Loose stones still rattled down beneath his feet from time to time. Deep within the underground cavern, the lingering heat of the great battle had yet to fade.
Cheng Heng tucked the storage pouch securely into his robes. He kept the Earth Vein Demon Pearl separate, wrapping it in a strand of his own inner Vajra energy to prevent any Earth Vein Spiritual Power from escaping by accident.
He had finished refining all the Demon Embryo's origin essence. His foundation in the early Inner Vajra Realm was now complete, and his body, Vajra energy, and soul had all undergone a rebirth through tempering.
Without lingering, he raised his head toward the thick, overlapping layers of rock overhead. Hard stone dozens of yards deep separated the underground cavern from the outside world. Beyond lay the rolling mountain ranges of the Southern Region, along with the Orthodox Coalition Army waiting outside.
The cultivators of the Cloudpiercing Sect, Mountain-Shaking Sect, Azure Water Pavilion, and Heavenly Treasure Sect were surely still worrying about his safety.
The Ninefold Demon-Concealing Maze Formation was treacherous beyond reckoning. Everyone knew that entering the depths of the Demon Altar meant nine chances of death and one of survival.
Cheng Heng drew a deep breath. The Vajra Internal Strength Technique thundered into motion within him, and thick, lustrous white martial Vajra energy surged around his body. Sevenfold Vajra Force circulated through his meridians, blending the sharpness of Geng Metal, the ferocity of Blazing Fire, and the gentleness of the azure sea into one.
He did not choose to brute-force his way upward with a single punch.
A faint light flashed between his brows as the Delusion-Slaying Illuminating Seal quietly lit up. His Illuminating Divine Sense spread outward, instantly discerning the geological patterns in the rock above and locating a weak