Chapter 30: Moonlight Orchid

Xia Tong’s eyes narrowed slightly, reflecting the distant crimson flames.

“A decisive one, indeed. But with such a commotion, aren’t you afraid of attracting even bigger trouble?”

She wasn’t worried that these people would die here. The subterranean worm before them was clearly underdeveloped; any psychic armed with a transformation device could handle it easily.

What intrigued her more was the scar-faced fire psychic—just how much power could he unleash?

The massive mother worm seemed to sense the danger radiating from the scar-faced man. From its huge mandibles came a low, furious hiss. Swarms of smaller worms suddenly quickened their pace, surging forward like a dam breaking!

...

The scar-faced man’s roar echoed like thunder in the cavernous underground space. Flames churned around him, and the great axe in his hands was completely engulfed by blazing fire, transforming into a burning warhammer.

He knew that facing such a terrifying number of worms, conventional methods wouldn’t suffice. The only solution was to unleash his utmost power to carve a path before they fully encircled him.

Or—burn them all to ashes!

“Come on, you worthless vermin!”

His eyes glowed red, veins bulging on his forehead as he pushed his fire ability to the extreme. The scorching energy surged within him, threatening to ignite his very body.

This was one of his trump cards—also the most draining on his physical and mental stamina.

At this moment, the transformation device unleashed its true power.

This dangerous apparatus could temporarily awaken a psychic’s potential and amplify their abilities.

Now, the flames around the scar-faced man expanded violently, forming a searing energy field.

With a furious roar, he swung his blazing great axe into the dense black tide of worms before him!

A visible wave of scorching fire surged forward like a tsunami, roaring as it swept everything in its path. The air ignited instantly, crackling with explosive sounds.

The worms at the forefront didn’t even have time to scream before the intense heat incinerated them into wisps of smoke.

The fire wave’s impact was tremendous, carving a huge charred channel through the swarm. The surviving worms shrieked in agony as their bodies melted on the scorched ground.

Even the massive mother worm in the fissure’s center screamed in pain under the fiery onslaught!

---

Its thick, chitinous hide blackened and cracked, releasing a nauseating burnt stench.

“Hiss!!!”

The mother worm’s enormous mandibles emitted a sorrowful wail as it retracted its massive body, desperately trying to escape the flames.

It was wounded—badly.

“Captain, you’re awesome!”

Ke Ji couldn’t help but shout excitedly. On his tablet, the red biological signals were rapidly diminishing, yet the mother’s signal remained strong.

“It’s not over! That big one isn’t dead yet!” Xiao Ling’s voice was cold as she fixed her gaze on the injured mother worm, nocking another arrow on her crossbow. She knew these mutated creatures possessed terrifying resilience.

From above, Xia Tong watched quietly, sensing the powerful energy waves radiating from the scar-faced man. The fire strength was truly formidable.

“The transformation device... really impressive!”

This unique tool was specially forged to refine psychics’ powers, amplifying their energy waves to aid in battle. Yet after activation, it placed a heavy burden on the body—still bearable compared to death.

On the battlefield, countless worms were burned away, and the massive mother was severely wounded, fleeing frantically into the depths of the fissure.

Its huge body writhed violently, churning the surrounding soil and rubble into chaos. In no time, the worm swarm disappeared.

“It’s running!” Ke Ji exclaimed, watching the mother’s signal move swiftly downward on his tablet.

“Damn it! You run fast, huh!” The scar-faced man panted heavily, his flames gradually subsiding to reveal a sweat-drenched face.

The side effects of the transformation device were already surfacing—waves of weakness and dizziness. But he knew this was no time to rest.

“Move! Don’t worry about it! Keep going!”

He forced his body forward, signaling the others to follow. Though they hadn’t killed the mother, they’d cleared the immediate threat and bought precious time.

The journey ahead was unexpectedly calm. Perhaps the injured mother worm’s flight had taken most of the smaller worms with it. Or maybe other mutated creatures, startled by the recent upheaval, had hidden away.

The sulfurous and bloody stench still hung heavy in the air, but the eerie rustling crawl of the worms was gone.

---

They crossed the scorched earth, skirted the bottomless fissure, and pressed deeper. The tunnel grew narrower, sometimes forcing them to squeeze sideways.

After about ten more minutes, a faint light appeared in the darkness ahead—not the harsh beam of a flashlight, but a gentle, pure glow, like moonlight spilling into the abyss.

“Captain, there’s light ahead!” Ke Ji said nervously. His tablet showed no obvious biological energy signals besides their own.

“Be careful. It could be a trap.” The scar-faced man lowered his voice, gripping his axe tightly. Xiao Ling held her breath, her senses flooding toward the light like a tide.

Xia Tong quickened her pace too, feeling a unique energy wave unlike any mutated beast they had encountered before.

As the three cautiously rounded the final bend, the sight before them stole their breath away.

A small underground cavern lay ahead, its ceiling and walls studded with translucent crystals that shimmered faintly.

At the center of the hollow pool was a clear, bottomless pond, beside which bloomed several pure white, crystalline orchids.

Their petals seemed carved from the finest white jade, edges glowing with a soft, moonlit radiance that bathed the grotto in an ethereal light.

“Moonlight Orchids...” the scar-faced man murmured, disbelief and delight etched on his face.

At that moment, Xia Tong, hidden in the shadows, arrived quietly behind them. Her “Source Core” twitched slightly in her mind.

[Moonlight Orchid (Mutated Species): A rare, advanced medicinal herb. Grows in energy-rich, dark, damp environments, absorbing the essence of subterranean dark energy. Its core blossom contains pure life energy, capable of repairing damaged genetic chains. It has a strong restorative and nourishing effect on psychics’ damaged “Crystal Cores,” with potential to activate “Psychic Extension.”]

Xia Tong’s iridescent cat-like pupils instantly brightened.

Repair damaged genetic chains... nourish the “Crystal Core”?