"Eh? I can't absorb it anymore?" Lin Chuan immediately noticed after eating a Spirit Beast Spirit Core that the spiritual energy within it no longer dispersed into his body and vanished as before. Instead, it flowed out through the acupoints all over his body and dissipated into the air.
This was within Lin Chuan's expectations, so he wasn't particularly surprised. He had known from the moment he started eating Spirit Cores that this absorption couldn't continue without limit. Otherwise, he would have absorbed the Fruit of the God Tree long ago. There'd be no need for all this trouble.
Looks like I'll have to wait until my body finishes absorbing this portion of spiritual energy before I can take another Spirit Core! Lin Chuan thought.
Spirit Cores contained more than just the pure spiritual energy their owners had cultivated. They also held a great deal of the Spirit Beasts' own flesh-and-blood energy. It was precisely this energy that allowed Lin Chuan to devour Spirit Cores and strengthen his constitution.
Lin Chuan had once tried dispersing the spiritual energy he cultivated directly into his body to strengthen his constitution, but he found it hardly worked. More importantly, it affected his spiritual cultivation, making it far less effective than simply eating Spirit Cores.
"As my cultivation and constitution continue to improve, I'll need Spirit Cores of ever-increasing quality and quantity. I'd better start planning ahead!" Lin Chuan said with a frown.
The day passed as Lin Chuan continued devouring Spirit Cores. Once night had fallen and all was quiet, Qin Lang and Bu Lianshi went to sleep in trepidation. Afraid Lin Chuan might suddenly explode, neither of them slept soundly. They kept waking up to glance at Lin Chuan, who was on watch, and only went back to sleep when he seemed fine.
When the third day arrived, Lin Chuan woke the two of them early and began their so-called cultivation. Qin Lang and Bu Lianshi each had dark circles under their eyes as they gazed at Lin Chuan with deep resentment.
"Today's goal is to hunt five fourth-level Qi Refining Stage Spirit Beasts. It should be a pretty easy task. What do you think?" Lin Chuan asked, ignoring their looks and carrying on as he pleased.
Qin Lang and Bu Lianshi exchanged a glance, then trudged off with weary bodies, too exhausted to even complain.
Using the Byakugan to search, Lin Chuan soon spotted a suitable Spirit Beast: a fourth-level Qi Refining Stage One-Horned White Rhino. This Spirit Beast was enormous, with thick defenses, but it was slow and not particularly powerful. It was perfect for practice.
After bringing Bu Lianshi and Qin Lang over to the Spirit Beast, Lin Chuan sat off to the side to watch the show again.
The two had already become quite adept at working together against third-level Qi Refining Stage Spirit Beasts. Now, facing a fourth-level one, they were struggling, but they could still fight back. The battle was lively, with one attack following another.
As time passed and the battle neared its end, Lin Chuan's gaze sharpened slightly. His Byakugan had been watching their surroundings, and he spotted a group of three heading in their direction. Two were at the third level of Qi Refining, and one was at the second!
They've practiced against Spirit Beasts for long enough. It's about time they tried fighting people from another group! Lin Chuan thought. He didn't lead the two away. Instead, he planned to let Qin Lang and Bu Lianshi use these opponents who had conveniently come their way as a test.
Although the group of three was still some distance away, they were headed straight for them. The encounter was almost unavoidable.
"Sounds like there's fighting over there. Should we go take a look?" one of the three said.
"Let's go have a look, but be careful. If they're strong, we'll leave at once. If they're weaker than us, then..."
"If we take this group's Spirit Cores, our chances of passing the test will increase greatly."
The three spoke as they moved cautiously toward the source of the noise. What they didn't know was that no matter how careful they were, none of their movements escaped Lin Chuan's Byakugan. He could even read their words one by one.
"Hmph. If you're bold enough to set your sights on me, don't blame me for striking from the shadows!" Lin Chuan said with a cold snort, then darted forward with a whoosh.
The chakra began slowly merging with the spiritual energy in his dantian, then flowed out through the acupoints in his hands. Through the Byakugan, the One-Horned White Rhino's meridians were clearly visible. The next moment, Lin Chuan struck without hesitation, unleashing the Hyuga Gentle Fist and attacking the rhino. With every blow, Senjutsu Chakra was driven into its body. No matter how strong the One-Horned White Rhino's defenses were, they couldn't withstand Lin Chuan's attacks, which struck directly at its internal organs. It held on for only a moment before collapsing to the ground, unable to get back up.
"Take a short rest. Someone's coming, so get ready to fight!" Lin Chuan said to Qin Lang and Bu Lianshi, who were panting nearby.
"There are three of them: one at the second level of Qi Refining and two at the third. Can you beat them without me stepping in?" Lin Chuan asked seriously, the lazy expression he'd worn until now gone from his face.
"No problem. Just watch from the side!" Qin Lang said, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
After more than two days of nonstop practice, his strength had improved greatly. He'd been looking for someone to test it on, and now people had come right to him. Qin Lang was overjoyed! His resentment over fighting Spirit Beasts earlier disappeared in an instant, and he began fully restoring the spiritual energy in his body.
Bu Lianshi nodded solemnly as well. Even though she was a girl, she didn't want to hide behind someone else forever. This was her fight, and she absolutely wouldn't back down.
Seeing their expressions, Lin Chuan smiled faintly and nodded in satisfaction.
Cultivators weren't like ninjas. The spiritual energy they used came entirely from the Natural Energy outside them. Once it ran out, they could keep absorbing more, even in the middle of a fight.
Ninjas were different. Once they used up chakra, an energy that came from within their own bodies, it took a long time to recover. Not everyone was like Naruto, the prince, with his abundant stamina and vast reserves of chakra. This was where cultivators had the advantage over ninjas.
"One at the first level of Qi Refining, one at the second, and one at the third. With strength like that, I really wonder how they made it this far without getting eaten by the Spirit Beasts here. It's a miracle!"
The group of three cultivators soon arrived. When they saw how weak their opponents were, they made no attempt to hide themselves. Swaggering out into the open, they immediately began hurling insults.
"Hand over the Spirit Cores you've got. Don't make us do it ourselves, or things will get a lot uglier than just losing your Spirit Beast Cores!" one of the youths threatened coldly.
"If you want Spirit Cores, come and take them yourselves!" Qin Lang replied without backing down, sneering at the three. He and Bu Lianshi had managed to take on a fourth-level Qi Refining Stage Spirit Beast together. Why would he be afraid of these three?
"Hmph, you refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit! Kill them!" At one of their command, all three charged at once, rushing straight for Bu Lianshi and Qin Lang. As for Lin Chuan, they saw him as nothing more than dead weight. It was obvious he was the weak link in the group. All they had to do was take out the man and woman in front of them, and the whole group would be finished.
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