Chapter 244: Underground Monster

Gathering the Earth Vein Power, Yan Buji first placed the Flood-Suppressing Disk on the Earth Vein node, then took out some Spiritual Material for preliminary refinement, forming anchor points so the Disk's power could radiate outward.

This process, if driven by magic power, could actually be shortened.

Although the Flood-Suppressing Disk is a First-Tier Accumulation Device, it has the use of driving Earth Vein Power.

When driven by magic power via the Shaking Dragon Classic, it can also demonstrate many wonderful uses such as seeking Earth Veins.

Consuming considerable magic power, Yan Buji saw the Earth Vein Power gradually gathering toward the Flood-Suppressing Disk; he bit his tongue tip, spraying out essence blood mixed with essence, qi, and spirit into that Earth Vein.

Although the Earth Vein flows, it is not a substance of water; it is formless and colorless, perceptible only to cultivators. Moreover, Yan Buji's cultivation of the Shaking Dragon Classic, which specializes in Earth Veins, lets him see it more clearly than ordinary cultivators.

It's a pity the Earth Vein here isn't large enough; if it were larger, we could begin preparing to condense a Ground Origin Grand Pill. Yan Buji thought.

However, condensing a Ground Origin Grand Pill shouldn't be that easy either; perhaps not every Earth Vein can produce one. This information isn't accurate enough, and Yan Buji doesn't want to waste effort, so he'll wait until he gets clearer news before acting.

This is also to prepare in case one day he truly relies on a Human Origin Grand Pill to establish his foundation and finds he cannot break through the Golden Core stage.

So he kept a backup, just as insurance.

This Earth Vein segment should be enough to condense Ground Origin Fire, though we still need to wait a while.

Seeing his essence blood continually merging with the Earth Vein Power as the Flood-Suppressing Disk turns, and the surrounding drawn Earth Vein Power increasing, Yan Buji dared not relax his vigilance.

Down here there is not only the foul qi that can taint a cultivator's pure nature, but there may also exist demonic creatures.

To ensure his Ground Origin Fire condenses successfully, Yan Buji began probing along the Earth Vein in all directions.

This place is in the southeast, yet I see nothing... oh wait, this isn't the mortal realm; one cannot view it with mortal eyes. Yan Buji slapped his forehead, gave a wry laugh.

Although he had learned much feng shui knowledge at the Clear Wind Temple, what the Nether Realm is like is still hard to say.

In the mortal realm he could still make out things via star and sun-moon signs, but the Nether Realm seems shrouded in darkness as if there were no sky at all—nothing looks right.

Just then, Yan Buji suddenly sensed something extremely fast darting toward him from ahead.

How bold!

Yan Buji shouted loudly; his left eye shot out Dispelling Evil Divine Light, which struck the thing—it shrank instantly, then burrowed underground and vanished.

Seeing the Dispelling Evil Divine Light dodged, Yan Buji carefully sensed his surroundings.

Left!

Bang!

An ugly monster opened its maw and lunged at Yan Buji; he hastily raised his Honeycomb Shield to block, but the monster's deep-set, slender claws actually tore his shield apart!

Yan Buji was astonished, looking at the ugly monster.

The monster's head resembled a crocodile, its body like a yellow dog, but it lacked hind legs; its two foreclaws were longer than its body, and the six sharp claws bore nails that glowed faintly—those nails were so sharp they easily pierced his Honeycomb Shield.

Crucially, the monster wasn't slow; the instant it pierced the spiritual shield, its waist twitched, and it shot forward like an arrow straight to Yan Buji's face.

Yan Buji chuckled and spat out a mouthful of Spiritual Fire!

The monster's fur suddenly turned into armor plates, resisting the heat, and its claws lunged to Yan Buji's front.

Ordinary Spiritual Fire really isn't much use against these monsters.

But fortunately, Yan Buji also mastered a technique of tremendous power.

Only see Yan Buji extend his left hand, gripping tightly toward the monster.

In the blink of an eye, the air around the monster was violently sucked away, plunging it into a vacuum state, drastically reducing its speed.

This is precisely the Breath Tight Secret Technique Yan Buji learned earlier; seeing the monster terrified and trying to escape the vacuum, he instantly condensed a thunder spear in his palm and hurled it fiercely.

Whoa!!!

The monster howled, straining to twist its body, but Yan Buji's aim wasn't on it.

Rather, it was the highly compressed air condensed by the Breath Tight Secret Technique after drawing out the air!

Boom!

At that instant, as the Breath Tight Secret Technique failed, the high-pressure air struck by the thunder spear produced a terrifying explosion that blasted the monster into pieces.

Yan Buji walked over, watching arcs of electricity flicker on the monster's corpse, and nodded: 'This thunder spear is still formidable; though it can only be used for a surprise attack, its killing power is indeed sufficient.'

The thunder spear is one of the techniques exchanged at the Water Way; its killing power alone is not inferior to his Magic Power Golden Wheel. However, it must be thrown, so its hit rate is poor, unlike the Magic Power Golden Wheel which can be used at will.

Merely the explosion from the high-pressure air is insufficient to destroy the monster's defense; but adding the lightning damage from the thunder spear's explosion manages to take it down smoothly.

Seeing that the monster's body basically had nothing useful, Yan Buji also noticed its claws remained as before, and exclaimed delightedly:

This is actually a good thing.

Such underground monsters likely rely on these claws to pierce metal and break stone; hardness need not be considered, and if there are enough of them, perhaps the materials for forging Accumulated Armor could be secured.

Yan Buji carefully examined the monster's corpse and nodded: 'It should be a species with obvious reproductive organs, and this one is male. Moreover, it commonly feeds on metal and stone within the Earth Vein, which caused it to evolve into its present form.'

The monster's armor plates and claws are far harder than ordinary metal and stone, and its abdomen still retains much residual metal and stone.

If that's the case, finding the monster's clan could indeed yield enough claws.

Moreover, these metal and stones... might some remain undigested?

Yan Buji opened the monster's intestines, pinched and found some hard objects, then broke them open to see.

Isn't this Phoenix Blood Stone? Yan Buji froze, but upon closer look the texture seemed off.

It should be metal stone stained with the blood of some spiritual bird; that is, there ought to be a spiritual bird corpse nearby. Yan Buji's eyes lit up.

Wait, it seems the Deep Earth Vein indeed holds many treasures, but for now we must first succeed in cultivating Ground Origin Fire, restore the Five Elements Cycle to its former state, then seek those treasures.

Yan Buji isn't greedy; knowing there are treasures here, he doesn't rush to seek them.

After all, searching still takes time, but cultivating Ground Origin Fire must not go wrong.

One must prioritize; success or failure comes later—first get one's own affairs in order.