Seeking Riches in Danger

Earth Core Body Tempering Milk!

The seven golden characters flashing on the System panel exploded in Lin Xiao's mind like a clap of thunder!

His heart pounded uncontrollably, and the blood in his entire body felt like it was burning at that moment.

"Purge the marrow, transform the body!"

He knew better than anyone what those eight words meant. The biggest obstacle for him, having transmigrated, was this body's "Mortal-Grade Inferior" mediocre talent. It was like an invisible shackle, limiting his cultivation speed and his future potential.

And the Earth Core Body Tempering Milk before him was the only key to breaking this shackle!

This was a world-shattering serendipity that could allow him to defy fate!

However, accompanying this immense opportunity was a fatal danger that could instantly crush them into dust—that unfathomable Third-Order Demonic Beast, the Spirit Devouring Demonic Vine!

"Lin Xiao! What are you spacing out for! Hurry up!"

Shi Lei and Su Yue had already fled dozens of meters. Seeing Lin Xiao still frozen in place, they couldn't help but shout anxiously.

Inside the canyon, the Spirit Devouring Demonic Vine's tendrils had dragged all the captured trainees into the ground fissure. The terrifying chewing sounds and the crunching of bones made one's scalp tingle.

Lin Xiao suddenly snapped back to reality. He glanced at the fissure, which looked like an entrance to hell, then at his anxious companions in the distance, a trace of desperate struggle flashing in his eyes.

Flee?

Give up this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity just like that?

No!

He would never be reconciled!

If he backed down today, he might be able to safely pass the assessment and enter the academy. But in the future, when he encountered bottlenecks again, when he faced those true prodigies, he would forever remember his cowardice and regret from today!

The path of martial arts was inherently a struggle against Heaven, against Earth, and against others! If he didn't even have the courage to go all out, how could he talk about defying fate?!

"You guys go first! Find a place to hide! I'll catch up later!"

Lin Xiao roared towards the distance, making a decision that Shi Lei and Su Yue couldn't understand.

Instead of retreating, he turned and re-lurked behind a large rock at the edge of the canyon!

"Are you crazy?! Come back!" Su Yue was so anxious that tears were about to stream down her face. In her eyes, Lin Xiao's actions were no different from a moth flying into a flame, seeking his own death!

But Lin Xiao's figure had already disappeared from her sight.

"What do we do? He... he isn't thinking of..." Shi Lei also panicked, stomping his feet anxiously.

Su Yue gritted her teeth, a look of determination flashing across her face. "We can't leave him alone! Let's go back! Even if we die, we'll die together!"

Saying this, she actually turned around and was about to rush back despite the danger.

"No!" Shi Lei grabbed her. This honest young man's eyes, however, now flashed with rationality. "If we go back now, we'll only become his burden! Have you forgotten how he dealt with Xiao Lang? He's not a reckless person. He must have a plan for doing this! We have to trust him!"

Su Yue stopped when she heard this, her face filled with struggle.

"Then... then what should we do?"

"Wait!" Shi Lei's tone was exceptionally firm. "We'll find the most hidden place around here to hide and wait for him! If... if he doesn't come out after an hour, I, Shi Lei, will risk my life to charge in and avenge him!"

Inside the canyon, Lin Xiao was like the most patient hunter, concealing his aura to the extreme, almost blending in with the surrounding rocks.

His gaze was fixed on the ground fissure, his mind operating at an unprecedented speed. The data streams on the System panel refreshed like a waterfall.

[Analyzing Target: Spirit Devouring Demonic Vine (Third-Order Low Grade)]

[Status: Feeding/Digesting... ]

[Weakness Analysis: Main body located 100 meters below the ground fissure, immobile; primary attack method is tendrils; fears extreme Yang lightning and fire energy; enters a brief "satiated" state after feeding, with reduced activity and 20% slower reaction speed, lasting about fifteen minutes.]

[Scanning Location of Earth Core Body Tempering Milk: Located in a rock crevice 30 meters east of the ground fissure, guarded by three tendrils.]

Countless pieces of information converged in Lin Xiao's mind, and a plan, bold to the point of madness, gradually took shape.

He was waiting!

Waiting for the optimal moment!

Time ticked by, and the heart-stopping chewing sounds in the canyon gradually subsided. After devouring dozens of trainees and a Second-Order High Grade demonic beast, the Spirit Devouring Demonic Vine seemed finally satisfied.

The wildly thrashing tendrils began to slowly retract back into the ground fissure, leaving only a few main tendrils swaying listlessly at the edge of the fissure like sentinels.

Just as the System had analyzed, it had entered a "satiated" state!

Now!

A terrifying glint erupted in Lin Xiao's eyes.

He pushed his speed to the limit, his entire body becoming a blurred afterimage. Without making a sound, he drifted silently like a falling leaf towards the bottomless fissure!

As he approached the edge of the fissure, the few main tendrils responsible for vigilance reacted a beat slower, just as the System had predicted.

By the time they sensed the intrusion and whipped towards him, Lin Xiao had already plunged into the dark abyss!

The fissure was filled with a dense, fishy-smelling odor of plants and blood. Countless tendrils of varying thickness, like giant pythons, were intertwined, covering the entire rock wall.

Lin Xiao dared not be careless. He circulated the Phantom Wolf Step to its limit, his body moving like a weightless phantom, darting through the gaps between the tendrils as he rapidly descended towards the location marked by the System.

Twenty meters... twenty-five meters...

The deeper he went, the thicker the vines became, even growing barbs and sticky digestive fluids that emitted a nauseating stench.

Finally, he saw it!

In an inconspicuous groove on the east-facing rock wall, a small handful of pure white, warm liquid, like stalactites, lay quietly, emitting a refreshing, unique fragrance.

Earth Core Body Tempering Milk!

Three main vines, as thick as buckets, were coiled around it, densely covered with suction cups, clearly guarding this heavenly treasure.

Lin Xiao's heart nearly leaped out of his throat.

He forcefully suppressed his excitement and took out a water pouch he had prepared long ago.

He only had one chance!

He took a deep breath and poured all the spiritual energy within his body into his legs.

[System Notification: The blind spots for the three guardian vines' attacks are at a thirty-degree angle to the upper left!]

That's it!

Lin Xiao's figure shot out from the rock wall like a cannonball, carving an incredible arc in mid-air. He precisely dodged the interception of the three main vines and instantly appeared before the groove!

He didn't have time to think. He opened the water pouch and, at the fastest speed possible, poured all the viscous Earth Core Body Tempering Milk into it!

"Hiss--!"

The moment he succeeded, the entire underground rift began to shake violently!

The main body of the Spirit Devouring Demonic Vine was utterly enraged!

A terrifying aura, capable of destroying heaven and earth, erupted from the rift's endless abyss!

Hundreds and thousands of vines, like awakened demonic dragons, surged towards Lin Xiao from all directions, blocking all his escape routes!

The shadow of death instantly enveloped him.

However, Lin Xiao's face showed no fear at all.

Because all of this was within his calculations!

"Now!"

Just before being engulfed by countless vines, he crushed the bronze token on his chest without hesitation!

Hummm--

A gentle spatial force instantly enveloped his body.

No matter how frantically the surrounding vines thrashed, they couldn't harm him in the slightest.

With a flash of white light, Lin Xiao's figure vanished from the underground rift amidst the Spirit Devouring Demonic Vine's unwilling and furious roars.

Outside the Myriad Beast Mountain Range, on the inner plaza.

Time was nearing the final moments before the assessment ended.

Everyone's gaze was fixed nervously on the ranking displayed on the light screen, making the final countdown.

"Ten, nine, eight..."

Just then, the light dot representing Lin Xiao in the "First Line Sky" canyon area on the map suddenly extinguished!

"Look! Lin Xiao was eliminated!" "Heavens! Eliminated at the last moment? What a shame!" "His final ranking is fixed at thirty-fifth place! Even though he was eliminated, he can still be proud!"

A sigh of regret rippled through the crowd.

On the high platform, Chu Tianxing also showed a hint of regret on his face, "In the end, was it too reckless... What a pity for such a promising talent."

And just when everyone thought it was all settled.

The teleportation array in the center of the plaza flashed with light.

A figure stumbled out into the center of the array.

It was Lin Xiao!

His appearance at this moment was extremely disheveled. His clothes were torn, stained with foul-smelling mucus and blood, and his face was pale.

But his eyes shone terrifyingly, filled with the excitement of surviving a disaster and an indescribable joy!

He succeeded!

Not only did he snatch the supreme treasure from the Third-Order Demonic Beast's lair, but he also used the assessment rules to escape like a cicada shedding its shell and safely teleported out!

"Silence!"

Chu Tianxing's voice, like a great bell, echoed across the plaza, suppressing all the noise.

"Assessment time is up! All students who have not been eliminated, immediately teleport back!"

As his words fell, the teleportation array glowed brightly, and figures one after another appeared on the plaza.

Shi Lei and Su Yue also appeared in the crowd. As soon as they emerged, they anxiously looked around. When they saw Lin Xiao, who was safe and sound, their eyes immediately turned red, and they rushed towards him without hesitation.

"Lin Xiao! You're okay! That's great! You scared us to death!" Su Yue's voice even carried a hint of tears.

"I knew you brat wouldn't die!" Shi Lei excitedly punched Lin Xiao's shoulder.

A warm current flowed through Lin Xiao's heart as he looked at his two companions who were genuinely worried about him.

"I'm fine," he said with a smile. "We succeeded."

Just then, the final rankings for the assessment were set on the massive light screen.

First place: Xiao Lang! Second place: Qin Wushuang! Third place: ...

Lin Xiao's name ultimately settled in thirty-fifth place. Shi Lei and Su Yue, relying on their previous points, also comfortably ranked within the top one hundred.

All three of them had successfully advanced!

"All advancing students, rest in place. Those who did not advance, please leave in an orderly fashion!"

Chu Tianxing's voice rang out again.

Just as Lin Xiao was about to celebrate with his companions, a cold voice filled with killing intent sounded from behind him.

"Lin Xiao, you're still alive. Good."

Lin Xiao turned around and saw Xiao Lang slowly walking towards him with members of the Heavenly Wolf Society, each wearing a malicious smirk.