Founding Members of the Akatsuki

In the time that followed, Lin Chuan led Qin Lang and Bu Lianshi through Hunting Ground No. 44 with a listless air. The reason for his lethargy was the strange looks the two beside him cast his way from time to time—looks that drove Lin Chuan to the brink of madness more than once, yet left him completely helpless.

Their expressions were particularly spectacular whenever Lin Chuan used his Byakugan to survey the surroundings. Bu Lianshi would turn away in shame and indignation, shrinking her body, while Qin Lang would glare at Lin Chuan with resentment, wishing he could possess a pair of Byakugan himself, and expressing great dissatisfaction with Lin Chuan's tendency to hog all the benefits.

"Careful, we have a situation! Three hundred meters to the front-left, there is a Green Shadow Wolf. Its strength is at the third level of the Qi Refining Stage, and it seems to have caught our scent; it's heading in our direction!" Lin Chuan's Byakugan narrowed slightly as he looked toward the front-left.

Hearing that a Spirit Beast was attacking, Bu Lianshi and Qin Lang temporarily forgot the fact that Lin Chuan was a pervert, turning their gazes toward the direction of the Green Shadow Wolf with serious expressions.

Lin Chuan had already discussed it with them: he would no longer intervene against Spirit Beasts below the third level of the Qi Refining Stage.

It wasn't because Lin Chuan was lazy, but because if an entire team relied on one person, the team's strength would never improve. This was especially true with a powerhouse like Lin Chuan, who was capable of blocking every attack for them; his intervention would only make the two teammates hiding behind him weaker and weaker.

It was better to use Lin Chuan's formidable strength as the team's final trump card, allowing Qin Lang and Bu Lianshi to fight without restraint and improve their own strength. This was the only guarantee for the long-term development of the team.

Moreover, since Lin Chuan had already accepted the two of them, he would not let their strength fall too far behind his own. Having been alone in his past life, Lin Chuan knew better than anyone how important it was to have one's own circle, especially in a cultivation world that valued strength above all else and where the strong preyed upon the weak.

The cruelty of this world was far more terrifying than that of his previous life!

While maintaining his own strength, he could not let the people important to him fall too far behind; after all, even Lin Chuan could not protect Qin Lang and Bu Lianshi at every moment.

"Besides, the most important point is that they are the founding members I have determined will join my future Akatsuki organization. How could I let them comfortably hide behind my back?" Lin Chuan watched their retreating figures as they charged out and said with a faint smile.

The Green Shadow Wolf, standing over a meter tall, gradually drew near. Its pair of blood-colored eyes stared coldly at the two thin, small figures standing before it, and the wheezing sound of its breathing carried a pungent, fishy stench.

Facing such a Spirit Beast for the first time, Qin Lang was not exactly afraid, but his face was extremely tense. Beside him, Bu Lianshi's small face was deathly pale, her clenched fists trembling slightly, and beads of sweat rolled down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, I cannot shield you from the cruelty of this world. What must be faced will eventually be faced; you must grow up quickly!" Seeing their state, Lin Chuan felt a pang of reluctance in his heart, but he could only harden his resolve and let them face it themselves.

"Ah!" Qin Lang let out a roar, channeled his spiritual energy, and charged toward the Green Shadow Wolf, swinging his right fist with all his might.

Bu Lianshi was startled by Qin Lang's sudden shout, but she reacted immediately, gritting her teeth as she charged in alongside him.

The three figures immediately clashed, fists and claws flying, fangs and limbs colliding, leaving only flickering afterimages in the air.

When cultivators are in the Qi Refining Stage, their spiritual energy cannot be projected outside the body. They can only convert the cultivated spiritual energy into their own internal power and channel it through their meridians to reinforce their bodies, thereby enhancing their physical attack power.

Only upon reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage can spiritual energy erupt with great power, or even be used to cast spells to attack opponents. Only then do the strengths of various Spirit Root attributes manifest; for now, they were limited to hand-to-hand combat.

The Green Shadow Wolf's strength among Spirit Beasts was only average, and it possessed no special ancient divine beast bloodline. Its only advantage was its high speed. Coupled with the fact that Spirit Beasts are naturally adept at fighting, it was essentially suppressing Qin Lang, who was also at the third level of the Qi Refining Stage. If not for the help of Bu Lianshi, who was at the second level of the Qi Refining Stage, Qin Lang would have been beaten to the ground long ago.

Even with the two-on-one advantage, the pair found it difficult to cope. Before long, both had sustained injuries, while the Green Shadow Wolf remained full of vigor, showing no signs of feeling any pressure.

Lin Chuan shook his head helplessly, thinking that children who had never experienced combat were indeed weak; even with sufficient power, they did not know how to utilize it. Their hearts were also too kind—a trait that was both a strength and a weakness. However, it wasn't a major issue; through constant tempering, they would eventually grow.

Lin Chuan himself had only become strong because he was constantly bullied in his past life, which led to more fights, and eventually, he naturally became formidable. Combined with his knowledge of the Naruto world, he had attained his current strength.

Time passed slowly. As Qin Lang and Bu Lianshi grew accustomed to the battle and their fear gradually dissipated, they were no longer being suppressed and began to launch moderate counterattacks. At the very least, the strength of both sides reached an even level.

Seeing this, Lin Chuan knew there was nothing to worry about. He activated his Byakugan again to check the surrounding environment, and after ensuring there was no danger, he turned his attention to himself.

Although his current strength was already quite high—his Byakugan could avoid many risks, and his Gentle Fist could almost crush any cultivator below the sixth level of the Qi Refining Stage—it would be troublesome if he encountered a cultivator at the seventh level.

Because Lin Chuan's speed would not be able to keep up with such an opponent, and even if his Byakugan could see the opponent's attacks, he would have no effective way to defend, let alone use Gentle Fist to strike back.

Although Hunting Ground No. 44 did not have such powerful opponents at the moment, Lin Chuan had not forgotten that in the final two days, those cultivators who had passed the assessment but had not reached the Foundation Establishment Stage would enter this area. By then, if Lin Chuan did not want to hide blindly, he would have to find a way to improve his strength within these few days.

"As for ninjutsu, I basically can't use any of them right now because my chakra reserves are insufficient, even with the addition of natural energy for Sage Mode. Those low-level transformation techniques and other illusions aren't very useful in this world, and they lack attack power. Furthermore, because cultivators focus on quiet meditation, they cultivate their souls as well; ninjutsu of that level would basically be seen through at a glance. They might work to trick people occasionally, but it's very difficult to win a battle with them!"

"The Substitution Technique is worth using; it can save my life at a critical moment, but if I encounter a powerful opponent, I'll still just be beaten," Lin Chuan thought to himself.