Chapter 49

In the room shrouded by the night, Lin Xun panted heavily, every inch of his skin feeling as if pricked by needles, his cold sweat soaking through his clothes.

"I didn't expect the second challenge to be even more twisted than I imagined..."

Lin Xun muttered, but he was not discouraged. He had anticipated that his first attempt at the challenge would likely not succeed.

However, he hadn't expected to be defeated so hastily at the beginning of the challenge, and this stark contrast made it hard for Lin Xun to accept.

Glancing at the sleeping Xia Zhi, Lin Xun felt no hint of sleepiness. He walked out of the room alone, intending to take a cold shower.

As Lin Xun left the room, he didn't notice the faint smile that flickered across Xia Zhi's lips, disappearing in an instant.

In her sleep, she once again felt Lin Xun's presence. Although she didn't know what had happened to him, just feeling his aura made Xia Zhi feel an unprecedented sense of security.

...

It was already late at night, the sky filled with brilliant stars, casting a pale glow.

In the courtyard, Lin Xun soaked in a wooden tub, feeling the cold water refresh his skin, and the intense pain gradually subsiding.

"In three days, the second challenge will begin. But with my current physical strength, I'm destined to fail again."

Lin Xun leaned back in the tub, his eyes gazing at the vast night sky, lost in thought.

The "Water Mountain" standing on the sea was a thousand feet tall, with a waterfall rushing down like a dragon, the impact force unimaginable. Climbing to the top against the waterfall was almost impossible.

Lin Xun even doubted that even if he refined his body to the True Martial Ninth Level, he would still have little hope of passing this challenge.

"This is really a headache."

Lin Xun thought hard but couldn't come up with a solution, and couldn't help but sigh deeply.

Hmm?

But soon, Lin Xun suddenly realized that his body's strength was recovering at an incredible speed. Every inch of his skin, muscles, and flesh felt a tingling sensation, as if growing.

Lin Xun's mind was immediately drawn to this, and upon careful perception, he indeed found that there was a faint, mysterious force within his body, gradually merging with his physical form.

Not only did his originally painful body quickly recover its strength, but it even became stronger than before!

This unexpected change instantly invigorated Lin Xun, and he suddenly remembered the situation when he first left the "Heavenly Secret Realm" months ago.

At that time, he thought that passing the first level of the Green Cloud Path and obtaining the reward of the "Little Nether God Technique" was all he had achieved. Who would have thought that the injuries to his "Heart Meridian Four Points" had also healed, and he had even condensed four layers of spiritual energy vortices!

Moreover, from that point on, his originally frail body had greatly improved!

"Could it be that every time I enter the Heavenly Secret Realm, it has a significant effect on improving my body?"

"Or perhaps, the changes in my body are related to the 'Body Refinement' challenge?"

Lin Xun's mind raced. The second level of the Green Cloud Path, the "Body Refinement" challenge, would send him into a spiritual pattern battle realm called "Thousand Waves of the Sea."

Just now, the pain all over his body was due to the aftermath of being hit by the waterfall, but now it seemed that this was also a form of physical training?

It's quite possible!

Thinking about the name "Body Refinement," Lin Xun realized that during the challenge, he could only use physical strength and not spiritual energy. This made him feel even more that the faint, mysterious force within his body might come from the "Thousand Waves of the Sea"!

This discovery instantly lifted Lin Xun's spirits. He quickly dried his body, put on clean clothes, and stood in the courtyard, practicing the Marching Fist.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The wind from his punches shook the air. Upon careful perception, Lin Xun indeed found that his strength had increased significantly!

Before, he could only make the air hum with a full-strength punch, but now, he could do it with a casual strike.

"From this, even if I fail, I shouldn't give up on the opportunities to challenge. If I can improve my body each time I challenge, my strength will only grow stronger, and the difficulty of the challenges will gradually become easier for me..."

Lin Xun's thoughts became clearer, "It must be this! This is the true purpose of the second level of the Green Cloud Path, to train the body. Even if I fail many times, it will still make me more resilient in facing failure!"

"Like the first level of the Green Cloud Path, which seemed to only involve understanding and mastering the 'Flowing Light Spiritual Pattern,' who would have thought that the true secret contained within it was the key to cultivating the 'Little Nether God Technique'?"

"It seems I underestimated the challenges set on the Green Cloud Path. Who would have thought that each challenge hides unexpected secrets?"

At this moment, Lin Xun felt as if the clouds had parted and the sun had shone through, standing alone in the vast night, his eyes bright like stars.

...

Another three days passed.

At night, Lin Xun entered the "Heavenly Secret Realm" and challenged the "Thousand Waves of the Sea" again.

Due to his improved physical strength, this time he managed to climb over two zhang (about 6.6 meters) before being fiercely knocked away by three waterfalls.

Compared to this failure, Lin Xun was more concerned about the changes in his body. After careful perception, he indeed found that his previous speculation was correct. After this challenge, his physical strength had improved even more!

Lin Xun calculated that if he challenged every three days, 108 times would be 324 days, almost a year!

If each challenge could improve his physical strength, the benefits would be immeasurable.

Not only that, but he could also train his body in different ways during his daily practice. With this叠加, it was easy to imagine how strong his body would become.

This realization rekindled Lin Xun's determination to conquer the second level of the Green Cloud Path.

"Unfortunately, if it weren't for the accumulated goods, I would have dedicated all my time to cultivation."

That night, Lin Xun sighed. He had already promised the village chief, Xiao Tianren, to set out the next day for the Qingyang Tribe, which was over two thousand miles away.

...

The next morning.

At the entrance of Fuyun Village, Lin Xun rode a tall and majestic scaly horse, waving goodbye to the villagers.

"I'll wait for you to come back."

Xia Zhi stood beside the scaly horse, lifting her small face and said seriously, "If you don't come back, I will definitely find you."

"Okay."

Lin Xun smiled, his smile radiant in the morning sunlight.

Neigh! Neigh! Neigh!

The scaly horse let out a long neigh, its hooves galloping, carrying Lin Xun away into the distance.

Xia Zhi gazed for a long time until Lin Xun's figure disappeared from her sight. She then turned and returned home alone, her small and delicate figure appearing particularly lonely.

Some villagers wanted to invite Xia Zhi to their homes, as Lin Xun was gone and no one would cook for her. A little girl would be too pitiful.

But the village chief, Xiao Tianren, stopped them, shaking his head and saying, "There's no need to do that. Xia Zhi is different from others. We just need to take care of her."

The villagers thought about it and realized he was right. Xia Zhi was unique, completely different from other children. Even Lin Xun was no match for her, and the distant and aloof aura she exuded made the villagers hesitant to approach her.

"I hope Brother Lin Xun can return as soon as possible."

Xiao Tianren took a deep breath and muttered.

...

The vast mountains stretched like the spine of the earth, undulating and dotted with rivers and streams. Looking around, everything was wild and desolate.

This was the Three Thousand Mountains, located in the southwestern border of the Ziyao Empire, known since ancient times as the "Heavenly Barrier."

It was said that the Three Thousand Mountains were home to numerous ferocious beasts and countless dangerous areas. Anyone who ventured into them would face almost certain death.

The scaly horse galloped, its hooves splashing up dust. On its back was a leather bag over a zhang (about 3.3 meters) tall, weighing at least several hundred pounds.

Inside were materials such as the fur, bones, and claws of ferocious beasts, as well as some medicinal herbs and materials from the deep mountains.

Of course, compared to these visible goods, the most valuable items were in Lin Xun's storage ring.

That was three hundred pounds of Fuyun Fire Copper!

Not ore, but pure Fuyun Fire Copper, extracted and refined, with astonishing value.

Riding the scaly horse, Lin Xun did not speed up to travel at full speed. The Three Thousand Mountains were too dangerous, with treacherous mountains and rivers everywhere. A single misstep could lead to danger.

Moreover, this was Lin Xun's first solo trip to the Qingyang Tribe. He only knew that he needed to head north, and it would take about three days to reach the destination, but he was not familiar with the specific route.

In such a situation, he had to be cautious.

Fortunately, by noon, apart from encountering some fierce beasts, no other dangers had occurred.

The midday sun was scorching. Seeing the scaly horse panting, Lin Xun decided to slow down and find a lush forest to rest.

Lin Xun took out some dried meat and chewed it to replenish his strength, while thinking about what to do when he arrived at the Qingyang Tribe.

After a while.

Lin Xun saw that the scaly horse had rested enough and immediately mounted it, ready to continue the journey.

Boom!

Just then, the ground far away suddenly shook violently, as if an earthquake. Rocks from a distant mountain peak tumbled down with a loud rumble.

At the same time, the forest was filled with the terrified roars of beasts.

Even the scaly horse became restless and agitated.

Lin Xun's heart tightened, sensing a strong sense of danger. He looked around but saw nothing.

What's happening?

At that moment, a golden light suddenly shot up from the distant mountains, blindingly bright. It was vaguely visible as a huge golden claw!

---

PS: Thank you to Teng Xiao and the "Walker" from Group 2 for your support! I got stuck with the writing tonight, so the update is a bit late. I apologize for keeping you waiting.