In Xianxia With The Investment Return System, Starting My Journey by taking Demon Empress as a Disciple (Patreon)

Chapter 109: Capturing the Spiritual Vein, What Is the Elder Secretly Eating?

Chen Daoxuan was still immersed in the joy of amassing system points, mentally calculating how many points the Ren family had contributed in total.

Boom—

Suddenly, a deafening explosion erupted from deep underground, followed by a rapidly expanding wave of terrifying spiritual energy that was on the verge of breaking through the surface.

The ground trembled violently as the explosion shook the earth, causing towering trees to collapse with thunderous crashes.

"Not good!"

"The spiritual vein has blown up!"

"It's over, it's all over—"

The two elders from the Holy Mountain finally came to their senses after hearing the commotion.

They had been too busy marveling at Chen Daoxuan’s terrifying divine technique to notice the Ren family clan leader’s earlier act of detonating the spiritual vein!

The Ren family’s spiritual vein stretched for thousands of miles underground. Once detonated, there would be no time to escape.

Everything within a thousand-mile radius—every living thing—would be annihilated in the spiritual explosion, including Void Return Realm experts. They, too, would be reduced to nothingness.

"Senior Chen, the spiritual explosion has begun! There’s no way to stop it!"

"Please, we beg you to save us!"

The Grand Elder of the Holy Mountain bowed deeply to Chen Daoxuan, his voice filled with urgency.

Having encountered Chen Daoxuan twice before, the Grand Elder knew he possessed a mysterious technique that allowed him to traverse great distances instantaneously.

The fact that Chen Daoxuan dared to act against the Ren family even after the spiritual vein was triggered must have been due to the confidence brought by this mysterious ability.

Now, their only hope of survival lay in convincing Chen Daoxuan to take them with him when he escaped!

Chen Daoxuan, however, merely glanced at the Grand Elder nonchalantly, showing no intention of moving.

Meanwhile, Leng Yanran and Li Yurong, fully aware of their master’s overwhelming power, remained completely unbothered.

Li Yurong, in particular, was staring at the ground with eager anticipation, curious to witness the supposedly catastrophic spiritual explosion that even the elders feared so much.

Within moments, deep and bottomless fissures began to form on the ground.

Inside the fissures, spiritual energy surged outward violently, creating terrifying storms.

"This spiritual vein… it might be better to take it back with me..."

Chen Daoxuan stroked his chin thoughtfully. Initially, he had planned to casually resolve the spiritual explosion.

But then, his eyes lit up with an idea: spiritual veins were too valuable to waste!

"Senior—if we don’t leave now, it’ll be too late!"

The Grand Elder’s voice was filled with panic as he urged Chen Daoxuan to act.

Chen Daoxuan, however, ignored the elder's anxious pleas. He calmly raised his hand and pressed it toward the spiritual vein.

In an instant, the spiritual energy that had been surging outward began to rapidly retreat, flowing back into the fissures in the ground.

"What!?"

"He's suppressing the spiritual vein—even after it’s been detonated!?"

"What kind of godlike technique is this!?"

The Grand Elder’s jaw nearly hit the ground in disbelief.

Once the spiritual energy was completely suppressed, Chen Daoxuan casually made a grabbing motion in the air.

Rumble—

The tremor that followed was even more intense than the previous one.

The sudden movement terrified the two Holy Mountain elders, who thought the spiritual vein was about to collapse again.

However, what happened next left them utterly stunned.

Under their wide-eyed gaze, one end of the spiritual vein was extracted from the earth by Chen Daoxuan. To avoid causing further damage to the land, Chen Daoxuan left only a single opening.

In mere moments, a spiritual vein stretching for a thousand miles floated above the ground, suspended in midair for all to see.

"Incredible… simply incredible!"

The sight of the massive spiritual vein hovering in the void was beyond comprehension.

"Such a method truly defies the heavens!"

"I've never heard of anyone being able to forcibly extract a spiritual vein without causing destruction!"

The two elders of the Holy Mountain stood there in stunned silence, murmuring to themselves in disbelief.

"Retrieve."

Chen Daoxuan frowned slightly, feeling that the spiritual vein was simply too large.

With a casual gesture, he pointed toward the vein from afar, shrinking it down to the size of a loach. On closer inspection, however, it was in the shape of a dragon!

He then waved his hand and the now miniature dragon-shaped spiritual vein obediently entered his palm.

spiritual veins were incredibly valuable—not only could they enhance the cultivation efficiency of those who controlled them, but they also conferred a protective aura of fortune.

Satisfied with his actions, Chen Daoxuan nodded in approval after storing the spiritual vein.

Clatter, clatter, clatter—

The second elder of the Holy Mountain trembled uncontrollably, his teeth chattering audibly as he looked at Chen Daoxuan’s back with an expression of utter disbelief, as if he had seen a ghost.

Though the Grand Elder fared slightly better, his entire body was drenched in cold sweat.

"Huh?"

"Second Elder, what delicious treat are you secretly eating? Yurong wants some too! Could you share?"

Li Yurong, who had been watching the spiritual vein with pure curiosity, failed to sense any of its terrifying power.

Hearing the sound of the second elder's chattering teeth, she pricked up her ears, assuming he was eating something tasty. She promptly expressed her hunger and desire to share.

"I—I’m not eating anything..."

"I— clatter, clatter—this is— because I’m scared— clatter, clatter."

The second elder stammered as his teeth continued to clatter, his expression awkward.

As a dignified second elder of the Holy Mountain and a formidable expert in the Spirit Dividing Realm, one of the most esteemed in the Eastern Region, he never imagined he'd be so utterly terrified today.

Yet, standing beside him was Li Yurong, a mere Seventh Layer of the Profound Sky Realm cultivator, who displayed no sign of fear whatsoever, further amplifying his embarrassment.

‘Wait.’

‘Something’s not right. When did Yurong advance to the Seventh Layer of the Profound Sky Realm?’

‘I remember when she left the mountain, she was only at the Fifth Layer of the Profound Sky Realm!’

Suddenly, the second elder realized something, his shock rendering him immobile.

In less than a month, she had advanced from the Fifth Layer to the Seventh Layer of the Profound Sky Realm?

What on earth had she gone through during this time? How much unimaginable hardship had she endured to achieve such rapid progress in just one month?

"By the way, what were you two saying earlier?"

After finishing his task, Chen Daoxuan turned to look at the Grand Elder, faintly recalling that they had asked him to take them away earlier, saying something about it being too late.

"Ah, nothing, senior. It’s nothing worth mentioning."

The Grand Elder, meeting Chen Daoxuan’s gaze, bent even lower in deference.

Previously, he had speculated that Chen Daoxuan might be a Void Return Realm cultivator, but now he realized he was gravely mistaken!

Void Return Realm experts couldn’t possibly perform such feats. What realm was Senior Chen truly in? What kind of unfathomable power did he possess?

"Oh, if it's nothing, then forget it."

"By the way, Yanran, Yurong, how are you progressing with the scripture I gave you?"

Chen Daoxuan turned toward his two disciples, his tone calm as he inquired.

"Master, your disciple has memorized the Transmigration Chapter of the Great Compassion Mantra on the journey. However, I haven’t had the chance to use it yet, so I’m unsure of its effectiveness."

Leng Yanran answered respectfully, her tone filled with reverence.

"Master... um... Yurong, well... hasn’t learned it yet..."

Li Yurong fidgeted with her fingers nervously, her voice growing softer as she spoke. By the end, her face was completely buried in her own ample chest in embarrassment.