Earth Vein Body Refinement Breaks Shackles, Sacred Land Remnants Disturb Breakthrough

The end of the tunnel opened into a vast cavern. Suspended in the center of the cavern was a crystal about the size of a human head – an Earth Vein Crystal. The crystal emitted a rich, earthy yellow light, and the surrounding air seemed to be imbued with the heavy aura of the earth. With every breath, Chen Fan could feel the Earth Vein Power circulating within his body, creating a wondrous resonance with his Blood Essence.

"Is this the Earth Vein Crystal? Such potent Earth Vein Power!" Lin Xiaohu exclaimed, marveling. He could clearly sense that under the crystal's influence, his Blood Essence was circulating several times faster than usual.

Chen Fan walked to the spot directly beneath the crystal and gazed up at it. Memories from Xing Tian's Battle Codex surfaced in his mind: "To reach the Earth Immortal realm, one must use an Earth Vein Crystal as a guide, drawing the primal essence of the earth veins into the body to merge with Blood Essence, thereby reshaping the foundation of the mortal body and breaking through the third Mortal Body Shackles. During this process, the primal essence of the earth veins will continuously grind down the mortal body. If one's will is not firm, the body will shatter under the pressure."

"Everyone, while I'm breaking through, please guard the surroundings and prevent any counterattacks from the Immortal Sacred Land," Chen Fan said, turning to Su Muxue and the others. He knew that breaking through to the Earth Immortal realm required complete concentration. Any disturbance could lead to failure, or worse, the shattering of his mortal body. He had to ensure absolute safety.

Su Muxue nodded, an Ice Heart Talisman appearing in her hand as her Bloodline Power slowly circulated. "Don't worry, with us here, no one will disturb you." Li Mo and the other disciples also spread out, forming a defensive formation on the west side of the cavern, their gazes fixed warily on the tunnel entrance.

Chen Fan took a deep breath, sat down cross-legged beneath the Earth Vein Crystal, and formed hand seals. Following the techniques in Xing Tian's Battle Codex, he began to guide the Earth Vein Power into his body. He condensed his Human Immortal Blood Essence above his head, forming a pillar of pale golden light. This pillar connected with the earthy yellow glow of the Earth Vein Crystal, and a surge of primal Earth Vein essence slowly flowed into his body along the light pillar.

"Buzz!"

The moment the primal Earth Vein essence entered his body, Chen Fan felt every bone in his body screaming. The power was like a million-pound boulder, relentlessly crushing his mortal body and meridians. Every inch of his skin trembled, as if it would shatter at any second. His face instantly turned deathly pale, and large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, soaking the ground beneath him.

"Such immense crushing power!" Chen Fan gritted his teeth, mobilizing all the Blood Essence in his body to resist the primal Earth Vein essence. He could feel that although the essence was wild, it contained vitality and weight. If he could tame it and merge it with his Blood Essence, he could completely reshape his mortal body and elevate its strength to the Earth Immortal realm level.

Time ticked by, and Chen Fan's mortal body was continuously broken down by the crushing force, only to be repaired by the intertwining of his Blood Essence and the primal Earth Vein essence. The process was excruciating. Several times, he wanted to give up, but the thought of the Heavenly Dao's conspiracy, the fate of all beings bound by the Spiritual Roots system, and the expectations of his companions spurred him to persevere.

In the struggle against the primal Earth Vein essence, his Blood Essence gradually took on an earthy yellow hue. The originally pale golden Blood Essence became heavier, and its circulation speed increased. The third Mortal Body Shackles began to crack under the impact of the Blood Essence and the primal Earth Vein essence, emitting crisp "crackling" sounds.

"Almost there!" Chen Fan rejoiced inwardly, increasing the intensity of the Earth Vein essence he was drawing in, preparing to shatter the Mortal Body Shackles in one go.

Just then, a clamor of fighting erupted from the tunnel entrance. "Not good! It's people from the Immortal Sacred Land!" Li Mo's voice was filled with urgency. "There are fifty of them, plus two elders in the middle Nascent Soul stage!"

Chen Fan's heart tightened. He was at the most critical juncture of his breakthrough. If he was distracted, all his previous efforts would be in vain. Yet, he also knew that if Su Muxue and the others couldn't hold them off, even if he succeeded, he would be surrounded and attacked by the Immortal Sacred Land forces.

"Miss Su, please hold them off for a moment! I'm about to break through!" Chen Fan called out urgently, forcing himself to stabilize his mind and continue his assault on the Mortal Body Shackles.

A resolute glint flashed in Su Muxue's eyes upon hearing his words. She tossed the Evil Suppressing Jade Pendant to Lin Xiaohu. "Xiaohu, use this pendant to protect Chen Fan! I'll go support Li Mo!" With that, she flashed forward, charging towards the tunnel entrance. The Ice Heart Talisman in her hand erupted with dazzling blue light, instantly freezing the first few Immortal Sacred Land disciples who had charged forward.

Lin Xiaohu clutched the Evil Suppressing Jade Pendant and injected his meager Blood Essence into it. The pendant's white light surged, forming a protective shield around Chen Fan, deflecting the occasional stray spell attacks. Though fearful, he stared fixedly at the surroundings, ensuring no one could get close to Chen Fan.

The battle at the tunnel entrance intensified. The two middle Nascent Soul elders from the Immortal Sacred Land were powerful. Even with Su Muxue and Li Mo fighting together, they could only barely hold them off. Many disciples had already been injured, and the defensive formation was gradually being breached. A few Immortal Sacred Land disciples seized the opportunity to charge into the depths of the cavern, their target clearly Chen Fan.

"You won't get near Brother Fan!" Lin Xiaohu roared, maximizing the pendant's white light. He also picked up a broken sword from the ground and lunged at the charging disciples. Despite his weak cultivation, with the pendant's protection and his desperate resolve, he managed to temporarily fend off their attack.

Chen Fan could clearly hear the sounds of battle outside and Lin Xiaohu's furious roar. He felt both anxious and deeply moved. He took a deep breath, suppressing all his emotions, and accelerated the fusion of his Blood Essence with the primal Earth Vein essence.

"Crack!"

A crisp sound echoed within Chen Fan's body. The third Mortal Body Shackles shattered completely! The surge of primal Earth Vein essence poured into every part of his body, completely merging with his Blood Essence. His mortal body began to reshape at a visible rate – his skin became tougher, his bones took on a pale golden hue, his meridians widened, and his Blood Essence grew heavier, imbued with the stability and might of the earth.

Earth Immortal realm! Chen Fan had finally broken through to the Earth Immortal realm!

He slowly opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing within them. The Earth Immortal pressure radiating from him swept through the entire cavern like an invisible tidal wave. The Immortal Sacred Land disciples at the forefront were forced back by the pressure, spitting blood, their eyes filled with terror.

"E-Earth Immortal realm!" The two Nascent Soul elders from the Immortal Sacred Land turned deathly pale. They had never expected Chen Fan to actually break through to the Earth Immortal realm amidst battle. This meant not only could they not stop him today, but they might also lose their own lives here.

Chen Fan stood up, the Earth Vein Blood Essence circulating around him. His earthy yellow Blood Essence was as heavy as the earth itself, yet it contained world-destroying power. He looked at the Immortal Sacred Land disciples at the tunnel entrance, a cold killing intent flashing in his eyes. "I told you to get lost before. Now, you won't be able to leave!"

He flickered, instantly appearing before one of the Nascent Soul elders. Earth Immortal Blood Essence condensed in his hand into a massive, earthy yellow fist. He unleashed "Xing Tian's Battle Codex: Mountain Shatter." The fist, carrying the power to crush everything, slammed towards the elder.

The elder's face changed drastically. He hurriedly channeled his spiritual energy to form a shield. But the Earth Immortal realm Blood Essence was far beyond his imagination. The shield shattered instantly, and the fist landed heavily on his chest.

"Pfft!" The elder spat out a mouthful of blood, his body flying backward like a kite with a broken string. He slammed heavily against the cavern wall and never moved again.

Seeing his companion killed, the other elder was terrified out of his wits and turned to flee. How could Chen Fan let him? He flickered again, and the earthy yellow Blood Essence formed a chain, wrapping around the elder's ankle.

"Stay here!" Chen Fan snorted coldly. The Blood Essence chain yanked hard, pulling the elder back into the cavern, where he fell heavily to the ground. Chen Fan stepped forward and stomped on his chest. Earth Immortal Blood Essence surged in, instantly shattering his internal organs.

Having dealt with the two elders, Chen Fan turned his gaze to the remaining Immortal Sacred Land disciples. These disciples were already ashen-faced with fear. How could they dare resist? They immediately knelt and begged for mercy.

"Spare us! We'll never dare to oppose Mr. Chen again!"

"We were forced! The elders of the Sacred Land compelled us to come!"

There was no pity in Chen Fan's eyes. The Immortal Sacred Land had harmed countless martial cultivators to maintain the rule of the Spiritual Roots system. If he let them go today, they would become future trouble. He waved his hand, and countless sharp blades of earthy yellow Blood Essence instantly cut down all the Immortal Sacred Land disciples.

The battle in the cavern finally ended. Su Muxue, Li Mo, and the other disciples looked at the Earth Immortal pressure emanating from Chen Fan, their eyes filled with admiration and excitement.

"Chen Fan, you've successfully broken through to the Earth Immortal realm!" Su Muxue walked forward, a look of relief on her face.

Chen Fan nodded, feeling the surging Earth Immortal Blood Essence within him, his heart filled with determination. "Breaking through to the Earth Immortal realm is just the beginning. Next, we must continue to seek the inheritance of the ancient Martial Immortals, gather the Nine Seals of Martial Arts, and prepare to confront the Heavenly Dao's will."

He looked at Lin Xiaohu and patted his head. "Xiaohu, you did very well today. You didn't disappoint me."

Lin Xiaohu grinned excitedly. "Brother Fan, I'll fight alongside you from now on and help gather the Nine Seals of Martial Arts!"

Chen Fan smiled and turned to look outside the cavern. The wind still blew across the Burial Ground of Martial Arts, but now, he possessed even greater strength, enough to face the challenges ahead. He knew that the "Human Immortal's Path to Heaven" was still long, but as long as he had these companions fighting alongside him and a firm belief in the Martial Path, he would surely reach the end, break the shackles of Spiritual Root Destiny, allow all laws to return to their true nature, and grant all beings the freedom to choose their own paths.

The group packed their belongings and set off towards the next ancient Martial Immortal relic. The figure of the Earth Immortal stood tall under the sunlight, like a beacon of hope, illuminating the path of martial arts resurgence and the world that had been bound by the Spiritual Roots system for so long.