Entering Early

Watching Lin Chuan sink into deep cultivation, Qin Lang and Bu Lianshi took a long while to come back to their senses. They exchanged wry smiles.

They had no idea how to react to Lin Chuan's performance anymore. Ever since entering Hunting Ground No. 44, he had challenged their limits again and again—whether with his powerful Gentle Fist, which could damage meridians and internal organs, or with the Byakugan, a Kekkei Genkai that let him see more than a kilometer in every direction.

Just when they thought this had to be the limit of what Lin Chuan could do, he showed them that Spirit Cores could be eaten directly, and that medicinal herbs meant for the Foundation Establishment Stage could also be eaten during the Qi Refining Stage. They would never have dared imagine such things before—unless they wanted to kill themselves.

"What do we do now?" Bu Lianshi asked helplessly, looking at Lin Chuan.

"What else can we do? We can only stand guard here. We can't just leave him by himself!" Qin Lang plopped down on the ground and leaned against the rock wall to rest. He had nearly charged in just moments ago. If Bu Lianshi hadn't had a way to transfer spiritual energy, he would have risked severe injury to bring Lin Chuan out.

"I meant, should we take Lin Chuan away from here? This place just doesn't feel safe. And the Lin Clan can't possibly be unaware of this place, where so many Crimson Flame Lotuses once grew. If someone comes here, the two of us might not be able to handle them!" Bu Lianshi frowned deeply, her heart uneasy as she watched Lin Chuan cultivate with his eyes closed.

Qin Lang understood Bu Lianshi's worries. Their cultivation had each advanced by a stage, making them stand out among the newcomers. But when the sixth day arrived, they wouldn't be facing only those newcomers anymore. They would also have to contend with the other cultivators who hadn't reached the Foundation Establishment Stage—including experts at the tenth level of the Qi Refining Stage.

"Lin Chuan isn't in a state to be moved. We'll stand guard here for a while. If he still hasn't woken up by tomorrow noon, we'll figure something out," Qin Lang said.

Scalding steam billowed continuously from the cave. After hesitating, the two chose to cultivate and keep watch a hundred meters from the entrance. Otherwise, constantly using spiritual energy to hold back the heat would drain them too much, leaving them unable to fight at full strength if enemies came.

Outside the Guardian Array of Hunting Ground No. 44.

In a remote forest, twelve people appeared without a sound. Most were around the sixth or seventh level of the Qi Refining Stage, while their leader had reached the ninth.

"Boss Wu Hai, there won't be any problems with this, right?" one of the youths at the seventh level of the Qi Refining Stage asked in a hushed voice.

"Relax. I bribed one of the Lin Clan's core disciples, and he gave me his temporary token for entering Hunting Ground No. 44. As long as the Lin Clan doesn't investigate the matter, no one will find out that we entered the hunting ground ahead of time," Wu Hai, a ninth-level Qi Refining cultivator, replied, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

He had been plotting for a long time to enter the hunting ground early and gather Crimson Flame Lotuses! It had cost him a great deal, but if they could get inside, their haul would surely far surpass that of the other teams. Then they would be able to obtain more cultivation resources from the Lin Clan, perhaps even enough to break through directly to the Foundation Establishment Stage.

"Don't worry. Stick with me, and you'll come away with plenty. When I bribed that core disciple, I also got information about the Crimson Flame Lotuses from a Lin Clan disciple who specializes in gathering medicinal herbs!" Wu Hai said with a mysterious smile.

"What information? Boss Wu Hai, stop keeping us in suspense and tell us!" Everyone's eyes lit up, and they all pressed him for an answer.

The success of this operation would determine their cultivation resources in the years to come. They were all deeply invested in it, determined to gather as many Crimson Flame Lotuses as possible. That was why they had risked entering the hunting ground early: every step ahead counted. There were only so many Crimson Flame Lotuses, and if others got to them first, they would have nothing to show for it.

"Before we came, everyone chipped in so I could grease some palms. Of course I had to make the best possible use of that money. So here's the good news: I got the exact location where the Lin Clan grows its Crimson Flame Lotuses, along with the route to the cave. If all goes as expected, two or three hundred Crimson Flame Lotuses should be growing there. If we gather every last one, we'll have our cultivation resources secured for the next three years!"

Wu Hai's words sent a feverish excitement across every face, as if the glow of the Crimson Flame Lotuses were already beckoning to them.

"Enough talk. Let's get into the hunting ground!"

At Wu Hai's command, he raised his hand and sent a jade pendant, bright green as a leaf, flying forward. The moment it touched the Guardian Array, it crumbled into ash and vanished into the formation. The next instant, the seemingly flawless array mysteriously split open, revealing a small gap.

Wu Hai nodded to the others and rushed in first. The other eleven followed in succession, and then the array returned to normal, as though nothing had happened.

Meanwhile, Lin Chuan was doing everything he could to refine the enormous amount of spiritual energy inside him. Unfortunately, he had devoured far too many Crimson Flame Lotuses, and they were medicinal herbs meant for the Foundation Establishment Stage, filled with tremendous amounts of botanical power and Natural Energy.

The Fruit of the God Tree was interested only in the herbs' botanical power. It absorbed only a tiny fraction of their Natural Energy, leaving Lin Chuan's body packed with the spiritual energy of the Crimson Flame Lotuses. If the Fruit of the God Tree weren't suppressing it in his dantian, Lin Chuan felt he would have exploded already!

"I meant to save these herbs and eat them slowly. I didn't expect the Fruit of the God Tree to be in such a hurry. Now my dantian and meridians are packed with spiritual energy, and I can't even move! How long will it take me to refine all this?" Lin Chuan felt like his head was about to split in two.

"Most importantly, this place isn't safe. Someone could find us here, and Qin Lang and Bu Lianshi might not be able to stop them. If that happens, we'll be in real trouble!"

Lin Chuan thought to himself as he worked to speed up the absorption and refinement of the spiritual energy. During the process, he also noticed the Fruit of the God Tree in his dantian releasing large amounts of purple mist into his body. But right now, he had neither the means nor the time to examine how his body was changing.

Time kept passing. Qin Lang and Bu Lianshi watched Lin Chuan remain motionless, growing more and more anxious. If they couldn't still feel the spiritual energy fluctuations around him, they would have thought he'd been stretched to death by the spiritual energy.

The sixth day was nearly upon them. It would take some time to reach this place from the outskirts, but for youths who had passed the assessment, it certainly wouldn't take long.

Suddenly, Bu Lianshi's expression changed. She looked toward the depths of the cave. "Someone's coming. Twelve of them!!"