Four Young Experts

Du Ping and the other four hurriedly took off the things they were carrying, then sat around the campfire with their packs in hand.

The Scarlet Mercenary Group took out some food and wine from their packs and laid them on the ground. Du Ping picked up two pieces of leopard meat and a flask of wine, handing them over.

"Little brother, this is the food we prepared. Give it a taste!" Du Ping was exceedingly forthright.

Lin Xuan accepted them with a smile, inwardly asking Wine Lord whether they had been poisoned.

Wine Lord grumbled, "Little Xuan, you're quite cautious. Don't worry, there's no poison. But that wine is far inferior to mine!"

Hearing that it was not poisoned, Lin Xuan relaxed. When traveling abroad, one could never be too careful. He handed a piece of leopard meat to Tang Yu and gave a slight nod.

Only then did Tang Yu accept it. She parted her cherry lips and took a small bite, eating quietly, nothing like the lively and restless young miss she usually was.

Lin Xuan also tore off a piece of meat and began eating heartily, washing it down with strong wine.

"Fine wine!" Lin Xuan said indistinctly.

"Haha! Little brother, you're truly forthright!" Du Ping and the others burst into laughter. They were bold men by nature, and seeing Lin Xuan act the same way naturally made them feel greatly fond of him.

"Judging by your clothing, you two should be disciples of the Profound Heaven Sect. What brings you into these deep mountains?" Du Ping asked. "Could it be because of the recent news as well?"

Lin Xuan nodded. "I heard some strange stones appeared at the Demon Pit, so I wanted to go take a look." He was not lying. Nearly everyone knew this news already, so there was no need to lie.

"Brother Du, are you going to the Demon Pit as well?"

"Haha, to be honest, little brother, we brothers also wanted to join in the excitement and see whether there might be some opportunity waiting for us." Du Ping scratched the back of his head and laughed.

"But this trip to the Demon Pit should be quite lively. Even if we don't obtain any treasures, it won't be a wasted journey if we get to see some young experts!" said a short-haired young man.

"Oh? What young experts are there?" Lin Xuan's interest was piqued.

"When it comes to matters of the martial world, we certainly know more than sect disciples like you," Du Ping said. "Second Brother, tell this little brother all about it!"

The short-haired young man was the Scarlet Mercenary Group's second-in-command, named Qin Xiu.

"Those heading to the Demon Pit this time are probably all young people." Qin Xiu took a drink, then continued, "According to the information we received, quite a few forces are going, but only a handful are truly famous."

"First are disciples from your Profound Heaven Sect. Tang Yi of the Battle Group has already reached the peak of the Eighth Level of Meridian Condensation. His pair of Dark Jade Palms can sweep all before them, and he also has those hidden weapons that slip through every crack. He is absolutely one of the top fighting forces."

Hearing this, Tang Yu's eyes curved into crescents. She gave a proud little snort, like an arrogant little fox.

Seeing Tang Yu's expression, Lin Xuan did not need to think to know that Tang Yi was surely her older brother. He smiled and tore off a piece of wild boar meat for her.

"Next is Ye Shi of the Azure Robe Society. Not only is she beautiful as a celestial maiden, her cultivation has also reached the Eighth Level of Meridian Condensation. The jade flute in her hand is even more formidable than a treasure artifact!"

"As for the Divine Might Corps, it seems their main forces are all out carrying out missions. Who knows whom they'll send this time?"

"Out carrying out missions?" Lin Xuan raised a brow. If he remembered correctly, Zhang Bin's older brother, Zhang Qian, was also out on a mission. Thinking of this, he drew a deep breath. It seemed he needed to hurry and raise his cultivation. Zhang Qian might return one day, and he did not want to be caught off guard and killed.

Qin Xiu continued, "Besides the Profound Heaven Sect, the Purple Cloud Sect also has experts coming. One is named Ding Hao, praised as Cloud Province's Little Swift Blade. His saber technique is truly faster than lightning!"

"The other is Liu Qing, a martial fanatic who specifically seeks out experts for duels. His strength is equally unfathomable."

"The rest are smaller groups. There are many mercenary groups like ours, and some of Leyang City's Lineages will likely send people too."

Lin Xuan sighed inwardly. He had not expected so many young experts to come. This made stealing the brown stone several degrees more difficult.

As if sensing Lin Xuan's thoughts, Wine Lord's voice rang out. "Little Xuan, if you find me another spirit root, I'll teach you a divine ability. I will never break my word!"

"A divine ability!" Lin Xuan's heart pounded wildly. That was something only cultivators who had reached extremely high realms could cultivate!

"Are you sure it's a divine ability?" Lin Xuan looked unconvinced. "Didn't you say the things you knew were too high-level for me to learn?"

"What kind of expression is that? You dare doubt me? Back in my day, I was a supreme being whose single sneeze could affect the weather across an entire continent, yet you dare doubt me!" Wine Lord was displeased. "You only need to reach the Sixth Level of Meridian Condensation to learn this divine ability. I'm absolutely not deceiving you!"

"Don't worry. Even if I have to risk my life, I'll get you a stone." Lin Xuan had truly been tempted by Wine Lord. It was a divine ability—even those with sufficient strength could not necessarily cultivate one.

Fortune and wealth were sought amid danger. He did not have much time. The Lineage Assembly would be held in two years, and he had to defeat those disciples within the Lineage. He knew the disciples of Sword Pool Prefecture were even more monstrous than the disciples of the Profound Heaven Sect.

Only by raising his cultivation quickly could he return to the Lineage!

The group chatted for a long time. It was not until midnight that everyone finally sat in meditation to rest.

In the night sky hung a crescent moon.

Lin Xuan did not sleep. Instead, he silently cultivated the Eternal Life Art. After hearing about so many young experts today, he felt immense pressure.

Green currents circulated rapidly through his body. A faint green radiance glowed across his skin. Within his four spirit meridians, spiritual power surged like rushing rivers, carrying boundless energy throughout his body.

Gradually, he seemed to meld into the surrounding environment. He could clearly sense everything nearby—the flowers and grass, the trees, and even the birds and beasts in the distance.

This feeling was wondrous, something a martial artist in the Meridian Condensation Realm simply could not perceive. The only explanation was the effect of the Eternal Life Art.

Since it dared to bear the words "Eternal Life," it was surely no ordinary art. After all, the most fundamental purpose of cultivation was immortality, though that goal was far too illusory. Many people exhausted their entire lives without ever reaching it.

However, as cultivation rose, so did a martial artist's lifespan. Under such a deadly temptation, the Spirit Martial Continent was filled with a fervor for martial cultivation. Once one entered the Spirit Sea Realm and became a Spirit Master, one's lifespan would increase by two hundred years. That was double the lifespan of an ordinary person—how could martial artists not go mad with desire?

Moreover, the higher one's cultivation, the higher one's status and the greater one's authority. High-level cultivators could easily control the lives of low-level cultivators. This law of survival, where the weak were prey to the strong, also spurred everyone to cultivate desperately.

"There are spiritual energy fluctuations ahead." Sensing the change in front of him, Lin Xuan withdrew from cultivation. He opened his eyes and cautiously looked in every direction.

Whoosh!

A black arrow suddenly shot out from the forest, leaving behind a streak of black light as it flew straight at Du Ping of the Scarlet Mercenary Group.