Chapter 114

County Office.

Inside a magnificent hall.

County Magistrate Du Wentao sat upright in a chair, his eyes quite worried.

Standing beside him was also a middle-aged man dressed as a scholar in white.

"My Lord, now that the group of cult bandits is becoming increasingly rampant, when shall we go out of the city to exterminate them?"

The middle-aged man's tone was low.

"Sigh... let's wait until we get that batch of modified bed crossbows from Qingning Prefecture City..."

Du Wentao sighed softly.

There was some helplessness on his face.

The cult outside the city was powerful, and he could only barely support the entire government system.

Plus, it seemed there was a problem in his own inner residence.

His daughter Du Ling seemed to have become a different person, becoming increasingly reticent.

At first, he thought she had been frightened, but now he always felt something was not right.

And there was also no news of his younger sister, whom he had been looking for for many years, as if she had evaporated from the world.

Multiple miscellaneous matters piled up in his heart, leaving him somewhat exhausted.

"Sigh... it's a pity that Qingning Prefecture cannot send experts to help us."

The middle-aged scholar was also full of worry.

"Don't think about it; the situation in the entire prefecture city is rotten, and there is simply no spare strength to be drawn out..."

Du Wentao's eyes flickered uncertainly.

For the next few days.

Lu Changsheng chose to lie low, practicing blade techniques in the courtyard all the time, rarely contacting the outside world, except for a few former teammates like Yue Shulan.

He also became increasingly low-key within the Demon Suppression Office, almost making people forget his existence.

Lu Changsheng guessed that Mo Xueyou and Miao Qingfeng were likely searching for his trail with all their might in secret.

So during this time, he had been taking action very rarely.

He was still quite wary of the cult's Rebirth experts.

These days, accompanied by spiritual wine every day, sometimes sitting in a restaurant for a whole day during the day, his entire soul gradually settled down.

The pangolin side was also on the right track; under long-term large-scale excavation of spiritual jade, the depths of the mountain were almost hollowed out.

The growth of resources had also slowed down somewhat.

Lu Changsheng knew that as his strength improved crazily, his demand for spiritual creatures grew larger and larger, and these small mountain ranges were already difficult to satisfy him.

He felt it was time to set off toward the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.

Night, quiet as water.

Lu Changsheng lay on the bed, his heart moved, and he controlled a strand of consciousness to descend into the pangolin's body.

Looking around, it was still that familiar cave.

The ground was full of scattered gravel, and the air emitted a faint scent of moss.

Near him, there were also many ant tribes present.

"Clang, clang, clang..."

Lu Changsheng waved his claws rapidly, digging at the giant rocks on the cave ceiling.

As a large amount of stone fell, a passage leading to the ground was rapidly taking shape.

Not long after.

Lu Changsheng dug to the ground, poked his head out, and turned his head to look around.

All around were towering trees, lush and green, and under the moonlight, they looked like ghost shadows.

The entire air seemed extremely quiet.

Seeing there was no danger around, Lu Changsheng rushed rapidly toward the southeast.

Behind him followed a large group of ant tribes, majestically forming a magical landscape.

That's right, Lu Changsheng decided to migrate the ant colony to the Ten Thousand Great Mountains as well, to help him collect spiritual creatures together.

The Cangyun Mountain Range was, after all, only a branch of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, and spiritual resources were limited.

Now that this exotic beast clone's strength was gradually improving, he reckoned he could also begin to explore the periphery of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.

Traveling over mountains and through water, resting during the day and coming out at night.

Lu Changsheng traveled through the dense jungle, relying on his keen perception to avoid a large number of exotic beasts.

Until more than a month later.

At dusk.

On an open ground formed by giant rocks.

Lu Changsheng lay on the ground, looking at the towering, continuous high mountains in front, his heart quite shocked.

This mountain was the Ten Thousand Great Mountains; as the largest mountain range within tens of thousands of miles, it was indeed extraordinary.

Even the air emitted a cool aura, and from far away, one could feel many exotic beasts active in the mountains.

"This mountain must have countless treasures."

Lu Changsheng's eyes seemed to have light flickering in them.

As long as he could excavate a portion, it would be enough for him to break through to the Innate Martial Path, or even a higher realm.

However, one must also be careful of those top-tier exotic beasts in the mountain; he guessed there were even Innate-level exotic beasts inside.

"Clang, clang, clang..."

Lu Changsheng did not hesitate anymore and immediately began to dig a hole.

As his claws dug rapidly, the surrounding soil and gravel flew everywhere, and soon a deep small pit was formed on the ground.

"Swish..."

He drilled with force and instantly disappeared from the ground.

Because his own speed was far faster than those ant tribes, the ant colony would likely take some time to reach the periphery of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.

It was pitch black inside the cave, and a faint scent of soil filled the entire space.

Deep underground, there were roots of various plants everywhere, like a network, intertwined together.

Lu Changsheng dug forward all the way, gradually rushing toward the foot of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.

Occasionally, he heard bursts of beast roars coming from the ground, deafening.

Making him quite vigilant.

Even on the periphery of the mountain range, Tier 5 exotic beasts could be seen everywhere.

If not for the fact that he knew how to dig holes, it would likely be very difficult to come here to collect spiritual creatures.

Digging all the way, not long after, his claws touched a very hard object.

"Something's up?"

Lu Changsheng immediately dug out the stone and placed it in front of him.

The stone was not large, only the size of an adult's fist, and the whole body presented a turbid white color, with many spots on it.

【Low-grade Origin Stone filled with impurities, insufficient Origin Qi to absorb.】

At this moment, a system light screen appeared in the void in front.

On it was also an introduction to this kind of stone.

"Origin Stone?"

A flash of light in Lu Changsheng's eyes, his heart quite excited.

He did not expect that as soon as he arrived at the periphery of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, he would have a discovery; it was indeed worthy of being a treasure vault.

You know, this kind of Origin Stone could not exist alone; there must be a mineral vein nearby.

Since there were such stones filled with impurities, there must also be pure Origin Stones.

Even if it were just a small mineral mountain, it would be enough to make his strength advance greatly.

Thinking of this, he was full of energy and began to dig forward with all his might.

With his strength as a Tier 4 Mountain Spirit, plus his claws after breaking through, digging these ordinary stones and soil was almost effortless.

One hour later.

Deep underground, at a passage entrance.

"Clang, clang..."

Lu Changsheng dug into a large piece of hard giant rock again.

Digging it open to look, it was all this kind of inferior Origin Stone, stretching into a piece behind, with no end in sight.

"Finally dug into a mineral mountain."

Lu Changsheng looked happy.

After his multi-directional exploration, he also took many detours, finally determining the location of this mineral mountain.

He did not hesitate anymore and immediately began to dig with force.

"Bang, bang, bang..."

A large amount of gravel fell to the ground, soon forming a small hole, and he drilled in fiercely, digging toward the depths of the mountain.

Traveling along the passage all the way.

Another half an hour passed.

"Swish..."

Lu Changsheng suddenly arrived in an underground space, looking around, there were rock walls everywhere, and there was also a lot of feces on the ground.

The air was filled with a pungent odor.

"Are there exotic beasts here?"

Lu Changsheng's gaze sharpened; this space was clearly excavated by exotic beasts.

There were traces left by exotic beasts everywhere around.

If there were Tier 5 exotic beasts, it would be a bit troublesome.

Next, Lu Changsheng dug forward even more carefully.

Not long after, he had a discovery.

"Bang..."

As the mountain in front was dug into pieces, a large rock wall appeared in front of him.

The rock wall was as bright as jade, emitting a snow-white light, and even the surrounding air became much cooler.

"It's Origin Stone."

Lu Changsheng's eyes lit up, and he immediately waved his claws and dug forward.

"Clang, clang, clang..."

Pieces of Origin Stone were dug to the ground, soon piling up into small stone piles.

The rock wall in front was also gradually dug into a large hole.

When the surrounding Origin Stones were all dug clean, he stopped.

Afterward, he placed his claws on the Origin Stone.

【Low-grade Origin Stone discovered, absorb?】 A panel prompt sounded in his mind.

"Absorb."

Lu Changsheng's heart moved.

【Source Energy Point +1.】

【Source Energy Point +1.】

【Source Energy Point +1.】

As the Origin Stones on the ground disappeared one by one, the resources in his hand were also growing rapidly.

Soon he had absorbed all the Origin Stones on the ground.

Open the panel.

Source Energy Points: 1800.

Just one excavation had a huge harvest, making him even more confident in the subsequent excavation.

If it continued like this, this small mineral mountain would be enough for him to break through.

Just when Lu Changsheng was about to leave, a sudden change occurred.

"Zzz..."

At the passage entrance in the distance, two exotic beasts rushed out rapidly, bringing rolling baleful energy.

Lu Changsheng looked closely.

He saw two giant rat-like creatures appear in the cave.

The opponent was as large as a small lamb, the hair all over its body was like barbs, and a pair of eyes flashed with blood-red light.

"They are two Tier 4 exotic beasts."

A flash of murderous intent in his eyes.

There was likely a rat colony entrenched here, and perhaps there was even a Tier 5 Rat King; thinking of this, a sense of urgency rose in his heart.

After years of exploration, he found that the rat colony belonged to a very large scale among all exotic beasts, and the number of high-tier exotic beasts could not be underestimated.

The two giant rats saw an intruder and immediately killed toward Lu Changsheng, their momentum very fierce.

In the blink of an eye, they arrived in front of Lu Changsheng and bit fiercely.

"Die."

Lu Changsheng immediately activated his innate skill, Soul Strike.

A strange fluctuation rushed toward a giant rat on the left and instantly submerged into the depths of its mind.

"Awoo..."

With a scream, this giant rat rolled crazily in the cave, sand and stones flew everywhere, and with one strike, the opponent completely lost its combat effectiveness.

Immediately after, Lu Changsheng reached out a claw fiercely forward.

The claw tip flashed with golden light, looking extremely sharp.

In an instant, it pierced fiercely into the head of the other giant rat.

"Awoo..."

The giant rat struggled violently in Lu Changsheng's hand.

For a time, bright red blood sprayed the ground, and the surroundings were in a mess.

Not long after, the two giant rats completely lost movement, leaving only two corpses.

With Lu Changsheng's current strength, killing two ordinary Tier 4 exotic beasts was almost an instant kill.

At the same time, the moment he came into contact with the giant rats, the panel also sent a prompt.

Race: 【Bloodthirsty Rat】.

Tier: Tier 4.

Note: Underground creature, living for a long time in corners without sunlight, extremely cruel and fierce in nature, strong territorial consciousness, belongs to large social creatures, led by Rat King and Rat Queen.

"Sure enough, there is a Rat King; the opponent must be a Tier 5 exotic beast."

Lu Changsheng's eyes moved slightly.

He planned to improve this exotic beast clone first; otherwise, if he met a Tier 5 Rat King, it would likely be bad.

He must break through his realm before being discovered by the opponent.

Thinking of this, Lu began to rush rapidly toward the side passage, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

This time, he became even more careful and cautious, his movements very slight.

Just when Lu Changsheng was trying hard to search for the Origin Stone mine, deep in the mineral mountain, inside a large cave.

Dozens of Bloodthirsty Rats gathered together, baleful energy rolling.

In the middle, two Bloodthirsty Rats had particularly huge bodies, more than three times larger than other ordinary giant rats, their eyes full of baleful energy, very terrifying.

A group of Bloodthirsty Rats all around knelt on the ground one after another, showing a posture of submission.

"Zzz, zzz..."

Two ordinary giant rats seemed to be reporting something.

Not long after, baleful energy burst out around the two Rat Kings, and fierce light was exposed in their eyes.

"Boom, boom, boom..."

Immediately after, a large group of Bloodthirsty Rats rushed toward the passage entrances in all directions, like a tide.

Three days later.

Inside an underground cave in the eastern part of the mineral mountain.

Lu Changsheng lay on the gravel ground, not far in front of him were five Bloodthirsty Rat corpses, blood scattered all over the ground.

Gravel was spread all around, as if showing that there had just been a great battle.

He quickly put away the exotic beast corpses, his eyes quite gloomy.

These past few days, he had been subjected to crazy attacks by the rat colony and had killed a large number of Bloodthirsty Rats.

The opponent seemed to not stop until he was killed; no need to guess, he must have been exposed.

But fortunately, he had not met the Rat King.

But if it continued like this, he would meet the opponent sooner or later.

Lu Changsheng put away his thoughts and rushed rapidly toward the cave entrance in front.

After digging for half an hour along the way.

A giant rock wall appeared in front of his eyes.

The rock wall was as bright as jade, with fluorescence flickering.

"Such pure Origin Stone."

Seeing that there was another harvest, and the quality was even higher, his heart felt happy.

Immediately after, he began to dig rapidly.

"Clang, clang, clang..."

Not long after, a few small piles of Origin Stones were piled up on the ground.

【Mid-grade Origin Stone discovered, absorb?】

Another panel prompt came.

"Absorb."

Lu Changsheng thought silently in his heart.

【Source Energy Point +5.】

【Source Energy Point +5.】

As the Origin Stones on the ground decreased one by one, the resources in his hand were increasing rapidly.

Soon, he had absorbed them all.

Open the panel.

Source Energy Points: 2800.

This harvest was huge, and the plus sign behind the exotic beast level lit up again.

Now there were crises everywhere around, Lu Changsheng did not hesitate anymore and immediately began to improve.

Click continuously on the level button.

【Mountain Spirit level +1.】

【Mountain Spirit level +1.】

The Mountain Spirit level was improving crazily, as if there were no limit.

It added ten levels before stopping, and the Source Energy Points also decreased by two thousand.

"Boom, boom, boom..."

The blood in his body surged crazily, bursting out strands of golden radiance, as if some ancient bloodline was awakening.

His body did not expand again, but the scales became tighter, and it seemed as if strands of golden runes were flickering on them.

A pair of eyes emitted blinding radiance.

Not long after, the strange phenomenon stopped.

Lu Changsheng waved his claws with force, trails of afterimages flickering, and the air emitted bursts of sonic booms; he felt that his own strength had increased by several times or more.

Open the panel.

Bound Exotic Beast: Advanced Mountain Spirit 【Tier 5】.

Level: 50.

Innate Divine Ability: 【Domination】 (Excellent), 【Soul Strike】 (Excellent).

Skills: 【Drill Earth】 (Perfect), 【Underwater Breathing】 (Perfect), 【Armor Reinforcement】 (Perfect).

Divine Bloodline: 1/10,000.

Note: A powerful species transformed from an intermediate Mountain Spirit, possessing a certain magical bloodline.

Divine bloodline continuing to awaken...

This improvement was extremely huge, simply an all-around improvement.

Not only did the level improve to a Tier 5 exotic beast, but even the skills were all upgraded; the divine ability became Excellent grade, and ordinary skills also transformed into Perfect grade.

Not only that, the divine bloodline in his body also increased by about ten times.

He felt that a powerful force was awakening in his body, as if it were gestating some kind of terrifying divine ability; once awakened, it would definitely be earth-shattering.

And he also had a premonition that the Advanced Mountain Spirit was the limit of the Mountain Spirit; the next improvement would definitely be a brand new species, which made him quite look forward to it.

After this improvement, even if the Rat King led a large army to come, he would not be afraid at all.

This Origin Stone mine would also be in his pocket.

Then Lu Changsheng put away his thoughts and rushed toward the passage in front.

He prepared to start working hard to mine in the next time, so that he could quickly break through to the Rebirth realm.

(End of this chapter)