The Card Apprentice

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Thanks to the Spinulosa Disk, they were alerted in advance. This allowed them more time for preparation, something which later proved to be extremely crucial to them. The Demonic Woman pivoted Chen Mu and his team towards the crack and swiftly arrived at the base of the crack. She threw a glimpse at them and demanded coldly. "All of them need to be hidden." Before she proceeded to find herself a chamber and huddled into it.

Bogner ordered all of the card artisans to get to work without further ado. Immediately, the energy forms of many colors flickered, forming a mesmerizing sight. All of the card artisans were strong and powerful. Every punch of theirs was able to create a big hole. However, since this was the first time that they encountered this situation, it was inevitable for them to end up in a state of chaos.

Thankfully, they were able to finish their tasks before the sandstorm arrived. All the card artisans activated their power shields which they were equipped before they took shelter in the hollow they created moments ago. They understood that in the ash stratum, there were chances for all sorts of strange and eerie things to happen. Therefore, every one of them was being exceptionally vigilant and cautious out of anxiety.

The sandstorm had arrived! Resembling the wail of ghosts and the howls of wolves, the high-pitched sound of the wind was ear-piercing. The sky immediately darkened and swallowed everyone into the blackness. The sound of the howling wind outside the crack made them shudder in fear. Although they had made a deep dugout following the Demonic Woman's words, they were still occasionally attacked by the swirling dust. Aided by the fierce wind, the minuscule sands were even stronger, causing the power shields to wobble.

Chen Mu had no choice but to burrow into the hollow, afraid to make even a slight move. Chen Mu was astounded as the strength of the sandstorm was this terrifying when the distance from the earth's surface and the base of the crack was more than 10 kilometers. Even a Level 7 card artisan may die if he or she happened to encounter the sandstorm on the earth's surface.

The menacing sandstorm lasted persistently for six hours! When the howl finally stopped, the group could not help but feel relieved to have narrowly escaped the catastrophe. One by one, they popped their heads out from the hollows like a mole-rat. When they noticed the ridiculousness of the scene, everyone exchanged gazes with each other and eventually burst out laughing. After they collected themselves, they realized that despite the precautions, they lost three shuttles. An earthy scent wafted in the air after the sandstorm left, and the greyish sky finally looked friendlier.

Bogner walked toward Chen Mu with a grim expression. "Boss, this is the place." There was no prelude to Bogner's words, but Chen Mu immediately got the gist of it. "Do sandstorms frequently happen here?" Chen Mu was grateful to have found another person who was familiar with this place. The Demonic Woman was untrustworthy, and Wei-ah's communication skills were giving Chen Mu a headache. He acted as stubborn as a rock for a vast majority of the time.

"If there isn't any unexpected change of weather, there shouldn't be a sandstorm within the next six days." Suppressing an anguished expression that flashed on his face, he forced his calmness as he continued. "In addition to the sandstorms, there is a type of cold storm. I call it the Cold Crystal Storm. The Cold Crystal Storm is far more devastating than the sandstorm, but its frequency is much lower too."

"The Cold Crystal Storm?" Chen Mu studied the name. However, knowing that they had six more days, he felt relieved. If the sandstorm happened without a fixed pattern or too frequently, they would be in deep trouble. After narrowly escaping from the sandstorm, they continued to move forward. The fleet proceeded with their journey cautiously and nervously at the base of the gigantic crack. Everyone was now well aware of the danger of the ash stratum after their first-hand experience amid the terrifying sandstorm.

As if blessed, they kept finding mineral resources throughout their journey. "It's a crystal stone! An abundance of them! Boss, there's a crystal stone mine!" a seasoned card artisan reported to Chen Mu excitedly. "Oh my God! Purple fluorescent ore! This is a purple fluorescent ore!" Bogner was extremely thrilled. As he was very familiar with the purple fluorescent ore, he was able to identify it with a glance. He had never dealt directly with other mineral resources, but he was very clear about the commercial value of the purple fluorescent extract.

Meicha Iron, Abidaxi Meteorite, Liquid Snow Iron, twinned titanium stone, black and white chrysanthemum rock, bird silk red thread…Many different mineral resources that Chen Mu had or had not heard of were continually being discovered. All the faces displayed a look of exhilaration. The fortune that was hidden within this big crack was astonishing, to the extent that it was horrifying!

In fact, this was terrific! It was easier for Chen Mu to distinguish the materials that he had used before, for example, the Liquid Snow Iron and the twinned titanium stone. He could easily recognize the considerably high quality of these materials. After the joy, Chen Mu was slowly overwhelmed by disappointment. If all of the mineral resources in this crack were converted into Oudi, it would certainly be an astronomical figure!

He finally understood why everyone would be fanatical whenever the transit windows and the ash stratum were mentioned. Fortune! This was a fortune beyond comparison! The big crack was very close to the transit window, making it a suitable place for mineral exploitation.

If there were a steady flow of mineral resources transported to the Eastern Wei Base, that would largely benefit their development. Chen Mu paid no attention to information about transit windows before, but now, he knew the value of it. Even for the Big Six, they would not sit by and disregard this amount of wealth. Currently, they were trapped in war and had no time to care about the matter. But once they shift their attention back, they would never let go of an opportunity this juicy!

Chen Mu had personally witnessed the Big Six's zeal for wealth and their ruthlessness toward their enemies. He had to seize the moment to improve and strengthen himself. Once he left for the House of a Hundred Depths, his fate would be uncertain. For him, wealth was almost unachievable.

But…He gazed upon Bogner and the others, feeling warm inside. If he left more capital for them, they would have a higher chance to survive this chaotic age. Being a leader, he was responsible for their safety and future. After a brief consideration, he firmly made a decision.

"I've decided to build a base here, to exploit the crack. Who do you think should be in charge?" Chen Mu asked Bogner. "Hmm, who should be in charge?" Bogner shared Chen Mu's idea with Chen Mu of building a base. He did not sound surprised as he asked, "How about Lu Xiaoru and flat eyebrows? They are considered as veterans and dependable. Besides, they are competent too. But we should tell Xi Ping to send more Spinulosa Disks. They are very useful here. As for manpower, tell him to send some of his people here too."

Chen Mu nodded and summoned Lu Xiaoru. After years of training and experience, Lu Xiaoru was a completely different person from before. She was no longer as chubby as before, her figure was now fit and balanced. Lu Xiaoru had a lot of admirers among the Snow Silkworm Card Artisan Team, but unexpectedly, she chose to be with the "bar-browed" man, an average and quiet man.

The flat eyebrows of the "bar-browed" man were still the same as before. He stood silently in front of Chen Mu, with gratitude occasionally flashed across his eyes. Some time ago, Chen Mu taught him the "breath control" that he had been yearning for. Nowadays his abilities had improved remarkably and were promoted to one of the highest-ranking within the Snow SIlkworm Card Artisan Team. Not only that, his worth continued to ascend significantly. His future potential seemed promising.

The "breath control" that came along with many side effects when it was practiced by Chen Mu, however, brought way lesser aftereffects to the flat eyebrows. Although the "bar-browed" man, too, suffered from some of the side-effects, they were not lethal. That was very strange to Chen Mu. Indeed, the "Night of the Cross" had its peculiarity. After receiving Chen Mu's orders, both of them promptly acted on it.

Before long, the Architecture Card Artisans began their scouting, looking for a suitable place to build the base: mainly an area with a source of water. That was because the air in the ash stratum was dry, and the water collector was very inefficient in this environment. To build a base, if there weren't a continuous source of water, it would cause a rather inconvenient situation. They needed the help of the Demonic Woman to find a water source. Even though the Demonic Woman, Zara, was not happy about Chen Mu's decision to pause their journey, she agreed to work with him.

On the other hand, Sue Lochiro was gleefully gathering the samples from many places. A unique geologic climate of an environment like this must carry something with unique qualities. To ensure their safety, Chen Mu personally ordered several Level 7 card artisans to escort them.

Yangshan Fei clicked his tongue before he said. "Goodness gracious! There are so many precious things here! We're going to be rich!" Even though he said it in admiration, his expression showed minimal interest in this matter. The swirling dust in the air did not dim Sue's gold mask. She chuckled. "This has nothing to do with us. But, of course, if the Big Six finds out about this, they would spend their days and nights thinking about it."

"Haha, Chen Mu is such a character! His luck is so good, to the extent that it attracts jealousy," Yangshan Fei said, musing. "Luck? It wasn't all luck," Sue said in a soft voice. Yangshan Fei looked around and said excitedly, "It's so fun here, the House of a Hundred Depths is really something to look forward to! It'll be perfect if I can have a chance to fight with an opponent like the Demonic Woman!"

"You can go ahead," Sue said nonchalantly.Yangshan Fei seemed to be embarrassed all of a sudden. "Forget it. I would be killed by her. If not for her feminine physique, I would have definitely questioned her gender," Yangshan Fei said, slightly exaggerating. However, everyone had witnessed the ruthlessness and ferocity of the Demonic Woman. In everyone's mind, she was as dangerous as Wei-ah. When Wei-ah was triggered, he would tear his enemy into bits. However, if one offended the Demonic Woman, one would be in constant fear of the black vine, which can strike at any time from anywhere. The Demonic Woman and Wei-ah shared something similar: both of them were able to kill with no mercy and hesitation. Other than Chen Mu, no one dared to stay near the Demonic Woman.

"Shan Fei, where are we headed after we arrive at the House of a Hundred Depths?" Sue asked in a slightly depressed and lonely tone. "We'll decide when we're there. Haha. We have to meet all of the elites of the House of a Hundred Depths! Make sure that our long journey doesn't go in vain," Yangshan Fei gave a hearty and unreserved laugh. Sue stared at Yangshan Fei's rough face. The eyes underneath the gold mask were glowing out of warmth.

At another corner, Chen Mu and Bogner were having a conversation. "We need another few more days to build the base. We can only leave this place after the next sandstorm." Bogner explained. "That's the only way." Chen Mu nodded before he suddenly asked, "Can you tell me the story of your past?"