Elder Hai was beheaded, and the Guiyuan Sect guards who witnessed this scene were all scared witless, their war intent instantly dissipating. They ceased to tangle with the mine slave cultivators they were fighting and turned to flee.

The nearby mine slave cultivators, seeing Yuan Ming's heroic performance in slaying a Core Formation elder, were now even more excited, like chickens injected with adrenaline, shouting enthusiastically as they pursued the fleeing guards.

With these people in pursuit, the news that Elder Hai had been killed quickly spread throughout the entire mine. The already lopsided battle situation collapsed even more swiftly.

Yuan Ming, seeing that the battle was already decided and that there was no need for him to make a move, ordered Hua Zhi and the others to scatter and assist the mine slaves, while he himself collected Elder Hai's body and storage bag and descended to his four-story building.

From top to bottom, he searched Elder Hai's residence for hidden goods, but perhaps because this place was only Elder Hai's residence in the mine and not his private Cave Mansion, there weren't many valuables. After a search, there wasn't much that caught his attention.

Soon, Yuan Ming accessed the basement through a hidden door. As the place where Elder Hai spent most of his time, it stored numerous elixirs and spiritual liquids of unclear purpose, as well as books recording his experimental findings.

Yuan Ming took all these, and then went to the frosty room where severed limbs were stored. Even though he already knew what was inside, he still frowned upon approaching it.

He bypassed that room and continued forward, coming into the deepest hall.

In the countless cages, only demon beasts remained. The cages that once held cultivators were now empty.

Yuan Ming looked around. Since Elder Hai often used the flesh and blood of failures to feed these beasts, they remained ferocious despite their captivity. To prevent them from escaping and causing chaos, Yuan Ming took action, executing them one by one.

Then, he controlled his magic artifact to destroy everything in the room and brought down the pillars supporting the basement. Finally, he returned to the surface before it collapsed.

Without support, the four-story building began to shake and ultimately collapsed with a thunderous crash.

In the center of the mine, the dust and mud kicked up by the fall of the building rose into the air with a great noise, illuminated by fires from every side. It was like fireworks celebrating the liberation of the mine slaves, and it also resembled the afterglow of a sunset, signifying the end of Guiyuan Sect's rule over this place.

…

Late at night, the disturbance in the mine gradually subsided. The Guiyuan Sect cultivators who weren't dead had fled. Now, the only ones left in the mine were the mine slaves they had captured.

The cultivators who had regained their freedom could have left, but most of them, after venting their anger, spontaneously stayed behind, just to catch a glimpse of the benefactor who had fought alone against a Core Formation elder and handed them the opportunity for freedom.

Behind them were hundreds of mortal mine slaves.

Yuan Ming stood atop the ruins of the four-story building, looking at the cultivators and mortals gathering around, observing their grateful or astonished or searching expressions, and slowly began speaking:

"When I first set foot on the path of cultivation, I was like you, a slave kept by a Sect, trapped in the vast mountains, without freedom."

"During the countless days and nights of captivity, I constantly thought of breaking free, of regaining control over my own life and future, but to rebel was incredibly difficult. Our enslavers would use various methods to numb us, to corrupt us, to make us intoxicated by the grace that trickled through their fingers, to accept their rules, to willingly embrace servitude for a future that they deliberately made seem possible but was, in fact, unattainable."

"Fortunately, like you, I received help from a noble, who not only freed me from slavery but also gave me the cultivation and strength I have today. I am grateful to her, but I have often wondered why she helped me. Could it be merely because she had once read the words I had written as a mortal?"

"Today, standing here looking at you, recalling the past, I finally understand the answer."

"Speaking honestly, I discovered this mine by chance, after finding out a good friend was trapped here. My initial thought was to rescue him quietly and unnoticed, but when I actually arrived, I saw some people and things, I realized that you, like me back then, also longed for freedom, and were even willing to give your lives for it. To be honest, I was moved."

In the crowd, Xu Che looked at Yuan Ming standing on the ruins, with a glint in his eyes.

Yuan Ming also looked at him at that moment, nodded slightly, and continued:

"The Immortal Path is endless, we cultivators practice desperately, some for longevity, some for status, some for dignity, but in the end, it all stems from the longing for a carefree world. Since the heavens cannot keep us in mortal shells, naturally no cultivator could ever keep us shackled in chains!"

"Among you, some may have become numb to reality, but many more haven't let shackles dull their spirit, still daring to bare their fangs at those who stand in their way, roaring unwilling to settle for mediocrity."

Zhou Peng listened to these words, his expression somewhat moved. His lips quivered twice, but in the end, all he let out was a sigh of age.

However, Yuan Ming was not looking at him but pointed to the ruins beneath his feet, continuing to speak loudly:

"This is why I helped you, and perhaps, it is also the reason my noble extended a helping hand to me. But remember, it was I who toppled this high building, yet it was you yourselves who overturned this mine."

"Now, everyone, celebrate, for your very own victory, for the freedom of each one of us."

As the voice faded, the entire mining area suddenly plunged into an ecstatic sea, with cultivators cheering and shouting, venting the depression of years in captivity, and some mortals even began to prostrate in worship.

Among them, some faces flushed with excitement, some shed tears reminiscing the past, and some gazed at Yuan Ming, praising his strength and impeccable integrity, but without exception, everyone felt heartfelt gratitude and profound respect for Yuan Ming.

At that moment, Yuan Ming suddenly felt an endless surge of desire power erupting from the cultivators and mortal mine slaves in front of him, rushing toward his right arm.

The desire power coming from the cultivators was different from that of the mortals, each thread imbued with an aura a hundred times more potent than usual, but regrettably, perhaps because they did not worship Yuan Ming, the desire power they could provide was not continuous. Each individual had a different duration for which they could offer desire power, but almost all had a limit.

As the desire power flooded in, the incense burner mark on Yuan Ming's right arm suddenly grew hot. The Stealing Heaven Tripod was not visible, but it was incessantly helping Yuan Ming absorb the desire power.

However, Yuan Ming was still unable to actively use the desire power stored in the tripod. Seeing this, he became anxious and immediately commanded his recently returned soul splitting to operate at full speed, absorbing all the desire power flowing toward the Stealing Heaven Tripod. He then sat down cross-legged on the spot, his main soul absorbing the purified desire power from the soul splitting, rapidly cultivating the Moonlight Technique.

In front of the ruins, Xu Che and the others, having heard Yuan Ming's recent speech, now had a few words they wanted to share with Yuan Ming. However, seeing him suddenly sit down cross-legged, they were instantly puzzled.

"There's no need to worry. Our lord has simply gained an insight and will discuss with everyone once he has fully assimilated his gains," explained Zuo Qinghui at this time.

As to preserve the life force of Zuo Qinghui's physical body, the soul splitting that Yuan Ming had placed inside him was never readily utilized, and now it could also take care of some matters in place of the main soul.

Hearing Zuo Qinghui's explanation, Xu Che and the others nodded, their doubts dissipating. However, She Yu suddenly glanced at Yuan Ming, who was sitting cross-legged, and whispered with a laugh.

"I'm also curious, Fellow Daoist Zuo won our freedom, what made him willing to acknowledge him as lord?"

"My relationship with our lord is more intimate than you can imagine. Moreover, our lord has never restricted my actions; coming and going as I please, how can I not be free?" Zuo Qinghui said.

Xu Che asked, "By the way, Fellow Daoist Zuo, when we speak with your lord later, how should we address him? Do we still call him Nether Moon God?"

"Our lord's real name is Yuan Ming; you can just call him Fellow Daoist. He doesn't care about these formalities," Zuo Qinghui replied.

Upon hearing this, Xu Che was momentarily startled: "Yuan Ming... could it be that he is the author of 'Children's Storybook'?"

"Indeed, in fact, our lord took notice of you because of the content of your monologue that night; it wasn't unrelated," Zuo Qinghui said with a smile.

Xu Che remembered his behavior that night and grinned sheepishly, no longer speaking.

Meanwhile, as they conversed, Yuan Ming's cultivation had reached a critical stage.

Within his Sea of Consciousness, the vast Soul Power churned like raging waves, forming a massive vortex engulfing the desire power refined by the soul splitting to strengthen itself.

And as the Soul Power rapidly grew, Yuan Ming's Sea of Consciousness soon filled to the brim, with everything, including the main soul and soul splitting, seemingly submerged in a sea, engulfed by the Soul Power.

But the next instant, the Soul Power that had filled the Sea of Consciousness abruptly ebbed away. While the soul splitting continued to supply desire power ceaselessly, the retreat of the Soul Power was unabated, quickly receding to half its size.

Just then, a round moon-like pure white halo, like the first appearance of a bright moon, rose slowly from the ocean of Soul Power.

Within the halo, Yuan Ming's Divine Soul sat cross-legged, resembling a meticulously carved jade statue, its face and posture indistinguishable from Yuan Ming's own.

As the halo completely floated above his Sea of Consciousness, Yuan Ming abruptly opened his eyes in reality, and his Divine Sense scattered in all directions, instantly covering the entire mining area.

Those in the mining area celebrating victory immediately felt a shiver throughout their bodies, as if they had been targeted by some formidable entity.

"Everyone, do not be alarmed; this is merely a fortunate breakthrough I've made, and I momentarily forgot to control it."

Yuan Ming's gentle voice echoed in everyone's ears; then, he retracted his Divine Sense, and everyone immediately felt relief. They looked at each other, knowing that even that brief instant of contact had drenched their backs with sweat out of dread.

At that moment, they truly felt Yuan Ming's immense power, and their hearts filled with an added sense of awe.

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