80: Chapter 80 The Spirit Vein Core! How do you get this thing?
The cave was very dark.
It wasn't an ordinary darkness, but a profound gloom that seemed to swallow everything.
Lin Feng walked a few steps and looked back.
The light from the cave entrance had shrunk to a tiny point, like a star in the night sky.
A few more steps, and even that star vanished.
He was plunged into total darkness.
"Illumination Spell."
Lin Feng raised his hand, and a soft golden light lit up in his palm.
The light dispelled the surrounding darkness, illuminating an area of about three meters ahead.
The cave was more spacious than he had imagined.
The cave walls were naturally formed rock—rough, jagged, and marked with traces of water erosion.
Beneath his feet were gravel and sand, crunching "shasha" as he stepped on them.
The air was thick with a damp smell, mixed with a faint... fragrance?
No, it wasn't a fragrance.
It was a type of extremely pure aura that refreshed the spirit.
Like fresh air inhaled during a deep breath, but a hundred times more concentrated.
"Is this the scent of Spiritual Qi?" Lin Feng took a deep breath, feeling refreshed.
[Absorbed a trace amount of Spiritual Qi. mana recovery speed +10% for 1 hour.]
"Holy crap, even taking a breath gives a buff?"
Lin Feng's eyes lit up.
If he stayed here every day, wouldn't he be able to level up while doing nothing?
"Stop dreaming," Elder Dan's voice rang out in his mind. "This bit of Spiritual Qi is just what's drifted out from the depths. At the true Spiritual Vein Core, the Spiritual Qi concentration is hundreds or thousands of times higher than here."
"However... that place is also hundreds or thousands of times more dangerous."
Lin Feng put away his smile and continued forward.
The cave wound downward, the slope becoming steeper and steeper.
After walking for about ten minutes, a fork appeared in the path.
Two tunnels, one left and one right, both pitch-black with no end in sight.
"Which way?"
Lin Feng asked Elder Dan.
"The left," Elder Dan said. "I can sense that the Spiritual Qi is thicker on the left."
Lin Feng entered the left tunnel.
This tunnel was narrower, only wide enough for one person to pass through.
The rock walls on both sides began to change—they were no longer ordinary rock, but crystals emitting a faint glow.
Those crystals were embedded in the rock walls: white ones, cyan ones, and pale gold ones.
"A Spirit Stone mine?" Lin Feng leaned in for a closer look.
[Inferior Spirit Stone (White)]
[Effect: Can be used for cultivation or formations; contains a trace amount of Spiritual Qi.]
[Description: The most basic Spirit Stone; not of high value.]
Lin Feng reached out and pried one loose.
It felt cold to the touch, like holding a piece of ice.
[Obtained: Inferior Spirit Stone ×1]
"Is this thing worth much?"
"It's not worth much," Elder Dan said. "White-quality Spirit Stones were common goods two thousand years ago. They're probably even cheaper now."
Lin Feng put it away anyway.
Every little bit counts.
Continuing forward, the Spirit Stones on the rock walls became more numerous and of better quality.
From white to green, and then to blue.
[Low-Grade Spirit Stone (Green)]
[Effect: Can be used for cultivation or formations; contains a small amount of Spiritual Qi.]
[Mid-Grade Spirit Stone (Blue)]
[Effect: Can be used for cultivation or formations; contains a fair amount of Spiritual Qi.]
Lin Feng pried them off as he went, unknowingly accumulating over a hundred pieces.
"I'm rich, I'm rich..."
He thought gleefully.
"Look at you, so easily satisfied," Elder Dan said dismissively. "These are just scraps. The real treasure is up ahead."
Lin Feng quickened his pace.
He walked for another ten minutes.
Suddenly, the space ahead opened up.
He stood at the edge of a massive underground space.
This space was at least half the size of a football field.
It was so high the ceiling was invisible; looking up, he could only see darkness.
The most shocking thing was the... mountain in the center of the space?
No, it wasn't a mountain.
It was a... Crystal Mountain piled high with Spirit Stones!
That Crystal Mountain was over twenty meters tall and covered nearly a hundred square meters.
It was composed entirely of Spirit Stones. The lowest quality ones were blue, many were purple, and there were even a few emitting a golden light!
[Top-Grade Spirit Stone (Purple)]
[Effect: Can be used for cultivation, formations, Alchemy, or Artifact Refining; contains a large amount of pure Spiritual Qi.]
[Immortal-Grade Spirit Stone (Gold)]
[Effect: Can be used for cultivation, formations, Alchemy, or Artifact Refining; contains a massive amount of pure Spiritual Qi; extremely rare.]
Lin Feng's eyes were fixed.
Purple Spirit Stones! Gold Spirit Stones!
Piled into a mountain!
"Is... is all of this mine?"
His voice was trembling.
"In your dreams," Elder Dan threw cold water on his excitement. "Look closer."
Lin Feng narrowed his eyes and looked carefully.
Only then did he notice there was something around the Crystal Mountain.
It was a... snake?
No, not a snake.
It was a translucent... flood dragon, formed entirely from condensed Spiritual Qi?
It was coiled at the foot of the Crystal Mountain, its body as thick as a water bucket and at least twenty meters long.
There were two small bumps on its head, as if it were about to grow horns.
Its body was covered in fine scales, each one faintly glowing.
Its eyes were closed; it seemed to be in a deep sleep.
With every breath, a wisp of Spiritual Qi drifted from the Crystal Mountain and was inhaled into its body.
[Spiritual Vein Guardian: Young Flood Dragon (King Rank)]
[Rank: 40]
[health points: 6,000,000]
[attack power: 8,800 - 9,500 (Spiritual Qi Attack)]
[Defense: 8,000]
[Skills: Spiritual Qi Breath, Flood Dragon Tail Whip, Spiritual Armor Protection, Devouring Heaven and Earth, ???]
[Description: A guardian born from the Spiritual Vein. It has already begun to possess a Flood Dragon Bloodline. It absorbs Spiritual Qi to evolve while sleeping; it will be extremely dangerous if awakened.]
Six million HP!
Rank 40 King Rank!
Nine thousand five hundred attack power!
Eight thousand defense!
Even stronger than that Fusion Evolution Body from before!
And it's still sleeping!
"This..."
Lin Feng swallowed hard.
Although he now had over a million HP and over five thousand attack...
It would be tough.
"What should I do?" he asked Elder Dan.
"Two choices," Elder Dan said. "First, while it's sleeping, secretly mine some Spirit Stones from the edge and then quietly slip away."
"Second, find a way to wake it up, kill it, and take the entire Crystal Mountain for yourself."
Lin Feng fell silent.
The first choice was safe, but the rewards were small.
The second choice was dangerous, but the rewards were massive.
An entire Crystal Mountain!
Countless purple Spirit Stones, and even gold ones!
If he took it all, he wouldn't have to worry about resources for the rest of his life!
"Elder Dan, do you think I can beat it?"
"Hard to say," Elder Dan mused. "With your current strength, your chances in a direct confrontation aren't high. But with those strange Fusion skills of yours and that mysterious golden tower, you might be able to create a miracle."
Lin Feng stared at the sleeping Young Flood Dragon, his mind racing with calculations.
Six million HP, nine thousand five hundred attack.
His skill damage, based on five thousand five hundred magic attack—Judgment of Light could deal about 5,500 × 15 = 82,500. After subtracting defense, it would be around 70,000.
He would need to hit it eighty-six times to kill it.
He had a million mana, so theoretically, it was enough.
But the problem was, the Young Flood Dragon wouldn't just stand there and let him hit it.
It would counterattack, use skills, move, and dodge.
Furthermore, with its nine thousand five hundred attack power, a single casual strike could take off seven or eight thousand of his HP.
He had a million HP, so he could tank over a hundred hits.
It seemed tankable, but the Young Flood Dragon's skills certainly wouldn't be limited to normal attacks.
If it had some ultimate move that dealt hundreds of thousands in one hit...
"Should I gamble?"
Lin Feng hesitated.
Just then.
"Hu..."
The Young Flood Dragon rolled over.
As its massive body moved, its scales rubbed together, making a faint "shasha" sound.
Wisps of Spiritual Qi drifted from its body, merging into the air.
Lin Feng took a deep breath and felt his mana increase slightly.
"This thing... is too tempting..."
He gritted his teeth and made a decision.
"I'll see if I can steal some first!"
He spread his Wind Wings and flew silently toward the Crystal Mountain.
The Young Flood Dragon was still sleeping.
Its eyes were closed, and its breathing was steady.
Lin Feng circled to the side of the Crystal Mountain, far from the Young Flood Dragon's position.
He reached out and gently pried off a purple Spirit Stone.
[Obtained: Top-Grade Spirit Stone (Purple) ×1]
The Young Flood Dragon didn't react.
He pried off another one.
[Obtained: Top-Grade Spirit Stone (Purple) ×1]
Still no reaction.
Lin Feng grew bolder.
One after another, like a busy little bee, he harvested frantically.
Purple Spirit Stones, taken!
Blue Spirit Stones, also taken!
Whenever he encountered a gold Spirit Stone, he was even more cautious, terrified of making a sound.
In just ten minutes, he had collected over a hundred Spirit Stones!
The Young Flood Dragon remained asleep.
"At this rate, I can clear this place out in a day..."
Lin Feng thought happily.
He reached out to pry off an especially large gold Spirit Stone.
That Spirit Stone was the size of a basketball, embedded in the center of the Crystal Mountain and exceptionally eye-catching.
He gripped the Spirit Stone and pulled hard.
"Kacha!"
The Spirit Stone loosened.
But at the same time, several small rocks tumbled down from the Crystal Mountain.
"Pilipala—"
The rocks hit the ground with a crisp clatter.
Lin Feng's body stiffened.
He slowly turned his head.
The Young Flood Dragon had opened its eyes.
They were a pair of golden vertical pupils, each larger than Lin Feng's head.
At this moment, those eyes were staring fixedly at him.
In its gaze, there was the annoyance of being awakened, the fury of discovering a thief, and... hunger?
"Hou..."
The Young Flood Dragon opened its mouth and let out a low roar.
The sound wasn't loud, but the entire underground space shook!
[Spiritual Vein Guardian: Young Flood Dragon has awakened.]
[Entered combat state.]
[Rage Meter: 100%]
Lin Feng's scalp tingled.
Without a word, he turned and ran!
"Void Walk!"
His body instantly vanished into the void and reappeared fifty meters away!
The Young Flood Dragon moved.
Its twenty-meter-long body was as fast as a bolt of lightning!
It caught up to Lin Feng in an instant!
It opened its massive maw and bit down!
"Holy Light Protection!"
A golden light shield enveloped his body!
Puchi!
The Young Flood Dragon's teeth bit into the light shield, making a tooth-gritting grinding sound!
[Holy Light Protection absorbed damage: 1,161 × 20 = 23,220]
[Remaining Shield Value: 0 / 23,220]
The light shield shattered instantly!
The Young Flood Dragon's teeth were less than half a meter from Lin Feng's head!
"Earth Protection!"
Earth-yellow armor covered his entire body!
The Young Flood Dragon bit down on the armor!
Kacha!
Cracks appeared on the armor!
[Earth Protection absorbed damage: 15,000]
[Remaining Shield Value: 0 / 15,000]
Shattered in a second again!
"Holy shit!"
Lin Feng broke out in a cold sweat.
This attack power was terrifying!
He activated Void Walk and teleported again!
The Young Flood Dragon pursued him relentlessly!
Man and flood dragon engaged in a chase within the underground space!
Lin Feng looked back as he ran.
The Young Flood Dragon was too fast!
Each teleport only gained him fifty meters, which the Young Flood Dragon could close in a second!
"This won't work!"
Lin Feng gritted his teeth and changed his strategy.
He stopped running in a straight line and began circling the Crystal Mountain!
Although the Young Flood Dragon was fast, its body was too long, making it inflexible when turning!
Several times it nearly crashed into the Crystal Mountain!
"Good."
Lin Feng's eyes lit up.
He flapped his Wind Wings frantically, weaving around the Crystal Mountain!
After a few laps of chasing, the Young Flood Dragon grew increasingly frustrated.
It suddenly stopped.
It opened its mouth and took a deep breath.
Then—
"Hou—!!!"
A thick pillar of Spiritual Qi light erupted from its mouth!
Skill: Spiritual Qi Breath!
Everywhere the light pillar passed, the air itself distorted!
Lin Feng's pupils contracted as he dodged desperately!
The light pillar grazed his body and slammed into the rock wall behind him!
Boom!!!
A hole five meters in diameter was blasted into the rock wall!
Rocks splattered, and dust filled the air!
[Took aftermath damage: 12,000]
[health points: 1,032,000 / 1,044,000]
"Dammit!"
Lin Feng gritted his teeth.
If he were hit directly, he'd lose at least two hundred thousand HP!
He didn't dare mess around any longer and fled at full speed!
After chasing for a while, the Young Flood Dragon seemed tired.
It stopped and coiled itself back at the foot of the Crystal Mountain.
Those golden vertical pupils were still fixed intently on Lin Feng.
But it didn't pursue him further.
"It's... not chasing anymore?"
Lin Feng also stopped, watching it from a distance.
The Young Flood Dragon stared at him for a while, then slowly closed its eyes.
It actually... went back to sleep?
"This..."
Lin Feng was stunned.
"It cannot leave the Crystal Mountain," Elder Dan's voice rang out. "It is the guardian of the Spiritual Vein, and its duty is to protect the Spiritual Vein Core. If it gets too far from the Crystal Mountain, the Spiritual Vein will be damaged."
Lin Feng realized.
No wonder it stopped once it reached the edge of the Crystal Mountain.
"So what do I do now?"
"Two choices," Elder Dan said. "First, give up on the Crystal Mountain and leave with the Spirit Stones you stole. It won't chase you."
"Second, find a way to kill it and take the entire Crystal Mountain for yourself."
Lin Feng looked at the Crystal Mountain.
Purple, gold, shimmering and shining.
Then he looked at the Young Flood Dragon coiled at the foot of the mountain.
Six million HP, nine thousand five hundred attack.
He fell silent.
What should he do?