Cloud Hidden Ravine Instance, Rare Resources!

Chen Ming stood at the edge of the massive sinkhole.

It was just like standing on the edge of a cliff.

He glanced at his map.

"The comprehensive dungeon is right beneath this sinkhole."

Chen Ming leaned over and peered downward.

The mist was thick, shrouding the entire bottom and making it impossible to gauge the depth.

Is this really just a wild dungeon, or is it the lair of some terrifying beast?

There was no need to guess; in the Exotic Beast Forest, a place like this was synonymous with mysterious danger.

Anyone else would have surely been forced to give up.

However, Chen Ming was different.

At level 5, his Constitution had already reached 3,800.

With his current combat power, he didn't fear any exotic beast below level 10.

As for beasts at level 10 or above, the gap in combat power was quite significant.

Just like class-changers, exotic beasts gained new abilities every 10 levels.

Still, even if Chen Ming couldn't currently kill a level 10+ beast in a solo fight, escaping wouldn't be a problem.

Without further hesitation, Chen Ming made his move.

Since he was already here, how could he not go down and see what it was all about?

He leaped from the edge of the sinkhole, choosing the fastest way down.

Freefall!

The cold wind whistled through the mist like a series of ghostly howls.

Chen Ming didn't know how long he had been falling before he finally hit the bottom.

He slammed into the ground.

[-1!]

He stood up and surveyed his surroundings.

What met his eyes was a vast valley.

Scattered rocks lay all around.

The light in the entire valley was dim, wreathed in a pale blue mist.

In the distance, a few protruding mountain peaks were vaguely visible.

Holding the Dungeon Rune Stone, Chen Ming quickly arrived at his destination.

It was an area surrounded by giant boulders, covered by a thin, rippling curtain of light.

[Cloud Hidden Ravine Dungeon]

[Type: Comprehensive (Treasure Hunt + Challenge)]

[Entry requires designated Dungeon Rune Stone!]

The Dungeon Rune Stone in Chen Ming's hand emitted a faint glow, quickly enveloping his entire body.

In an instant, the scene before him shifted rapidly.

In the blink of an eye, he had entered the dungeon.

Before him lay a vibrant, colorful meadow filled with strange plants that exuded a refreshing fragrance.

To his left and right were towering cliffs.

This was a canyon.

[Cloud Hidden Ravine Dungeon]

[Clearance Conditions]

[1. Treasure Hunt: Collect 10 or more energy-attribute materials!]

[2. Challenge: Successfully kill 5 or more treasure-guarding exotic beasts!]

[Time Limit: 24 hours!]

"A Treasure Hunt dungeon?"

Chen Ming's eyes lit up.

And it was for rare resources, too!

Excitement surged within him as he hurriedly used his mental power to scout the area.

The next moment, his eyes widened in shock.

[Green Wood Sprout]: Recovery attribute type

[Vermilion Fruit]: Fire elemental power attribute type

[Thick Earth Flower]: Constitution attribute type

"Holy crap, this many?!"

Within a ten-meter radius of where Chen Ming stood, there were three rare resources!

After inspecting them with his mental power, he could clearly sense the pure elemental energy contained within these strange plants.

They were definitely rare resources, no doubt about it.

Moreover, this canyon was vast.

There was a large area ahead waiting for him to explore.

He was going to strike it rich!

The value of rare resources went without saying.

"Coming down to check was definitely the right call."

He hadn't expected that the Dungeon Rune Stone he obtained casually after killing a beast would actually contain rare resources.

Chen Ming immediately collected the three rare 'alien plants' he had discovered.

[Treasure Hunt: Harvest 10 or more energy attribute materials]

[Progress: 3/10]

"This is too easy."

Completing the clearance conditions was a breeze.

However, Chen Ming knew that meeting the clearance conditions was only the bare minimum.

The more progress he made on the conditions, the better the final clearance rewards would be.

Looking at the three rare resources in his hands, Chen Ming didn't hesitate at all.

He chose to refine them right on the spot.

In his palm, the [Green Wood Sprout] withered rapidly, turning into a faint mist of energy that Chen Ming absorbed.

[Recovery attribute +5]

"Huh? It even added an attribute?"

It seemed the quality wasn't low at all.

He had really struck gold!

He continued to absorb the [Thick Earth Flower].

[Constitution attribute +50!]

"Not bad, not bad."

Chen Ming's face lit up with joy.

However, looking at the last [Vermilion Fruit] in his hand, he hesitated.

"A fire elemental rare resource."

In terms of class advancement, Chen Ming was only a Shield Guard and did not possess any elemental type.

Or to put it another way, a C-rank class wasn't worthy of elemental power yet.

For instance, Qin Zhixue's Holy Radiance Angel was of the light element.

Even Sun Yang, a B-rank Shadow-Hiding Blade, possessed dark elemental power.

Those who had awakened clear elemental powers didn't need to struggle; it was naturally best for them to absorb rare resources of their corresponding element.

But that didn't mean Chen Ming couldn't absorb elemental rare resources.

It was just that once absorbed, it would essentially predetermine the direction of his level 10 awakening skill.

For example, if Chen Ming wanted his level 10 awakening skill to be fire-elemental, he could absorb this [Vermilion Fruit] right now.

"No need to rush this; I'll decide later."

Chen Ming stored the [Vermilion Fruit] into his mental space.

Even if he didn't end up using it, rare resources could always be sold.

These things were worth a fortune.

He had to admit, having an awakened mental space made things so much more convenient.

Carrying these rare resources on his person would surely attract unwanted attention once he had more of them.

Chen Ming continued forward, searching for more rare resources.

His attention was focused primarily on those strange plants.

It was clear that the rare resources in this dungeon were all plant-based.

Soon, he found another plant containing elemental energy.

[Heart-Connecting Grass]: Recovery attribute type

Another recovery attribute, and the quality seems quite high?

Chen Ming sensed even more elemental energy within this plant.

[Treasure Hunt: Harvest 10 or more energy attribute substances]

[Progress: 4/10]

Just as he plucked it, his movements paused.

Huh? Something seems wrong.

Chen Ming leaned down, staring at the small, light-purple grass.

Within the translucent leaves, a faint, visible shimmer flowed.

Even an ordinary person could tell it was extraordinary.

However, Chen Ming detected another "impure" energy within it.

It's poison.

This Heart-Connecting Grass was poisonous.

And a highly toxic kind at that.

Chen Ming understood, then immediately popped the Heart-Connecting Grass into his mouth.

Let's taste just how poisonous it is.

[Recovery attribute +10!]

After a brief aftertaste, Chen Ming continued on his way.

The canyon was a one-way path, so he didn't need to worry about navigation.

He just had to keep moving forward.

Soon, Chen Ming found another one.

[Wind-Breath Orchid]: Wind element agility attribute type

Just as he prepared to take it, a sudden change occurred.

A rather eerie, chilling wind blew past.

Amidst the fog-filled breeze, a blurred shadow approached Chen Ming's direction at high speed.

Chen Ming sensed something was wrong almost instantly and reacted with lightning speed.

With a flash of his blade!

He had trained himself to react instinctively.

No matter what kind of monster or freak it was, he would strike first and ask questions later.