Chapter 378: Stirring Things Up

Chapter 378: Stirring Things Up

A fully intact Elemental Vein, as long as its structure remained whole, would continue to produce new ore even after being mined. But now, looking at what it had become, this was no longer a vein. It had transformed into an unprecedented, special Element Crystal. The power it had amassed was immense, yet it no longer served the purpose of a vein.

“Whew… How does this thing compare to an Element Heart?” Zheng Yichen suppressed the shock in his heart and said with amazement.

“Of course, the Element Heart is superior. Even though this thing holds vast power, ten of these couldn’t match a single Element Heart. Don’t waste any more time. Hurry and take it away. The Wind Dragonflies can use resonance to draw on its power, and if that happens, we’ll be in big trouble.”

Zheng Yichen nodded and immediately released his Mana, swiftly covering the huge, faintly trembling Element Crystal. As his Mana enveloped it, he could clearly sense the power within the crystal—vast like an ocean—being drawn outward. During this process, the resonance made the entire crystal extremely unstable. With just a little external stimulus, it could explode completely like a bomb.

The blast would probably be enough to flatten two Windwhisper Valleys without any trouble.

Zheng Yichen was very careful as he covered the crystal with his Mana, gradually shrinking the range from which the massive crystal’s power was surging out. When the range was just right, he planned to fully envelop it, completely cutting off the Wind Dragonflies’ source of power. But just before finishing, Zheng Yichen hesitated a little. “Won’t doing this alert the Undying Witch?”

“Don’t underestimate the Sanctuary Church’s lockdown. It’s impossible for the Undying Witch’s spies to infiltrate here, and besides, the Undying Witch doesn’t have a Magic Weapon Contract,” Dan Marina said. This was one area where the Undying Witch was especially cautious—she still didn’t have a Magic Weapon Contract to this day. In fact, the number of Witches who currently had Magic Weapon Contracts hadn’t even reached ten, and several of those were on Zheng Yichen’s side.

Witches were beings who weren’t keen on signing Contracts made by others; they actually preferred handing out Contracts to others.

“Alright then!”

At the outskirts of Windwhisper Valley, Achille looked up at the increasingly oppressive sky above the valley. Everything that could be prepared was already done. The storm created by the combined efforts of the Wind Dragonflies brought serious consequences, but it also opened up a new opportunity. Based on probes conducted by some action teams, the ore vein beneath Windwhisper Valley had basically crumbled under the concentrated power of the Wind Dragonflies.

The entire power of the vein had been gathered together, forming a colossal entity that should have been impossible. The advantage of this was… even if an accident occurred and triggered an explosion, it wouldn’t affect too large an area. After all, power that was concentrated would erupt in a concentrated manner. The destructive force within the range would multiply, but the range itself would shrink significantly.

This was a new breakthrough, making things less troublesome than they were initially, where they had to consider many factors. A small-scale, long-lasting disaster was still acceptable. A small piece of land, and a rather remote area at that—if the empire governing this territory decided to abandon it, it wouldn’t be a huge problem. But if the disaster area expanded dozens of times, that would be a completely different matter.

Directly detonating that crystal was certainly an option, even though the empire had subtly indicated that, if possible, they would like to keep this “property” belonging to the empire… Even though the value of a mountain-sized Element Crystal was still somewhat less compared to a high-quality Elemental Vein that could be developed over a long period.

But such a special existence held an alternative, immeasurable value. That thing was probably the only Element Crystal of its size in this world. Once dug out, there would be no need for any so-called ore refining. Just chip off a piece from it, and it could be used as a high-quality Element Crystal.

The people of the Sanctuary Church could suppress their greed, but that didn’t mean the empire’s people could. As for those subtle demands, Achille naturally dismissed them with disdain. It was something they could never obtain to begin with, yet they still fantasized about getting their hands on it… Even if they could obtain it, he wouldn’t sacrifice most of the Sanctuary Church’s members, or even pay the price of losing the Saintess, just to fulfill such a demand from the empire.

So what if they smashed that thing? The messy aftermath and arguments weren’t his responsibility to handle. He wanted to resolve things cleanly, but not at the cost of numerous sacrifices. That “rock” wasn’t worth him acting without principles. Even if the empire secretly promised many benefits… Achille had even noticed that some people within the Sanctuary Church were becoming restless.

The roots of the Sanctuary Church remained intact to this day, not rotten, but that didn’t mean the sprawling branches of its vast divisions were free from issues. It wasn’t too surprising for people to become restless under the lure of great profit.

Among these people, those who hinted at their desires were directly sent by Achille for “remedial training.” Given his position, no one would question his actions. Those who were still hesitating were kept under observation for now. If their final choice wasn’t misguided, they might get to “advance their training.” If they chose the wrong path, off to remedial training they went too. Having greed was acceptable; making choices for one’s own benefit or needs—Achille didn’t find that shameful at all!

Just like how Oss, for the sake of his sister, willingly fell and became a Cultist. That was an act born from having no other choice. Though he had a bit more luck than others, encountering an unconventional group like the Demon Sword Sect. If it had been any other Cult, even if he achieved his goal temporarily after becoming a Cultist, he would have ended up losing both himself and his sister in the end.

But now, making choices that sacrificed the majority for one’s own benefit—that itself was a true act of corruption. Sending them for a “remedial training” that nobody else wanted—there was absolutely no problem with that!

For minor matters where people wavered, Achille could turn a blind eye and let it pass. But for major matters, if they wavered or even harbored inappropriate thoughts… he would show no mercy! One must not forget their roots. The Sanctuary Church had always provided its members with very high treatment.

As for those with strong wills, they were further elevated. Achille took note of all these people. Those with weak resolve would remain as they were in the future, while the steadfast ones would see their status rise, allowing them to play greater roles.

Just as Achille was considering where to start with the upcoming matters, a thunderous roar came from Windwhisper Valley, making him rush out of his tent immediately. His gaze fixed tightly on the commotion arising from the valley. By the time he rushed out, the stationed members of the Sanctuary Church were already on alert.

“Who’s acting so recklessly?” Achille frowned deeply. This kind of disturbance was clearly caused by someone targeting that crystal, which had gathered all the power of the vein. The slightest misstep wouldn’t just cost them their own life—no one active near Windwhisper Valley would survive!