Consuming Earths, Devouring Skies

Deep Mines, Day Sixty-Two:

The first person to miss the quota occurred after two months. Surprisingly, it was not a young child but a woman that looked like she was in her late twenties. She couldn’t be considered a beauty, but neither could she be called ugly. When she originally showed up with Yan Zaizen and the rest, her eyes were filled with hope and determination, but now it was filled with desolation and exhaustion.

When she realized that she wouldn’t make it, she pressed other people for assistance, but at this time all the miners had stopped trying to deliver more than their fair share due to the quota increase. They hit their limit and rested for the day to restore their energy for the next.

As Yan Zaizen saw this, he couldn’t help but feel his heart go soft, but then he remembered the young boy and how if she couldn’t reach her quota this time, it’s very unlikely for her to do so in the future. Tao was looking at the scene calmly, and when she arrived to ask him for ore, he declined her flatly.

Yan Zaizen could see that he didn’t do so without mercy. Tao wasn’t someone who was completely emotionless, but more so that he understood the reality of their situation better than others.

The time to deliver their ore was arriving, and the woman was panicking. She even tried to steal another’s spatial box, only to be brutally slapped away. With her body dried up of essence energy, she was no longer a cultivator, but a mortal. Her vital energies were at its all-time low, and even if she knew any martial arts, they were absolutely worthless at the moment.

She just stood there crying her eyes out, as if cursing at the cruelty of the world. It truly pulled at Yan Zaizen’s heartstrings, but Tao kept him from acting impulsively. Reminding him that one day of support will do nothing for her situation unless you’re willing to help her through her entire sentence at the expense of your own safety.

While Yan Zaizen felt a little terrible at leaving the woman to her own fate, an old miner walked towards her with a slight smile. He reached out his hand. Her gaze directed itself towards this man’s soft smile, and it seemed as if it was her saving grace at life. The man spoke soft words that only those nearby could truly hear, but with Yan Zaizen’s and Tao’s previous cultivation, how could they not hear it?

Yan Zaizen’s face darkened, but Tao’s expression remained the same.

The lady looked awkward for a moment but then nodded decisively. She grabbed his hand, and he took her towards one of the auxiliary tunnels in their main tunnel. The onlookers were confused, but soon their confusion dissipated with heartbreaking realization.

Soft moans and harsh grunts were released from that particular tunnel. Many of the young women’s eyes dimmed at this, while the men’s eyes lit up in startling realization. They eyed the other women of the mine, looking at them with lascivious gazes.

"In the mine, one must use any means necessary to survive, to struggle for one more day," Tao said, his words filled with unspeakable meanings. As he did, a harsh shriek sounded behind them and passed them like a meteor. It was originally soft, but then it got louder, and after it reached its zenith, it started becoming softer once more.

Tao looked behind him, seeing a figure descending downwards without any support, his face filled with unwillingness and fear. Yan Zaizen looked down at the pit and saw as the figure continued to descend into the darkness until his shrieks faded from audible range.

"By any means," Tao repeated, going back to mine once more.

Yan Zaizen’s eyes dimmed. This person was obviously not committing suicide but was pushed. He recalled how the woman attempted to steal another’s spatial box, and a chill went down his spine. He calmed himself down and made a vow to never give up his will to struggle and always to remain vigilant.

He started contemplating his options. He couldn’t use his soul cultivation due to its current state of change, his qi cultivation would be impossible with these cuffs on, which only leaves his body cultivation. Initially, he didn’t practice the Immortal Herculean Method due to believing that his soul cultivation would return quickly, and then he could take his leave. However, it seems that thought was unrealistic. If he stagnated in this place waiting for some semblance of hope in his soul cultivation, it would be unlikely for him to be able to make it, as well as unwise in the long run.

In this world, one must struggle for every ounce of light they can obtain in their grasp. He looked towards Tao. This man may seem a little cold, but he could tell that it was definitely due to his experience. He knew how the Deep Mines were and what was required to survive. After all, he needed to survive ten years. Most of these people only needed to survive a few.

Deep Mines, Ninety-Nine:

Luckily for him, the Immortal Herculean Physique didn’t require resources until one reached the second level of the physique, the Grand Herculean Physique. At that level, one would require an extraordinary amount of resources for progression, and even some very specific things. The first level only required him to reach his physical body’s maximum potential by removings it limiters and modifying the body’s internal structure into a Herculean Physique.

The saying that this physique can exceed the heavens didn’t feel like an exaggeration to Yan Zaizen any longer. While he was in chaotic space being ripped apart, his Nascent Herculean Physique lasted longer in that environment than his soul energy. It was also only at the initial stage of success.

"I’m nearing the minor success." He remarked, clenching his fist and feeling his body’s new strength. He realized that changing his physique increased his base attributes, increased the levels of his vital energies and its recovery speed, as well as changed how he looked. Initially, his body was scrawny nearing unhealthy, after he reached the initial success, he gained some muscle and fat. This muscle and fat couldn’t be dissipated as if in a perpetual state of existence by a strange form of law.

As for the situation in the mine, he could tell that the many women of the group were ignited by the others actions. Every now and then, they would use what they could offer to get more ore, and even extra ones from the men. There was even a competition as to who could obtain the most. The men and even some of the few boys who’ve just reached of age had indulged in this competition wholeheartedly.

Tao would sometimes even joke about Yan Zaizen taking part, but he refused each and every time. As for Tao, he simply laughed and didn’t respond. This made Tao even more mysterious.

Deep Mines, Day One Hundred-Twelve:

The first incident of what seemed like an accidental death occurred today. Two of the women were arguing over something about their competition and lacking ore for the quota, one of them got too heated and sent a strike at another. Then, one thing led to another, and one of them was pushed off the cliff into the deep pit. When this happened, everyone was silent except for the person who screamed hellishly in indignation and fear as they fell. Yan Zaizen and Tao were too far to help, and could only watch.

"That wasn’t accidental," Tao said mysteriously. He looked at a spatial box in the corner and then continued eating his food.

Yan Zaizen was surprised, looking at the one who pushed the other off the cliff. Her eyes contained a well-concealed happiness as she headed towards a spatial box that obviously wasn’t hers.

"By any means." He whispered, returning back to his food.