[Author's Note: I'm sorry this chapter comes up so late. I am meeting with a fellow friend / Editor of a magazine publisher. (Elle if I'm not mistaken) and see how he would help. He did not agree on the spot, but I hope he will consider about it. (Well, it's a free help, so the possibility is questionable.)

I have just opened my own discord page for the conveniences to communicate, suggest, and also question me about most of the thing related to the Novel. Do copy the link below to join in.

https://discord.gg/tbwKbnP

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"Look, the Master Senior Ninth is here again. Guess what he trying to achieve by coming here two days consecutively." the miners that noticed his arrival guessed while continuing with their own job.

After greeting the Head Miner Yang, he went to the same spot he scaled before and took out the new Dual-Headed Pickaxe to try its might. With both hands holding on the tool firmly, Zhang Wu Ji landed his first strike on the wall of rocks, and extracted at least five kilograms of mineral ores with a single strike!

The ores shatter into bits of an average of around 400 grams each, but instead of picking up the ores and throws them down to the Trolley at the bottom. Zhang Wu Ji continues with his strikes. With 35 points of durability on the pickaxe, it can stay durable for 90 strikes before the durability of the tool is exhausted and turn into green, meaning the durability of this weapon is now lower than acceptable points.

Compared to his yesterday's attempt, today Zhang Wu Ji harvested a total of 450 kilograms, which is about elevenfold to his yesterday's result. Not enough to reach a tonne in mass weight, Zhang Wu Ji collected them into his Onyx-Class Spatial Ring and prepares to leave the mines in a hurry.

"Master Senior Ninth! Please wait for a moment!" the Head Miner Yang ran and climb to the top of the mineral mountain in a hurry, afraid that Zhang Wu Ji will leave before he managed to inquire about this magical tool. The shape of the tool is not only convenient and able to disperse a portion of the vibration during the impact, but it can also turn green after using it for a while.

This is also why the Head Master Yang went forward to ask. If the production of the mines can be increased by merely changing to a tool like this, won't the City Lord approves his request to purchase these tools immediately? It was for the sake of increasing amount of mineral ores they can collect from the mountain!

"Head Miner Yang, do you have anything you need from this junior?" Zhang Wu Ji can safely assume that his reason of approach is related to the pickaxe, but he decided to ask the question anyway for the sake of giving the head miner a stage to start his words.

"This miner wanted to ask about the background of this pickaxe. I won't say I see that pickaxe before, be last time, there is a fellow blacksmith that came from the Wen Qing City purposely to collect some high-quality mineral ores, and during that time, we were presented with a pickaxe similar like yours, but it possesses a hammer and a pick if compared to yours." the head miner replied.

"Head Miner Yang, this little pickaxe here is the humble creation of mine. I am here for the sake to test the durability and usage of the tool before it obtained the approval to be mass-produced." Zhang Wu Ji lifted the pickaxe into their chest level, and loosen his grip by putting his palm facing upward. It was an indication that the head miner is allowed to inspect the tool.

This simple gesture of his attracts the attention of the other miners to come forward to have a look themselves. It was then handed to one after another, until two hundred miners later it returned to the hand of Zhang Wu Ji. Since each of the presents already took an inspection on them, it is impossible for Zhang Wu Ji to miss out the opportunity to ask for their opinion.

But all of them only replied his question with a word "Satisfied" and nothing else. It seems that similar to the Blacksmiths, the Miner's attitude is also similar, with simple replies and did not pay their effort to twist their words or trying to make them sound better. And in Zhang Wu Ji's opinion, this kind of people is the one he liked the most.

"You means, they're qualified to become the tool for your mining profession?" Zhang Wu Ji asks them one final question before he set his mind on the tool he personally designed. In his mind, an approval on your creation is also more convincing than his own decision, because, at the end of the day, his end product is what people considered using, and not what he decided.

"Master senior, as the head of all miners here and also the most experienced one among them, I dare to use my reputation as a 37 years veteran miner to say your pickaxe the best quality pickaxe I ever seen in my life. Perhaps not ten of our Stone Pick can compare with one of your Dual-Headed Pickaxe." the head miner took his bandana down and replied the youth.

"Yes! All of you, don't you agree with Old Yang's word? If we have this kind of tool in our hand, how many Horse-Drawn Cart can we deliver to the Wen Wu City every day?"

"Yeah, perhaps at that time, the horseman will be the one complaining that the pay we offered them isn't enough to cover their exhaustion!"

"Correct! Correct! If all of us used such a tool in our daily mining, won't the yield went over our limit? We might need to order more horses to pull our Mining Trolley instead of ourselves! Hahaha!" the crowd stating their approval of Zhang Wu Ji's creation one after another as they laughed and bringing up the matter with their horsemen.

"Head Miner Yang, I need to make sure that you know this matter first. The Apprentice Hall is in their way of mass-producing this kind of tools for the sake of increasing the yield from the Miners. With this tool soon distributed here, I hope every brother and uncles here, please support the Wen Wu City and Apprentice Hall as we grow stronger!" Zhang Wu Ji cupped his hand towards everyone before he faced Head Miner Yang to mention his intention.

After completing the little ceremonial exchange of words, Zhang Wu Ji left the West Mountain and returned to the Wen Wu City before it was too late in the evening. The best thing of all except his success craft in creating a tool that can complement the miner's experience is that he familiarized with the route going and returning from Wen Wu City to West Mountain.

If this weakness is discovered by the public, how shameful will that be?

Instead of heading straight back to his room, Zhang Wu Ji made his appearance at the Blacksmith Department to inspect them and their crafted Dual-Headed Pickaxes. It may seem like he wasn't confident with the craft from his own people, but as a perfectionist that wanted only the best batch in their first order, Zhang Wu Ji will not compromise even in a little bit of lacking.

Walking across the isle of the tool shelf they made to let the pickaxes stand properly, Zhang Wu Ji touches each of them, and took the lower quality product out from the neatly arranged isle. Only after running through a hundred of the Dual-Headed Pickaxe Zhang Wu Ji took a deep breath, and feeling much more relaxed as a part of his responsibility is completed at this moment.

"Master Senior!" group of people shouted his title as they run over to him.

It was the five amongst the eight attendants of his. At the period of time, all of them were exiled from the Seven Star Sect, Tang Yuan suggested that the five of them shall take up a hunting request issued by the Hunting Department to increase their experience in handling a different dangerous situation in the wild. And for this intention to improvement, the Southern Bamboo Forest became their best choices because the matter of handling Mountain Bandits in the Orchid Mountain is much more dangerous.

It seems like from the time he wasn't around by their side, each of their cultivation has grown by so much.

As the weakest among the eight of them, Liu Yanni is now an Inner Qi Fighter with a total of 120 Strands of Inner Qi inside her body. Following above her place is unexpectedly Bai Hei Tie, in his early 2nd stage of Inner Qi Fighter, and Zhang Ya Pin, in his mid 2nd stage of Inner Qi Fighter. Zhao Xiao Hua remains as the second among them, with her cultivation at later 2nd Stage.

The most unexpected to him is Tang Yuan, where his cultivation strength is now at the peak of 3rd Stage of Inner Qi Fighter. What is more surprising is it seems that he failed to control the way his energy grows, causing his body to release some heat a little hotter than the others. Other than that, there is a faint writing seen on his forehead, similar to a word [Yan].

"What is wrong with Tang Yuan? It is a good thing his cultivation increased by a lot, but he looks like he's poisoned. If not because he can walk and lead the others into the Southern Bamboo Forest for the past few days, I will be running an inspection on him as soon as possible." Zhang Wu Ji thought but did not make his thinking visible from the eyes of his attendants.

"Master Senior, look at what we found in the Southern Bamboo Forest!" Zhao Xiao Hua steps forward and handed over a piece of insect carapace to him to inspect, while Zhang Ya Pin and Bai Hei Tie are holding the remaining parts in the two bags on their hand. Without further ado, he took the carapace in hand, and inspect the item as he acts.

Malachite Shell Cicada's Left front leg Carapace

-Usage: can be concocted and formed into Malachite Armor Pill

-Durability: 31/31

-Information: Heavily sought after for their precious carapace all over their body, the Malachite Shell Cicada is a Wild Beast all Pill Master in their peak Tier 1 Achievement wishes to capture. All the carapaces grown on the Malachite Shell Cicada is usable to concoct the Malachite Armor Pill

"This is a good treasure you guys collected. Bring them to the Alchemist Department and tell them to prepare a room with a set of Pill Making Tools inside for me. If possible, I will come over within this one or two days to concoct the Malachite Armor Pill to each of you." Zhang Wu Ji returned the piece of leg part carapace to Zhao Xiao Hua and paid his attention back to the others.

"Here, take this second Fighter Chasing Dan." Zhang Wu Ji spread open his palm as he collected five Fighter Chasing Dan +5 for them. Among the remaining pills he got, Zhang Wu Ji tried refining fifty of them to +6, but perhaps his luck was too bad, it did not happen. Left with only 1,050 Pills remaining in his ring after giving five pills to his attendants, Zhang Wu Ji felt a little heartbroken.

It wasn't because the amount of pills is getting lesser, but it was due to his [UPGRADE] system.

Base on his situation now, it was most important for him to upgrade all his item into his current limit, which is +9 at most. But not only he barely possesses any +5 item, but most of them also were not upgradable, such as his Qiyue Flying Sword, Bronze Grade Nourishment Art, Longfeng Jade Ruler, and Zhang Wu Chou's Four Season Swords.

"Go back and do whatever you guys want, since there were no more farm or anything to handle. Oh... And one more issue. Where is the Iron Scale Bull? It's been a few days I did not see that guy." Zhang Wu Ji allowed them to leave, but suddenly remembered about the missing fella that let him ride everywhere.

"Master, we have no idea as well. That day when we left, this Iron Scale Bull supposedly following us, but I think... It got lured away by some other female Iron Scale Bull." Tang Yuan hesitates a little before he answered his master's question.

"Then that's fine. Go do your own stuff. I will have something to do tomorrow." Zhang Wu Ji turned and leave the five of them to handle their own matters. With his temporary task of increasing the mining's production rate is complete, it is time for him to now consider their next arrangement, the transporting process.

His consideration lies in two parts. The main part where they delivered the item from the Mines to the Wen Wu City and the second is between the miners to the Horse-Drawn Cart's loading point. The first part is important as the delivery with larger loading capacity can sustain the Apprentice Hall usage better, but in exchange, It will leave a toll at the miners, as they have to exhaust their stamina to deliver more mineral ores into the cart.

But in the same time, if he decided to went with the second part, creating a newer version of Mineral Trolley for them, it will increase the number of mineral ores production, but the final cost in the delivery will leave the Apprentice Hall and City Hall with a great expense.

Although he was richer at this moment, it did not mean that he will have to absorb the cost without any special in return. It would be the same if he chose the first option, as that will not directly be related to the cost, but when an upgrade is made possible to those horsemen, who know where will the new design Cart will end up.

A risk of losing his own technology to outsiders is unacceptable, especially when his strength is too weak.

The moment of consideration delayed a few matters he should be handling, but it was no less a comfortable time for him to relax after putting himself in the importance of the others.

This was the best morning Zhang Wu Ji ever had after he's transmigrated into this world. Waking and dressed up in his Seven Star Master Senior's robe, Zhang Wu Ji went out to make an inspection at the new batch of Dual-Headed Pickaxe. When the stack of 200 pickaxes is completed, Zhang Wu Ji collected all of them and decided to make his own delivery towards the Western Mines.

Before he went out, Zhang Wu Ji borrowed a spot from a blacksmith that just finishes his hammering process on the casted pickaxe head. Using the hammer to hammer the low durability pickaxe in his hand, Zhang Wu Ji repaired it only to noticed that instead of maintaining 35/35 durability, it become 34 now.

Which means, the weapon durability will get lower from repairing usage.

Putting aside this bothersome issue, Zhang Wu Ji went out once again, leaving the stack of 450 kilograms worth of mineral ores for them to process it while he's away. The amount isn't too much, but for their master that casually come in and dropped half a tonne of mineral ores, it was still surprising for them.

"Oh, before I forget. Li Jing, take out all the ingots in the Obsidian-Class Spatial Ring and give it to me." Zhang Wu Ji ordered. Receiving his order to do so, Li Jing immediately retreated into the shared private room the three of them reserved and withdraws the ingots out until the ring's storage is emptied.

"Master, this is the ring you requested." Li Jing delivered the Obsidian-Class ring to him with both hands, which was received by Zhang Wu Ji as he directed the route of the Flying Sword and headed straight at where the West Mountain located.

"Half of you, stop working on the pickaxe head and shift your work into smelting and preparing the metals. Yin, Tong, you two go out and look for containers big enough to store mineral ores. As for those that continue to forge the pickaxe's head, you may slow down in your production, but maintain their quality!" Li Jing passes down the order to everyone around without explaining too much about his sudden decision.

"My fifth brother, you mean..." Li Yin tried to guess his brother's sudden order, but he caught the intention hidden behind. While the slow-witted Li Tong is still guessing about what does his brother wanted to do.

"Brother Jing, don't you worry master will lecture us again with the ruler if you change the arrangement of the workers without consulting him?" he almost said about whacking their butt with the ruler, but luckily kept it hidden inside his lips.

"Brother Tong, you still not used to our master's habit yet?" Li Yin asked. His question made Li Tong pondered for a moment before he said;

"Ahh... He's gonna come back with the whole ring full of mineral oops!" he almost speaks out loudly before Li Jing and Li Yin shut his mouth.

"Quiet, you want all the blacksmith to faint and demotivated?" their scuffle continues.

Meanwhile, Zhang Wu Ji reaches the West Mountain once more along with some additional gift in hand. Twenty wooden shelves with ten Dual-Headed Pickaxes slotted in between.

The arrival of this two hundred pickaxes caught all the miners by surprise because they did not expect that with the manpower of the Apprentice Hall alone, they can mass-produce so many pickaxes in the span of one night. If they were given a week of time, won't the number of available stock of pickaxes to be distributed all over the county?

"Master Senior Ninth, I'm afraid we did not have anything valuable to be exchanged with this batch of Dual-Headed Pickaxes..." the Head Miner Yang said.

"Head Miner Yang, if this junior is expecting a return for a simple word of mouth from the miner brothers here, won't this junior look like a narrow-minded person? The batch of pickaxes here is this juniors gratitude and also sorry for making all the brothers here work hard to supply our needs for mineral ores." Zhang Wu Ji cupped his hand together and gave the crowd his most earnest bow.

"Since you called us brother, then we will not be petty as well! Stay here, we will use the pickaxes you provided us to mine for a batch of mineral ores for you to bring back to the hall!" the group of miners made their statement as they took each pickaxe in their hand and start to scale the mineral mountain.

With a higher attack point, the process to extracts the mineral ore become faster. It only took them an hour to extracts ten tonnes of mineral ores to be presented to Zhang Wu Ji. Since the miners intended to present him with this amount of mineral ores, there is no reason for him to reject their good will.

By utilizing the Obsidian-Class Spatial Ring, Zhang Wu Ji collected the ten tonnes of mineral ores in a flash, before cupping his hand together and bid farewell to the others. But before he does so, Zhang Wu Ji personally speaks with Head Miner Yang for his upcoming instructions,

"Head Miner Yang, not far from the future, the people from apprentice hall will personally come to collect and pay for the mineral ores we need to use. Please allocate a spot for their conveniences."

This is what Zhang Wu Ji said before he left.