Chapter 102: Chapter 103: Mysterious Tracks Underground

He had fought two at once, grievously wounding one and slaying the other. At this, Song Xianhe and the others erupted, cheering in unison, "The Young Clan Leader is mighty! Glory to our clan!

The Young Clan Leader is mighty! Glory to our clan!"

Song Changsheng descended on his Lotus Platform. After making sure Zhangg Chenlong was well and truly dead, he took his Qiankun Bag, Battle Armor, and Long Spear. The entire fortune of a Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator, he reasoned, would surely not disappoint.

Returning to Song Xianhe and the others, Song Changsheng said earnestly, "After this battle, the Earth Fire Sect shouldn’t dare to invade again. But nothing is certain. The Earth Fire Sect is ruthlessly ambitious, so please, Clan Elder, remain vigilant."

"Please rest assured, Young Clan Leader," Song Xianhe replied solemnly. "As long as this old body of mine still draws breath, I will not fail the trust the clan has placed in me."

"Everyone has witnessed the Clan Elder’s contributions. Once I’ve slain the Earth Dragon, I will return to the clan to report and request commendations for all of you."

Defeating the invaders from the Earth Fire Sect and the Lieyang Sect was only the first step. The threat posed by the escaped Earth Dragon was just as great.

"Thank you for your hard work, Young Clan Leader. You’ve just fought a grueling battle; please get some rest."

"That was my intention."

* * *

Song Changsheng returned to his dwelling and took out Zhangg Chenlong’s Qiankun Bag. He wiped a finger across the bag’s opening, and the Restriction on it was easily broken.

He probed it with his Divine Sense, and his eyes immediately widened. ’This is an absolute windfall!’

The first thing to greet his eyes was a large pile of Spirit Stones. By a rough estimate, there were over two thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones and twelve Middle-Grade Spirit Stones.

He himself only had a little over a thousand Spirit Stones to his name, so his wealth had just multiplied several times over. Now he wouldn’t have to be so frugal when it came to Artifact Refining or Array Formation.

"Tsk. As expected of an Elder from a Purple Mansion Sect. His personal wealth is on another level. No comparison, none at all." Song Changsheng sighed, shaking his head, and then unceremoniously pocketed it all.

Besides the pile of Spirit Stones, the Qiankun Bag also contained many Miracle Pills. However, he wouldn’t dare consume any of them without having them appraised first. ’Who knows if someone’s tampered with the contents of these bottles and jars?’

There were also quite a few Spiritual Materials, all excellent for Artifact Refining or Array Formation. Their value was considerable, and they would save Song Changsheng a great deal of expense.

The rest of the miscellaneous items aren’t worth mentioning in detail; they were nothing more than some bodices, chest wraps, and the like.

The most valuable items of all, however, were Zhangg Chenlong’s Battle Armor and Long Spear.

The Long Spear was his Lifebound Spiritual Artifact. It had already produced a glimmer of Spiritual Light and was in the process of evolving into a Spiritual Artifact, much like the current state of the Spirit-Slaying Gourd.

It would fetch at least ten thousand Spirit Stones on the market. However, only an idiot would sell a Magical Artifact of this level. Even if he couldn’t use it himself, he could add it to the clan’s treasury to deepen its foundations. It might even become a new Spiritual Artifact for the clan one day.

The Battle Armor was a replica of the Profound Gang Armor and was also a Tier Two Middle Grade Spiritual Artifact. Its defensive power was astonishing. Ordinary attacks couldn’t penetrate it at all; only a direct assault on the Divine Soul would be effective.

This was a rare treasure. For a replica, its value was not much lower than that of a genuine Spiritual Artifact. Song Changsheng planned to keep it for his own use.

He had fought using his Physical Power today, and that blood-pumping, fist-to-flesh feeling was simply too exhilarating. He decided to cultivate more Body Refining Techniques in the future. This Battle Armor was practically tailor-made for him.

After spending a few days refining the Battle Armor, he named it the Profound Celestial Battle Armor. He wore it close to his skin, hidden beneath his green robes; after all, wearing it openly would be far too ostentatious.

After sorting through his spoils of war, Song Changsheng set out again for the Section-B Mine. This time, he was taking the initiative to eliminate the hidden threat of the Earth Dragon!

’The last battle didn’t severely injure the Earth Dragon, but it did cost it a significant amount of its cultivation,’ he reasoned. ’To recover to its peak, it must have found a place to hibernate. If I just follow the tunnels it dug, I should be able to find it.’

Song Changsheng extended his Divine Sense and entered the tunnel without a moment’s hesitation.

However, Song Changsheng soon realized his mistake. While it was true that the tunnel would lead to the Earth Dragon, there wasn’t just one tunnel—there were many.

For every hundred feet Song Changsheng advanced, another fork would appear in the path. After numerous twists and turns, he became completely lost.

It couldn’t be helped. The Earth Dragon had turned the underground space into a three-dimensional labyrinth. Although Song Changsheng had left markers, they became less and less useful the deeper he went.

’Damn it,’ he cursed. ’This Earth Dragon is too cunning. It’s deliberately left traces of its aura in multiple places to mislead me.’

The Earth Dragon was far more intelligent than he had anticipated. But Song Changsheng wouldn’t have dared to venture down here if he wasn’t extremely confident.

He formed a sword-finger and swiped it gently across his eyes. When he opened them again, a strange, mystical pattern had appeared in their depths.

Although the primary function of the Eye of Truth was to break through Array Formations, it was also quite useful in a situation like this.

As Song Changsheng gazed around, his world turned black and white. He scanned up, down, left, and right, and finally, in an inconspicuous corner, he spotted a large, elongated mass glowing with an earthy-yellow light.

’A Spiritual Object this large, deep underground... it must be the Earth Dragon. I’ve finally found you!’ Song Changsheng clenched his fists in excitement. That labyrinth had given him quite a runaround.

Summoning the Spirit-Slaying Gourd to clear a path, Song Changsheng bypassed the underground labyrinth and headed straight for the Earth Dragon’s resting place.

"ROOOAR—"

The slumbering Earth Dragon was startled awake and let out a furious roar. But when it caught the scent of Song Changsheng’s aura, it shuddered and immediately tried to flee.

Song Changsheng had no intention of giving it a chance this time. He immediately summoned the Luwu Bell, slamming it down on the creature’s torso.

The Earth Dragon began to struggle frantically, causing the entire cavern to shake. But the Luwu Bell didn’t budge an inch, as if it had been welded onto the beast’s back.

"You were doomed the moment you harmed a member of my Song Clan! Now, die!" The muscles on Song Changsheng’s arm bulged as he hurled the Long Spear with all his might.

"ROOOAR—"

The Long Spear pierced straight through the Earth Dragon, severing its spine and causing it to let out waves of agonized wails.

The Earth Dragon went into a frenzy, unleashing everything it had in a final, desperate struggle. Earth Spikes, Petrification... it cast one Magic after another, but it was all in vain. Protected by his Battle Armor, Song Changsheng was completely unscathed.

"Gourd, slay the spirit!"

The gourd in Song Changsheng’s hand spun slightly, and the Spirit-Slaying Blade burst forth, shooting straight toward the Earth Dragon’s Sea of Consciousness.

There was no lucky escape, no surprise. The Earth Dragon let out one last sorrowful cry, and its massive body crashed to the ground.

With the Earth Dragon dead, Song Changsheng finally had a moment to examine the chamber where it had been recuperating. This must have been its main lair; the space was immense.

What was strange was that this place was over a thousand feet underground, completely devoid of sunlight, yet there were weeds and even a few small flowers growing here.

This was extremely unusual. Song Changsheng spread his Divine Sense throughout the area. A moment later, his eyes widened in shock...