"Although these shape-shifting demon beasts are powerful, from the current situation, there are only about a dozen of them. However, the number of people heading to Qilin Mountain is far more than just us."
Lin Chen looked at his four senior sisters, unable to understand why they were always thinking about fighting those shape-shifting great demons with their own strength. Could it be that the people of Jade Bird Peak have always been so unyielding? It was evident that they had the option of free fighters to scout the path for them.
"Are you suggesting, junior brother, that we should follow later, letting the people from other sects take the lead against those shape-shifting great demons and we act opportunistically when the time comes?"
Zhao Yijing was very astute. Upon hearing Lin Chen’s words, she immediately grasped the idea in his mind.
Indeed, the sects that entered into this relic were numerous, no less than ten, both large and small. Their own Jade Cauldron Sect, Lean Mountain Sect, Sword Qi Sect, and Black Cloud Sect were among the major players with numerous disciples and exceptional strength. They could do exactly as Lin Chen said and set out after the others.
Hearing what Zhao Yijing said, Xu Lianyu and the others immediately cast peculiar glances at Lin Chen, secretly thinking how many tricks their little junior brother had up his sleeve. But they unanimously agreed with Lin Chen’s approach.
"In that case, let’s rest here. Those shape-shifting great demons have already come this way; they probably won’t come looking again."
Speaking, Lin Chen led everyone back the way they had come, finding a wall near the edge of the Mysterious Forest in a mountain range, where they then worked together to carve out a cave that would serve as a temporary resting place.
Lin Chen then took out an Array Compass and set up an Illusion Array. From the outside looking towards the rock wall, the wall appeared intact, with the excavated cave and its interior invisible. Combined with a few large trees in front of the wall, it was even more concealed.
After everyone settled down, Zhao Yijing and the others began to heal and recover their spiritual power. As for Lin Chen, his cultivation technique allowed him to quickly return to peak condition, and now he had to prepare for the journey to Qilin Mountain.
He was well aware that heading to Qilin Mountain would inevitably encounter many troubles and surely lead to fierce battles.
This expedition into the relic had already consumed many of his elixirs and talisman inscriptions, although he had also harvested and collected various valuable spiritual medicines and materials. However, because many high-level materials were guarded by powerful magical beasts, Lin Chen had not acted at the time but had circumvented them.
After all, Lin Chen was unfamiliar with the relic and didn’t want to act rashly at that time.
But now that he knew the location of Qilin Mountain, he had to figure out a way to secure more cards to ensure his survival, to engage in the tough battles that awaited and to snatch even rarer resources.
At the moment, aside from his senior sisters in the cave, there were also Jade Cauldron Sect disciples they had rescued from a previous beast den.
The cultivation of these Jade Cauldron Sect disciples was not weak; they were all above the Seventh Layer of the Melding Earth Realm and were true disciples of the Jade Cauldron Sect. They were endlessly grateful to Lin Chen and the others for the rescue.
He took out all the spirit stones he had obtained from the relic, since most of them had been absorbed by the Primordial Myriad Transformation Cauldron. Now, in his Spatial Ring, there were only about ten thousand middle-grade spirit stones left.
When he brought out these spirit stones, it instantly caught everyone’s attention.
"Little junior brother, did Master give you a backdoor favor? Where did you get so many spirit stones?"
Upon seeing the mound-like quantity of middle-grade spirit stones that Lin Chen took out, Xu Lianyu immediately questioned him.
Seeing this, Lin Chen just shook his head, denying Xu Lianyu’s speculation.
Although Yang Yuemin was very generous with Lin Chen, taking out such a quantity of middle-grade spirit stones would still cause her pain, wouldn’t it?
Lin Chen distributed these spirit stones to his senior sisters. Seeing Lin Chen so freely offer the spirit stones for everyone to refine, Zhao Yijing and the others didn’t put on any airs. After all, who would reject an opportunity for power improvement?
They were all from Jade Bird Peak and had long treated Lin Chen as part of the family; naturally, they wouldn’t stand on ceremony.
As for the other people from Jade Cauldron Sect, they wanted a share as well but were rejected with a cold glance from Lin Chen.
These people really treated Lin Chen as if he ran a charity. He was willing to take out spirit stones, but that was for his senior sisters from his own peak; Lin Chen didn’t feel that he had too many spirit stones at all.
Ten days passed quietly.
After the others refined the spirit stones, their cultivation had indeed improved.
To Lin Chen, these spirit stones might not even be enough to break through a minor realm, but that was because the Primordial Myriad Transformation Art was powerful, requiring several times the spiritual power of ordinary people for him to advance his cultivation.
For Zhao Yijing and the others, however, the spirit stones were a different story.
Zhao Yijing’s injuries had also recovered by seventy to eighty percent, giving her the fighting strength of the peak of the Melding Earth Realm.
As for Lin Chen’s other three senior sisters, their cultivation levels had all broken through. The second senior sister Liang Rou and third senior sister Mu Shuier had both reached the Eighth Layer of Melding Earth Realm, while Xu Lianyu had broken through to the Seventh Layer of that realm.
"Little junior brother, thank you. This act of kindness will be remembered in my heart. When we return to the sect, I will find a way to properly thank you," his senior sisters sincerely thanked him.
Seeing his senior sisters all improve in their cultivation, Lin Chen was genuinely happy.
"Senior sisters, you consolidate your cultivation here for now. I will go back into the forest to scout, and see if anything is out of the ordinary. If there isn’t, we’ll set out."
Lin Chen said to his senior sisters. Xu Lianyu wanted to follow Lin Chen, but Zhao Yijing stopped her.
They had all witnessed Lin Chen’s capabilities; he could move more conveniently on his own than if he took someone with him.
After getting the permission from his senior sisters, Lin Chen once again entered the mysterious forest.
After entering the Mysterious Forest, Lin Chen soon encountered martial artists from other sects. After some negotiation, he learned that during the ten days they were in seclusion, all of the warriors had entered the forest and even went to the entrance of Mt. Taiyin to clash with the magical beasts.