137: Chapter 137 Successful Excavation, Spirit Vein Appears

"The next shovel, and we should dig into the Spiritual Vein."

Chen Wuwang's boots were still stuck in the bloody mud, and the bandage on his right arm was darkened by seeping blood.

He didn't look at the sky or turn around; he simply raised his left hand, his Mechanical Prosthetic Eye whirring slightly as a red light swept across the charred rock wall ahead.

The earth dragon mech sat quietly at the tunnel entrance, its drill jammed in the final layer of rock crust, emitting an intermittent humming sound like a beast struggling for breath.

"Energy is low." Chen Tiezhu jumped down from the cockpit, his mechanical left arm steaming, his face covered in sweat and grime. "The density of this final rock layer is too high. The drill's power can't keep up. If we force it any further, the core will collapse."

He wiped his face, his voice hoarse: "But we're close enough—I can smell the Spiritual Vein."

No one laughed. If anyone else had said that, they would have been dismissed as crazy.

But this was Chen Tiezhu, the veteran craftsman who could crouch before a furnace for three days and nights for the sake of a single batch of scrap metal.

If he said he smelled it, then it must be close.

Chen Wuwang didn't speak; he walked to the mech's control console and tapped the terminal three times.

"Activate the backup energy module." His voice was low, yet it silenced all other noise. "Connect all the Zerg energy cores recovered from Node 7, and prioritize power to 'Shell-Stripping Mode'."

The operator froze: "But... those cores haven't been fully purified. Connecting them directly is risky!"

"Risk?" Chen Wuwang sneered, his gaze sweeping over the operator. "In that battle just now, who wasn't risking their life? We're this close to success, and you're talking to me about risk?"

The person shut their mouth.

Three breaths later, the energy lines were connected.

The earth dragon shuddered violently, and the drill began to spin again. The humming grew from weak to strong, like a sleeping beast finally opening its eyes.

Chen Tiezhu vaulted back into the cockpit, gritting his teeth as he roared: "Stabilize the frequency! Don't let the Spiritual Qi backlash blow the drill! I'll calibrate the angle!"

He shoved the control sticks forward, and the front of the mech slowly pressed down. The moment the drill cut into the rock layer, it emitted a piercing screech of friction.

Sparks flew, rock debris scattered, and the entire mountain trembled slightly.

One second, two seconds...

Suddenly, the drill paused and jammed.

"It happened again!" someone shouted. "The rock structure is abnormal; the fissure's direction has changed!"

Veins bulged on Chen Tiezhu's forehead as he stared intensely at the dashboard.

He knew where the problem was—this rock crust wasn't solid; it was a honeycomb-like sandwich layer. Once the drill shifted, it would get stuck.

"Move aside." Chen Wuwang spoke suddenly.

He stepped forward, drew the Titanium Alloy Dagger from his waist, tapped the hilt three times with the tip of the blade, then crouched down and pressed the blade against the rock wall.

Ding, ding, ding.

After three crisp sounds, he stood up and pointed three feet to the left: "Break through here."

Chen Tiezhu was stunned: "How did you know?"

"Intuition," Chen Wuwang said indifferently. "And the direction of the marks you left when you modified the drill last time."

The veteran craftsman grinned and didn't ask further. He maneuvered the mech arm to reposition the drill.

This time, the advancement was slow and steady.

The rock layers began to peel away. One layer, two layers... the moment the third layer cracked, a blast of scorching airflow erupted!

"Back off!" Chen Wuwang commanded in a low voice.

Everyone retreated several steps quickly, only to see a crack open in the center of the rock crust. Golden light gushed out from within, like the morning sun tearing through the clouds.

Spiritual Qi spread like a tidal wave, carrying warmth and vitality. It washed over their faces, feeling like a parched traveler finally drinking their first sip of clear spring water.

Chen Tiezhu was the first to rush forward, bracing his hands on his knees and gasping for air, but his eyes remained locked on the fissure.

Then, he laughed.

The laughter grew louder and louder, eventually turning into a wild roar: "This is a branch of the Spiritual Vein! We did it! Hahaha—!"

The voice exploded, echoing throughout the entire tunnel.

The clansmen froze for a moment, then swarmed over.

Some knelt and pressed their palms to the ground; others closed their eyes and tilted their heads back, letting the flow of Spiritual Qi brush against their cheeks. A young boy stood at the edge, silent tears sliding down his face, yet he laughed aloud.

The Spiritual Qi was too strong. Several young clansmen turned pale, their steps unsteady, looking as though they were about to faint.

Chen Wuwang immediately raised his hand, took a metal plate covered in runes from his pocket, and slammed it onto the ground.

Hum—

A circle of pale blue light rippled outward, forming a hemispherical barrier that protected the few who were closest to the Spiritual Vein.

The flow of Spiritual Qi slowed down immediately, no longer violently surging.

"Don't force it," he said in a deep voice. "The Spiritual Vein has just appeared, and its energy is unstable. Adapt first, then get closer."

Chen Tiezhu walked into the light barrier, gasping for air, and spread his arms, letting the golden Spiritual Qi wrap around his body.

The mechanical prosthetic limb on his left arm emitted a faint hum, as if it, too, were cheering.

"I've lived for over forty years," he muttered. "This is the first time I've felt that even iron skin can breathe."

No one answered, but someone quietly wiped the corner of their eye.

The scene swept across face after face—a female warrior with a scorched face closing her eyes in concentration, tears sliding down her cheeks; a one-legged veteran leaning on a comrade's shoulder, his trembling hand gripping his crutch tightly; and the little girl who once thrust a broken spear into the ground, now pressing her palm to the earth, the corners of her mouth lifted as if listening to the heartbeat of the land.

Chen Wuwang stood behind the crowd, not stepping forward.

His Mechanical Prosthetic Eye was automatically recording the frequency of the Spiritual Vein, with data flashing across his vision line by line. The corner of his mouth lifted slightly, yet he didn't say a word.

His gaze was profound, as if piercing through the rock layers to see the Chen family ten years in the future—tall buildings standing in rows, mechs patrolling the sky, children running beside spiritual fields, and elders sitting under trees telling stories of the great war against the Zerg that year.

The wind whipped up dust and smoke, sweeping past broken armor and brushing against the hair of the living.

A clansman trotted over: "Clan Leader, the engineering team is ready to enter and reinforce the tunnel at any time. Should we now..."

"No rush," Chen Wuwang interrupted him, his voice very soft. "Let them stand there for a while longer."

The man was stunned, then nodded and retreated.

Yes, let them stand there for a while longer.

This journey had been too difficult. From the ruins three years ago to the Spiritual Vein breaking through the earth today; from orphans whose villages were slaughtered by the Zerg to clansmen standing shoulder to shoulder now. They had lost too much and shouldered too much.

But now, they had finally dug out hope with their own hands.

Chen Tiezhu turned around, looked at Chen Wuwang, and grinned: "You were right. This root can really be cultivated."

Chen Wuwang smiled too. He didn't speak, just raised his hand and gently patted his shoulder.

Just then, the golden light in the fissure of the Spiritual Vein intensified suddenly, and a purer flow of Spiritual Qi erupted, turning into a mist and slowly rising.

The clansmen held their breath in unison.

The mist swirled in the air, faintly outlining the silhouette of a winding Dragon, circling for a moment before quietly dissipating.

Someone whispered: "Is that... the soul of the Spiritual Vein?"

No one answered. But everyone knew in their hearts—this wasn't the end; it was the beginning.

Chen Wuwang looked up at the dissipating golden mist, his eyes deep.

In the next chapter, someone will achieve Foundation Establishment here.

Someone will awaken their Bloodline here.

Someone will embark on the path to the myriad worlds from here.

But for now, this moment belongs only to them.

It belongs to the spark that has been reignited on this scorched earth.

A little boy quietly walked up to Chen Tiezhu and asked, looking up: "Uncle, can I touch it? Just once?"

The veteran craftsman looked down at him, smiled, took his hand, and gently placed it on the still-trembling rock wall.

The moment the child touched it, he shuddered, his eyes widening.

"It's warm..." he murmured. "It's beating."

Chen Tiezhu laughed heartily and scooped him up: "Did you hear that? The heart of the earth has come alive!"