Chapter 9

【Votes and favorites, come on!】

In the forest, a group of five people—three boys and two girls—hurried along. While on the move, one of the girls frowned and complained, "I don’t know what means Murong Zhen used to buy the [Dragon Power Pill]. Once he breaks through to the Eighth Stage of Battle Qi and takes the spiritual medicine, he can directly advance to the Ninth Stage of Battle Qi. At that time, he will truly be invincible in the outer sect. Now we have to waste our time here, looking for the [Stone Heart Jade Bone], which is a treasure of the Earth Rank. Although its rank is not high, it is still a low-level Earth Rank spiritual treasure, and it’s not something we can easily obtain. In my opinion, we should secretly seek help from our families and get some spiritual medicines."

As soon as the girl finished speaking, a handsome young man in a purple robe beside her said coolly, "If it were possible to seek help from our families without the sect noticing, do you think those guys wouldn’t do it? Even the Murong family can’t interfere in this major competition to help Murong Zhen, let alone us."

"But it’s already a violation for Murong Zhen to buy the [Dragon Power Pill] and directly boost his Battle Qi cultivation!" The girl pouted, still不服 (unconvinced).

The young man in the purple robe sneered, "If you had the same financial means as him, you wouldn’t just buy a single [Dragon Power Pill] of the Mystic Rank. You could even buy a [Heaven Soul Pill] that can break through two stages. The sect has never opposed us using various means, as long as we don’t openly break the rules. They are happy to see us compete and determine the winner. Because only the outstanding ones have the qualifications to enter the inner sect, or even become true disciples!"

If other outer sect disciples of the Xuanjian Sect were present, they would recognize these five outer sect disciples as a small group that has been in the limelight recently. The young man in the purple robe is a direct descendant of a prominent family in the Southern Wilderness, named Lin Feng.

Although the Lin family is not as terrifying as the Murong family, it is still a powerful and ancient family with over a thousand years of heritage, with a profound background that cannot be underestimated.

The girl is named Xia Yue, from a merchant family. Her family has no outstanding qualities, but the one thing worth mentioning is that they are extremely wealthy, very, very wealthy.

As for the other three, they are the young master of the Jin family, Jin Wu, the young master of the Gu family, Gu Fan, and Dantai Yan, who has a proud demeanor and is the implicit leader of the group.

Speaking of Dantai Yan’s Dantai family, it is also a formidable entity, not inferior to the Murong family. Moreover, she herself is extremely talented and is even said to have the potential to awaken her bloodline power, though she currently lacks a bit of the necessary conditions.

Unfortunately, this woman is too domineering, and the number of people who hate and fear her is countless. There are even rumors that she has crippled several outer sect disciples without any provocation, being extremely arrogant and beyond anyone’s ability to discipline her.

Therefore, despite her implicit leadership in the group, the other members still deliberately keep their distance from her.

"If I could get help from my family, why would I be afraid of Murong Zhen? When it comes to money, this young lady has never been afraid of anyone."

Xia Yue, mocked by Lin Feng, was not convinced and revealed a hint of self-satisfaction in her tone.

The Xia family controls nearly 60% of the merchant associations, auctions, and transactions in the Southern Wilderness, as well as a full 80% of the spiritual medicine market. Even maritime trade and the trade routes connecting the Southern Wilderness to other continents are almost entirely controlled by the Xia family. So if it comes to wealth, Xia Yue really isn’t afraid of Murong Zhen.

"Unfortunately, your family doesn’t dare to risk offending the Xuanjian Sect to help you, so you’d better not think about those things. Just follow us and find the Stone Heart Jade Bone." Lin Feng flicked his finger, cutting off Xia Yue’s words. Then he looked at Dantai Yan and asked, "If your information is correct, we should be close to that cave now, right?"

"Indeed, we are not far." Although Dantai Yan was proud, her tone changed slightly when it came to the [Stone Heart Jade Bone].

The [Stone Heart Jade Bone] is a spiritual treasure of the Earth Rank, which can only be formed after a jade with spiritual properties has undergone millions of years of nurturing.

It has many effects. Simply put, as long as one can withstand its powerful medicinal power through special means, it can cleanse the marrow, refine the blood, and open the meridians.

In the cultivation world, it is called the best enlightenment treasure, but due to its rarity and some regional limitations, its rank is not very high, only a low-level Earth Rank.

However, for this group of young men and women whose Battle Qi cultivation is only at the sixth or seventh stage, the allure of such a treasure is endless.

Dantai Yan suppressed her thoughts and maintained a cold and proud demeanor, saying, "The information about the Stone Heart Jade Bone is indeed correct, and now only the five of us know about it. As long as we get it, we can surpass others from the start, which will bring endless benefits for the future."

"Dividing it into five parts will greatly reduce its effectiveness."

Jin Wu, with a cold demeanor, curled his lips and said a crucial sentence.

Although the [Stone Heart Jade Bone] has powerful effects, don’t forget that there are five of them. If the [Stone Heart Jade Bone] is divided into five parts, who can guarantee that it will still have the desired effect?

This statement made the already tense atmosphere even more awkward.

Then Gu Fan forced a smile and said, "Don’t think about those things now. After all, none of us has seen the real Stone Heart Jade Bone. We shouldn’t create divisions among ourselves."

Jin Wu shrugged, indifferent, "I’m just giving my opinion. If you don’t mind, I have nothing else to say."

The five of them fell silent again, and no one spoke.

Until they gradually moved away, Bai Yang revealed his figure from the depths of a giant tree branch.

He had heard everything they said clearly. He wasn’t particularly interested in the [Stone Heart Jade Bone], but he knew that where the [Stone Heart Jade Bone] is, another rare treasure would also be present.

That is the [Jade Blood Marrow] of the high-level Mystic Rank.

Although the [Jade Blood Marrow] is not as high in rank as the [Stone Heart Jade Bone], Bai Yang understood its secrets. By taking the [Jade Blood Marrow], he could increase the total amount of Battle Qi in his body, expand his qi sea and dantian, and increase the success rate of breaking through to higher realms.

With the help of the power of the stars, Bai Yang felt that the [Jade Blood Marrow] was the most suitable treasure for his current situation.

"If I get the Jade Blood Marrow, I can definitely reach the peak of the Eighth Stage of Battle Qi before the sect competition." Bai Yang narrowed his eyes, and without stopping, he continued to follow the five people in front.

He tracked them very skillfully, and his steps were as light as possible, so the others didn’t notice him at all.

After walking for about the time it takes to burn a few incense sticks, Dantai Yan suddenly stopped and pointed to a giant stone covered in moss and vines, "According to the information I received, the cave should be hidden behind this."

After saying that, without waiting for her instructions, Jin Wu and Gu Fan stepped forward. Battle Qi surged in their bodies, and they placed their hands on the stone, forcefully pushing it away.

This giant stone looked like it weighed two or three ten thousand pounds, and the fact that the two of them could push it away together showed that Jin Wu and Gu Fan were indeed powerful.

After the giant stone was moved, the entrance to the cave hidden beneath it was naturally exposed.

A faint moldy and earthy smell came from the cave. Xia Yue fanned her nose with her hand, somewhat disdainfully, "Are we really going to go down there?"

Dantai Yan didn’t say anything but led the way into the cave with her actions.

Lin Feng, Gu Fan, and Jin Wu followed closely, and Xia Yue, though unwilling, had no choice but to follow.

After they entered the cave, Bai Yang also came to the entrance, glanced into the pitch-black cave, hesitated for a moment, and then followed them in.

The air circulation in the cave was poor, and the passage was very narrow, so the smell was extremely unpleasant. Moreover, it seemed that no one had entered this place for many years, and there were some sticky, unknown substances on the ground, making it difficult for Xia Yue, who had been pampered since childhood, to adapt. She complained continuously along the way.

"Do you hear that? What is that sound?"

Suddenly, Dantai Yan stopped the group, her eyes flashing with surprise as she listened intently, unable to believe what she was hearing.

Lin Feng also sensed something was wrong, and his expression turned grim.

As for Bai Yang, who had been following them, he also stopped. The power of the stars in his body suddenly stirred, like a strong and powerful heart suddenly reviving and vibrating for a moment.

This unusual sensation made Bai Yang quickly enter an internal observation state. The power of the stars, which had always been hidden in his dantian and coexisted peacefully with his Battle Qi, now seemed to come alive, moving around the Battle Qi, as if excited.

At the same time, Bai Yang himself felt a sense of unease and anxiety.

"That’s the breathing of a beast." Dantai Yan’s face turned grim, and she said in a deep voice, "As I expected, the birthplace of the Stone Heart Jade Bone indeed has a beast’s nest!"

"I wonder if it’s a First Rank Bone Forging beast or a peak Bone Forging beast." Lin Feng exhaled deeply, his young face filled with seriousness.

Among beasts, there are also cultivation levels. As for something like a black wolf, it doesn’t even count as a true beast. True beasts can cultivate on their own, and once they enter the beast realm, they can rival human cultivators at the Sixth Stage of Battle Qi or even the Tenth Stage.

A First Rank Bone Forging beast is equivalent to a human cultivator at the Sixth Stage of Battle Qi, while a peak Bone Forging beast is equivalent to a human cultivator at the Tenth Stage of Battle Qi.

As for the next higher rank, the Blood Refining stage, it is equivalent to a human cultivator at the Gang Qi stage, which is far beyond what Dantai Yan and the others can handle.

If it’s just a Bone Forging beast, or even a peak Bone Forging beast, Dantai Yan and the others can still rely on their trump cards to kill it. But if it’s a Blood Refining beast, they might all be in danger today.

Hearing their words, Bai Yang, who was hiding behind them, felt a strong shock. He vaguely guessed why the power of the stars in his body was reacting. This was a sensitive response to danger. The power of the stars has many strange properties and can naturally sense what is dangerous to its host. After all, this is something left behind by a near-death divine being, and although it is now very weak, it cannot be denied that it once had characteristics beyond human imagination.

Bai Yang felt the excited response of the power of the stars and frowned deeply, suspecting that the situation was more complicated than he imagined.

"From its weak breathing, this beast seems to be seriously injured. It shouldn’t be much of a threat."

After being very cautious for a while, Dantai Yan finally relaxed, her eyes losing their shine, and she said calmly, "If it’s really a seriously injured Bone Forging beast, we might have an unexpected bonus. After all, a beast’s entire body is valuable."

"Still, we should be careful." Lin Feng shook his head, flicked his finger, and a fine-quality long sword appeared in his hand.

Jin Wu and Gu Fan looked at Lin Feng’s finger with envy, where he wore a black ring, a storage ring made by a powerful being who had torn apart space and used the crystal fragments of the void.

The cost of making such a thing might not be high, but each storage ring must be forged by someone with great power, indicating that Lin Feng’s family likely has a powerful Earth Rank cultivator.

Because only Earth Rank cultivators can damage space, meaning they need at least Earth Rank cultivation to make storage rings, proving that Lin Feng is very favored within his family to receive such a thing.

Unlike Jin Wu and Gu Fan, Dantai Yan and Xia Yue were more interested in Lin Feng’s fine-quality long sword.

"A good thing with six layers of runes, at least a Dharma-level weapon, right?" Xia Yue looked at the sword enviously.

If a storage ring is a symbol of status or wealth, then a Dharma-level weapon is something that ordinary people can’t easily obtain. Making a Dharma-level weapon not only requires precious materials but also a powerful being with a deep understanding of weapon runes to enhance it.

A Dharma-level weapon can increase the user’s strength by at least 30%!

Although the Xia family is very wealthy, Dharma-level weapons are in the hands of various elders with high status within the family. As for higher-level Mystic weapons, they are probably only found in some large families or sects.

"Right, a high-level Dharma weapon, the Thunder Listening Sword." Lin Feng responded to Xia Yue’s words without any arrogance.

Dantai Yan took a deep look at the Thunder Listening Sword and then said, "Let’s go. Following the beast’s breathing, we can find the [Stone Heart Jade Bone]."

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