Mo Ling had wanted to join the excitement, but remembering what the Ancient Mine Race had said to him, he decided to first observe and see what the ancient being was up to.

The battle grew more intense.

’Is he teaching Shibeng how to control materials?’

The more Mo Ling watched, the more it seemed like the Ancient Mine Race was intentionally going easy on him, and Shibeng was gradually beginning to adapt to the rhythm of the fight.

Slowly, the one-sided rout transformed into a genuine back-and-forth, and Shibeng’s command over the materials grew increasingly adept.

The commotion from their fight was so immense that many of the Neon Village villagers who had escaped were drawn to the area.

After grasping the situation, these villagers joined the fight, unleashing everything they had against the Ancient Mine Race.

In an instant, a volley of assorted ores filled the air. Crystals and stone pillars of every shape and size caught the Ancient Mine Race completely off guard.

Yet amidst the battlefield, Mo Ling spotted someone who stood out—Ci Xing.

Ci Xing’s expression was incredibly complex. His gaze, fixed on the Ancient Mine Race, held more than just anger.

And... worry?

Mo Ling checked again, confirming that Ci Xing was indeed staring intently at the Ancient Mine Race on the battlefield.

Unlike the others, Ci Xing didn’t join the fight. Instead, he stood quietly at the rear, seemingly lost in thought.

As Mo Ling puzzled over this, the battle was already drawing to a close.

The villagers of Neon Village might have seemed friendly, but in battle, they were utterly ferocious.

The Abnormal Vein condition had granted them immense power. While they lacked Shibeng’s ability to control raw materials, they each unleashed their own abilities to their absolute limits.

They could manipulate minerals over a vast area with incredible precision. These Abnormal Vein Patients, long removed from war, were now displaying an unparalleled fighting prowess.

Besieged, the Ancient Mine Race soon began to falter. He stood in the center and scanned the surrounding villagers, a look of gratification reappearing on his face.

Just then, his eyes fell upon Ci Xing in the distance. The moment he saw Ci Xing’s complicated gaze, the gratification on his face vanished.

In its place was sheer shock and bewilderment.

’What’s happening?’ Mo Ling was utterly baffled by the look they exchanged.

Seizing the moment while the Ancient Mine Race was stunned, Shibeng and the villagers surged forward. A torrent of attacks instantly overwhelmed the dazed ancient being.

When the smoke and dust settled, only the upper half of his body remained, toppled on the ground.

Gray fragments lay scattered everywhere. Shibeng stepped forward and stood before the Ancient Mine Race, his fists still clenched tight.

But the shattered torso showed no sign of regenerating. Aside from a vague humanoid shape, it looked no different from a common stone on the side of the road.

His mouth, already covered in cracks, twitched slightly.

"Fear...? Good."

After murmuring these words, the Ancient Mine Race fell still.

With his death, the earth-shaking tremors suddenly stopped, as if a pause button had been pressed.

Only the swaying stone pillars and collapsed buildings remained as proof of what had transpired.

The cavern walls were covered in fissures, and fractured rock continued to rain down.

But the terrifying tremor originating from deep within the earth was gone.

The great earthquake... was gone.

The villagers of Neon Village stood stunned for a moment before quickly fanning out to inspect the area.

However, everyone remained vigilant. The great earthquake had stopped far too suddenly.

As time passed, however, they saw that the great earthquake truly did seem to be over. The villagers mobilized once more, beginning to reinforce the damaged support pillars.

All manner of minerals spread across the fractured rock walls, filling the still-widening fissures.

Thanks to the villagers’ efforts, a web of temporary supports quickly spread across the entire cavern, and the prism was readjusted.

Then, a beam of sunlight pierced the dimness of Neon Village. Multicolored mineral dust drifted through the air like motes of rain.

Dust of every color rose from the building ruins, making the pillar of light refracted by the prism appear especially brilliant.

In an instant, all of Neon Village shimmered with a brilliant radiance, just like an Immortal Realm.

Seeing this, all the villagers broke into smiles of post-calamity relief.

’Is it really over?’

It all happened so fast that Mo Ling could hardly believe it. ’Was this the perfect ending the Ancient Mine Race had spoken of?’

Ci Xing, who had been acting so strangely just moments before, had also joined in the reinforcement work.

However, after finishing his work on a nearby rock face, he silently walked over to the shattered remains of the Ancient Mine Race.

Even now, Mo Ling couldn’t decipher his complex expression.

He slowly knelt, gathering the gray fragments. He encased them in magnetite, then buried them deep within the earth.

Once he had done all this, he hurried back inside the black stone pillar.

Curious, Mo Ling followed him, wanting to see what he was up to.

Noticing he was being followed by the Block, Ci Xing made no move to stop it. On the contrary, he held open the entrance to the pillar, allowing the Block to enter freely.

Following Ci Xing, Mo Ling found they were heading underground. The inner walls of the black stone pillar had been reinforced with magnetite and hadn’t collapsed during the earthquake.

’Is he going to check if the research institute was damaged?’

But to Mo Ling’s surprise, Ci Xing came to a stop before the ruins of that "Civilization Number One."

He stood before the ruins and said sadly, "I’ve come to see you all..."

Mo Ling was so shocked he froze on the spot.

But just then, Ci Xing suddenly turned his head and spoke to the Block. "I don’t know if a relic like you can understand me, but it’s nice to have something to talk to."

He leaned against the wall as if utterly spent, and said wearily, "It’s finally over."

Ci Xing slid down the wall to the floor. A sharp blade instantly materialized from his arm, and he plunged it into his own body.

After stabbing himself several times, he seemed to decide it was too slow. His arm began to ripple and vibrate as he pressed it to his chest, as if trying to shatter himself from within.

It all happened so fast, but fortunately, Mo Ling reacted in time. He instantly severed all four of Ci Xing’s arms, stopping his self-mutilation.

"Why did you stop me?" Ci Xing said listlessly, sitting on the ground without his arms. "My mission is complete. It’s time for me to join my brethren."

He made no attempt to regenerate his limbs, merely leaning despondently against the wall.

’What in the world is going on?’ Mo Ling grew anxious, but he had no way to ask.

’What did he mean, "brethren"?’

Just as Mo Ling was reeling with confusion, Ci Xing, still on the floor, suddenly broke down, burying his head.

"I feel like I’ve held on for so long. It should be over."

Ci Xing began to complain bitterly about everything, as if venting all his frustrations to his "brethren."

He had clearly been bottling this up for a very long time, and now he rambled on and on before the Block, as if he had finally found an outlet.

And through these fragments, Mo Ling slowly began to understand why Ci Xing had tried to kill himself.

...

Ci Xing was a survivor from the last civilization.