Lin Xun sat cross-legged as a road map of the Mystery Grotto Devour Wilderness Scripture emerged clearly in his mind.

After confirming that there were no mistakes, Lin Xun consumed ten Lengning Pills in one mouthful. He held his breath in concentration and began training.

This was his first time practicing this art so he didn’t dare to be careless or negligent.

Very soon, Lin Xun’s body started to quiver and the aeth power in his body felt like a volcano erupting. Dragged by an overbearing and terrifying devouring force, it roamed around his body along a unique circulation route.

Rumble!

The surging aeth power was akin to raging waves as it endlessly circulated around his body along the meridians and acupuncture points. The power in every inch of his muscle, bone, blood and flesh felt awakened as it constantly pulsed around his body.

Inside his body was aeth power galloping like a wild horse that had broken loose from its reins and roaring like a giant dragon.

Outside his body was qi, erupting like molten lava and resonating with every inch of his muscle, vein, bone, and blood in a unique way.

At that moment, every part of Lin Xun’s body, inside and outside, was completely activated and was undergoing a new method of cultivation.

From afar, his body resembled a huge abyss. Terrifying storms were surging on the inside and the outside was frantically devouring energy from all sides!

This was the Mystery Grotto Devour Wilderness Scripture, a rare art that involved both body tempering and qi tempering. It was a mysterious and domineering art that Lin Xun had received from the Omega Secret Realm.

In less than the time it took to make a cup of tea, Lin Xun could feel that the power of the ten Lengning Pills he had consumed had been completely used up. He wasn’t even close to halfway through his training!

Previously, he at most used up ten Lengning Pills in one night of training, but the power refined and absorbed from those pills was far from enough to practice the Mystery Grotto Devour Wilderness Scripture.

Without any hesitation, Lin Xun swallowed another ten Lengning Pills.

Rumble!

Both inside and outside his body, power was surging like a great river, bubbling like a volcano erupting. Lin Xun felt his body ache all over, and he almost couldn’t withstand the impact of the power.

His body felt like a twisted steel bar and every inch of his skin, muscles, and bones were under constant tempering. If he hadn’t trained his body to an extremely strong state, he likely wouldn’t be able to bear such a unique cultivation method.

This was the power of the Mystery Grotto Devour Wilderness Scripture. It was domineering and mysterious. It transformed the inside of a body into a furnace and swallowed energy from the outside world. It was completely different from orthodox cultivation methods.

Before long, Lin Xun had already used up the second batch of Lengning Pills and he had to swallow another ten.

Fortunately, he had won two thousand Lengning Pills from his duel with Xiao Kun. Otherwise, the usual amount of ten Lengning Pills that he previously consumed every day wouldn’t be near enough to support his training.

As time passed, a layer of mist began to cloak his body, a phenomenon only seen when a cultivator had practiced an art to the ultimate state.

The phenomenon lasted the entire time it took for an incense stick to burn. Lin Xun’s eyes suddenly snapped open and the surging aura gradually came to a still around him.

Hu—

He exhaled a stream of arrow-like qi. Faintly, it produced a thunderstorm-like noise and split the air.

“This cultivation art is really marvelous beyond imagination, but it’s a little too domineering...” marveled Lin Xun as he felt the body of qi around him.

He knew very well that he wouldn’t be able to bear such a domineering way of cultivation if his body hadn’t grown stronger.

However, although the cultivation art was extremely domineering, its result was evident. Lin Xun could clearly sense that his aeth power grade had risen once again despite little changes to his cultivation level.

Bright, translucent and sparkling, the wisps of aeth power in his body were like amber flashing glints of azure.

It was a sign that his aeth power was even stronger and more terrifying!

Lin Xun finally realized that not only did the four aeth power vortexes in his four heart acupuncture points helped temper his aeth power, but the Mystery Grotto Devour Wilderness Scripture also had an unbelievable effect at tempering aeth power.

This was no doubt an exciting discovery. At least, it proved that the Mystery Grotto Devour Wilderness Scripture was superior to the Yuan Holding Art that he previously practiced.

The only thing that troubled Lin Xun was that the cultivation of the Mystery Grotto Devour Wilderness Scripture consumed too many medicinal pills. He already required more aeth power supplements compared to his peers due to the four aeth power vortexes in his body. But now, the daily practice of the Mystery Grotto Devour Wilderness Scripture required the consumption of at least thirty Lengning Pills.

That amount of Lengning Pills equaled six hundred silver coins!

In other words, if Lin Xun continued to practice in such a way, he would have to spend at least six hundred silver coins every day. It was an unimaginably enormous amount. Even people from wealthy backgrounds would find it difficult to afford such spending in the long term.

“When I leave Blood Kill Camp, my priority will be to make money!”

Lin Xun made a decision.

……

His days in Blood Kill Camp went back to his old usual routine. He did nothing else besides training. The days were fulfilling but very dull.

Ten days passed by in the blink of an eye.

The students were all notified that, in half a month, everyone from the eight campgrounds in Blood Kill Camp would set off and participate in an assessment—battlefield training!

The battlefield was a real battlefield on the northern frontier of the empire. It was known as the Demon Cloud Ridge and many magi brute warriors were distributed throughout its depths.

The assessment involved entering the northern frontier of the empire and participating in the war in Demon Cloud Ridge as ordinary empire soldiers!

The more military merit a student earned, the higher their assessment score. Those with low military merit would be at risk of being eliminated.

The battlefield training was a real-life and death situation. Every student would be in danger of losing their life.

Some people looked forward to the assessment but the majority was afraid. Even if the training sessions in the camp were pervertedly brutal, there was no life threatening danger.

It was a different situation on the battlefield. People could lose their lives with the slightest carelessness.

Lin Xun also received the notice of the assessment. He didn’t think much about it, but he wouldn’t lower his guard. He maintained a very steady state of mind.

That night, Lin Xun was practicing when Xiaoke suddenly came and took him away.

When he arrived at the central campground, he saw that not only was Xu Sanqi present, but Old Mo was also there.

Could it be that it’s time to repair Wolf Fang Moon? A thought struck Lin Xun’s mind.

More than ten days ago, he had mentioned the matter to Xu Sanqi, but he wasn't sure when Xu Sanqi would come to ask him for help.

Lin Xun had guessed wrong. Xu Sanqi pointed to the table and said, “Is this your storage ring?”

Lin Xun looked up and saw a black storage ring on the table. It was indeed his. He nodded and said, “Yes, that’s correct.”

Suddenly, Old Mo said anxiously, “Lin Xun, what the hell is hidden in your storage ring? Why would it release such strange powers?”

Lin Xun looked bewildered. He couldn’t help but step forward and carefully examine the storage ring. Sure enough, he sensed wisps of cryptic and violent power seeping out from the storage ring. It appeared extremely weak but it had a terrifying oppressive effect on one’s spirit.

Lin Xun’s eyes widened in shock. “Old Mo, when did this start?”

“Just now.” Xu Sanqi frowned. “Don’t you know what’s inside your own stuff?”

Old Mo and Xiaoke stared at Lin Xun, which made him look even more baffled. He could only recall that the Skybreaker Blade, a rune brush, and some gold coins and aeth materials were housed inside the storage ring. There weren't any strange items besides those.

“Why don’t I open it and take a look?” asked Lin Xun.

Xu Sanqi exchanged a glance with Old Mo before he said, “Alright but be careful.”

Lin Xun nodded. He stepped forward and gently brushed his finger across the storage ring. He immediately figured out the source of the wave of cryptic and violent energy!

It was from a bronze box with an ancient and old-fashioned exterior. The four corners were each marked with a different pattern: clouds, mountains, strange beasts, and the sun and moon. The box was covered with many mysterious runes and each one released strange and chilling energies.

The power of rune restriction!

However, the rune restrictions around the bronze box appeared damaged and the bronze box was on the verge of shattering as if the power sealed inside couldn’t be suppressed much longer.

Lin Xun remembered that he obtained the bronze box after he killed Liu Yukun. A Golden Flame Beast was chasing Liu Yukun in the Great Three Thousand Mountains but because of some changes, Lin Xun had to kill him.

Liu Yukun was the son of Liu Wujun, the southwest province governor of the empire, and so Lin Xun decided to destroy all Liu Yukun’s items to avoid retaliation. All except the bronze box.

Lin Xun had previously attempted to open the box but he gave up when he saw the rune restrictions around it.

He couldn’t figure out the secret to the rune restrictions. Even a rune master would feel at a loss on what to do.

However, Lin Xun had never expected the bronze box to undergo such a change. Could it be that the treasure concealed inside is about to break the seal?

Seeing the bewildered look on Lin Xun’s face, Old Mo couldn’t help asking, “What is inside it?”

“It’s just a bronze box of unknown origin.”

Lin Xun was taking the box out from the storage ring when it underwent a strange change upon contact with the air!

The bronze box exploded with a loud boom and a blinding shaft of fiery light shot out, striking Lin Xun in the chest.

Lin Xun couldn’t react in time. He just felt like a mountain was slamming into his body and pain shooting throughout his body. The recoil blasted him uncontrollably across the air.