The spirit energy lamps in the Mine Control Room still cast a faint blue glow. Senior Brother Zhang was bound to a stone pillar beside the Resonance Array by spirit energy chains, his head bowed. The burn marks on his dark brocade robe were particularly conspicuous under the light.
Lin Xuan had just finished checking the spirit energy reserves of the defense tower when the chip in his palm suddenly vibrated urgently—【Detected high-intensity psionic fluctuation, rapidly approaching from the south, energy signature matches high-level Li Family cultivator, approximately twenty individuals, including Qi Gathering fifth layer energy sources】. "Steward Lin! This is bad!"
Zhao Hu's voice boomed from the communication talisman, filled with noticeable urgency. "An old man in a brown robe has appeared at the southern mountain pass, accompanied by over a dozen Li Family cultivators. Judging by their appearance, he should be a Li Family Elder!"
Lin Xuan's heart tightened, and he quickly rushed out of the control room. Upon reaching the mine entrance, he saw a brown figure soaring through the air on the distant plains—this was the "Low-altitude artifact control" technique only mastered by Qi Gathering fifth layer cultivators. The elder was stepping on a thumb-sized Ink Jade Thumb Ring, surrounded by a dense Earth element spiritual light.
Wherever he passed, the loose stones on the ground sank half an inch under the pressure of the invisible spiritual energy. Behind him followed over twenty Li Family cultivators, each holding a Spirit Quenching Crossbow, their arrowheads glinting with a dark brown venomous light, originating from the same source as the previous "Bone-Eroding Blades." "Elder Li Song of the Li Family!"
Fatty Wang hid behind Lin Xuan, his voice trembling but gritted with determination as he identified the opponent. "I saw him once down the mountain. They say he possesses a Yellow-grade high-rank magical artifact, the 'Earth Spirit Ruyi,' which can withstand the full power of a Qi Gathering sixth layer cultivator's attack!"
Lin Xuan's gaze locked onto the jade ruyi in Li Song's hand—it was milky white all over, intricately carved with intertwined earth patterns. The chip instantly scanned and analyzed:【Artifact Name: Earth Spirit Ruyi, Base Attribute: Earth element defense, High spirit energy reserve, Defense threshold approximately 8.5 Spirit Ripple units, Weakness: Connection point of spirit patterns at the ruyi's handle end, weak resistance to high-frequency psionic impact】. Li Song stopped fifty paces outside the warning array.
As he landed his artifact, spiritual energy sent a cloud of dust billowing from the ground. He scanned the uncleaned cultivator corpses on the ground, then looked at the Spirit Energy Guns set up at the mine entrance. His triangular eyes narrowed into slits, and his voice carried an undeniable pressure: "Lin Xuan, hand over Senior Brother Zhang, along with the crude spirit ore purification technology and all the Spirit Energy Guns.
This old man can spare everyone at your mine. Otherwise, today will see this Black Stone Mountain become another abandoned mine!" The Li Family cultivators behind him immediately raised their Spirit Quenching Crossbows, their arrowheads pointed at the core area of the mine.
Dark brown venom dripped down the arrow shafts, corroding fine pits in the ground. The miners on the defense tower gripped their Spirit Energy Guns, their knuckles turning white, even their breathing lightened—the pressure of a Qi Gathering fifth layer cultivator was palpable, as if the bone-eroding wind itself had paused for a moment. Lin Xuan, however, stepped forward, standing beside the glowing lines of the warning array.
He slightly raised the muzzle of the Spirit Energy Gun in his hand, aiming at Li Song's Earth Spirit Ruyi: "Elder Li, Senior Brother Zhang forged a sect's Enforcement Token and colluded with your Li Family to seize mine resources. According to Qingyun Sect rules, he should have been taken back to the sect for judgment. As for the purification technology and the Spirit Energy Guns, they are the foundation of my protection for this mine.
If you want them, you'll have to see if my Spirit Energy Gun agrees." "Presumptuous!" Li Song roared in fury.
The Earth Spirit Ruyi suddenly blazed with a rich Earth-yellow spiritual light, which transformed into a shield half a zhang wide, blocking in front of him. "A cripple with mottled spiritual roots dares to bluster in front of this old man? Today, I will let you witness what true immortal cultivation means!"
Before he finished speaking, five cultivators behind him suddenly triggered their Spirit Quenching Crossbows—five black-poisoned bolts tore through the air, their tips emitting a sharp, piercing sound, aiming directly at the miners on the defense tower! "Defense tower, open fire! Aim at the trajectory of the bolts!"
Lin Xuan ordered sternly, simultaneously pulling the trigger of his own Spirit Energy Gun. Three pale white streams of spirit energy shot from the defense tower, precisely hitting the crossbow bolts—"Bang! Bang!
Bang!" Three muffled thuds, the bolts were struck by the spirit energy streams, and the shafts instantly exploded, splattering dark brown venom on the ground, emitting puffs of green smoke. The spirit energy stream shot by Lin Xuan grazed Li Song's Earth Spirit Shield and struck a cultivator's Spirit Quenching Crossbow behind him.
The crossbow body was instantly pierced, and fragments splashed, causing that cultivator's arm to bleed profusely. Li Song's pupils constricted. He stared at the Spirit Energy Gun in Lin Xuan's hand, his voice filled with disbelief: "This artifact…
it actually has such precise penetration power?" He had heard of the power of Spirit Energy Guns from Old Li San before, thinking they were just trinkets for low-level cultivators. Seeing it with his own eyes now, he realized the threat of this weapon far exceeded his imagination.
"More than just penetration power." Lin Xuan's lips curved into a cold smile, and he whispered into the communication talisman, "Zhao Hu, activate the Mine Resonance Array, set it to 'Low-frequency oscillation' mode, target the Li Family cultivators' formation!" Old Chen in the control room had already been waiting.
Hearing the command, he immediately turned the core knob of the resonance array. A deep hum emanated from the depths of the mine. Immediately after, faint green spirit patterns lit up on the rock walls surrounding the mine entrance.
The patterns spread along the ground, forming spiral energy fields—this was the "Resonance Fluctuation Array" modified by Lin Xuan, combining techniques from the Spirit Sheng era. It could induce low-frequency spiritual pressure fluctuations through the mine's spirit flow, disrupting the cultivators' spiritual energy circulation. A commotion suddenly broke out among the cultivators behind Li Song.
Some found their hands trembling as they held their Spirit Quenching Crossbows, while others couldn't help but retreat—the spiritual pressure fluctuations, though not directly harmful, felt like invisible hands clutching their dantian, making their spiritual energy flow sluggish. "Elder! Wh-what is this array?
My spiritual energy won't circulate!" a Qi Gathering Second Layer cultivator cried out in panic. "Why are you panicking!"
Li Song roared, attempting to quell the chaos. The spiritual light of the Earth Spirit Ruyi surged again as he tried to suppress the fluctuations with his own spiritual energy. "It's just some unorthodox array technique.
My Earth Spirit Ruyi can block it!" He leaped forward, slamming the jade ruyi down towards the defense tower—a thick Earth-yellow spiritual energy pillar shot out from the top of the ruyi, carrying a destructive aura, aimed directly at the defense tower in the center! "Concentrate firepower, aim for the handle end!"
Lin Xuan's voice pierced through the spiritual pressure fluctuations, reaching every defense tower clearly. Zhao Hu and two miners immediately adjusted their gun barrels. Three streams of spirit energy, like three white lightning bolts, precisely struck the handle end of the Earth Spirit Ruyi—this was the weak point analyzed by the chip!
"Crack!" A crisp sound echoed. The spirit patterns on the handle end of the Earth Spirit Ruyi instantly dimmed, and the thick spiritual energy pillar dissipated abruptly, scattering into dust in the air.
Li Song felt a surge of immense force transmitted through the ruyi, causing his blood and qi to surge, and a trickle of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth. He looked at the jade ruyi in his hand with disbelief—this defensive artifact, which had accompanied him for ten years, had had its spirit patterns damaged by three "unknown artifacts"! "Impossible!
How could your artifact break my Earth Spirit Ruyi!" Li Song's eyes turned crimson. Just as he was about to mobilize his spiritual energy again, he suddenly felt the spiritual pressure fluctuations under his feet intensify—Lin Xuan had instructed Old Chen to switch the Resonance Array to "High-frequency mode."
The ground began to vibrate slightly, loose stones at the mine entrance danced, and even a few small ore fragments rolled down from the rock walls, landing at the feet of the Li Family cultivators. "Elder! We can't hold on!
These fluctuations are getting stronger, and we can't even gather our spiritual energy!" another cultivator shouted. He tried to raise his hand to trigger his Spirit Quenching Crossbow but found his spiritual energy stuck in his meridians, unable to even move his fingers.
Lin Xuan seized the opportunity and pulled the trigger again—a stream of spirit energy shot directly towards Li Song's left shoulder. Li Song hastily dodged to the side, the spirit energy stream grazing his brown robe, leaving a scorched hole on the hem. It even pierced the spirit pattern amulet on his shoulder guard, causing it to dissipate into specks of spiritual light.
"Retreat!" Li Song looked at the panicked cultivators behind him and then at the still stable Spirit Energy Guns on the defense tower in the distance. He knew he wouldn't gain anything today.
If they continued fighting, not only would they fail to rescue Senior Brother Zhang, but he himself might be captured. Gritting his teeth, he ordered fiercely into the communication talisman: "Get the injured and retreat immediately!" The Li Family cultivators, as if granted amnesty, helped their injured companions and fled towards the south in disarray.
Li Song cast one last resentful glance at the mine entrance, his eyes filled with malice: "Lin Xuan! You just wait! The Li Family will settle this score with you on Black Stone Mountain sooner or later!"
With that, he stepped on the Ink Jade Thumb Ring and turned his artifact to leave, not even bothering with Senior Brother Zhang, who had been captured earlier. Only when the figures of the Li Family cultivators had completely disappeared from the mountain pass did the tense atmosphere in the mine finally ease. The miners sliding down from the defense tower had legs trembling slightly, but they couldn't hide the excitement on their faces: "Steward Lin!
We won! We repelled the Li Family Elder!" Fatty Wang ran over, grabbed Lin Xuan's arm, his voice choked with tears but brimming with emotion: "Senior Brother!
That was too terrifying just now, I thought… I thought we were finished! I didn't expect those Spirit Energy Guns to be so powerful, even breaking a Yellow-grade high-rank magical artifact!"
Lin Xuan patted his hand and swept his gaze across the mine. The base of the defense tower had a shallow pit from the Earth Spirit energy pillar strike, the warning array's glowing lines were somewhat dim, and there were still traces of exploded bolts and small pits corroded by black venom on the ground. Fortunately, only two miners had minor abrasions from flying debris, and they were all right.
He spoke into the communication talisman: "Old Chen, shut down the Resonance Array and check the spirit energy core consumption of the control room. Zhao Hu, take two people to clear the battlefield, collect the Spirit Quenching Crossbows and any remaining venom, and make sure the miners don't touch them." Zhao Hu acknowledged and left.
The miners gradually gathered around, discussing the battle just now in a babble of voices, their tones filled with awe for the Spirit Energy Guns and the array. Lin Xuan walked to the defense tower and touched the base, which had been struck by the shallow pit. The chip in his palm sent a notification: 【Defense tower structure intact, spirit energy reserves remaining 60%, Resonance Array core has no damage, rapid recovery possible】.
He looked up towards the south. The sky there had returned to clarity, but it seemed as though Li Song's departing psionic fluctuation still lingered. Lin Xuan knew that Li Song's retreat was only temporary—the Li Family had operated in Black Stone Mountain for many years and would not be willing to lose the crude spirit ore and the Spirit Energy Gun technology.
They would likely send stronger forces next time, perhaps even join forces with other immortal cultivation families. But for now, looking at the excited miners beside him and the Spirit Energy Guns glowing on the defense tower, Lin Xuan felt a sense of peace. He bent down to pick up a piece of rubble struck by a spirit energy stream, its edge still bearing a faint scorch mark.
The wind blew from the depths of the mine, carrying the steady hum of the resonance array. That sound was no longer one of unknown danger and apprehension, but had become the foundation for protecting this land. "Repair the defense tower and reload the Spirit Energy Guns," Lin Xuan turned and said to everyone, his voice calm but powerful.
"The Li Family will come again, but we have Spirit Energy Guns, we have the Resonance Array, and we have each other—as long as we hold this place, no one can take away our hope." The miners responded in unison, their voices echoing across the plains of Black Stone Mountain. Sunlight pierced through the clouds, casting a warm golden glow on the rock walls of the mine, illuminating the traces of battle, and also shining on the renewed light in everyone's eyes.