Starting as a cowherd, he sought a way to cultivate immortality.

Two days later, news spread throughout Cloud Valley.

On a piece of wasteland in the area where the Zhao and Zhou families' territories intersected, a cultivator unexpectedly discovered a copper mine.

Red copper is a basic material used to forge magical artifacts and has extraordinary value in the eyes of cultivators.

For both the Zhao and Zhou families, this copper mine is a cultivation resource that they absolutely must seize.

Upon receiving the news, Zhao Hongyue, a cultivation genius in the early stage of Foundation Establishment in the Zhao family, immediately led her family members to that wasteland in an attempt to seize control of the red copper mine.

The Enforcement Hall was ordered to send three enforcement teams to maintain order, further bolstering the Zhao family's confidence in seizing the copper mine.

Before Zhao Chenfeng could make a decision, Wu Changkong volunteered to go to the copper mine.

Zhao Chenfeng's eyes showed a strange look, surprised that Wu Changkong had taken the initiative to take on the task.

"The Zhao family has treated me well, and now is the time for me to repay them."

Wu Changkong spoke with great fanfare, but none of Zhao Chenfeng and the commanders in the main hall of the Law Enforcement Hall believed him.

After all, Wu Changkong is a man who doesn't act without self-interest, and he would never risk a conflict with the Zhou family to go to the wasteland for the sake of so-called gratitude.

Most likely, he wants a piece of the profits from the copper mine.

"Since you have this idea, I, the steward, will naturally grant you a spot," Zhao Chenfeng said slowly.

Regardless of Wu Changkong's intentions, since he was willing to take on the trouble, Zhao Chenfeng had no reason to stop him.

"Steward, I am also willing to go." Chen Chi stepped forward and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Zhao Chenfeng.

As soon as Chen Chi finished speaking, Wu Changkong's icy gaze fell upon him.

A barely perceptible smile appeared on Wu Changkong's lips.

"Oh?" Zhao Chenfeng raised an eyebrow.

"Qi Sheng, you've only just become a commander, and you're already going out on a mission?"

Chen Chi smiled gently:

"I also want to see what a copper mine looks like."

Zhao Chenfeng nodded slightly and said:

"Yes, but the Zhao family is facing a formidable enemy right now. You and Wu Changkong should not let personal grudges delay things."

Chen Chi and Wu Changkong both nodded in agreement.

Zhao Chenfeng's gaze was sharp as he swept over the other commanders.

Seeing that no one else was willing to step forward, Zhao Chenfeng frowned slightly.

"Zhao Qiang, you should go too."

As Zhao Chenfeng finished speaking, a thin, ugly-looking man among the commanders gave a reluctant, bitter smile.

Zhao Chenfeng must have seen that two non-family members had stepped forward, but no one from the Zhao family had responded, so he gave him the last commander's position.

"Yes," Zhao Qiang said helplessly, clasping his hands in a fist salute.

After the commanders assigned to the copper mine were determined, Zhao Chenfeng dismissed the other commanders, leaving Wu Changkong, Chen Chi, and Zhao Qiang in the main hall.

"This trip to the copper mine could lead to a formal war with the Zhou family."

"If a fight really breaks out, don't tarnish the reputation of my Enforcement Hall!" Zhao Chenfeng instructed.

All three agreed, walked out of the hall, and began to gather their enforcement team members.

……

On a wasteland on the border between the Zhao and Zhou families.

Zhao Hongyue wore a green robe and carried a long sword on her back, her expression calm.

"Is this the place you're talking about?" Zhao Hongyue asked indifferently.

Beside her, a rogue cultivator at the second level of Qi Refining trembled with fear at Zhao Hongyue's powerful aura at the Foundation Establishment stage.

"Senior...it's right here..." The rogue cultivator pointed to a spot in front of him.

Zhao Hongyue stood still, her long sword flying up swiftly behind her, a powerful burst of spiritual energy striking the ground pointed at by the rogue cultivator.

After the loud impact, debris and dirt were sent flying towards Zhao Hongyue and the rogue cultivator beside her.

Upon seeing this scene, the rogue cultivator's expression immediately changed.

The next instant, a hazy barrier appeared in front of Zhao Hongyue and the rogue cultivator, blocking all the mud and rubble that rushed in.

The rogue cultivator looked up and saw that where the longsword had struck, a hole large enough for one person to encircle was left.

The longsword returned to its scabbard on Zhao Hongyue's back, and Zhao Hongyue slowly stood in the air, arriving above the large hole.

A small, exquisite, toad-shaped magical artifact appeared in Zhao Hongyue's hand and then sank into the cave.

As the ritual implement sank deeper, it gradually emitted a faint light.

A smile finally appeared on Zhao Hongyue's cold face as she glanced at the somewhat dazed rogue cultivator.

"Your information was correct; there is indeed a copper mine here. You deserve a reward."

After saying that, a bronze bell-shaped magical artifact floated in front of the rogue cultivator.

The rogue cultivator was overjoyed and quickly accepted the magical artifact, bowing to Zhao Hongyue in the air:

"Thank you for your kind words, senior!"

Zhao Hongyue waved her hand, then suddenly frowned slightly.

"You'd better leave quickly, someone's coming."

Upon hearing this, the rogue cultivator's expression immediately changed, and he hurriedly fled this dangerous place.

As several loud laughs rang out, a burly man with a long, narrow scar on his left cheek flew swiftly from a distance.

"Zhao Hongyue, what are you doing on my Zhou family's territory?"

The burly man was also at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, and he showed no courtesy to Zhao Hongyue.

"When did this place become Zhou family territory?"

Zhao Hongyue looked at the burly man and said slowly:

"Zhou Qiude, this is the question I should be asking you."

The burly man named Zhou Qiude gradually lost his smile.

"I never expected that a piece of trash would leak the information about the copper mine to your Zhao family, ruining my Zhou family's grand plan," Zhou Qiude sneered.

"Zhao Hongyue, I'll give you the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. Take your Zhao family and leave this area."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Hongyue remained completely unmoved.

You are not in a position to threaten me.

The next instant, the longsword on her back was drawn again and shot towards Zhou Qiude opposite her.

……

On the way to the location of the copper mine, Wu Changkong and Chen Chi's spirit boats were always several dozen steps apart.

Wu Changkong looked down at the barren ground below, and out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Qi Sheng behind him.

This Qi Sheng has only been in command for a few days, yet he has repeatedly opposed him.

Wu Changkong believed that he had no grudge against Qi Sheng, so he was quite puzzled by Qi Sheng's actions that were targeting him.

He pondered this for the past few days and finally came up with a reasonable explanation.

Seeing his growing power in the Hall of Law Enforcement, Zhao Chenfeng specifically sent Qi Sheng to check and balance him.

"Your good days will end once the Zhou family destroys the Zhao family." Wu Changkong said with a sinister expression, continuing to steer the spirit boat forward.

Behind them, Chen Chi's hearse carried only him and Guan Chuqin.

Li Jing originally wanted to come, but Chen Chi kept him in Cloud Mist Valley because it was too dangerous to compete for the copper mine.

"This trip might give me a chance to deal with Wu Changkong," Chen Chi thought, gazing at Wu Changkong ahead.

The next moment, he suddenly sensed two powerful spiritual energies intertwining not far away.

"Those are two Foundation Establishment stage cultivators!"

Chen Chi's heart stirred, and he steered the spirit boat, accelerating towards the place where the spiritual energy was fluctuating violently.

He passed by Wu Changkong's spirit boat, startling Wu Changkong so much that he almost attacked Chen Chi directly.

Just as Wu Changkong was wondering why Chen Chi suddenly accelerated, he also sensed the two powerful fluctuations of spiritual energy.

Wu Changkong's expression changed, and he urged the spirit boat to chase after Chen Chi ahead.