Old Thunder Sect Outpost

Baihe Province, deep within the southwestern mountain range.

Li Yuan's evasion light moved slowly through the valleys. He reined in all fluctuations of spirit power and used multiple sensory methods to scan the surrounding environment simultaneously.

The Blue Permanent Trait of the Earth Vein Spirit Pivot passively sensed the paths of deep underground spirit veins and the distribution of mineral veins. The Spatial Investigation Technique scanned for abnormalities in the spatial structure beneath the surface with proficient-level precision. The Blue Permanent Trait of Dark Fiend Insight remained keenly sensitive to traces of fiend qi and demonic qi nearby.

The three layers of perception overlapped, extending from the surface down several dozen zhang underground.

The lingering traces of lightning-aspected spirit power grew increasingly dense, concentrated around a stretch of gray-black rock wall.

Faint, extremely fine patterns could be seen on the rock wall's surface. Their direction differed from the natural grain of stone, displaying the regularity of deliberate carving.

Lightning patterns.

Li Yuan took out the Four Symbols Thunder Sect Disciple Token from his Portable Small Realm.

When the token approached the rock wall, it produced a faint resonance. Its frequency matched that of the lingering spirit power within the lightning patterns on the wall.

The outpost entrance lay beneath this section of rock wall.

The Earth Vein Spirit Pivot's perception showed that roughly forty zhang beneath the wall lay an underground fault. The spatial structure within the fault differed markedly from the surrounding strata.

Li Yuan put away the token and used the Earth Escape Technique to descend underground.

After passing through roughly thirty zhang of rock, a sealed fissure appeared ahead.

The fissure was about two chi wide, its surface covered by a damaged restriction. Most of the restriction's Spirit Power Circuit had already failed, yet its remaining structure