Taking Off His Clothes?

Lin Chuan had actually spotted these people long ago and knew they were heading this way, but he had no way to tell Zhang Leyang and the others. He didn't want to expose the Byakugan's abilities to anyone just yet.

Since they couldn't avoid them, they might as well face them calmly. As far as Lin Chuan was concerned, no one in Hunting Grounds No. 44 posed much of a threat to him, except for the big fellow sleeping underground.

Lin Chuan gave all five Crimson Flame Lotuses he had picked to Zhang Leyang, keeping none for himself.

The Fruit of the God Tree inside him had quieted down considerably. It no longer had that intense urge to devour everything. It seemed the period of ravenous hunger had passed—or perhaps, after devouring hundreds of Crimson Flame Lotuses, the thing had started to get "picky."

Zhang Leyang and the others were overjoyed at the five Crimson Flame Lotuses in their hands. According to the Lin Clan's rules, collecting at least three would let them pass the test outright. They had more than fulfilled their quota this time.

"We only need three. You can have the other two!" After discussing it, the three decided to give the extra Crimson Flame Lotuses to Lin Chuan. Even though the extra lotuses could earn them more cultivation resources, they didn't think greed was a good thing. Besides, the four of them had found the lotuses together.

"Keep them. I really don't need that many Crimson Flame Lotuses anymore." Lin Chuan glanced at the three in surprise, but still refused.

If he wanted to gather Crimson Flame Lotuses, he could take every one in the cave. There was simply no need. Besides, the Nascent Soul Stage Ant Queen sleeping below weighed on his heart like a massive mountain. He just wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible.

"Let's go!" Lin Chuan called to the three, leading them toward the exit. He didn't warn them that six powerful cultivators were approaching outside. From beginning to end, he remained calm.

"With these five Crimson Flame Lotuses, we can finally join the Lin Clan officially. We'll never have to wander from place to place again, or constantly worry about being kicked out!" Zhang Mo said happily. He held the Crimson Flame Lotuses to his chest, looking utterly intoxicated.

But they had barely enjoyed their good fortune for a few minutes when a cold, mocking voice rang out from the other end of the cave passage.

"Well, well. Five Crimson Flame Lotuses—what a windfall!" As the voice sounded, six figures appeared in front of Lin Chuan, ten meters away.

"These four are really lucky. They even found Crimson Flame Lotuses in a place like this. We searched for ages and only managed to get three." One of them glanced into the cave behind Lin Chuan and immediately spotted signs that Crimson Flame Lotuses had been picked.

"Are you going to hand them over, or should I kill you and take them myself?" A seventh-level Qi Refining Stage cultivator smiled and slowly held out a hand, his gaze fixed on Zhang Leyang and the others. All the Crimson Flame Lotuses were in their hands, and these people had simply ignored Lin Chuan.

Even though Lin Chuan was at the fifth level of the Qi Refining Stage, the highest cultivation among the four, so what? To these people, all of whom were at least sixth level, there was no essential difference between the fifth and first levels. They were all ants that could be crushed at will.

The moment the six appeared, Zhang Leyang and the others went deathly pale. One was at the eighth level of the Qi Refining Stage, three at the seventh, and two at the sixth. How were they supposed to fight that?

The difference between each level of cultivation was enormous. Unless someone had special means, exceptional talent, or a magical treasure, fighting above one's level was basically impossible. The gap between levels in the Qi Refining Stage wasn't as large as it was in the Foundation Establishment Stage, but being one level higher was still enough to suppress and kill someone below you.

In other words, even the weakest of the six, at the sixth level of the Qi Refining Stage, could suppress all four of them alone. That was the difference in cultivation. Unless someone here could pull out a protective magical treasure like Qin Lang or Bu Lianshi had, there was no suspense to this fight.

But magical treasures weren't something you could just pull out whenever you wanted!

"If I give you the Crimson Flame Lotuses, will you let us go?" Zhang Leyang asked hoarsely. He was deeply reluctant to hand over the Crimson Flame Lotuses they had worked so hard to find, but if they didn't, they would die. What use were the lotuses if they were dead? There was no other choice.

"If you hand them over, I might consider letting you go," said the cultivator with his hand out, a teasing smile spreading across his lips. He didn't look trustworthy in the least.

Zhang Leyang knew their lives were in the hands of these six. They couldn't even escape. And even if they handed over the Crimson Flame Lotuses, there was no guarantee they would leave safely. But they had no choice. They had to hand them over, or they would give these people even more reason to attack.

Lin Chuan watched the six coldly, studying their behavior. If they really intended to let the group go, he might have allowed it. They were very close to the sleeping creature below, and he didn't want to make too much noise. Unfortunately, he saw no sign on any of their faces that they planned to let the group leave. Instead, he saw them enjoying the game.

Just as Zhang Leyang steeled himself to hand over the five Crimson Flame Lotuses, Lin Chuan raised a hand to stop him. Without even turning around, he said, "The result will be the same whether you hand them over or not. They won't let us leave. Keep the Crimson Flame Lotuses."

Lin Chuan's voice was calm. The six across from him couldn't put any pressure on him. The only thing he was thinking about was the simplest and quickest way to deal with them.

"Lin Chuan, you..." Zhang Leyang was startled. If there had still been room to maneuver before, there was none now that Lin Chuan had spoken.

The six across from them immediately snorted. They hadn't planned on letting the four leave, but having it said so bluntly made them very unhappy.

Lin Chuan in particular rubbed them the wrong way. His cool, composed expression and those white eyes had made him irritating from the start. If he hadn't been empty-handed, they might have attacked him already.

"Sometimes, seeing too clearly isn't a good thing, kid," one of them said ominously.

"Looks like we'll just have to kill the four brats and take the Crimson Flame Lotuses. That was the plan anyway, but having someone say it outright is still annoying." The youth at the eighth level of the Qi Refining Stage finally spoke. The spiritual energy within all six began to surge, and they readied themselves to attack at any moment.

"Zhang Leyang, you three go around the side. I'll deal with them!" Lin Chuan stepped forward. Under everyone's astonished gazes, he raised both hands and took off his shirt, revealing a fair, slightly muscular body.