New update schedule: Wednesday and Thursday

Amt of chapters to be published this week: Four

Thanks for your patience!

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

The suction from the spatial portal grew stronger and stronger, and a violent gale raged through the mine.

Cen An was held tightly in Su Rui’s arms as she shouted into his ear, “Can we just go straight out?”

Su Rui’s expression grew slightly grave as he shook his head. “The spatial energy is chaotic. The coordinates aren’t precise, so we can’t control where we’ll land.”

Cen An sighed. Just as the Mica Stone Scroll had said… they’d still have to create a spatial gate.

Just as recorded in the Stone Scroll, the spatial portal didn’t last long. After about ten minutes, the wind died down, and the portal began to slowly shrink.

Just as the two were beginning to relax, the shrinking portal suddenly expanded, spewing something out before vanishing with a sharp crack.

The wind in the mine shaft ceased, the light from the spatial portal faded, and the place returned to silent darkness.

Cen An pulled out his torch again. “What just fell down there?”

Just as he was about to walk over, he heard Su Rui say, “Don’t come over here.”

Cen An stopped in his tracks. He saw a foot peeking out from the angle blocked by Su Rui.

Su Rui was quite calm. “Just a corpse.”

Cen An heard a sound coming from that direction and couldn’t help but ask, “What are you doing?”

After a moment, Su Rui walked back, holding two objects in his hands. “Here you go.”

Cen An looked down, stunned. “Stellar Iron? Stellar Ore? Where… where did you get those from?”

Su Rui had no qualms. “He’s already dead. Is he supposed to take the ore with him? At worst, we’ll just bury him.”

Well, I suppose that’s true…

Spatial Stones, Stellar Iron, Yellow Earth Roots, Star-Glow Ore…

Cen An opened the recipe and checked each item against the list… Finally, he couldn’t contain his joy. “I’ve finally collected them all!”

Once the spatial gate and key were ready, and they encountered another spatial rift, they’d be able to leave!

Thinking of this, he suddenly remembered something. “Senior, this is the lucky pendant. I’ll give it back to you.”

Lin She glanced at him. “Aren’t we still looking for the spatial rift? You should keep it for now.”

“But…” Cen An hesitated. Once they found the spatial rift again, he’d be leaving—how could he give it back?

Noticing his dilemma, Lin She said casually, “We’ll meet again eventually.”

Cen An thought about it. That was true… Senior Lin didn’t seem to be in the best of health. Once he’d brewed some more potent medicine, he could give it to him the next time they met.

Then, remembering something else, he turned to Su Rui and said, “Have you washed your hands? I’ll boil some hot water in a bit; you should wash your face too.”

Su Rui grunted a couple of times but didn’t dare say no.

Lin She scoffed, “Dogs are all like that—filthy. They’re no match for cats.”

“Su Rui is usually quite clean,” Cen An interjected in his defense. “But he touched a corpse today, so it’s better to wash up just to be safe.”

Lin She’s expression froze. “A corpse? Where was it? What did it look like?”

“Uh…” Cen An paused, glancing back at Su Rui.

Su Rui looked at him. “The corpse was spat out by the spatial void, but it was probably originally from the mine shaft—it just got sucked in by the void.”

Cen An thought for a moment, then nodded. Since the corpse had Stellar Iron and Starlight Ore on it, it was more likely to have died inside the mine.

Lin She frowned. “Did it have… Never mind. Just take me to see it.”

Cen An and Su Rui exchanged glances, then stood up.

Taking Lin She down into the mine wasn’t particularly dangerous; after all, they’d already cleared out the mutant beasts inside.

The three of them soon arrived at the thirty-fifth level.

In the corner was a small pile of stones—the grave they’d built for the nameless corpse.

Little did they know that barely a moment after being laid to rest, the body would be brought back into the light.

Cen An silently offered an apology in his heart, then helped Su Rui move the stones aside, revealing the corpse beneath.

He had already seen it once; looking at it now didn’t shock him.

The body was clad in standard adventurer’s gear, with iron armor plates covering vital areas like the chest and shoulders. A weapon was strapped to the waist, and a bag hung from the back—suitable for carrying game or personal belongings.

Qu Yue, Wang Lie, and the others dressed this way whenever they ventured into the wilderness.

Cen An could only conclude that this person was most likely an ability user.

As for the cause of death… There was a dent in the chest and a ring of blood around the mouth. It was most likely caused by a heavy object striking him, considering they were in a mine shaft, it could have been a falling rock or something similar.

Surely this couldn’t be the person Senior Lin was looking for?

After examining the body, he turned back to Lin She.

Lin She’s expression was unusually grave. “Kid, help me turn him over and check the back of his neck.”

This was, of course, directed at Su Rui. Su Rui pursed his lips, and a vine sprouted from the ground, flipping the body over before lifting the collar.

A circular bruise was visible on the back of the neck.

Strangely, the bruise was raised, as if something had grown inside it, forcibly bursting the capillaries on the surface of the skin.

“Just as I thought…” Lin She’s face took on an expression that was neither a smile nor a frown. “Finally, I’ve found… cough cough!”

He covered his mouth and coughed violently, yet the smile on his face didn’t waver.

“Senior Lin!” Cen An hurried over to support him and produced some Hundred Flowers Cough-Relief Pills.

Lin She swallowed the pill and slowly regained his composure. “Let’s go.”

“Huh?” Cen An glanced at the corpse sprawled out on the ground. “Just like that?

Aren’t you… going to take another look…?”

Lin She glanced at him, then suddenly raised his hand and smacked him hard on the forehead. “What are you thinking! Do you think I’m looking for this corpse? I’m looking for the person who killed them!”

“Ouch—” Cen An rubbed his head, thinking to himself, If you’re not looking for it, just say so—why get so angry…

At their feet, the vines that had just sprouted crept forward, he in Sen*Wan*Zheng*Li* and tripping him hard.

Lin She’s reflexes were only slightly better than Cen An’s; that trip nearly sent him tumbling… He turned to see Su Rui glaring at him in displeasure, then glancing at the huge bump on Cen An’s head.

Lin She sneered, “Xiao An.”

Cen An looked up, “Huh? What is it, Senior Lin?”

Lin She ruffled his hair: “Do you want to know my formula for tanning animal hides?”

“Is that okay, Senior Lin?” Cen An instantly forgot the pain; he really wanted that formula. Senior Lin’s tanned hides had a lovely, grassy scent, but even though he’d asked several times, the other had refused, saying it was too much trouble.

“Mm.” Lin She ruffled his hair again. “Sleep at my place tonight, and I’ll tell you.”

This was a great deal! Sleeping on the tenth floor meant he could use Senior Lin’s animal hides as a mattress, and he’d get to learn the formula. Cen An eagerly folld along.

Su Rui: …

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

Since they’d worked overtime yesterday, by the time the group finished examining the corpse and returned to the tenth floor, it was already very late.

So they didn’t do anything else and simply went to sleep.

Early the next morning, Cen An got up, had a quick breakfast, and then opened the recipe.

Spatial Stones, Stellar Iron, Starlight Ore, Sky Blue Sapphires… all sorts of high-grade ores rarely seen outside were arranged in a circle around him.

Cen An opened the recipes for the Spatial Gate and the Key, then selected 【Craft】.

A golden glow radiated out.

Moments later, the high-grade ores on the ground vanished, and a door appeared before him.

The Spatial Gate was surprisingly only as tall as a person—exceptionally small and delicate—with its golden doors inlaid with countless gems, radiating a dazzling brilliance.

Cen An reached out again, and a golden key appeared in his palm.

Success!

As long as they could find the spatial rift again, they’d be able to get out!

On the stone bed, Lin She, who had watched the entire process, paid no heed to Cen An’s unusual behavior and merely chuckled, “Alright, get out of here.”

Cen An smiled as he stowed the door in his backpack. He and Su Rui had already packed their belongings; the two stood up effortlessly. “Senior Lin, I’ll be on my way.”

Lin She waved his hand and closed his eyes. “Hurry up and leave. Let me have some peace and quiet.”

Cen An turned and took a few steps, then paused. A large handful of silver ore appeared in his hand. With a flash of light, the ore transformed into a set of silver armor. “Senior Lin, this is for you.”

He then took a rock crystal and fashioned it into a short sword. “And this.”

Lin She’s lips twitched. “Why are you giving me this? Do you really expect me to get into hand-to-hand combat?”

Cen An protested, “What if something happens? The Silver Light Armor increases defense by 30%, and the Rock Crystal Short Sword increases attack by 40%.”

He placed the armor and short sword on the ground, emphasizing, “You must use them if something happens!”

Lin She’s tone was resigned. “Got it!”

Cen An was finally satisfied. Just as he turned away, he heard Lin She call out from behind him, “Xiao An.”

“Hmm?” Cen An turned to look at him.

Lin She thought for a moment. “It probably doesn’t have much to do with you, but if you encounter someone who frequently complains of chest pain, be careful.”

“Why?”

Lin She: “Because they might be human anymore.”

…

…

“What are you thinking about?” Su Rui tugged him aside to avoid a protruding rock ahead.

“Ah, nothing.” Cen An shook his head, though his mind was still on the last thing Lin She had said to him.

Someone who frequently suffers from chest pain… he actually knew one.

Shi Long.

This man seemed to get chest pains whenever he got worked up; Cen An had seen him clutching his chest several time what anymore did “not quite human” mean? And what about that bruise on the corpse…

Thinking of this, he asked, “That bruise—can you tell what it is?”

Su Rui thought for a moment. “It must have been caused by some kind of supernatural ability.”

“What kind of ability could cause such a strange wound…” Cen An murmured. “And is that wound fatal?”

Su Rui shook his head again. “I’m not sure yet. But as long as I see it once, I can learn it.”

Cen An was taken aback. “Are learning abilities that easy? I’ve seen Qu Yue and the others—each of them can only use one ability, but you’re the only one who can use so many?”

Su Rui replied matter-of-factly, “That’s because I’m better than all of them.”

“……” Cen An silently looked away.

Perhaps thanks to the lucky pendant, the two started from the 20th floor and, before long, encountered another spatial vortex.

A golden door shot out instantly, stabilizing the raging spatial vortex.

A window popped up in front of Cen An: 【Please confirm the destination of the spatial gate?】

Below were nine images. Among those he recognized were the mountains and forests near Su Rui’s home, the area with the colorful flower eggs, a pine forest, and a hardwood forest…

Cen An was eager to return home and, without hesitation, selected the foot of the mountain closest to Yongning Village.

Click—the sound of a key turning in the lock.

After four days and three nights, the two finally left the eAt  and headed home.

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

Yongning Village.

At the entrance to the mountains, three figures stood—two adults and a child.

It was early morning, and many villagers were coming and going. Everyone looked unfazed as they passed by the trio.

After all, these three had been waiting here for three days; they were no longer a novelty.

“Hey, listen,” Tian Yuan said helplessly. “You guys don’t have to be so gloomy, okay? Brother Cen will definitely be fine. Right, Xiao Yi?”

Xiao Yi didn’t even acknowledge him, his dark eyes fixed unblinkingly on the direction of the mountain pass, as if the person he longed for would appear at any moment.

Tian Yuan let out a long sigh.

He had been entrusted by Cen An to look after Xiao Yi while he was away from home. He never expected that this kid, who was so well-behaved, obedient, and quiet in front of his brother, would turn into a ferocious little wolf cub the moment his brother left—frighteningly fierce: he wouldn’t let anyone touch his brother’s things, wouldn’t let anyone enter his brother’s room…

Thinking back on these past few days filled with friction, Tian Yuan couldn’t help but wipe away a tear of bitterness.

He turned to look the other way. “You agree, don’t you, Yu Lin?”

And who was sitting over there but Yu Lin?

He was seated on a large rock nearby, a fur blanket draped over his legs due to his poor health.

His nimble fingers were weaving a grass rabbit as he remarked casually, “Someone tampered with the grass rabbit on Brother Cen’s person yesterday.”

“What?” Tian Yuan was startled. “Didn’t you say that grass rabbit only…”

Xiao Yi snapped his head around, his fists clenching tightly…

Yu Lin, however, sneered. “The grass rabbit protects its master when it senses mortal danger, but that wasn’t the case this time. This time, it was triggered by someone using wood-element abilities!”

Tian Yuan froze. “Wood-type…”

Yu Lin blew a breath onto the straw rabbit in his hand, grinning wickedly. “That Su Rui is most likely a dual-type ability user—both metal and wood. Right now, he’s right by Brother Cen’s side.”

Tian Yuan was puzzled. “Isn’t that a good thing?”

“A good thing?” Yu Lin crushed the grass rabbit he’d just woven into a pile of debris. “I’m not about to hand Brother Cen over to him! Once I’m better, if he dares take a single step toward Brother Cen, I’ll break his legs!”

Tian Yuan looked up at the sky, thinking to himself, Then just wait until you’re better! Right now, he’s the one who’d break your legs, wouldn’t he?

Suddenly, a figure appeared silently beside Yu Lin—a black robe, a pale, deathly face… Yu Fei materialized without a sound, gazing ahead. “They’re back.”

Tian Yuan’s tense muscles relaxed instantly. He froze upon hearing this. “What?”

The group immediately looked ahead. Back already?

Cen An and Su Rui stepped through the spatial gate, instantly appearing less than twenty kilometers from Yongning Village.

“Hurry, hurry, hurry! Xiao Yi must be worried sick!” He patted Su Rui on the shoulder. “Run faster!”

Su Rui gave a heavy, cold snort, but ultimately sped up a bit.

In the distance, they could see several figures at the village entrance. Cen An immediately burst into laughter: “Xiao Yi! Tian Yuan! Brother Fei, Xiao Lin~.”

He hadn’t expected all his friends to be there; Cen An was genuinely happy.

The moment they landed, a tiny figure darted toward him like a cannonball. As he drew near, the child cautiously slowed his pace, gripped Cen An’s hand tentatively, and whispered, “Big Brother…”

“Xiao Yi, Big Brother’s back!” Cen An bent down and ruffled his hair. “I’m sorry—I ran into some unexpected trouble and got held up. Were you scared being home alone, Xiao Yi?”

Xiao Yi quickly shook his head. “Big Brother, you must be exhausted.”

Tian Yuan flashed his pearly white teeth as usual and glanced at Xiao Yi. “I’ve been watching your kid for days. It wouldn’t be right if you didn’t treat me to a meal, would it?”

Cen An laughed. “What’s the big deal? You’re welcome to eat at my place every day.”

He turned to look at Yu Fei and Yu Lin. “Did you two come to pick me up?”

Yu Fei certainly wasn’t going to say a word. Yu Lin glared fiercely at Su Rui’s hand wrapped around Cen An’s waist, his mind racing… Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and his hostility slowly faded. “Cough, cough… Brother Cen.”

Cen An quickly turned to him. “What’s wrong, Xiao Lin? Are you feeling unwell again?”

Yu Lin shook his head, pouting. “Brother Cen, I was so worried about you that the curse flared up several times. I almost couldn’t get back up… Sigh, I’m such a failure… Cough, cough, cough!”

“Don’t say that!” Cen An protested, supporting him as he stuffed a Hundred-Flower Cough-Relief Pill into his mouth. “With all the negative energy in your body, it’s already amazing that you’ve managed to hold on this long! Don’t worry, I’ll find the medicine to cure you very soon.”

“Really, Brother Cen?” Yu Lin smiled like a little angel of sunshine. “I believe you, Brother Cen. Once I’m better, I’ll go with you into the mountains to gather herbs—I’ll be great at digging them up!”

“Alright, I’ll wait for you.” Cen An smiled and ruffled his hair.

Xiao Yi wore a pensive expression.

Yu Lin rubbed against his palm and shot Su Rui a defiant glance.

Su Rui: …

He gave Yu Lin a puzzled look, raised his hand to summon a gust of wind, blew the other away, and swept Cen An into his arms, holding him tight.

Now it was Yu Lin’s turn: …

Cen An glared at him. “Be gentle—Xiao Lin’s sick!”

Su Rui looked up at the sky, unfazed.

Cen An kicked him. “I’ll tidy up today. Tomorrow, I’m inviting you all over for hot pot. Make sure to invite Sister Qu and the others.”

Tian Yuan cleared his throat. “Sure, I’ll go right now!”

With that, he turned and ran off. He couldn’t afford to cross any of them—not a single one.

Yu Lin was also taken away by Yu Fei. After some coaxing, Cen An managed to send Su Rui on his way, then took Xiao Yi’s hand and headed home.

On the way, a tiny smile actually appeared on Xiao Yi’s face. A smile so faint it would be barely noticeable on any other child was a rare sight on Xiao Yi.

Cen An squeezed his little hand. “Happy?”

Xiao Yi nodded. He was happy that his brother was back, and being just the two of them made him even happier!

A child’s happiness is so simple, Cen An thought as he rubbed his little face.

The two returned home.

Although they hadn’t been back for three days, Xiao Yi had kept the house remarkably tidy. The little shack was spotless, with everything arranged neatly—neater even than when Cen An was home himself.

What surprised him even more was that there was a chicken and a lamb on the floor. “Where did these come from?”

Xiao Yi looked at him and said nonchalantly, “I caught them with traps.” After speaking, he glanced furtively at Cen An’s expression.

Cen An’s mouth dropped open in shock, and he quickly pulled the boy close. “You went up the mountain? Did you get hurt?”

After Xiao Yi moved in, he gave him a few small traps that were still in working order. However, he’d also made it clear that Xiao Yi wasn’t allowed to go up the mountain alone—he could only roam near the base of the mountain, close to the village. There was already very little game to be caught in those areas; catching a chicken was still somewhat plausible, but a lamb?

Xiao Yi paused for a moment. Although he hadn’t received the praise he’d hoped for, his heart still felt warm… He lowered his head. “No, big brother. I caught it at the foot of the mountain. I put some baby bok choy leaves in the trap.”

He looked up and whispered, “The vegetables big brother grows are really amazing.”

It all started when he accidentally dropped a leaf while setting the trap and discovered it attracted a lot of prey. After that, he began placing leaves in the traps on purpose.

He knew just how amazing his brother’s vegetables were, and he knew they might even be growing right in the yard—he just couldn’t see them… His brother didn’t seem to be very good at keeping secrets.

That was exactly why he kept such a close eye on Tian Yuan—he knew his brother trusted this man. But apart from his brother, he wouldn’t trust anyone else.

Cen An pulled him into his arms. “Xiao Yi, you’re so amazing!”

He hadn’t expected Xiao Yi to come up with the idea of using Chinese cabbage leaves as bait. The results were probably just as effective as bait made from mutant beast meat!

Xiao Yi nestled against his chest, his face flushed. Breathing in his brother’s fresh scent, he finally couldn’t resist acting like a child for a moment and gently nuzzled against him…

“Tonight we’ll have shredded chicken noodles. Let’s save the lamb for hot pot tomorrow!” Cen An announced.

Xiao Yi nodded. “I’ll knead the dough and make the chicken broth. You rest first, Brother!”

Watching him dart about like a little spinning top, Cen An smiled for a moment before sorting through the spoils of their outing.

It was a bit of a challenge… because this trip had yielded far too much!

There were countless ore samples alone. Although he’d usedt the ost of them o craft spatial gates, the remaining ore still filled more than half of his backpack. The rest, which wouldn’t fit, he’d stuffed into the Su Rui Space.

Keep in mind that his backpack has 99 slots, each capable of stacking 30 identical items—it was rare for him to ever find himself in a situation where his backpack was completely full.

And aside from the ore, there were also the herbs, wood, animal hides, crystal cores, and so on that he’d gathered on this trip.

If he didn’t clear these items out, he wouldn’t have any space left in his backpack.

Cen An ran through the next steps in his mind, carefully planning the order. First, he took out the hardwood.

Ten units of hardwood plus 100 units of timber would make a section of wooden fence. By enclosing the open space in front with the fence, he’d have a large yard capable of holding quite a lot of items.

A flash of light flickered in his hand, and the wooden fence pieces clattered to the ground.

Cen An rubbed his head, cleared a slot in his backpack, placed the wooden fence inside, walked outside, and began installing it one section at a time along the open space in front of the door.

“Big BrThe liher, cet me help!” Little Cannonball ran out of the house and snatched the hammer from Cen An’s hand.

Cen An didn’t refuse, smiling as he watched. “Xiao Yi, you’re so amazing! Things are so much easier with you around!”

Xiao Yi’s cheeks flushed red as she said earnestly, “I’ll get even better from now on!”

It took the pair—one big, one small—half an hour to assemble a full circle of wooden fence.

Made of hardwood, the fence had 100 defense points; even a Level 3 ability user would need at least half an hour to break through it.

If another incident like the last one—where an ability user sneaked in during the night—were to happen, they likely wouldn’t even make it past the gate.

Cen An used another 30 pieces of wood to build a small gate in the fence. He added himself and Xiao Yi to the access list; from now on, no one else would be allowed in without permission.

After thinking it over, he added Su Rui to the list as well. That guy was a master at breaking in—he didn’t want him to damage the new fence.

With the fence installed, they now had a yard. Cen An began moving things out of the small, dilapidated hut.

Naturally, he didn’t need to move everything out, but items like lumber, fuel, and hay were fine to take.

Once the lumber and hay that had taken up half the room were cleared out, the small hut instantly felt much more spacious.

In the corner of the small yard, there were now two haystacks, one large and one small.

Cen An opened the recipe again and used the leftover snakeskin from last time to make two waterproof tarps, which he draped over the haystacks.

He also set up two wooden racks, each about a person’s height, on the other side of the courtyard and placed bamboo baskets on top. From now on, he could dry herbs and vegetables in the courtyard.

Cen An also moved the two wooden racks from inside the house out. These two were shorter and could be used to store small, inexpensive trinkets or to dry fish and meat.

With the courtyard now available, Cen An’s creativity was sparked. He still had the leftover stones from building the hearth, so he brought those out as well. Following a design, he crafted a small stone mill and placed it not far from the entrance.

With the stone mill, making flour would no longer be such a laborious task.