"You're right, Benefactor! That's what this minor god is most worried about! Even if we drive that beast away, the earth vein has already been damaged. It won't recover in a day or two..."
Chu Yang crouched down and looked at the Earth God.
"Earth God, can you repair the earth vein node?"
The Earth God hesitated.
"If the Evil Qi is completely cleared and the Serpent Venom contamination is dealt with... this minor god's cultivation may not be high, but I am still a local earth deity appointed by the Heavenly Court. I have a natural connection to the earth veins of this land. Repairing the node... this minor god can try. But the prerequisite is that the Evil Qi and Serpent Venom must be removed first."
Chu Yang nodded and rose to his feet.
"Then we'll proceed in three steps. First, enter the stone cave and subdue or drive out the Serpent Demon. Sun Wukong will be the main force for that. Second, clear the Evil Qi and Serpent Venom from the earth vein. We'll need to figure out a way to handle that. Third, repair the earth vein node. The Earth God will be responsible for that."
He looked at Sun Wukong.
"Brother Monkey, no problem with the first step?"
"Bullshit. It's just a lousy snake."
"But there are a few things to watch out for. First, the stone cave is very cramped, so you won't have room to properly wield your Golden Staff. Second, the Serpent Demon's scales are very hard. Blunt force from the front may not work well. You'll have to find its weak point. Third, its vertical pupils have a paralyzing effect. Don't make eye contact with it."
Sun Wukong snorted.
"You think Old Sun's Fiery Eyes of Truth are for show? Its