Spirit Power Impact, Disturbance in the Mountains

"The White Space expanded again. This time... good heavens, it grew fivefold!"

After looking inward, Chen Yang saw that the Spirit Storage Space had expanded once more.

While Yang Linghu was down the mountain making his report, he tried circulating the spirit power within his body.

He first tested the Spirit Gathering ability. Its range was basically the same as before, but it gathered a greater amount of spiritual energy.

Chen Yang compared it to before. Previously, it had been roughly three times the concentration of ordinary spiritual energy; now, it had reached nearly five times.

Then, borrowing the sensation of being drained when he had just circulated his spirit power, he wanted to see what new tricks he had gained.

The spirit power within his body was drawn forth, flowing out from the White Space and seeping outward until it gradually gathered over the surface of Chen Yang's body.

Once it had completely enveloped his surface, the spirit power stopped flowing outward.

Chen Yang controlled the spirit power on his surface and discovered that he could compress it.

Thus, Chen Yang compressed it bit by bit. Before long, the spirit power that had originally covered his entire body had been condensed into a round point no thicker than a finger.

"Oh~ It can be compressed. Hmm..."

"Then what's the use of that?"

Chen Yang looked at the tiny white dot on himself in confusion. He could not make heads or tails of this ability!

It did not seem capable of sensing or locating anything, nor did it seem able to provide light.

Still somewhat puzzled, Chen Yang continued compressing that bit of spirit power.

The instant the thought crossed his mind, the tiny cluster of spirit power compressed to its utmost limit broke away from his body and shot out like a bolt!

Boom!

Though it was merely a finger-thick Spirit Power Impact, its might was astonishing.

Chen Yang had not known this thing could be fired, nor had he paid attention to where he was aiming. As a result, an entire row of empty side rooms within the Forbidden Ground was directly destroyed by that blast of spirit power.

"Holy shit! I'm this awesome now?!"

The power of that Spirit Power Impact was already equivalent to the life-risking strike of a peak Qi Gathering Mid-stage cultivator. An ordinary Qi Gathering Mid-stage cultivator would undoubtedly die if struck by it!

Chen Yang was both shocked and delighted. He had never expected that he, a harmless little stone that would not hurt man or beast, could possess such terrifying destructive power.

Such a tremendous commotion naturally drew everyone else's attention.

The three children who had been at the foot of the mountain, along with Elder Yu, quickly rushed to the Forbidden Ground.

When they saw the side rooms reduced to ruins, they were all rather stunned.

"Did someone break into the Forbidden Ground again?" Yang Linghu asked.

Yang Lingqing immediately shook her head. "No. The formation is functioning normally, the tokens gave no response, and why would anyone break in just to blow up a row of empty rooms?"

At that moment, all four pairs of eyes turned toward Chen Yang in unspoken unison.

"Ah... fine, I did it, but it really was an accident," Chen Yang thought.

Elder Yu stepped forward and gently stroked Chen Yang, discovering that his surface was somewhat hot.

Then he sensed the fluctuations of spirit power within the Forbidden Ground.

"Lingqing was right. No one entered the Forbidden Ground. This Exotic Stone caused it while completing its advancement."

"Huh? This Exotic Stone blows up houses after advancing? Then will we be living here in the future? We won't get blasted awake in our sleep, will we?" Yang Linghu said bluntly.

"Pfft..."

His words made both Lingqing and Ling Rui laugh.

Elder Yu also smiled and shook his head. "The Exotic Stone's ability certainly isn't blowing up houses. From what I sensed, it seems to be a ray-type technique."

He picked Chen Yang up and held him in his hand, slowly infusing him with spirit power.

Maintaining a steady rhythm, Chen Yang still displayed his Spirit Gathering effect. Feeling the spiritual energy grow even denser than before, Elder Yu nodded in satisfaction.

Then he changed his method and rapidly infused spirit power at an extremely fast pace.

At that moment, a strange change occurred.

They saw spirit power begin to gather over the surface of the Exotic Stone, quickly enveloping it completely.

Elder Yu was experienced. He continuously compressed the spirit power, and when the point of light condensed to the thickness of a finger, he immediately raised his hand and aimed Chen Yang at a massive boulder on the mountain.

"Go!"

Whoosh—

Bang!

The Spirit Power Impact shot out fiercely at incredible speed, blasting the boulder, more than two zhang tall, into fragments in the blink of an eye.

The scene stunned the three children once again.

"What a powerful technique!"

"With such destructive force, even my Gale Wind could not accomplish this."

"I feel this is already equivalent to an attack from a Qi Gathering Mid-stage cultivator."

The three children spoke in turn.

The corners of Elder Yu's mouth rose as well. Turning around, he said, "Lingqing's assessment is sound. This truly possesses the power of a Qi Gathering Mid-stage cultivator's all-out strike. This Exotic Stone is indeed wondrous and extraordinary. It was originally only an auxiliary spiritual treasure, yet now it has gained a means of self-defense!"

Seeing the eager expressions on the three children's faces, Elder Yu handed Chen Yang over to them.

After some guidance, all three children successfully fired Spirit Power Impacts through Chen Yang.

However, because the strength of their spirit power was insufficient, their attacks naturally lacked Elder Yu's power, only reaching the level of the Qi Gathering Mid-stage.

Moreover, after firing four consecutive times, Chen Yang's surface had become scalding hot, impossible to hold at all.

"It seems this technique has a limit on the number of times it can be used. Excessive use will cause the spiritual treasure to heat up. If one does not stop, it may damage it."

Elder Yu reached this conclusion, and the three children nodded in agreement.

Chen Yang also felt that it made sense, because at that moment, even his consciousness was beginning to feel slightly fatigued.

"Ancestor Yu, is the ancestor still at the mines today?"

After testing Chen Yang's new ability, Yang Lingqing asked Elder Yu.

"Yes, the Patriarch is still guarding the place."

"How strange. Didn't they drive away the wild beasts before? Why has this beast infestation appeared again now?"

"This situation has continued for more than ten days. It is not just our Yang Family—both towns have also been harassed by wild beasts. The army is now stationed outside the towns."

Chen Yang had also heard of the beast infestation before falling dormant.

The Yang Family Forbidden Ground was up in the mountains, and he had sensed that long-unfelt aura before.

During his twenty years in the Secret Realm, he had seen every kind of Demon Beast. He could not have been more familiar with them.

"This matter is not as simple as an ordinary beast infestation."

At the mention of this, Elder Yu's expression became grave.

"Previously, the Patriarch, the two town chiefs, and I entered the mountains together to investigate. We discovered traces of Demon Beasts."

"Demon Beasts!"

Upon hearing those words, all three children felt their hearts tighten.

Demon Beasts fed on humans. The two races were as incompatible as water and fire; they had all read of this in books.

Though they had never seen Demon Beasts with their own eyes, they already knew how savage they were.

"Ancestor Yu, if Demon Beasts are behind this matter, I fear it will not end anytime soon," Yang Lingqing said.

"Lingqing is right. We have already considered the worst-case scenario: a Beast Tide."

Elder Yu said in a deep voice, "This may very well be the first trial our Yang Family must face after becoming independent from the Dynasty's influence. You must all make preparations in advance."

"Yes, Ancestor Yu, we understand!"

For some time afterward, the Yang Family's five cultivators rarely returned to the Forbidden Ground to cultivate.

To deal with the increasingly severe beast infestation, they all had to descend the mountain and protect the Lineage.

The Yang Family's current situation was still manageable. They had trained Clan Soldiers in advance, and with five cultivators present, there were only injuries so far; no one had died.

The two towns had armies stationed there, so their circumstances were acceptable as well. At the very least, the townsfolk were not in danger.

But the other places, such as the small villages scattered throughout the surrounding area, were not so fortunate.

Under the effects of the beast infestation, many villages had already become uninhabitable.

There were even cases of large wild beasts moving in packs, directly destroying villagers' homes, breaking inside, and devouring people.

Even villages that remained within the safe zone were gripped by fear. Many people packed their belongings, took their families, and fled their villages for refuge in the towns.