137: Absorb spiritual energy, seize earth energy

After giving instructions to Li Zhu and Wang Teng, Fang Huai quietly delved deep underground.

He took out Five Elements Mid-Grade Spirit Stones and placed them at the respective formation feet of the Five Elements Reverse Spirit Array.

Once the Magic Array was activated, he sat cross-legged at the formation eye.

Fang Huai took a deep breath, steadied his mind, and chanted in a low voice: "Hold fast to the original heart, do not let the mind be disturbed! Evil cannot seize my will, ten thousand thoughts cannot disorder my heart!"

He operated the Hundred Fiends Art with all his might, sinking his mind into the operational rhythm of the Five Elements Reverse Spirit Array. In an instant, majestic Earth Qi surged frantically into his body, charging through his meridians and wreaking havoc without end.

Thanks to the three mortal shedding stages of the Hundred Fiends Art, Fang Huai's skin, bones, and blood had long been tempered to the extreme, and his Physical Body strength far surpassed that of any Qi Refining Cultivator of the same rank.

But even so, under the violent tearing of the Earth Qi, his Physical Body still felt as if it were disintegrating.

"Flesh and blood may shatter, but the skin must not break. Once the skin breaks and the Earth Qi leaks out, the Physical Body will instantly collapse!"

Fang Huai mobilized the Blood Jade Worms within his body to congregate on his skin, preventing the Earth Qi overflowing from his meridians from bursting out of his body. At the same time, he urged his Spiritual and Fiend Qi to firmly imprison the remaining Earth Qi within his meridians.

Guided by the Spiritual and Fiend Qi, the Earth Qi moved with difficulty through his meridians, finally merging slowly into his Qi Sea.

The originally mist-like Qi Sea gradually became solid under the nourishment of this pure Earth Qi.

The Qi Sea had become a foundation, and the signs of Foundation Establishment had already appeared. However, the Five Elements Reverse Spirit Array showed no intention of stopping, and Earth Qi continued to pour into his body.

By now, the Spiritual and Fiend Qi could no longer guide this massive amount of Earth Qi. The Earth Qi crashed frantically within Fang Huai's body, trying to break out of its cage and return to the Spiritual Vein.

"Even with a Physical Body as tyrannical as mine, it's hard to withstand the Earth Qi of this Spiritual Vein. How on earth do other Cultivators complete an Earth Path Foundation Establishment?"

Fang Huai was filled with doubt.

Although Li Zhu had mentioned the general path of Earth Path Foundation Establishment, she knew nothing of the key details.

At this moment, Fang Huai was moving forward entirely by trial and error. Naturally, he did not know that other Cultivators either chose newborn Spiritual Veins or split old ones, absorbing only the section where the Earth Qi was most gentle.

Even less did he know that once the Five Elements Reverse Spirit Array was started, it would continue to operate until it had sucked the Earth Qi of the entire Spiritual Vein dry.

"If others can achieve Earth Path Foundation Establishment, why can't I!"

In this desperate situation, the Battle Intent in Fang Huai's eyes surged: "Since this body cannot carry such a massive amount of Earth Qi, then I shall expand my body!"

"Four Elephant Shattering Body Evil Qi!"

He turned to perform the Four Elephant Shattering Body Evil Qi on himself, driving his Spiritual and Fiend Qi to strip away his flesh and blood, grinding it into a tight, thin membrane, and filling it bit by bit into the gaps in his skin.

As the flesh and blood continued to fill in, his skin's surface area gradually expanded, and the pressure brought by the majestic Earth Qi inside him also began to ease.

In the end, Fang Huai's figure swelled to several times its original size, turning into a strange, spherical shape... The Five Elements Reverse Spirit Array finally stopped, and Fang Huai's skin had expanded to the point of being transparent.

He needed to spend time pressing the Earth Qi bit by bit into the dao foundation that had not yet solidified.

Closing his five senses and seven apertures, and withdrawing all signs of life from his body, Fang Huai sank into a state of deathly stillness.

————

Inside the City Lord's Manor, at Deng Qingyang's residence.

The door burst open, and a violent surge of spiritual power grabbed Deng Zhong and pulled him inside.

From behind a curtain, Deng Qingyang spoke irritably, "Zhong'er, something has gone wrong with the Mu Hua Spiritual Vein. Go and check it immediately."

Deng Zhong hesitated, "City Lord, if I leave, what about your safety?"

"Just go!"

Deng Qingyang roared, "The Mu Hua Spiritual Vein is the foundation of Sanxian City's existence. If the Spiritual Vein is destroyed, Sanxian City is finished!"

"Take care, City Lord!"

Deng Zhong stepped onto a Winged Bat and headed straight for the Mu Hua Spiritual Vein.

————

After Fang Huai absorbed the Earth Qi of the Water Attribute Spiritual Vein, the ground shook violently.

The three guards of the Mu Hua Spiritual Vein were all Qi Refining Cultivators. Seeing this scene, they thought the Formation-Breaking Demon had arrived and huddled at the entrance, not daring to enter.

Inside the Spiritual Vein, Li Zhu's face showed worry, and Wang Teng was tossing about even more, roaring to dive underground to check on Fang Huai's condition.

Li Zhu stopped Wang Teng: "Right now is the critical moment of Fang Huai's Breakthrough; you must not disturb him."

Wang Teng said angrily, "How do you know Father isn't calling for help? You fox demon are always arrogant and stubborn; you must dislike Father and hope he dies so you can be free!"

Li Zhu's face turned beet red, feeling inexplicably wronged: "I am bound by Fang Huai's Vow Fiend; if he dies, I cannot live either. How could I hope for his death?

Besides, how do you know I don't like him?"

After Li Zhu said this, she was inwardly startled, cursing herself for saying something so foolish.

Wang Teng sneered, "And how do I know you don't have a way to break the Vow Fiend!"

Just then, the shaking suddenly stopped.

The two of them extended their Divine Sense underground and realized that the once active Water Attribute Spiritual Vein had become deathly still.

"Father must have completed his Breakthrough. I'm going down now to congratulate him on his dao foundation reaching Major Achievement!"

Wang Teng laughed wildly, Devilish Qi rolling as he prepared to go down and check.

Li Zhu said, "Big Brother has just finished his Breakthrough and needs quiet rest. You impulsive fellow should stay up here and continue patrolling."

With that, ignoring Wang Teng's curses, she dove underground first... Li Zhu dove underground and was startled.

Fang Huai's figure was nowhere to be seen; there was only a large ball of flesh with skin as thin as a cicada's wing, filling the narrow space.

Looking closely, a small head was sandwiched in the middle of the flesh ball—it was indeed Fang Huai, who had closed his seven apertures and five senses.

"Big Brother..."

Li Zhu called out once and immediately covered her mouth. She carefully sniffed Fang Huai's skin and understood that because he had absorbed too much Earth Qi, he needed to rest and recover slowly.

At this moment, Fang Huai must not be disturbed. Otherwise, at best his dao foundation would be damaged, and at worst he would explode and die.

Li Zhu looked at Fang Huai, feeling both pained and amused.

"Who would have thought that you, who are usually so majestic and awe-inspiring, would have such a disheveled and fragile moment."

Seeing Fang Huai sandwiched in the flesh ball, with only a few swollen fingers showing on his hand, she curled her lip and said:

"Big Brother's hand must have practiced some evil art!

When you stroked my head a while ago, it felt strange, and when you held my hand just now, it made my heart pound."

This kind of time alone with Fang Huai was something Li Zhu thoroughly enjoyed.

She looked at Fang Huai and muttered, "Anyway, your 'good son' is watching outside, so I'll just stay here and guard you."

Li Zhu relaxed, but above ground, Wang Teng's Devilish Qi was rolling as he cursed incessantly.

"This dead fox demon has been underground for so long and hasn't sent a transmission about how Father is doing. When I see Father, I'll definitely lodge a complaint against her and have Father pluck all her fox fur."

Suddenly, Wang Teng froze. He felt a powerful Spiritual Pressure descending upon the entrance of the Mu Hua Spiritual Vein.

————

Deng Zhong saw the three guards gathered at the entrance and asked, "What's the situation inside?"

The guards all shook their heads, only saying that the Mu Hua Spiritual Vein had just shaken violently and was now calm, and that it seemed the Formation-Breaking Demon had sneaked in and then left.

"Who is the guard leader?" Deng Zhong's face was dark.

An Eighth Layer of Qi Refining Cultivator said tremulously, "Reporting to Immortal Master, I am..."

Before he could finish, Deng Zhong's palm had already struck his crown.

With a "thud," his head was driven deep into his chest.

Deng Zhong said in a low voice, "As the leader, you didn't dare to check when the Spiritual Vein was in danger. What use is there in keeping you?

If I don't kill you, I cannot account to the City Lord.

The two of you, follow me into the Mu Hua Spiritual Vein to check the situation!"