CHAPTER 35: CHAPTER 34: BURNING SPIRITUALITY

The fourth shockwave swept out, and the surface soil and rocks had long been blasted away. This time, they didn’t become missiles, but the surface directly reversed with the spread of the shockwave, causing Li Ang and the two summoned beasts’ feet to sink into the ground, making them unable to move.

The subsequent earthquake began, and Li Ang realized this wouldn’t do. He instructed the Jade Beast to pick up Zoe nearby and toss her onto its back, then both summoned beasts retreated together.

However, the legs of the Jade Giant got stuck in the cracks in the ground and couldn’t be pulled out, leaving only the Jade Beast to return to his side.

Just as Li Ang climbed onto the back of the Jade Beast, the ground’s tremors made it hard for even the Jade Beast to stand steadily.

Zoe, perched on the back of the Jade Beast, stared at the half-ruined ancient temple. Once connected to the mountain, the tremors had caused large chunks of rock to fall, burying some parts. If more boulders rolled down, everything inside would likely be destroyed.

"That ruin..."

"Watch out overhead!"

The hollow glazed dome began to disintegrate during the fourth earthquake, turning the once glorious and beautiful crystalline ceiling stones into deadly traps.

Li Ang drew his Water Flow Array Dragon Fang Sword to block the falling stones, and Zoe also swung her sword to strike them away.

After painstakingly getting through, the giant serpent was already charging up for the fifth impact.

Even if it meant getting hurt, it couldn’t be allowed to continue.

Li Ang took a deep breath, focusing his energy and drawing all the atmospheric magic power he could still use.

"Zoe, I’m going to exhaust all my magic power reserves now, and afterwards, I’ll be too depleted to move. I’ll need you to take me out of the Island Heart."

The young girl had been using Earth Elemental Arrows to attack the Earth Serpent, but the latter, refusing to give up, rendered her attack ineffective.

"Why? What are you going to do?"

She turned her head, seemingly realizing something, her expression worried: "Didn’t you just say that overcasting could lead to spiritual exhaustion and death?"

At this moment, the biggest strike Li Ang could deliver was the Secret Technique—Tumult of Ten Thousand Spirits.

As a secret technique not known for destruction by a witch, even if it embodied all of Li Ang’s lifelong insights, it could only be defined as a large-scale holding spell.

The reason is simple: although it can enhance its power by leveraging the surrounding conditions, it’s also limited by the same.

In gaming terms, its total area-of-effect (AOE) damage and control power are high, but the armor-piercing capability of a single hit isn’t enough, not comparable to single-target burst damage that excels in killing.

So, even though gems were everywhere, he didn’t just unleash the big move before even encountering the Earth Serpent.

Most gems here have Tier 4 strength, with a few being higher. Even if they were all activated in the Tumult of Ten Thousand Spirits, they’d just be a bunch of Tier 4 Elemental Energy Corps, unable to harm the Tier 6 scale armor of the Holy Snake, and less effective at piercing defense than upgraded casting with gems.

Now it’s different; its defenses have been breached under repeated attacks, and the Tumult of Ten Thousand Spirits is enough to inflict massive damage.

Facing a Star Soul for the first time was indeed much more challenging than past demons.

Star Soul related matters had already refreshed a lot of Li Ang’s understanding, but even without the help of his past powerful equipment and energy sources, the current situation was still within his capability.

Previously, over half of the magic power reserves had been depleted, and theoretically, Li Ang’s Secret Technique as a witch couldn’t be activated.

But at this moment, he was in a state of Spiritual Activation, where, even with insufficient energy or stamina, one could forcibly activate secret techniques and skills by burning spirituality as a substitute.

However, as long as it’s not excessively exploited, it first consumes the part of spirituality that increases after activation.

This is also the strongest point of this supportive curse art. In this scenario, it bears a clever resemblance to Zoe’s dad exploiting the spirituality of Treasure Artifacts.

"I won’t die. I’ve done similar things in several critical moments before."

Li Ang first used Spell Writing to cast a Tier Two Curse—Spiritual Traction, drawing back the gems blown away by the shockwave.

Whether or not Zoe’s parents intentionally left the gems for later use against the Star Soul, this time they certainly helped.

The gem cluster spun in the air as Li Ang infused it with magic to induce the Tumult of Ten Thousand Spirits.

The Earth Serpent finished charging, and reared its head to strike the ground.

The fifth shockwave.

This time, the shockwave suddenly intensified enough to cause substantial damage. Sweeping across, the already ground-sunken Jade Giant was buried even deeper, with its surface jade armor shattering and falling off.

The Elemental Beast, extracting its four legs, kneeled immediately under the impact. The shockwave affected its internal leg structure, temporarily preventing it from getting up.

Li Ang’s casting was interrupted by the vibration, causing him to cough violently and clutch his temple, the attack loosening his traction, and magic power escaping, rebounding on his spirituality.

"Li Ang! Are you hurt?" Zoe hurriedly supported him.

Before Li Ang could answer, the fifth earthquake began.

Raising his hand, he instructed the Jade Giant to use its remaining magic power to transform, forming a cover of soil and stone above them and the Elemental Beast, and a weak shield made of the remaining gems on top.

The underground hollow glazed firmament began to disintegrate, like the entire sky shattering into several pieces and collapsing overhead, momentarily changing the color of the world.

The fluoresce stone-illuminated Island Heart World seesawed between light and dark, with crystal stones over hundreds of meters high plunging like a torrential rain, obliterating all familiar scenes on the ground. Even the already upheaved earth was tilled by the endlessly falling crystals.

"We, we, I..."

Zoe bit her lower lip, stunned by the scene before her.

The soil boiled like foaming bubbles, the entire land reconstructing over and over, finally completely transforming.

The entire span of time felt as long as if being tortured. Under such an assault blending natural elements, one’s instinct was solely on self-preservation.

Li Ang raised his hand to replenish the Clay Giant Statue’s magical cover, lest even burning spirituality to maintain itself couldn’t support the crystal onslaught.

Zoe hung her head low, her recently mustered courage seemingly oppressed again by the fear of the Star Soul. Two clear tears slid down from the corners of her eyes, her lips murmuring something.

The earthen cover above shattered into dust, and the Jadestone Mud Rock Giant Statue completed its mission, returning to the earth.

Li Ang caught his breath. Just now, it felt like his internal organs were about to shift leaves.

If there were a sixth shockwave, it might truly damage his internal organs.

Smiling at the tear-streaked young girl, Li Ang gently tapped her forehead.

"Don’t zone out, stay alert, and don’t fall into danger.

"Don’t worry, this serpent is as good as dead.

"There might be a sixth impact, likely not as damaging to us, but the ruins connected to the cave wall may not survive. Don’t worry, I have some clues about your parents.

"The battle is almost over."

Though the fifth impact came sooner than expected, some wounds on the serpent’s body were healing, likely due to the Earth’s Favor skill taking effect, giving it a bit of a mental lift.

It doesn’t matter, such a massive contribution of high-tier gems as casting materials will allow the Secret Technique he activates to deliver substantial element damage, likely igniting an energy explosion akin to the sun descending here, engulfing the underground hollow in blinding daylight.

"Get ready to close your eyes."

Smiling at the young girl again, Li Ang summoned his magic power once more.

He didn’t see his profile reflected in the girl’s pupils.

She gazed at him dumbfounded, watching him gather magic little by little.

"No."

Zoe’s voice sounded choked as it reached out.

Li Ang paused slightly because of this, while she took deep breaths as if trying to displace the occupying fear in her body with inhaled air.

She shook her head forcefully, as if trying to dispel some thought from her mind.

She clenched her fists a little, as if trying hard to grasp something.

"No."

She repeated, this time the voice clear and firm.