High Martial Arts: Enlightenment after Practices

Chapter 423: Chapter 423: Contamination

Finally, he took out three metal tubes from his pack.

Each tube was about the thickness of a finger and twenty centimeters long, its surface covered in dense runes.

These were the "Erosion Source Agents" Qiao Zonghan had given him before he left, specifically designed to contaminate energy veins.

The principle was simple: inject high concentrations of chaotic energy into the source of the vein, contaminating the energy purity of the entire lode. Contaminated Black Stone couldn’t be used to forge equipment; any attempt to force its use would lead to an energy rampage.

The Federation’s energy purification technology was at least a generation ahead of the Celestial Wolf Civilization’s. Once the Federation secured this lode, they could purify it and have it operational again in three months at most.

’Three should be enough.’ Xu Wuyi tucked the metal tubes into a hidden pocket inside his combat suit.

All preparations were complete.

The sky had grown completely dark. A layer of crimson clouds blotted out the last rays of light, plunging the Earth into a profound darkness.

Xu Wuyi rose to his feet and crept toward the mountain range to the north.

「An hour later, he arrived at the foot of the mountains.」

Up close, the mountains were even more breathtaking.

Black crystals stretched from the foot of the mountains to their peaks. Their surfaces, smooth as mirrors, reflected the crimson light of the sky, creating an eerie halo.

Xu Wuyi reached out and pressed his hand against the crystalline surface.

It was cool to the touch and extremely hard. A regular sword would probably fail to even leave a scratch.

He didn’t try to climb. Instead, he closed his eyes and poured the Power of his Heart Image into the mountain.

The Dark Gold Mountain Body Heart Image trembled in his sea of consciousness, and a heavy power spread out from his palm.

The black crystal before him seemed to sense an aura of the same origin, and faint golden patterns rippled across its surface.

Xu Wuyi opened his eyes and began his ascent.

His movements looked simple. He pressed his right hand against the crystal, injected the Power of his Heart Image, and steps of dark gold would "grow" from the crystal’s surface.

He walked up these steps, which automatically dissipated after he passed, leaving no trace.

This was another application of the Power of Heart Image: temporarily assimilating one’s own Traits with the surrounding environment. The consumption wasn’t great, but it required an extremely high level of control over one’s Heart Image.

The fact that Xu Wuyi could do this proved his understanding and application of his Heart Image had already reached the level of a senior Innate.

Although he hadn’t been an Innate for long, the higher one’s level, the greater the advantage brought by an Enlightenment.

Ten minutes later, Xu Wuyi had climbed halfway up the mountain.

Here, the Energy Turbulence began to intensify. Tiny arcs of electricity filled the air, crackling audibly. A normal Martial Artist’s senses would be severely disrupted here, making it impossible to even tell which way was which.

But Xu Wuyi’s Heart Image perception, on the contrary, became even clearer.

This was because the essence of Energy Turbulence was also a manifestation of Heaven and Earth Energy.

And he had already begun to master the technique of connecting his Heart Image to the heavens and the earth, allowing him to perceive the deeper flows of energy through the turbulence.

’The source of the lode... is over there.’ Xu Wuyi gazed into the depths of the mountain range.

He could feel a vast convergence of Energy in that direction, like a lighthouse in the dark. That was the core of the Black Stone lode, and the very place he was looking for.

He continued upward.

The closer he got to the summit, the stronger the Energy Turbulence became. Eventually, it wasn’t just arcs of electricity in the air, but fist-sized vortexes of energy that appeared and vanished at random.

Xu Wuyi had to slow down, carefully avoiding these vortexes. Getting caught in one wouldn’t be fatal, but it would definitely give away his position.

Another twenty minutes passed, and he finally reached the summit.

From here, he could overlook the entire mining basin.

Below, the basin was brightly lit. Workers from the Celestial Wolf Civilization were mining through the night. The faint roar of heavy machinery carried up to him, and transport vehicles shuttled back and forth on temporary roads—a bustling scene.

In the center of the basin was a deep pit over a hundred meters in diameter. A dark purple glow emanated from the bottom of the pit—the raw ore of high-purity Black Stone.

’The source is at the bottom of the pit.’ Xu Wuyi confirmed his target.

All he had to do now was get down there, inject the Erosion Source Agent into the vein’s source, and leave.

It sounded simple.

But Xu Wuyi knew this was far more difficult than storming three strongholds. There were two Level 46 Priests here, along with ten regular Priests.

If discovered, he would have to face a siege of twelve Innate-level opponents.

’I have to be fast.’

Xu Wuyi took a deep breath and leaped from the summit.

He didn’t jump directly toward the pit, but slid along the inner face of the mountain. The Power of his Heart Image formed a cushion beneath his feet, allowing him to descend as silently as a falling leaf.

One hundred meters, two hundred, three hundred...

When he was still fifty meters from the ground, Xu Wuyi abruptly stopped.

He sensed a patrol passing below. It wasn’t a squad of ordinary warriors, but an elite team led by a Priest and followed by four War Generals.

Xu Wuyi pressed himself against the rock wall, holding his breath and slowing his heartbeat to a minimum.

The squad passed below without looking up.

Only after they were far away did Xu Wuyi continue his descent.

Ten meters, five, three...

His feet touched the ground softly, making no sound.

He was now in a patch of shadow at the edge of the pit. Thirty meters ahead was the brightly lit mining area, where workers were busy.

Behind him was the mountain face—no path of retreat.

Without hesitation, Xu Wuyi moved quickly toward the pit.

His movements were extremely fast, yet every step landed in a shadow or a machine’s blind spot. His Heart Image perception was fully extended, his Prejudgment anticipating all patrol routes and lines of sight.

Twenty seconds later, he reached the edge of the pit.

Looking down from here, the bottom of the pit was out of sight. A dark purple light shone up from the depths, carrying an alluring yet dangerous aura.

There were simple stairs and lift platforms on the pit walls, but they were all currently in operation. Using them would guarantee exposure.

Xu Wuyi glanced at the bottom of the pit again, estimating the distance. About two hundred meters.

He took two steps back, then sprinted forward and leaped off the edge.

Free fall.

The wind howled in his ears as the dark purple light rapidly grew larger in his vision. Xu Wuyi didn’t slow down. Instead, he channeled the Power of his Heart Image to his feet, increasing his rate of descent.

Three seconds later, he was fifty meters from the bottom.

He raised a hand and pressed it toward the side wall of the pit.

The Power of his Heart Image erupted, blasting a shallow crater in the pit wall. The recoil drastically reduced his falling speed and simultaneously changed his trajectory, sending him toward the edge of the pit’s floor.

He landed on both feet, bending his knees to absorb the impact. Not a sound was made.

Xu Wuyi quickly scanned his surroundings.

This was a naturally formed cavern, vast in size—at least as large as five football fields. Countless black crystal pillars hung from the ceiling, and the ground was covered in large clusters of dark purple crystals.

That was the raw Black Stone ore.

In the center of the cavern was a pool about ten meters in diameter. It wasn’t filled with water, but a viscous, dark purple energy fluid. Bubbles constantly churned on its surface, releasing a dense wave of Energy with every pop.

That was the source of the lode.