Lin Qin took the lead, racing toward the source of the pressure. Herbert and the other two followed close behind, their faces showing both a yearning for the opportunity and deep apprehension. The farther in they went, the thinner the fog grew, but the terrifying pressure rising from deep within the earth felt almost tangible, weighing on everyone's heart and making it hard to breathe. The Earth Element in the air was so dense it was nearly liquefied; they could feel its heavy energy with every breath.
The scenery along the way grew increasingly strange. The cliffs on either side were no longer ordinary rock, but had taken on a crystalline sheen, as if they contained vast amounts of Earth Element energy. Strange moss and clusters of crystals that gave off a faint yellow glow began to appear on the ground. Every so often, they spotted the bones of Earth Element magical beasts, seemingly annihilated in an instant by the sudden eruption of powerful energy.
After traveling another dozen or so miles, the view suddenly opened up. They had entered a vast underground cavern. Countless naturally glowing stalactites hung from its ceiling, illuminating the entire space like broad daylight. At the center of the cavern lay a vast, clear lake of energy like amber. What rippled across its surface was not water, but highly concentrated, liquid Earth Element essence! That boundless pressure was emanating from the lake's center.
Someone had already reached the lakeshore. It was the five armored warriors and the two lone travelers—the black-robed man and the female archer. But none of them looked to be in good shape. Two of the five armored warriors were injured, their armor damaged and their auras weak. The female archer's face was pale, and the hand holding her bow trembled slightly. Only the black-robed man remained shrouded in his cloak, making it impossible to gauge his strength, though even his stance hinted at a trace of wariness.
Their gazes were all fixed on the center of the lake. There, the liquid Earth Element essence churned as if boiling, and a massive figure appeared and disappeared within it. It was a giant formed entirely from the purest Earth Element, more than ten meters tall. Its outline was indistinct, but it radiated the despair-inducing pressure of a Saint Realm being! It seemed to be undergoing some kind of transformation—or to have been roused from slumber. The unconscious leakage of its energy had caused the disturbances throughout the canyon.
"An Earth Element spirit? No... a more powerful Elemental Lifeform!" Herbert sucked in a sharp breath, his voice hoarse. "At least an early-stage Saint Realm being! We're no match for it!"
The leader of the five warriors, an Eighth-level Warrior, said grimly, "We tried to get closer. It struck once, casually, and left us like this. It seems to be guarding something in the middle of the lake." He pointed toward the lake's center. There, they could just make out a yellow orb of light, denser than the surrounding essence and slowly pulsing like a heart. Space around it wavered faintly, and it gave off an irresistibly alluring fluctuation of Laws.
"A Heaven and Earth Wonder! A wonder that contains the origin of the Laws of Earth!" A fervent light flared in Herbert's eyes, only to be replaced by fear. With a Saint Realm Elemental Lifeform guarding it, who could possibly claim it?
Lin Qin's gaze was fixed just as intently on the heart-like orb of light. His soul trembled—not from fear, but from an overwhelming yearning! The Battle Qi within him began circulating on its own at a speed unlike anything he had experienced before. His previously hazy perception of the "Earth Element" Profound Mysteries in his spiritual sea suddenly became crystal clear! He could even "see" the threads of law flowing around the orb, representing the most fundamental and core Laws of Earth!
His bottleneck was loosening! His Heaven Rewards Diligence talent was being driven to its limits in this environment. The foundation he had accumulated through countless days and nights of arduous cultivation, stimulated by the dense Earth Element and his clear perception of the Laws, began its final push toward a qualitative transformation!
He ignored the danger and everyone around him, sat cross-legged on the spot, and circulated his Battle Qi cultivation manual with all his might. At the same time, he focused his mind completely, greedily catching and comprehending the rhythm of the Laws emanating from the orb and the Saint Realm Elemental Lifeform.
"What's he doing?" The female archer frowned.
"Breaking through in the middle of a battle? Has he lost his mind? Here?" The warrior leader also found it incomprehensible. Trying to break through with powerful enemies all around and others of unknown allegiance nearby was practically asking for death.
Herbert, however, watched Lin Qin thoughtfully. He could feel the dense Earth Element around them converging on Lin Qin at an astonishing rate. "This man... is no ordinary person."
Just then, the Saint Realm Elemental Lifeform in the center of the lake seemed to awaken completely. Its massive body rose from the liquid Earth Element, and two crimson lights kindled in its head, formed of pure rock and energy. It scanned the insignificant intruders on the shore. A vicious, destructive will engulfed the entire cavern.
"Not good! It's awake! Fall back!" The warrior leader turned pale with shock. Ignoring his injuries, he called to his subordinates and prepared to retreat.
For the first time, the black-robed man spoke, his voice hoarse and cold. "Retreat? It's too late. It's already locked onto all our life auras."
As if to prove his words, the Saint Realm Elemental Lifeform let out a silent roar, raised its enormous rocky arm, and pressed down into the air toward everyone on the shore!
"Rumble!!!"
The entire cavern shook violently! The ground beneath their feet instantly softened and collapsed, turning into quicksand that threatened to swallow them whole! At the same time, countless massive stone spears, each as thick as a battering ram, shot out from the surrounding cliffs and ground, covering the entire area where they stood! It was a sweeping attack infused with a trace of the Earth Element Profound Mysteries!
"Hold the line!" the warrior leader roared. The five warriors joined their Battle Qi, forming a thick Battle Qi shield.
Herbert and the other two immediately raised their strongest magical barriers, their Fire Element and Earth Element magic interweaving.
Black fog surged around the black-robed man, forming a distorted force field that deflected the stone spears aimed at him. The female archer moved like a wraith, dodging swiftly between the spears as she fired arrow after arrow from her longbow. Her shots struck the spears precisely on their sides, trying to alter their trajectories, but with little effect.
Lin Qin, in the crucial stage of his breakthrough, seemed to become the main target! More than half of the massive stone spears, along with the surging quicksand beneath him, swept toward him!
At this critical moment, Lin Qin's tightly shut eyes flew open! A flash of yellow light, the glimmer of the Laws, flickered in his eyes! Under the pressure of life and death, and through his comprehension of the core orb, he had finally taken his first step toward understanding the "Earth Element" Profound Mysteries!
"Solidify!"
He uttered a simple word. He was no longer chanting a spell, but drawing upon the power of the Laws of Earth between heaven and earth!
The ground within ten meters of him instantly hardened, becoming tougher than fine steel, and the surging quicksand was forcibly immobilized! At the same time, a series of small shields, more substantial than before and covered in flowing runes of law, appeared out of thin air, meeting the incoming stone spears with pinpoint precision!
"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!..."
A dense series of collisions rang out! The small shields shattered one after another under the impact of the massive stone spears, only to re-form instantly and continue pressing forward! They could not completely neutralize the spears' power, but they greatly weakened their force and speed!
Finally, the remaining stone spears struck the broad sword Lin Qin had swiftly raised, imbued with Battle Qi and his newfound understanding. A muffled boom rang out, and he blocked them by sheer force!
He had successfully withstood most of the power behind the Saint Realm being's casual strike! His blood and qi churned, and a trace of blood escaped the corner of his mouth, but he had endured it! And the instant he blocked the attack, the solid barrier within his body shattered with a deafening crash!
Battle Qi of Earth Element surged from within him like a volcanic eruption—more powerful, purer, and carrying a faint aura of the Laws. It flooded through his meridians, bones, and muscles! His spiritual power surged as well, expanding his range of perception and making his awareness of the elements of heaven and earth far sharper!
Eighth-level Warrior! Peak of a fourth-level Mage! And he had gained an initial understanding of the "Earth Element" Profound Mysteries!
His strength had risen across the board, and with his first glimpse of the Laws, Lin Qin's entire bearing had changed. Standing there, he seemed connected to the earth beneath his feet, giving off an impression of immovability and unfathomable depth.
The others, still struggling to hold on, stared at the scene in shock!
"E-Eighth level? He broke through? And he... blocked that attack?" The warrior leader could hardly believe his eyes.
Herbert was even more shaken. "The Laws... he's touched the threshold of the Laws! How is that possible?!" He had cultivated for hundreds of years without truly stepping onto the path of the Laws' Profound Mysteries. Yet this young warrior had broken through in the middle of battle and gained an understanding of them?
The gaze beneath the black hood also turned wary for the first time.
The Saint Realm Elemental Lifeform seemed to notice the change in Lin Qin, especially the trace of the same Laws of Earth emanating from him. Its crimson gaze focused more intently on him, tinged with confusion—and even deeper hostility. It raised its arm again, this time gathering even more terrifying energy. Clearly, it intended to wipe out the greatest threat—the "little bug"—once and for all.
Feeling the new power surging through him and his mastery of the surrounding Earth Element as if it were an extension of his own arm, Lin Qin's gaze sharpened like a blade. He was not afraid; instead, his fighting spirit soared! Having just broken through, he badly needed a satisfying battle to consolidate his new realm. What better opponent could there be than a Saint Realm being?
Of course, he was not blindly overconfident. He knew there was still a vast gulf between him and a Saint Realm being. But he was not without a chance—the Earth Origin Light Orb at the center of the lake, radiating its enticing fluctuations!
He glanced at Herbert and the others, then at the Saint Realm Elemental Lifeform watching them like a tiger stalking its prey. A daring plan took shape in his mind in an instant.
He called out to Herbert and the others, as well as the warrior leader and the black-robed man. "Everyone! If you want to live and claim that opportunity, join forces to hold it back! I'll go for the core treasure! Once I have it, we can discuss how to divide it! Otherwise, none of us will leave here alive today!"
Before anyone could respond, he stomped hard on the ground! His newly attained Eighth-level Warrior Battle Qi erupted at full force, merging with his newfound understanding of the "Earth Element" Profound Mysteries. He seemed to transform into a yellow streak of light that merged with the earth. Rather than charge in a straight line, he followed an eerie curve attuned to the Earth Pulsation, evading the second, even more powerful wave of attacks unleashed by the Saint Realm Elemental Lifeform and shooting toward the pulsing orb of light at the center of the lake!
Before you continue