"The mineral density is approximately 4.5 times higher than standard iron ore. Truly, this is a magnificent base material for forging high-grade weapons." Bai Xifeng noted, her voice echoing slightly in the quiet tunnel as she gave a satisfied nod.

She turned her attention back to the bodies. Pulling out a storage rune, she began the methodical process of collecting the remains. The quest she had accepted technically only required two bags of Xien Stones; a mere four of these Stone-Clad Wolves would easily fulfil that meagre requirement. However, Bai Xifeng was nothing if not a shameless opportunist. If the school wanted more, she would gladly provide it for a steep premium. Alternatively, she could keep the surplus to sell to independent merchants or rival cultivators who were desperate for such high-quality ore.

After finishing her grisly harvest, she decided to venture deeper into the cave. The air grew thick and heavy, vibrating with a strange, humming resonance that pulsed against her ribs. The deeper she descended, the more the common blue crystals were replaced by thick, jagged veins of dark, pulsing silver, the true, unadulterated Xien Ore.

As she reached the central chamber, the sight before her forced her to a sudden halt. The cavern opened up into a massive, natural cathedral of stone. At the very centre sat a roiling pool of liquid quicksilver, shimmering with a metallic sheen. Suspended above the pool by natural pillars of translucent rock were the Xien Heart Stones, glowing with a fierce, rhythmic light that mimicked a living heartbeat.

Suddenly, a violent tremor shook the ground beneath her boots. Bai Xifeng widened her stance, circulating her Qi to stabilise her body against the upheaval.

"Something is here." Bai Xifeng mumbled, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the shifting shadows.

She moved cautiously toward the metallic pool, but as she approached, the liquid began to churn and froth. A massive, cylindrical shape erupted from the liquid metal. She froze, a look of pure disgust crossing her face when she realised it was a worm, though a monstrous one. This beast was at least thirty feet long, its body encased in heavy, overlapping plates. It was an Earth-Shaking Armoured Worm.

"Eww! I really, truly hate worms!" Bai Xifeng hissed, feeling a wave of involuntary goosebumps erupt across her skin.

This beast was not a mere guardian. It was a parasite that fed directly on the cave’s spiritual energy. Sensing the rhythmic tremors of an intruder, the blind beast poked its massive head out of the pool. It lacked eyes, perceiving the world through the subtle vibrations of the earth. Its "mouth" was a nightmare of biological engineering. A terrifying vortex of concentric circles of serrated teeth, spinning like a high-speed industrial drill.

The worm let out a screeching sound, like rusted metal grinding against metal. The temperature dropped further, and the moisture in the air began to crystallise into a petrifying fog that rolled toward her feet.

"Hmm... Judging from your aura, you are likely a Lord Rank beast." Bai Xifeng said, her disgust momentarily replaced by the thrill of the hunt. She curved her lips into a dangerous, predatory smile. "I have been looking for a Lord Rank beast to test my limits."

The worm did not wait for Bai Xifeng to finish her boast. It slammed its massive, armoured head into the cavern ceiling, causing a rain of jagged stalactites to fall like guided spears.

Bai Xifeng danced through the falling stone debris with fluid grace, but her expression soured.

"Bastard! Don’t go destroying this cave. It’s mine!" Bai Xifeng shouted, shamelessly claiming the entire mineral-rich cavern as her personal property.

Determined to save the environment from the beast’s rampage, Bai Xifeng lunged forward to attack. However, the worm was deceptively agile. It dived back into the rock, its armoured body moving through solid stone as effortlessly as if it were water.

"Damn... it dives through rock like it’s a swimming pool." Bai Xifeng commented, her eyes darting across the floor.

Crack! Boom!

The ground directly beneath her exploded in a cloud of dust and shrapnel. The worm lunged upward, its rotating teeth screeching as they bit into the air. Bai Xifeng leapt into the air, narrowly avoiding the lethal maw, but the beast’s heavy armoured segments brushed against her side during the ascent. Even that glancing contact felt like being struck by a runaway iron carriage.

"Tch! That actually hurt!" Bai Xifeng cursed, clutching her side as she landed. "Fine then. I’ll kill you and refine every last inch of your hide into high-grade materials!"

Bai Xifeng quickly realised that conventional strikes would never pierce that shell. The worm’s armour was designed to withstand the crushing pressures of the deep earth. To kill it, she needed to turn its own massive momentum against it.

The worm arched its body, preparing for a massive slam intended to level the entire chamber. Instead of retreating, Bai Xifeng stood her ground directly in the path of the falling titan. She gathered her Qi, but rather than forming a shield, she focused a high-frequency vibration into the marrow of her palms. As the worm’s heavy head descended like a falling mountain, she thrust her hands forward, meeting the armoured plates head-on.

The impact did not send her flying. Instead, the vibration she channelled bypassed the exterior stone and travelled directly into the worm’s soft internal tissues. The frequency perfectly matched the resonance of the Xien stones, causing the beast’s very skeleton to hum violently until its organs began to fail.

The worm let out a silent, agonising shriek, struggling convulsively as its internal structure collapsed. Bai Xifeng smiled widely, looking at the fallen worm.

***This novel is a contracted work with w e b n o v e l. c o m. If you do not read this novel on w e b n o v e l. c o m, that means it has been stolen. Thank you, from your shameless author, ZerahNeko*