31: Chapter 31 Earth Ley Line Anomalies and Contractual Feedback

The scroll, tanned from the hide of an unknown beast, was covered in tiny cracks eroded by time, and the cinnabar runes upon it had faded into dullness.

Liu Ruxu's fingertips gently brushed against the cold, rough surface of the hide, while the garbled words "Seal node" that her father, Liu Yuan, had muttered before falling into a coma echoed repeatedly in her mind.

Lin Chen did not urge her, simply placing the collected Materials neatly beside her: a few stiff bristles from an Iron-Backed Mountain Demon that shimmered with a cold metallic light, a small box of dark red soil mixed with Yao Beast blood, and some ordinary bluestone to serve as basic Formation bases along with a few Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

Liu Ruxu took a deep breath, suppressing her chaotic thoughts, and her gaze became focused once again.

What she intended to set up was a most basic "Earth Listening Formation" recorded in the Incomplete Manual of the ancient map; after her simplification and improvements, it would be able to sense the subtle fluctuations of the Earth Vein Spiritual Qi.

Given her Qi Refining Level 3 cultivation, even with the Materials ready, it would take at least three to five days of sleepless sketching to barely make it take shape.

She first picked up the box of Yao Beast blood soil and used her meager spiritual power to evenly smear it onto the several bluestone Formation bases.

The essence blood aura of the Peak First-Order Yao Beast contained within the soil carried a savage, earth-attributed Spiritual Qi, making the spiritual power at her fingertips feel somewhat heavy.

Next, she picked up a stiff bristle from an Iron-Backed Mountain Demon.

This bristle was as hard as iron, and she had to condense her spiritual power into a needle, carefully carving the most core sensing runes onto it.

This was an extremely mentally and physically exhausting process.

The moment her Divine Sense and spiritual power were completely immersed in drawing the Formation patterns, a strange sensation descended without warning.

The surrounding world seemed to suddenly shed a layer of blurry "shell," becoming "clear" as never before.

Her perception was no longer limited to the dim stone cave visible to her eyes.

She could "see" that in the main stone chamber not far away, the Earth Milk Spiritual Liquid condensed from the tip of a stalactite in a shallow pit was falling with a "drip" sound, at an extremely slow rhythm.

The moment it dripped, a ripple of Spiritual Qi invisible to the naked eye, like a stone thrown into a calm lake, rippled through the air, pure and full of vitality.

Her mind sank deeper, and she could even more "feel" that deep beneath the thick rock layers under her feet, the torrent of Spiritual Qi that Lin Chen called a branch of the Earth Vein was surging endlessly, with a slow, heavy, yet unquestionable rhythm.

It was like a sleeping giant beast, every breath pulling at the pulse of the entire valley.

This feeling was mysterious and profound, yet incomparably real.

Liu Ruxu's heart trembled violently, but the movements of her hands did not stop; instead, they became even more fluid due to this strange perception.

The spiritual power at her fingertips seemed to have received some kind of invisible guidance, sweeping across the Iron-Backed Mountain Demon bristle, and the runes she outlined were no longer stiff, but smooth and natural, as if crafted by nature itself.

A core rune that was expected to consume fifty percent of her spiritual power to complete now took less than thirty percent.

She seemed to have entered a state akin to an Epiphany, forgetting time, forgetting fatigue, and becoming completely immersed in this strange resonance with the world around her.

A day and a night passed in the blink of an eye.

When Liu Ruxu finished drawing the last stroke of the Formation pattern and embedded the several Formation bases into the ground around the stone cave according to specific positions, she injected the last trace of her spiritual power into it.

Hum—a barely audible, light sound rang out.

A Formation covering a ten-zhang radius around the mine entrance was instantly activated; a faint, earthy-yellow halo flashed like water ripples and then vanished, completely hiding itself and becoming indistinguishable from the surrounding rock and soil.

It was done.

A massive wave of exhaustion surged over her, and Liu Ruxu's vision went black; she collapsed to the ground, weak, with fine beads of sweat seeping from her forehead.

She gasped for air, feeling the nearly dried-up spiritual power within her, yet her eyes erupted with incredible ecstasy.

Only one day and one night!

Not only had she succeeded, but the early warning Formation she had set up had a sensing range and sensitivity that were thirty percent stronger than she had anticipated!

She vaguely realized that her body seemed to have undergone some unknown change.

Under the nourishment of the special environment of Luoxia Valley, some kind of talent hidden deep within her Bloodline was awakening.

Unlike the exhausted Liu Ruxu, Su Qingyao in the Alchemy room was enjoying an unprecedented tranquility.

The furnace fire was blazing, emitting a scorching temperature that made her cold, aloof cheeks flush slightly red.

She was refining "Qi Nourishing Pills," which were Medicinal Pills one grade higher than Qi Nourishing Powder, of great benefit to the cultivation of Qi Refining Middle Stage Cultivators, and were also pills she had never successfully refined before.

The Lin Family seemed to be getting on the right track.

The external threat had been temporarily lifted due to that chaos, and the Family had gained a new member with excellent talent in the Dao of Formations. Although that contract left her with some subtly complex feelings, Liu Ruxu's obsession and focus on the Dao of Formations made her feel a measure of approval.

Her husband... always seemed to find a way to solve problems, holding this small Family up, step by step.

This peaceful and steady state of mind allowed her control over the Fusion of medicinal power and the heat in the furnace to reach an unprecedented level of precision.

Her Divine Sense seemed to turn into countless fine threads, precisely harmonizing the medicinal properties of every Spiritual Plant.

At the final stage of pill condensation, she hesitated for a moment, but still used a silver needle to carefully dip a needle-tip's amount of Earth Milk Spiritual Liquid from the jade bottle and flicked it into the Pill Furnace.

The moment the pure spiritual liquid entered the furnace, it turned into an extremely pure stream of Spiritual Qi, like a gentle hand, instantly smoothing, wrapping, and perfectly fusing the somewhat violent medicinal power within the furnace.

Finishing the pill technique, open the furnace!

There was no pungent burnt smell, nor were there any waste pills of mixed quality.

A pure medicinal fragrance rushed towards her, refreshing and heart-soothing.

At the bottom of the Pill Furnace, three Qi Nourishing Pills, each the size of a longan, with a warm, jade-like luster and clearly visible pill patterns on their surface, were lying there quietly.

High Grade! They were actually three High Grade Qi Nourishing Pills!

Su Qingyao's cold, aloof eyes were instantly filled with surprise and disbelief.

She took one out and, without the slightest hesitation, swallowed it directly.

The pill melted upon entering her mouth, and a massive, gentle, and pure medicinal power burst forth, flowing along her Meridians to all her limbs and bones.

The cultivation Bottleneck that had been stuck at the Middle Stage of Qi Refining Level 6 was quietly loosened under the washing of this medicinal power, like thin ice meeting a blazing sun.

She immediately sat cross-legged, circulated her Cultivation Technique, and guided this medicinal power to assault the barrier.

The Spiritual Qi, already dense in the valley, surged towards her crazily, working in concert with the power of the pill from the inside out.

An hour later, Su Qingyao slowly opened her eyes, feeling the surging, endless Spiritual Qi within her body, which was nearly twice as thick as before, and a smile from the bottom of her heart appeared on her face.

Peak of Qi Refining Level 6! Only one step away from attempting a Breakthrough to the Late Stage of Qi Refining.

She looked towards the direction of the side mine cave, and the last shred of estrangement towards the new girl of the Liu Family in her heart vanished, replaced by a sense of solidarity as if they were in the same boat.

Almost at the same time as Su Qingyao's Breakthrough, at the center of the Spirit Gathering Formation, Lin Chen also slowly opened his eyes.

He raised his eyebrows slightly, a smile playing on the corners of his mouth.

Just a moment ago, he clearly felt a stream of Spiritual Qi, purer and more condensed than usual, pour into his body from the System's [Family Luck Feedback]; that was the direct manifestation of the overall Family Luck improvement brought about by Su Qingyao's cultivation Breakthrough.

And ever since establishing the contract with Liu Ruxu, the Spiritual Qi gained daily from the [Bloodline Feedback] had also undergone a qualitative change.

It was no longer a simple infusion of Spiritual Qi, but was mixed with faint, elusive, profound insights regarding the Dao of Formations and the world, subtly nourishing his Divine Soul.

This change allowed his Foundation Establishment Level 1 cultivation to steadily advance towards the Middle Stage, with a Foundation that was terrifyingly solid.

While consolidating his cultivation, he tried to combine his main Cultivation Technique, the "Spirit Nourishing Technique," with the "Earth Vein Qi Nourishing Technique" he had picked up from a street stall.

The former was upright and peaceful, while the latter tended towards drawing upon the Spiritual Qi of the earth; if the two could be combined, it might allow him to adapt to the cultivation environment here more quickly.

Just as he managed to force the two Cultivation Technique paths to merge into one, the long-absent System notification sound rang out crisply in his mind.

[Ding! Detected that the Family has recruited a member with a special talent (Hidden Spirit Body · Dao of Formations), the Family Legacy System is preliminarily perfected...]

[Unlocked new feature: [Family Legacy Deduction (Elementary)]!]

Lin Chen's heart stirred, and he immediately called up the System interface.

He saw a new module, emitting a faint halo, appear on the panel.

[[Family Legacy Deduction (Elementary)]: Can vaguely deduce the most likely or most suitable skill direction for the Family to prioritize in the next stage, based on the talents of the Family's existing core members, mastered skills, and available resources.]

[[Currently Deduceable Directions: 1. [Elementary Artifact Refining Insights]: Based on the host (metal-attribute Spiritual Root affinity) and Family resources (Iron-Backed Mountain Demon bristles, etc.), unlocking this direction can provide Family members with basic Magical Artifact repair and refining capabilities. 2. [Spiritual Plant Cultivation Optimization]: Based on core member (Su Qingyao · wood-attribute Earthly Spiritual Root, Alchemy talent) and Family resources (Earth Milk Spiritual Liquid, spiritual grain seeds), unlocking this direction can increase the yield and quality of the Family's Spiritual Plants, providing stable support for Alchemy.]]

[[Note: The deduction results will be dynamically influenced by various factors such as subsequent recruited members, resource investment directions, and key external events.]]

Lin Chen looked at these two options, understanding dawning on him.

The System was guiding him to transition from a mere "breeding machine" to a truly qualified "Family Planner."

It was no longer about blind expansion, but starting to build the Family's skill tree with direction and planning.

Whether it was Artifact Refining or Spiritual Plant cultivation, for a faction that wanted to develop for the long term, both were indispensable.

Just as he was pondering how to choose, a burst of hurried footsteps came from outside the cave.

"Master Lin! Master Lin!"

Old Man Shi, with a look of obvious unease on his weathered face, walked over quickly.

"Master, things haven't been right these past two days!" He lowered his voice, panting, and said, "That roaring sound from deep in the valley rang out three times last night, and twice more this morning! Each time it was louder than the last, and the duration of the howling was longer too!"

Old Man Shi swallowed, his expression becoming even more grave: "And... this morning when I went to the valley entrance to inspect that newly laid trap, I felt the ground beneath my feet... it seemed to shake slightly, just like the Earth Dragon turning over and shivering, just that once! I thought it was just because I'm getting old and my legs are weak!"

Lin Chen's expression instantly turned stern.

He immediately took Old Man Shi and walked quickly towards the side cave where Liu Ruxu was.

Liu Ruxu had just finished adjusting her breath and had recovered some spiritual power; upon hearing Old Man Shi's description, her pale little face also became serious.

Without needing Lin Chen's instruction, she immediately closed her eyes and sank a wisp of her Divine Sense into the Earth Vein sensing early warning Formation she had just set up.

A moment later, she opened her eyes abruptly, her eyes full of horror, and her face became even paler than before.

"The Formation... the Formation Plate of the Formation recorded three very obvious, non-natural ripples of Spiritual Qi disturbance!" Her voice trembled slightly, "The direction of the source... is indeed deep in the valley, and the intensity of the fluctuations is getting stronger each time!"

She paused for a moment, as if searching for a suitable adjective.

"It's like... like there is some giant beast beneath the ground, that is... that is slowly turning over."

Lin Chen's pupils contracted sharply.

The delirious ramblings of Liu Yuan before he fell into a coma regarding "Seal nodes," "Earth Vein Spiritual Eyes," and "great danger"... the periodic decay of the Earth Vein Spiritual Qi in Luoxia Valley... the rage of that provoked Iron-Backed Mountain Demon that far exceeded its rank... and now, the tremors felt by Old Man Shi, and the increasingly strong Earth Vein disturbances captured by Liu Ruxu's Formation... all clues, at this moment, were suddenly connected by an invisible thread!

A clear, yet chilling conclusion emerged in Lin Chen's mind: deep in Luoxia Valley, that ancient Seal mentioned by Liu Yuan was loosening!

Whether the Seal itself was decaying due to the erosion of time, or for other unknown reasons, the result was the same—the thing that was sealed was awakening and trying to break free from its shackles!

The abnormality of the Iron-Backed Mountain Demon was merely the first ripple of this underground mutation projected onto the surface.

And now, the ripples were expanding, about to evolve into a monstrous wave!

Once the Seal completely shattered, the Earth Vein would run wild, the valley would collapse, and perhaps even some unknown ancient ferocious creature would be released... their home, which had just gained a shred of stability, would bear the brunt and be crushed into powder!

He could not wait any longer!

"We must go and investigate clearly." His voice was low and powerful, instantly dispelling the unease in the air, "Sitting still and waiting for death is a dead end. At the very least, we must figure out the specific location of that Seal node, its current state, and exactly how great the risk we are facing is."

He looked at Liu Ruxu, his gaze burning: "Miss Liu, can your early warning Formation set up a temporary monitoring point closer to the source of the abnormality?"

Liu Ruxu felt the trust and reliance in his tone, and the panic in her heart was replaced by a sense of responsibility; she bit her lip and nodded heavily: "I can! I will do my best!"

Lin Chen turned to Su Qingyao: "Qingyao, prepare enough pills for healing, detoxifying, and recovering spiritual power, especially those that can handle emergency situations. Also, have some Bigu Pills ready."

Su Qingyao did not ask another word, nodded silently, turned around, and walked towards the Alchemy room to start taking inventory of the stock.

"Old Man Shi," Lin Chen finally looked at this experienced old hunter, "Draw down all the relatively safe routes you know that lead to the deepest part of the valley, the more detailed, the better."

"Understood!" Old Man Shi nodded vigorously.

After arranging everything, Lin Chen's gaze fell back onto Liu Ruxu, his tone unprecedentedly solemn: "For this investigation, you are the key. Your Physique can most intuitively sense Earth Vein abnormalities, and your knowledge of the Dao of Formations might help us understand that ancient Seal, or even... at a critical moment, find a way to temporarily stabilize it."

Liu Ruxu took a deep breath, her chest heaving slightly, and in those eyes that always carried stubbornness and vigilance, a light of determination ignited at this moment.

She nodded heavily once more.

The unknown danger was already close at hand; escape was no longer possible.

This small, newly established Family had to firmly grasp the initiative that belonged to them before the disaster completely erupted.

And this investigation deep into the dangerous area would also be the first truly collaborative action of the Lin Family's core members, a severe test concerning life and death.

Lin Chen stood at the cave entrance, looking at the area deep in the valley that was shrouded in mist all year round, his right hand subconsciously rubbing the stone ring on his thumb.

Perhaps, before setting off, it was necessary to first thoroughly cross-reference all known intelligence with the data obtained by Su Qingyao and Liu Ruxu; perhaps he could deduce more useful things from that incomplete ancient Formation map and Liu Yuan's delirious ramblings.