Somewhere in the Clear Water Mountains
The wind blew dry and heavy, carrying a suffocating heat that seemed to drain all moisture from the surrounding forest. The ground, which should have been soft and damp, was cracked and parched from an intense heatwave. The trees, though not ablaze, had withered and blackened leaves, as if they were being roasted alive.
At the center of this desolate scene, Lin Xu stood upright, leaning on his heavy sword, which was embedded in the ground and served as his only support.
"I don't have much time left!" — that thought echoed through his mind like a warning bell.
His skin was red, pulsing as if on the verge of combustion. The heat radiating from his body wasn't just intense — it was destructive. Every fiber of his being burned with searing pain — his blood felt like lava coursing through his veins, his bones smoldered like live coals, and his organs seemed to be turning to ash.
Around him, only the charred remains of spiritual beasts bore witness to his torment, their bodies boiled and nearly carbonized by the unbearable heatwave.
His lungs were scorched from the inside. Every breath made his throat feel like it was being torn apart by flaming blades.
"Is this really where I die?" — Lin Xu took a deep breath, clenching his teeth at the thought, but even that simple act was torture.
— "No... I won't accept this!" — With a determined gaze, Lin Xu forced his trembling hand to reach into his storage ring. From it, he pulled out a small object — a bluish herb covered by a thin layer of ice.
Frostgrass.
The herb's cold energy instantly chilled the surrounding air, but before it could bring real relief, the heat from his body had already dispelled it within seconds.
Without hesitation, he swallowed the herb.
The effect was immediate — a wave of cold surged through his body, easing the pain for a moment, only to be crushed by the roaring flames inside him.
"Too weak." — He gritted his teeth and pulled more herbs from the storage ring.
Cold resources. Water essences. Condensed mist.
One by one, he swallowed them quickly, feeling each particle of energy consumed by the fiery storm within before it could truly help.
By the time he finished, his temperature had dropped considerably. Still, it remained dangerously high. Anyone touching his skin now would suffer serious burns.
But for him, it was enough.
— "I won't succumb!" — he declared, and for the first time in hours, managed to breathe without feeling like he would die in the next instant.
"Even so, I'm in a dead end." — He knew that.
The problem was unsolvable — if he didn't suppress the flames inside him, he would be consumed until nothing remained. But if he kept suppressing them... his already weakened dantian would collapse.
"If my dantian breaks, I die. If I stop suppressing it, I die." — A bitter smile crossed his lips. It was a cruel paradox.
It was rare to see him smile like that.
Normally, his expression was serene — a gentle, calm face that hid his true nature. But now... there was no one left to fool.
A new wave of pain tore through his body as his energy suddenly plummeted.
His cultivation level dropped to the 7th stage of Body Tempering.
"Damn it..." — The pain from internal combustion lessened slightly, but it was replaced by something even worse.
The pain of a dantian on the brink of destruction. The situation couldn't be worse.
— "You won't break my will, no matter what you do… I will survive!" — In growing determination, his fingers tightened around the heavy sword.
He still had things to do... matters to settle... people he couldn't let down... and a revenge...
'He couldn't die yet... Not here... Not like this.' — Drawing in a deep breath, Lin Xu ignored the pain and straightened his posture.
The heat still radiated from his body like a living furnace, but now his eyes carried a different light. His face was still covered by the black mask, hiding his true expressions.
But behind it, he was smiling. A smile that didn't belong to someone who had accepted death. It was the smile of someone who would fight until the end.
With a final glance at the scorched surroundings, he turned on his heel and started moving.
He couldn't waste any more time. He still needed to find more resources. He still needed to survive...
And with that resolve, he disappeared into the forest, leaving behind only a trail of heat.
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Elsewhere in the forest...
Tang Chun Xi rose from a tree branch, her movements light and silent as a shadow. With a swift gesture, she stored the defensive formation disc back into her storage ring.
Since her first night in the forest, she had developed a preference for high places where she could meditate and observe the vast night sky. The presence of the moon and stars above seemed to deepen her connection with her lunar energy, making her absorption more efficient.
She took a deep breath, sensing the forest's subtle pulse around her.
"The training and treasure hunting have been incredibly helpful. If I keep this up, I'll reach the fifth stage of Body Tempering in just two more days."
It was considerable progress. Her body was stronger, her Qi flow more efficient, and more importantly, her lunar energy was denser and more stable than it had been nine days ago.
But that wasn't the only achievement that pleased her.
"I'm one step away from reaching the fourth level of Bone Reinforcement…"
The memory of her battle against the Crimson-Spotted Feline surfaced in her mind — the pain of every blow, the tension of each dodge, the adrenaline of a life-or-death fight.
She knew she only survived because she was prepared.
That's why she was certain she'd made the right choice in focusing on treasure hunting and continuous strengthening.
Now, she was ready to complete an experiment she'd been conducting in secret with her lunar energy. With that thought, she entered her storage ring.
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Inside the Storage Ring…
The inner space remained mostly the same, with a few significant changes.
First, the button she had won from the feline fight.
Second, a collection of spiritual herbs she had gathered and planted over the past eight days.
Third, the Lesser Qi Tree. It had changed. Its branches, once fragile and bearing only three ripe fruits, were now bursting with life. New fruits had sprouted in abundance, and the older ones were on the verge of ripening.
Tang Chun Xi looked at the tree with satisfaction.
—"So this is the result of infusing lunar energy and stellar wood aura into the tree over the past eight days…"
The progress was impressive. The trunk looked sturdier. The leaves more vibrant. And most surprising... the tree had grown half a meter. She stepped closer, examining the newly grown green fruits.
— "At this rate, they'll be fully ripe in two months." — the thought pleased her, after all, these fruits were extremely valuable — especially to her.
They could restore large amounts of Qi, and more than that, they could mean the difference between life and death in battle.
'These fruits are useful in any situation… And after that battle, they'll be my trump card.'— she thought, recalling the fight against the cultivators.
The moment she nearly died. If she had more of those fruits then, things might not have been so risky.
— "Not that I had a choice… I used up almost all I had and had to ration the rest." — Tang Chun Xi sighed.
That's why she had decided to store the new fruits for emergencies.
But now, she finally had a new reserve.
She pushed the thoughts aside and turned her attention back to the tree. With a careful touch, she placed her palm against the trunk and sent the same amount of lunar energy and stellar wood aura she'd been applying the past few days.
The response was immediate. The tree trembled slightly, eagerly absorbing the energy.
Tang Chun Xi felt the shift. Part of the energy was taken by the tree to grow stronger, while the rest flowed directly into the fruits.
The nearly ripe ones glowed with a blend of shimmering green and silver, their skins gradually turning golden.
She watched silently until the glow faded.
Now, she had thirty fully ripe fruits.
— "Perfect." — Without hesitation, she began gathering them, storing them carefully.
"Thirty fruits that restore large amounts of Qi… They'll be incredibly useful."
But as she finished storing the fruits, another thought crossed her mind.
—"This mix of energies really speeds up plant growth and improves my recovery… But could lunar energy do more than that?"
"If lunar energy can heal me, shouldn't it be able to heal others too?" — The idea made her frown. So far, she had only tested it on herself and the tree.
If she could apply this ability to others, her power would gain a whole new level of versatility. Realizing this, Tang Chun Xi felt a sudden surge of excitement.
There was still so much to explore — so much she didn't yet understand about her own potential.
— "But for now, what matters is getting stronger. And if all goes well, I'll break through to the fifth level soon." — with those words, she exited the ring in search of her next battle.