Squad Reorganization

Before accepting the challenge, Lin Zhen was a little worried about how to get a Planet Crystal, because without Planet Crystal to hand over to Guang Ge, he couldn't propose Team Battle.

Lin Zhen wanted to go out and borrow one, but martial artists valued Star Crystal more than their own lives, so he couldn't borrow one.

Seeing that Lin Zhen looked troubled, Su Mingyue asked, "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing, it's just that we might lose our third place. Without Planet Crystal, we can't propose Team Battle, so we're basically doomed to lose."

Unexpectedly, Su Mingyue smiled and said, "It's alright, go ahead and go. I've already handed over the Planet Crystal."

"Ah! Where did you get the Planet Crystal?" Lin Zhen asked.

"I borrowed it from someone." Su Mingyue blinked.

"Who did she borrow it from?" Su Mingyue spent all her time cultivating in the Tree Hole, almost like a well-bred young lady who never left her home, which greatly disappointed those who often lingered outside the Tree Hole. Who could she possibly ask?

"Never mind that, I can borrow one anyway. We'll just get another one tomorrow to return it. Let's go, let's get started."

Although he still had doubts, Lin Zhen didn't dwell on it now that things had come to this. Su Mingyue was the God Sect Saintess, so it shouldn't be difficult for her to borrow one if she really wanted to.

The challengers were a mixed team. When the challenge began, the other side indeed proposed an individual battle, but Lin Zhen proposed Team Battle instead.

Guang Ge agreed to Lin Zhen's request, saying that he had received the Planet Crystal and that the Team Battle would proceed as planned.

After a fierce battle, Lin Zhen's side won again, but Su Mingyue did not seem to be in good condition. After the battle, blood even seeped from the corner of her mouth.

Seeing Su Mingyue's condition, Lin Zhen felt very strange. Given Su Mingyue's strength, she shouldn't be unable to withstand such a battle.

The only solution now is to find more Star Crystal for Su Mingyue to absorb, which will help her recover from her injuries.

Given the current situation, they could no longer challenge the second-place team. Lin Zhen approached the members of the Second Team and exchanged days with them, expressing her wish to switch Sunday and Saturday.

The Second Team had been fighting in the Ant Nest all day and were exhausted, so they immediately agreed to Lin Zhen's request.

Lin Zhen ventured deep into the Ant Nest once more, but this time his luck wasn't so good. He fought hard all morning, even sustaining several injuries, before finally obtaining one Planet Crystal and four Comet Crystal.

When Lin Zhen returned to the Tree Hole with the Planet Crystal, she found that Su Mingyue was gone, and only Sun Tie and Luo Zhen were there.

Lin Zhen asked, "Where is Su Mingyue?"

Sun Tie glanced at Lin Zhen and said, "Let's go."

"Gone? She was so badly injured, where did she go?"

"Someone from Sky Dome has arrived. It's a woman, supposedly Su Mingyue's senior sister, who took Su Mingyue away."

"Her senior sister?" Lin Zhen was taken aback. She remembered that Su Mingyue had mentioned it a few days ago. She had a senior sister who came to the Star Fruit Tree a few years ago and had never left. She wanted to look for her this time.

But Lin Zhen couldn't understand why Su Mingyue had to leave in such a hurry. She should have at least told her before leaving.

Sun Tie continued, "Su Mingyue is injured, and it seems to be quite serious. However, she doesn't want to leave, but her senior sister insists on taking her back for treatment. They even argued. Her senior sister said that she went into battle with an old injury that hadn't fully healed, and that she was courting death. She insisted on taking her away."

"Old injury not healed?" Lin Zhen was taken aback. Where did this old injury come from? Wasn't the Planet Crystal used to heal the injury she sustained in the arena last time?

At this moment, he suddenly remembered that after he gave Su Mingyue the Planet Crystal last time, he did not see her absorb it, but only heard her say that it was fine.

When accepting the challenge, Guang Ge said he received Planet Crystal. So where did Su Mingyue's Planet Crystal come from?

She said she borrowed it, but Su Mingyue never interacts with other people, so who could she have borrowed it from?

The truth is clear: Su Mingyue did not absorb the Planet Crystal, but gave it to Guang Ge so that Lin Zhen would not be eliminated. That's why her injuries were aggravated in today's battle.

Sun Tie continued, "Su Mingyue didn't want to leave, but her senior sister patted her and she fainted. Then her senior sister took her away, saying she was going to the Sky Dome and would never come back."

At this moment, Luo Zhen added, "When Su Mingyue was taken away by her senior sister, she had already fainted, but she still cried."

Lin Zhen took a deep breath and didn't ask any more questions. Instead, he sat cross-legged in the Tree Hole, thought for a while, and then said to Sun Tie and Luo Zhen, "I'll give each of you a Comet Crystal. There are only three of us left, so we'll give up on the next challenge."

Sun Tie tentatively asked, "Lin Zhen, are you alright?"

Lin Zhen shook his head. "Nothing will happen. Life goes on as usual. In two weeks it will be a month. We will team up again and start over. We can't let others laugh at us."

Hearing Lin Zhen's words, Sun Tie and Luo Zhen felt more confident and left after accepting the Comet Crystal from Lin Zhen.

Lin Zhen remained alone in the Tree Hole, where a faint, delicate fragrance of a woman lingered – the scent of Su Mingyue.

He hadn't expected the girl to be so decisive, preferring to endure her injuries rather than absorb the Planet Crystal, her only thought being to avoid being eliminated.

The image of Su Mingyue with blood trickling from the corner of her mouth flashed through Lin Zhen's mind, and her heart clenched.

"My silly girl."

"Losing third place in the group is fine, we'll take it back quickly. Why are you humiliating yourself like this? You are the high and mighty Holy Maiden!"

Lin Zhen had always thought that she and Su Mingyue were friends, but now it seems that things are not so simple.

There's a saying that the greatest kindness from a beautiful woman is hardest to bear. Lin Zhen didn't understand this in her previous life, but she experienced it this time.

But since it had already happened, he didn't dwell on it. It was impossible to find Su Mingyue for the time being. What he was thinking about was how Su Mingyue was found by her senior sister.

There is no doubt that someone is secretly plotting this.

Lin Zhen didn't ask anyone, because it would be useless to ask now. In fact, he knew in his heart who could deal with him.

As Lin Zhen emerged from the Tree Hole, many people around him turned to look at him, seemingly wanting to see him make a fool of himself and panic. However, Lin Zhen disappointed them.

After finding the Third Team in the center, Lin Zhen exchanged the Planet Crystal in his hand for ten Comet Crystal. Since he didn't need them anymore, keeping them would be a waste.

Afterwards, Lin Zhen returned to the Tree Hole and began a new round of cultivation.

"So you're from the Sky Dome? Even if you are the heavens, I will tear you apart. Ming Yue, you must wait for me."

Tree Hole, starlight shimmered as Lin Zhen began his attempt to become Level Five War General.

********

Outside the Tree Hole, Zhang Sicheng said to Guang Ge, "Guang Ge, you're really something. You actually managed to get people from Sky Dome to come forward and take that girl away. That kid is definitely done for now, he's lost all interest in cultivation."

"Probably more or less. His girlfriend has been taken away. Few young people can withstand such a blow. It would be good enough if he didn't suffer a qi deviation while cultivating. He might even go to the Sky Dome immediately to demand her back."

"Heh heh he's really asking for it. I'll stay here and watch how he dies."

"Alright, I've done what I promised you. Don't bother me again." Guang Ge turned ruthless and immediately kicked Zhang Sicheng out.

Zhang Sicheng did not leave either, but instead joined the Third Squad on the Central Branch. His old friends were there. Although one of his hands was not very dexterous, he stayed by doing odd jobs.

Many people, including him, wanted to see Lin Zhen make a fool of himself. Lin Zhen just cultivated by the pool and didn't interact with anyone, which disappointed him.

Lin Zhen not only had no problems with his cultivation, but also successfully advanced to the Level Five War General Early Phase.

After advancing, he didn't intend to ask Sky Dome for his girlfriend. When Zhang Sicheng occasionally passed by, he would deliberately say something strange about not being able to keep his girlfriend, but Lin Zhen never responded. He felt it was pointless to say more, and if he said more, he would betray Guang Ge, so he didn't dare to. Gradually, he stopped saying it.

Another week has passed, and the challenger has arrived, but Lin Zhen directly says that he is giving up his third place.

With only three people left in the group, there was no chance of winning, so Lin Zhen's surrender was expected.

More than half a month passed, Lin Zhen remained almost motionless by the pool, like a stone man. Only occasionally at night would people catch a glimpse of a glint in Lin Zhen's eyes, proving that he was still alive.

Some Mind Power Master also suddenly felt that Lin Zhen's Mental Power seemed to be increasing.

After a full month, Lin Zhen's team can be reorganized.

At dawn, Jiang Huai appeared by the pool, and Lin Zhen stood up for the first time.

"Wow! You've made quite a bit of progress in the past month!" Jiang Huai looked at Lin Zhen with some surprise.

"You've made great progress too," Lin Zhen smiled.

"Where's your Su the Beauty? Come out and let your brothers feast their eyes. I've been looking at nothing but bugs for the past month." Jiang Huai joked with Lin Zhen.

"She's gone."

Jiang Huai fell silent. It seemed there was more to this story, and he wisely refrained from pressing for details.

"Even if she's not here, the two of us teaming up might not necessarily win," Jiang Huai said, addressing the crucial issue.

Lin Zhen was also somewhat troubled by this. He had made great progress in the past month, not only reaching the Level Five War General Early Phase, but also cultivating his Mental Power to the Golden Stage Late Phase. However, others were also making progress, and he had no chance to obtain Star Crystal, so he was not confident in his ability to challenge them.

Just then, someone approached from behind, seemingly hesitant, and asked, "Can I team up with you?"

Lin Zhen and Jiang Huai turned around and saw that a new person had arrived.

This man was covered in dust and tattered clothes, but his eyes shone brightly, and he appeared incredibly powerful and confident.

It turned out to be an old acquaintance of Lin Zhen's, Lou Qingfeng, who had advanced from Level Seven War General to Level Eight War General.

Seeing that Lou Qingfeng's strength had clearly improved, Lin Zhen finally smiled happily, "A warm welcome."