Faint Light Suddenly Appears, Clear Spring Briefly Pauses

Lin Chen's footsteps came to an abrupt halt without warning.

This subtle movement was like a boulder cast into a placid lake, instantly shattering the fragile balance the group had maintained as they struggled onward.

Su Lie, following close behind, stopped almost instinctively, his heart suddenly clenching. He nervously looked at Lin Chen's back, then vigilantly swept his gaze over the howling cliff walls and scattered boulders around them.

"Se... Senior, did you discover something?" Su Lie's voice carried a faint, barely perceptible tremor. Having endured the Wind Viper Snakes' ambush, they had long since become birds startled by the mere twang of a bowstring; the slightest rustle of wind or grass sent their nerves taut.

The other guards stopped as well, tightening their grips on their weapons as they anxiously stared toward the patch of gray-green shrubs swaying in the gale—the direction Lin Chen was watching.

The carriage also came to a halt. Inside, Su Ling'er's heart rose into her throat, and she unconsciously held her breath.

Lin Chen did not answer Su Lie's question, nor did he turn around. His gaze was like two invisible swords, piercing through the swaying branches and leaves and locking firmly onto the depths of the shrubbery, near the base of the sheer rock wall.

There, the faint and peculiar energy fluctuation within his senses flickered in and out like a dying candle in the wind, yet it carried an indescribable purity.

He lifted his foot and slowly walked toward the shrubs.

He did not move quickly, but every step was exceptionally steady. The raging wind seemed incapable of shaking him in the slightest.

"Senior!" Seeing this, Su Lie's heart tightened, and he instinctively wanted to follow.

"Stay where you are." Lin Chen's voice came calmly, yet carried unquestionable authority.

Su Lie paused mid-step and forcibly stopped where he was. He glanced at the equally bewildered guards, gritted his teeth, and said in a deep voice, "Stay alert where you are! Protect the young lady!"

The guards did not dare disobey. They immediately gathered around the carriage, forming a simple defensive formation as they warily watched Lin Chen's back and their surroundings.

Lin Chen walked up to the shrubs. They grew very low to the ground, but their branches were unusually tough, clinging tightly to the rocks—clearly an adaptation to the fierce winds of the gorge. Their gray-green leaves were covered in a fine layer of fuzz that reduced the evaporation of moisture.

He extended a hand and casually brushed aside the branches and leaves blocking his path. The gale swept past with a rustling roar, concealing his subtle movements.

His gaze fell upon a narrow crack behind the shrubbery, near the base of the rock wall.

The crack was inconspicuous, only palm-width wide and bottomless, half-covered by the shrubs' roots and accumulated sand and stones. If not for Lin Chen's keen senses and clear objective, no one could possibly have noticed that something was hidden here.

That faint energy fluctuation was emanating from deep within this crack.

Lin Chen crouched down and stared into it.

His eyesight far surpassed that of an ordinary person. Even in the dimly lit crack, he could vaguely make out something within.

A moment later, he reached out and inserted his hand into the crack.

His movements were light and careful, doing his best not to touch the rocks on either side.

Su Lie and the others watched nervously from afar, scarcely daring to breathe. They had no idea what the senior had discovered. All they could see was him crouching behind the shrubbery, seemingly feeling around for something.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment.

The wind still howled, but everyone's attention was fixed on Lin Chen.

At last, Lin Chen withdrew his hand from the crack.

His palm was slightly curled, as though he were holding something.

He stood up and naturally tucked the item in his hand into his robe. Then he dusted off his hands as though nothing had happened.

Only after doing all this did he turn and walk back toward the group.

"Senior, you..." Su Lie stepped forward to meet him, his face full of questions and concern.

"Nothing. Just an illusion." Lin Chen answered lightly, sweeping his gaze over the group. "Keep moving."

An illusion?

Su Lie froze. Looking at Lin Chen's calm, expressionless face, then at that utterly ordinary patch of shrubs, his heart filled with doubt. With this senior's strength and perception, how could it possibly have been an illusion? He had clearly felt around inside that crack for quite some time!

But Su Lie did not dare ask further. Since the senior had said so, he must have had his reasons. Perhaps the object was unimportant? Or perhaps the senior simply did not want them to know?

Whatever the case, Su Lie wisely chose to keep his mouth shut.

"Yes, Senior!" he answered respectfully, then turned and called out, "Everyone, continue forward!"

The group slowly began moving again.

Inside the carriage, Su Ling'er had also seen Lin Chen tuck something into his robe through a gap in the curtain. Though she was too far away to see clearly, she was certain it had not been an illusion.

Senior... what exactly did he find? Why won't he say?

Another knot of doubt had formed in her heart.

Lin Chen walked at the front, his expression unchanged, but part of his mind was focused on the object he had just acquired within his robe.

It was a stone no larger than a fist, with an extremely irregular shape. Its entire body possessed a semi-transparent texture, like a piece of uncut, inferior crystal. Yet inside the stone were specks like stardust, particles emitting a faint bluish-white glow.

These points of light were precisely the source of that faint yet pure energy fluctuation.

This was no priceless spirit ore. At least, to someone with Su Lie's knowledge, it was probably nothing more than a slightly unusual stone.

Yet in Lin Chen's perception, while the total amount of energy contained within the stone was small, its purity far surpassed any heaven-and-earth essence he had absorbed before. It was even far purer than the mixed, impure energy within the Scaled Earth Dragon Beast's demon core!

The instant he held the stone in his hand, the phantom of the Myriad Dao Furnace deep within his Dantian Sea of Qi gave a faint tremor, conveying a sense of craving!

As though a starving behemoth had caught the scent of food perfectly suited to its palate!

Glimmerstone... Lin Chen silently gave the stone a name.

Though he did not know its exact origin or purpose, the Myriad Dao Furnace's reaction was enough to prove that it was extraordinary. This pure energy might not be usable to directly raise his cultivation, but it was highly likely to become the perfect "fuel" for driving the Myriad Dao Furnace!

Used to refine the blood essence of even more powerful demon beasts, or temper his own true qi—the results might well be twice the effect for half the effort!

This was absolutely an unexpected windfall!

Without changing expression, he tucked the Glimmerstone close against his body, cutting off any leakage of its energy fluctuations. For now, the Su Family could not be allowed to learn of this discovery.

The group continued onward.

Perhaps because they were nearing the water source in the middle section of the gorge, the winds around them seemed to be gradually weakening, no longer as violent as before.

Amid the air, there also came a faint sound unlike the wind—something softer.

Splash... splash...

It was the sound of water!

"Listen! That's water!" a sharp-eared guard cried out in delight.

"It really is! Water!"

"Wonderful! We're almost at the Clear Spring Eye!"

After enduring the perils of Black Marsh Forest and the Wind Viper Snake attack, the sound of clear water was nothing less than heavenly music to these exhausted people, starved and parched for water! Everyone's spirits lifted, and their steps grew noticeably lighter.

A heartfelt smile appeared on Su Lie's face as well. He turned to glance at the carriage and called loudly, "Miss! We'll be at the Clear Spring Eye any moment now!"

Su Ling'er had heard the distinct sound of water too, and a trace of anticipation appeared on her pale face.

After walking for another quarter of an hour or so, they rounded the corner of a massive rock wall.

The sight before them suddenly opened up!

A valley basin about half the size of a basketball court lay ahead. Mountains enclosed it on three sides, with only the route they had come from serving as an exit. Unlike the howling winds and jagged rocks outside, the terrain here was relatively flat, and the wind had become extraordinarily mild—almost imperceptible.

The most eye-catching sight lay beneath the rock wall slightly north of the center of the basin.

A stream of crystal-clear spring water gushed from a crack in the rock wall, forming a small waterfall that spilled into a naturally formed pool below, its bottom paved with smooth pebbles. The pool was not large, roughly seven or eight meters across. Its water was clear and cold, rippling with light as sunlight shone through gaps above the gorge and scattered tiny flecks of gold across the surface.

Green moss and several unknown aquatic plants grew along the pool's edge, bringing a rare touch of life to this desolate gorge.

This was the "Clear Spring Eye" marked on the map!

A safe resting point that existed like an oasis amid the peril-ridden Luofeng Gorge!

"We're here! We finally made it!"

"Water! Clean water!"

The guards burst into cheers. Several impatient ones had already tossed aside their weapons and rushed to the pool, scooping up the cool spring water in their hands and gulping it down.

"Drink slowly! Don't choke!" Seeing his men's immense relief, Su Lie finally let out a breath, though he did not forget to caution them. He too walked to the pool, cupped up a handful of water, and washed his face. The icy spring water jolted his weary mind awake.

The worn-out horses pulling the carriage were also led to the pool to drink. They were clearly parched as well, plunging their heads into the water and drinking in great gulps.

"Miss, please come down and have some water. Rest for a while," Su Lie said respectfully as he walked to the carriage.

Su Ling'er nodded and, supported by a female guard, stepped down from the carriage. Arriving at the pool, she looked at the clear spring water and could not resist filling some of it into the waterskin she had brought. She took several small sips. The sweet, cold spring water moistened her dry throat, making her feel much better.

Lin Chen did not gather around the pool like everyone else.

He merely stood atop a relatively level rock at the edge of the basin, his calm gaze sweeping over the small valley.

This place was indeed much safer than outside. The terrain was relatively enclosed, the wind was light, and there were no suspicious caves or cracks in the rock walls. The Aura of the spring water was exceedingly pure, free of toxins. Even the heaven-and-earth essence in the air seemed ever so slightly denser than outside.

It counted as a decent temporary base.

He walked to the pool, casually scooped up a handful of water and drank a few mouthfuls, then went to a clean boulder in a corner of the basin. He sat down cross-legged, closing his eyes.

He did not immediately begin cultivating, nor did he study the Glimmerstone he had just obtained.

He was resting.

The continuous journey, the constant vigilance, the source vitality he had expended earlier to suppress the mosquito venom within Su Ling'er, and the mental exertion of examining the Glimmerstone just now—all of it meant that even with his current formidable physique and Spiritual Power, he needed some time to readjust and recover.

Though the Myriad Dao Fusion Art was overbearing, one still had to know when to ease and when to press.

After arranging the sentries and tending to the wounded, Su Lie saw Lin Chen meditating in the corner and did not dare disturb him. He went to Su Ling'er's side and said quietly, "Miss, rest properly in the carriage first. This place is relatively safe. We'll spend the night here, then make plans once everyone has recovered a little."

Su Ling'er nodded, but her gaze drifted involuntarily toward Lin Chen in the corner.

She saw him sitting there quietly, as though he had merged with his surroundings, yet he exuded an indescribable sense of distance.

She hesitated for a moment, but ultimately did not approach him. Turning around, she returned to the carriage.

Night fell silently.

The nights in Luofeng Gorge were even colder than outside. The howling winds echoed beyond the basin, making the tranquility of this small patch around the Clear Spring Eye stand out all the more.

The guards lit a campfire. The dancing flames drove away the chill, bringing light and a sliver of security. They sat around the fire; some spoke in low voices, some wiped down their weapons, while others leaned against the rocks and fell into deep sleep. The wounded guards had been treated with medicine, and their conditions had stabilized.

Su Lie arranged shifts for the night watch. He himself leaned against a rock with his eyes closed, resting his mind, but his ears remained alert to every sound around them.

Inside the carriage, Su Ling'er was not entirely asleep either. She could hear the crackling of the campfire outside and the guards' occasional murmurs. She could also sense that figure in the corner, like an immovable boulder, maintaining that same posture all along, his Aura deep and steady.

Lin Chen truly was readjusting.

Part of his mind sank into his body, silently circulating the Myriad Dao Fusion Art, absorbing the sparse heaven-and-earth essence around him to nourish his flesh, his Meridians, and replenish what he had expended.

The other part of his mind was carefully "observing" the Glimmerstone in his robes.

He could clearly sense that the starlike specks of light within the stone contained an extremely pure energy, something almost primordial. This energy was unlike the heaven and earth's spiritual energy, and unlike the Vitality Essence of demonic beasts. It was more like a catalyst—or rather, a kind of "refined fuel" that drove the furnace to operate at high efficiency.

He tried guiding a thread of Furnace True Qi, carefully touching the Glimmerstone.

Buzz!

The points of light within the Glimmerstone seemed to brighten slightly! At the same time, an energy far purer and more immense than directly absorbing heaven and earth's spiritual energy surged along with his true qi into his Meridians, where the Myriad Dao Furnace instantly seized and absorbed it!

After being refined by the furnace, that utterly negligible thread of energy produced pure true qi almost equivalent to the results of half an hour of his normal cultivation!

Moreover, this energy seemed capable of stimulating the furnace itself, accelerating its operation by a fraction!

"Just as I thought, it's good stuff!" Lin Chen's heart stirred.

This Glimmerstone was practically a "supplement" tailor-made for the Myriad Dao Furnace!

With it, the speed at which he refined demonic beast blood essence and raised his cultivation would surely increase dramatically!

He forcefully suppressed the urge to take out all his demonic beast materials and conduct a grand round of refining at once. Now was not the time. The Su Family members were still nearby, and he did not yet understand the Glimmerstone deeply enough. He needed to study it slowly.

His most urgent task was to fully recover first, then make good use of the relatively safe surroundings of the Clear Spring Eye to properly plan his next "hunt."

Luofeng Gorge truly had not been the wrong place to come!

The night deepened, and the bonfire flickered.

For the moment, the valley around the Clear Spring Eye sank into a fragile calm. Yet whether it was Lin Chen quietly regulating his breathing in a corner, harboring plans of his own; Su Ling'er tossing and turning in the carriage, weighed down by worries; or the guards whose brows remained tightly furrowed even in sleep, everyone knew that this calm was only temporary.

A deeper gorge, and more unknown dangers, still awaited them ahead.