120: Chapter 120 The rock strata peeled off in whole pieces like scales, revealing the vein walls inside with a bluish-gray luster.

Morning light had just crawled onto the roof ridge of the Eastern Wasteland Chen Family's ancestral shrine when the first rumble came from deep underground.

It was not thunder, nor was it wind; it was the low roar of metal biting into rock layers—the "earth dragon" mech's treads sank into the tunnel, and its drill slowly probed outward, like a waking behemoth with its nose touching the ground.

Chen Tiezhu crouched outside the cockpit, still clutching a wrench in his hand, his face covered in a mixture of grease and sweat as he grinned: "It's done! The resonance frequency is tuned to 3.7, the mysterious crystal drill has eaten three inches in, as stable as the roots of an old tree!"

He shouted at the top of his lungs, and the entire excavation area heard him, "Brothers, the shelling begins! Stop every ten zhang, don't be greedy for speed!"

The mechanics moved in response; some carried coolant, others connected the spiritual conducting tubes, their movements nimble.

This job wasn't brute force; it was delicate work. It had to be like peeling bamboo shoots, layer by layer, without harming the newly awakened vein inside.

A hundred steps away, in front of the command platform on the high slope, Chen Wuwang stood with his hands behind his back. His Mechanical Prosthetic Eye flashed, and a pale blue light screen appeared in the center of his vision, with real-time data flowing past like water: excavation depth—3.2 zhang, vibration waveform stable, Spiritual Qi dissipation value 0.07%, safe.

He didn't speak, only nodded slightly.

The "earth dragon" below was the one he had watched Chen Tiezhu dismantle and reassemble with his own eyes last night.

From the spiritual energy furnace interface to the drill patterns, every part had been modified according to the principles of the "Geological Vein Resonance Array."

This wasn't mining; it was embroidery. Embroidering a Spiritual Vein that could sustain them for a thousand years.

"Family Head." A Dispatch Yard deacon trotted over, his voice suppressed with excitement, "The first layer of rock has been stripped away. The crushed rock samples have been sent for inspection; the structure is intact, with no cracks."

"Pass the order down: at the ten-zhang node, all personnel are to take a break and check the equipment." Chen Wuwang finally spoke, his voice not loud, but piercing through the wind noise, "Have Chen Tiezhu come up here."

Before the words had even faded, the "earth dragon" over there had already slowly retracted its drill, its treads retreating three feet. As the drill left the ground, it stirred up a ring of faint light—this was the trace of Spiritual Wave diffusion.

The rock layers peeled off in whole chunks like scales, revealing the vein wall inside that glimmered with a bluish-gray luster, with flowing light faintly wandering within, like a Bloodline just beginning to circulate.

"The Spiritual Vein has awakened." Someone said in a low voice.

"It hasn't just awakened; it's breathing." Another Cultivator stared at the monitoring rune board, eyes shining.

The crowd erupted into a buzz, with laughter and exclamations blending together.

Several young clansmen couldn't help but pat each other on the shoulders and cheer. One youth even jumped up and shouted: "We'll be able to see the main vein tonight, right? Our Chen Family is about to take off!"

Just as these words fell, a cold light swept over.

Chen Wuwang turned his head; his gaze wasn't fierce, yet it made people shut their mouths instantly.

"Who said we'd see the main vein tonight?" His voice was as flat as the surface of a blade, "Eighty zhang is just the starting point. Do you think this is digging a vegetable cellar?"

The youth shrank his neck, his face turning red.

"I'll say it again." Chen Wuwang raised his hand, pointing underground, "We are not digging for stones; we are digging for our lifeline. Anyone who dares to slack off will go guard the Medicinal Field for three years, struggling with bugs every day. Do you understand?"

"Understood!" The crowd replied in unison, their Aura actually becoming even stronger.

He knew the timing was right. Being too tense wouldn't work, and being too lax would be even worse. Right now, it was just right.

At this moment, Chen Tiezhu walked over with long strides, his boots covered in mud, carrying a drill module that had just been removed.

"Family Head, the first round of data is here."

He plugged the module into the terminal, and the projection immediately unfolded, "The wear rate is 2.1 percent, half of what was estimated. At this speed, three hundred zhang is no problem."

Chen Wuwang stared at the data, and the corners of his mouth finally curved slightly: "You old guy, you've really figured out how to play 'shelling'."

"Of course!" Chen Tiezhu chuckled, his eyes shining with the light of a craftsman, "I added a double-layer rune buffer last night. The drill goes in and vibrates for three seconds first, the rock layer cracks on its own, and we just gently pry it—heh, it's just like a peeled egg."

As the two were talking, a short, sharp bell rang from the outer perimeter warning zone. A red light flashed and vanished.

"Star Exploration Array triggered!" The dispatcher looked up, "Southeast corner, deep-layer tremor, slight magnitude."

Before the order was even given, a figure had already dashed out. Chen Xiaodao leapt onto the edge of the high slope; his sword had not been unsheathed, but his left hand was already pressed against the ground.

He closed his eyes for three seconds, and when he opened them again, his eyes were as clear as an ice pool.

"Natural stress release." He spoke, his voice not loud, but it spread across the warning net, "Depth of one hundred and twenty zhang, not man-made, no biological activity. Adjust the sensing threshold to avoid false alarms."

A few "received" replies came through the communication channel.

He didn't move, still standing there, his gaze sweeping across the horizon.

Sunlight hit the tips of his silvery-white hair, and the joints of the mechanical prosthetic limb on his left arm faintly gleamed with a cold light.

The wind blew, and his robes fluttered slightly, like a sword sheathed in its scabbard.

Chen Wuwang glanced at him without saying much. He knew Chen Xiaodao's temperament—he wouldn't move unless necessary, but when he did, he was always accurate. During that insect plague back then, this kid had survived in the ruins relying on this very perception.

"Continue advancing." Chen Wuwang ordered, "The second stage of excavation, target fifty zhang. Chen Tiezhu, you personally watch the drill parameters."

"Understood!" Chen Tiezhu turned and left, but turned back at the last moment, "Family Head, once we've dug out this entire vein, I'll build you a 'Spiritual Vein Patrol Vehicle' so you can sit and watch our city grow day by day."

"Sure." Chen Wuwang replied indifferently, "As long as you don't modify it to fly."

The people around burst into laughter. The atmosphere relaxed, but it didn't dissipate. Those who needed to work worked, those who needed to guard guarded, all in perfect order.

Half an hour later, the fifty-zhang node was reached.

The projection unfolded again; the error was 0.28%, and the Spiritual Qi dissipation was controlled within 0.05%. The outline of the Spiritual Vein branch became clearer and clearer, like an inverted tree, with roots digging downward and branches spreading upward.

"It's stable." Chen Tiezhu wiped his face, smiling like a child, "Family Head, this time we are really going to grow a city."

Chen Wuwang didn't respond. He stared at the data stream, his Mechanical Prosthetic Eye constantly switching scanning modes. Deep-layer fluctuations were normal, temperature was stable, no abnormal life signals.

Everything was going smoothly. Too smoothly.

His fingers unconsciously tapped the edge of the platform—three shorts, two longs, then one short. It was a rhythm, and also a state of alertness.

He knew the real test hadn't come yet. No one had ever seen what was three hundred zhang below. The ancestral shrine was built here, and it was no coincidence. When their ancestor chose this land, there must have been a motive.

But now was not the time to think about these things.

"Pass the order." He spoke, his voice returning to a steady tone, "The third stage of excavation, target eighty zhang. Maintain the rhythm, strengthen cooling. For all posts, rotations must not exceed half an hour; I want everyone to be clear-headed."

"Yes!"

The "earth dragon" started up again, and the drill slowly cut in. This time, the rock layers peeled away faster, and the vibration waveform was almost flat. Spiritual waves diffused in circles, like water ripples, and also like a heartbeat.

In the crowd, an old man silently pressed his palms together and bowed towards the direction of the ancestral shrine.

A child stood on tiptoes and asked her mother: "Mom, does the Spiritual Vein feel pain too?"

The mother gently stroked her head: "No, it's sleeping, and we are just gently calling it to wake up."

Chen Wuwang heard it but didn't turn back. He just stood straighter, like a nail driven into the wind.

When the eighty-zhang mark was reached, the sun had already risen to the zenith. The crushed rocks piled up into a small mountain, and the inspection report showed the vein wall was intact, with the Spiritual Qi concentration steadily rising.

News came from the Dispatch Yard that seven of the ten clans of the Alliance had already sent liaison envoys to observe, and they would arrive this afternoon.

"Family Head, should we pause and prepare to welcome them?" The deacon asked.

"No need." Chen Wuwang shook his head, "Let them watch the scene. Watch how we dig out our lifeline, inch by inch."

He paused and looked towards the "earth dragon": "Tell Chen Tiezhu, the next stage is one hundred zhang. Have him prepare an emergency plan."

"But the System hasn't issued a warning..." The deacon hesitated.

"I don't rely on the System." Chen Wuwang said indifferently, "I rely on my brain."

The man was stunned, then immediately lowered his head to record it.

In the distance, Chen Xiaodao had finished leading the patrol and was standing on the high slope reviewing. Two perception Cultivators handed over the monitoring logs; he looked them over one by one, returned his sword to its sheath, his expression unchanged.

The Chen Family members were dispersed at various posts; some were transporting, others were debugging, morale was high, yet they remained orderly.

Everything was as usual. But Chen Wuwang knew that some things were changing.

He raised his left eye, his Mechanical Prosthetic Eye continuously scanning the deep-layer fluctuations. The data stream flowed past steadily. His fingers tapped the edge of the platform again. Da, da-da, da... The rhythm did not break.

The wind blew from the east, carrying the scent of soil and metal. The roar of the "earth dragon" continued.