Urban Peerless Expert

Since the specters couldn't phase through walls and the ground could block their senses, what initially seemed overwhelmingly complex became incredibly simple.

Earth Escape it is!

Lin Chen had a myriad of techniques. Surely, one of them would suit him!

Once the results of his experiment were clear, Lin Chen didn't hesitate further. He began a careful descent along the stone wall, inching downward.

His pace was deliberately slow; after all, the greater the disturbance, the faster the movement, the stronger the surge of energy would be. What if he alerted a horde of specters and they started attacking the cliffside?

Time was not against Lin Chen.

Though these specters were pure energy entities, Lin Chen, even deep within the ground, could sense them due to the relatively short distance.

Using the specters as guides, Lin Chen moved unhurriedly, descending steadily.

Reflecting on the current scene, it was honestly quite terrifying.

Inside the rocky cliff, Lin Chen had merged with the earth, sinking deeper and deeper. Meanwhile, outside the cliff, countless specters clung densely to its surface. And the distance between the two—wasn't very far...

Who knows how long had passed, but suddenly, Lin Chen's perception of the specters' presence weakened. Ahead, an energy fluctuation of immense force emerged.

In truth, it wasn't that the specters had disappeared but that their energy fluctuations were overshadowed by this overwhelming force. It was akin to a swarm of fireflies suddenly engulfed by the blazing Sun—who could possibly notice the fireflies' glow?

Lin Chen understood—he had reached his destination.

By mapping the specters' positions, Lin Chen had roughly deduced the situation outside. Deep within the fissure, a small object emitting an intense energy signature lay quietly. Surrounding it, countless specters lay submissively, scattered across the area.

This object, pulsating with immense energy, had a buffer zone of at least several hundred meters around it. Not a single specter dared to approach this zone—all stayed beyond that boundary, clustering densely.

Were the specters afraid of the energy radiating from this object?

Or was there some other reason?

Lin Chen silently approached the energy source. Through his senses, he noticed that while the object released a significant energy wave, its actual size was relatively small.

Carefully nearing the energy source, Lin Chen's form emerged subtly from within the ground. His face broke through the surface.

Opening his eyes, Lin Chen was greeted by the sight of a multifaceted crystal, about the size of a soccer ball, emanating a crystalline radiance in the pitch-dark depths.

The radiance wasn't particularly strong—not even comparable to a light bulb—but the colors were vivid and ever-changing, exuding an extraordinary, deeply enigmatic aura.

Kryptonite!

Lin Chen exhaled a sigh of relief. While he had suspected earlier that this was kryptonite, he couldn't be absolutely certain. Now that the kryptonite was right before him, he finally let go of his apprehension.

This trip wasn't in vain!

With this, defeating the Abyss Demon now seemed possible!

Lin Chen's emergence appeared to catch the attention of the nearest ring of specters. They stirred slightly, as if ready to pounce, but ultimately remained stationary.

It seemed they feared the kryptonite?

Lin Chen felt a weight lift from his heart. After all, the sheer number of specters here was staggering. If they decided to swarm him, it would be an absolute disaster.

Since they weren't approaching, Lin Chen didn't rush. He moved to the side of the kryptonite and carefully examined it.

The kryptonite emitted an invisible glow, as if energy were continuously escaping from it. It gave off the impression of boundless power, a surging tide akin to a burning mini sun, constantly radiating heat to its surroundings.

Lin Chen slowly extended his hand, gently pressing it against the kryptonite.

It was warm, but not hot, and there was no sensation of energy burns.

He gave it a slight push, causing it to tremble faintly.

The kryptonite was heavier than expected, but not so heavy that it couldn't be lifted.

Having roughly assessed its properties, Lin Chen began to think about retrieving it.

Since the kryptonite was a lifeless energy form, it could theoretically be stored in his spatial ring. The only remaining concern was—once the kryptonite vanished, would the specters erupt into chaos?

Wouldn't that lead to them swarming him in retaliation?

Lin Chen pondered briefly and summoned the Linglong Tower, just in case.

A glimmer of golden light flashed, and an avatar appeared beside Lin Chen. Its appearance agitated the inner ring of specters even more.

Lin Chen wasted no words, clapping a hand on the avatar's shoulder. "Break through and draw them away. Give me just a little time."

The avatar said nothing, turning into a streak of golden light as it shot toward the dome of the sky.

As soon as the avatar put at least several hundred meters between itself and the kryptonite, countless shadowy streaks of light instantly surged forward, chasing after it.

In the blink of an eye, a breathtaking scene occurred between Heaven and Earth: a solitary streak of golden light streaked forward, like fireworks, like a rocket, piercing toward the heavens. Behind it, countless shadowy streaks swarmed together like a school of fish in the ocean. Even on the cliffside ahead of the golden light, shadowy streaks poured in to join the chase.

Soon enough, the golden light was cornered by the flock of shadowy streaks from both front and back before being engulfed in an instant.

While the avatar distracted the specters, Lin Chen seized the moment to grab the kryptonite. In one swift motion, he threw it into his spatial ring and immediately sank deep into the ground.

The countless specters instantly lost track of the kryptonite. They swarmed chaotically like crazed bees, descending underground. Yet, they failed to attack the earth itself and instead aimlessly scattered beneath the surface.

Lin Chen sensed that they hadn't breached the ground nor pursued him beneath it, allowing his tension to finally ease.

Mission accomplished!

Who would have thought that in such a perilous and hostile environment, a simple Earth Escape would resolve everything? Truly an unexpected joy.

Lin Chen burrowed far away, distancing himself from the fissure before rising back to the surface and taking off toward the sky.

Qingluan Immortal Monarch floated in the starry void, her gaze locking onto Lin Chen as he rapidly approached. Her face lit up with anticipation.

"How did it go?"

Lin Chen smiled. "Mission successful!"

Qingluan Immortal Monarch's eyes brightened. "It really was kryptonite?"

Lin Chen nodded. "Yes. Let's find a safer place to examine it!"

Qingluan Immortal Monarch cast a glance downward. In the fissure where the kryptonite had once rested, countless specters swarmed out like a tidal wave, stunning her.

How many of them were there?

"Let's move first!"

The two of them withdrew from the fragmented remains of the planet and ensured no specters were tailing them. Only then did they stop atop a massive meteorite.

"What does the kryptonite look like?"

Lin Chen retrieved the kryptonite from his spatial ring. Qingluan Immortal Monarch's gaze settled upon it, and her face lit up with joy.

"So this is it—this will restrain the Abyss Demon?"

Lin Chen laughed. "Since the elder clan chief said so, and we've now found the kryptonite, it should work as expected."

Qingluan Immortal Monarch laughed heartily. "Fantastic! With the kryptonite, we can vanquish the demon. This trip was worth it; we've accomplished something great!"

Lin Chen nodded. "Indeed. If it proves effective against the demon, our contribution will be immense."

Qingluan Immortal Monarch pulled her gaze from the kryptonite and looked into Lin Chen's face, her eyes tinged with emotion.

"I did nothing. This kryptonite—it's all thanks to you for retrieving it from the countless specters. The credit is entirely yours..."