to accompany Hawkeye and begin this unknown, fate-risking wait.

The three-hour countdown began to flow silently amidst the deathly silence, the bloodshed, and the increasingly heavy anticipation.

Deep inside the mine, Zhang Yangqing had no idea how many people had chosen to follow him, nor did he care.

What he needs to do now is to complete the predetermined goal, find cultivation resources, and explore key areas with the utmost efficiency and speed within the remaining three hours.

Cultivation resources are definitely a priority over extraterrestrial objects, since extraterrestrial objects are certainly hard to find.

Perhaps other chosen ones need many cycles of "three hours" to accumulate experience little by little and explore slowly, but Zhang Yangqing is not that kind of person.

His rhythm has always been subversive.

First, he needs a response mechanism.

Three hours later, the countdown on the wrist shackles will reach zero, and the chip in his brain will reactivate to exert a powerful suppressive effect on his body, confining him to a cell or safe zone.

To gain more freedom of movement and even pave the way for future plans, he needs to find a way to temporarily circumvent chip control by becoming semi-monstrous.

The key lies in the mouse's ears.

Based on the observations and rules from the previous stage, Zhang Yangqing has roughly determined that there are two types of rats here:

The first type is mice that carry antibodies themselves.

Their ears can act as an antidote, helping to clear or suppress contamination and prevent complete mutation.

Even when these rats die, their corpses do not exhibit obvious bizarre characteristics and remain relatively normal.

Therefore, if the carcass of such a rat is found in a mine, its ears can be cut off and properly preserved as a backup purification method. The second type is rats without antibodies or those that are already deeply contaminated.

They typically have red eyes, exhibit abnormal behavior, and are highly aggressive.

After killing the rat, take the relatively "clean" and uncontaminated parts of its body, such as muscles or organs from specific areas.

Consuming it may actively induce the body to undergo a semi-psychic transformation, which could potentially deceive or weaken the chip's recognition and control.

However, this is only a conclusion based on existing information; the specific effects and risks need to be verified in practice.

Intelligence is constantly being supplemented and revised during the exploration process; it can only be ultimately confirmed when it is encountered.

Having established his initial objective, Zhang Yangqing had also collected a considerable number of rat carcasses in the process.

Although the lame little mouse was very scared, fearing that Zhang Yangqing would also kill it.

But Zhang Yangqing kept reassuring him, and even if the little thing wasn't very bright, he knew that this human wouldn't kill him.

After calming the lame little mouse, Zhang Yangqing continued his work.

His next destination was the area where spiders were found.

As for how to find it, the rules are clearly written.

[Rule 3: Be careful of any spiders that appear on the rock face. Remember, every spider here is carnivorous and carries varying degrees of neurotoxins or contaminants; their webs may be invisible.]

This rule clearly points out the danger of spiders, but it also indirectly implies that where there are spiders, something is often hidden, or that the spiders themselves guard the "gateways" to certain areas.

Based on his memory of the mine map and his perception of the flow of feng shui energy, Zhang Yangqing began to venture deeper into a side passage where the yin energy was heavier and the air was more humid and viscous.

He was fast, yet his movements were exceptionally light, like a ghost in the darkness, with only the dim yellow light of his headlamp moving swiftly across the rugged rock face.

Finding the spider's trail can be a challenge for many Chosen Ones.

The cave seems empty; there are no obvious spider webs to be seen, and no sound can be heard. How can we tell?
Zhang Yangqing's thinking was clear and direct: since the rules say that the spiders here are carnivorous and carry neurotoxins or contaminants, then look for the carcasses in the mine that show obvious signs of poisoning!
The carcass of prey killed and injected with venom by spiders will inevitably differ from that of ordinary deaths or deaths from other causes, such as being cut in half at the waist or killed by mutated rats.

He walked quickly, his eyes sharp as lightning, scanning every corner along the way where corpses might have been left behind.

After about half an hour, Zhang Yangqing stopped at the edge of a relatively open area with many slippery pebbles on the ground.

The glow of the miner's lamp illuminated two nearly intertwined corpses ahead.

Judging from the tattered pieces of clothing, they were likely human miners.

But their deaths were quite bizarre; their flesh had been gnawed away, revealing their bare white bones, which themselves had an abnormal, faint, eerie green sheen.

Some bone surfaces even showed tiny pits, as if corroded by acid.

This is quite different from the relatively "clean" bones that are usually left after being eaten by rats or wild animals.

Zhang Yangqing squatted down and carefully observed the color and texture of the bones. He had already made a judgment: the neurotoxin corroding the bones, combined with some kind of digestive fluid or pollution residue, was the spider's method.

Moreover, they were injected with a potent toxin before being eaten.

The spider's nest should be nearby. (End of Chapter)