Sage of Humanity

Duu Lang once again vigilantly sensed the surroundings, making sure there was no presence of any living being, before descending to take a closer look. Hidden within the lush grass was a dark passageway.

His heart instantly relaxed, it seemed this place hadn't been discovered yet.

Judging this was easy, for if such a Spirit Jade Vein had truly been found, the entrance would certainly have some kind of camouflage, to avoid being noticed by others.

While not everyone was adept at the Array Path, capable of setting up camouflaging arrays, cultivators at the Divine Sea Realm still had some simple means of concealment.

Since there were no traces of concealment at the entrance, it indicated that this place had not been discovered.

This was undoubtedly good news for him, otherwise, he would have to contend with someone—an outcome he least wanted to face. As the saying goes, "the family knows its own affairs", his foundation might not be poor, but it still pales in comparison to those prodigies from top domains; encountering one might truly be a losing battle.

Casually, he strolled into the cave entrance, setting up a simple concealment to obscure the existence of the entrance, and continued to venture further down.

However, he hadn't traveled far before halting, his brow furrowing. He initially thought that no one had discovered this place but found upon entering that someone had already beaten him to it. Spirit force fluctuations emanated from ahead in the passage, someone was evidently mining Spirit Jade.

This was truly bad news!

Yet, upon closer sensing, his curiosity piqued. Judging by the spirit force fluctuations exuded by the other party, this person was merely at Divine Sea Level 8!

Was someone at Divine Sea Level 8 participating in the Divine Sea contention? Duu Lang couldn't believe it. Sensing more closely, the opponent was indeed only at Divine Sea Level 8!

This was truly strange. What domain's mighty figure would be so audacious to bring such a person to partake in this grand event? Was the domain they resided in truly lacking talents, or did this person possess some extraordinary capability?

But even if there was something exceptional about this person, the disparity in cultivation could not be ignored. Normal domains wouldn't let someone at Level 8 come here.

From this perspective, it's more likely that their domain lacks talents, much like his own!

The stellar space is vast, and domains are countless. Some, like the Nine Provinces, are in the throes of burgeoning growth, while others, like Duu Lang's domain, are on the path of decline, with spirit force withering.

Domains, like living beings, have a lifespan; it's just that, comparatively, the life span of a domain is immeasurably long, spanning tens or even hundreds of millions of years...

Upon this contemplation, Duu Lang couldn't help but feel a sense of camaraderie, being in the same plight. Perhaps there was no need for them to trouble each other?

The situation was neither good nor bad for him.

Someone had beaten him to it, but the other party was only at Divine Sea Level 8, leaving him with two choices: engage in a battle with the other party, where the winner stays and the loser dies, or leave him alone and go their separate ways.

Though there was only one passage leading into the vein, there were multiple branching tunnels inside. He only needed to choose another branch tunnel; as long as the other party harbored no ill intent, they wouldn't interfere with each other.

With this thought, Duu Lang made up his mind.

Not bothering to conceal his presence, he headed straight toward the direction of the stranger, yet keeping the necessary vigilance.

Unexpectedly, the other party seemed rather slow to react, only turning hurriedly to look at him when he neared.

The passage was dim, but it did not hinder the Divine Sea Realm's observation. Duu Lang saw a young man, roughly twenty-four or twenty-five years old, with a typical combat cultivator's attire.

"Young fellow, what's going on with you? People say men die for wealth, and birds die for food. Spirit Jades are good, but you shouldn't relax your vigilance."

In Duu Lang's eyes, this fellow looked like a greenhorn just stepping out into the world. Not even bothering to conceal the entrance was one thing, but for someone to walk in and him still being oblivious?

Lucky it was he who arrived; if it had been someone else, they could have cornered him here. Then he truly would have no one to call for, and would perhaps be doomed to perish here.

Of course, Duu Lang also considered whether the other party was nonchalant because of reliance, but even the prodigies from top-notch domains wouldn't act in such a way. Confidence and arrogance are completely different concepts.

Furthermore, the prodigies from top-tier domains wouldn't come to the Taichu Realm to collect Spirit Jades. Their home world produces Spirit Jades; why would they waste time here?

They might casually gather some spirit flowers and rare herbs unavailable elsewhere, but they definitely wouldn't put much effort into Spirit Jades.

Lu Ye nodded at the other party in acknowledgment: "I appreciate the advice, Fellow Daoist. I'm from a small place and haven't seen much of the world, often acting carelessly. Thank you for the pointers."

Duu Lang was very satisfied with his attitude, fearing only those who don't appreciate kind advice. Thus, it seemed this person wasn't difficult to get along with.

Cultivators from small places are generally easy to get along with, just like Duu Lang. Only those guys from the elite regions look down on everyone, as if they walk with their noses in the air.

"I've camouflaged the entrance a bit, so unless someone deliberately checks, they shouldn't find it. Since there's an opportunity in front of us now, let's cherish it well. Even if you can't get into the top hundred in the Divine Sea Contest, gaining some spirit jade isn't bad," Duu Lang said, turning to leave.

He had no intention of having a deep conversation with others. He just came to see Lu Ye, greet him, and inform him that he was also here to mine spirit jade. After this, they would go their separate ways, and they might never meet again, so there was no need for a deep friendship.

After a few steps, Duu Lang said again, "Oh, this place can only last for about twenty more days. When the Taichu Realm shrinks its boundaries for the third time, this location will be excluded."

Lu Ye understood immediately, as it aligned with what he had thought before. He didn't think he could stay there forever, so he nodded, "Thank you, Fellow Daoist, for informing me!"

Watching Duu Lang's departing back, Lu Ye's expression remained calm.

Duu Lang thought he acted carelessly, leaving the entrance uncovered. In fact, it was deliberate. If anyone thought they could ambush him there, they'd be in for a surprise.

Even if things turned dire, he could still escape through the Teleportation Array he had previously set up outside.

He certainly wouldn't let himself be trapped here.

Lu Ye noticed Duu Lang's presence as soon as he arrived, initially thinking he was here to cause trouble. However, Duu Lang had no intention of fighting.

Although he was a Level 9 cultivator and Lu Ye was a Level 8, Duu Lang did not attack first but instead offered a friendly reminder. Lu Ye was not one to confuse right with wrong.

In the Divine Sea Contest, getting rewards was indeed important for final ranking, but Lu Ye wasn't a person who killed indiscriminately. He didn't believe everyone he met should be slain; that was his principle for living, otherwise, he'd become nothing more than a callous walrus.

Quickly, Lu Ye sensed the flow of spirit force in a mining passageway nearby, clearly showing that the other party was mining spirit jade.

Lu Ye gave it some thought and walked over there.

He wanted to see how others mined spirit jade, hoping he could learn something to improve his efficiency.

Duu Lang noticed his arrival and cautiously watched him.

Lu Ye cupped his hands in salute: "I hope you don't mind, Fellow Daoist. It's my first time seeing a spirit jade vein, and I'm quite clumsy with mining, so I thought I'd come to learn."

Duu Lang understood his intention and laughed heartily: "To be honest, this is my first time seeing a spirit jade vein too. Mining spirit jade isn't about tricks; it's painstaking work. However, you can use some special methods. As you've seen, this is my preparation."

Lu Ye did see it. The spirit jade vein in front of Duu Lang was crawling with countless insects that looked like ants but had wings. They covered the vein, constantly making gnawing sounds.

Duu Lang explained: "These are jade-eating ants, used specifically for mining spirit jade. They eat away the binding substances between the jades but can't bite through the hard surface, making them perfect for this place."

Lu Ye understood. The man had come prepared, unlike him who discovered this place by chance and was mining for the first time, which was inevitably a bit rushed.

Watching closely, the sound of gnawing continued from the swarm of jade-eating ants, and soon some spirit jades loosened from the vein and fell away.

All Duu Lang needed to do was collect them.

Lu Ye was extremely envious of such mining efficiency compared to his own time-consuming efforts.

Seeing his expression, Duu Lang understood what Lu Ye was thinking. But since his main purpose in coming to the Taichu Realm was to mine spirit jade, he didn't feel like sharing, even if he understood Lu Ye's thoughts.

Besides, they had no real friendship, only this chance encounter here to recognize each other.

After observing for a while, Lu Ye cupped his fists: "Sorry for disturbing you, Fellow Daoist."

Envy is one thing, but he couldn't replicate it. He couldn't just watch here forever. He'd have to go back and mine slowly. Although his clumsy method was inefficient, it was still better than Jian Guhong and others searching in the stellar space. One shouldn't be greedy and never satisfied.

Seeing him leave looking somewhat forlorn, Duu Lang sighed and gritted his teeth: "Fellow Taoist, hold on. I'll give you some jade-eating ants to use."

All pitiful people; even with treasure mountains before them, they're powerless. Helping a bit costs nothing but some spirit jade, and according to his plan, the remaining time would be enough for him to mine the needed spirit jade, barring any unforeseen events.

With that, he went forward, used his technique to gather a batch of jade-eating ants, just about one-tenth of the total, and stored them in something similar to a spirit beast sack before tossing it to Lu Ye from a distance.