Chapter 14 Crisis Lurks (First Update, 5000 Words)

“What exactly is the purple crystal? And what about that shadow that seems to harbor evil intent? Is the disappearance of the aberration point related to it?” Xu Qing couldn't figure it out. While pondering and analyzing, the figures of Team Thunder returned one after another, each of them glancing at him as they passed by. Xu Qing collected his thoughts, and a flash of brilliance appeared in his eyes. No matter what it was, it didn't matter at this moment. After a brief rest, it was his turn to take action again. Xu Qing stood up, wiped the iron spear on his body to make its cold gleam shine once more, and in the instant he walked past the cross, he suddenly dashed out. His speed was so fast that he instantly closed in on the approaching wolf pack. The sounds of fighting and screams mixed together, as if it was a baptism for the young man. It allowed him to survive with his divine spirit wide open and live through the blood rain, reflecting the gradually sharpened edge in the scattered twilight! This time, he persisted longer. Meanwhile, time slowly passed under the continuous retreat and rotation of Team Thunder. The sunset disappeared, the bright moon hung high, and the night fell in the restricted zone, but the sounds of battle continued. Until... when their fatigue reached its limit, and all the white pills were consumed, the concentration of the foreign substance in their bodies was nearing the critical point of aberration, dawn arrived. The wolf pack finally began to retreat. As the morning light spread, the last black-scaled wolf in the jungle of the restricted zone looked at them wearily before disappearing into the distance, and the surroundings gradually quieted down. Everyone was covered in thick blood plasma, lying on the ground, gasping for breath. Xu Qing was no exception. Even with the recovery from the purple crystal, the mental strain still left him exhausted. “Finally... survived,” murmured Luan Ya beside him as she struggled to get up. When she looked at Xu Qing, she softly spoke, “Thank you.” The barbarian was also panting, giving Xu Qing a thumbs up. In the battle of that night, Xu Qing's actions and the time surpassed Team Thunder and the Cross, and it could even be said that if it weren't for him, some of them might have undergone aberration before the wolf pack even retreated. Only Xu Qing lay there looking at the sky, exhausted yet filled with deep confusion in his heart. In that night's battle, he noticed that the speed of accumulating the foreign substance within him had clearly slowed down significantly compared to before. He even had a feeling that it was as if his foreign substance was disappearing on its own every moment. While everyone was resting, Team Thunder rubbed his brow, his serious gaze sweeping over the Cross and the others, and he spoke hoarsely. “This matter can't be a coincidence. The continued pursuit by the black-scaled wolves seems more like something is attracting them. Therefore, you all take out the foreign items you obtained during this time so we can examine them closely. I suspect this matter... is man-made.” With Team Thunder's words, the Cross and the others nodded in agreement, and they began checking and taking out foreign items. Xu Qing's heart sank. He was considering whether the iron block from the remains of Ma Si was the reason when Luan Ya suddenly exclaimed, pointing towards the barbarian. Among the items the barbarian took out was a wooden box. The wooden box was damaged, seemingly corroding on its own, and a faint breath was emanating from it. Due to the mixed scents in the jungle of the restricted zone, it was hard to distinguish without careful sniffing. “Why is this thing corroding on its own?” the barbarian asked in surprise. Team Thunder immediately stepped forward, took the wooden box, and handed it to Luan Ya. Luan Ya carefully sniffed it and nodded with a pale face. “Where did you get this?” Team Thunder asked the barbarian. “I bought it at the stall in the camp the day I returned. It was filled with insect repellent powder...” the barbarian scratched his head. “This is made from the feces of the butterfly rabbit, which ignites itself upon encountering external stimuli and can attract scaled creatures... the black-scaled wolf is also a type of scaled creature.” Luan Ya looked at the barbarian and spoke slowly. The barbarian stood there dumbfounded. The atmosphere around suddenly froze, and Xu Qing squinted his eyes. After a moment, Team Thunder shook his head. “The barbarian was deceived. It's easy to imagine who could set such a trap for us in the camp.” “Team Bloodshadow!” said the Cross coldly beside him. “The setup by Team Bloodshadow is hard to say without a backup, and our current state isn’t good...” Luan Ya hesitated. “So, should we continue on to the harvesting site to complete the task, or should we retreat?” Team Thunder looked up at the distance and slowly spoke. Xu Qing's eyes revealed contemplation, but he remained silent. The others exchanged glances, and finally, the Cross spoke with difficulty. “Captain, we’re not far from our harvesting point, and everyone has suffered too much this time. If we return empty-handed...” Team Thunder fell silent, glancing at the barbarian and Luan Ya. The former bowed his head in guilt, while the latter showed reluctance. After a while, he sighed lightly. “Continue forward. Once we reach the harvesting point, we’ll gather quickly, then everyone will disperse and leave separately, meeting back at the camp.” Team Thunder made a decisive statement. After a brief rest, everyone in the restricted jungle moved forward again. On the way, Xu Qing approached Luan Ya and took out the amber he obtained from Fat Mountain, asking her what it was. Upon seeing the amber, Luan Ya was startled, took it and examined it carefully, informing Xu Qing that it was the venomous tail of a ghost-faced scorpion. This scorpion is venomous but can be neutralized, and it has great medicinal properties. After being poisoned, it can instantly unleash its potential, but it cannot be sustained, and after the burst, it requires immediate detoxification, so it is mostly raised by people and is quite valuable. Xu Qing understood, thanked her, and put it away. Afterwards, everyone remained vigilant, closely observing their surroundings while swiftly moving forward. However, compared to before, they were much quieter this time. Perhaps it was because the appearance of the black-scaled wolves the previous day had scared away most of the other ferocious beasts in this area. So, on the journey, Team Thunder encountered no dangers. After two hours, they finally arrived at the junction between the outer and inner parts of the restricted zone. The terrain here was no longer just jungle, but also featured small hills and streams, although the water in the streams was black and undrinkable. In a dense part of the jungle, there hid a small path, with a hidden world at the end, which turned out to be a small canyon. When Xu Qing and the others entered this canyon, what appeared before their eyes felt like another world. The upper part was covered by thick vines growing all around, resembling a canopy, preventing sunlight from fully entering. Inside, there were no big trees, just grass everywhere. The fist-sized flowers, in various colors, filled the entire canyon, accompanied by many grasses emitting blue crystalline light. Each plant had seven leaves. The light they emitted resembled stars, making the quiet canyon seem like a tranquil starry sky, possessing a unique beauty. This was the harvesting point that Team Thunder had discovered before, and each such harvesting point was a closely guarded secret, the foundation for the survival of the team. Upon arrival, due to the need for special techniques in harvesting, they didn’t let Xu Qing participate but dispersed to harvest separately, which was faster and without loss. Xu Qing observed their techniques without forcing his way in but sat cross-legged and silently cultivated. After experiencing the battle yesterday, he found that his cultivation seemed to have improved significantly during the constant honing, now reaching a critical point for a breakthrough. To possess better survival ability in the upcoming crisis, Xu Qing didn’t waste time, and even in the restricted zone, he still operated the Haishan Secret Art, absorbing the spiritual energy from his surroundings. As the spiritual energy surged, the wind arose in the canyon. Team Thunder looked at Xu Qing but did not stop him. He knew very well that the return route was highly likely to be ambushed. At this time, the growth in strength was the guarantee for survival. Not long after, during their harvesting, Xu Qing's body gradually emitted a series of popping sounds. Filthy substances flowed out from his sweat pores, melting the blood plasma outside and merging with the grime. At the same time, his flesh was rapidly absorbing spiritual energy, becoming increasingly resilient. Until the sounds grew stronger and suddenly stopped after reaching their limit, a roaring echoed in Xu Qing's mind. His blood vessels bulged violently under his skin, and at that moment, his flesh was filled with spiritual energy, as if it harbored an astonishing strength and speed beyond what it had before. All of this transformed into a sharp aura, permeating his body, while the fluctuations of spiritual energy around him spread outward. Haishan Secret Art, third layer. Xu Qing slowly lowered his head and opened his eyes. The fleeting purple light in his eyes went unnoticed, but rather than the joy of a breakthrough, it was replaced by deep confusion. What he looked down at were the chaotic shadows appearing under the scattered sunlight. When he practiced just now, he distinctly felt something was off. The spiritual energy he absorbed during his breathing was, after being separated by the Haishan Secret Art, nourishing his body with the pure part. However, the foreign substance... surprisingly did not flow into his arms to form an aberration point but instead... flowed into his shadow. It was as if the shadow had devoured that portion of the foreign substance. After a while, Xu Qing finally raised his head, suppressing all his confusion deep in his heart. He looked at Team Thunder and the others who were about to finish harvesting, gazing into the distance along the canyon towards the depths of the jungle. He could vaguely see some buildings far in the distance, as if there were temples connected together, silent through time, exuding an ancient aura. “Those are buildings left from an unknown era, and the farthest limit we scavengers can reach. It’s not to be overstepped, but if we encounter danger nearby, we can take refuge there.” After finishing his harvest quota, Team Thunder came to Xu Qing's side, following his gaze towards the group of temples and spoke slowly. “The limit, huh.” Xu Qing nodded. “Yes, some say that the reason this restricted zone was formed was that deities looked towards these temples, and some scavengers have ventured there before. There’s nothing there, except for a special small stone that sometimes appears.” Team Thunder took a portion of the seven-leaf grass he harvested and put it into another leather bag. “What’s special about it?” Xu Qing asked curiously. “When ground into powder and sprinkled on fresh scars, it can remove scars without leaving a trace. However, it’s of no use to us scavengers, but occasionally some important figures need it,” Team Thunder said, glancing at the Cross and the others. At this moment, the Cross, the barbarian, and Luan Ya had all completed their harvesting. Under Team Thunder's arrangement, each brought out a portion and placed it into the leather bag held by Team Thunder. Finally, after dividing the seven-leaf grass into five portions, Team Thunder handed the fifth leather bag to Xu Qing. “This is yours.” “From now on, everyone will disperse and leave separately. This way, it’s less likely to be detected. Though there’s some danger, the chances of getting out are greater. Conversely, if we act together, we’re more obvious targets and easier to lock onto. Moreover, our current state isn’t suitable, and if we get trapped, survival will be difficult.” After finishing, Team Thunder looked at Xu Qing again and gave him a map. “Kid, I’m too big of a target and will definitely be the focus of Team Bloodshadow’s attention. And as the captain, I also need to cover for you. You should leave quickly and wait for me back at the camp.” Team Thunder spoke in a deep voice as the other teammates silently gazed at him, stepping out of the canyon and quickly disappearing. Xu Qing wanted to say something but didn’t have the chance before Team Thunder was already far away. The Cross patted Xu Qing on the shoulder and left as well. Finally, the barbarian and Luan Ya each hurriedly shared their experiences with him before leaving in a rush. Xu Qing silently watched them, placed the seven-leaf grass away, and looked back at the distant group of temples. After a while, Xu Qing turned around, took a deep breath, and rushed towards the canyon entrance. His speed, after reaching the third layer of body refinement, was noticeably faster than before, and in an instant, he disappeared at the entrance. Inside the restricted zone jungle, Xu Qing moved like a nimble monkey, constantly weaving through. He didn’t take the path he came from but followed the markings on the map, taking a detour. He also applied the experiences learned on the way to distinguish dangers, and when he occasionally encountered a few aberrant beasts, he managed to deal with them smoothly. At the same time, he paid attention to his shadow under the sunlight, a strange light flashing in his eyes. He had already tried that whether it was absorbing spiritual energy or taking deep breaths, the foreign substance contained in everything, upon entering his body, was similar to what he felt during his previous breakthrough, gradually flowing into his shadow! Tracing back, this began to appear after the cold current emitted from the purple crystal. Until his Haishan Secret Art reached the third layer, it became increasingly evident. His shadow seemed to have mutated after the purple crystal had absorbed the shadow of the black-scaled wolf... This strangeness made Xu Qing slowly narrow his eyes. He rolled up the sleeve of his left arm to look and saw that the aberration point on his arm had only one and was now very faint; unless looked at closely, it was hard to notice. According to this development, the foreign substance within him would become less and less until reaching a pure and perfect state. And this perfection... Xu Qing had seen it in the Haishan Secret Art bamboo slips, only those of extremely noble status in the origin place of the human race in the ancient continent could enjoy it. “Is it the effect of the purple crystal?” Xu Qing murmured, squatting on a branch, staring blankly at the sky. After a long time, he touched the spot on his chest where the purple crystal was embedded, remained silent for a moment, and when he raised his head, he pressed all his doubts deep in his heart, his figure flickering as he dove into the jungle to continue forward. Although the foreign substance was temporarily no longer a threat to him, this was just one of the many dangers in the restricted zone. On the subsequent path, Xu Qing still encountered some crises. For example, at this moment, he saw two aberrant bears whose auras surpassed Team Thunder's. On the backs of these bears lay a large, colorful spider, countless threads sprouting from the spider's abdomen, drilling into the bears’ bodies, seemingly controlling them. This caused the two ferocious bears to lose control while running. Trees were directly smashed by them, and if they encountered any other ferocious beasts that tried to obstruct them, they were directly torn in half, their brutality evident. If their target hadn’t been a red tiger and they hadn’t ignored Xu Qing, and if Xu Qing hadn’t rushed away at the first opportunity, it would have been extremely dangerous. However, the dangers from the restricted zone didn’t end there. An hour later, while Xu Qing was cautiously checking the surroundings from a treetop, he distantly saw a creature that had been drawn by the teacher from the slums in the past, though it seemed out of place in the jungle. It was a jellyfish, its entire body emanating a chilling aura, its size resembling a mountain peak. It floated above the restricted zone, radiating a ghostly light. Its translucent body, under the sunlight, revealed countless decaying carcasses of aberrant beasts inside. Many tentacles swayed, each covered with bizarre eyes, but most of these eyes were closed, not opened. At this moment, it leisurely flew towards the depths of the restricted zone. Everywhere it passed, the jungle below was instantly frozen, and nothing could escape the chill. The aura it exuded was immensely powerful, far surpassing Xu Qing, who sensed that even those two ferocious bears were incredibly weak before this jellyfish. Even at this moment, just taking a distant glance, Xu Qing felt his body stiffen, and a strong sense of crisis rose from deep within his soul. Until the jellyfish disappeared into the distance, Xu Qing breathed out a sigh, gazing apprehensively at the frozen jungle area, which stretched like a line deep into the interior. “If this jellyfish's direction is towards me...” Xu Qing took a breath. He understood that in this perilous restricted zone jungle, he had an advantage over others because the foreign substance could be absorbed by his shadow. However, this advantage only allowed him to stay longer in the restricted zone. Unless one day he became stronger, that advantage would amplify infinitely. After a while, when Xu Qing left, he became more cautious in this restricted zone. Time passed quickly, and soon the sunset was about to fall, leaving only the afterglow illuminating the surroundings. The jungle also gradually echoed with more roars. Xu Qing, rushing through the interior, silently estimated the position on the map, realizing that if he hurried through the night, he should be able to exit the restricted zone before dawn. Just as he pondered whether to travel at night, suddenly, a rumble came from the distant jungle, accompanied by nearly anguished screams—a familiar voice. “The barbarian?” Xu Qing's eyes narrowed as he recognized the voice. He immediately leaped up and carefully approached, his slender figure agile and concealed within the jungle, making it hard for others to notice him. Soon, he arrived at the source of the roar, hiding in the treetop, where he saw six or seven corpses below, one of which was... the barbarian! His entire body was blackish-green, clearly aberrated, his body severed, a tragic death. The massive steel shield was also split into two pieces, a large and a small one, with the wolf tooth club scattered nearby, drenched in blood. Clearly, he had given his all in life and perished alongside his opponent during the aberration. Xu Qing fell silent, a deep sadness rising in his heart, and he saw not far away, Team Thunder was being surrounded by five people, his body turning blue, nearing the point of aberration! This scene made Xu Qing's pupils constrict, his grip on the iron spear tightening, and a fierce killing intent exploded in his eyes.