The mountains on the whale's back really grew! The Qilin Clan stared in amazement
Lu Yuan's Divine Sense slowly spread along the hillside on his back. The few strands of earth-yellow light patterns were extending forward along the rock crevices between the scales. The earth Spiritual Qi that were originally scattered were actually beginning to converge towards the same rock ridge.
He had seen grass growing on the soil on his back, water accumulating in the crevices of rocks, and even watched a group of Little White Beasts reproduce for several generations on it before. But this change was obviously more special. As the Wu Earth Essence Qi that he had just absorbed slowly dissipated, those loose rocks were forming a continuous flow of earth energy.
"This thing actually grew into a mountain range for me?" Lu Yuan couldn't help but mutter, feeling quite amazed. He decided to temporarily stop his activities so that Qi Yue and Qi Yan could observe the area more closely.
Qi Yue immediately released his Divine Sense and explored the rock ridge from beginning to end. His surprise grew stronger. He originally thought that these earth spirit patterns were only temporarily gathered, but he found that some of them had begun to slowly return to their original state and were even able to nourish the soil in several nearby areas.
"Qi Yan, come and see this!" Qi Yue couldn't help but call out, his voice unusually excited. "This rock ridge can actually maintain a little bit of earth element circulation on its own. If this continues, it really has a chance to form a stable small ley line in the future."
Qi Yan quickly came to his side. After observing him carefully for a moment, he couldn't help but take a deep breath. Having guarded Xuanhuang Ridge for so many years, he naturally knew how difficult it was for Earth Spirit Qi to truly form an orderly flow. What ordinary mountains and rivers could only gradually achieve over a long period of time was now appearing on the back of a living giant whale.
"This vein is still very shallow, far from being a truly complete Innate Spirit Vein, but it has indeed been able to slowly connect with the nearby rock strata." Qi Yan said solemnly, "What surprises me most is that there is no fixed earth support below; all the power is attached to its scales."
Upon hearing this, several young Qilin nearby couldn't help but look up. The Blue-Horned Qilin, who had previously regarded the Whaleback Forest as a peculiar landscape, finally realized that the rock strata were undergoing a deeper transformation.
"Elder, do you mean that mountain can really grow its own spiritual herbs and trees in the future?" The Blue-Horned Qilin asked excitedly, while the Red-Maned Qilin beside him even extended its Divine Sense toward the rocky ridge, its eyes growing brighter and brighter as it looked.
Qi Yan explained, "Right now, this vein of earth energy is still very immature. It will take a long time to accumulate before it can truly form a stable spiritual land. However, the nearby vegetation has indeed been able to absorb a small amount of overflowing earth energy, and it will only become more suitable for growth in the future."
As soon as the words were spoken, a previously dry hillside began to change. Several spiritual herbs growing in the crevices of the rocks slowly unfurled their leaves, and the loose soil near their roots gradually became moist and thick. A small stream in the distance also changed its course.
Lu Yuan naturally noticed this. He slightly adjusted the position of the scales on his back, allowing the stream to continue flowing along the original small valley, preventing the suddenly appearing rock ridge from blocking the water. Several Little White Beasts that were drinking water by the stream immediately raised their heads and looked at the gradually rising slope next to them with confusion.
A white cub couldn't resist running over. Just as it climbed halfway up the slope, the stones under its feet began to move slightly, startling it so much that it jumped back. It then shrank behind the adult white beast, revealing only its round eyes to continue observing.
The oldest white beast also came to the vicinity. It first looked up at the pale golden light screen, then lowered its head to test the newly appeared earthen slope. Once it confirmed that the ground had gradually stabilized, it let out a soft growl, allowing the tribe to return to the grassland where they originally roamed.
Lu Yuan could see clearly through his Divine Sense and breathed a sigh of relief. While it was gratifying to see the mountains and rivers growing, it would be troublesome to let these little creatures live in fear all day long. Fortunately, he was able to control the movement of the scales more smoothly.
Qi Yue saw Lu Yuan actively adjusting the direction of the stream, and his eyes showed even more appreciation. He had long known that this Grand Void Sky Whale would take care of the weak creatures on its back, but he did not expect that even as the mountain ridge gradually took shape, it could spare some attention to keep the nearby habitat safe.
"Fellow Daoist, this ridge is most suitable for continuing to extend along the main bone of your back," Qi Yue suggested after careful sensing. "The scales there move relatively slowly, and the earth's energy accumulates easily. As long as this trend is maintained, the nearby forests will gradually receive more nourishment."
Lu Yuan listened attentively but did not rush to do so. He first used his own senses to confirm which parts of his back were the most stable. After discovering that the bone Qi Yue pointed out was indeed suitable for accumulating rock layers, he slowly changed the flow of Qi and Blood in the vicinity, causing the overflowing gentle earth spirit to slowly converge there.
However, he did not force the earth's energy to grow rapidly. The existing forests and streams on his back still needed to adapt. If he really wanted this mountain range to grow bigger and bigger, he naturally had to let it grow slowly according to the speed of his own physical growth.
Qi Yan observed for a long time, and the worry in his eyes gradually disappeared. Lu Yuan was able to actively control his power and was willing to respect the laws of the earth's veins. He was indeed more suitable for long-term absorption of the essence of Xuanhuang Ridge than many innate beings who only pursued rapid improvement.
He also specifically asked a young Qilin to record the locations of those earth spirit patterns, so that they could compare them when Lu Yuan grew up next time and see which places were the easiest to stabilize the rocks. After receiving the order, the young Qilin immediately began to investigate seriously, and the surprise in its eyes gradually turned into curiosity about the changes in the earth's energy.
What impressed Qi Yan even more was the adaptability of the Little White Beasts to the changes in their surroundings. As long as Lu Yuan slowed down the movement of the scales slightly, the entire forest could return to calm, and even the young beasts dared to run back onto the grassy slope. This showed that the giant whale had a more detailed control over its own power than he had originally thought.
"This is truly an eye-opener," Qi Yan finally couldn't help but exclaim. "I've only ever seen mountains grow on the earth before, but today, a Primordial Divine Beast has actually grown a mountain range on its back. As it grows larger, it might even surpass the dojos of ordinary cultivators."
Several young Qilin nodded in agreement, and one Red-Maned Qilin couldn't help but say, "If one day Senior Lu Yuan grows to be a million miles tall, how big would this mountain be on his back? Perhaps our Qilin Clan would have to make a special trip to see it."
Qi Yue chuckled, "That depends on your own plans, fellow Daoist. Let's take care of the Xuanhuang Ridge matter first, and not forget about the Spirit Veins we're supposed to be patrolling while we're watching the show."
As Lu Yuan listened to the discussion among the Qilin, he couldn't help but feel a little expectant. However, at present, it was just a mountain range that was gradually taking shape, and it was even more distant from the giant beast that was millions of miles away. He was not in a hurry to arrange any grand purpose for the mountains on his back.
He recalled that when he first woke up, he didn't even feel the ferocious beasts on his back biting his teeth, but now he was actually worrying about whether a few white beasts could drink the stream smoothly. Thinking about it, it was really a bit strange. But this forest had been with him for many years, so he naturally couldn't bear to mess with it.
He re-examined the transformation of the Wu Earth Essence Qi within his body and found that the absorption was indeed basically complete. His body had returned to its original ease, so he slowly raised his head to look at Qi Yan: "That batch of essence was quite suitable for me. If there are similar ones in the future, we can continue to discuss exchanging them."
Upon hearing this, Qi Yan became even more serious. He had personally witnessed the changes that the Xuanhuang Deposited Sand had brought to Lu Yuan and knew that this giant beast would likely need earth spirit resources for a long time to come. If the two sides wanted to maintain their relationship, they naturally had to clarify the scope of use, the rewards, and the rules for protecting the earth veins.
"Since you are willing to continue our cooperation, I will not beat around the bush," Qi Yan said slowly. "Xuanhuang Ridge can indeed produce a portion of Wu Earth Essence Qi over a long period of time, but we should clarify now which parts can be used and which parts must be retained in the core of the Spirit Vein."
Qi Yue nodded in agreement, and the other young Qilin nearby quieted down as well. Their gazes, which had been fixed on the mountains and rivers on the whale's back, gradually turned to the two elders. Lu Yuan lowered his head slowly, waiting attentively for Qi Yan to continue.