Second Southern Pass.
Ji Yuan turned his hand and brought out the Meteor Cannon.
Its massive barrel settled onto the black stone ground, and its spiderweb-like base spread open.
Eight sharp metal legs drove deep into the cracks between the rocks.
Nearly half the dark teal, dragon-scale-like plates covering the barrel had peeled away.
Beneath them, the cannon's body was riddled with cracks.
The spiderweb-like supports on its base were covered in fine fractures too—they were on the verge of falling apart.
This was the third time, and it would be the last.
He took a deep breath and drew out one of the Supreme-Grade Spirit Stones Perfected Taiyi had given him.
The Spirit Stone rested in his palm. A warm glow shone from within it, bathing half his face in soft light.
Ji Yuan hesitated no longer. With a flick of his finger, he sent the Supreme-Grade Spirit Stone straight into the dark-gold energy ring above the Meteor Cannon.
The moment the Spirit Stone entered the ring, the entire Meteor Cannon seemed to come alive.
The dark-gold energy ring began to spin.
Energy spread from the ring along the barrel. The remaining dark teal dragon scales lit up one after another, while dark-gold lines spread across the cannon like veins.
Every scale began to tremble, giving off a fine hum.
The spiderweb-like supports beneath it creaked under the strain.
New cracks extended from the ends of old ones, crossing and joining until they formed a single network.
A metal fragment the size of a fingernail broke from a support and struck the ground with a clear clink.
Then came a second piece, and a third.
Ji Yuan watched the Meteor Cannon fall apart before his eyes, bit by bit. Pain showed on his face.
But he did not hesitate.