"Master Leo, do you have any instructions for this old man?" Hann's heart leaped with joy upon hearing Leo summon him. Over the past year or more, Leo had not shown himself apart from occasionally having Hann deliver a portion of the spirit stones collected by the miners and leave them outside his stone chamber. Though Hann yearned to approach Leo, he dared not overstep without permission.

  "I have some ice silkworm cocoons here. Find some people to extract the silk."

  "Th-this is top-grade ice silk spun by ice silkworms after consuming century-old scarlet-ice mulberry leaves!" Hann exclaimed, his face filled with shock as he took the cocoons from Leo.

  "You recognize this?" Leo asked curiously.

  Hann nodded, then replied respectfully, "Master Leo may have forgotten, but this old man has some skill in artifact forging. Does Master Leo intend to use this ice silk to forge ice silk silkworm armor, or something else?"

  "Of course, ice silk silkworm armor. Can this ice silk be used to forge something more useful?" Remembering that this man had forged Mist's Blood-Melting Gourd, Leo asked further.

  "Master Leo may not know this, but ice silk has grades. If silkworm cocoons from different years are mixed together, they can indeed only be used for armor. However, this old man can see that these cocoons were all produced within a single year, belonging to the same batch, with identical flexibility and toughness. If this old man had the right conditions, I could forge a Demon Binding Rope with blood-absorbing properties. Its power would be no less than Mist's Blood-Melting Gourd. Among the artifact forging techniques this old man obtained from that treasured site back then, both this Demon Binding Rope and the Blood-Melting Gourd were included." Hann explained.

  "Can it be forged here in the mine?" Leo asked.

  "Master Leo jests. Forging top-grade spirit artifacts or magic artifacts requires a Foundation Establishment cultivator's innate true fire. A Qi Refining cultivator's primal yang fire is simply insufficient. These are blood-attribute magic artifacts. Only by finding several other refining materials and returning to that original treasured site, using its unique blood spirit ground fire, could they be forged." Hann smiled bitterly, then looked at Leo with great anticipation. "This old man knows this request is excessive, but if Master Leo could help this old man escape this predicament, I would stake my life to forge a magic artifact for you."

  "We'll discuss this later. First, find someone to handle these ice silkworm cocoons."

  Leo frowned. Blood-attribute artifacts, though exceedingly rare, typically held a distinct advantage over ordinary artifacts of the same rank. Hann's proposal was tempting. With a magic artifact, his combat power would multiply several times over. Even after leaving the mine, among the Qi Refining disciples of the Palace, only those with their own magic artifacts could match him. But Leo instinctively felt this matter was not so simple. He would deal with it later.

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  Hann's face fell, and he departed gloomily.

  "Junior Brother Leo, I've had quite a time finding you." Just as Leo was about to return to his stone chamber after Hann left, he suddenly heard a familiar voice.

  "Senior Brother Fin, what urgent matter brings you here?"

  Leo saw Fin's figure emerge from the deep mine tunnel. Behind Fin was a mid-stage Qi Refining miner whom Leo couldn't immediately place, probably a former subordinate of Zane's. Seeing Fin, Leo's heart sank. Before entering the Black Water Stockade Mine, Fin had been sent by Mist to spy on him. Leo had fled into the mine to escape, never expecting Fin to follow him to this miserable place. And it seemed he had been searching for quite some time.

  "Oh? You've reached the seventh layer? Advancing to late-stage in such a short time—remarkable. It seems that old bastard Mist was right. You do possess some extraordinary treasure." Fin's previously amiable facade vanished. In the dim shadows, his face twisted with greed as he stared at Leo. "If you hand it over willingly, I'll grant you a quick death."

  "Dead is dead, whether quick or slow. What difference does it make? Are you so sure you can defeat me?"

  Leo's hands were behind his back. With a thought, a stack of talismans appeared in his palm. But he dared not be careless. Fin was an eleventh-layer Qi Refining cultivator, unlike the destitute miners. He was also a Palace disciple, likely in possession of formidable spirit artifacts, possibly more than one. He might also have talismans or other unpredictable methods. Facing such an opponent, Leo had no guaranteed victory. When both sides had spirit artifacts and hidden cards, the gap in cultivation became crucial.

  "Not just a newcomer like you who just reached late-stage—even a Great Perfection expert from the sect would fall here today, blood spilling on this ground. Once you're dead, your storage pouch is mine. That old fool Mist, with all his scheming, never imagined he'd be dressing me for success." Fin laughed viciously, then slapped his storage pouch.

  A small pair of black shears flew out, circling nimbly in the air. A ferocious, savage aura emanated from them, almost crushing Leo.

  "A magic artifact!" Leo's expression shifted dramatically. He never imagined Mist would part with his own magic artifact and lend it to Fin just to deal with him. His spirit sword was only a high-grade spirit artifact; its aura was far inferior to the magic artifact's. They were incomparable.

  "Indeed. To die under the Black Flood Dragon Shears—you die well." Fin pointed at the shears. They rapidly expanded, becoming a giant pair of shears several feet long. Their blades clashed with sharp clicks as they flew towards Leo's head.

  The shears arrived in an instant, their speed astonishing. Even from several meters away, Leo could feel their terrifying sharpness. He had no doubt they could slice him in two.

  His scalp tingling, Leo unleashed dozens of talismans.

  A series of explosions filled the air. But Leo's face fell as he watched. The Black Flood Dragon Shears simply snipped twice, shredding the golden spears, earthen spikes, great fireballs, and ice arrows. They couldn't even slow it down.

  "Haha! Using second and third-grade talismans against a magic artifact? I don't know whether to call you naive or an idiot."

  Fin laughed cruelly. Then he thought, for a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator to hoard so many talismans for self-defense was extravagantly wasteful. Leo's wealth only strengthened his resolve to kill.

  The shears were mere feet away. Leo's protective shield collapsed under their assault. His scalp tingling, he hastily activated an Earth Escape Talisman.

  Snap! The shears snapped shut on empty air. Furious, Fin directed them to snip at the ground.

  Pfft! Leo was expelled from the earth a few meters away, spitting blood. The Earth Escape Talisman had been disrupted by the shears' sharp aura. The might of a magic artifact against a Qi Refining cultivator was overwhelming. Leo dared not even meet it with his spirit sword, lest he lose his chance to flee.

  Gravely wounded, Leo didn't hesitate. He threw several Smoke Mist Fruits. Black smoke filled the tunnel. He activated another Earth Escape Talisman and vanished underground.

  "Trying to escape? Not so easy!" Frustrated, Fin rushed through the smoke, but Leo was gone. He wasn't too worried, though. The Black Water Stockade Mine contained spirit stones of all elements. The spiritual energy was mixed and chaotic, and the rock was incredibly hard. Earth Escape Talismans were far less effective here than outside. Leo couldn't have gotten far.

  Recalling the Black Flood Dragon Shears, Fin gave chase.