Chapter 10

After searching around for a while, Lin Zheng came to the eerie little river he had arrived by. The water had already dried up, as if it had never been there. Lin Zheng probed the surroundings and walked in the direction of the cave entrance, which had completely collapsed, with scattered trees and broken stones strewn about.

However, Lin Zheng found the package he had prepared before coming, in the pile of rubble. When he opened it, he found some of the living supplies he had prepared were still inside! Although the food had been crushed, the few pieces of clothing, though covered in dirt, were undamaged and in much better condition than the tattered rags he was wearing. Lin Zheng quickly changed into the clean clothes, placed the Netherworld Grass, which was part of the assessment, close to his body, and after probing the surroundings again, found no further clues. Calculating the time, he realized there were only a few hours left until the end of the assessment. He gathered his thoughts and hurried back, using his cultivation techniques to move swiftly.

As he passed through the thick fog, Lin Zheng noticed several corpses of his fellow disciples but encountered no other unexpected incidents, and the passage was quite smooth. However, upon exiting, he saw signs that many people had gathered at the fog's entrance. Perhaps many of the assessment items were stored in the fog, or perhaps one needed to pass through the fog? Lin Zheng pondered but could not figure it out, unaware that these people had gathered due to the strange phenomena caused by his entry into the cave.

Lin Zheng did not stop for a moment on his way back. The spiritual energy in his body flowed smoothly, making his limbs feel incredibly comfortable. He no longer had to be cautious as he had been on the way in, and he headed straight for the gathering place of the sect.

...

At the outskirts of the Ten Thousand Mountains, the people who had come out of the mountains gathered in small groups. The number of people was clearly much fewer than when they had entered. They discussed their experiences over the past ten days in low voices while secretly keeping an eye on those around them.

"Ha ha... Finally out! I, the fatty, am not so easily trapped in these mountains!" A loud laugh echoed, and several figures flashed out of the forest. It was the fatty and his group. They looked haggard but were in high spirits, with smiles on their faces, indicating that they had passed the first two stages of the assessment!

The people waiting outside looked at the fatty and his group with envy, disdain, and even malice, all kinds of gazes focused on them. However, the fatty paid no attention to these gazes and took up a spot to rest and recover, waiting for the sect to reopen the portal.

At this moment, the fatty stood up and greeted everyone with a smile. Although their relationships were not particularly good, the fatty did not have any grudges with them. He took out a large number of Rejuvenation Pills from his pocket and generously gave them to those he had a decent relationship with. Some people who usually found the fatty annoying now had their hostile gazes fade. The fatty happily walked around the group, then returned to his circle to share his insights from the assessment.

Suddenly, the fatty stood up again and looked around the group but did not see Lin Zheng's figure. He quickly got up and asked around, but no one knew Lin Zheng's whereabouts!

At this moment, several more figures flashed out of the forest. The group's expressions tensed as they carefully observed the newcomers, hoping to identify whether they were their missing friends or whether they had obtained the assessment items. After all, the third stage of the assessment was still to come, and everyone who had passed the first two stages would be their opponents!

Gathering information about the opponents would be very useful for the third stage of the assessment. Whether they had obtained the items, what kind of items they had, and their condition were all aspects that needed to be assessed.

Seeing the new arrivals, the fatty quickly approached to inquire. The newcomers had a decent relationship with the fatty, and after he handed over a large number of Rejuvenation Pills, they readily provided some information, but there was still no news of Lin Zheng!

The fatty was secretly annoyed. If he had known, he should have brought Lin Zheng along; his group could have protected him without any problem!

"Hey, fatty, I heard you were asking about that waste of space. I do know something. Do you need me to tell you?" Just as the fatty was annoyed, a sarcastic voice rang out!

The fatty still smiled and looked in the direction of the voice. It was Xu Ran, Zhang Zhi, and Chen Yang, who followed Zhao Yu, with ambiguous smiles on their faces as they walked out of the forest, along with Li Ruoshui and her group.

Seeing Zhao Yu and his group, the people's faces showed clear disdain and fear, but when their gazes fell on Li Ruoshui and her group, their eyes sparkled with admiration!

The fatty's pupils constricted, but he still smiled and said, "That's great. I was just worried about not finding any information. Please, fellow disciples, tell me about Lin Zheng."

"Oh, our goal this time was a Level 5 Wasteland Beast, the Wind Tiger. Under the leadership of Young Master Zhao Yu, we quickly completed our goal, and then Young Master Zhao Yu kindly led us through the assessment," Xu Ran said, subtly flattering Zhao Yu. Indeed, when the group heard about the Level 5 Wasteland Beast, they showed obvious shock. Zhao Yu smiled slightly, satisfied with their reactions.

Seeing his master smile, Xu Ran continued, "On our way back, we found a pile of clothes, stained with blood and dirt. I recognized the clothes as that waste of space's. I guess he must have been eaten by some beast! Ha ha ha..."

The fatty's face darkened, but he still asked, "Senior Xu, can you tell me where you found the clothes? Were there any remains of Senior Lin nearby?"

"Hmph, that waste of space actually went to the Netherworld Gorge. He must have been looking for the Netherworld Grass, but unfortunately, he overestimated himself and was killed by a beast!" Zhang Zhi couldn't help but interject, with a look of disdain on his face.

The fatty bowed and, with a dark face, turned back to his companions. After a moment, it seemed they were arguing. Soon, the fatty walked straight toward the Ten Thousand Mountains, apparently to search for Lin Zheng!

Everyone was shocked. Did Lin Zheng and the fatty have such a deep friendship?

However, at this moment, Li Ruoshui spoke up, "Senior Pang, we only found the clothes, not any remains of Senior Lin. We can't be sure of anything. Since the assessment is almost over, if you miss it, I'm sure Lin Zheng would feel bad. Perhaps Senior Lin will return soon?"

Li Ruoshui, still in her white dress, looking like a fairy, said this from a distance. In fact, Li Ruoshui was also troubled. Her kind heart did not wish for Lin Zheng, who had helped her twice, to meet with disaster. She thought that Lin Zheng, who had refused to sell his clothes, was a good person. On the contrary, she felt that the fatty, who wanted to buy her clothes for unknown reasons, was not a good person!

But why did she always feel nervous when she saw Lin Zheng? Why was that? Well, our Fairy Li was currently in a dilemma!

The fatty stood there, hesitating, while his companions quickly tried to persuade him. The others were secretly shocked, wondering how a waste of space could have such complicated relationships with the fatty, Zhao Yu, and Fairy Li. This was a big gossip, and they planned to discuss it thoroughly when they returned to the sect.

Just as the fatty was about to re-enter the mountains, a voice came from a distance, "Brother Pang, thank you for your concern. I'm back!"

The fatty and the others stood there, and a figure slowly approached. When they got a closer look, it was none other than Lin Zheng. Everyone marveled at Lin Zheng's luck, wondering how he had survived in the mountains with his cultivation level. They wondered if he had obtained the assessment item, and if he had, would the other disciples who had perished in the mountains be so angry that they would come back to life?

Lin Zheng was also quite moved. In fact, before Li Ruoshui and her group arrived, Lin Zheng had already come and overheard their conversation. When the fatty insisted on going into the mountains to search for him despite everyone's objections, Lin Zheng could no longer hold back. He silently thought, "Fatty, you are my first brother after ten thousand years!"

Lin Zheng then revealed his presence, shouting loudly and walking out. When he appeared before everyone, their expressions were quite dramatic. The fatty hugged Lin Zheng tightly, exclaiming, "Ha ha, I knew it, I knew it! You, this kid, couldn't die so easily in there. My brother couldn't die so easily, ha ha!"

Lin Zheng hugged the fatty back, feeling the fatty's excitement and being deeply moved. He patted the fatty's belly hard and said, "You guy, let me go. After such a tough ten days, you haven't lost any weight. I admire you so much."

The fatty didn't mind, patting his round belly proudly and pulling Lin Zheng into his circle.

Lin Zheng was very happy. He had not only recovered part of his memory but also found a brother! This feeling was quite wonderful! Lin Zheng greeted the fatty's friends one by one, and they all returned his greetings.

Through the crowd, Lin Zheng saw Li Ruoshui in her white dress. He was grateful for her words earlier and waved at her from a distance. To his surprise, she blushed and quickly hid among the women!

Lin Zheng silently laughed, thinking the girl was still as shy and innocent as ever!

In the distance, Zhao Yu's expression changed repeatedly. He kept tapping a white feather fan in his hand, his eyes occasionally showing a hint of malice. "You didn't die in the mountains, huh? You'll regret it!"

Xu Ran, Zhang Zhi, and Chen Yang stood behind Zhao Yu, sensing their master's anger. They remained silent, each secretly plotting to find an opportunity to eliminate Lin Zheng to win their master's favor. Perhaps their master would be pleased and reward them, which would be enough for their own use, and even benefit their small families! Their gazes toward Lin Zheng became increasingly unfriendly!

Lin Zheng did not pay attention to these people's thoughts. However, the fatty secretly noted everyone's expressions and quietly warned Lin Zheng, "Lin Zheng, be careful of Zhao Yu. He is vengeful and extremely ruthless. The people around him are not good either. Be cautious!"

Lin Zheng felt a warm feeling in his heart and nodded, silently thinking that if he had met these people ten days ago, he would have been cautious, but now, who would live or die was uncertain. He silently felt the power in his body, maintaining his usual calm expression.

PS: First chapter! Three chapters today! Clicks! Promotion! Red tickets! Thanks to Baojian for the chapter recommendation!

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