173: Chapter 173 The Fifth Life, The Blazing Sun Illuminates the Martial Path (121)

Time flew by like fleeting quicksand; in the blink of an eye, the Formation had flickered one hundred and eighty times.

In the Secret Realm, there were no sun, moon, or stars, nor spring, summer, autumn, or winter. There was only the constant light of the Formation, cycling from bright to warm yellow and back to bright again.

During this half-year, the five of them lived a life as precise as clockwork.

Every time the light turned warm, they would stop Cultivating right on time.

Ling Chen would drag Chu Shi into the depths of the grassland to forage. When luck was on their side, they could catch one or two Copper-Skin Rabbits or Green-Fur Deer to improve their meals.

After breakfast, they would head out together from the Green-Blood Grassland to the Scarlet Flame Hills to scavenge for the Heaven And Earth Treasure left behind by those who had gone before.

They had skirmished with herds of Fire-Mane Cattle, been chased all over the mountains by packs of Lava Hounds, and had come to blows with other Martial Artists over a cluster of Mind-Focusing Flowers.

The resources in the Scarlet Flame Hills were becoming increasingly scarce. Eventually, they had to venture deep into the heart of the hills, turning over every rock crevice just to find one or two stray Scarlet Flame Fruits.

Every time they returned to the Temporal Platform, exhausted and with meager gains, they would immediately activate the maximum acceleration and sink into their Cultivation.

When the medicinal effects wore off, they would go out to forage again. This cycle repeated endlessly.

Was it monotonous? Of course, it was.

But no one complained.

Because they all understood that in this world where the strong prey on the weak, strength was everything.

Every minute and every second in the Secret Realm was precious.

Chu Shi remained the one progressing the fastest among the five.

He only slept for one hour a day, using all the remaining time for Cultivation.

His Foundation was terrifyingly solid. From the initial 4.9 times to the later 5.5 times, and now to 6 times speed, he could maintain it for over a dozen hours at a time.

By now, he had already tempered the last bone of his upper limbs and was on the verge of a Breakthrough to the Middle Stage of the Copper Bone Realm.

Ling Chen was following closely behind, also nearing a Breakthrough.

Just a few days ago, he had excitedly declared that once he achieved his Breakthrough, he would go find that guy in grey who had once snatched his herbs to settle the score.

The result was that he was shut down by a single sentence from Chu Shi.

"That person is probably already at the Golden Ear Valley by now, while you can't even make it out of the Scarlet Flame Hills."

However, not only was this guy not dejected, but he also seized the opportunity to seek comfort from Princess Xiao Yunyao for a long time.

It left Chu Shi and the others speechless.

This day was no different from any other.

Chu Shi sat cross-legged on the metal platform, with waves of crimson-gold Qi surging around his body.

His skin shimmered with a faint metallic luster, and every breath he took carried a scorching heat.

Suddenly, his body gave a violent jolt.

"Hum!"

A low and crisp metallic ring echoed from within his body.

The sound was not loud, yet it reverberated across the silent Temporal Platform like a clap of thunder.

Ling Chen and the other three, who were in the middle of Cultivation, opened their eyes simultaneously and looked straight at Chu Shi.

They saw the golden Qi waves around Chu Shi suddenly surge, roiling like boiling water.

The bones inside his body emitted a dense series of crisp cracks. The sixty-four dark golden upper limb bones, washed over by the Blazing Sun True Qi, slowly connected together, forming an indestructible whole.

A sense of immense power erupted from Chu Shi's body.

He slowly opened his eyes, two golden flashes of light flickering and then vanishing. He raised his right hand and gently clenched his fist.

"Crack!"

His knuckles collided, emitting a sharp sound like tempered steel striking together.

He could clearly feel that with a single punch now, he could easily crush the red copper ingots piled on the platform into copper dust.

Middle Stage of the Copper Bone Realm, achieved.

Combined with his Blazing Sun Body, Blazing Sun Fist Imprint, and Great Sun Vajra Body, he now had the strength to fight even if he encountered a Martial Artist at the Late Stage of the Copper Bone Realm head-on.

"Brother Chu! You've had a Breakthrough!" Ling Chen was the first to jump up, shouting excitedly.

Chen Lingxi, Princess Xiao Yunyao, and Xiao Weizhao also gathered around, their faces filled with sincere smiles.

"Congratulations, Senior Brother Chu." Chen Lingxi nodded slightly, her tone carrying a hint of joy.

"Big Brother Chu is amazing!" Princess Xiao Yunyao clapped her hands, her eyes sparkling.

"In a few days, Little Chenzi will also have his Breakthrough. By then, our team will have two at the Middle Stage!"

Xiao Weizhao looked at Chu Shi, nodded gently, a flash of relief passing through her eyes.

Chu Shi smiled at them and nodded in return.

Then, he suppressed the joy in his heart and looked up at the boundless green grassland at the edge of the platform, his gaze deep.

Two years of time in the Secret Realm had already passed, a full quarter of the total.

The resources of the Scarlet Flame Hills were completely exhausted.

Even if they scavenged everything that remained, it wouldn't provide much of an acceleration bonus.

At this rate, let alone the Peak of the Copper Bone Realm, it would be good if he could even touch the threshold of the Late Stage before the Secret Realm closed.

If he wanted to rush to the Peak of the Copper Bone Realm within the remaining year and a half and fulfill his promise to his Revered Master, he had to go to places further away.

Golden Ear Valley.

Cold Iron Mountain Land.

Or even the outermost Snow Mountain Wall.

That was where the top-tier auxiliary Heaven And Earth Treasure that could truly help him improve rapidly could be found.

Chu Shi withdrew his gaze and looked at the four people in front of him, his tone calm but filled with unquestionable determination:

"I plan to set off tomorrow for the Golden Ear Valley."

Upon hearing this, the smiles on their faces gradually faded.

They all understood what Chu Shi meant.

The low-tier Heaven And Earth Treasure in the Scarlet Flame Hills were of too low a grade and were nearly exhausted.

The only way to rush to the Peak of the Copper Bone Realm in the remaining year and a half was to go to the more outer regions of the Golden Ear Valley, or even further to the Cold Iron Mountain Land.

That was where the Heaven And Earth Treasure capable of providing a 50% or even higher acceleration bonus could be found.

"I'll go with you!" Ling Chen said immediately.

"I feel like I'll have my Breakthrough to the Middle Stage in two more days. When that happens, the two of us can go together, and we can look out for each other."

"No." Chu Shi shook his head.

"You are on the path of a Spell Cultivator; at this Realm, your advantages are not obvious.

"Besides, Lingxi and the others still need someone to look after them.

"The Golden Ear Valley is not like the Scarlet Flame Hills; the Black Iron Crocodiles and Golden-Fur Apes there are not to be trifled with.

"Wait until they all have their Breakthroughs to the Middle Stage, then team up to explore; it will be much safer."

Ling Chen opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but was interrupted by Chen Lingxi.

"Senior Brother Chu is right."

She bit her lip, "It will take at least three to five months for Yunyao, Sister Weizhao, and me to have our Breakthroughs to the Middle Stage.

"If you wait for us, the treasures in the Golden Ear Valley and the Cold Iron Mountain Land will have long been snatched up by those who went before."

Princess Xiao Yunyao also nodded vigorously: "That's right, Big Brother Chu, you go first!

"We will take good care of ourselves. Once we have our Breakthroughs, we will come to find you and regroup!"

Xiao Weizhao looked at Chu Shi and said softly: "Be careful. If you encounter danger, don't push yourself; come back first."

Chu Shi looked at the four people before him, a warm current welling up in his heart.

He knew Ling Chen was worried about him, and he knew the three girls were worried too.

But time waits for no one, and resources in the Secret Realm are always first come, first served.

Arriving a day late could mean missing out on a Bone-Washing Lotus that could save months of Cultivation time, or even a Blood Jade Ginseng.

"Alright." Chu Shi nodded heavily.

"I will be careful.

"Don't wander around here; the remaining resources in the Scarlet Flame Hills are enough for you to use until you reach the Middle Stage.

"Once you have all had your Breakthroughs, come find me in the Golden Ear Valley.

"I will leave my mark on the largest Golden Ear Rice plant at the entrance of the valley."