After receiving the money, Tang Jian turned and headed to another merchant to purchase materials for forging a high-quality magical sword.
From the afternoon until his return at night, Tang Jian had practically visited all the merchant shops selling swordsmithing materials in the eastern part of the city.
He had bought all the other materials, but the most crucial main material, red copper ore crystal, was unavailable.
According to the manager of a merchant shop, an accident had occurred at the mine in Xiyou Mountain, the closest to Yuejing.
This had led to the closure of most of the mine pits.
Now, the red copper ore crystal produced was not even enough for the royal family's exclusive use, let alone for the common people.
Despite the price skyrocketing by more than ten times, it was still extremely difficult to find even a small piece.
Finally, seeing that Tang Jian had purchased most of the auxiliary materials from his shop, the manager pointed him in the right direction.
Although the mine in Xiyou Mountain was closed, the mountain itself was not. The places where red copper ore crystal was found were not limited to the mine; they were just more scattered and harder to find.
Over the years, many people had ventured into the mountain to try their luck at mining, gradually forming a new occupation.
They called themselves "gold prospectors," specializing in the business of searching for various minerals.
Among them, there were indeed some who had struck gold, finding chunks of red copper ore crystal as big as a human head, which made them rich overnight and became the idols worshipped by all prospectors.
However, with opportunities came risks.
Apart from the mine developed by the Yue Kingdom's court, the rest of Xiyou Mountain was covered by primeval forests where numerous fierce beasts roamed. Once they discovered intruders, they would attack relentlessly until one side was defeated.
Therefore, every year, a large number of prospectors died in the dense forests of Xiyou Mountain. Even so, many more continued to venture into it.
Now, with the soaring price of red copper ore crystal, the number of people flooding into the mountain had doubled.
Tang Jian also planned to try his luck there.
...
Half a month later, Xiyou Mountain.
A large flock of gray birds fluttered their wings and flew out of the dense forest above the lush green mountains.
Inside the forest, dust rose everywhere, and the roars of beasts could be heard constantly.
A gray-haired demon wolf, about four chi long with spines on its back, ran wildly on its four paws, leaping through the forest, trying to pounce on a young man dressed in black tight-fitting clothes.
The man was quite robust, with bulging arm muscles, slightly dark skin, and a somewhat youthful face.
It was Tang Jian.
He used both his hands and feet, moving nimbly through the forest. Each time, he skillfully dodged under the demon wolf's sharp claws without being touched at all.
On the other hand, the demon wolf, led by him, kept crashing into towering ancient trees that several people could embrace.
With a crisp "crack," as Tang Jian leaped from the branch of an ancient tree, the demon wolf followed closely, smashing the branch, which was as thick as a water bucket, into pieces, sending wood chips flying.
As soon as he landed, a sharp whistle pierced through the air from behind him.
Tang Jian quickly tilted his neck, and a two-chi-long gray spine flew past his neck, sticking into the trunk of an ancient tree.
"I didn't want to bother with you, but you just keep going on!" Tang Jian touched his slightly chilled neck, turned around, glared at the demon wolf, and snorted.
Seeing Tang Jian like this, the demon wolf abruptly stopped its forward momentum. It stared with its two dull yellow eyes, crouched low, and began to circle around him.
Earlier, Tang Jian had found a copper crystal the size of a thumb in a stream several li away. When he went to pick it up, he encountered this demon wolf coming to the stream to drink.
As a result, just one glance at each other had escalated into this current situation of one chasing and the other fleeing.
"Roar..."
The demon wolf let out a low growl, and instead of leaping high like before, it rushed towards Tang Jian close to the ground.
Tang Jian's gaze sharpened, and with a "clang," he drew the short sword at his waist, pointing the tip directly at the demon wolf.
The latter's eyes flashed with ferocity. It rushed forward but suddenly stopped just before reaching him.
Its hairs on its back suddenly bristled, and two spines, propelled by its forward momentum, shot out from bottom to top at twice the speed of the previous attack, heading straight for Tang Jian's face.
Tang Jian immediately stepped backward, his wrist flicking as a crimson glow illuminated the short sword in his hand. It flashed suddenly before him, carving a zigzagging crimson arc that sliced through the demon wolf's spines.
At the same time, his left hand traced patterns in the empty air, and a fist-sized crimson fireball shot forth, tracing a peculiar arc through the air towards the demon wolf.
After half a month of cultivation following the repair of his dantian, his internal magical power had recovered significantly, and his cultivation had returned to the fourth level of the Qi Refining stage. He was now capable of using the Fireball Spell with ease.
A loud "bang" sounded.
The demon wolf twisted its waist, evading the fireball, which instead struck an ancient tree, instantly burning a hole through it.
Tang Jian sneered, and a crimson glow lit up beneath his feet. With a step forward, his entire body shifted several zhang (a traditional Chinese unit of measurement, approximately 3.3 meters) to the side. Then, his feet stomped on an enormous tree, and his body shot forward like a flying dagger, straight towards the demon wolf.
His speed was incredibly fast; in the blink of an eye, he had flashed beside the demon wolf. His sword rose and fell, aiming for the demon wolf's neck.
Another "bang" sounded.
All the spines on the demon wolf's back leaned forward, protecting its neck like a row of steel spikes.
Tang Jian's sword struck the spines, immediately sparking a shower of crimson sparks.
The short sword was rebounded by the force, and two of the demon wolf's spines snapped off.
Before Tang Jian could strike again, the demon wolf twisted its body, its jaws wide open as it lunged towards his waist.
Tang Jian's toes touched the ground, and his body instantly retreated backward. However, a corner of his cloak was still torn off by the demon wolf.
His heart slightly trembled; he hadn't expected the demon wolf's spines to be so tough that even a mid-grade magical sword could only sever two at once.
After losing two spines, the demon wolf's fur on its back trembled for a moment, and then two fresh, slightly reddish spines grew from the original positions.
"Wooo..."
The demon wolf's eyes were filled with vigilance, its gaze never leaving Tang Jian as it emitted a series of low, hoarse growls from its throat.
Tang Jian leaned forward slightly, and fire glowed beneath his feet once again. His body surged forward abruptly, the runes on his short sword shining brightly as a crimson flame wrapped around it, slashing down towards the demon wolf.
This time, the demon wolf didn't try to withstand the attack with its spines. Instead, it twisted its waist and darted to the side, evading the attack.
However, it had only leaped a zhang away when its four feet touched the ground, and a crimson glow suddenly illuminated beneath it.
A low-grade Fire Talisman "boomed," erupting into a blob of crimson flames and exploding.
The demon wolf let out a mournful cry as its body was propelled by the fiery force, uncontrollably flung into the air.