Hunting Ground No. 44

"Lin Chuan, what's wrong with your eyes? Are you feeling unwell?" Bu Lianshi asked in a low voice. Seeing the veins bulging around his eyes and his pale complexion, she couldn't help but look concerned.

"I... I'm fine!" Lin Chuan deactivated his Byakugan and whispered to Bu Lianshi, his mind racing with thoughts.

Lin Chuan was well aware of his current predicament. Even if he knew the truth, he couldn't possibly speak of it. He had no doubt that if he exposed such a secret, the Lin Clan would kill him on the spot to silence him, and he wouldn't even have the strength to resist. This was the price of being weak.

A great man once said that those who fall behind get beaten. It was the same here: those who are weak get beaten.

Lin Chuan was no saint. Even though he sympathized with all the orphans here, he wouldn't put himself in danger for their sake. Besides, even if he told them, none of them had the power to resist.

Lin Chuan even believed that even if they knew their Spirit Roots would be devoured, many would still choose to harvest the Crimson Flame Lotus. It was their only chance—a chance to survive, even if that life was ignoble and the cost was their talent.

However, since the Lin Clan is heartless, don't blame me for being unrighteous! Others at the Qi Refining Stage cannot project their spiritual power outside their bodies, but my Sage Chakra can. I can even coat my hands in chakra alone. That leaves only one goal for this assessment: to harvest the Crimson Flame Lotus! The more I collect, the fewer children will have their Spirit Roots devoured. I suppose this is my own way of making amends, Lin Chuan thought to himself.

"Bu Lianshi, Lin Chuan, once we enter the Hunting Ground, you must stay behind me. I will protect you."

"If we encounter a Spirit Beast, just make sure you stay safe. Leave the rest to me; I'll be at the front, and I won't let any Spirit Beast hurt you."

"If I can't hold them off, just run. Don't worry about me, understand? I'm the strongest, so I should be fine!"

"Even if my life is in danger, don't look back. If I can't handle it, you two would only be throwing your lives away by staying. It's better to just leave; you might survive. Even if you don't pass the assessment, staying alive is still a hope!"

On the way to Hunting Ground No. 44, Qin Lang kept giving them instructions on what to do once they entered the testing grounds. His face was serious, devoid of his usual playful demeanor, looking every bit the leader despite being younger than Lin Chuan.

Bu Lianshi was frightened pale by Qin Lang's words. Under his intense pressure and persuasion, she could only nod repeatedly, not daring to say a word.

As for Lin Chuan, he watched Qin Lang's earnest and sincere expression in silence. He felt that this child possessed a light that even he envied. Even though Lin Chuan viewed such light as a form of stupidity, he had to admit that this brilliant radiance inadvertently warmed his heart.

Forget it, let him play the big brother for a while. I have nothing to lose. I'll just take over the leadership once we enter the forest, Lin Chuan chuckled inwardly.

He didn't even realize that, without knowing it, he had already come to view the two beside him as his most important companions. At the very least, in this world, no one was more important than Bu Lianshi and Qin Lang.

Was this what they called... a bond?

As an orphan in his past life, Lin Chuan had once envied the precious and indestructible bond between Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura. Yet, now that he was beginning to possess something similar, he felt a sense of fear.

Some things, once possessed, are impossible to let go. And the things one cannot let go of become the fatal flaw of one's life—an irreversible weakness.

Before noon, everyone arrived outside Hunting Ground No. 44. It was a dense forest filled with mountains, rivers, and marshes. From afar, one could see a bowl-shaped membrane inverted over the forest—the defensive formation set up by the Lin Clan. Without a Lin Clan token, no one could enter.

"They say this entire mountain range belongs to the Lin Clan. It spans over a thousand miles!"

"The spiritual energy in these mountains is abundant, which is why the Lin Clan occupied it. No one else has a chance to cultivate here!"

"That's right, the spiritual energy here is several times higher than the outside world. Cultivating here truly yields twice the result with half the effort!"

The surrounding crowd chattered away. Everyone who saw the massive mountain range marveled at the power of the Lin Clan; it was a symbol of their strength and dominance.

"Let's go. Let's look elsewhere. There are too many people here, and this assessment doesn't forbid killing. We should find a quieter place to enter," Qin Lang said, looking around before pulling Lin Chuan and Bu Lianshi toward the side.

It wasn't just the three of them; others were also scattering, walking along the perimeter of the defensive formation to find an empty spot to enter.

As they walked, Lin Chuan looked curiously at the formation shrouding the trial grounds. With his Byakugan, he could clearly see the complex spiritual energy circuits within the formation, which shared a similar design to the barriers in Naruto.

"This place looks good. Why don't we wait here to enter?" After walking for about an hour, Qin Lang saw that no one was around and spoke to Lin Chuan and Bu Lianshi.

Bu Lianshi looked around as well, and after confirming no one was there, she nodded in agreement.

Lin Chuan, however, didn't react. He stood with his back to them, seemingly gazing into the distance, but in reality, he was forming hand seals to activate his Byakugan.

"Byakugan!"

As the veins around his eyes bulged, everything within a one-kilometer radius became crystal clear, leaving no blind spots.

One, two, three... Lin Chuan counted silently. Those hidden figures, impossible to detect with the naked eye, were instantly exposed under his Byakugan. After ten breaths, Lin Chuan deactivated his eyes, having discovered twelve people lurking in the vicinity, split into four groups. It was far from the peaceful and safe place it appeared to be.

Hmph, a few of them have been tracking us ever since we left. Did they really think I wouldn't notice? If I didn't want to avoid drawing attention right now, I'd love to kill them all! A cold glint flashed in Lin Chuan's eyes. He didn't need to guess their motives; they clearly saw his group as weak and intended to kill and rob them when the time was right.

"I don't think this place is very good... uh... the feng shui is bad. Let's find somewhere else!" Lin Chuan made up a random excuse and dragged Bu Lianshi and Qin Lang away.

Qin Lang was left speechless, wondering what "bad feng shui" meant, but he didn't argue with Lin Chuan's decision. The three of them set off again, heading deeper into the forest.