118: Chapter 118 The First Appearance of the Spiritual Vein, A New Chapter for the Alliance

Chen Wuwang's fingers tapped on the edge of the terminal, the rhythm of three short and one long coming to an abrupt halt.

However, the originally steady rhythm was interrupted by an inexplicable unease. He had been focused on the data on the terminal, but suddenly, a familiar yet subtle sensation welled up in his heart, as if an invisible force was surging underground.

The sunlight was a bit brighter than last night, slicing diagonally across the metal window frame of the Main Administration Hall and falling on the old scar on his right cheek, feeling slightly hot.

The data stream on the screen remained steady, the patrol logs scrolled as usual, and the drill records for the children's emergency passage had just flashed the “100%” mark.

A tiny tremor came from beneath his feet, like something deep within the earth's core had given a soft thump.

Others might have thought it was the aftershock of a drilling machine, but he knew it wasn't right.

Three years ago, before the Zerg raided the Dongshan Mineral Vein, there had been this same feeling—like the earth was breathing, slow, deep, and with a certain rhythmic pulse.

He closed his eyes and concentrated.

The next second, a whisper echoed deep in his mind:

[A branch of a Spiritual Vein has appeared beneath the Chen family's grounds]

The voice was emotionless, yet it struck like a thunderbolt into his Sea of Consciousness.

He opened his eyes, his lips slowly curling into a smile that bordered on madness.

It wasn't surprise or excitement, but the certainty of a hunter who has finally waited for his prey to step into the trap.

The smile lasted only an instant before being suppressed back into his eyes, turning into a cold light.

He didn't look at the screen again and stood up immediately, his outer armor and shoulder guards letting out a dull thud as they rubbed against each other.

He strode toward the door, his pace half a beat faster than usual.

The door slid open automatically, and the morning breeze rushed in, fluttering his silver-white ponytail.

In the square, the shift change for the Liaison Officers had not yet ended. A deacon from the Dongling Wen Family was pointing at a terminal while lecturing a newcomer, a craftsman from the He Clan was squatting by a mecha tightening the last bolt, and a woman from the Liu Clan was walking toward the tent area holding a child.

Everything was as usual; no one noticed anything amiss.

Chen Wuwang stood at the top of the steps, his voice not loud, yet it sliced through the air like a blade:

“Pass down the order.”

Everyone paused in their actions.

“Core members of the Alliance, assemble immediately. Meet at the Council Forecourt of the Chen Family Manor within fifteen minutes.”

The command was given, and no one questioned it. Several Liaison Officers immediately pulled out Communication Jade Talismans to start contacting others, their pace quickening.

He knew these people must be thinking—what happened now? Has the border been infiltrated again? Or is there a problem with resources?

But this time, it wasn't a crisis.

It was an Opportunity from the heavens.

He turned and walked toward the center of the forecourt, his steps steady.

The stone table was still in its place, a dagger pressing down on an unsigned Dispatch Order, its tip pointing north.

He didn't touch it, but simply stood still with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping across the ground.

The Spiritual Qi fluctuations were becoming clearer. It wasn't a scattered dissipation, but a directed, rhythmic surge, like a sleeping snake slowly turning over.

The location was directly beneath the Chen Family Ancestral Home, at a depth of about three hundred zhang, spreading out in a fan shape, covering at least half a li.

Although its intensity was not as high as the main Spiritual Vein, for the current Alliance, it was a resource sufficient to change their fate.

Those watching the Chen family from the shadows probably never dreamed that the weakness they were waiting for wouldn't come; instead, a gold mine would emerge from the ground on its own.

Footsteps echoed one after another on the stone steps of the forecourt.

The first to arrive was the Elder of the Beipo Liu Clan, his hair all gray, leaning on a spiritual wood cane and panting: “Patriarch, has something big happened?”

Following closely was the deacon of the Dongling Wen Family, a younger man in tight-fitting clothes with sharp eyes: “We just finished handing over the second batch of medicinal herbs when we received the emergency summons.”

The He Clan craftsman also arrived, his hands still stained with machine oil, his brow furrowed under the brim of his hat: “I haven't heard of any movement at the border.”

Subsequently, representatives from the other clans arrived one by one, standing in a semi-circle, their gazes all landing on Chen Wuwang.

Some were anxious, some were confused, and some vaguely sensed the atmosphere was off—this wasn't the posture for handling a crisis; it was more like... some good news was about to be announced?

Chen Wuwang didn't keep them guessing for long.

He raised his hand and pointed to the ground beneath his feet, his voice not loud, but every word struck like a hammer:

“Beneath our feet, there is a Spiritual Vein.”

The entire field went silent for two breaths.

“What?” the Wen family deacon's eyes widened. “A Spiritual Vein? Where did it come from? How has no one ever discovered it?”

“Wasn't it surveyed long ago?” the Liu Clan Elder frowned. “The Spiritual Qi beneath the Chen family's land is thin; even a Spirit Gathering Array can't be stabilized.”

“That's why I say you are all fools,” Chen Wuwang sneered, his tone devoid of mockery, only the calmness of stating a fact. “You trust instruments, you trust spirit-seeking compasses, you trust the Ley Line Maps passed down by the Elders. But you don't trust the ground beneath your own feet.”

He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone: “Last night, the crust trembled slightly three times at intervals of two quarters, with the depth of the seismic source increasing. This morning, the concentration of Spiritual Qi rose by 0.7 points—not as a uniform diffusion, but radiating outward from a single point. Your equipment cannot capture such changes because they are too slow and too subtle.”

“But I can feel it.”

“Because I don't rely on machines.”

“I rely on—” he patted his chest, “—a living person's intuition.”

Everyone fell silent.

Some looked down at the ground as if trying to see through the rock with their eyes; others looked at each other, hesitation already showing in their eyes.

“Patriarch...” the He Clan craftsman's voice was raspy, “is what you're saying... true?”

Chen Wuwang didn't answer. He bent down, pulled a yellowed Topographic Map from under the stone table, spread it on the surface, and pointed his fingertip at a central point.

Everyone crowded around, looking at the marks on the Topographic Map, their eyes filled with doubt and expectation.

The Wen family deacon was the first to speak: “Patriarch, the specific location of this Spiritual Vein branch is here, but how difficult will it be to mine?”

Chen Wuwang frowned slightly, thought for a moment, and said: “From the current perspective, a depth of three hundred zhang is challenging, but with our existing technology, it is not impossible.”

The He Clan craftsman followed up: “Then will the mining process cause any impact on the surrounding environment?”

Chen Wuwang looked at him and said seriously: “I have already considered this point. I will arrange for specialists to develop a plan to minimize the impact as much as possible.”

After hearing this, everyone nodded one after another, having a clearer understanding of the matter of mining the Spiritual Vein.

“Moreover,” he looked up, a trace of blood-red patterns flashing in his eyes, “it has only just begun to wake.”

With a “boom,” the crowd erupted.

“Three thousand people?!” the Wen family deacon lost his voice. “We only have over eight hundred now! How many generations will this be enough for?”

“A Spiritual Vein can support the entire Outer Reaches of the Eastern Wasteland!” the Liu Clan Elder was so excited his cane shook. “From now on, Foundation Establishment will no longer rely on piling up Medicinal Pills; we can directly draw Spiritual Qi into our bodies!”

“What about the Artifact Refining Workshop? The Weapon Forging Field?” the He Clan craftsman looked up sharply. “With a stable supply of spiritual energy, our mechas can operate around the clock!”

“More than that,” Chen Wuwang interrupted them, lowering his voice, “a Spiritual Vein means we can build Spirit Gathering Towers, set up Teleportation Arrays, open Spiritual Fields, and create Spiritual Pools. In the future, when a child is born, their first breath will be spiritual mist. When the elderly pass away, they can also rest in peace within a Spiritual Spring.”

He looked around at everyone, word by word:

“This is not a resource.”

“This is a Foundation.”

“It is the beginning of our transformation from ‘dependents’ into ‘Dominators’.”

The crowd quieted down.

The excitement was still there, but it was joined by a sense of awe and weight.

Someone murmured: “But... will such a big matter attract covetous eyes?”

“Of course it will,” Chen Wuwang smiled, a genuine smile this time. “Who wouldn't want to seize a Spiritual Vein? The great clans will not sit idly by, the Loose Cultivators will not let it go, and those venomous snakes hiding in the dark would love nothing more than for us to drop dead immediately.”

“But so what?”

He stood straight, his back to the rising sun, his shadow stretching very long, covering the entire forecourt:

“What is there to fear? We could even merge the Seven Clans; are we afraid we can't sustain a single ley line?”

As soon as these words came out, it was like a torch thrown into a pile of dry wood.

“Right! Fear my ass!” the He Clan craftsman smashed a fist into his palm.

“A path fought for, and we're afraid of people stealing it?” the Wen family deacon gritted his teeth.

“The Patriarch points the way, and we follow to the end!” the Liu Clan Elder stepped forward, leaning on his cane.

Chen Wuwang looked at them and said no more.

He knew that at this moment, the Alliance had truly come alive. Not by rules, not by interests, but by something called ‘hope’.

He turned and walked toward the door of the Council Hall, his steps steady.

“Go inside,” he ordered. “The emergency Administration Meeting begins now.”

Everyone filed in one after another.

He stopped at the threshold and took one last look back at the land beneath his feet.

That sleeping Spiritual Vein was slowly awakening.

And he had already received its name three days ago.

[Spiritual Vein Appears, New Chapter of the Alliance]

He Step， Entering the hall。

The door closed behind him.