Though the Great Daoist Brush Master had already surrendered, scorching beams of sunlight continued to hit him. The Great Daoist Brush Master looked like a dead fish being pounded relentlessly by a hammer. At first, he twitched and struggled a little, but eventually, he sprawled on the ground like a corpse. The people nearby did not even spare him a glance. Everyone kept their heads down and continued digging. It was nothing new to them, as this happened all the time here. In fact, it happened to nearly every newcomer. If they survived after receiving a good beating, they would learn to behave better. After some time, the blazing sunlight eventually faded. The Great Daoist Brush Master remained on the ground, motionless. Just then, a beam of golden light fell from the sky and landed next to him. When the light dispersed, a man appeared. He glanced at the Great Daoist Brush Master and grabbed him by the collar before dragging him away. "That gluttonous beast is about to have a feast again," someone said, sighing. Upon hearing that, the Great Daoist Brush Master, who was pretending to be dead, shuddered violently. He quickly raised his hands and muttered, "I'm still... alive..." The man frowned, and then he flung him aside like a dead dog. "Get to work." Though weakened, the Great Daoist Brush Master was fuming. So this is what it means for a tiger to fall from power and get bullied by mere dogs. Damn it! That damned Ye Xuan! The Great Daoist Brush Master hated Ye Xuan with every fiber of his being. He had really pulled a dirty move this time. All of the Great Daoist Brush Master's Dao techniques were sealed. Though he had some strength left, he was effectively crippled. "Huh?" A voice came from behind. "If you keep slacking off, I'll feed you to the dogs." The Great Daoist Brush Master snapped out of it. He grabbed a hoe and started digging. "A wise man doesn't fight when the odds are stacked against him!" "A real man knows when to bend!" "As long as the mountains remain green, there will be no shortage of firewood!" The Great Daoist Brush Master muttered to himself while digging in an effort to keep his spirits up. Seeing that the Great Daoist Brush Master had gotten to work, the man finally left. While digging, he soon found a fist-sized purple crystal. He froze and gasped in shock, saying, "A Star Spiritual Stone!" He looked up at the mine around him and realized it. "I'm inside a legendary Star Spiritual Mine..." Star Spiritual Stones were more precious than Supreme-grade Ancestral Spiritual Stones. They were formed from the stellar lights of the endless stars in the cosmos. More importantly, it required the mythical nurturing of a special vein. The Great Daoist Brush Master had only seen it twice. In a distant, extremely high-tier civilization, and the other one was in the territory of the Yang Family. Of course, the Yang Family's Ancestral Spiritual Veins were unranked. Nothing could be done about that, as they were just too powerful. The Great Daoist Brush Master immediately concluded that there was a Spirit Progenitor beneath this very mine. Without a Spirit Progenitor, it would be impossible for such a massive Ancestral Spiritual Vein to manifest. Moreover, if there weren't a Spirit Progenitor slumbering beneath this mine, there would be no need to dig slowly by hand. They could just use Dao techniques instead. The Spirit Progenitor could get scared away by Dao techniques, so they had to dig manually. A Spirit Progenitor was known to be incredibly difficult to subdue. They carried boundless karma as well. Unless the Spirit Progenitor had decided to follow someone, forcing them would inevitably lead to a karmic backlash. Soon, the Great Daoist Brush Master's expression darkened. A force capable of claiming this mine could not be ordinary. And those around him clearly weren't weak, especially with that blazing sun overhead. He looked up and saw a sun hovering right above them. With his experience, he could tell that the blazing sun was created through Dao techniques. The Great Daoist Brush Master could also tell that it was highly refined. What was worse was that it could just be something created casually. Damn it! What the hell is this place? The Great Daoist Brush Master was confused. He had seen a great number of extremely high-tier civilizations. Just then, the Great Daoist Brush Master realized something, and his face fell. He was afraid that Ye Xuan had secretly set him up. On second thought, he felt that it was unlikely. Ye Xuan wanted him to lose fair and square. If he had used dirty tricks, he would never be satisfied with the Great Daoist Brush Master's defeat. Likewise, if the Great Daoist Brush Master himself used underhanded means, Ye Guan and Ye Xuan wouldn't accept it either. Just then, an invisible divine sense washed over him. The Great Daoist Brush Master immediately retracted his thoughts, picked up the hoe, and began mining. The mining process wasn't easy. As they were in an extremely frigid region, countless years of stellar light had accumulated layers upon layers of thick crystal on the surface. To make things worse, they weren't allowed to use their full power. The blood-red chains on their ankles were designed to restrict them. Their limited strength was just enough for mining. The Great Daoist Brush Master was infuriated. I, the mighty Great Daoist Brush Master, am being treated ? What a disgrace! A lifetime of honor and—damn it! Just then, a thunderous roar echoed from the horizon. The Great Daoist Brush Master looked up and saw a glowing dot at the edge of sight. The next moment, the dot arrived overhead. It was a massive platform. People were being grabbed and tossed down by a mysterious force. They looked just like dumplings being thrown into boiling water. The Great Daoist Brush Master was shocked, but those around him remained calm. They were used to the sight. Then, his pupils shrank as he exclaimed, "What the hell!" What's that little rat doing here? Worried that he was seeing things, the Great Daoist Brush Master took a long look. Sure enough, Ye Guan was still there! Upon confirming that, his frustrations vanished. The Great Daoist Brush Master burst out into a peal of laughter. Ye Guan had crashed to the ground hard. Though he was not seriously injured, he was definitely rattled. As soon as he heard a familiar laugh, however, he frowned and scrambled to his feet. He looked over and froze. Why the hell is that guy here? The Great Daoist Brush Master looked at him and grinned wickedly. He hadn't expected Ye Guan to end up in the same hellhole as him. Clearly, Ye Guan was captured, just like him. How satisfying. Ye Guan's face was as black as coal. Damn it! This bastard is here as well? Just then, Ye Guan noticed that the Great Daoist Brush Master didn't seem to be doing so well either. He ignored the Great Daoist Brush Master's gloating and scanned his surroundings. He was clearly in a mine. I have to mine?! Fuck! "Get to work! NOW!" A voice boomed from the distant sky, carrying with it an immense wave of pressure. All the miners nearby immediately got to work. Only the newcomers looked baffled, not realizing how serious their situation was. Moments later, a scorching beam of sunlight descended from above. One person couldn't react in time and was flattened. "Ah!" With a sharp, shrill scream, they were reduced to mere ashes. They were too weak, hence they were unable to withstand the scorching beam of light. Upon seeing that, the rest of the newcomers hurriedly picked up their hoes and got to work. A real man wouldn't suffer any losses he could avoid! Similarly, Ye Guan picked up a hoe and started digging. Damn it... Ye Guan was full of questions. Just what kind of hell had his father thrown him into? The martial art civilization here was ridiculously powerful as well. He looked at the Great Daoist Brush Master in the distance and felt regretful. If he could use the Qingxuan Sword, he would definitely shatter these chains and kill the Great Daoist Brush Master in one strike. Unfortunately, he had lost access to his Qingxuan Sword. If they were someone else, the Qingxuan Sword would certainly not submit. However, Ye Xuan was different. Seeing Ye Guan looking his way, the Great Daoist Brush Master frowned deeply. He thought of the Qingxuan Sword, too. Suspicion crept in as he wondered if Ye Guan could still use it. Did Ye Xuan seal sword? If not... The Great Daoist Brush Master's face darkened at that thought. If it's not sealed, then Ye Guan... The Great Daoist Brush Master sneered. If that sword isn't sealed, then why is that rat here? The Great Daoist Brush Master relaxed. He shot Ye Guan a cold glance and shouted, "You're dead meat!" Ye Guan shouted back, "Hey, Great Dao Dog, where are we?" The Great Daoist Brush Master snapped, "You traitorous rat, have some manners! Manners!" "Great Dao dog, where are we?" Ye Guan asked. The Great Daoist Brush Master was speechless. Ye Guan glanced at him and went back to mining. He'd seen a few slackers get vaporized by that beam and decided that it was better not to mess around here. The Great Daoist Brush Master looked up at the blazing sun and resumed mining as well. Though a few hits wouldn't kill him, the little rat was here with him. If Ye Guan were allowed to deal the final blow to him, he wouldn't be able to rest in peace. Ye Guan suddenly asked, "You don't know where we are, do you?" The Great Daoist Brush Master glanced at him without saying anything. Ye Guan stared at his hoe and fell into deep contemplation. Should I beat that guy up with this hoe?