Chapter 188: Heavy Stone
Chapter 188: Heavy Stone
Gurgle.
Another stream of bubbles emerged from Chen Mu's nose and mouth. A martial artist who had reached the Five Viscera Realm could interact with the external world through the circulation of their inner breath, allowing them to breathe underwater. However, being deep underground, the pressure was significant. If Chen Mu had only recently broken through to the Five Viscera Realm, he would have felt a slight burden when breathing here. But after undergoing two tempering processes, he felt no pressure at all.
He walked forward along the leftmost wall for several zhang, then directed his gaze towards a particular spot on the rock face. He swiftly drew his blade and thrust it into the wall, infusing it with the power of Essence Energy True Strength. Yet, the blade only penetrated three inches.
Chen Mu's expression remained unchanged as he continued to wield the Flame Blade, hacking and chiseling at the rock. After several strikes, he extracted a bluish-silver ore from the wall and held it in his hand, feeling its icy coolness.
"Is this Frost Jade?" he wondered.
Shaking his head, he casually tossed the piece of Frost Jade aside.
Using the Mountain Root Concept, Chen Mu could sense the flow of Earth Pulse within the rock wall, easily detecting areas where the pulse was blocked, indicating that the wall was not a solid whole.
However, this perception alone couldn't reveal what lay within the wall. The Frost Jade he had chiseled out was of medium quality; if crafted into a jade pendant, it would be worth dozens of taels of silver. But to Chen Mu, it was merely something to be discarded, not worth keeping.
Chen Mu closed his eyes to focus on sensing the wall, then continued walking along it. After a while, he placed his hand on a protruding layer of rock and carefully probed its interior, sensing a faint trace of heat.
"Is this Mystic Fire Ore?" he asked himself.
Chen Mu's eyes flickered, and he immediately started chiseling with his blade. But after two strikes, when he exposed a pale red structure inside, he stopped and shook his head, continuing on his way.
It wasn't Mystic Fire Ore, but a piece of Flame Jade of high quality. Still, he already had an entire bed's worth of it, and this fist-sized piece was far from impressive.
The further Chen Mu ventured, the more amazed he became at the wonders of nature in this world.
When he exited the smaller cave and entered a larger one, spanning over ten zhang in diameter, it was clear that the rock walls here were different from those in the previous cave.
This meant that although the underground structure was a whole, it was composed of various layers of rock, pressed together by the Earth Pulse over countless years, forming the cave system.
"If a person could possess such immense strength, they could almost move mountains and fill seas, making them no different from the legendary gods and buddhas," Chen Mu thought in awe.
He continued deeper into the cave.
Soon, he reached a spot near the center where the floor was rough and uneven. After carefully sensing the area, he swung his Flame Blade and chipped away at the rock beneath his feet, his eyes narrowing slightly.
He continued to strike with his blade, eventually excavating a fist-sized, pitch-black stone that felt incredibly heavy in his hand.
"Heavy Stone," Chen Mu murmured, his eyes gleaming.
This was truly one of the rare and precious ores, its weight far exceeding that of any ordinary mineral. It was a core material for crafting heavy-duty treasures!
In the Five Viscera Realm, a martial artist's strength could rival that of a thousand men. The heavier the hammer, the more powerful its strike. But a heavy hammer would also be cumbersome to wield.
Heavy Stone was the solution to this problem. A small piece was incredibly heavy, and crafting a weapon entirely from it would result in an immensely weighty and powerful treasure.
"If I can master the second level of the Mountain Root Concept, I could harness the power of a 'Heavy Blade'. But the Flame Blade is already of top-tier quality, and adding Heavy Stone might actually diminish its effectiveness..."
"Or maybe I could forge another blade?" Chen Mu contemplated, considering the idea.
One blade light and agile, one blade heavy and powerful, this concept aligned with the principle of Heaven and Earth. It suited Chen Mu's style, but for now, it was just an idea. Crafting a treasure blade solely from Heavy Stone was possible, but the result would not be of the highest quality among treasures. Additional materials would be required to enhance it.
Nonetheless, this was a valuable find. Chen Mu considered it for a moment before storing it away. But as it was too heavy, he shook his head and instead tied it with a golden silk thread from his belt.
"If only I had a dedicated storage item," he thought longingly.
Chen Mu had once believed that such items didn't exist, but after discussing 'Spirit Artifacts' with Meng Dan Yun, he learned of a precious artifact called the 'Heaven and Earth Flask'. It had no offensive capabilities but possessed the very storage ability he desired.
In the distant past, the Great Xuan Imperial Court possessed this spirit artifact, using it as a prized possession for their military campaigns and food transportation. With this treasure, the Four Armies of the Azure Dragon and White Tiger roamed the land without fear. However, it seemed to have been lost during a battle, and its whereabouts became unknown.
Chen Mu, of course, had his desires for such a treasure, but he also understood that with his current level, even if he obtained this top-tier spirit artifact, it might not be a good thing.
Not only him, but even the Seven Mysteries Sect, a powerful sect ruling over a state, would attract envy and trouble if they possessed such an item. After all, with this artifact, they could solve the biggest challenge of military food transportation and potentially replicate the Great Xuan Court's dominance with the Four Armies.
"This spirit artifact seems to have a spatial attribute. I wonder how it was forged. Since it's named the Universe Flask, perhaps it's related to the concept of Heaven and Earth." Chen Mu's thoughts wandered.
But soon, he dismissed these impractical thoughts and continued deeper into the stone cave.
...
Gurgle.
Meng Dan Yun's mouth and nose bubbled slightly.
Holding her sword, she followed a narrow passage, soon reaching a spacious stone cave. Her gaze focused, and she noticed several stalactites hanging from the ceiling. These stalactites were silver-white, resembling ice cones, and their lower tips glowed with a white pearl-like radiance.
In a 1619 book, it was written that these were the Chi Ling Pearls.
"Chi Ling Pearls, just as I sensed." Meng Dan Yun's eyes gleamed with satisfaction.
According to rumors, these Chi Ling Pearls were formed deep within the earth's veins, taking thousands of years to mature under the influence of earth pulse energy. They contained rich essence energy and were known for their gentle nature. For martial artists in the Six Viscera Realm, these pearls were extremely beneficial, aiding in the accumulation of visceral energy.
Although Meng Dan Yun wasn't planning to enter the Six Viscera Realm soon, preferring to cultivate further in the Five Organs Realm, obtaining these pearls was still valuable. In the future, when she reached the Six Viscera Realm, they could save her a year or two of cultivation.
Swish.
Meng Dan Yun took a step forward, reaching the center of the cave. With a quick grab, she collected the large and small Chi Ling Pearls, storing them in a close-fitting pouch.
Just then, her expression changed slightly as if she sensed something. She quickly swam away from the center, retreating towards the entrance.
But at that moment—
Sizzle. The water split, and from the dark passage, a pale blue sword emerged, aiming directly at Meng Dan Yun. A faint red light appeared, blocking her retreat.
"Blood Concealment Tower!" Meng Dan Yun's face darkened. She brandished her Silver Water Sword, and the water within a few meters rippled violently, unleashing a powerful force. Taking advantage of the terrain, a figure in a black robe emerged from the dark passage, clashing with Meng Dan Yun's sword.
The black-robed figure grunted, unable to withstand Meng Dan Yun's attack in the water. They were forced back into the shadows of the passage.
However, Meng Dan Yun's path of retreat was now blocked.
Just as she decided to break through the Blood Concealment Tower's assassin head-on, the water in the stone cave surged violently. Two ring-shaped Twin Axes, imbued with Essence Energy True Strength, flew towards her from behind.
Meng Dan Yun, unable to retreat, had to face the assassin in the darkness and this sudden attack from behind. She abandoned the idea of retreating and swung her Silver Water Sword, blocking the Twin Axes. Then, she swam upwards.
Above the stone cave.
There was another cave passage, its destination unknown.
In an instant, Meng Dan Yun repelled the Blood Concealment Tower's assassin, and blocked the incoming Twin Axes. Her strike not only carried a surging force but also a warm aura, seemingly warming the water in the cave. The attack, accompanied by a warm water current, headed straight for her.
Meng Dan Yun's eyes turned colder.
She raised her Silver Water Sword, causing the water in the entire cave to ripple violently. In one swift motion, she shattered the incoming 'Spring Water' attack and clashed with the jade-colored staff.
(End of Chapter)
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