Deep Beneath the Earth

Relying on the 360-degree vision of the Byakugan, Lin Chuan led the three of them back to the cave where they had previously rested without any further mishaps.

Hearing voices, Qin Lang and Bu Lianshi poked their heads out. Seeing the injuries on Han Qing and his two companions, they immediately stepped out to help them inside.

Han Qing looked around in surprise. The location of this cave was extremely hidden; if Lin Chuan hadn't brought them here, they likely would never have found it in their entire lives. He wondered how Lin Chuan and his group had discovered it.

"Thank you!" Han Qing said to Qin Lang, who was supporting him. He noticed that the injuries on the two of them had already vanished, with even the scars having faded to the point of being invisible. He felt a bit puzzled, as even with the robust physique and recovery capabilities of a cultivator, it shouldn't be possible to recover completely in such a short time. Yet, looking at Qin Lang and Bu Lianshi, it was clear they had almost fully recovered.

Compared to Han Qing's fractured right arm, the injuries of the other two cultivators with him were much more severe. Lin Chuan didn't waste words; he channeled Sage Chakra directly into his hands and began to treat the two youths.

"You..." Seeing this, Han Qing was as dumbfounded as his two companions. They had never expected that Lin Chuan, beyond being powerful, also possessed the ability to heal others. They had previously assumed that Qin Lang and Bu Lianshi's recovery was due to medicinal pills, but it now appeared that was not the case at all.

The two who were receiving Lin Chuan's treatment felt it most acutely. A warm energy emanated from the site of their wounds, replacing the original pain with a tingling sensation. Their wounds were healing at a speed visible to the naked eye; the youth who had been missing a chunk of flesh even watched in disbelief as new flesh grew back over his abdomen.

"Thank you..." Han Qing said with a look of joy. Lin Chuan's strength had completely exceeded his imagination; he had truly latched onto a powerful ally this time.

"No need to thank me. You stepped in to save us earlier, so it's only fair that I return the favor now!" Lin Chuan said with a light laugh.

Although he understood Han Qing's motivations for intervening, who acted without some sense of purpose? As long as the other party held no malice, Lin Chuan was quite willing to accept this kind of mutually beneficial assistance.

Before long, both of their injuries had improved significantly, and Lin Chuan turned to begin treating Han Qing.

"How did you end up being hunted by so many people? What happened?" Lin Chuan asked while he treated him.

"We felt intense spiritual energy fluctuations underground and thought something had happened, so we went down to investigate. We ended up running into you, and we stepped in to block the three people chasing you. We didn't expect that our fight would alert so many nearby cultivators, drawing them all to the scene. After that, the situation spiraled out of control..."

Hearing this, Lin Chuan's heart stirred. The spiritual energy fluctuations Han Qing mentioned were likely caused by Qin Lang and Bu Lianshi using their defensive artifacts. Combined with his final Sage Art: Great Fireball Technique, anyone in the underground caves would have been able to sense that unusual disturbance.

Han Qing continued with a bitter smile, "Moreover, as time passed, those cultivators below the Foundation Establishment Stage who entered the Hunting Grounds on the sixth day joined in, making the scene even more chaotic. By the time we wanted to leave, we were already trapped and had been targeted..."

"I see!" Lin Chuan said softly. He didn't offer any explanation; some things were better left unknown to others.

He slowly withdrew his Healing Technique. Han Qing's arm was no longer an issue and would recover after some rest.

Han Qing thanked Lin Chuan and, like the other two, quickly entered a state of cultivation.

Lin Chuan wiped the sweat from his forehead, returned to Qin Lang and Bu Lianshi, and also began to cultivate. The Healing Technique didn't consume much chakra, but it required immense chakra control, which left Lin Chuan mentally exhausted.

"You two cultivate here; I'm going out to check the situation!" Lin Chuan said to Qin Lang and Bu Lianshi after he finished recovering.

"Won't it be dangerous for you to go out alone?" Bu Lianshi asked with some concern.

"Don't worry. As long as I don't run into anyone at the Foundation Establishment Stage, no one else can do anything to me!" Lin Chuan's voice wasn't loud, but it wasn't quiet either. The eyelids of the three people recovering on the other side immediately twitched.

Thinking of the bones that had pierced out of Lin Chuan's body when he attacked earlier, Qin Lang and Bu Lianshi said nothing more. They knew Lin Chuan still had hidden cards, and his claim that no one below the Foundation Establishment Stage could touch him was practically a declaration of his invincibility in the Qi Refining Stage.

Exiting the cave, Lin Chuan closed his eyes. When he opened them again, the veins around his eyes immediately bulged.

"Byakugan!"

He no longer needed to perform hand seals to activate the Byakugan; he could activate it instantly just by closing and opening his eyes.

"Sigh, with a bottomless pit of a glutton in my dantian, I need to gather more Crimson Flame Lotus to stock up!" Lin Chuan said helplessly.

This trip to the Hunting Grounds was a rare opportunity. With so many Crimson Flame Lotus available for him to harvest, he wouldn't find such a good deal once he left this place.

Qin Lang had previously told Lin Chuan that the Lin Clan would inspect everything everyone carried upon exiting. Since there were no storage bags, and no one would dare to secretly consume herbs or Spirit Cores, the Lin Clan would confiscate everything. No one could hide anything, which was why they were allowed to come in and harvest them in the first place.

Of course, Lin Chuan's existence was a bug that no one could have anticipated—not even Lin Chuan himself had expected these events to unfold.

"If I go deeper into the caves, I should be able to harvest more Crimson Flame Lotus!" Lin Chuan mused. He couldn't be bothered to pick the scattered herbs here and there; he headed straight for the areas that might harbor dozens or hundreds of Crimson Flame Lotus.

With his Byakugan activated, Lin Chuan sped toward the depths of the underground. Occasionally, he would see other cultivators wandering the caves, but Lin Chuan avoided them as much as possible because he didn't want to kill.

Of course, there were times when it was unavoidable!

"It seems this is the only path. If I want to take a detour, it will take a long time!" Lin Chuan's white eyes scanned the surroundings.

There was no help for it; he would have to go over there and meet those three cultivators.

Through the Byakugan, Lin Chuan could clearly see the concentration of spiritual energy in their dantians, which allowed him to accurately judge their cultivation levels to a certain extent.

"One at the fifth level of the Qi Refining Stage, two at the fourth level. They don't seem to be the cultivators who entered later!" Lin Chuan thought to himself.

The dark red cave passage was very quiet at this moment. Lin Chuan did not deliberately muffle his footsteps as he approached, causing the three people walking ahead to immediately look back in alarm.

"It's you?" one of them exclaimed in surprise.