PFC Chapter 147 The Initial Struggle for the Spiritual Vein
Chapter 147 The Initial Struggle for the Spiritual Vein
A biting mountain wind howled past, causing Zhuang Yu's robes to flutter loudly.
He and Wang Yao appeared at the entrance of a valley shrouded in mist.
A rich spiritual energy wafts towards you, almost solidified, and taking a breath is invigorating.
Deep in the valley, a spiritual vein, winding like a giant dragon, radiates a soft light and beats rhythmically like a heart. Each pulse draws in the surrounding spiritual energy of heaven and earth, forming visible ripples of energy.
However, this blessed land was not uninhabited.
In the valley, various forces had already taken up positions. Some sat, some stood, some talked in hushed tones, and some closed their eyes to rest. Without exception, all eyes were fixed on Zhuang Yu, filled with vigilance, greed, and even murderous intent.
The air was thick with tension and oppression, like a taut string that could snap at any moment.
Tian Yuanzi, dressed in a black robe, stood at the front of the crowd. When he saw Zhuang Yu, a cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth. "Oh, isn't this our young master Zhuang? What, you want a piece of the pie too?"
Beside him, Elder Feng, the leader of the Lingxiao Sect, stroked his long beard, his shrewd gaze falling on Zhuang Yu, and slowly said, "Young friend Zhuang, this spiritual vein is not something just anyone can get their hands on. You'd better leave as soon as possible."
Two disciples of the Lingxiao Sect, A and B, stood on either side of Elder Feng, staring at Zhuang Yu as if facing a formidable enemy.
Disciple A drew his sword, pointing it directly at Zhuang Yu, and said sternly, "If you know what's good for you, get lost! Otherwise, don't blame us for being impolite!"
Various forces were stirring, forming a subtle encirclement that surrounded Zhuang Yu and Wang Yao in the center.
Zhuang Yu felt immense pressure, but he did not show the slightest fear.
He took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, a determined light shining in his eyes.
He knew that today's incident would probably not end well.
He turned to look at Wang Yao and said softly, "Yao'er, are you scared?"
Wang Yao gently shook her head, her eyes calm as still water. She held Zhuang Yu's hand tightly, offering him silent support.
Zhuang Yu turned around, facing the menacing crowd, and a strange smile suddenly appeared on his lips.
“The thing I dislike most is being threatened…” He slowly began, his voice deep and powerful, “Since you all want me to leave, then I will…” He paused, and no one expected that, faced with such an unfavorable situation, he would not choose to confront it head-on, but instead put forward a seemingly absurd suggestion—to share the spiritual vein.
The cold smile on Tian Yuanzi's face froze, replaced by a hint of doubt.
He squinted, scrutinizing Zhuang Yu as if trying to see through his intentions.
Elder Feng, the leader of the Lingxiao Sect, was also slightly taken aback. He stopped stroking his beard, and his shrewd eyes were filled with scrutiny.
The cultivators from other factions exchanged bewildered glances and whispered amongst themselves, clearly finding Zhuang Yu's proposal hard to believe.
The air seemed to freeze, with only the faint fluctuations of spiritual energy emanating from the depths of the spiritual vein, silently testifying to the immense energy contained within.
Just as the various forces were hesitating, Elder Feng broke the silence first.
A cold smile crept across his lips, a glint of cold light flashing in his eyes: "Hmph, sweet talk! Do you think I'll be fooled by your few words? A spiritual vein is a rare treasure, how can it be shared with others? A, B, seize him!"
At his command, Lingxiao Sect disciples A and B immediately responded.
Disciple A held a long sword, the tip of which was pointed directly at Zhuang Yu. With a light tap of his toes, he rushed towards Zhuang Yu like an arrow released from a bow.
Disciple B followed closely behind, wielding a huge iron hammer that whistled through the air as it swung, its unparalleled momentum striking Zhuang Yu with tremendous force.
Faced with the sudden attack, Zhuang Yu's expression hardened.
While protecting Wang Yao behind him, he circulated his spiritual energy, his figure dodging attacks like a ghost.
The longsword sliced through the air with a sharp whistling sound, and each swing of the hammer caused the ground to tremble slightly, sending fragments of stone flying.
Wang Yao watched from the side, her heart pounding in her chest.
She clenched her fists tightly, her palms were sweaty, and her face was full of tension and worry.
She really wanted to help Zhuang Yu, but she knew that with her late-stage Qi Refining cultivation, stepping forward at this moment would only make her a burden to him.
In the valley, the spiritual energy surged like a raging storm, shaking the vegetation and sending rocks flying with a piercing crashing sound.
The powerful shockwave forced even cultivators in the distance to avoid its impact.
While dodging, Zhuang Yu observed the movements of Elder Feng and the others, looking for an opportunity to counterattack.
Just then, he suddenly discovered an extremely powerful spiritual energy fluctuation coming from the depths of the spiritual vein, which was more intense and rapid than before.
His heart skipped a beat, and he was about to speak up to warn them when he saw Elder Feng reveal a sinister smile and say, "Make this quick! Don't let things drag on!"
“But the strange movement of that spiritual vein…” Disciple A hesitated. He sensed that power and felt uneasy.
"Hmph!" Elder Feng snorted coldly, and a wave of pressure descended. Disciple A immediately turned pale and dared not speak again. He gritted his teeth and charged at Zhuang Yu once more.
Zhuang Yu took a deep breath
His eyes sharpened, and he turned and sped towards disciple A, whispering, "Yao'er, be careful..."
The longsword, like a venomous snake spitting its tongue, carried a chilling glint as it pierced straight for Zhuang Yu's throat.
The hammer, with a dull whistling sound and the force of a mountain, smashed into his back.
The strong wind stung Zhuang Yu's cheeks, and the air was filled with the ear-piercing sound of metal clashing.
He moved with incredible speed, his figure weaving through the sword light and hammer shadows like a ghost. Each dodge was incredibly dangerous, yet he managed to avoid fatal attacks with perfect timing.
Zhuang Yu kept a keen eye on everything around him, dodging attacks while simultaneously analyzing the weaknesses of the two attackers.
Disciple A's swordsmanship is fast, but his pursuit of speed results in a slight lack of power; Disciple B possesses immense strength, but his speed is somewhat slow.
He had made up his mind, and a sly smile appeared on his lips.
When disciple A thrust at him again, Zhuang Yu slightly shifted his body to the side, dodging the sword tip, while simultaneously forming a claw with his right hand and precisely grasping the blade.
Disciple A felt a numbness in his hand as his longsword was firmly gripped. He stared in shock, trying to pull it back, but found that he couldn't budge it an inch.
Zhuang Yu sneered, gathered spiritual power in his left hand, and transformed it into a sharp palm wind, which slammed hard into disciple A's chest.
Disciple A immediately felt his internal organs churning, and his body flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily to the ground, spitting out blood.
At the same time, disciple B's iron hammer came down again, but Zhuang Yu was not flustered. He tapped his toes and suddenly rose into the air, dodging the frontal attack of the iron hammer.
Using the momentum, he flipped over in mid-air, like a nimble bird, and landed behind disciple B in an instant.
Before disciple B could react, he struck out with both palms, slamming them heavily into disciple B's back.
Disciple B felt a tremendous force surge into his body. He groaned, as if struck by a heavy blow, and his body fell forward uncontrollably, crashing heavily to the ground with a deafening thud.
The surrounding cultivators were all stunned. Their mouths were agape. They had originally thought Zhuang Yu was just a weak and frail nobleman, but they never expected him to possess such great strength, and to be able to defeat two of the Lingxiao Sect's top experts in such a short time.
Wang Yao stood not far away, watching Zhuang Yu's figure. Seeing how powerful Zhuang Yu was, she felt proud, but also worried about him.
Her gaze was gentle yet firm, as if to say: No matter what, I will support you.
Zhuang Yu felt Wang Yao's gaze and his heart warmed. He turned his head and gave Wang Yao a tender look, as if to say silently: Don't worry, I'm fine.
He turned his head again, looked at the disciples A and B who had fallen to the ground, and a cold smile appeared on his lips. He took a step and slowly walked towards Elder Feng.
Just then, a deafening roar came from the depths of the valley, as if an ancient behemoth had awakened. A powerful and suffocating pressure instantly enveloped the entire valley.
Zhuang Yu abruptly stopped in his tracks. He sensed the terrifying power, his heart tightened, his brows furrowed, and he said in a deep voice, "What... is this thing?"
Zhuang Yu's counterattack was clean and swift, like autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves, leaving everyone present stunned.
The fact that the two disciples of the Lingxiao Sect were defeated in a single exchange was undoubtedly a wake-up call to Elder Feng and the others who were eyeing them covetously.
Seeing his disciples A and B so easily defeated, Tian Yuanzi's expression changed drastically.
His previous disdainful expression had vanished, replaced by solemnity and apprehension.
He knew that he had underestimated this seemingly harmless boy.
"Interesting." Tian Yuanzi chuckled sinisterly. He slowly stood up, his body shrouded in black mist, like a demon god from hell. "Since you are so ungrateful, then don't blame me for being impolite!"
Before he finished speaking, Tian Yuanzi quickly formed hand seals, and a powerful spiritual energy wave spread out rapidly from him.
He suddenly struck out with his palm, and a black palm print, carrying a destructive aura, rushed straight towards Zhuang Yu like a roaring beast.
Faced with this fierce attack, Zhuang Yu remained calm. He quickly circulated his spiritual power, drawing an arc in front of his chest with both hands, and a golden light shield instantly enveloped him.
"boom!"
The black palm print collided with the golden light shield, producing a deafening roar.
The dazzling light instantly illuminated the entire valley, and the violent spiritual energy surged like a hurricane, uprooting the surrounding trees, sending rocks flying, and dust billowing everywhere.
Zhuang Yu groaned, feeling a powerful impact that caused his blood and qi to surge.
But he remained firmly in place, and although the golden light shield trembled violently, it did not break.
"You've got some skill, no wonder you're so arrogant!" A hint of surprise flashed in Tian Yuanzi's eyes, but he immediately sneered, "However, do you think you can stop me like this? You're too naive!"
After saying that, Tian Yuanzi attacked again, and black palm prints poured down like raindrops, overwhelming Zhuang Yu.
Zhuang Yu dared not be careless. While maintaining the golden light shield, he used his movement technique to nimbly dodge through the gaps in the palm prints.
His figure moved elusively like a ghost, each dodge perfectly timed, causing Tian Yuanzi's attacks to miss.
The two fought fiercely, exchanging blows, and the dazzling light and deafening roar made the entire valley tremble.
Just then, a deafening roar suddenly came from the depths of the valley, and a powerful, suffocating aura instantly enveloped the entire valley.
"Roar--"
The roar was like that of an ancient beast, carrying a terrifying pressure that made everyone present tremble.
"what is that?"
"What a terrifying smell!"
"Could it be..."
Everyone looked up in horror, only to see a gigantic figure slowly emerging from the depths of the valley. Its appearance caused the heavens and earth to change color...