Earth Vein Body Tempering Breaks the Shackles; Sacred Land Remnants Disrupt the Breakthrough

At the end of the passage lay a vast cavern. In its center floated a head-sized crystal—the Earth Vein Crystal. It radiated a dense earthen-yellow glow, and even the air around it seemed steeped in the heavy presence of the earth. With every breath, they could feel Earth Vein Power circulating through their bodies and producing a wondrous resonance with their blood qi.

"So this is the Earth Vein Crystal? What incredibly dense Earth Vein Power!" Lin Xiaohu exclaimed. He could clearly sense that, under the crystal's influence, the blood qi within him was circulating several times faster than usual.

Chen Fan walked beneath the crystal and looked up at the floating Earth Vein Crystal, recalling the records in Xing Tian's Battle Codex. "To reach the Earth Immortal realm, one must use an Earth Vein Crystal as a guide, draw the earth vein's origin into the body, merge it with blood qi, reshape the foundation of the mortal body, and break the third Mortal Body Shackles. During the process, the earth vein's origin will continuously grind down the body. If one's will is not firm enough, the body will shatter beneath that crushing force."

"Everyone, while I'm breaking through, please guard the surroundings and prevent the Immortal Sacred Land from launching a counterattack," Chen Fan said as he turned to Su Muxue and the others. He knew that advancing into the Earth Immortal realm required absolute concentration. If he were disturbed, the best-case scenario would be a failed breakthrough; the worst, his body shattering apart. They had to make certain nothing went wrong.

Su Muxue nodded. An Ice Heart Talisman appeared in her hand as the power of her blood qi slowly circulated around her. "Don't worry. With us here, no one will be allowed to disturb you." Li Mo and the disciples from the other sects also spread out, arranging a defensive formation around the cavern and watching the passage entrance with wary eyes.

Chen Fan took a deep breath and sat cross-legged beneath the Earth Vein Crystal. Forming hand seals, he began guiding Earth Vein Power into his body according to the method recorded in Xing Tian's Battle Codex. He gathered the Human Immortal blood qi above his head, forming a pale golden pillar of blood qi. The pillar connected with the earthen-yellow radiance of the Earth Vein Crystal, and a vast earth vein origin slowly poured into his body through it.

Buzz!

The instant the earth vein origin entered his body, Chen Fan felt as if every bone in his body were screaming. That power was like boulders weighing thousands upon thousands of pounds, relentlessly crushing his body and meridians. Every inch of his skin trembled as though it would collapse in the next moment. His face turned deathly pale, and beads of sweat the size of beans slid down his forehead, soaking the ground beneath him.

"What terrifying crushing force!" Chen Fan gritted his teeth and endured, mobilizing every trace of blood qi in his body to resist the earth vein origin. He could sense that although the earth vein origin was violent, it contained vitality and immense heaviness. So long as he could tame it and merge it with his blood qi, he could completely reshape his body and raise its strength to the level of the Earth Immortal realm.

Time passed bit by bit. Chen Fan's body was repeatedly damaged beneath the crushing force, then repeatedly restored amid the intertwining of blood qi and the earth vein origin. The process was agonizing beyond measure. Several times, he wanted to give up, but whenever he thought of the Will of the Heavenly Dao's scheme, the fate of all living beings bound by the spiritual root system, and the hopes of his companions, he clenched his teeth and persevered.

As his blood qi contended with the earth vein origin, it gradually took on a layer of earthen-yellow color. His originally pale golden blood qi grew heavier, and its circulation became faster and faster. Under the impact of the blood qi and earth vein origin, cracks began appearing in the third Mortal Body Shackles, producing crisp cracking sounds.

I'm almost there! Joy surged through Chen Fan's heart as he increased the force with which he guided the earth vein origin, preparing to shatter the Mortal Body Shackles in one stroke.

Just then, sounds of fighting suddenly erupted from the passage entrance. "Not good! It's the Immortal Sacred Land!" Li Mo cried anxiously. "They brought fifty people, including two elders at the mid-stage Spirit Transformation realm!"

Chen Fan's heart sank. He had reached the most critical moment of his breakthrough. If he allowed himself to be distracted, all his previous efforts would go down the drain. Yet he also knew that if Su Muxue and the others could not hold them off, then even if he succeeded in breaking through, he would still be surrounded by the Immortal Sacred Land.

"Miss Su, hold them off for a moment! I'll break through soon!" Chen Fan shouted urgently, forcibly steadying his mind as he continued attacking the Mortal Body Shackles.

A trace of determination flashed through Su Muxue's eyes. She threw the Evil Suppressing Jade Pendant to Lin Xiaohu. "Xiaohu, use the jade pendant to protect Chen Fan. I'll support Li Mo!" With that, her figure flashed toward the passage entrance. The Ice Heart Talisman in her hand erupted with brilliant blue light, instantly freezing several Immortal Sacred Land disciples charging at the front.

Lin Xiaohu gripped the Evil Suppressing Jade Pendant tightly and poured his weak blood qi into it. White light from the pendant surged, forming a protective barrier around Chen Fan and blocking the occasional spell attacks that splashed into the cavern. Though he was afraid, he stared fixedly around him, refusing to let anyone approach Chen Fan.

The battle at the passage entrance grew increasingly fierce. The two mid-stage Spirit Transformation elders of the Immortal Sacred Land were immensely powerful. Even working together, Su Muxue and Li Mo could only barely hold them back. Many sect disciples had already been injured, and the defensive formation was gradually being breached. Taking advantage of the opening, several Immortal Sacred Land disciples rushed deeper into the cavern, their target pointed straight at Chen Fan.

"Don't even think about getting near Brother Fan!" Lin Xiaohu roared. He pushed the jade pendant's white light to its limit, then grabbed a broken sword from the ground and stabbed at the charging disciples. Though his strength was meager, relying on the pendant's protection and a determination to die, he actually managed to hold back their attacks for the moment.

Chen Fan could clearly hear the sounds of battle outside and Lin Xiaohu's furious roars. He felt both anxious and moved. Taking a deep breath, he buried every emotion in the depths of his heart, and the fusion of his blood qi and earth vein origin accelerated once more.

Crack!

A crisp sound rang out from within Chen Fan's body as the third Mortal Body Shackles shattered completely! The vast earth vein origin instantly flooded into his limbs and bones, merging thoroughly with his blood qi. His body began to reshape itself at a speed visible to the naked eye—his skin grew tougher, his bones took on a pale golden hue, his meridians became broader, and his blood qi grew heavier, carrying the stability and vastness of the earth along with power capable of destroying heaven and earth.

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

He slowly opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing through them. The Earth Immortal pressure radiating from his body was like an invisible tidal wave, sweeping across the entire cavern in an instant. The Immortal Sacred Land disciples charging at the front staggered backward under that pressure, coughing blood with terror filling their eyes.

"E-Earth Immortal realm!" The two Spirit Transformation elders of the Immortal Sacred Land turned pale. They had never expected Chen Fan to truly break through into the Earth Immortal realm amid battle. That meant that not only would they fail to stop him today, they might even leave their lives behind here.

Chen Fan rose to his feet as earth vein blood qi slowly circulated around him. His earthen-yellow blood qi possessed the weight of the earth, yet contained power capable of destroying heaven and earth. He looked at the Immortal Sacred Land disciples at the passage entrance, icy killing intent flashing in his eyes. "I told you to get lost before. Now, even if you want to leave, you can't."

His figure flashed, and he instantly appeared before one of the Spirit Transformation elders. Earth Immortal blood qi condensed in his hand into a massive earthen-yellow fist. He unleashed Xing Tian's Battle Codex—Mountain Shatter. The fist carried power that crushed everything in its path as it slammed toward the elder.

The elder's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly mobilized spiritual energy to form a shield. But the blood qi power of the Earth Immortal realm far exceeded his imagination. The shield shattered instantly, and the fist smashed heavily into his chest.

Pfft! The elder spat out a mouthful of blood and flew away like a kite with its string cut, crashing heavily into the stone wall of the passage. He never made another sound.

Seeing his companion killed, the other elder was scared out of his wits and turned to flee. How could Chen Fan possibly give him that chance? His figure flashed again, and earthen-yellow blood qi formed a chain that wrapped around the elder's ankle.

"Stay." Chen Fan snorted coldly. The Blood Qi Chains jerked sharply, dragging the elder back into the cavern and smashing him heavily onto the ground. Chen Fan stepped forward and planted a foot on his chest. Earth Immortal blood qi poured in, instantly shattering his internal organs.

After dealing with the two elders, Chen Fan turned his gaze toward the remaining Immortal Sacred Land disciples. Their faces had long since gone bloodless with fright. How could they dare resist? One after another, they fell to their knees and begged for mercy.

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

"We were forced into this! The Sacred Land elders made us come!"

There was not the slightest trace of mercy in Chen Fan's eyes. To preserve its rule over the spiritual root system, the Immortal Sacred Land had slaughtered countless martial cultivators. If he spared them today, they would become future trouble. With a wave of his hand, earthen-yellow blood qi formed countless sharp blades and instantly slaughtered every Immortal Sacred Land disciple.

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

"Chen Fan, you successfully broke through to the Earth Immortal realm!" Su Muxue stepped forward with a relieved smile on her face.

Chen Fan nodded, feeling the vast Earth Immortal blood qi within his body. His heart was filled with determination. "Breaking through to the Earth Immortal realm is only the beginning. Next, we must continue searching for the inheritance of the ancient Martial Immortals, gather the Nine Seals of Martial Arts, and prepare to fight the Will of the Heavenly Dao."

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

Lin Xiaohu grinned excitedly. "Brother Fan, I want to keep fighting with you and gather the Nine Seals of Martial Arts together!"

Chen Fan smiled, then turned to look beyond the cavern. The winds of the Burial Ground of Martial Arts still blew, but now he possessed greater strength, enough to face the challenges ahead. He knew that the Human Immortal's Path to Heaven was still long, but so long as these companions who fought at his side remained beside him, and so long as his faith in martial arts remained steadfast, he would surely walk to the very end, break the shackles of Spiritual Root Destiny, return all laws to their true source, and grant all living beings the freedom to choose their own paths.

After packing their belongings, the group set out toward the next ancient Martial Immortal ruin. The Earth Immortal's figure stood especially tall beneath the sunlight, like a ray of hope illuminating the road to the revival of martial arts—and illuminating this world that had long been bound by the spiritual root system.