Chapter 327 - 299: Because I Have Summer and Winter Vacation

Chapter 327: Chapter 299: Because I Have Summer and Winter Vacation

BANG!

In an instant, Chen Che felt the same terror and helplessness Lu Qinglian had just experienced. This stream of Sword Qi whistled toward him, incredibly condensed and powerful enough to split mountains and shatter rock. A single strike could blast right through an unprotected True Master Fake Pill.

Even though he was prepared, the True Essence Shield he had deployed was instantly shattered.

However, after shattering the Shield, it collided with the Red Dragon Lock Chain.

CRACKLE!

Sparks flew as the chain vibrated, looking as if it might snap at any moment.

Everyone watched with their hearts in their throats. Even Xiao Chan had begun forming a Seal Technique, ready to take his place at a moment’s notice.

But in the end, Chen Che managed to block the Sword Qi.

’The power of this Sword Qi is probably equivalent to a strike from a Golden Core True Master. Good thing it’s just brute force, with no one controlling it. If there were even a hint of finesse, I probably wouldn’t have been able to block it.’

It had been a close call, but he was unharmed.

His True Essence was far denser and more vast than that of other Cultivators at the same tier. Furthermore, the True Essence produced by his Primordial Energy-Introducing Technique was exceptionally pure and condensed. As such, he had no concerns about simply blocking the Sword Qi.

After calming himself, he took another step forward.

TWANG!

The White Jade Small Sword seemed to have been provoked.

A brilliant Spiritual Light erupted from the sword, followed by several streams of Sword Qi that slashed down. Although this Sword Qi was generated from within the White Jade Small Sword itself, its power was no less than that of a Sword Cultivator’s strike, capable of cutting through gold and jade.

Even Ye Jiuming would have paled if he were here.

BAM, BAM, BAM.

Stream after stream of Sword Qi slammed into the Red Dragon Lock Chain, sending flames splashing everywhere. But Chen Che paid it no mind, pushing his True Essence to its absolute limit as he continued to walk forward, step by step.

CLINK CLINK CLINK!

Relying on the Red Dragon Lock Chain and his vast True Essence, he withstood the barrage of Sword Qi, managing to take a full twelve and a half steps before finally stopping.

At this point, he had just reached the spot where the first Golden Core True Master had met a violent end.

Chen Che glanced over and saw the body had been pierced by dozens of streams of Sword Qi, leaving a mangled corpse. And yet, the skin was still rosy and lifelike. If not for the scattered pieces of internal organs on the ground, it would almost look as if the person were merely sleeping there.

His weapon, a massive black saber, was stuck blade-down in a crack in the plaza.

’Looks like he was too reckless, trying to cross the plaza quickly and triggering the White Jade Small Sword. Hundreds of streams of Sword Qi in a single instant... even a Golden Core True Master couldn’t have blocked that.’

With that thought, he collected the corpse and the weapon.

Next, Xiao Chan stepped up.

He raised his hand, brandishing the Soul-Calling Banner, and led the way forward.

But he only managed five steps before stopping. He had also reached the second and third corpses. Interestingly, these two bodies were posed as if locked in a struggle of mutual destruction; they had been sliced into four pieces by the Sword Qi.

"These two must have discovered the Traveling Palace together and came to explore it. But here in the plaza, one of them suddenly attacked the other. The injured one, knowing they wouldn’t survive, dragged the other down with them to die together here," Lu Qinglian deduced at a glance.

"Men die for wealth, as birds die for food."

She wasn’t the only one.

Everyone else present sighed with emotion.

But after collecting the corpses, they cleared their minds of all distracting thoughts and continued forward.

"So the gap is this big, huh?"

When it was Chen Xi’s turn, he was utterly astonished. He had thought that since his Cultivation Realm was higher than Chen Che’s and he had been cultivating for longer, the difference between them wouldn’t be too great. But in the end, he had also only managed five steps, about the same as Xiao Chan.

One must understand that Xiao Chan was a Golden Core Sect Member, and an Evil Cultivator to boot.

It was no surprise that he was powerful.

But Chen Che... that was what was terrifying...

Although it seemed like a difference of only a few steps between them,

in reality, it was a gap in True Essence and foundation.

’If they were to fight, he could overwhelm me with his True Essence alone. And that’s with his Realm being lower than mine. If we were at the same Realm, what would the gap be then...?’

Meng Qianxun also shot Chen Che an astonished look, clearly having realized the same thing.

However, by this point, the five of them had covered a total of twenty-two and a half steps and collected five Golden Core Corpses.

"Let’s go back!"

Glancing over, Chen Che saw that everyone was tempted and clearly had no intention of stopping. It was he who calmly spoke up:

"Don’t forget our agreement. It’s time to go back. Better safe than sorry. This place has no room for greed. If you’re unwilling to give up, we can rest for a while and then try again..."

At his words, everyone averted their gaze.

"Let’s go back."

Opportunity was so close, yet just out of reach.

The group exchanged glances. Although disappointed, they readily agreed.

No one thought Chen Che was being overly cautious.

The thirteen Golden Core Corpses lying in the plaza were a constant reminder of the price of greed. There were countless opportunities in this world, but what did it matter how many there were? Only an opportunity seized and secured was truly yours.

Meng Qianxun then escorted them back.

Back on the greenstone path, everyone eagerly sat down to meditate and regulate their breathing. Half a day later, they made their second attempt.

With their prior experience, the group managed to advance twenty-five steps this time.

On the third try, twenty-seven steps.

They were still four steps away from the sixth Golden Core Corpse.

But this was their limit. If they pushed on, not even Meng Qianxun was confident he could escort everyone back safely. They had no choice but to give up for now.

...

Deep in the marsh, Hundred-Eyed Marsh Dragons swam about. They would occasionally dart past, their movements accompanied by a squirming sound that made one’s scalp tingle.

Now that the nearest one had been eliminated, they didn’t have to worry about these Demon Beasts suddenly breaking in.

On the greenstone path, everyone was utterly exhausted.

After two consecutive days of challenging the Array, not only was their True Essence depleted, but their bodies and minds were also worn out. The atmosphere, however, was quite lively. Lu Qinglian even had the leisure to roast some Hundred-Eyed Marsh Dragon meat.

Paired with a few pots of Spirit Wine, it made for a flavorful meal.

’The meat is already tough...’

Chen Che sat cross-legged, frowning as he took a bite. The texture of the Marsh Dragon meat was not very good.

Moreover, because it was so old, most of the energy within it had already dissipated; otherwise, it wouldn’t have been so easy for the group to deal with it.

Meng Qianxun, who still had some strength left, glanced at Chen Che, his heart filled with emotion.

He had cultivated for a very long time but rarely sought opportunities with Cultivators outside his clan, simply because he worried that people would turn on each other in the face of a great find.

’But this kid...’

’...he actually has the ability to bring everyone together.’

Just as he was thinking this, Chen Che, having finished eating and drinking his fill, began to speak:

"Let’s stop here for now. Twenty-seven steps is our limit. If we go any further, we’ll lose our rhythm. We’ll explore again next time after our Cultivation has improved. From now on, we’ll do this once every six months. Of course, we can also add new companions..."

"But any new companion must be tested by the others before they can join. As for the shares, they will be adjusted only after discussion among the group."

Chen Yin was a little confused. "We all understand the rule about shares, but why once every six months?"

The others also looked over curiously.

’Because that’s when I have my summer and winter breaks...’

Of course, he didn’t need to explain that part. After a moment of consideration, Chen Che smiled and said, "Six months is neither too long nor too short. It gives us enough time to make the necessary preparations. We can always adjust the schedule later if needed."

"Now, let’s divide the treasures."