paranoianovel Chapter 12 Subterranean Fangs
Chapter 12 Subterranean Fangs
Abandoned mine tunnel.
Atu lay quietly to the side, seemingly sensing the growing aura emanating from its master, conveying feelings of intimacy and submission.
Outside the mine, there was the threat of the Sun family and martial arts masters, and a relentless killing intent closing in.
Inside the mine tunnels lies a power silently accumulating, a transformation about to break free from its cocoon, and a cultivation practice that feeds on exotic beasts and uses the earth's veins as a furnace.
Yang Jin was unaware of the recent turmoil at Shi Jian's old house, and also unaware that Instructor Zhao Kun, who was said to be able to "kill a bull with a single punch," was about to arrive.
But he knew that every moment he had was incredibly precious.
He must be faster and stronger.
Clenching his fist and feeling the surge of energy flowing through his skin, Yang Jin's eyes, illuminated by the flickering light of the leaping embers, were cold yet resolute.
He calmed his mind, communicated with the mountain cauldron in his sea of consciousness, and examined the changes in himself after devouring the flesh and blood of alien beasts and cultivating frantically:
[Master of the Cauldron: Yang Jin]
[Refining the Cauldron Spirit: Earth-Walking Marmoset (Gray)]
[Fusion rate: 9.3% → 10.1% (Continuous nourishment from earth vein essence + catalysis from exotic beast life essence, breaking through the 10% mark)]
[Earth Vein Essence Reserves: 3.2 points]
[Mountain Favorability: Weak (Having been active at leyline nodes for a long time, one has initially gained the recognition of the mountain's aura)]
[Martial Arts Realm: Undeveloped → Abundant Qi and Blood, Skin Membranes Rippling (Threshold of Skin Refining Realm)]
[Cultivation Technique: Mountain Battle Diagram - Twelve Forms of the Demonic Ape (Fragment) - First Form 'Rooting' (Mastered)]
[Practical Technique: Mountain Splitting Style (Minor Mastery)]
[Spiritual Talent:]
• Slightly reduced damage to the skin → Initial changes in the skin's texture, significantly improved toughness, making it difficult to injure from ordinary blows.
• Basic vibration perception (4.5 zhang) → (5 zhang)
• Slightly controls rock structure (can affect the rock structure within 45 kg) → (50 kg)
【Commander of Mountain Beasts: Rock-Carving Earthworm (A-Tu)】
[Status: Healthy, Active, Continuously Evolving]
[Evolutionary Requirements: 83/100 → 78/100 (significantly reduced by consuming other species of the same origin)]
[Abilities: Efficient Rock Drilling, Earth Vein Essence Detection and Conversion, Basic Rock Skin, Vibration Sensing (Weak), Combat Instinct (Initial Awakening)]
The changes are enormous, especially the key milestone of the integration rate exceeding 10%!
Yang Jin could clearly feel that after breaking through 10%, the compatibility between the Earth-Walking Marmoset Spirit's power and his own flesh and blood had increased to a new level.
That "earth-loving" quality from the spirit of the mountain was no longer just a vague feeling, but had become part of his instincts.
With each breath, one can create a more subtle resonance with the cold rocks around them; the ground beneath one's feet feels more stable, truly giving a sense of being "rooted".
The improvement in stone control and perception is secondary; the most important thing is that the deep penetration of the cauldron's spiritual power has created a synergistic effect with the strengthening of his own blood and qi and the tempering of his skin.
The essence of the earth veins, the life essence of the flesh and blood of strange beasts, the fighting spirit of the demonic ape visualization diagram, the mountain power of the cauldron spirit... several different energies were forcibly mixed and hammered into his body, jointly propelling his physique towards a level of solidity and strength far exceeding the ordinary "Skin Refining Realm".
The muffled "thump" sound under the skin was the sound of these multiple forces colliding, merging, and undergoing a qualitative change.
"10.1%... Critical point for skin refining..."
As Yang Jin pondered these two pieces of information, the flames in his eyes burned even brighter.
He knew that he had no orthodox cultivation methods to guide him, no master to protect and instruct him, only a mysterious mountain cauldron, an ancient battle map, a strange beast earthworm from the ground, and the "food" and "fuel" that filled the mine tunnels.
Wild, yet full of endless possibilities.
"A-Tu," he transmitted his thoughts through the mental link, "continue exploring, hunt the next target. I need more 'food,' and to break through faster!"
A-Tu responded excitedly and slipped back into the dark side passage, like a monstrous dragon emerging from the sea, searching for its next prey and resources for evolution, both for its master and for itself.
Yang Jin closed his eyes again, digesting the remaining essence of the alien beast in his body while focusing more intently on visualizing the demonic ape, guiding the thunderous blood and qi to repeatedly wash over the thin membrane barrier that was already as thin as a cicada's wing.
There was no sound underground, only the surging of blood and qi within the boy's body, and the faint rumbling of thunder beneath his skin.
......
In the early morning at Heishan'ao, smoke should be rising from chimneys, hunters preparing to go into the mountains, and herb gatherers packing their baskets.
Now, however, it has been torn to shreds by a sense of oppressive panic and rude shouts.
"Search! Search thoroughly! That reanimated evil spirit might be hiding in someone's woodpile or under their cellar!"
Ma Liu stood with his hands on his hips under the crooked old locust tree in the village, spitting as he spoke.
He was accompanied by five or six lackeys, as well as two unfamiliar men with short knives at their waists and fierce eyes—those were thugs temporarily hired by the Sun family from the town, who were said to have some martial arts skills.
Ostensibly, he was searching for Yang Jin, but in reality, Ma Liu's slanted eyes were filled with nothing but greed.
Young Master Sun has been in a bad mood these past two days because he couldn't find Yang Jin. Ma Liu couldn't finish his work, so he came up with this underhanded trick of "killing two birds with one stone"—using the pretext of a search to "scrape" some money from each household.
Firstly, it would allow him to line his own pockets, and secondly, it would allow him to collect wild game, wild produce, and even valuable items to present to Sun Yaozu, thus silencing him.
The hardship, of course, belongs to the ordinary villagers of Heishan'ao.
Widow Li from the east end of the village had her only half-jar of lard and two laying hens forcibly "requisitioned" to replenish the strength of the heroes searching the mountains.
Widow Li cried and wailed, but was pushed to the ground by a thug and couldn't get up for a long time.
Uncle Zhang, the old carpenter in the west of the village, had been hiding a fine camphor wood plank that he had been preparing to make furniture for his son's wedding. Ma Liu took a liking to it and insisted that the plank had "strange grain and seemed to be possessed by evil spirits." He wanted to take it back to "have a master perform a ritual" for it. In reality, it was moved into Ma Liu's house in the blink of an eye.
Any resistance or expression of dissatisfaction would result in physical violence, and there would even be threats of accusing someone of "harboring evil spirits" and sending them to the authorities.
In an instant, chaos erupted in the village, with cries, curses, pleas, and snarling laughter mingling together.
The tyranny that the Sun family had accumulated over the years was amplified to the extreme by the madness of a villain like Ma Liu who had gained power.
Many villagers dared not speak out against their anger, and could only keep their doors tightly shut, praying that disaster would not befall their families.
Shi Jian carried half a bundle of firewood down from the back mountain and saw the chaos in the village from afar.
Hearing the faint cries and savage laughter, the old man's hand gripping the wood-chopping knife bulged with veins, and his knuckles turned white.
His cloudy eyes churned with suppressed anger and a deep sense of powerlessness.
He recognized the style of the knives worn by the two unfamiliar thugs; they were short knives commonly used by gangs in town, sharpened and seen with blood.
He also knew who was standing behind Ma Liu.
The Sun family, this malignant tumor entrenched in Heishan'ao, has long since penetrated deep into every inch of this land by monopolizing medicinal herb collection and currying favor with martial arts schools, sucking the blood and sweat of the villagers.
Back when Yang Sanmu was alive, he could still make the Sun family somewhat wary of him because of his superb hunting skills and his tough personality.
Now… Shi Jian looked at his withered, trembling hands, then at the huddled figures in the village, and could only let out a heavy sigh that almost crushed his back.
"Brother Miki... how did the world, and people's hearts, become like this..."
He muttered to himself, his body hunched over as if carrying an invisible mountain, as he walked step by step back to his even more lonely and dilapidated old house.
He knew that Yang Jin was safe for the time being, hiding in the underground mine tunnels.
But when will this ever-growing poisonous miasma on the ground dissipate? When will this malignant tumor of the Sun family be removed?
The old man sat on the threshold, gazing at the gloomy sky, and for the first time, his belief in "stability" began to waver.
Some things cannot be obtained by hiding and enduring.
……
Deeper underground, in the abandoned mine tunnels.
The air was filled not only with earthy and mineral smells, but also with a faint, indescribable fishy odor, somewhat like a wild animal's den, mixed with the pungent smell of sulfur and some kind of acidic liquid.
Yang Jin squatted at the corner of a side path, his fingers gently brushing against the rock wall.
There were several deep scratch marks there, not the neat bite marks left by Atu's file teeth, but the messy marks left by some kind of sharp claws and toes violently tearing, even scraping off a layer of stone powder from the hard rock wall.
Near the scratches, scattered on the ground were some grayish-white, dried, fecal-like particles, and a few strands of dark red, stiff, short hairs.
"It's not a rock-drilling earthworm..."
Yang Jin's eyes were sharp as he shared his senses with A Tu, who was lurking and scouting ahead, through a mental connection.
The message relayed back by Atu also confirmed this: the aura ahead was hotter and more violent, carrying a strong sense of aggression and territoriality.
The outline drawn by the vibrations is thicker and shorter than that of the rock-splitting earthworm. It walks on all fours, has a short tail, and the sound of its claws rubbing against the rocks when it moves is clearly audible.
"There are other 'residents' underground..."
Yang Jin was not afraid at all. Instead, his heart beat faster and a feeling of excitement mixed with hunting and desire for fresh "resources" surged up.
The flesh and blood of the Stone-Carving Earthworm had a significant effect on his breakthrough to the Skin Refining Realm, but perhaps because it was of the same origin or too low in level, the effect tended to weaken after approaching the critical point.
He needs the flesh and blood of more powerful beasts to provide a more intense and different stimulation of his blood and energy, helping him break through the final barrier in one fell swoop!
Based on Atu's exploration and the traces at the scene, he initially judged that it was likely a strange beast similar to a "pangolin" or "badger" but adapted to the dark underground environment.
Judging from the depth and extent of the claw marks, the creature was not particularly large, but its strength was definitely not to be underestimated, and it was probably much more agile than a rock-cutter earthworm.
"A-Tu, come back."
Yang Jin made a decision to first call A Tu back to his side.
Faced with this unknown and more aggressive target, he needed a more meticulous plan, rather than letting Atu risk his life alone.
He carefully observed the surrounding terrain.
The side path was relatively narrow, but not far ahead was a slightly larger natural rock cavity, where the source of the fishy smell and the scratch marks pointed.
There is a pile of collapsed rocks at the entrance of the cave, which is a good ambush point.
"We'll ambush it. You hide behind the pile of rocks, and I'll go up and lure it out. Once it charges, you attack its midsection from the side, and I'll lead the main assault."
Yang Jin quickly devised a simple tactic and clearly conveyed his intentions to Atu.
After understanding, Atu quickly crawled behind the pile of rocks, coiled his body around it, and aimed his mouth at the exit of the rock cavity, like a drawn crossbow.
Yang Jin took a deep breath, suppressing his slight nervousness, and gripped the short-handled axe in his hand.
He circulated his qi and blood, allowing that abundant power to flow slowly under his skin, emitting a slight buzzing sound.
Then, he deliberately quickened his pace and walked towards the entrance of the cavern, while picking up a stone and smashing it into the cavern!
"Thump! Crash!"
The sound of rocks hitting the rock walls was particularly jarring in the silent mine tunnel.
"roar--!!"
Almost instantly, a deep, hoarse, and furious roar erupted from the rock cavity!
Immediately afterwards, a dark figure, accompanied by a foul stench, pounced out like lightning!
By the flickering light of the torch in his hand, Yang Jin finally saw the true appearance of this underground "resident"—it resembled a badger magnified several times, nearly five feet long, covered with layers of dark red, horny scales like plates formed from cooled lava, with short, thick, and powerful limbs, and black, sharp claws that gleamed with a cold metallic light.
Its head resembled a badger but was not; its muzzle protruded, and its mouth was full of sharp, interlocking teeth dripping with sticky saliva. Its small eyes gleamed with a ferocious red light in the darkness.
Stone Badger!
A strange beast recorded in old hunters' legends, which likes to live in mine caves and feeds on ores and small underground creatures. It has thick skin and flesh, great strength and sharp claws, and an extremely fierce temperament!
Startled, the stone badger realized someone had invaded its den and flew into a rage. Almost without pausing, it growled and charged at Yang Jin like a small, armored chariot!
Its speed far surpasses that of the rock-drilling earthworm!
Yang Jin was prepared and dodged to the side. At the same time, his short axe flashed and chopped at the side of the stone badger's neck!
"Clang!!"
When the axe blade struck the dark red scales, it sparked a trail of sparks!
Only a faint white mark remained, and the recoil made Yang Jin's arm go numb!
Such hard nails!
The stone badger, in pain, became even more ferocious, its short, thick tail sweeping like a steel whip, forcing Yang Jin to retreat repeatedly.
It was incredibly strong; its claws dug into the ground, sending stones flying.
It's now!
"A-Tu, crash!"
A-Tu, who had been lurking behind the pile of rocks, suddenly released his strength like a spring that had been compressed to its limit. His thick body slammed into the unsuspecting side of the stone badger with a dull whistling sound!
"Bang!!"
The dull thud was enough to make your teeth ache.
Caught off guard, the badger stumbled and rolled to its side, revealing its relatively soft belly with thinner scales.
opportunity!
A fierce glint flashed in Yang Jin's eyes, and his blood and qi erupted. In his visualization, the phantom of the demonic ape seemed to overlap with him. That arrogant and heaven-conquering will poured into his arms, and all the essence of the Mountain-Splitting Strike was condensed into this axe!
"die!!"
The short axe was no longer used for chopping, but rather carried an indomitable and fierce momentum, like a demonic ape reaching out with its claws, thrusting with all its might towards the exposed abdomen of the stone badger!
Pfft—!
This time, the axe blade finally broke through the relatively weak defenses and sank deep into the soft belly of the stone badger, all the way down to the handle!
"Awooo—!"
The stone badger let out a piercing scream, struggled frantically, and flailed its claws wildly.
Yang Jin gripped the axe handle tightly, staggering as he was pulled along. Several bloody cuts appeared on his arms and chest instantly, but fortunately, his skin was exceptionally tough due to his near-perfect skin texture and the rocky skin of the Earth-Walking Talon. He only suffered minor cuts, without injuring his bones or muscles.
Atu pounced again, tightly binding the stone badger's hindquarters and one hind leg.
Yang Jin gritted his teeth, twisted the axe handle sharply, and slashed it fiercely inside the stone badger's belly!
The struggle abruptly stopped.
The red light in the stone badger's eyes quickly dimmed, its massive body twitched a few times, and then went completely limp.
Inside the mine tunnel, only Yang Jin's heavy breathing and the thick, pungent smell of blood remained.
He pulled out his short axe, looked at the stone-armored badger that had just died on the ground, and then looked at the bleeding wound on his arm. Instead of feeling any fear, he grinned and revealed a blood-stained smile.
New "food" has been obtained.
Almost the instant the stone badger breathed its last, the mountain cauldron in its sea of consciousness trembled slightly.