Resource Crisis, Re-entering the Wilderness

The faint morning light streamed through the dormitory window, falling onto the floor.

Lin Fan sat cross-legged by his bed, three items spread out before him: his student ID from the academy, a crumpled paper bill, and a nearly empty cloth bag.

He picked up the student ID first, infusing it with a trace of Origin Energy.

A light blue screen appeared on the card's surface, displaying lines of information:

[Name: Lin Fan] [Class: Martial Arts Academy Regular Class] [Academic Credits: 85 points] [Account Balance: 327 Huaxia Coin]

"85 Academic Credits..." Lin Fan frowned deeply.

Exchanging for that bottle of Vessel Protecting Pill yesterday cost 50 Academic Credits. Coupled with scattered expenses from before, his original 200+ Academic Credits were now reduced to this amount.

And the items that could be exchanged for Academic Credits—pills, weapons, cultivation technique scrolls—were all essentials for cultivation.

What troubled him the most was the Huaxia Coin.

327 coins in a place like Jiangnan City wasn't even enough for a decent meal, let alone purchasing cultivation resources.

"Money is the biggest problem," Lin Fan murmured.

He looked at the nearly empty cloth bag—only two Crimson Flame Fruits and three Pulse Nourishing Pills remained inside.

Based on last night's cultivation intensity, the two Crimson Flame Fruits could at most support him running forty five-times speed cultivation cycles. The three Pulse Nourishing Pills could only repair minor meridian damage three times.

"Not enough, completely not enough," Lin Fan shook his head.

He brought up his system panel to check the progress of the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Origin Art:

[Nine Revolutions Mysterious Origin Art First Revolution: Proficient (3150/5000)]

He was still 1850 proficiency points away from Minor Accomplishment.

If he could activate five-times speed cultivation at full capacity, he could theoretically break through within a day.

But the prerequisite was—having enough resources to support it.

"I must earn resources as quickly as possible," Lin Fan stood up and walked to the window.

In the distance, the silhouette of the North City Gate was faintly visible through the morning mist.

Chen Dahu had said yesterday that they were to gather at the North City Gate at Chen Shi for a escort mission.

The reward for the mission was: 50 Academic Credits per person, plus 5000 Huaxia Coin.

For Lin Fan now, this was a considerable income.

But...

"Escort missions usually take three to five days, and the round trip consumes a lot of time," Lin Fan calculated. "And if I spent this time hunting Demonic Beasts in the wilderness, the profit might be higher."

The Demonic Core of a 2nd Tier Demonic Beast fetched between 1000-3000 Huaxia Coin on the market. Its fur, bones, and flesh were also valuable.

If he was lucky, hunting two or three a day could yield more than the escort mission.

More importantly—hunting Demonic Beasts provided Combat Experience and improved martial skill proficiency.

"System," Lin Fan thought silently, "any suggestions for quickly acquiring resources?"

After a brief silence, the system prompt sounded:

[Analyzing host's current situation...] [Optimal Solution: Hunt Demonic Beasts] [Reason: 1. Can acquire resources and proficiency simultaneously; 2. Time is flexible, efficiency is controllable; 3. May trigger system quests for additional rewards]

Lin Fan's eyes lit up.

Indeed, hunting Demonic Beasts was a choice that offered multiple benefits.

But the problem was—entering the wilderness alone carried extremely high risks.

Last time, Teacher Zhang had secretly protected him; this time, he could only rely on himself.

"I need to make thorough preparations," Lin Fan began to inventory his equipment.

In his Storage Space: a Mortal Tier Mid Grade longsword (standard academy issue), ten Basic Healing Talismans (leftover from the last mission), three packs of hemostatic powder, two bottles of antidote pills, and some dry rations and water.

His weapons and medicine were barely sufficient, but he had almost no defensive equipment.

Although the Iron Body Skill could provide strong defense, it consumed Origin Energy and stamina. In the wilderness, every bit of strength had to be carefully managed.

"I'll go see what the academy has for rent first," Lin Fan packed his things and pushed the door open.

The Resource Hall was located in the center of the academy, a three-story stone building.

In the early morning, there weren't many people inside, only a few stewards organizing the shelves.

Lin Fan walked to the "Equipment Rental" counter.

Behind the counter sat a bald middle-aged steward, yawning as he flipped through an account book.

"Steward, I'd like to rent some defensive gear," Lin Fan said.

The balding steward looked up, narrowing his eyes as he sized Lin Fan up. "New student?"

"Regular Class, Lin Fan."

Hearing the name, the steward's expression shifted slightly. "Oh, you're the one who beat that Wang Family kid on the arena stage?"

"That was me."

"Interesting," the steward said, putting down his ledger. "What do you want to rent? Leather armor, chainmail, or an inner vest?"

"What's the difference?"

"Leather armor is light, doesn't hinder movement, but its defense is average. Mortal Tier Low Grade, 5 Academic Credits a day," the steward rattled off like he knew them by heart. "Chainmail offers moderate defense and is moderately heavy. Mortal Tier Mid Grade, 10 Academic Credits a day. Inner vests are worn close to the body, offering defense equivalent to chainmail, but they're more expensive. Mortal Tier High Grade, 20 Academic Credits a day."

Lin Fan frowned.

Too expensive.

With his current Academic Credits, renting the cheapest leather armor would only last him seventeen days.

And once he entered the wilderness, he might not return for days, with the rental fees constantly accumulating.

"Do you have... anything cheaper?" Lin Fan asked tentatively.

The steward chuckled. "Young man, defensive gear is for staying alive. What good are Academic Credits if you're dead?"

That made sense, but...

Lin Fan looked at the few samples displayed on the counter, struggling internally.

Finally, he pointed at a piece of chainmail. "I'll rent this. Three days."

"30 Academic Credits. Pay first," the steward said, holding out his hand.

Lin Fan gritted his teeth and handed over his student card.

The steward swiped the card, and his Academic Credits dropped from 85 to 55.

"Here you go. Return it in three days. Late returns incur an additional 5 Academic Credits per day," the steward said, handing a set of gray-black chainmail to Lin Fan.

The chainmail felt heavy in his hands, weighing about twenty pounds. It wasn't much for a Martial Artist, but wearing it for extended periods would affect his movement.

Lin Fan stored the chainmail in his Storage Space and then asked, "Do you have any wilderness maps?"

"Yes, for fifty miles around Jiangnan City, with detailed markings of Demonic Beast distribution and dangerous areas," the steward said, pulling out another scroll made of beast hide. "This isn't for rent, only for sale. 50 Academic Credits."

"...I'll buy it," Lin Fan said, handing over his card again.

His Academic Credits dwindled to 5.

Looking at his near-zero balance, Lin Fan's heart ached.

But there was no other way; a map was essential. Getting lost in the wilderness or stumbling into a high-risk area meant certain death.

"Anything else you need?" the steward asked.

Lin Fan shook his head and turned to leave.

As he walked out of the Resource Hall, the morning sun had already bathed the academy.

On the distant training grounds, students were practicing their morning drills. Shouts, the sound of fists and feet cutting through the air, and the clang of weapons intertwined, forming the unique morning symphony of the Martial Arts Academy.

Lin Fan took a deep breath and headed towards the academy gates.

He had decided to forgo the escort mission and venture into the wilderness alone.

Although the risk was high, the reward was greater, and it offered more freedom.

Halfway there, someone suddenly called out to him.

"Lin Fan!"

It was Chen Dahu.

He jogged over, with Sun Wanting and Zhou Ming following behind him.

"Brother Fan, why are you going this way? The North City Gate is over there," Chen Dahu said, pointing in the opposite direction.

"Dahu, I'm sorry," Lin Fan said. "I'm not participating in the escort mission anymore."

"Huh? Why?" Chen Dahu was taken aback.

Sun Wanting's eyes flickered. "Is it because of the resources?"

Lin Fan nodded. "The escort mission takes at least five days round trip, and the reward is only 50 Academic Credits and 5000 Huaxia Coin. I need a faster way to earn money."

"You're going to hunt Demonic Beasts?" Zhou Ming adjusted his glasses. "Alone?"

"Yeah."

The three fell silent.

They were all Martial Artists and understood what venturing into the wilderness alone entailed.

It was dancing on the edge of a blade, where every breath could be your last.

"Brother Fan, that's too dangerous," Chen Dahu said anxiously. "How about... I go with you?"

"Dahu," Sun Wanting said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We've already accepted the escort mission; we can't break the contract."

Chen Dahu opened his mouth, then finally lowered his head.

According to academy regulations, abandoning a mission after accepting it without valid reason would result in a deduction of Academic Credits equal to double the reward, and it would be recorded in one's file. For ordinary students, this was an unbearable punishment.

"Lin Fan," Sun Wanting turned to him. "Are you really decided?"

"I am."

"Alright," Sun Wanting unfastened a jade pendant from her waist. "Here, take this."

The jade pendant was entirely cyan, with the character "Sun" carved on it.

"This is..."

"A protective jade pendant. It can withstand a full-power strike from a 3rd Grade Martial Master," Sun Wanting said calmly. "Remember to return it to me after you use it."

Lin Fan took the jade pendant. It felt warm in his hand, and he could sense the Origin Energy fluctuations within it.

"Thank you."

"Don't die," Sun Wanting turned away. "Dahu, Zhou Ming, let's go."

Chen Dahu wanted to say something more, but Sun Wanting pulled him away.

Zhou Ming nodded at Lin Fan before following them.

Watching the backs of the three as they walked away, Lin Fan clenched the jade pendant.

Then, he turned and strode out of the academy gates.

Objective: The Wilderness.

Leaving Jiangnan City, he walked five li along the main road and entered the wilderness area.

The concentration of spiritual energy in the air had clearly increased, but there was also a faint, fishy smell—the scent of Demonic Beasts.

Lin Fan unfolded his map and confirmed his location.

"I'm currently on the outskirts of 'Black Wind Ridge.' This area is mainly for 1st Tier Demonic Beasts, with occasional 2nd Tier ones," Lin Fan recalled the knowledge learned in class. "To hunt a 2nd Tier Demonic Beast, I need to go about ten li deeper, into 'Gray Rock Valley'."

Gray Rock Valley got its name from the abundance of gray rocks. It was the habitat of the 2nd Tier Demonic Beasts, the "Rock Armored Boar" and the "Red Tail Fox."

Rock Armored Boar: A lower-tier 2nd Tier Demonic Beast. Its Defense is extremely high, and its Strength is immense, but its Speed is relatively slow.

Red Tail Fox: A mid-tier 2nd Tier Demonic Beast. Its Speed is extremely fast, and it excels at illusions and sneak attacks.

Lin Fan's target was the Rock Armored Boar—although difficult to kill, its Demonic Core was more valuable, and its meat could be sold for money.

After confirming his direction, Lin Fan began to make his way.

He didn't stick to the main road but instead entered the nearby forest. While the main road was safer, it also exposed his movements and could attract unnecessary trouble.

The light in the forest was dim, and the ground was slippery.

Lin Fan extended his Spirit to a radius of three zhang around him, constantly vigilant of any movement.

The Iron Body Skill circulated slowly, causing his skin to emit a faint metallic sheen. He wore chainmail underneath, with an ordinary linen outer garment—this was to prevent the chainmail from reflecting light and revealing his position.

After about half an hour, he heard a rustling sound ahead.

Lin Fan stopped in his tracks and hid behind a large tree.

Through the gaps in the leaves, he saw three "Iron Tooth Wolves" in an open space about ten zhang away, devouring the carcass of a deer-like Demonic Beast.

Iron Tooth Wolf: An upper-tier 1st Tier Demonic Beast, equivalent to a human 9th Grade Martial Disciple. Its teeth are as sharp as iron and can bite through Mortal Tier Mid Grade armor.

A single one would be easy for Lin Fan to deal with.

But three together were a bit troublesome.

"Should I go around, or..." Lin Fan weighed his options.

Hunting Iron Tooth Wolves didn't yield much profit. Their Demonic Cores were only worth a few hundred Huaxia Coin, and their pelts weren't valuable either.

But just then, a system notification suddenly sounded:

[Detected host entering hunting state]
[Daily Task System activated]
[First daily task issued: Hunt Demonic Beasts]
[Task Content: Kill 5 1st Tier Demonic Beasts or 1 2nd Tier Demonic Beast]
[Task Deadline: Within today]
[Task Reward: Skill Points x1, Random Mortal Tier Item x1]
[Failure Penalty: None]

Daily task!

Lin Fan's eyes lit up.

Skill Points! Those were good things; they could directly increase the proficiency of a cultivation art.

1 Skill Point equaled 100 proficiency. If he could complete this task, the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Origin Art would be one step closer to Minor Accomplishment.

And there are random rewards.

"Let's do this." Lin Fan gripped his sword hilt.

Three Iron Tooth Wolves, exactly half of the quest.

He took a deep breath and stepped out from behind the tree.

The sound of his footsteps alerted the wolf pack.

All three Iron Tooth Wolves raised their heads simultaneously, their eerie green eyes fixed on Lin Fan.

"Awooo—"

The lead wolf king let out a low growl, and the other two wolves immediately spread out, forming a triangle formation to surround Lin Fan.

"Clever beasts," Lin Fan sneered.

But he didn't have time to play around with them.

Finish it quickly.

"Whoosh!"

Lin Fan moved.

The Iron Body Skill erupted, creating a small crater in the ground as he shot towards the wolf king like an arrow released from a bow.

The wolf king didn't expect the human to be so fast. In its haste, it opened its mouth to bite.

But Lin Fan's sword was faster.

"Squelch!"

The long sword accurately pierced the wolf king's open mouth, exiting through the back of its neck.

[Basic Sword Technique Proficiency +5] [Killed 1st Tier High-grade Demonic Beast, Proficiency +10]

As the system notifications popped up, Lin Fan had already withdrawn his sword and spun around.

The other two wolves lunged.

The one on the left bit towards his throat, while the one on the right attacked his lower body.

Lin Fan didn't dodge. He clenched his left fist and slammed it towards the head of the wolf on the left.

"Bang!"

His fist, hardened by the Perfection of the Iron Body Skill, was harder than any hammer.

The wolf's skull shattered directly, and it was sent flying backward.

At the same time, he raised his right leg and kicked the wolf on the right in the abdomen.

"Crack!"

The sound of breaking ribs was clearly audible.

Three wolves, three breaths, all dead.

[Basic Fist Technique Proficiency +3] [Basic Leg Technique Proficiency +3] [Killed 1st Tier High-grade Demonic Beasts x2, Proficiency +20] [Daily Quest Progress: 3/5]

"Hoo..." Lin Fan sheathed his sword, breathing slightly heavily.

The burst of activity earlier had consumed some Origin Energy, but it was still within controllable limits.

He quickly processed the wolf carcasses—extracted the demonic cores, skinned them, and cut off the most valuable wolf fangs.

Three 1st Tier Demonic Cores, three wolf pelts, six wolf fangs.

He stored them all in his Storage Space.

"Continue forward." Lin Fan wiped the blood from his sword and continued walking towards Gray Rock Valley.

After another hour of walking, the terrain gradually began to rise.

The trees around them became sparse, replaced by large expanses of gray rock. These rocks were of various shapes, some resembling crouching beasts, others like sharp swords, casting strange shadows under the sunlight.

Gray Rock Valley, here they were.

Lin Fan slowed his pace, becoming even more vigilant.

This was the territory of 2nd Tier Demonic Beasts; an ambush could happen at any moment.

He found a large rock to use as cover, crouched behind it, and carefully observed his surroundings.

The valley was silent, with only the "whoosh" of the wind blowing through the gaps in the rocks.

But Lin Fan could sense that behind those rocks, more than one presence was lurking.

"At least three Demonic Beasts..." he judged inwardly.

Just then, heavy footsteps echoed from behind a rock about thirty feet to his left.

"Thump... thump..."

Each step made the ground tremble slightly.

Lin Fan held his breath and quietly peeked his head out.

He saw a colossal creature emerge from behind the rock.

It was a Rock Armored Boar, over two meters long and a meter and a half tall at the shoulder. Its entire body was covered in grayish-brown, rock-like plates, and two tusks, half a meter long, protruded from the sides of its mouth, their tips glinting with a cold light.

"Tier 2 Low Grade, Rock Armored Boar," Lin Fan recognized it.

This was precisely his target.

The Rock Armored Boar had clearly spotted Lin Fan as well. It stopped, its small eyes fixed on the rock where Lin Fan was hiding, and snorted two plumes of white mist from its nostrils.

"I've been discovered." Lin Fan knew he couldn't hide any longer, so he stepped out.

Man and beast faced each other across the distance.

The Rock Armored Boar let out a low growl and pawed the ground with its front hooves, a prelude to an attack.

Lin Fan gripped his longsword, channeling Origin Energy into the blade, which began to emit a faint white glow.

"Come on."

"Roar!"

The Rock Armored Boar charged.

Despite its massive size, it wasn't slow. It thundered forward like a war chariot, kicking up crushed stones in its wake.

Lin Fan didn't meet the charge head-on; instead, he sidestepped to evade.

The instant the Rock Armored Boar brushed past him, he slashed his sword towards its neck.

"Clang!"

A sound like metal striking metal rang out.

His longsword struck the Rock Armored Boar's plates, leaving only a white mark and failing to even break the skin.

"So tough!" Lin Fan was shocked.

He knew Rock Armored Boars had high Defense, but he hadn't expected it to be this high. His Mortal Tier Mid Grade longsword, combined with his second-grade Martial Artist Origin Energy, couldn't even penetrate its defenses.

The Rock Armored Boar turned and charged again.

This time, Lin Fan changed his strategy.

He no longer aimed for the plates but targeted the Rock Armored Boar's eyes.

Eyes were the weakness of all Demonic Beasts.

"Gale Sword Technique!" Lin Fan shouted.

His sword flashed like the wind, unleashing three rapid strikes.

But the Rock Armored Boar wasn't stupid; it closed its eyelids—which were also covered in fine plates.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

All three strikes were blocked.

"This is troublesome," Lin Fan thought, evading while considering his options.

The Rock Armored Boar's Defense was almost impenetrable. The only potential weak spot was its belly, but the boar was smart and kept it well protected.

"I need more attack power, or... a way to break through its armor." Lin Fan thought of the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Origin Art.

The Profound Origin Qi from the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Origin Art possessed extreme penetrative power.

If he could condense the Profound Origin Qi onto the tip of his sword, he might be able to pierce the plates.

He began to mobilize the Profound Origin Qi within his dantian, channeling it along the meridians in his arm into his longsword.

The sword began to vibrate slightly, emitting a low hum.

The Rock Armored Boar seemed to sense the threat and intensified its charge.

"Now!" Lin Fan saw his chance and stopped evading, meeting the charge head-on.

He pushed off the ground, his body shooting forward like an arrow, his sword aimed directly at the Rock Armored Boar's brow.

This was the thickest part of the armor, but also where the nerve center was located.

"Thwack!"

This time, the sword wasn't deflected as before.

Wrapped in Profound Origin Qi, the sword tip forcefully pierced the armor plate, sinking in half an inch.

"Roar!" The Rock Armored Boar cried out in pain and thrashed its head wildly.

Lin Fan was thrown back by the immense force, adjusting his posture in mid-air and landing steadily.

The sword remained lodged in the Rock Armored Boar's brow, blood flowing down the blade.

The Rock Armored Boar's eyes turned blood red. It had gone completely mad, charging at Lin Fan without regard for its own safety.

But Lin Fan had already found a way to defeat it.

He stopped trying to trade blows directly and instead used his Speed advantage to evade, leaving wounds on the Rock Armored Boar whenever he could.

Though not as deep as the first wound, the small ones added up.

A quarter of an hour later, the Rock Armored Boar was covered in blood, its movements growing slower and slower.

Finally, during one charge, its front legs buckled, and it crashed to the ground with a thud.

[Basic Sword Technique Proficiency +15]

[Killed a Rank 2 Lower-tier Demonic Beast, Proficiency +50]

[Nine Revolutions Mysterious Origin Art Proficiency +10 (Combat Application)]

[Daily Quest Progress: 4/5]

Lin Fan walked to the Rock Armored Boar's corpse and pulled out his longsword.

The Demonic Core was inside its head. He broke open the skull and retrieved a yellowish-brown crystal.

A Rank 2 Demonic Core, good quality, worth around 2000 Huaxia Coin.

And its armor plates, though many were damaged, could also be sold. Its tusks, bones, and flesh were all materials.

Lin Fan began to process the corpse.

But just then—

"Rustle... rustle..."

From behind the surrounding rocks came the sound of more footsteps.

Lin Fan's expression changed, and he looked up.

He saw more than a dozen Rock Armored Boars slowly emerging from all directions, surrounding him.

One of them was a size larger than the one he had just killed, its shoulders nearly two meters high, with longer and thicker tusks.

"Rank 2 Middle-tier... Rock Armored Boar King." Lin Fan's heart sank.

This was trouble.