Master Xuan Ji's expression also changed, and as soon as Lu Qian retreated to his side, he pulled out the Array Map and activated the Five Elements Grand Array.
The five command banners spun and combined, activating the grand array and enclosing the two in its center.
A hissing roar was heard, as a massive shadow shot forth, the ink-green scale armor glistening under the moonlight—it was the Snake Demon!
When breaking the array earlier, Lu Qian and Master Xuan Ji had been cautiously guarding against a sudden attack from the Snake Demon, but nothing happened. It turned out it was lurking here.
Master Xuan Ji shouted loudly, the array spun, ready for the Snake Demon to enter, intending to give it a Thunder Strike. Lu Qian also held the Starlight Needle in hand, waiting to unleash it.
Unexpectedly, the Snake Demon, seeing the five-colored light of the array, paused, then abruptly turned and dodged away, slithering along the stone wall and quickly disappearing into a pile of rocks, going far away.
"That wretched creature is quite clever," Master Xuan Ji said smugly, "with the array broken, it has no choice but to flee. The two from Shengyi Sect outside are holding the line, so we're not in a hurry. Let's explore the cave first."
Lu Qian nodded, and the two entered the cave again.
The cave was pitch black, filled with a stench. Lu Qian used fluorite to illuminate, seeing the cave extending straight into the mountain's interior, with no branches, and marked deeply by the Snake Demon.
After a hundred steps, their view opened up, and the cave suddenly widened into a spherical space tens of meters in diameter.
The stench faded here, replaced by a faint rising Spiritual Qi.
Lu Qian's eyes were immediately drawn to a point in the center of the stone cave, seven feet above the ground, where a thin mist twisted, emanating tiny spots of Spiritual Light.
That was a Spirit Vein!
With Lu Qian's intellect, he couldn't contain his excitement at the moment and was about to move forward when he heard Master Xuan Ji exclaim, "Huh, why is there a skeleton here?"
Lu Qian regained his composure, looked carefully, and indeed saw, not far from the Spirit Vein, a skeleton lying half-reclined on a pile of rocks, with a khaki Qilin Jade Seal beside it. Below the Spirit Vein, a jade plaque emitted a warm glow, absorbing the Spiritual Qi in the air.
That should be the Array Base and Array Map.
Master Xuan Ji waved the command banner, securing the Array Base and Map. Lu Qian felt the surrounding Spiritual Qi turn chaotic as the Five Elements Grand Array, enveloping half the mountain, disintegrated and vanished.
The two approached, seeing the skeleton reduced to bare bones. Judging by the decay of his robes, it seemed he had passed away decades ago.
Since he died here, with the Array Base and Map beside him, he should have been the Foundation Establishment Feather Scholar who set up the grand array.
A Foundation Establishment Feather Scholar, with a lifespan of four hundred years, was a respected figure among cultivators. A sect with such a scholar would shed its micro-sect status, hailed as a small sect, ruling over several hundred miles of territory, holding a place within a large prefecture, governing dozens of counties, and millions of mortals.
Since the unexpected demise of the founder, Master Yeyang, the Yunshan Sect had not produced another Golden Core Master and swiftly declined. Lu Qian's master, the third-generation Sect Leader, was only at the Early-Stage Foundation Establishment, while their former ally Ziluo Mountain suddenly betrayed them, joining the Wang Family's surprise attack, leading to swift defeat.
Seeing such a once-notable Foundation Establishment Feather Scholar's remains exposed here, both felt a pang of sadness.
After a careful inspection, they saw the white-boned hands of the cultivator clutching a yellow jade scroll, making both of them curious.
"There should be some information here," Master Xuan Ji said, stroking his goatee. "It might be his last words. Let's take a look."
Lu Qian nodded in agreement. Master Xuan Ji read it first, his face turning complicated as he sighed and handed the jade scroll to Lu Qian.
"I am Li Zhenru, Elder of the Xianyou Sect in Ningzhou, laying to rest here today, all because of the treachery of Shengyi Sect Leader, Qian Ji!"
The first sentence shocked Lu Qian—were the two Shengyi Sect disciples in the mountain merely coincidence, or were they connected?
"Since advancing to Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment, I have long been unable to break through, feeling restless. Claiming expertise in arrays, I ventured alone from Ningzhou to Cangzhou, then to Qingzhou..."
What followed was a rather conventional story. The proud Li Zhenru came to Qingzhou, met Shengyi Sect Leader Qian Ji, who claimed to know of a loose cultivator's cave residence whose master had passed away but was protected by an array, impossible to enter, thus pleading for Li Zhenru's help, promising to share the gains upon breaking the array.
Li Zhenru gladly went along, but after expending much energy to break the grand array, the cave's master suddenly appeared. It turned out it was not a deceased loose cultivator but rather the cave of an archenemy of Shengyi Sect, with Qian Ji planning to kill with a borrowed knife.
The cave's master naturally wouldn't let Li Zhenru and Qian Ji escape. In the ensuing fierce battle, Li Zhenru was gravely injured; the master was also severely injured and fled, while Qian Ji took the cave's treasures. Li Zhenru reprimanded Qian Ji loudly, but Qian Ji wore a sincere, apologetic facade, misleading him to believe him.
Later, at a banquet, Qian Ji tricked Li Zhenru into drinking Shengyi Sect's unique Secret Medicine, Drunken Immortal Powder.
After consuming the medicine, his Spiritual Power greatly diminished. Though at Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment, the Drunken Immortal Powder's effect was reduced, and he barely escaped, severely injured.
"I dismissed my Spiritual Pets, but one Spirit Snake refused to leave. Alas, even beasts understand loyalty, yet Qian Ji is worse than a beast!"
"After hiding in the Desolate Mountain, I unexpectedly found a Spirit Vein, thinking heaven had not forsaken me. Little did I know it was a cosmic joke, for this Spirit Vein was the lowest grade, a withering Spirit Vein! My injuries were too severe, and with its Spiritual Qi, recovery was impossible."
Reading this, Lu Qian felt as if a cold bucket was poured over his spirit, unable to maintain composure. He quickly scanned the remaining information and then raised his head to observe the Spirit Vein in the air carefully.
Spirit Veins are the foundation of the Cultivation Realm. The civilization of cultivators began with the discovery of the first Spirit Vein.
Spirit Veins have no physical form, varying in external appearance, possibly appearing in celestial voids, marine depths, vegetation, or rocks. They draw energy from the Void, converting it to Spiritual Qi, infusing it into the Cultivation Realm.
Perhaps only Void Refining level cultivators capable of Crossing the Void and exploring extraterrestrial worlds could fathom the principle of Spirit Veins. Yet, super sects of the Cultivation Realm keep their research on Spirit Veins a secret.
This Spirit Vein before their eyes was indeed of the lowest grade. Its external form was a faint Spiritual Mist, almost dissipating, with Spiritual Qi drifting away. Judging by this, it was truly First-Level Low-Tier.
Lu Qian recalled the original Spirit Vein of Yun Mountain, a Treasure Land found by Master Yeyang, Third-Level Mid-Tier, with Spiritual Qi flowing abundantly like a clear spring, animating the whole Yun Mountain with vitality. Compared to it, this Spirit Vein was unworthy even to carry its shoes.
With the passage of time, new Spirit Veins will inevitably emerge, while old ones will change, some ascending in grade, others descending.
Overall, the probability of descending in grade is higher than ascending.
A Spirit Vein whose grade has descended is referred to as a withering Spirit Vein.
First-Level Low-Tier—if it continues to wither, wouldn't it simply dissipate?