17: Chapter 17 Corpses and Alarms

Time flowed like water, streaming along with quiet ripples.

Since resuming hunting, Lin Cangchen had followed the Family hunting team into the Black Wind Mountain Range several more times. The process was already familiar: assemble, depart, search, fight, harvest, and extract. He was like a hardworking farmer, diligently tilling his own 'experience field,' except that what he harvested wasn't crops, but various 'attribute cards' and the occasional Yao Beast Materials.

After several hunts, he had accumulated over a dozen [Strength Card (Weak)] and [Agility Card (Weak)], all of which he used on the spot without hesitation. Now he could feel that the strength and agility contained within his ten-year-old body far exceeded that of ordinary Qi Refining Second Layer Cultivators, and even rivaled some Clan Uncles at the Qi Refining Third Layer who specialized in Body Refining. The feeling of being lighter and more powerful in every movement was quite satisfying.

He also drew two more [Physical Defense Card (Weak)], which he likewise consumed immediately. Now, he could barely feel any pain from ordinary scratches by thorns, as his skin's toughness had greatly increased.

Of course, the biggest surprise came after a battle against a first-rank middle-grade 'Blazing Flame Fox.' When Lin Cangchen habitually thought of extracting from the fox's corpse with its brilliant fur, a card different from the usual ones, carrying a faint crimson glow, appeared in his consciousness space.

[Fire Attribute Monster Spiritual Qi Card (Trace Amount)]

Description: Derived from a first-rank middle-grade Blazing Flame Fox, purified by the System, it contains pure fire-attribute monster Spiritual Qi. It can be absorbed without side effects to increase cultivation.

"Oho?!" Lin Cangchen's heart skipped a beat. "A new variety has appeared! And it can directly increase my cultivation!"

He suppressed the urge to use it immediately, waiting until a break in the hunt. Only then did he use the excuse of relieving himself to run to a secluded spot and silently thought "Use."

A stream of pure Spiritual Qi, warm with a hint of heat, instantly flooded his Meridians and merged into the qi vortex in his Dantian. This Spiritual Qi was more condensed than the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi he usually absorbed, and easier to refine than the medicinal power of a qi gathering pill. With almost no resistance, it transformed into part of his own spiritual power.

"Refreshing!" Lin Cangchen felt the qi vortex in his Dantian grow visibly larger, equivalent to several days of hard cultivation! "This effect is much stronger than a qi gathering pill. More importantly, there's no medicinal resistance, and I don't need to spend time refining it!"

This unexpected gain made his enthusiasm for hunting soar. Unfortunately, the trigger rate for such [Monster Spiritual Qi Card] seemed extremely low. It didn't appear again in subsequent hunts, leaving him feeling somewhat melancholic, like one who, having seen the vast ocean, finds other waters trivial.

However, the steady improvement in his cultivation was real. Driven by Medicinal Pills, spiritual rice, persistent cultivation, and that unexpected [Fire Attribute Monster Spiritual Qi Card], he felt he had already covered most of the path in the Qi Refining Second Layer and was not far from the Peak. But according to the normal speed for Five Spirit Roots, even with these aids, reaching the Bottleneck of the Second Layer Peak would likely still require two or three months of painstaking effort. Regarding this, Lin Cangchen maintained a calm mindset; with the System's Golden Finger, he was already much luckier than the vast majority of Five Spirit Roots Cultivators.

On this day, the hunting team ventured dozens of miles deep into the outer reaches of the Black Wind Mountain Range as usual. The trees here were increasingly dense, the light was dim, and the air was filled with the faint scent of decaying leaves and damp soil.

"Everyone, be careful. We are approaching the activity area of some first-rank High Grade Yao Beasts," Captain Lin Lingyan reminded them in a low voice, his expression more alert than usual.

Everyone nodded one after another, restraining their auras and slowing their pace.

When they reached a rocky gully, Lin Lingyun, who was walking ahead, suddenly stopped. His nose twitched a few times as he whispered, "There's a scent of blood, very fresh."

The hunting team immediately entered a state of alert, spreading out in a fan shape and cautiously moving towards the source of the scent.

Rounding several massive rocks, the scene before them made everyone's pupils shrink.

A corpse wearing the gray attire of a Loose Cultivator lay face up among the rocks. There was a charred hole in the corpse's chest, with a trace of uncomfortable, corrosive dark red energy remaining on the edges. The corpse's face was dark blue, and its eyes were wide open, filled with the terror and pain felt before death. There were slight signs of a struggle in the surrounding vegetation.

"It's a Cultivator!" Lin Lingshi whispered.

Lin Lingyan stepped forward quickly, squatting to inspect it with his brow furrowed tightly. "The time of death was no more than a day ago. The fatal wound is this strike to the chest; the power it contains is very strange... there's residual Devilish Qi!"

"Devilish Qi?" Everyone's hearts tightened. Another devil Cultivator!

Lin Cangchen also drew closer, his gaze scanning the corpse. The deceased's cultivation wasn't high, around the third or fourth layer of Qi Refining—a standard low-level Loose Cultivator. He silently thought, "Extract."

A card quietly emerged.

[Pure Spiritual Qi Card (Trace Amount)]

As expected, humanoid mobs still gave regular Spiritual Qi. Lin Cangchen felt a bit disappointed, but he used it anyway; even mosquito legs are meat.

"It seems he was killed for his treasures," Lin Lingyu observed the surroundings. "The Storage Pouch is gone."

Lin Lingyan stood up, his expression grave. "This place isn't safe to stay for long. If we could find it, others can too. Take the corpse and return to the Family immediately!"

The devil Cultivator had appeared again, and had killed someone near the hunting area where the Lin Family frequently operated; this was no small matter. It had to be reported immediately.

The group no longer had any heart for hunting. With Lin Lingyan personally carrying the Loose Cultivator's corpse on his back, the team sped towards the Family's location at their fastest pace.

Nothing was said along the way, and the atmosphere was stifling. Everyone realized that their peaceful days might be broken once again.

Hurrying along, they returned to the Lin Family's ancestral land by evening. The setting sun cast a warm glow over the bluestone buildings, but it couldn't dispel the gloom in everyone's hearts.

Lin Lingyan carried the corpse and led the team straight to the Family's Great Hall.

However, just as they reached the hall's entrance, they noticed something was off. Inside the hall, there were not only the auras of Clan Leader Lin Yaozong and the two Elders, but also a strange yet somewhat familiar Eighth Layer of Qi Refining Spiritual Pressure!

"Elder Li?" Lin Lingyan paused, surprise showing on his face.

Lin Cangchen's heart also stirred: What a coincidence? That external affairs Elder from the Li Clan is here again?

The Clan Members guarding the hall saw them, especially the corpse on Lin Lingyan's back. Their expressions changed, and they hurried inside to report.

Soon, the Clan Leader's voice came from inside: "Ling Yan, you all come in."

Lin Lingyan took a deep breath and, carrying the corpse, led the hunting team members into the Great Hall.

The situation inside the hall was just as they had sensed. Clan Leader Lin Yaozong, Great Elder Lin Yaoshan, and Second Elder Lin Yaohai were all present, while seated in the guest spot was that very same Elder Li, the external affairs Elder of the Li Clan, who had visited half a month ago.

However, at this moment, Elder Li's expression was not as indifferent as last time, but carried a hint of solemnity.

When Lin Lingyan gently placed the Loose Cultivator's corpse in the center of the hall, Elder Li's gaze instantly sharpened, staring fixedly at the charred hole in the corpse's chest and the residual dark red Devilish Qi.

"Where was this found?" Elder Li's voice carried a hint of coldness.

Lin Lingyan didn't dare to be slow and recounted the process of finding the corpse in detail.

After hearing the account, Elder Li and the three including Lin Yaozong looked at each other, their expressions becoming even heavier.

"Elder Li, your visit this time..." Lin Yaozong asked tentatively.

Elder Li sighed and stood up. He walked to the corpse and carefully inspected the residual Devilish Qi before turning back to look at Lin Yaozong and the Lin Family members: "This Elder has come this time precisely for this matter."

He paused, looked around, and spoke solemnly: "Recently, within the borders of Luoxia County, there have been several cases of Loose Cultivators disappearing or being killed, all with similar residual Devilish Qi at the scene. It has been confirmed by my Li Clan that a group of devil Cultivators has indeed drifted into our county. Their strength is unknown, but they act ruthlessly, specifically targeting low-level Loose Cultivators or lone Cultivators from small families active on the edges of Luoxia Mountain."

"The Li Clan has issued an order: all Qi Refining families in the subordinate towns must increase their vigilance and reduce unnecessary outdoor activities, especially venturing deep into the Black Wind Mountain Range. If any traces of devil Cultivators are found, report them immediately; do not act on your own to avoid alerting the enemy or meeting with misfortune."

He looked at the corpse on the ground and then at Lin Lingyan and the others. "The corpse your Lin Family hunting team brought back this time, along with the clues provided previously, all confirm the activity of this group of devil Cultivators. You have done well, but from now on, you must be even more careful."

Lin Yaozong quickly cupped his hands. "Thank you for informing us, Elder Li! We will certainly follow the Li Clan's orders and increase our vigilance."

Elder Li nodded, flipped his wrist, and took out a small jade bottle. "Here are three qi recovery pills that can quickly restore spiritual power. They are awarded to the hunting team that brought back the corpse as an encouragement."

"Thank you, Elder Li!" Lin Lingyan and the others thanked him again. Although a qi recovery pill was not as precious as a qi condensing pill, it was a good thing for saving one's life and recovering during battle.

Elder Li said no more, gesturing for his accompanying Li Clan Members to handle the Loose Cultivator's corpse. He then took his leave from Lin Yaozong and departed in a hurry, presumably to notify families in other towns.

Inside the hall, only the Lin Family members remained, and the atmosphere was silent for a time.

The shadow of the devil Cultivators seemed to have truly descended.

Lin Yaozong looked at the hunting team members, especially the youngest, Lin Cangchen, and said solemnly, "Did you all hear that? For the next period of time, Family hunting missions are suspended. You should also try not to go far from the ancestral land alone."

"Yes, Clan Leader!" everyone responded in unison.

Lin Cangchen rubbed his nose, thinking to himself: Hunting is suspended, which means the stable 'source of cards' is temporarily cut off. But safety first; devil Cultivators are nothing to joke about. Fortunately, my cultivation has improved quite a bit, and I have more insight into Spells. I'll just take this time to settle down and strive for an early Breakthrough to the Qi Refining Third Layer.

He watched the direction Elder Li left and then looked at the Loose Cultivator's corpse being taken away, thinking to himself: The waters of Luoxia County seem to be getting murkier. I just wonder if beneath these murky waters, there will be bigger 'fish' and... more 'opportunities to draw cards'?

Well, crisis means danger and opportunity go hand in hand. It seems Little Grinder Lin's path to immortality will have to take a different approach to 'grinding.'