Earth Fiend Qi

Layer upon layer of restrictions filled the pool, each exceptionally sturdy and difficult to breach. The restriction on the barrier of light served as the core of the entire grand formation, bound to be even more troublesome. At this point, it had only developed a few cracks and was nowhere near destruction, yet it had suddenly shattered. They had originally been prepared to overdraw the fire essence within the Fire Crow Tokens, even going so far as to drain the fire crow souls dry and destroy the magic tools to break the formation. None of them had anticipated this outcome. The barrier had broken without warning, appearing as though torn apart by sheer brute force. Once the formation was broken and the light barrier shattered, the cavern beneath was fully revealed before them. The bottomless abyss was pitch-black, swallowing all light. An endless, bone-chilling cold rushed at them, causing everyone to shudder violently. For Foundation Establishment cultivators, shivering from cold was an extraordinary occurrence. Immediately after, before anyone could react, an immense suction suddenly dragged all eight cultivators down into the cavern along with the Fire Crow Tokens, plunging the scene into utter chaos. "Not good!" The moment the suction took hold, Qin Sang's instincts flared. Sensing the terrifying power behind it, he was deeply alarmed. Fortunately, he had prepared himself in advance. Decisively withdrawing his mind from the Fire Crow Token, he summoned his ebony sword without hesitation. Enveloping himself in sword light, he tried to fly away, but before he could escape, he was ensnared by the pulling force. Like a frail insect seized in a crushing grip, he was dragged down, entirely powerless to resist. The others met the same fate, plummeting toward the cavern depths like dumplings dropped into boiling water. Everyone strained with all their might, yet to little effect; their rate of descent did not slow in the slightest. "Group together!" Qingting yelled urgently, calling on everyone to join forces in resistance. Before her words had settled, rumbles of thunderous booms echoed from below. *Rumble!* A violent tremor shook the surroundings, rocking the earth and swaying the mountains. Liu Shan glanced down, his expression twisting in sheer horror as he cried out, "What is that?!" The group hurriedly looked downward. Deep within the cavern, roiling black gas surged upward like a colossal black dragon, soaring straight toward them, poised to swallow them whole. Seeing this terrifying black gas, Qin Sang felt a sudden, inexplicable sense of familiarity. Like a flash of lightning through his mind, he finally recalled what it was, and his hands and feet turned ice-cold. "It's earth fiend qi!" Qin Sang shouted in warning, his face pale with dread. Dichen Cave had been formed because of an Earth Fiend yin vein. During the years Qin Sang had spent guarding Dichen Cave, curiosity had led him deep inside, all the way to the border between yin qi and earth fiend qi, where he had seen the true form of earth fiend qi with his own eyes. Back then, he had carried both the Warm Yang Bead and the baleful-warding pouch, along with several spirit pills to ward off the cold. Even so, he had failed to stop the piercing chill from seeping into his body, nearly freezing to death down there. From that day on, having tasted the terrifying potency of earth fiend qi, Qin Sang had never dared court death like that again, strictly confining himself to absorbing yin qi in the upper layers of Dichen Cave. Earth fiend qi was one of the most baleful and yin-natured energies between heaven and earth; even Core Formation cultivators held it in dread. The Earth Fiend yin vein in Dichen Cave had claimed countless lives, and the devoured beings had coalesced into persistent yin baleful qi, blighting a vast swath of land into a barren wasteland where not a blade of grass could grow. Even Shaohua Mountain could do no more than seal off several major fissures with restrictions to slow its encroaching pace, powerless to stop the Earth Fiend yin vein from spreading outward. Could the restrictions above have been left behind by an expert specifically to seal the earth fiend qi in this cavern? Qin Sang smiled bitterly to himself. Dying here would be far too unjust. Alerted by Qin Sang's warning, the others finally recalled the notorious earth fiend qi. Realizing the peril they were in, their faces turned ashen. Their bodies were being dragged down by the bizarre suction, leaving them powerless to resist. Worse, as the earth fiend qi drew nearer, its dreadful chill stiffened their limbs until even moving became difficult. They could only watch helplessly as the surge rushed up to consume them. If even Core Formation cultivators found earth fiend qi troublesome, what fate would await them if they fell into it? They had originally intended to break the restrictions, observe whether any danger lurked below, and only then decide whether to explore or withdraw. Who could have foreseen that this suction would grant them no choice at all, dragging them straight down into a death trap? "Curse whichever bastard set this trap!" someone roared in fury. If the goal had merely been to seal the earth fiend qi and prevent it from plaguing the world, there was no reason to leave behind a suction trap. Yet they were reduced to impotent rage. Qin Sang had not given up hope. Forcing himself to calm down, his thoughts raced as he rapidly considered whether any of his techniques or items could help him escape this peril. Just then, a glimpse from the corner of his eye stirred his mind. Hurriedly scanning their surroundings, he noticed caves lining the stone walls of the shaft. Resembling natural grottoes, these caves showed clear signs of artificial excavation, growing denser the farther down they went. If someone had carved caves here, regardless of their purpose, they had to possess a means of withstanding the earth fiend qi! No sooner thought than done. Seeing that they were about to plunge into the earth fiend qi, Qin Sang hastily called out his discovery. Qingting had noticed the caves as well and, without waiting for Qin Sang to prompt her, immediately yelled, "Channel the Fire Crow Tokens with all your strength and throw them down!" Everyone caught on to Qingting's plan at once. Enduring the biting cold, they circulated their spiritual power to control the scattered Fire Crow Tokens, straining with all their might to assemble them into a formation before overdrawing their fire essence without hesitation. All the fire crow souls were unleashed, then forcefully fused together by the group. The seven Fire Crow Tokens merged into a massive fireball, its blazing heat slightly easing the chill within them. The flames were unstable, radiating a volatile aura that threatened to detonate at any second. That was precisely what they wanted, and they hurled the Fire Crow Tokens downward with all their strength. *Boom!* The moment the blazing fire slammed into the earth fiend qi, a violent blast tore through the chasm. The explosive force of self-destructing magic tools was not to be underestimated. Under the impact, Qin Sang felt the suction loosen slightly, finally allowing him to move, though the blast wave struck his body, racking him with intense pain. Enduring the agony, Qin Sang knew this opportunity was hard-won. There was no time to think; fixing his eyes on the nearest grotto, he threw everything he had into plunging inside. At the final moment before ducking in, Qin Sang cast a hurried glance below. He could only make out Qingting at the very bottom, struggling toward a cave of her own. The group had already been scattered by the blast, leaving no trace of the others. *Thud!* Qin Sang tumbled heavily into the grotto, slamming his head against the stone wall. The next instant, darkness rushed before his eyes as the dragon of earth fiend qi swept past the cave mouth, surging into the sky. Suppressed for who knew how many years, its release unleashed a terrifying momentum that left Qin Sang shuddering with dread. He had no idea how many of them would manage to escape with their lives.