Ancient Orchid City Ruins
ROAR!
WOOSH
WOOSH
WOOSH
The sounds of multiple arrows cutting through the air were accompanied by the pursuing roars of demon beasts.
After arriving at the Ancient Orchid City Ruins and discussing which location they were going to begin their search for the treasure, Chen Li Jiang and his group found themselves surrounded by a group of Giant Blue Armed Apes.
At first, they were able to deter a couple of Giant Blue Armed Apes from posing any danger to them, thanks to Nie Li's archery skills.
But it didn't take long before they were overwhelmed by the sheer number of Giant Blue Armed Apes pursuing them, forcing them to make the decision to run to avoid being surrounded.
Things got worse when a five-star Silver Rank Giant Blue Armed Ape with a spiritual grade jumped in front of everyone and killed one of them in a single blow.
Facing such danger, even Nie Li couldn't help but feel a little panicked in his heart.
A normal demon beast was already dangerous on its own, but a spiritual-grade one posed a far greater threat to their group.
Demon beasts could be ranked like humans: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Black Gold, and Legend Rank. Among these levels, they were further divided into normal, spiritual, and emperor-grade demon beasts.
A normal-grade demon beast was only slightly stronger than a human of the same rank.
Spiritual-grade demon beasts possessed strength several times greater than others within the same rank. Added to the fact that they also possessed intelligence comparable to that of a ten-year-old human, they were extremely dangerous opponents.
As for emperor-grade demon beasts, their spirits existed in a liquid state, and they possessed the ability to transform themselves into human form. These were terrifying existences capable of bringing calamity to humanity.
"Master Chen, we need to separate into several groups, or those Giant Blue Armed Apes are going to thin out our numbers one by one."
Hearing Nie Li's proposal, Chen Li Jiang ordered everyone to group up and run in separate directions, causing the Silver Rank Giant Blue Armed Ape to abandon its original plan and chase after one of the groups instead.
And this was how Nie Li found himself going toe-to-toe against the spiritual-grade Giant Blue Armed Apes in order for Ye Ziyun to escape.
While this was happening, Chen Linlin and the trio of girls who had also separated from the others found themselves surrounded by a group of Giant Blue Armed Apes.
But unlike the trio of girls, who had panicked expressions on their faces as they watched the demon beasts encircle them, Chen Linlin, on the other hand, found the situation a little funny.
As the de facto leader of their group, actually leading her friends straight into a Giant Blue Armed Ape nest was a little too ridiculous even for her.
Xue Hui had once told Chen Linlin that she had a terrible sense of direction, often finding herself either lost or ending up in the wrong place.
'But this... this is just sad,' Chen Linlin thought to herself while sighing in dejection.
She was certain that once Xue Hui found out about this, he would die from laughter.
"L-Linlin, what are we going to do!? They are everywhere!" Chen Linlin was pulled from her self-deprecating thoughts when Yue Ling grabbed onto her arm in panic.
While Jing Ya, Mei Lin, and Yue Ling had all managed to break through to Silver Rank thanks to Xue Hui's cultivation technique and the resources provided by Chen Linlin, they were certain that their strength was nowhere near enough to deal with this many Giant Blue Armed Apes all at once.
By rough estimation, there were at least ten to fifteen Giant Blue Armed Apes surrounding them. Forget about fighting, even escaping would be impossible at this rate.
Sensing the growing fear of her friends, Chen Linlin stepped forward, drawing upon her soul force.
"Oh! You three don't have to worry about anything, see!" With a wave of her arm, Chen Linlin summoned the Ten Whiskers Water Attribute Needles in front of her and activated their Pure Water Domain, trapping all the Giant Blue Armed Apes and freezing them in place, unable to move.
Once Xue Hui obtained his Origin of Water a few years ago, he passed the Ten Whiskers Water Attribute Needles to Chen Linlin after finding no further use for them himself. If Xue Hui ever needed acupuncture needles, he could simply reshape his Origin Spheres into any form he desired.
Although Chen Linlin didn't possess the same finesse as Xue Hui when controlling the Ten Whiskers Water Attribute Needles, her control was still good enough to use them effectively against a considerable number of demon beasts.
Seeing all the Giant Blue Armed Apes trapped in ice, Jing Ya, Mei Lin, and Yue Ling all looked at Chen Linlin with dumbfounded expressions.
Although they were aware that Chen Linlin was hiding her strength, they had no idea what realm she was actually in.
Every time they tried to probe Chen Linlin about it, she would always remain vague in her answers.
Silver Rank? Gold Rank? Could a Gold Rank Demon Spiritualist stop this many Giant Blue Armed Apes at once?
They didn't know, but they were certain that their friend was hiding a terrifying level of strength.
Jing Ya, Mei Lin, and Yue Ling were pulled out of their contemplation when Chen Linlin walked toward a nearby boulder, brushed the dirt off its surface, and sat elegantly on top of it.
Chen Linlin's actions confused the trio.
"Umh... Lady Boss, we're still surrounded, and they are still alive... so?" Mei Lin, with a pale face and a wobbly smile, tried to ask Chen Linlin what exactly she was planning to do, sitting all pretty and elegant in the middle of an enraged group of trapped demon beasts.
But instead of answering, Chen Linlin simply clasped her hands together, jolting them from their shaken states, and smiled gently at them.
"Isn't this a perfect opportunity for the three of you to gain actual combat experience? We have enough demon beasts here for all of you to practice, see?"
Jing Ya, Mei Lin, and Yue Ling's faces all turned ashen upon hearing Chen Linlin's words.
They wished they had heard wrong, but judging from the horror on each other's faces, there was no mistaking it.
Chen Linlin had gone insane.
"Linlin, what are you saying?" Yue Ling asked in panic, her eyes widening as she scanned the terrifying beasts surrounding them.
"What I'm saying is that you guys are lacking combat experience, but since this opportunity has presented itself to us, let's use it to gain experience." Chen Linlin waved her arm, and one of the Giant Blue Armed Apes was freed from its frozen prison. The beast immediately charged toward them, enraged and seemingly itching to tear them apart.
Eyeing the approaching beast, Jing Ya, Mei Lin, and Yue Ling all froze in fear, unable to think of what to do next.
"Aren't we all wishing to become powerful enough to protect Glory City?"
The trio turned their gazes toward Chen Linlin, fear still lingering within their eyes.
"The only way to achieve that is to face our fears and challenge ourselves. Even if it means facing all kinds of dangers, it's better to brave them until we become strong enough to protect everyone."
Hearing her words, the trio felt a wave of determination surge through their souls. They all remembered the times when they had felt inadequate, helpless, and weak. It had been a life full of uncertainty.
Then they met Chen Linlin.
They met Xue Hui.
And suddenly, they were given a chance to change their fate, to rise above every challenge before them.
The only question now was how much sweat and blood they were willing to pour into achieving their dreams.
Seeing the fire of determination igniting within their eyes, Chen Linlin's lips curled into a grin as she further stirred their fighting spirit.
"Are my friends, who promised to become Legend Rank Demon Spiritualists alongside me, really nothing but all talk and no action!?"
Jing Ya's eyebrows twitched as anger and annoyance surged within her heart. She would be damned if she allowed herself to be looked down upon by her friend.
With gritted teeth and newfound ferocity, Jing Ya unleashed her soul force and charged toward the approaching Giant Blue Armed Ape, yelling at the top of her lungs.
Mei Lin and Yue Ling, who watched their friend suddenly go berserk, looked at each other before nodding firmly and following after Jing Ya while unleashing their own soul force.
"Aaaahhh!"
"Kyaaaa!"
"Die, you filthy beast!"
"ROAR!"
As the trio faced the Giant Blue Armed Ape, Chen Linlin watched from the side while pointing out the flaws in their movements, helping them adjust their fighting styles. Slowly, they began to understand which moves suited them best, gaining valuable combat experience in the process.
Over time, the group of Giant Blue Armed Apes was gradually defeated. The trio of girls sprawled across the ground in exhaustion. They were bruised, wounded, and in pain, yet satisfied smiles could still be seen on their faces.
It had been tough, but they had made tremendous progress.
At the same time, Nie Li had managed to escape from the spiritual-grade Giant Blue Armed Ape and reunite with Ye Ziyun.
The two soon found themselves lost within the underground ruins as they searched for a way out.
—
In another part of the forest, Chen Li Jiang could be seen trembling and sweating profusely.
He had just lost his little sister. His parents were definitely going to skin him alive if he failed to bring her back safely.
Trembling in fear, Chen Li Jiang audibly gulped, causing the people around him to grow worried.
—
Somewhere in the outside world
WOOOSH!
The sound of a circular object cutting through the air at blinding speed could be heard approaching a place widely known as Heavenly Luster Mountain.
The circular object had a purple crystal-like appearance and was large enough to fit several people inside. It flew through the skies, attracting the attention of countless demon beasts along the way.
This object belonged to Xue Hui. It was one of his Twelve Origin Spheres, enlarged so that he and Xiao Ning'er could use it as transportation toward their destination.
Thanks to the abilities of the Origin of Piercing, a journey that would normally have taken an entire year on foot only required a single day for them to complete.
At first, Xue Hui had planned to travel alone, since Chen Linlin and the trio of girls had decided to accompany Chen Li Jiang on his treasure-hunting trip.
However, the moment Xue Hui arrived at the entrance of the Divine Medicine Pavilion, he encountered Xiao Ning'er, who had just been about to enter the establishment.
The instant she saw him, Xiao Ning'er's expression brightened, and she immediately ran toward him.
Apparently, Xiao Ning'er had specifically been looking for Xue Hui because she wanted to spend time with him.
Seeing the bashful look on her face, Xue Hui found her appearance incredibly cute.
So, Xue Hui told Xiao Ning'er where he was heading and asked if she wanted to accompany him.
Her response was a resounding yes.
And thus, the two began traveling together.
"Ning'er, we're almost there. Look at that mountain. That's Heavenly Luster Mountain, also known as the Spirit Sanctuary. It's a sacred land filled with all kinds of medicinal herbs."
Xiao Ning'er's breath hitched as an otherworldly scene entered her sight.
Colorful trees blanketed the mountain, giving the landscape a vibrant and dreamlike atmosphere. Several waterfalls cascaded down the mountain cliffs, releasing crystal-like streams of water that formed rainbows of various sizes, making the mountain appear even more ethereal.
"Woah..."
Xiao Ning'er became completely immersed in the breathtaking scenery of Heavenly Luster Mountain.
Her face was filled with astonishment as she gasped in delight, witnessing such a magnificent sight for the first time in her life. She instinctively reached out and hugged Xue Hui's arm.
Watching Xiao Ning'er's reaction, Xue Hui couldn't help but smile warmly.
He was glad that he had brought Xiao Ning'er along with him. Considering everything she had gone through in the past, being able to help her forget her troubles and simply enjoy herself filled him with happiness.
With a gesture, Xue Hui controlled the sphere they were riding and guided it toward the foot of the mountain, fully intending to climb it from the ground up.
Their goal was simple: to collect as many useful herbs as they could along the way and, if luck favored them, perhaps stumble upon an unrivaled treasure.
One thing was certain,
This journey would greatly benefit Xiao Ning'er's growth.
Hand in hand, the two made their way into the forest, completely unaware of the trials waiting ahead of them.
End of Chapter 48