Beast Taming: Invincible Breeder-Chapter 54 - 29: Mine Shaft

Chapter 54: Chapter 29: Mine Shaft
A few years ago, a group of Blood Cultists infiltrated the secret mine realm, intending to find its core and take control of the realm. However, they were discovered by the alliance, and the alliance’s experts killed them. Yet, for some reasons, their bodies were left uncleared in the secret mine realm.
Their bodies’ power accumulated and gave birth to a unique treasure: the Blood Demon Treasure Pearl.
The Blood Demon Treasure Pearl has three functions.
First: Blood Storage, capable of storing ten tons of blood.
Second: Blood Light Restoration, using the stored blood within the pearl to heal injuries.
Third: Blood Demon Disguise, which can mimic the aura of Blood Demons (Blood Cultists).
Properly utilizing the third function, Blood Demon Disguise, allows infiltration into the lair of the Blood God Sect.
Midway, he felt it was unwise to part ways with Xiaoyi, as it was the best time to cultivate feelings, so he turned back and connected with Xiaobai Spider.
"One opportunity to enter the black iron level resource secret realm can only allow you to stay in the secret mine realm for ten days. Exceeding ten days will consume your second chance, and once all chances are used up, the secret mine realm will automatically expel you."
The Gatekeeper guarding the secret realm’s entrance said, then handed Li Cunxu a backpack.
"This is a spatial backpack with a ten-cubic-meter space, rented to you for free to carry ores. Remember to return it upon leaving the secret realm."
"Is there a bigger one? I’d like to change to a larger-space backpack."
"The largest spatial backpack has a twenty-cubic-meter space, but it weighs ten kilograms."
The ten-cubic-meter backpack weighs just like an ordinary backpack, very light and handy, but Li Cunxu preferred the twenty-cubic-meter backpack.
He had a feeling that this exploration would yield a lot, and a ten-cubic-meter backpack might not be enough.
The Gatekeeper said, "This iron pickax, engraved with spiritual patterns, can accelerate digging speed. It’s also rented to you for free, and you must return it once you exit."
Li Cunxu took the iron pickax, and the Gatekeeper handed out an oil lamp.
"This, too, is an oil lamp engraved with spiritual patterns. When lit, it can illuminate ten meters around. While the brightness might not be strong, it can generate oxygen, so you don’t need to worry about the mine being oxygen-deprived. Remove the lamp’s base, and there’s a red safety button inside. Pull out the safety wire and press the button to actively exit the secret realm."
Li Cunxu, carrying the iron pickax and holding the oil lamp, stepped into the blue-light screen of the Secret Realm Teleportation Gate.
Inside the mine, the lights were like stars, artfully scattered throughout the winding tunnels, resembling a brilliant underground galaxy, with the air filled with the damp earthy scent and a faint coal ash odor.
Li Cunxu found a tunnel not illuminated by the mine lights.
"Xiaoruan, set the Land of Rebirth here."
Emerging from the ground were flickering earth-yellow light spots, and Earth Slimes were continuously resurrected from thin air.
Before entering the secret mine realm, Li Cunxu had commanded the water, grass, fire, ice, and wind slimes to eliminate all Earth Slimes precisely for this moment, allowing them to reincarnate within the secret mine realm.
He also took the opportunity to level up the other slimes.
"Xiaoruan, let three-quarters of the Earth Slimes disperse, burrow into the various mine tunnels, search for underground rivers, and back upon discovery. The remaining one-quarter will dig with me."
Li Cunxu released seven Earth Slimes from his pet pouch to collaborate with Xiaoyi in mutation experiments.
The Earth Slimes hopped around like loyal scouts, entering the branched tunnels.
Continuing to dig downward along the abandoned mine, supported by the Earth Slimes, the digging speed was fast, yet it was persistently earth instead of ore, causing annoyance and doubt.
After three hours of digging, Li Cunxu pondered if he should switch tunnels. After considering it seriously, he figured other tunnels might be the same, so he continued digging.
In the fourth hour of digging, striking the iron pickax caused sparks to fly.
"Finally struck something."
He pried out a hard object from the soil - a red iron ore.
Li Cunxu tossed this piece of iron ore to Xiaobai Spider.
"I recall there’s a metal attribute slime called Iron Slime. Inject a Slime Mutation Needle into the Earth Slime with the digestive talent, and see if it can transform into an Iron Slime."
Continuing to dig, he continuously unearthed iron ores.
"Could it be that I’ve struck an iron vein!"
Li Cunxu wasn’t interested in the iron ores, casually tossed aside the iron pickax, and meditated on the spot.
His Spiritual Power was just short of the black iron intermediate, and Li Cunxu hoped to break through to intermediate by his own efforts.
An unknown length of time passed before Li Cunxu was shaken awake by Xiaobai Spider.
"Xiaoyi, what’s up?"
"Ssss~ (A slime has mutated.)"
Li Cunxu stared with wide eyes at a yellow slime with ball-shaped little hands on its sides, wielding a small iron pickax, and digging diligently at a speed several times faster than the Earth Slime.
"This isn’t an Iron Slime, what type of slime is this? I’ve no recollection, huh? Where did my iron pickax go?" Li Cunxu noticed the iron pickax he threw on the ground had vanished.
"Ssss~ (It ate the iron pickax, and then it mutated.)" Xiaobai Spider extended a paw, pointing at the slime holding the iron pickax.
Li Cunxu examined this slime’s profile.
[Pet Beast]: Unnamed Slime.
[Attributes]: Earth, Metal
[Talent]: Kindred Split
[Skills]: Make Iron Pickax, Digging
"Unnamed, it has mutated into a new slime species never seen before."
Li Cunxu was sure this type of slime had never appeared; if it had, it would have definitely been named by the Human Race’s name-crazy enthusiasts.
"Having digging skills explains the speed."
"What sort of name should I give you?"
After contemplating for a few seconds, Li Cunxu decided to let Xiaobai Spider pick the name.
Xiaobai Spider’s Destiny Weaver needed to influence others’ destinies, and creating a new slime species and naming it was precisely the kind of destiny influence it needed.
Xiaobai Spider swiftly said, "Ssss~ (With an iron pickax and the ability to mine, let’s call it Miner Slime.)"
Li Cunxu asked, "Does naming give destiny points?"
"Sss~ (Yes, but very few.)" Xiaobai Spider nodded.
In the default backpack were twenty bottles of breeding potion, and some compressed biscuits. Li Cunxu took out a bottle of breeding potion, then a bowl, poured a drop in, and manually squeezed out a water ball, placed it in the bowl, thoroughly mixing it with a drop of breeding potion, and fed it to the Miner Slime.
The Miner Slime split into a small Miner Slime moments later. Once born, the small Miner Slime was confused for a few seconds before hopping to the pile of iron ores, selecting one that wasn’t larger than itself. Its strength was too small, unable to lift it, so it opted for a smaller one, swallowed it, and the iron ore slowly shaped inside its body, the shaping process being too slow to be visible by the naked eye.
The large Miner Slime, unable to watch any longer, picked up an iron ore, swallowed it, and through its pale yellow translucent body, one could see the iron ore being shaped into an iron pickax at a speed visible to the naked eye.
The large Miner Slime spat out the iron pickax, tossed it to the small Miner Slime, which tugged at the pickax embedded in the ground. However, its strength was too small and couldn’t pull it out, akin to trying to extract the sword in the stone.