83: Chapter 83 Encountering Earth Veins, Cleverly Setting Up an Array; A Shocking Change in the Spirit-Devouring Cave Heaven

After breaking through to the Middle Stage of the Golden Core within the Chi-Yan Mountain Area and harvesting a large amount of Earth Heart Fire Crystals, Ye Qing felt relaxed and continued his travels on the outskirts of the Dragonfall Abyss.

He was not in a hurry to penetrate deep into the main vein of the "Dragonfall Abyss" at the center of the storm and the "Starfall Valley". Instead, like the most patient hunter, he searched inch by inch through the vast and dangerous peripheral areas for potential resources and Opportunities.

He visited the locations marked on the map that were suspected to produce spiritual objects one by one.

Some had already been claimed by others, leaving only ruins. Some were occupied by powerful Yao Beasts; after assessing the risks, he either cleverly maneuvered to acquire a portion or decisively gave up.

Others yielded rich harvests, such as the "Mysterious Yin Jade Marrow" under a cold pool and the "Thunder-Struck Iron Wood Heart" in a forest of thunder-struck trees, which made the Five Elements and special attribute reserves of his Cave Heaven World even richer.

One day, he arrived at a peculiar mountain range called "Earth Dragon Ridge".

The mountain range wound like a Dragon, and the Spiritual Qi was much denser than the surrounding areas, but it was violent and chaotic, carrying obvious earth vein restlessness and Earth-attribute Evil Qi, making it difficult for ordinary Cultivators to directly absorb and Cultivate.

Within the mountains, there were many earth fissures and vents, periodically spewing scorching earth Qi and toxic dust, making the environment perilous.

Ye Qing came here because the map indicated rumors of "Wutu Essence" and "earth vein stone milk" being produced here. Both of these were treasures for strengthening the Earth element and nourishing earth veins, which were of great benefit to perfecting the "Earth element" Foundation and "earth Qi" of his Cave Heaven World.

He restrained his aura, used the Earth Evasion Technique, and quietly sneaked into a large earth fissure.

The fissure was deep, extending hundreds of zhang downward, with the temperature gradually rising and earth Qi steaming. On the rock walls on both sides, he could occasionally see some Ores containing Earth-attribute Spiritual Qi, but the quality was ordinary.

Ye Qing was not discouraged and patiently moved downward. His Divine Sense was suppressed to a certain extent underground, but he could still clearly sense the flow and gathering point of the earth vein Spiritual Qi.

After descending about a thousand zhang, the front suddenly opened up, revealing a huge underground karst cave.

The cave was dozens of zhang high and as wide as a plaza, with countless stalactites hanging from the top, shimmering with a faint earthy-yellow spiritual light. The bottom of the cave was not rock, but a strange, soft mud that contained pure Earth-attribute Qi, known as "Breathing Soil Mud".

In the center of the cave, there was a small "mud pool" several zhang in diameter. The "mud" in the pool was amber-colored, slowly wriggling, emitting rich Earth-attribute Spiritual Qi and the vitality of the earth. It was precisely the "Wutu Spiritual Mud" formed by the long-term mixing of "Wutu Essence" and ordinary soil!

And in one corner of the cave, under a thick stalactite, there was a natural stone mortar the size of a washbasin, containing a shallow layer of milky white, viscous, honey-like liquid that emitted an intoxicating fragrance and majestic vitality—this was precisely the "earth vein stone milk"!

"Sure enough, there's treasure!" Ye Qing felt happy in his heart as his gaze swept across the cave.

There were no Yao Beasts occupying the cave, but around the "Wutu Spiritual Mud" pool and the "earth vein stone milk" mortar, the space faintly had special force field fluctuations, which was clearly a naturally formed earth vein protection. The intensity was not low, and it would be difficult for ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivators to break through. However, for him at the Middle Stage of the Golden Core, it was not a problem.

Just as he was about to step forward to collect it, his footsteps suddenly paused.

His gaze landed on the bottom of the "Wutu Spiritual Mud" pool and the rock wall deeper in the cave.

Under his Divine Sense perception and the keen capture of energy flow by the "Void Dao Seed", he noticed that the Earth-attribute Spiritual Qi and earth vein power of this entire cave were not evenly distributed but, as if they had life, were slowly "flowing" and "gathering" in a certain direction.

That direction was the deepest part of the cave, behind that seemingly ordinary rock wall.

"An earth vein node? Or... the exit of a Spiritual Vein branch?"

Ye Qing's heart stirred, and he temporarily suppressed the urge to collect the treasures, coming to the front of that rock wall.

The rock wall was thick, and it was difficult for Divine Sense to penetrate. But he placed his palm against the rock wall and slowly infiltrated it with a trace of pure Earth-attribute Golden Core energy mixed with Divine Sense, carefully sensing it.

A moment later, a flash of surprise crossed his eyes.

Behind the rock wall was not solid, but a smaller, more hidden cavity. Inside the cavity, there was actually a "current of air" as thin as a hair, yet pure and solid, slowly flowing like a living thing, emitting rich Spiritual Qi and the aura of the earth's Origin!

"earth vein Spirit Marrow? No, it is... a micro Spiritual Vein! A micro Earth-attribute Spiritual Vein that has just formed, or is about to wither!"

Ye Qing's heart skipped a beat.

A Spiritual Vein is a special "Spiritual Qi mine" formed by the gathering and solidification of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, and it is the Foundation for Sects, Families, and even large cities. The value of even the most micro Spiritual Vein is far beyond ordinary Heaven And Earth Treasure, because it can continuously produce Spiritual Qi and nourish a region!

Although his internal Cave Heaven World had its own cycle and had energy feedback from the star core, moonlight jade tree, etc., it was ultimately "rootless" and lacked deep connection with the earth's Origin and Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi. If he could devour and fuse this micro Spiritual Vein, it would definitely be a qualitative leap for the stability, growth, and Spiritual Qi concentration of his Cave Heaven World!

"Truly, it was nowhere to be found after searching high and low, but it came without any effort! This Earth Dragon Ridge actually nurtured a micro Spiritual Vein! Although it is extremely weak and seems to have just sprouted or is on the verge of withering, its essence is extremely high, and it is exactly what the Cave Heaven World needs!"

Ye Qing suppressed his excitement and quickly calmed down.

A Spiritual Vein has a spirit; although weak, it knows how to protect itself and is one with the surrounding earth veins. Forcibly extracting it is not only difficult but could also cause earth vein backlash, or even destroy this fragile Spiritual Vein.

"It needs to be guided by a Formation, gently introduced, to let it 'willingly' merge into the Cave Heaven World, or... attract it with the aura and rules of the Cave Heaven World itself."

He pondered for a moment and had a plan.

First, he carefully collected the "Wutu Spiritual Mud" and "earth vein stone milk" in the cave. He filled three large jade vats with Wutu Spiritual Mud and obtained half a jade bottle of earth vein stone milk, a bountiful harvest.

Then, using this cave as a base, he began to set up a Formation.

It was not an attack or defense Formation, but a complex "Small Zhou Tian Earth Vein Guidance Formation" that took the "earth vein array core mushroom" as the core and fused the concept of "Starfall Pulse Fixing" from the Great Dao Scripture of Zhou Tian Stars, as well as his own understanding of the Void Realm and Five Elements.

The Formation aimed to communicate with, comb, and guide the earth vein Qi of this place in a gentle way, and faintly emit the unique Dao rhyme of the Cave Heaven World—which was "Chaos newly opened, inclusive of all things, infinite potential"—as if a more superior and vast "home" was sending an invitation to this weak Spiritual Vein.

The Formation setting process lasted for a whole day.

Ye Qing consumed most of the Earth-attribute and Star-attribute Materials he had in storage, and even buried a drop of precious "star source liquid" and several drops of "earth vein stone milk" at the Formation eye as a trigger.

The Formation was completed, and a faint earthy-yellow and silvery starlight intertwined radiance rose, covering the entire cave, slowly circulating, and generating a mysterious resonance with the micro Spiritual Vein behind the rock wall.

The Spiritual Vein current behind the rock wall seemed to be attracted, and its flow speed accelerated slightly, getting closer to the rock wall.

"It's effective! However, the speed is too slow. If it continues like this, I'm afraid it will take years or even decades to make it completely detach from the earth vein and merge into the Cave Heaven World. I need to add some fuel..."

Ye Qing pondered, gritted his teeth, and took out the pale blue star core obtained from the "demoness" from his Cave Heaven World.

This object contained pure star source essence and tranquil Dao rhyme, which had a great attraction to any spiritual object.

He placed the star core at the core of the guidance Formation and slowly stimulated its aura with the power of the Formation.

Immediately, a more pure, vast, and high-level star source essence aura permeated, passing through the rock wall and transmitting inside.

The micro Spiritual Vein behind the rock wall trembled violently!

Like a long drought meeting sweet rain, or a lost child seeing its mother, that thin Spiritual Vein current instantly became "active" and began to actively and slowly "infiltrate" and "approach" the rock wall!

The speed was more than ten times faster than before!

Ye Qing did not dare to be negligent, fully maintaining the operation of the Formation, while communicating with the Cave Heaven World inside his body, getting ready.

Time passed bit by bit.

Three hours later.

On the rock wall, strands of earthy-yellow, solid-as-substance Spiritual Qi veins began to appear, like tree roots, slowly "growing" out from the rock wall, spreading toward the star core and the "earth vein array core mushroom" at the core of the Formation.

These Spiritual Qi veins became thicker and more solid, and finally, on the surface of the rock wall, they formed a Spiritual Qi vortex the size of a washbasin, composed of pure Earth-attribute Spiritual Qi, slowly rotating.

In the center of the vortex, that thin yet high-essence Spiritual Vein current was clearly visible, like a small snake, curiously and eagerly poking its head out.

"Now is the time!"

A bright light flashed in Ye Qing's eyes, his mind communicated with the Cave Heaven World, and he quietly opened a "portal" connecting to the Cave Heaven World in front of the Spiritual Qi vortex.

Behind the portal, it was not the scene inside the Cave Heaven World, but a mysterious Dao rhyme of Chaos newly opened, earth Qi rising, stars and moon shining together, and vitality flourishing, as well as... a high-level energy aura that was countless times denser and purer than this place, mixed with Chaos Star Origin and various attributes!

The micro Spiritual Vein "little snake" felt the aura coming from behind the portal and instantly became "excited," emitting a silent, joyful "hiss," and without hesitation, the entire Spiritual Vein current, like a fledgling returning to its nest, slammed out of the rock wall Spiritual Qi vortex and plunged into the Cave Heaven World portal!

Boom!

The moment the Spiritual Vein completely separated from the rock wall and merged into the portal, the entire "Earth Dragon Ridge" mountain range trembled violently!

It seemed to have lost some core support, and the mountain range's earth Qi instantly became chaotic, countless earth fissures expanded, rocks collapsed, earth Qi and toxic smoke erupted crazily, presenting a doomsday scene.

And in the cave, the "Small Zhou Tian Earth Vein Guidance Formation" also instantly dimmed due to the extraction of the core Spiritual Vein, and the Formation base Materials shattered one after another.

Ye Qing had been prepared. The moment the Spiritual Vein merged into the portal, he waved his hand to put away the not-yet-completely-damaged "earth vein array core mushroom" and the star core, while his figure retreated violently, fleeing upward along the way he came.

Behind him, the cave began to collapse, and huge rocks fell.

His speed was extremely fast, and he rushed out of the earth fissure in a few breaths, arriving in mid-air.

Looking back, he saw the entire "Earth Dragon Ridge" mountain range, as if its spine had been pulled out, with landslides in many places, earth Qi gushing, and a mess, with the Spiritual Qi level dropping at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"Extracting a Spiritual Vein really causes quite a commotion. This place should not be stayed in for long."

Ye Qing did not look back, his figure turned into an escape light, speeding away in the direction far from the Dragonfall Abyss, until he flew a thousand miles away, found a desolate valley to land in, set up heavy Restrictions, and then impatiently sank his consciousness into the Cave Heaven World.

Inside the Cave Heaven World, it was already turned upside down!

As soon as that thin Earth-attribute Spiritual Vein entered the Cave Heaven World, it was like a swimming dragon entering the sea, instantly merging into the earth of the Cave Heaven World.

Wherever the Spiritual Vein passed, the earth rumbled, earth Qi flourished, and the Cave Heaven, which had originally expanded to nearly two thousand zhang, saw the chaotic gray mist at its edge rolling crazily, expanding outward at an unprecedented speed!

Two thousand five hundred zhang... three thousand zhang... four thousand zhang... five thousand zhang!

It only slightly slowed down when it approached six thousand zhang, but it was still continuing!

In the center of the Cave Heaven, that vast black land had now turned into a real "plain," boundless to the eye, the land so fertile it seemed to flow with oil, Chaos jade luster flowing, and low "hills" began to rise automatically on the ground, with the prototype of winding "streams" appearing in the depressions, although small, they were real.

The Floating Landmass also surged to more than twenty zhang square, floating higher, and the spiritual plants on it grew crazily, with the moonlight star seed's silver brilliance rushing to the sky, already having the scale of a small tree.

More importantly, because of the integration of this Earth-attribute Spiritual Vein, the "earth" of the Cave Heaven World truly had a "soul," and the earth veins began to derive and circulate on their own, forming a more complete and stable cycle with the stars, moon, and Void Realm in the sky.

The rules of the entire Cave Heaven World were more perfect, the space was more stable, and the vitality was more majestic and vast.

And at the core of the Cave Heaven World, beside the star core, in addition to the moonlight jade tree, earth vein array core mushroom, star tear gold, etc., there was an extra tiny, earthy-yellow, dragon-shaped phantom slowly wandering, emitting pure earth vein Spiritual Qi—it was precisely the transformation of the devoured micro Spiritual Vein! It had become one of the "ancestral veins" of the Cave Heaven World's earth veins, continuously producing pure Earth-attribute Spiritual Qi, nourishing all things.

The energy fed back by the Cave Heaven World also underwent a qualitative change again.

What was fed back was no longer Chaos Star Origin, but a mixture of clear earth vein Spiritual Qi, star source essence, moonlight clear brilliance, Void Realm Dao rhyme, and Five Elements essence—the "Power of the Primordial World"!

This power was more advanced, more comprehensive, and had unparalleled benefits for the nourishment of the Golden Core and the comprehension of the Dao.

Ye Qing guided this vast "Power of the Primordial World" into his Dantian.

The Hunxu Golden Core shone brightly, spinning, absorbing, and refining crazily.

His cultivation at the Middle Stage of the Golden Core, driven by this power, advanced toward the Late Stage of the Golden Core at an unprecedented speed, and his Foundation was polished to be round, flawless, and indestructible.

I don't know how long it had been, but when the expansion of the Cave Heaven World stabilized at six thousand zhang and the feedback power also tended to stabilize, Ye Qing slowly withdrew his inner vision.

He opened his eyes, feeling the vast power surging in his body, far exceeding what it was before, as well as the earth-shaking changes in the Cave Heaven World, his heart filled with shock and joy.

"The Cave Heaven World finally has a 'root.' Its future growth will definitely be faster. And for my own cultivation, a Breakthrough to the Late Stage of the Golden Core is just around the corner."

He stood up, looking in the direction of the Dragonfall Abyss, his eyes deep.

"The Spiritual Vein has been obtained, and the Cave Heaven World has undergone a qualitative change. Next... perhaps I can go to the outskirts of that 'Starfall Valley' to see what's happening. star source crystal... ancient teleportation array..."

Inside his body, the six-thousand-zhang Cave Heaven World, with earth veins like dragons, stars and moon shining together, mountains and rivers beginning to appear, and infinite vitality, continuously fed back the pure and vast Power of the Primordial World.

Ye Qing's path of rise, amidst the astonishing transformation of the Cave Heaven World, had stepped onto a new level.