Zhenyuanzi's Proposal

Xuande carefully stored the shrunk Twelve-Petal Destruction Black Lotus and God-Slaying Spear into his Primordial Spirit space for nurturing.

He did not attempt to refine them immediately; this place was not safe.

Besides, Zhenyuanzi and the others were still waiting outside.

He cast another glance around the vast, empty underground cavern, now stripped of its two supreme treasures and feeling especially desolate.

Xuande lingered no longer.

He turned, following the path he had come, and shot upward as a streak of golden light.

The return was much faster.

Without the source of demonic qi, the residual demonic energy in the depths was naturally dissipating, offering far less resistance.

Through scorching magma, past the dark river of yin sha, across dense rock layers... finally, light appeared ahead.

"Whoosh!"

The golden light burst out of the bottomless pit and returned to the sunlight.

Xuande hovered above the center of the basin and looked out.

The basin, once thick with demonic qi and utterly dead, was now still desolate and ruined.

But the sky was clear, the air was clean, and sunlight shone unhindered on every inch of land.

No trace of demonic qi could be sensed on the surface any longer.

Only some lingering yin sha energy and residual earthfire remained, but those no longer fell under the category of demonic arts.

Thoroughly purified!

From the source to the surface!

Xuande let out a long breath, his heart filled with a sense of accomplishment.

This had not only removed the greatest obstacle to repairing the West's Earth Veins.

It was also a significant practice and a great harvest on his own path of merit.

He lifted the isolation barrier he had set earlier.

Now, it was time to notify Zhenyuanzi to come and inspect the specific condition of the Earth Veins.

As for acquiring the Destruction Black Lotus and God-Slaying Spear... Xuande pondered briefly and decided to keep it secret for now.

These two treasures were too consequential; exposing them too early might not be wise. Perhaps it would be better to reveal them when the time was more ripe.

The urgent task at hand was to cooperate with Zhenyuanzi and the others to fully repair the West's Earth Veins.

He immediately used the communication method agreed upon by the five of them.

And sent a brief message to Zhenyuanzi, who was busy in another area:

"The demonic qi has been completely dispelled. You may come to inspect the Earth Veins in detail."

After sending the message, Xuande sat cross-legged at the edge of the deep basin.

He adjusted his breathing to recover some of the energy spent on purification and exploration, while waiting for Zhenyuanzi's arrival.

Looking at the land before him—still barren, yet now bathed in sunlight with no shadow of gloom—he felt a deep sense of relief.

A few days later, a thick, earth-yellow streak of light tore through the sky from afar. It was Zhenyuanzi.

Upon receiving Xuande's message, he had temporarily stabilized a key Earth Vein node he was reshaping, entrusted it to Hongyun's care, and rushed over without pause.

"Daoist friend Xuande, you have worked hard!"

Zhenyuanzi descended on his cloud, saw Xuande, and glanced around the now-clear basin sky, his eyes filled with admiration.

"Your divine abilities are truly remarkable. Such stubborn demonic qi, purified completely within tens of thousands of years, and..."

He sensed carefully.

"It seems the problem was solved at its root, not merely cleared from the surface.

May I ask how you accomplished this?"

Xuande had already prepared his explanation. He rose to greet him:

"Daoist friend Zhenyuanzi flatters me.

It was merely relying on the innate restraining effect of merit power against demonic qi, supplemented by a few clever tricks, grinding it down bit by bit.

It was also fortunate—the demonic qi here, though pure, seemed to be water without a source, a tree without roots.

By the end of the purification, I encountered no strong backlash or hidden schemes."

He deliberately blurred the specific details of the purification process and the key discovery of the two treasures, focusing instead on the result.

Zhenyuanzi nodded upon hearing this, a hint of relief showing through his compassionate expression.

"Regardless, this is excellent news. With the demonic qi gone, the greatest obstacle to repairing the local Earth Veins has been removed.

Once I ascertain the specific damage to the Earth Veins below, I can formulate a restoration plan."

"Exactly so. We are in your debt, Daoist friend." Xuande stepped aside, gesturing for Zhenyuanzi to begin.

Zhenyuanzi said no more and walked straight to the edge of the massive pit.

This time, he no longer sensed the discomforting interference of demonic qi. His expression solemn, he once again summoned the Earth Scroll.

The ancient tome floated above his head, slowly unfurling.

A flow of earthy yellow radiance, more condensed than during his previous survey, poured forth.

Like the most precise probing waves, it silently penetrated deep into the pit, into the Earth's meridians beneath the basin.

With the demonic qi's concealment and interference gone, the Earth Scroll's power could delve unhindered into the ground.

Clearly sensing the state of every inch of rock stratum and every Spiritual Vein.

Xuande stood guard quietly nearby.

He could see Zhenyuanzi's brow sometimes furrowed, sometimes relaxed; clearly, the underground situation was more complex than he had anticipated.

This investigation lasted nearly a month.

Zhenyuanzi scanned the Earth Vein network beneath the entire basin and its surrounding connected areas almost inch by inch.

When the last ray of light retracted into the Earth Scroll and Zhenyuanzi slowly opened his eyes, his face showed obvious fatigue, but his gaze was exceptionally clear.

"The situation... is even worse than I expected."

Zhenyuanzi said to Xuande in a deep voice, his tone grave.

"Long-term erosion by demonic qi, combined with the fact that the core force of Rahula's self-destruction was mostly concentrated here, means the Earth Veins here are not merely broken or twisted."

He waved his hand, once again sketching a partial Earth Vein Light Shadow Map in the air, pointing at the lines representing this area:

"Look here. This was once a confluence node for an important branch vein of the West.

Now it is completely shattered, its spiritual mechanism utterly lost, like a vital acupoint in a Dao body being thoroughly destroyed.

Here, the Earth Vein was forcibly twisted out of its course by violent power, tangling with several adjacent meridians.

This has formed several extremely unstable Earth Qi vortexes.

If left untreated, they could trigger local earthquakes or Spiritual Energy storms at any time.

And here, in the deeper layers of the Earth Vein, crystallization and demon-stone transformation have occurred. Parts of the vein structure have been alienated, becoming extremely brittle and difficult to guide..."

Zhenyuanzi pointed them out one by one, detailing over a dozen major damages he had detected.

Each was a thorny problem requiring exceptional skill, profound magical power, and deep insight into the Dao of the Earth to resolve.

Xuande listened carefully, his expression also growing serious.

He knew the situation was severe, but he hadn't expected it to be this severe.

This was no longer simple repair; it was nearly a reconstruction.

"More importantly," Zhenyuanzi concluded.

"This place is a convergence point for multiple Earth Vein systems. Pull one thread, and the whole body moves.

Repair must be exceptionally careful. The sequence, technique, and force all require precise calculation.

Any misstep could trigger a chain reaction, damaging the areas we've painstakingly restored nearby, or even causing a larger-scale Earth Vein upheaval."

He looked at Xuande, a hint of consultation in his gaze:

"Daoist friend Xuande, in my view, repairing the Earth Veins here is the most difficult and carries the highest risk. It should be our final target to conquer.

Let us first finish all the relatively easier areas.

First, to accumulate more experience. Second, to stabilize the surrounding Earth Veins, creating a more stable and secure external environment for this site's repair.

By then, pooling the strength of the five of us, perhaps even needing to rely on certain spiritual objects or formations for assistance, we can focus our full power on this place. What do you think?"

Xuande deeply agreed.

Zhenyuanzi's arrangement was steady and experienced—tackle the easy first, then the hard, advancing step by step. This was the proper path.

"Your considerations are thorough, Daoist friend. Xuande agrees.

Let us follow your plan: first restore the other areas, and finally deal with this most difficult one."

With the decision made, the two did not delay.

Zhenyuanzi sent a message to Hongyun, who was still maintaining the Earth Veins in another complex area, arranging a meeting point.

Xuande also notified Jieyin and Zhunti, informing them that the demonic qi had been removed and outlining the next steps of the plan.