Chapter 76: Purple Jade Vein

Wu Yuan delivered a casual kick to the Pangolin’s massive flank.

“I need your muscles. Since you have the [Earth Walk Technique], you’re going to help me dig something up.”

The Pangolin’s ears perked up. It immediately forgot about Little Yellow and the earlier awkwardness.

“Boss! Let’s go! Fast!”

Its eyes sparkled with excitement. Digging? That was its calling. It was ready to perform.

Wu Yuan turned to the large black rat waiting nearby.

“Big Old Black! Gather a squad of our best rock-chewers. Bring them to the bamboo forest. I need heavy excavators!”

“Understood, Boss!” Big Old Black roared, his voice booming through the tunnels as he scrambled to assemble his crew.

Wu Yuan prepared to head for the bamboo forest, but a massive scaled barrier blocked his path.

“Boss,” the Pangolin rumbled, lowering its body flat against the ground. “Ride.”

It struck a pose, practically inviting him up.

Wu Yuan looked closer. Along the spine of the beast’s armored back, there was a perfectly shaped indentation—a saddle molded from natural scale. In front of it, a curved spur of bone acted as a handle.

He paused. He definitely didn’t remember those features being there before.

“It fits perfectly,” Wu Yuan muttered, impressed. “You actually grew a custom seat for me?”

“Of course, Boss!” The Pangolin beamed, its voice dripping with pride. “I grew it just for you! Only the best seat for the Boss!”

In the distance, Big Old Black watched this display and felt a chill run down his spine.

Another sycophant, he lamented internally. When will I, Big Old Black, ever rise above these flatterers? When will I become the Boss’s true trusted confidant and beloved general?

He wasn’t entirely sure what “sycophant” meant—he had only heard Bibo use the word—but it felt appropriate for the boot-licking behavior he was witnessing.

Thinking of Bibo, Big Old Black sighed again.

When is Old Man Bibo going to finish his Secluded Cultivation? All his administrative work is piling up on me! I hope he recovers from his hidden injuries soon… mostly so I can stop doing paperwork.

Suddenly, the soil near the Pangolin’s feet exploded.

Little Yellow popped out like a cork. Having adjusted to the Pangolin’s terrifying size, his fear had morphed into adrenaline-fueled excitement.

“Yes! Yes! Yes!” the hamster squeaked, hopping up and down. “Boss! Let’s ride the tank! It looks fun! It looks dangerous!”

The Pangolin’s face fell. It glared at the tiny rodent.

“You say ride, we ride?” it grumbled, its pride stung. “Do I have no face? I am a person of status in these tunnels! I am not a public bus for random rodents!”

Little Yellow wasn’t deterred. His beady eyes spun with mischief.

He reached into his fur pouch, pulled out a glistening Fire Ant Egg, and shoved it toward the Pangolin’s snout. The rich, spicy aroma of the egg instantly filled the air.

The Pangolin’s eyes went crossed as it focused on the treat. Its mouth watered, but it tried to maintain its dignity.

“No… I am… noble…”

Its claws made a token effort to push Little Yellow away, but its mouth opened wider than the hamster’s entire body. Its eyes flicked nervously to Wu Yuan, waiting for permission.

Wu Yuan laughed. “Alright, stop acting. Let him on.”

Slurp.

The Pangolin’s tongue shot out, snatching the egg in a blur of motion.

“Since the Boss says so,” it mumbled around the egg, “I will allow it.”

“But you can’t sit in the Royal Seat. That’s for the Boss. I’ll find a spot for you.”

It raised its massive, armored tail high into the air.

“There. The tail seat. It fits you. If I didn’t like you, I wouldn’t let you sit there.”

To Little Yellow, the raised tail looked like a mountain peak. His eyes widened, not with fear, but with pure thrill.

“Yes!” he shouted, scrambling up the scales. “When you run, swing it! Swing it hard! Make it exciting!”

“You…”

Before the Pangolin could complain about the safety regulations, Little Yellow stuffed another Fire Ant Egg into its mouth.

“Understood!” The Pangolin chewed happily. “Sit tight! I, the Pangolin, am a professional! I guarantee a smooth and thrilling ride!”

Wu Yuan watched the transaction with a bemused smile. Little Yellow really was a piece of work—cowardly yet addicted to danger. “Both weak and fond of playing,” as the saying went.

He looked at his motley crew—a masochistic tank, a thrill-seeking hamster, and a jealous administrator. It was ridiculous. It was perfect.

“This is the life,” Wu Yuan thought, a wave of emotion washing over him. “Compared to the starving, desperate days when I first arrived… this is heaven.”

“Food, shelter, loyal idiots. Once I break through to Foundation Establishment and secure a few hundred years of lifespan… I really will have hope for longevity.”

He leaped lightly, flipping into the air and landing perfectly in the custom saddle. It was snug, comfortable, and stable.

Little Yellow hugged the tail tip for dear life, grinning like a maniac.

Wu Yuan patted the warm scales beneath him.

“Move out. Target: Bamboo Forest.”

VRRRMM.

Layers of yellow spiritual energy patterns ignited across the Pangolin’s body, shimmering over its armor. The earth element thickened, turning the beast into a living drill.

With a low roar, it activated its innate talent: [Earth Walk].

The world dissolved.

Wu Yuan felt a soft, enveloping force wrap around him. The solid ground turned liquid.

They sank into the earth, surrounded by a chaotic blur of yellow and black. The light from the Pangolin’s patterns acted as a forcefield, parting the soil and rock before them, creating a frictionless tunnel that sealed itself behind them.

“Incredible,” Wu Yuan marveled. “This isn’t just digging; it’s phasing. I need to study these patterns. For escaping and evasion, this ability is invincible.”

“Come to think of it, I don’t have a dedicated movement technique. If I have to run on foot, I’m slow.”

“That won’t do. A slow rat ruins the reputation of the entire species.”

He made a mental note to grill the Pangolin for the secrets of [Earth Walk] later.

Behind him, Little Yellow’s joyful screams echoed through the subterranean void as the tail whipped back and forth.

In moments, they had crossed the distance that would have taken Wu Yuan 10 minutes to walk. The Pangolin breached the surface, stopping smoothly at the edge of the Purple Jade vein beneath the bamboo forest.

“Three times faster than my top speed,” Wu Yuan calculated, stepping off. “[Earth Walk] truly lives up to its reputation as the lesser version of [Earth Escape Technique].”

He stood in the fresh cavern carved by the Pangolin’s arrival.

Every inch of the surrounding earth was encased in a layer of lustrous, translucent Purple Jade. The entire cavern glowed with a soft, mystical violet light.

This was the edge of the new vein. The original tunnels he had explored were now completely sealed off by the expanding crystal. Even the massive boulders that once defined the cavern’s geography were swallowed whole, indistinguishable beneath the purple crust.

The terrain had been terraformed.

Above them, the roots of the [Purple Jade Bamboo] hung from the ceiling. Some had been overtaken by the crystal growth, fusing with the [Purple Jade] until root and stone became one.