Deng Qing bowed respectfully, "We are all comrades now, so there's no point in saying more. Gentlemen, please rest well and wait for the right opportunity."
The room gradually quieted down, and everyone settled down to meditate.
Hong Lin gently nudged Chen Hong and whispered, "Brother Chen, weren't you and Brother Deng getting along quite well? Why are you acting like this now?"
Chen Hong glared at him, "Who can be wrong about something? Stop causing trouble, kid."
Hong Lin chuckled, and Chen Hong glared at him, thinking to himself, "Do you think I'm stupid? Before, when I wanted to be number one, I naturally used every means at my disposal."
"Now that guy surnamed Deng is so invincible, I'm going crazy! I'd better keep opposing him, or I'll become sworn brothers with him!"
Deng Qing had no idea what Chen Hong was thinking. He took out a Ginseng Pill and swallowed it, circulating his Internal Breath energy. The dull pain in his chest and abdomen had not completely subsided. While regulating his breathing, he recalled his fight with Huo Dongfeng.
Ultimately, he still benefited greatly from the Blood Baleful Intent Protection. With the Mystic Wasteland Baleful Blood by his side, he could almost only attack and not defend in battle, acting as recklessly as a hooligan.
As for the Collapse Step, there is still a lot of room for improvement.
He carefully recalled the several times he was blocked in the Stone Forest. On several occasions, he clearly saw the gaps, but his feet failed to keep up.
Errors in the application of this technique are not noticeable on flat ground, but become extremely limiting when one is among rocks.
According to Old Han, when this footwork is practiced to a high level, turning and shifting can be done almost at will, so there is no reason for it to be tripped up by a stone.
This only shows that you haven't practiced enough.
Deng Qing silently noted down the few things that didn't go smoothly, gathered his mind, and continued to regulate his breathing.
In the blink of an eye, more than two hours had passed.
Suddenly, a gust of cold wind swept out from the depths of the Canyon.
Instantly, a chill seeped into everyone's bones, and almost simultaneously, everyone tensed up, their hair standing on end.
Su Yun, who had been lying paralyzed on the ground, suddenly opened his eyes and whispered, "It's pulsating! The Wasteland Veins is pulsating! It's Moving Wild Qi!"
Everyone looked into the distance and saw a rolling blue mass covering the distant Wasteland, which soon spread into the Canyon and headed straight for them.
Su Yun said urgently, "This is the Vein Qi emitted when the Wasteland Veins is circulating; this is no ordinary Moving Wild Qi. Everyone, quickly swallow the Blazing Sun Pill and prepare to pierce the Wasteland Veins!"
Everyone took the medicine.
Chen Hong said with a wry smile, "We're already in this state, how can we possibly hold onto the Wasteland Veins? We're just here for the fun of it."
Su Yun said, " The Wasteland Veins flow rapidly, covering a hundred feet in an instant. How can they be so easily caught? Steward Zheng also said that as long as we pin down the overflowing Vein Qi, it proves that we have reached the destination and done our best, and the mission is considered complete. It's all written in the Booklet we were given."
As they spoke, the cold wind grew even stronger.
The fine sand among the rocks was swirled around in all directions, and in the distance, patches of grass and trees lay prostrate, their branches and leaves surging, like the Wasteland wilderness weeping.
Soon, the blazing, Wasteland Qi flowed to the feet of everyone. They had already swallowed the Blazing Sun Pill and sat cross-legged, circulating their energy to resist it.
Deng Qing still did not take the Blazing Sun Pill.
As soon as the Wasteland Qi reached the soles of his feet, a surge of heat rushed up his legs, churning into his Qi-Blood and qi. Compared to the Wasteland Qi of the past, it was indeed much more domineering.
Deng Qing used the " Devour Heaven Scripture " to expel the surging Wasteland Qi from his body one by one.
After several moves, the feverish heat in his body subsided.
Deng Qing looked around and suddenly noticed some spots of light moving beneath the ground.
The spots of light, varying in size, were hidden beneath the sand and moved rapidly.
Deng Qing had thoroughly studied the official Booklet and knew that this must be Vein Qi.
According to the Booklet, the so-called "nailing the Wasteland Veins " refers to nailing these spots of light.
Because no one knows which spot of light hides Wasteland Veins, and once Wasteland Spike is placed, there is no reason for it to be used again.
Therefore, the requirement from above is that they only need to fixate on the Wasteland Qi; in other words, they just need to drive the Wasteland Spike into these spots of light.
This proves that they have faithfully fulfilled their duties.
Su Yun came from a family with a long tradition of scholarship, and Deng Qing beckoned to him. "Brother Su, please come up here and set an example for everyone."
Su Yun nodded, stood up with his crutch, and found his legs much more comfortable, so he discarded the Wooden Crutch and walked over.
Upon getting closer, he took out the Wasteland Spike from his back, used the Wasteland Spike to prick his palm, and smeared the blood on it.
With a buzzing sound, the slender, Wasteland Spike suddenly lit up.
A layer of bloody light spread downwards from where Su Yun was holding the nail, instantly covering the entire nail.
Everyone's eyes lit up. The Booklet contained the method of nailing the Wasteland Veins, which everyone knew, but the extraordinary phenomenon that Su Yun created by personally demonstrating it still shocked everyone.
Su Yun held up the Wasteland Spike and said, "Blood is the key to activating the Sha Qi within the Wasteland Spike, and it is also the mark of recognition of merit."
"Whoever truly nails the Wasteland Veins can verify who did it by examining the blood essence left within the Wasteland Spike."
He spoke while keeping his eyes fixed on the ground.
He locked onto a spot of light the size of an egg. As the spot of light moved toward the rubble in front of him, Su Yun's arm sank, and the Wasteland Spike plunged straight down.
With a soft "plop," the sharp tip of the nail pierced the sand and struck the spot of light.
The spot of light suddenly brightened, then dissipated, with fine blue light spreading outwards along the nail.
Su Yun shook his head with some regret, "The dissipation of the light spot proves that it pinned down the Vein Qi, not the Wasteland Veins."
He released his grip and was about to step back when someone exclaimed, "It moved!"
Everyone looked closely and saw that the Wasteland Spike was sinking on its own.
At first, the nail trembled slightly, and then the surrounding sand collapsed inward, and the slender nail sank into the ground inch by inch.
In a short while, the entire Wasteland Spike sank down until the hilt of the sword touched the ground, finally stopping.
Su Yun shook his head with a wry smile, "Although only the Vein Qi is pinned down, the Vein Qi is still related to the Wasteland Veins. The Wasteland Veins is like a dragon, wandering unpredictably. When it moves, it will naturally attract this Wasteland Qi."
"And when the Wasteland Spike onto the Vein Qi, it will also be pulled, so it will become tighter and tighter."
Chen Hong pointed to the scattered Donghuang Cult Wasteland Spike on the ground and said, "Brother Su, would you like to pick up another one and try?"
Su Yun shook his head. "Don't try it. The Desolate Wasteland Spike of the Donghuang Cult Wasteland Spike look similar to ours, but their internal layout is different. It would be terrible if they caused any trouble."
Everyone felt a chill run down their spines. In fact, quite a few people had actually considered those Wasteland Spike, since each additional Wasteland Spike meant one more opportunity to nail into the Wasteland Veins.
With Su Yun setting an example, everyone understood what to do, and they took out the Wasteland Spike one after another, cut their palms, and smeared their blood on them.
In an instant, blood-red light flashed across the sandy ground.
Each person focused on a spot of light, found the right location, and then drove the Wasteland Spike into place.
They were all highly skilled Martial Artist, and the light spots didn't move very fast, so naturally, each strike hit its mark.
Soon, the Wasteland Spike sank into the ground, leaving only the sword hilt exposed.
Deng Qing also took out his own Wasteland Spike, and was about to make his move when he suddenly caught a glimpse of a slightly sunken patch of ground not far away, with several pebbles rolling into the depression.
He looked closely and a thought struck him: that was the very spot where he had buried the Death Scythe in the Offal.
I drained the entire Offal last night, and the soil above didn't collapse. Why did this happen now of all times?
Could the flesh and blood of Wasteland Beast really affect the Wasteland Veins?
Deng Qing asked Su Yun, "Brother Su, will the flesh and blood of Wasteland Beast affect the circulation of the Wasteland Veins?"
Su Yun shook his head, "No. If it were really useful, everyone would have already used the flesh and blood of Wasteland Beast to mobilize the Wasteland Veins. Why would we need to cast a wide net like this and wait for luck?"
However, high-purity Wasteland Blood seems to have the effect of activating Wasteland Veins, but Wasteland Blood is hard to come by and generally unaffordable, so even the Command Center uses it cautiously.
Deng Qing nodded, but her gaze remained fixed on the dent.
Suddenly, he thought of the Mystic Wasteland Baleful Blood.
Last night, I used my Blood Baleful Intent to create threads, which I then embedded in the ground to extract the Offal. Although the blood essence had been drained, the aura of Blood Baleful Intent remained there.
Since Offal didn't work, could the problem lie with the Blood Baleful Intent?
Holding the Wasteland Spike, Deng Qing's thoughts gradually began to stir.
What would happen if the Mystic Wasteland Baleful Blood were sent underground? Would it activate the Wasteland Veins?
Once the thought arose, it could no longer be suppressed.
He stood still, and with a slight thought, a thin line of blood appeared from the sole of his foot and silently disappeared into the sand.
As soon as the bloodline penetrated, Deng Qing was slightly startled, as if his mind had entered a quagmire.
The surroundings were sticky and sluggish, as if something had wrapped around it, squeezing the thin line of blood.
Immediately afterwards, a strange sensation traveled back along the bloodline.
The underground flows and shoving that were previously imperceptible gradually became clear, as if his senses, along with the blood lines, had extended into the earth.
With a thought, Deng Qing first withdrew the Blood Baleful Intent, and the Blood Thread returned without any hindrance.
Having confirmed that he could control the flow of blood, Deng Qing felt relieved and sent the thread of blood down again.
This time, the bloodline had just entered the ground when it was suddenly tugged by something, like a fish biting a hook.
Immediately, a pulling force came, as if a fish was swimming rapidly with a bloodline trailing behind it.
Deng Qing's heart tightened, and he immediately withdrew his Blood Baleful Intent. The blood thread instantly rolled back and returned to his body.
He stared at his feet, a sense of unease and suspicion in his heart. Could the hook that had taken the bait be the Wasteland Veins?
He couldn't ask this question, and no one could answer it for him; he could only try to find the answer himself.
Deng Qing channeled the Blood Baleful Intent into the ground again, and after a moment, that familiar pulling sensation returned.
This time, he resisted the urge to reel in the line, letting the thing drag the Blood Baleful Intent along.
The Blood Baleful Intent within his body continued to extend, spreading into the ground like a fishing line being cast into the sea.
Suddenly, he noticed that the spots of light on the ground were beginning to gather.
The light spots, which were originally wandering independently, seemed to be drawn together from all sides, slowly converging into a large patch in the blink of an eye.
Deng Qing quickly withdrew the Blood Baleful Intent, and in the next instant, the approaching light spots lost their restraint and scattered in all directions once again.
"Brother Deng, why haven't you driven the nail in yet?"
Lin Li's voice came through, "Let's get out of here quickly after we're done."
Deng Qing then realized that everyone was waiting for him.
But the unusual activity underground had completely captivated his attention, and at this moment, he was reluctant to leave.
Deng Qing cupped his hands and said, "I'd like to stay here a little longer to do some more research and try my luck. You all go back first; there's no need to wait for me."
The group exchanged glances, all guessing that he intended to pin down the Wasteland Veins.
However, the Wasteland Veins was extremely difficult to tame. Everyone wanted to persuade them, but they also felt that they should not discourage people's morale, especially since Deng Qing had saved everyone.
Long Xiu said, "Brother Deng is ambitious and possesses extraordinary skills, so we don't need to worry about him. It's more important for us to hurry back and heal our injuries."
Everyone nodded in agreement. "Brother Deng, be careful. If things don't go well, come back soon."
Deng Qing nodded in agreement.
After everyone finished packing, they lifted the stretcher and headed out of the Canyon.
Chen Hong lagged behind, then turned back before leaving, saying, " Deng Qing, come back alive. I still owe you a favor."
Deng Qing waved to him.
After everyone had gone far away, Deng Qing picked up the bundle of weapons, then picked up the large bundle, found a patch of grass to put it down, and concealed it slightly.
He then quickly returned to the spot where Offal, steadied himself, and this time, a wisp of Blood Baleful Intent emerged from the soles of his feet and disappeared into the ground.
That sticky feeling came quickly, followed by a tightening of the bloodline and the sensation of being bitten.
This time, Deng Qing remained patient.
He dragged the thing wherever it went and placed it there, letting the bloodline stretch out little by little.
Sensing that the wisp of blood was stretching further and further away, as if it had drifted thousands of feet away, Deng Qing still did not retrieve it.
Gradually, the spots of light on the ground began to converge again.
At first, there were just a few clumps of light at my feet, but then, spots of light a little further away also moved, quickly approaching me through the hazy blue sand.
Just then, a strange phenomenon occurred: a large amount of Wasteland Qi surged out from the Mountain Hollow on both sides.
Looking around, the Wasteland plains and Mountain Hollow are filled with an ever-growing Wasteland Qi.
Suddenly, a gust of wind rose from the ground, scattering gravel and sand in all directions.
Deng Qing's robe billowed violently, and the icy wind blew into his skin, chilling him to the bone.
Instead of being surprised, he was delighted, and the saying "the bigger the storm, the more expensive the fish" suddenly popped into his mind.
The Frontline Command Center was located inside a wooden hall.
Long tables were placed on both sides of the main hall for officers to handle military affairs, and several rows of seats were set up at the back, with a large open space in the center.
At this moment, dozens of people gathered around the open space, staring at the patch of light and shadow suspended in the center.
Two large Divine Shadow Stone were placed on the left and right sides, their light intersecting to present a constantly changing scene to everyone.
In the image, light spots are scattered in various places, with varying density.
"General Chen, rush to reinforce Jia Eleven! Commander Wei, Thousand-Household Commander of the Left Camp Battalion, go to Yi Thirty-Four. Tell them to hurry, lest they arrive without even a sip of soup!"
A middle-aged man with a red face in the center gave orders repeatedly in a loud voice.
This man was none other than Feng Xiuquan, the Liangshan Frontline.
When he gave the order, at the back of the main hall, Old Han was leaning back in his chair, rubbing his aching shoulders.
Old Han, who is usually dressed like a scholar, looked rather unappealing at this moment.
His left sleeve was torn, and there were dried bloodstains on the hem. Clearly, he had just returned from the battlefield and hadn't even had time to change his clothes.
Hearing Feng Xiuquan's shouts, Old Han glanced at Jian Ruyu beside him and whispered, "Look at our Commander Feng. Apart from his loud voice, I don't see any real ability in him."
Despite having the upper hand, they've fought to this point, each holding three of the Donghuang Cult's Wasteland Veins, resulting in a draw. I really don't know how this guy even graduated from the Liangzhou Martial Dao Lower Court in the first place.
Her Jian Ruyu white as jade, her clothes as white as snow, and her mask even whiter than her robes. Her gaze fell upon the light and shadow in the center. "A draw? I doubt it."
Old Han was taken aback.
Jian Ruyu said, "Don't you find it strange? We used the latest research results from the Martial Dao Institute to release a large amount of Wasteland Blood into several areas with high-frequency abnormalities in Wasteland Qi, and the effect was quite good. We captured Wasteland Veins one after another, and only then were we able to successfully pin down three of them."
What gives the Donghuang Cult the right to do this? They've easily secured all three points; I find this situation extremely strange.
Old Han stopped massaging his shoulders, shook his head, and said, "I don't understand this either."
Just then, a loud announcement came from outside the hall, " True Yang Martial Sect Huang Changhe has slain the villain Miao Like, reporting his victory!"
Feng Xiuquan turned around abruptly, "Good! Inform the entire army and announce the commendations!"
The hall immediately erupted in noise.
Jian Ruyu snorted coldly.
Old Han sighed, "Forget it, fame and fortune are always earned quickly. The Martial Dao Institute is already conspicuous enough; it's only natural that the Imperial Court both uses and guards against it."
"I should have known better than to get involved in this."
Jian Ruyu's voice was cold, "We've done all the work for others, chewed up a lot of tough nuts, and when it comes time to reward us, we get nothing. If it weren't for wartime, this Feng Xiu..."
"Alright."
Old Han interrupted her, "Don't get too worked up. He's the commander of an army now, after all. I'm just hoping the last Wasteland Veins will be settled soon so I can go back and study my Numerical Arts arts. To be honest, this newly opened Desolate Soil is just too barren, and people are constantly using Moving Wild Qi. Staying here too long will make you stupid."
Jian Ruyu yawned, "I don't care anymore, I'm going back to sleep."
She had just turned around when a commotion suddenly erupted in the hall.
"Look!"
What happened there?
Jian Ruyu turned her head and saw that the scattered light spots on the screen were suddenly converging in the same direction.
New spots of light kept appearing, one after another, surging toward the southeast corner of the screen, their brilliance overlapping like a swirling constellation of stars.
Old Han suddenly stood up. "Not good! It's located in the southeast, that's the territory occupied by the Donghuang Cult! With such a violent Vein Qi, they're about to succeed again! Could it be?"
Before the words were even finished, Feng Xiuquan's roar echoed throughout the hall, "Order all camps on the eastern route to advance immediately! Have the scouts find out exactly where it is! Prepare all units to leave their camps and rush to the aid of the southeast, quick!"
A series of orders were issued in quick succession, and the hall was thrown into chaos once again.
Jian Ruyu swiftly moved and leaped out of the palace gate.
Before long, she climbed a nearby mountain peak, stood on the high ground, and looked southeast, where all she could see was green.
Between several mountain ridges, the Wasteland Qi was surging in large swaths, and the valleys below were already filled with Azure Qi, which continued to spread outwards.
Further away, even the mountainside was obscured.
A fierce wind swept through the area, lifting vast Wasteland Qi into the sky, causing groves of trees to bend over.
Jian Ruyu had barely stood still when another whooshing sound rang out behind him. Old Han leaped up the mountain peak, followed closely by Feng Xiuquan.
Feng Xiuquan glanced southeast, his face growing increasingly grim.
He glanced around to make sure no one else was nearby, then quickly cupped his hands to Jian Ruyu and said, " Elder Jian, you must intervene! The Vein Qi there has grown so powerful; if you don't act, those thieves will succeed!"
Feng Xiuquan wasn't shameless; he was simply helpless. Amidst the power struggles from various parties, he had to both use and guard against the Martial Dao Institute.
This caused him to become somewhat conflicted.
Old Han turned to the side and said coldly, "Haven't Elder Jian made his move enough times? There are thirteen elders of the Donghuang Cult. Every time Elder Jian seriously injures one, you kill one of them. You've already killed five. How much more do you want Elder Jian to do?"
Feng Xiuquan wiped the sweat from his brow and nodded repeatedly, "I know, I know. Elder Jian has contributed the most, I remember all of that. But the situation is extremely precarious now, if you don't turn the tide, I'm afraid I really won't make it."
He glanced southeast, his brows furrowing deeply. "If this attempt fails and the Imperial Court punishes us, I will be the first to suffer, but won't the Martial Dao Institute also be caught in the crossfire?"
Jian Ruyu turned her face away. "You dare threaten me? Feng Xiuquan, you've grown some guts?"