40: Chapter 40 The Spiritual Spring Appears for the First Time, Undercurrents Surge

"Tick, tick, tick." Three rhythmic clicks echoed in the secret chamber. It was the sound of a titanium alloy dagger's tip striking the stone table, one after another, crisp and decisive, as if declaring something.

Chen Wuwang opened his eyes.

The secret chamber remained dim, the blue light from the crystal panel reflecting onto his right face, the three old scars left by the insect race burning slightly.

His Mechanical Prosthetic Eye slowly rotated, and the heavenly secret instruction he had just received appeared in his field of vision: [Full moon night, Spiritual Spring gushes in the West Suburbs]

Six characters, no explanation, no hints, and no warnings.

But Chen Wuwang knew this was no ordinary phenomenon—the last time the System gave a similar message, it was "Dongshan Mineral Vein appears in three days," and they had managed to dig out the first spiritual energy branch before the insect race, laying the Foundation for today.

He stood up; he hadn't put on his cloak yet, but his combat boots were already moving.

The iron door pushed open, and the morning light slanted in, flinging his shadow violently toward the end of the corridor.

The clamor of the celebration had long since dissipated, but a trace of burnt iron lingered in the air—the scent left behind after the mecha test-firing.

From the distant Artifact Refining Workshop came the rhythmic clanging of metal, steady and calm; it was Chen Tiezhu modifying some structure again.

The high-platform command position was empty, but the data interface was still glowing faintly, clearly indicating that Chen Xiaodao had only just left.

Chen Wuwang didn't look back, merely raising his hand in a beckoning gesture.

A spiritual talisman flew from his sleeve, turning into a stream of light and heading straight toward the Artifact Refining Workshop; another shot toward the watchtower on the west side of the Martial Arts Arena.

Without stopping, he strode through the Main Hall corridor and stepped onto the blue stone stairs in front of the Council Hall.

The door was not closed.

Chen Tiezhu was squatting by the sand table, holding a copper ruler in his hand, gesturing at a mecha track model, his brows knitted into a knot.

Hearing footsteps, he looked up and wiped his oily hands on his pants: "Family Head? In such a rush?"

"Urgent." Chen Wuwang stood in the center of the sand table, his gaze sweeping over the two men. "Something is going to happen in the West Suburbs."

Chen Xiaodao flashed in from the side door, his sword still sheathed, but his hand was already resting on the hilt.

He glanced at Chen Wuwang, then looked at the sand table: "The West Suburbs? It's a wasteland, not even a decent Spiritual Vein, just weeds."

"There will be one tonight." Chen Wuwang drew his dagger, the tip pointing to the western corner of the sand table. "Full moon night, the Spiritual Spring gushes."

The air fell silent.

Chen Tiezhu was stunned: "A Spiritual Spring? Where did you get this news? There hasn't been any movement from Old Lin's side."

"The celestial phenomena show signs." Chen Wuwang's tone was flat, yet carried an unquestionable force. "The Spiritual Qi tide is abnormal; the frequency of the earth vein fluctuations is identical to the period before the Awakening of the mineral vein three years ago. This is not a natural formation; it is a resurgence."

Chen Xiaodao narrowed his eyes: "Are you saying... someone is waiting for this opportunity?"

"Not 'someone'." Chen Wuwang sneered. "Everyone will come. What does a Spiritual Spring mean? It's not just Cultivate resources; it's the right to speak, a springboard to stand among the heavens. We've just made a name for ourselves, and others already dare to step on our doorsteps to grab a share?"

He paused, his voice lowering: "Therefore, we cannot let them wait for the moment they 'arrive'."

Chen Tiezhu frowned: "But all our troops are currently deployed on the eastern front. Although the insect race has retreated, the remnants haven't been cleared. If we move our main force to the West Suburbs, what if they counterattack..."

"Then don't move the main force." Chen Wuwang interrupted. "What I want is not an overwhelming army, but the first move. Whoever steps within ten zhang of the spring first gets to set the rules."

Chen Xiaodao's eyes lit up: "Are you planning to... seize the strategic advantage?"

"Not seizing." A sharp arc curled at the corner of Chen Wuwang's mouth. "It's setting a trap. Let others think they are fighting for it, while in reality, every step they take is within the circle we've drawn."

Chen Tiezhu was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked: "What do you need me to do?"

"Take some men to the West Suburbs to bury the surveillance array." Chen Wuwang pointed to the sand table. "Use the latest batch of vibration-sensing rune boards, combined with the spiritual energy guide rails for networking, and transmit the data in real-time back to the Artifact Refining Workshop console. I want to see the tremor of every inch of land."

"This..." Chen Tiezhu hesitated. "That System hasn't been tested at full load; what if it crashes..."

"It won't crash." Chen Wuwang stared at him. "What you're afraid of isn't the System; it's what happened to your wife back then. But this time is different—it's not about brute-forcing with Spiritual Qi, it's about controlling the field with rules. Trust me, and trust the path you've carved out over these years."

Chen Tiezhu's throat bobbed, and he finally nodded: "Alright. I will personally go and install the first board."

"No." Chen Wuwang shook his head. "You stay in the rear and control the situation. The front line is too dangerous; if there's an ambush, I can't afford to lose my pillar of support."

He turned to Chen Xiaodao: "Take five elites, infiltrate the highland of the dense forest in the southwest of the West Suburbs in advance, set up the spiritual energy telescope, and monitor the three-mile radius around the spring. If you detect any abnormality, send word immediately; do not engage without authorization."

Chen Xiaodao cupped his hands: "Understood."

"Remember." Chen Wuwang stared at him. "Your mission is not to fight, but to be the eyes. Even if a bird flies by, I want to know which way it flaps its wings."

"Rest assured." Chen Xiaodao grinned, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. "I can keep watch."

Chen Wuwang took one last look at the sand table and returned the dagger to his waist. He turned and walked toward the door, his cloak fluttering as his voice fell with the wind: "Now, we are not waiting for the enemy to attack; it is we who are setting up the chessboard first."

Sunlight shone on his left Mechanical Prosthetic Eye, reflecting a cold blue light, like some silent startup signal.

The three of them acted separately.

Chen Tiezhu walked quickly toward the Artifact Refining Workshop, taking a blueprint out from his bosom as he walked, his fingers stroking the edge—

That was the "programmable rune array" design draft that Chen Wuwang had given him last night; originally, he had stubbornly refused to use it, feeling it relied too heavily on external forces.

But after witnessing the scene of the mecha cannon flattening the mountaintop last night, the wall in his heart had cracked.

Now, he wanted to personally chisel this crack into a door.

Chen Xiaodao did not return to the dormitory to change; he went directly to the training ground to retrieve a night-cloak and tactical backpack, summoned five young clansmen, and the six of them moved like shadows leaving a bowstring, speeding out along the shadows of the mountain ridge.

On the way, a young boy asked in a low voice: "Brother Dao, will there really be a Spiritual Spring? My grandfather said that piece of land in the West Suburbs hasn't produced a single Spiritual Plant in a hundred years."

"There wasn't before." Chen Xiaodao looked ahead, his pace not slowing. "But now that the Family Head says there is, then there certainly is. Trusting him is more reliable than trusting Heaven."

The city gradually grew quiet.

Only in the depths of the Artifact Refining Workshop did a series of hums from spiritual energy charging emerge.

In the control room, Chen Tiezhu, wearing protective gloves, was inserting a palm-sized rune board into the transmission slot.

Data streams flickered on the screen, and the green progress bar slowly advanced.

"Connection successful." He muttered, sweat beading on his forehead.

Meanwhile, in the West Suburbs.

The moon had risen.

Silver radiance spilled over the wilderness, the grass leaves shimmering with cold light.

In the center of a ten-zhang square depression, the ground began to tremble slightly.

The soil cracked, and water vapor rose as a stream of clear spring water slowly surged from underground, glowing with a faint fluorescence, like a galaxy falling to earth.

Around the spring, mist swirled, and the concentration of Spiritual Qi climbed at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Ten zhang away, a figure stood quietly on the northern high slope.

Chen Wuwang had arrived.

He was not wearing battle armor, but had donned the black close-fitting outfit woven from nano-level spiritual silk; the dagger at his waist remained sheathed, but his right hand was always hovering above the hilt.

His Mechanical Prosthetic Eye flashed with blue light, locking onto the fluctuation frequency of the spring, and Chen Tiezhu's voice came through the earpiece: "The surveillance array has been activated; all seven nodes are online."

"Received." He responded in a low voice.

On the other end of the earpiece, Chen Xiaodao's voice also rang out: "The vision from the southwest highland is clear; there are currently no abnormal moving targets."

"Maintain silence." Chen Wuwang closed his eyes for a second, and when he opened them again, there was no emotion in his eyes. "All personnel, remain on alert. Without orders, no one is to approach the spring."

He stood quietly there like a sharp blade hidden in its sheath; though he made no move, he made the atmosphere on the wilderness heavy.

The moonlight was like silk, the spring water chiming softly.

The wind did not rise; the grass did not move.

But everyone knew—the storm was just the next second away.