Chapter 14: Surrounded by Crisis (First Update, 5000 words)

"What exactly is the purple crystal? And what about that shadow that possesses a sense of evil encroachment? Is the disappearance of the alienation points related to it?"

Xu Qing could not figure it out. As he pondered and analyzed, the figures of the Lei Ting squad members returned to him one after another; each of them cast a glance at him as they passed by.

Xu Qing collected his thoughts, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

No matter what that was, it was not important at this moment.

After resting, it was his turn to continue the fight.

Xu Qing stood up, wiped the iron skewer on his body to make its cold light shine once more, and the moment Shi Zi walked past him, he lunged out fiercely.

His speed was so fast that he was upon the pursuing wolf pack in an instant.

The sounds of slaughter and screams blended together, as if it were a baptism for the youth.

It caused him, who had survived the god opening its eyes and lived through the rain of blood, to reveal a sharpness that was being gradually honed amidst the scattering glow of the setting sun!

This time, he held out for even longer.

And time slowly slipped away under the continuous retreat and rotating resistance of the Lei Ting squad.

The sunset vanished, the bright moon hung high, and the night within the forbidden zone descended, but the sounds of slaughter continued.

Until... when their exhaustion reached its limit, all the Bai Dan were consumed, and the concentration of foreign matter in their bodies was nearing the alienation critical point, dawn arrived.

The wolf pack finally began to disperse.

As the morning light spilled down, the last black-scaled wolf in the forbidden zone jungle looked at them wearily, vanished into the distance, and the surroundings slowly grew quiet.

Everyone was covered in thick layers of blood, lying on the ground now, panting heavily.

Xu Qing was no exception; even with the recovery from the purple crystal, the mental tension still left him utterly exhausted.

"Finally... survived." Luan Ya, nearby, murmured. Struggling to sit up, she looked at Xu Qing and spoke softly.

"Thank you."

Man Gui was also panting, giving Xu Qing a thumbs-up.

Throughout the night's slaughter, Xu Qing's contributions and duration exceeded those of Lei Ting and Shi Zi; it could even be said that if not for him, some of them might have already alienated before the wolf pack retreated.

Only Xu Qing, lying there looking at the sky, felt deep confusion alongside his exhaustion.

During this night's battle, the speed at which foreign matter accumulated in his body was significantly slower than before.

He even had a feeling as if his own foreign matter was disappearing on its own at every moment.

While everyone was resting, Lei Ting rubbed his brow, his stern gaze sweeping over Shi Zi and the others, and he spoke in a hoarse voice.

"This matter cannot be a coincidence. The persistent pursuit of the black-scaled wolves is more like something is attracting them. Therefore, take out the foreign items you have obtained during this period; we will check them carefully. I suspect this matter... is man-made."

Following Lei Ting's words, Shi Zi and the others also felt this was true, so they began to check themselves and took out their external items.

Xu Qing's heart also skipped a beat. Just as he was considering if it was the iron piece from Ma Si's belongings, Luan Ya nearby suddenly let out a cry of surprise, pointing toward Man Gui's side.

Among the items Man Gui took out was a wooden box.

The wooden box was dilapidated, appearing to be continuously corroding on its own, and wisps of faint scent were drifting out. Because the scents in the forbidden zone jungle were complex, it was hard to distinguish if one did not sniff carefully.

"How did this thing corrode by itself?" Man Gui was surprised.

Lei Ting immediately stepped forward, picked up the wooden box, and handed it to Luan Ya. Luan Ya sniffed it carefully, her expression turning ugly as she nodded.

"How did you get this thing?" Lei Ting looked at Man Gui.

"I bought it at the camp's stall the day I returned; it was filled with insect-repellent powder..." Man Gui scratched his head.

"This is made from the feces of butterfly rabbits. It will ignite on its own when encountering external stimulation and can attract scaled creatures... black-scaled wolves are also a type of scaled creature."

Luan Ya looked at Man Gui and spoke slowly.

Man Gui stood there stunned.

The atmosphere all around suddenly froze, and Xu Qing also narrowed his eyes.

After a long while, Lei Ting shook his head.

"Man Gui was tricked. One can imagine who would be able to set such a trap for us in the camp."

"Blood Shadow squad!" Shi Zi spoke coldly from the side.

"With the Blood Shadow squad setting it up like this, it's hard to say they don't have a backup plan, and we are in poor condition right now..." Luan Ya hesitated.

"Then, shall we continue forward to the harvesting site to complete the mission, or withdraw now? What do you think?" Lei Ting looked up into the distance and spoke slowly.

Xu Qing looked thoughtful and did not speak.

The others also looked at each other, and finally, Shi Zi spoke with difficulty.

"Captain, it's not very far from our harvesting point, and everyone has suffered too much loss this time. If we return empty-handed..."

Lei Ting was silent, sweeping his gaze over Man Gui and Luan Ya. The former lowered his head in guilt, while the latter had unwillingness in her eyes. After a long while, he sighed softly.

"Continue forward. Once we reach the harvesting point, we must collect as quickly as possible, then everyone will disperse along different paths, leave separately, and rendezvous at the camp."

Lei Ting made the final decision. After a brief rest, the group continued forward in the forbidden zone jungle.

On the way, Xu Qing approached Luan Ya and took out the amber he had obtained from Fatty Shan, asking her what it was.

Upon seeing the amber, Luan Ya was startled. She took it to examine it carefully and told Xu Qing that this object was the poisonous tail of a Ghost-Faced Scorpion.

This scorpion is poisonous, but it is not impossible to neutralize, and it has excellent medicinal properties. After being poisoned, one can instantly unleash their own potential, but it cannot be sustained. One must detoxify immediately after the burst, so it is mostly raised by people and is quite valuable.

Xu Qing understood. After thanking her, he put it away.

Afterward, the group remained vigilant, observing their surroundings closely while moving forward at high speed.

Only, compared to before, they were much more silent along the way this time.

Perhaps because of the appearance of the black-scaled wolves yesterday, most of the other fierce beasts in this area had been driven away.

So, walking all the way, the Lei Ting squad did not encounter any danger. Just like that, two hours later, they finally arrived at the boundary between the outer perimeter and the deep part of the forbidden zone.

The terrain here was no longer just jungle; some small hills and streams appeared, though the stream water was black and could not be drunk.

And in a place where the jungle was dense, a small path was hidden. The end of it opened up to a different world—it was actually a small canyon.

When Xu Qing and the others walked into this canyon, what appeared in his eyes seemed like another world.

The top here was covered by dense vines growing all around, like a roof, so sunlight could not fully fall in. Inside, there were no large trees, and the ground was covered with flowers and grass.

Flowers the size of fists, in various colors, filled the entire canyon, accompanied by many grasses that emitted a blue crystalline light.

Each plant had seven leaves.

The light they emitted was like stars, making the quiet canyon seem to transform into a tranquil starry sky, possessing a very unique beauty.

This was the harvesting point that the Lei Ting squad had once discovered, and every such harvesting point was top-secret—the foundation of the squad's survival.

Upon arriving here, because harvesting required special techniques, they did not let Xu Qing participate but instead dispersed to harvest on their own; this way, the speed was faster and there was no loss.

Xu Qing noted their techniques and did not force himself to join in, but instead sat cross-legged and breathed silently.

Having experienced yesterday's battle, he discovered that his cultivation base seemed to have improved quite a bit through constant tempering and was now at the critical point of a breakthrough.

In order to have better survival capabilities in the upcoming crises, Xu Qing did not waste time. Even though he was in the forbidden zone, he still circulated the Sea Mountain Art within his body, absorbing spiritual energy from the surroundings.

With the emergence of spiritual energy, a wind rose in the canyon.

Lei Ting looked at Xu Qing and did not stop him. He knew very well that the possibility of being ambushed on the return journey was extremely high. At this time, an increase in strength was the guarantee of survival.

Not long after, amidst their harvesting, Xu Qing's body gradually emitted thumping sounds.

Bursts of filth oozed out from all the pores on his body, melting the blood on his skin. As it fused with the filth, the flesh and blood all over his body were also rapidly absorbing the spiritual energy, becoming increasingly tough as they were nourished.

Until this sound grew stronger and stronger, and after reaching its limit, it suddenly stopped, and a roar echoed in Xu Qing's mind.

The blood vessels all over his body bulged fiercely under his skin, and his flesh and blood were filled with spiritual energy at this moment, as if containing more astonishing power and speed than ever before.

All of this transformed into a sharp aura that permeated his body, and the spiritual energy fluctuations outside his body also spread in all directions.

Sea Mountain Art, third layer.

Xu Qing slowly lowered his head and opened his eyes.

The purple light that flashed in his eyes was invisible to anyone, but there was no joy of a breakthrough in his eyes; instead, it was replaced by deep confusion.

What he looked down at was his own mottled shadow appearing under the scattered sunlight.

Just now, while cultivating, he clearly felt something was wrong. The spiritual energy he absorbed through breathing, after being separated by the Sea Mountain Art, nourished his whole body with the pure part.

But the foreign matter... actually did not flow into his arm to form an alienation point, but instead... flowed into his shadow.

It was as if the shadow had devoured that portion of foreign matter.

After a long while, Xu Qing finally raised his head and suppressed all his confusion in his heart.

He looked at Lei Ting and the others who were about to finish harvesting, and his gaze looked far away, following the end of the canyon toward the depths of the jungle.

Vaguely, he could see that in the far distance ahead, there seemed to be some buildings, as if a series of temples were connected together, silent in time, permeating an ancient aura.

"Those are buildings left behind from an unknown era, and they are also the furthest boundary we scavengers can go. We cannot go beyond them, but if you encounter danger nearby, you can go there to hide for a while."

Lei Ting, having finished harvesting his share, came to Xu Qing's side, looked toward the temple complex along his gaze, and spoke slowly.

"A boundary, huh." Xu Qing nodded.

"That's right. Some say that in that era of the past, the reason this forbidden zone formed was because a god looked at these temples. Some scavengers have also gone there to explore; there is nothing there, except for a special kind of small stone that can appear from time to time."

Lei Ting took out a portion of the seven-leaf grass he had harvested and put it into another leather bag.

"How is it special?" Xu Qing asked curiously.

"Ground into powder and sprinkled on scars that haven't formed for very long, it can remove the scars without leaving a trace. However, it's useless for us scavengers, but occasionally some big shots need it." After Lei Ting finished speaking, he looked at Shi Zi and the others.

At this moment, Shi Zi, Man Gui, and Luan Ya had also finished harvesting. Under Lei Ting's arrangement, everyone took out a portion and placed it in the leather bag Lei Ting was holding.

Finally, after dividing the seven-leaf grass into five portions, Lei Ting handed the fifth leather bag to Xu Qing.

"This is yours. From now on, everyone will disperse and leave, breaking into smaller groups; the probability of getting out is higher." After Lei Ting finished speaking, he looked at Xu Qing and gave him a map.

"Kid, my target is too big, and I am bound to be the focus of Blood Shadow's attention. Moreover, as the captain, I must also provide cover for you all. You get out as quickly as possible and wait for me at the camp."

Lei Ting spoke in a deep voice. Under the silent gaze of his other teammates, he walked out of the canyon and vanished in a flash.

Xu Qing wanted to say something, but before he could, Lei Ting had already gone far away.

Shi Zi patted Xu Qing on the shoulder and left as well.

Finally, it was Man Gui and Luan Ya; after each had explained their own experiences to him in detail, they left in a hurry.

Xu Qing watched them silently, put the Seven-Leaf Grass away, and then turned back to look at the cluster of temples in the distance.

After a while, Xu Qing turned around, took a deep breath, and dashed toward the entrance of the canyon; his speed, having reached the third level of Body Refining, was clearly faster than before, and in an instant, he disappeared at the entrance.

Inside the forbidden zone jungle, Xu Qing moved like an agile ape, weaving through constantly; he did not take the path he had come by, but instead followed the markings on the map, taking a detour.

Furthermore, following the experience he had learned on the way here, he distinguished the dangers, and the few strange beasts he occasionally encountered were all successfully dealt with by him.

At the same time, he also repeatedly paid attention to his own shadow under the sunlight, a strange look flashing in his eyes.

He had already tried it; whether it was absorbing spiritual energy or taking deep breaths, the strange substances contained in all things, after entering his body, would slowly flow into his shadow, just as he had felt during his previous breakthrough!

If one were to trace it back, this matter began to appear after the purple crystal emitted a cold current.

It was not until his Sea Mountain Art reached the third level that it manifested more and more clearly.

His own shadow seemed to have mutated... after the purple crystal snatched away the shadow of the Black-Scaled Wolf.

This weirdness caused Xu Qing’s eyes to slowly narrow.

He rolled up the sleeve of his left arm to look; there was only one mutation spot on his arm, and it was already extremely faint at this moment—if one did not look carefully, it was hard to see any trace.

According to this development, the strange substances in his body would become less and less, until they reached a state of pure perfection.

And this kind of perfection... Xu Qing had seen it on the bamboo slip of the Sea Mountain Art; only those with extremely noble status in the birthplace of the human race on the Vast Ancient Continent could enjoy it.

"Is it the effect of the purple crystal?" Xu Qing muttered, squatting on a tree branch, staring blankly at the sky for a while.

After a long time, he touched the place on his chest where the purple crystal was embedded, remained silent for a moment, and when he looked up, he buried all his doubts in his heart, his figure flickered, and he dived into the jungle to continue moving forward.

Although the strange substances no longer posed a threat to him for the time being, this was only one of the many dangers in the forbidden zone; on the road ahead, Xu Qing still encountered some crises.

For example, at this moment, he saw two mutated bears whose aura surpassed that of Lei Ting.

On the backs of these bears, there were actually huge, colorful spiders crawling; countless silk threads spread from the spiders' abdomens and burrowed into the bears' bodies, as if controlling them.

This caused these two violent bears to lose control of themselves while running.

Trees were smashed directly by them, and if they encountered other strange beasts in their way, they were also torn into two halves; the sense of brutality was extremely obvious.

If it weren't for the fact that their target of pursuit was a red tiger and they didn't pay attention to Xu Qing, and that Xu Qing had also fled rapidly at the first opportunity, it would likely have been extremely dangerous.

And the dangers from the forbidden zone were not just these.

An hour later, when Xu Qing was cautiously checking the surrounding direction from a tree canopy, he saw from afar a creature that seemed like it shouldn't appear in the jungle.

It was a jellyfish that emitted coldness from its entire body and was as huge as a mountain peak.

It emitted a ghostly light from its whole body and drifted through the air above the forbidden zone.

As sunlight penetrated its translucent body, one could see that there were countless rotting corpses of strange beasts inside.

Among the swaying mass of tentacles, every tentacle was covered with weird eyes, only these eyes were mostly closed at the moment and not opened.

At this moment, it was leisurely flying toward the depths of the forbidden zone; wherever it passed over the jungle below, it was instantly frozen, and all existence could not escape the cold tribulation.

The strength of the aura on its body was unknown how many times it surpassed Xu Qing's; in Xu Qing's perception, even those two violent bears were extremely fragile in front of this jellyfish.

Even just taking a look from afar at this moment, Xu Qing’s body went stiff, and a strong sense of crisis welled up from the depths of his soul.

It was not until the jellyfish went far away and disappeared that Xu Qing exhaled a breath, looking with lingering fear at the frozen jungle area in the distance, which looked like a straight line extending into the depths.

"If the direction of this jellyfish was toward me..." Xu Qing took a breath.

He understood that in this dangerous forbidden zone jungle, because his strange substances could be absorbed by his shadow, he had some advantages over others.

But this advantage now only allowed him to stay in the forbidden zone for a longer time.

Unless one day, he became stronger; only then would this advantage be infinitely magnified.

After a while, when Xu Qing left, he was even more cautious in this forbidden zone.

Just like this, time passed, and soon the sunset was about to fall, with only the afterglow shining.

More roars gradually came from within the jungle; Xu Qing, who was dashing inside, silently estimated the orientation of the map, knowing that if he traveled through the night, he should be able to walk out of the forbidden zone before dawn.

And just as he was pondering whether to travel at night, suddenly, a roar came from the jungle in the distance, accompanied by a near-piercing scream; the voice was very familiar.

"Man Gui?" Xu Qing’s eyes narrowed, recognizing the voice.

He immediately leaped up and approached carefully; his thin figure was agile and hidden in the jungle, making it hard for him to be discovered.

Thus, not long after, he arrived at the place where the roars came from, hid in a tree canopy, and saw six or seven corpses below, one of which... was exactly Man Gui!

His whole body was blue-black, clearly mutated, his head and body were separated, and his state of death was extremely miserable.

The huge steel shield was also split in two, turning into one large and one small piece, and the mace was also scattered nearby, stained with blood.

Clearly, he had exhausted everything before his death, perishing together with his opponent during the mutation.

Xu Qing was silent, a sense of sorrow rising in his heart, and he saw not far away, Lei Ting, who was being besieged by five people, his whole body turning blue, gradually unable to hold on and also nearing mutation!

This scene made Xu Qing’s pupils contract, the iron skewer in his hand gripped tightly, and the sharp killing intent in his eyes erupted instantly.

Seeing that everyone likes this book, I am very happy, and seeing that you are asking for more updates, received!