Chapter 363 - 250: Earth Vein Perception Ability
Chapter 363: Chapter 250: Earth Vein Perception Ability
Li Xiang also gave Jiang Cai’Er a taste of Earth Escape, and the two shared an intimate moment deep underground.
"I actually found some mineral deposits nearby, but I don’t know what kind of ore they are. You’re brilliant; can you help me analyze them?" Li Xiang said, holding Jiang Cai’Er after they had been close for a while. He had suddenly remembered the important matter at hand.
"You found mineral deposits, too? Let’s go, let’s go! I’ll help you identify them." Jiang Cai’Er’s knowledge was practically superhuman; she could identify an ore with near-perfect accuracy just by looking at it.
So, Li Xiang led Jiang Cai’Er to the location.
Li Xiang had awakened the "Earth Pivot World Record," a Great Lifebound Rune that encompassed nearly every Earth Element Superpower. One of these abilities was called the "Earth Vein Perception Ability."
It was similar to Luo Feifei in the water. Water was Luo Feifei’s domain, and the earth was Li Xiang’s. His Earth Vein Perception Ability wasn’t considered strong yet, but it could already extend for several hundred meters.
In other words, he knew the situation underground within a radius of several hundred meters like the back of his hand.
After returning home, he had taken some time to practice his Earth Escape, mainly for prospecting. He’d had no luck since his fortuitous discovery of the Chicken Blood Stone deposit, but now, with the combination of Earth Escape and his Earth Vein Perception Ability, it was as if he had eyes underground. He’d actually managed to discover quite a few new deposits.
Among them were three rather large, deep-seated coal mines. He set those aside for now; after the Apocalypse, they could be excavated to provide fuel for his base.
There were also several geothermal resources that would be invaluable during the Apocalypse. Since they were so close, Li Xiang naturally wouldn’t develop them ahead of time. They were located quite deep and weren’t particularly large, so no one had discovered them yet.
’Yep. In the future, these will all be my private assets.’
He also found some limestone deposits, which could be used as building stone and for cement production.
These were all relatively simple ones that he recognized. However, there were many other ores he couldn’t identify; after all, he wasn’t a geology major.
Now that he had a capable helper like Jiang Cai’Er, things were much more convenient.
Li Xiang took her from one location to the next. They identified deposits of pyrite, copper, lead-zinc, and sand and gravel, all of which were relatively large in scale. There were also smaller reserves of siderite, phosphate, barite, and fluorite. But even these smaller deposits represented a huge fortune for his future Underground City, which would house over a hundred thousand people.
"I never would’ve thought our hometown had so many undiscovered mineral resources," Jiang Cai’Er said, equally excited.
Like landlords surveying their own fertile fields, the two of them inspected every hidden mineral deposit within a fifty-kilometer radius of Li Family Village. Jiang Cai’Er activated her "Quantum Computer" and created a mental table listing each vein’s name, approximate reserves, and coordinates, storing it all perfectly in her Memory Palace so it would never be forgotten.
As they traveled using Earth Escape, they occasionally stumbled upon old graves and skeletal remains. However, only Li Xiang could "see" them; he certainly wouldn’t allow Jiang Cai’Er to witness such unsettling sights.
Some of the ancient tombs even contained burial goods, but Li Xiang wasn’t particularly interested in such "Nether Artifacts."
If he wanted wealth or precious items now, he could take whatever he pleased from the world’s financial conglomerates. With this in mind, he mulled over taking a trip to Japan in a few days.
Japan was home to many financial conglomerates—some famous, others unknown but with deep foundations—that had accumulated untold fortunes. But more importantly, Japan had a very special Earth Vein.
How special? In his past life, it had preserved the last vestiges of Japan.
Mount Fuji.
In his previous life, when the Apocalypse descended, Demon Beasts invaded from space, and Earth’s environment underwent a drastic transformation. Japan was struck by numerous massive earthquakes, and the surrounding seas were frequently battered by apocalyptic tsunamis. To make matters worse, a global nuclear war broke out, and many nuclear warheads landed on Japanese soil.
Japan’s major islands—Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu—had almost all sunk beneath the waves. Only Mount Fuji, near Tokyo, survived.
At the time, rumors claimed that a divine object lay beneath Mount Fuji. The Earth Vein there had resonated abnormally, forming a special protective barrier that managed to shield the mountain.
The surrounding survivors had all taken refuge inside Mount Fuji, eking out a desperate existence within the mountain.
This faction had produced two powerful Extraordinary Beings: a pair of twin sisters, apparently. One was named Asatsuyu, the other Yukigiri. At only sixteen years old and with unparalleled beauty, they had become the leaders of this base, known by the title "Twin Gouyu."
"Twin," of course, referred to them being twins. Legend said the two girls were telepathically linked and could feel each other’s sensations.
"Gouyu" referred to one of Japan’s Three Divine Artifacts, the Eight-footed Gouyu, also known as the Yasakani no Magatama. It is a jade pendant shaped like a pointed chili pepper. Believed to be a treasure bestowed by the goddess Amaterasu, it possesses mystical powers and is normally enshrined within the Imperial Residence in Tokyo.
Previously, Li Xiang lacked any Earth Ability, so he couldn’t have gone beneath Mount Fuji. But now that he possessed such power, he recalled this matter and decided to go investigate it for himself.
When Jiang Cai’Er heard his plan, she was eager to go with him. But she still had school, and Li Xiang couldn’t just take her gallivanting around the world. So, after a great deal of persuasion, he finally convinced her to focus on her studies for the time being, promising they could revisit the idea after she got into university.
It wasn’t that he doubted she could get into university; he was just worried she would get a taste for adventure and lose her focus. Besides, forget being gone for a few days—if she missed even a single class, her homeroom teacher would likely panic and call her family immediately.
Jiang Cai’Er was the school’s prized pupil now; the school’s reputation for the coming year rested entirely on her shoulders. Everyone, from her teachers to the principal, doted on her as if she were a precious treasure.
"Hmph. Are you just planning to go fool around in Japan and deliberately leaving me behind?" Jiang Cai’Er teased.
Li Xiang replied with a very serious expression, "I already have a peerless, genius-level beauty at home. Why would I need to go to Japan for that?"
Jiang Cai’Er burst out laughing with a "PFFT." ’That’s right,’ she thought. ’He hasn’t even made a move on the beautiful and brilliant girl he has at home, so why would he go looking for a snack elsewhere?’
Li Xiang continued working with her, surveying mineral deposits and building mountain roads. The two of them led a very productive life together.
Outsiders assumed that since the young couple was stuck together like glue every day, they were surely being lovey-dovey and "doing it," and that an "accidental discharge" might happen at any moment.
Aunt Jiang was so worried her daughter would get pregnant that she repeatedly warned her not to get knocked up before graduating high school, as that would be a huge embarrassment. Little did she know that the two spent most of their time on important matters, planning for the future of Li Family Village.
...
Jiang Cai’Er also found time to visit the scenic area to have a "friendly" sparring match with Yao Yao, Zhao Xueqing, Lei Xiaohui, and Lei Jiaming.
In truth, she was there to declare her sovereignty and make her presence felt.
Don’t be fooled by Jiang Cai’Er’s beaming smile and her affectionate way of calling them "sister" and "brother." When she made her move, she was merciless. The moment she unleashed "Imaginary Number Corridor: Ring of the End," the fight was over before it began. Yao Yao, Zhao Xueqing, Lei Xiaohui, and Lei Jiaming were utterly crushed.
All of their Spiritual Power was drained away to nourish the maze-like Imaginary Number Corridor. Lei Jiaming had it the worst; he fainted just a few seconds after entering. After he was moved out, it took a long time to revive him. When he finally came to, the mere sight of Jiang Cai’Er made him tremble in fear, and he didn’t dare to go near her, as if he had just lived through a terrifying nightmare.
Although the three women—Yao Yao, Zhao Xueqing, and Lei Xiaohui—had been studying and taking correspondence courses and online English classes to improve themselves, how could they possibly compare to Jiang Cai’Er when it came to problem-solving and academic knowledge?
Their own power was insufficient to brute-force their way out of the maze, so all they could do was take the punishment.
After easily defeating them, Jiang Cai’Er’s confidence soared. She was even itching to have a go at Luo Feifei, but Luo Feifei was never around, and she never had the chance to meet her.
’I used to think Luo Feifei wasn’t an Extraordinary Being,’ she mused, ’but I never imagined her Realm would have surpassed mine long ago. Still, my combat style is unique—it’s designed specifically to crush people who are bad at academics. Luo Feifei spends all day filming movies, shooting commercials, and appearing on variety shows; she never even finished a proper high school education. Even at Tier Six, she might not be able to break my Imaginary Number Corridor.’
After this battle, Yao Yao, Zhao Xueqing, and Lei Xiaohui were all a little afraid of Jiang Cai’Er and secretly decided to avoid her as much as possible from then on.
Afterward, Li Xiang gave the four of them a large supply of Spiritual Medicine. It still took them a full week to restore their drained Spiritual Power to its peak.
To everyone’s immense relief, Jiang Cai’Er’s vacation was brief, and she soon went back to school.
The weather, which had been clear for a rare few days, turned gloomy once more. Before long, snow began to drift down again.
"This snow is endless. I’m really looking forward to the warm days of spring when the flowers bloom," some of the village elders sighed.
The bitter cold was especially harsh on the elderly. Many of them had just recovered from colds a few days prior, and now the snow was starting up again.
Li Xiang went door-to-door, delivering supplies. He gave each household two stalks of the Celestial Grade Korean Ginseng he had plundered from the South Korean conglomerates, but to his exasperation, some of the elderly still couldn’t bring themselves to eat it.
People like Third Granny, on the other hand, whose daughters had all married and moved away, had a more practical outlook. With no children at home to dote on, she figured she should enjoy what she had. She stewed the Red Ginseng Li Xiang gave her in a chicken soup and ate it every day, which kept her warm and stopped her hands and feet from getting cold.
In Third Granny’s own words, "How many years have I got left? Might as well be comfortable for as long as I can."
After settling matters in the village, attending a meeting in town, and having a discussion at the county level, Li Xiang found himself with some free time. He told his grandmother he would be leaving home for a few days.
His grandmother was used to him being away every now and then, so she just reminded him to be safe. She assumed he was once again leaving to serve the country.
The Li Family had produced a Major who had even been awarded a special-class merit. He might even become a general one day. His grandmother was immensely proud and had already burned countless stacks of joss paper for their ancestors, as well as for Li Xiang’s grandfather and parents, to share the good news in the afterlife.
On a night of swirling snow, Li Xiang donned the Giant Whale Saint Armor and flew to Siberia at a cruising speed of Mach 2.8.
He went to visit Little Golden Tiger, Little Fire Tiger, and their Tiger Mother. The family of five was thriving in Siberia. When they saw Li Xiang, the tigers crowded around, rubbing against him and licking him. A single lick from a tiger would have torn the flesh from an ordinary person’s bones, but for Li Xiang, it was just a tickle. In fact, it felt rather pleasant.
"Come, let me check on your training progress," Li Xiang communicated with the tigers, bestowing more Spiritual Medicine upon them.
He then climbed onto the Tiger Mother’s back and had her take him for a ride through the snow.
This was a necessary ritual to remind them that he was their master.
The tigers were reluctant to see him go when he left.
"I’ll come see you often," Li Xiang said with a wave. The Giant Whale Saint Armor reformed around his body, and with a faint sonic boom, he shot eastward.
He arrived at Kuye Island, then headed south, crossing the Soya Strait to reach Hokkaido.
His itinerary was simple: plunder his way down from Hokkaido, through Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu, then cross the Tsushima Strait to plunder South Korea before returning home.
Of course, Mount Fuji on Honshu was a primary target.
Besides, Japan had numerous bat caves. Since bats lived together in huge colonies inside caves, they were the fastest source of Achievement Points Li Xiang had found so far.
The financial magnates of Japan were reveling in peace and prosperity, living each day in a drunken haze. They had no idea that the Mysterious Armored Man who was coming to "harvest" them had already set foot upon their island nation.