Resources Crisis, Back into the Wilderness

The first light of dawn filtered through the dormitory window and spilled across the floor.

Lin Fan sat cross-legged beside his bed. Spread out in front of him were three things: the student card issued by the academy, a crumpled banknote, and a cloth pouch that was nearly empty.

He picked up the student card first and channeled a wisp of vital energy into it.

A pale blue screen appeared on the card's surface, displaying a series of lines:

[Name: Lin Fan]

[Class: Regular Class, Martial Arts Academy]

[Academic Credits: 85 points]

[Account Balance: 327 Huaxia Coins]

"85 Academic Credits..." Lin Fan furrowed his brow.

The Vessel Protecting Pill he'd exchanged for yesterday had cost 50 credits. Adding in the scattered expenses from before, his original balance of over 200 had dwindled to this.

And the things he could exchange Academic Credits for—pills, weapons, and cultivation technique copies—were all necessities for cultivation.

What gave him the biggest headache was Huaxia Coins.

In a place like Jiangnan City, 327 coins wasn't even enough to buy a decent meal, let alone cultivation resources.

"Money's the biggest problem," Lin Fan muttered.

He looked at the nearly empty cloth pouch. Inside, all that remained were two Crimson Flame Fruits and three Pulse Nourishing Pills.

At the pace he'd cultivated last night, the two Crimson Flame Fruits could sustain at most forty five-times-speed cycles. The three Pulse Nourishing Pills were enough to repair mild meridian damage just three times.

"Not enough. It's nowhere near enough." Lin Fan shook his head.

He brought up the System Status Panel and checked the progress of the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Origin Art:

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

He was still 1,850 proficiency points away from Minor Accomplishment.

If he could cultivate at full power with five-times speed, theoretically, he could break through within a day.

But that depended on one thing: having enough resources to sustain him.

"I have to earn resources as soon as possible." Lin Fan got to his feet and walked to the window.

In the distance, the outline of North City Gate appeared and disappeared in the morning mist.

Chen Dahu had said yesterday to meet at North City Gate at the hour of the Dragon to carry out an escort mission.

The reward was 50 Academic Credits and 5,000 Huaxia Coins per person.

For Lin Fan, that was no small sum.

But...

"Escort missions usually take three to five days. Just traveling back and forth would eat up a lot of time." Lin Fan calculated. "If I spent that time hunting Demonic Beasts in the Wilderness, I might earn more."

The market price of a 2nd Tier Demonic Beast's Demonic Core ranged from 1,000 to 3,000 Huaxia Coins. Its fur, bones, and meat were also worth money.

If he got lucky and hunted two or three a day, he could earn more than he would from an escort mission.

More importantly, hunting Demonic Beasts would earn him Combat Experience and improve his martial skill proficiency.

"System," Lin Fan said silently in his heart. "Do you have any suggestions for earning resources quickly?"

After a brief silence, the System's Prompt Tone sounded:

[Analyzing Host's current circumstances...]

[Optimal solution: Hunt Demonic Beasts]

[Reasons: 1. Resources and proficiency can be gained simultaneously; 2. Flexible schedule and controllable efficiency; 3. System missions may be triggered, granting additional rewards]

Lin Fan's eyes lit up.

Indeed, hunting Demonic Beasts was a choice that could accomplish several things at once.

But there was a problem: entering the Wilderness alone was extremely dangerous.

Last time, Teacher Zhang had protected him in secret. This time, he would have to rely on himself.

"I need to prepare for every eventuality." Lin Fan began checking his equipment.

In his Storage Space: one Mortal Tier Mid Grade longsword, standard issue from the academy; ten beginner healing talismans left over from his last mission; three packets of Hemostatic Powder; two bottles of antidote pills; and some dry food and water.

His weapons and medicine would just about suffice, but he had almost no defensive gear.

Iron Body Skill could provide powerful defense, but it consumed vital energy and stamina. In the Wilderness, every ounce of strength had to be carefully rationed.

"I'll see what I can rent from the academy first." Lin Fan gathered his things and headed out.

The Resource Hall stood at the center of the academy, a three-story stone building.

There weren't many people inside in the early morning. Only a few stewards were arranging the shelves.

Lin Fan walked up to the Equipment Rental counter.

A balding, middle-aged steward sat behind it, yawning as he flipped through a ledger.

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

The balding steward looked up and squinted at him. "New student?"

"Regular Class. Lin Fan."

The steward's expression shifted slightly at the name. "Oh, you're the one who beat that Wang Family kid in the arena?"

"That's me."

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

"What's the difference?"

"Leather armor is light and doesn't restrict movement, but its defense is average. Mortal Tier Low Grade, five Academic Credits a day." The steward rattled off the details. "Chainmail offers moderate defense and weighs a moderate amount. Mortal Tier Mid Grade, ten Academic Credits a day. An inner vest is worn close to the body. It offers about as much protection as chainmail, but it's more expensive. Mortal Tier High Grade, twenty Academic Credits a day."

Lin Fan furrowed his brow.

Too expensive.

With his current Academic Credits, he could rent even the cheapest leather armor for only seventeen days.

And once he entered the Wilderness, he might not return for several days. The rental fees would keep piling up.

"Is there... anything cheaper?" Lin Fan asked tentatively.

The steward laughed. "Young man, defensive gear is there to save your life. If you're dead, what use are Academic Credits?"

He had a point, but...

Lin Fan looked at the samples displayed on the counter, torn.

In the end, he pointed to the chainmail. "I'll rent this for three days."

"Thirty Academic Credits. Pay first." The steward held out his hand.

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

The steward swiped it, and Lin Fan's Academic Credits dropped from 85 to 55.

"Here. Return it in three days. There's an additional fee of five Academic Credits for every late day." The steward handed Lin Fan a set of gray-black chainmail.

The chainmail was heavy in his hands, weighing about twenty pounds. That was nothing to a Martial Artist, but wearing it for a long time would hamper his movement.

Lin Fan put the chainmail in his Storage Space and asked, "Do you have a map of the Wilderness?"

"We do. It covers fifty miles around Jiangnan City and marks Demonic Beast distributions and dangerous areas in detail." The steward took out a scroll made of hide. "This one isn't for rent. It's for sale. Fifty Academic Credits."

"...I'll buy it." Lin Fan handed over his card again.

His Academic Credits dropped to five.

Seeing his balance nearly wiped out, Lin Fan felt his heart bleed.

But there was no choice. The map was essential. Getting lost in the Wilderness or wandering into a high-risk area would mean certain death.

"Anything else you need?" the steward asked.

Lin Fan shook his head and turned to leave.

By the time he walked out of the Resource Hall, dawn had spread across the academy.

Students were practicing on the distant field. Their shouts, the whoosh of fists and feet cutting through the air, and the clashing of weapons mingled into the Martial Arts Academy's unique morning symphony.

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

He'd decided to turn down the escort mission and enter the Wilderness alone.

It was riskier, but the rewards were greater, and he'd have 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 heading this way? North City Gate is over there." Chen Dahu pointed in the opposite direction.

"Dahu, sorry." Lin Fan said, "I'm not joining the escort mission."

"Huh? Why?" Chen Dahu asked, startled.

Sun Wanting's eyes shifted slightly. "Because of resources?"

Lin Fan nodded. "The escort mission will take at least five days there and back, and the reward is only 50 Academic Credits and 5,000 Huaxia Coins. I need a faster way to earn money."

"You're going to hunt Demonic Beasts?" Zhou Ming pushed up his glasses. "By yourself?"

"Yeah."

The three of them fell silent.

They were all Martial Artists and understood what entering the Wilderness alone meant.

It was like dancing on the edge of a blade. Every breath could be your last.

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

"Dahu." Sun Wanting laid a hand on his shoulder. "We've already accepted the escort mission. We can't break our word."

Chen Dahu opened his mouth, but in the end, he lowered his head.

According to academy rules, anyone who abandoned a mission without good reason would lose twice the mission's Academic Credit reward, and the violation would be entered into their record. For ordinary students, that was a punishment they couldn't afford.

"Lin Fan." Sun Wanting looked at him. "Are you sure about this?"

"I'm sure."

"Fine." Sun Wanting untied a jade pendant from her waist and offered it to him. "Take this."

The jade pendant was entirely green, with the character "Sun" carved into it.

"What's this...?"

"A protective jade pendant. It can withstand a full-power strike from a 3rd Grade Martial Master." Sun Wanting said coolly, "Remember to give it back when you're done."

Lin Fan took the pendant. It felt warm and smooth in his hand, and he could sense the vital energy 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 along.

Zhou Ming nodded to Lin Fan, then followed them.

Watching the three of them walk away, Lin Fan tightened his grip on the pendant.

Then he turned and strode out of the academy gates.

His destination: the Wilderness.

After leaving Jiangnan City, he followed the official road for five miles before entering the Wilderness.

The spiritual energy in the air grew noticeably denser, but a faint fishy smell had joined it—the scent of Demonic Beasts.

Lin Fan unfolded the map and confirmed his location.

"I'm on the outskirts of Black Wind Ridge. This area is mainly inhabited by 1st Tier Demonic Beasts, with the occasional 2nd Tier." Lin Fan recalled what he'd learned in class. "To hunt a 2nd Tier Demonic Beast, I'll have to go ten miles in, to Gray Rock Valley."

Gray Rock Valley had earned its name from the gray rocks strewn across it. It was home to the 2nd Tier Demonic Beasts known as Rock Armored Boars and Red Tail Foxes.

The Rock Armored Boar was a low-grade 2nd Tier Demonic Beast. It had extremely strong defenses and great strength, but was slow.

The Red Tail Fox was a mid-grade 2nd Tier Demonic Beast. It was extremely fast and skilled at illusions and ambushes.

Lin Fan's target was the Rock Armored Boar. It was hard to kill, but its Demonic Core was more valuable, and its meat could be sold too.

After choosing his direction, Lin Fan set off.

He didn't take the official road. Instead, he plunged into the woods beside it. The road was safe, but it could also give away his whereabouts and attract unnecessary trouble.

The woods were dim, and the ground was slick.

Lin Fan spread his Mental Power three yards around himself, staying alert to every sound nearby.

Iron Body Skill circulated slowly, and a faint metallic sheen appeared on the surface of his skin. He wore the chainmail underneath an ordinary hemp shirt to keep it from reflecting light and giving away his position.

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

Lin Fan stopped and hid behind a large tree.

Through a gap in the leaves, he saw three Iron Tooth Wolves on a clearing a dozen yards away, tearing into the corpse of a deer-like Demonic Beast.

The Iron Tooth Wolf was a high-grade 1st Tier Demonic Beast, equivalent to a human 9th Grade Martial Disciple. Its teeth were as sharp as iron and could bite through Mortal Tier Mid Grade armor.

Lin Fan could handle a single one with ease.

But three at once would be a bit of a problem.

"Go around them, or..." Lin Fan weighed his options.

Hunting Iron Tooth Wolves wouldn't earn much. Their Demonic Cores were worth only a few hundred Huaxia Coins, and their fur wasn't valuable either.

But just then, the System's Prompt Tone suddenly sounded:

[Host detected entering hunting mode]

[Daily Task System activated]

[First daily task issued: Hunt Demonic Beasts]

[Task objective: Kill 5 1st Tier Demonic Beasts or 1 2nd Tier Demonic Beast]

[Time limit: Before the end of today]

[Task reward: Skill Point x1, random Mortal Tier item x1]

[Failure penalty: None]

A daily task!

Lin Fan's eyes lit up.

A Skill Point! It was an excellent reward, one that could directly increase his cultivation technique proficiency.

One Skill Point equaled 100 proficiency points. If he completed this task, he'd be that much closer to reaching Minor Accomplishment in the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Origin Art.

And there was also a random reward.

"Let's do it." Lin Fan tightened his grip on the hilt.

Three Iron Tooth Wolves—that was exactly half the mission.

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

His footsteps startled the pack.

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

"Awoo—"

The wolf king in front let out a low growl. The other two immediately spread out, surrounding Lin Fan in a triangular formation.

"Clever beasts." Lin Fan sneered.

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

He had to finish this fast.

"Whoosh!"

Lin Fan sprang into action.

Iron Body Skill erupted beneath him, blasting a small crater into the ground as he shot toward the wolf king like an arrow loosed from its bowstring.

The wolf king hadn't expected the human to be so fast. It snapped its jaws at him in a panic.

But Lin Fan's sword was faster.

"Pfft!"

The long sword pierced the wolf king's open mouth with unerring precision and emerged from the back of its neck.

[Basic Sword Technique Proficiency +5]

[Defeated a 1st-tier upper-grade Demonic Beast, Proficiency +10]

As the system notification appeared, Lin Fan had already pulled out his sword and turned around.

The other two wolves pounced.

The one on the left lunged for his throat, while the one on the right attacked his legs.

Lin Fan neither dodged nor retreated. He clenched his left hand into a fist and slammed it toward the wolf on his left.

"Bang!"

His fist, strengthened by Iron Body Skill at perfection, was harder than a hammer.

The wolf's skull shattered, and it flew backward.

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

"Crack!"

The sound of breaking ribs rang out clearly.

Three wolves. Three breaths. All dead.

[Basic Fist Technique Proficiency +3]

[Basic Leg Technique Proficiency +3]

[Defeated two 1st-tier upper-grade Demonic Beasts, Proficiency +20]

[Daily Mission Progress: 3/5]

"Phew..." Lin Fan sheathed his sword and breathed a little heavily.

The burst of action had consumed some of his vital energy, but it was still within manageable limits.

He quickly processed the wolf carcasses—harvesting the Demonic Cores, skinning them, and cutting off their most valuable wolf fangs.

Three 1st-order Demonic Cores, three wolf pelts, and six wolf fangs.

He put them all into his Storage Space.

"Let's keep going." Lin Fan wiped the blood from his sword and continued toward Gray Rock Valley.

After another hour of walking, the terrain gradually rose.

The trees around him grew sparse, replaced by vast stretches of gray rock. The rocks came in all shapes and sizes; some resembled beasts at rest, others gleaming swords. Under the sunlight, they cast eerie shadows.

Gray Rock Valley. He had arrived.

Lin Fan slowed his pace and grew even more vigilant.

This was the territory of 2nd Tier Demonic Beasts. He could be attacked at any moment.

He found a massive boulder to use as cover, crouched behind it, and carefully surveyed the surroundings.

The valley was quiet, save for the "whoo, whoo" of wind blowing through the gaps in the rocks.

But Lin Fan could sense more than one presence lying in wait behind those rocks.

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

Just then, heavy footsteps sounded behind a rock thirty zhang to his left.

"Thud... thud..."

Each step made the ground tremble faintly.

Lin Fan held his breath and cautiously peeked out.

He saw a gigantic beast emerge from behind the rock.

It was a Rock Armored Boar, over two meters long and a full one and a half meters tall at the shoulder. Gray-brown, rocklike plates covered its body, and two tusks, half a meter long, jutted from the sides of its mouth, their tips glinting coldly.

"2nd-tier lower-grade, Rock Armored Boar." Lin Fan recognized it.

This was exactly his target.

The Rock Armored Boar had clearly noticed Lin Fan too. It stopped and stared at the rock where he was hiding, its tiny eyes fixed on him as two streams of white breath poured from its nostrils.

"I've been spotted." Lin Fan knew there was no point hiding, so he stepped out.

Man and beast faced off across the open ground.

The Rock Armored Boar growled and pawed at the ground with its front hooves—a sign it was about to attack.

Lin Fan gripped his long sword and channeled vital energy into it. A faint white glow spread over the blade.

"Come on."

"Roar!"

The Rock Armored Boar charged.

Despite its massive size, it was fast. Like a tank, it thundered toward him, sending broken stones flying wherever it went.

Lin Fan didn't meet it head-on. He dodged to the side.

As the Rock Armored Boar rushed past him, he slashed at its neck.

"Clang!"

The sound of metal striking metal rang out.

The long sword struck the Rock Armored Boar's armor plates, leaving behind only a white mark. It hadn't even pierced the skin.

"Hard as rock!" Lin Fan was startled.

He knew Rock Armored Boars had strong defenses, but he hadn't expected them to be this tough. A Mortal Tier Mid Grade sword, paired with the vital energy of a 2nd-rank Martial Artist like him, still couldn't pierce its defenses.

The Rock Armored Boar wheeled around and charged again.

This time, Lin Fan changed tactics.

He stopped aiming for its armor plates and targeted its eyes instead.

The eyes were the weak point of every Demonic Beast.

"Gale Sword Technique!" Lin Fan barked.

His sword flashed like a gale, striking three times in an instant.

But the Rock Armored Boar wasn't stupid either. It shut its eyes—the eyelids were covered in fine armor plates too.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

All three strikes were blocked.

"This is troublesome." Lin Fan dodged as he thought of a way to deal with it.

The Rock Armored Boar's defenses were nearly impenetrable. Its belly was the only place he might break through, but the beast was clever and kept it well protected.

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

The Profound Origin Qi produced by the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Origin Art had exceptional penetrating power.

If he could concentrate the Profound Origin Qi at the tip of his sword, he might be able to break through the armor plates.

He tried to draw the Profound Origin Qi from his dantian and channel it along the meridians in his arm into the long sword.

The sword began to quiver faintly, emitting a low hum.

The Rock Armored Boar seemed to sense the threat and charged even more ferociously.

"Now!" Lin Fan seized his chance. Instead of dodging, he met it head-on.

He pushed off the ground and shot forward like an arrow, thrusting his long sword straight at the Rock Armored Boar's brow.

That was where its armor was thickest, but it was also where its nerve center lay.

"Pfft!"

This time, the sword wasn't knocked aside as it had been before.

Wrapped in Profound Origin Qi, its tip pierced through the armor plate and sank half an inch into the flesh.

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

Lin Fan was flung away by the tremendous force. He adjusted his position in midair and landed steadily.

The sword was still embedded in the Rock Armored Boar's brow, blood streaming down the blade.

The beast's eyes turned bloodred. It had gone completely berserk and charged at Lin Fan without a care for anything else.

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

He stopped clashing head-on and used his speed to keep it at a distance, occasionally leaving a wound on its body.

None of the wounds were as deep as the first, but they added up.

A quarter of an hour later, the Rock Armored Boar was covered in blood and moving more and more slowly.

Finally, during one of its charges, its front legs gave way, and it crashed to the ground.

[Basic Sword Technique Proficiency +15]

[Defeated a 2nd-tier lower-grade Demonic Beast, Proficiency +50]

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

[Daily Mission Progress: 4/5]

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

The Demonic Core was inside its head. He cracked open the skull and took out a yellow-brown crystal.

A 2nd-order Demonic Core, in decent condition. It could sell for around 2,000 Huaxia Coins.

Its armor plates were also worth money, even if quite a few were damaged. Its tusks, bones, and flesh were all useful materials too.

Lin Fan began processing the carcass.

But just then—

"Rustle..."

More footsteps sounded from behind the surrounding rocks.

Lin Fan's expression changed. He looked up.

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

One of them was a whole size larger than the one he had just killed, nearly two meters tall at the shoulder, with longer, thicker tusks.

"2nd-tier mid-grade... the Rock Armored Boar King." Lin Fan's heart sank.

This was trouble.