On the evening of the sixth day since Han and his team entered Black Mountain, they found themselves in the middle section of the mountain range. This area was supposed to be the domain of Zangfu Realm beasts, but now, this level had become the minority.

  Savage and terrifying Bone Refining Realm beasts roamed freely here.

  Some guarded treasures, while others wandered aimlessly.

  Bone Refining Realm beasts were no joke. Each one controlled a vast territory, and as a result, the number of beasts in this area had actually decreased.

  At this moment, Han and his team were hiding in a dense forest. In the distance was a tiger’s den.

  This was the same place where Shen Long had previously discovered the Bone Grinding Peanuts growing.

  They had made their way deeper into the mountain, and eventually, Han and his team had arrived here.

  “There’s a change,” Han whispered.

  Bai Ruoyue’s expression changed. “Has a stronger beast taken over this area?”

  “No,” Han shook his head. “There are indeed two Bone Refining Realm beasts here, but the more powerful one seems to be gravely injured, near death.”

  “…?”

  Bai Ruoyue was momentarily stunned before her gaze turned into one of anger, glaring at Han.

  Isn’t that a good thing?

  “It seems that beasts from deeper in the mountain fought with the two tigers when they moved outward,” Han continued.

  Shen Long was excited. “This is our chance!”

  “No,” Han immediately disagreed, his voice clear. “A cornered beast will still fight; it’s too risky.”

  “If we were all in the Zangfu Realm, taking on these two beasts wouldn’t be a problem. But the gap is too wide now.”

  “We need to come up with a plan.”

  Everyone fell silent, thinking of ways to handle the situation.

  At this point, none of them dared to split up. If one of them encountered a Bone Refining Realm beast alone, it would be a disaster—especially for Su Chang'an, He Feng, and Shen Yu.

  Of course, no one minded them slowing down, as they had contributed immensely during the previous days when they split into three groups and brought back valuable treasures.

  “Dealing with one Bone Refining Realm beast is manageable, but the other one, the heavily injured one…” Bai Ruoyue shook her head.

  The strength comparison between human cultivators and beasts was complex. Ordinary cultivators feared beasts, talented cultivators could suppress them, and those with powerful bloodlines could handle even reverse-heaven beasts.

  For Bai Ruoyue, controlling one Bone Refining Realm beast was much simpler than dealing with a human cultivator of the same realm.

  In the past days, whenever they encountered a treasure guarded by a Bone Refining Realm beast, they would often have Bai Ruoyue step forward to hold the beast back while they snuck in to claim the treasure.

  At that moment, Han’s expression shifted as he looked through the divine perspective and said:

  “I have an idea.”

  “What is it?”

  “Lead the wolves to devour the tigers.”

  “Awoo!”

  Several strong wild wolves, led by the alpha wolf in the Bone Refining Realm, charged fiercely toward Bai Ruoyue.

  Her expression remained calm, without a hint of panic. She immediately began leading the wolves toward the tiger’s den.

  This was exactly what Han meant by leading the wolves to devour the tigers.

  With cultivators’ abilities being restricted, only Han, with his godlike foresight, could anticipate everything around them and make timely adjustments.

  Without this advantage, this plan could easily backfire.

  Bai Ruoyue dashed past the tiger’s den, and then, her presence instantly disappeared, as though she had vanished from existence.

  Han had also obtained some concealment treasures in the past month, and Bai Ruoyue herself had such techniques—disappearing without a trace.

  However, the fierce tiger had been alarmed and immediately charged out of the den to face the pack of wolves.

  Bai Ruoyue circled back stealthily and asked eagerly, “Has the fight started?”

  “Not yet, but it will soon,” Han replied with a smile. “These wolves will definitely catch the scent of the treasure, and the injured tiger inside the den won’t escape their notice.”

  “Wolves are like that. They won’t give up.”

  “If they were wolf demons, they’d realize this was a human scheme, but unfortunately, they’re just wild beasts.”

  Sure enough, not long after, the wolf pack couldn’t resist any longer and launched an attack. The injured tiger emerged, stumbling but still ready to fight.

  Even cornered beasts will struggle, and the dying tiger was incredibly fierce. Han, watching from the divine perspective, was startled. They had retreated far enough to avoid being caught up in the chaos.

  This wasn’t just any tiger—it could easily destroy mountains and forests.

  But with more enemies and the tiger already wounded, the two fierce tigers eventually met their end.

  However, the wolves weren’t unscathed. They suffered heavy losses.

  The alpha wolf in the Bone Refining Realm was drenched in blood, having been bitten by the tiger.

  “Opportunity! Opportunity!” Han whispered urgently, immediately leading the team toward the tiger’s den.

  Bai Ruoyue was the first to arrive and went straight for the alpha wolf.

  The wounded alpha wolf was just what she needed!

  “Shen Yu, go into the tiger’s den and get the treasure!”

  A few remaining injured wolves were left for the five of them to handle together. Shen Yu’s main role was to sneak in and steal the treasures.

  Without hesitation, Shen Yu agreed. Over the past six days, Han had proven his instincts to be reliable. If he said it was safe, it meant it was.

  Now, whatever Han said, Shen Yu trusted completely.

  Not long later, Shen Yu returned, but Han’s expression suddenly changed.

  “Senior Sister, stop fighting! Run!” Han whispered urgently.

  “Something big is coming, run, run, hurry!”

  Another tiger-like beast had entered Han’s divine perspective.

  It was in the Bone Refining Realm—great success!

  This was beyond what Bai Ruoyue could handle.

  Before Han even finished speaking, the group quickly made their escape. Even Bai Ruoyue, usually so eager for battle, didn’t hesitate.

  Trusting Junior Brother was never wrong.

  “Phew…”

  The seven of them ran full speed until Han spoke again, signaling them to stop.

  They exchanged glances, all flushed, their energy and true Qi running high, but each to different extents.

  “Hahaha,” Shen Long suddenly laughed. “That was exhilarating, truly exhilarating.”

  “This is so much better than being stuck in Black Cloud Town training all the time. A warrior should live like this.”

  The excitement, the rush, the blood surging, and the heightened concentration—all of it made their martial artist instincts roar with life.

  In this vast wilderness, under the stars and moon, facing savage beasts, the essence of a warrior was fully unleashed.

  A warrior, blood surging, lawless and free, this was the perfect place for them.

  Han, still watching through the divine perspective, couldn’t help but laugh as well. These six days had been a complete change of pace for him.

  The long chases, the constant battles, being the hunter and the hunted, the endless wildness—it had all begun to change Han as well.

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  In these six days, Han had fought countless battles, big and small, against beasts from the Muscle Meridian Realm to the Zangfu Realm.

  He was confident that within this month, he would reach the peak of the Muscle Meridian Realm.

  Indeed, fighting was the best nourishment for a martial artist.

  “Let’s recover for now,” Bai Ruoyue said, pulling out some pills and dried meat.

  Everyone took their share, and Shen Yu also brought out the treasures she had obtained from the tiger’s den.

  “This Bone Grinding Flower… why does it look like this?” Bai Ruoyue asked in confusion.

  Before her was a pair of twin flowers, their petals pure white like jade, with Qi flowing around them.

  They bore four jade-like fruits, translucent and gleaming, making one’s mouth water.

  “About a month ago, Second Senior Brother found it, but it must have mutated in the past month,” Han laughed. “After all, Black Mountain has undergone a lot of changes recently.”

  The divine perspective clearly showed the information on the Bone Grinding Flower.

  [Twin Bone Grinding Flower—A rare treasure found only after searching through hundreds of Bone Grinding Flowers. A supreme treasure for refining bones.]

  Under the blessing of the Mountain God, this Bone Grinding Flower had evolved to a higher level.

  And since the fruit of the Bone Grinding Flower was already one of the best herbs for refining muscles, its mutated form must be even more powerful.

  It was only after realizing this mutation that Han decided to risk taking it. Otherwise, with the many Bone Refining treasures they had already gathered, there was no need to venture into danger.

  “A mutation is a good thing,” Bai Ruoyue said happily, putting the Bone Grinding Flower away. She wasn’t keeping it for herself, but since she was the strongest here, it was safer for her to keep many of the treasures.

  Most of the treasures were held by Han, Bai Ruoyue, and Shen Long, while Zhang Yu and the others were mainly responsible for storing the valuable parts of the beasts they hunted.

  “Bone Cleansing Juice, Jade Bone Frost, Vitality Tree, Rainbow Grass…”

  “Bone Grinding Flower, Mountain Dragon Branch, Bone Stone, Sky Blue Fangs…”

  Bai Ruoyue gazed at her space pouch, grinning like a fool, her mouth practically watering.

  Han couldn’t take it anymore. He poked her and said, “Senior Sister, be a little more reserved.”

  He hadn’t realized before, but Senior Sister had a bit of a treasure obsession.

  “Junior Brother, I can’t help it. The treasures we’ve gathered these past few days have been too much. My heart is pounding so fast every day. Am I about to finish my Heart Cultivation?”

  Bai Ruoyue put her hand on Han’s shoulder, clutching her chest, swaying back and forth.

  "Without a heartbeat, wouldn't that mean death?"

  "Hahaha."

  Laughter filled the air, full of joy. Everyone was pleased with their recent discoveries.

  Even in the county city, rare treasures like bone-refining and marrow-washing items were hardly seen, yet they had gathered quite a few over the past few days.

  As for the lower-level items, they were so abundant now that they were numb to it, no longer moved in the slightest.

  "It's a pity we couldn't find anything beyond marrow-washing treasures," Han remarked with some regret.

  With his God’s-eye view, he had gathered as many rare items as possible, but he had reached the limit with marrow-washing treasures, and he hadn’t encountered anything more advanced.

  He had also spotted some marrow-washing treasures, but they were guarded by fierce beasts. Han wouldn’t even dare to take a second look at them.

  The God’s-eye view wasn’t omnipotence.

  Unless a powerful outsider came in, there was no way they could get close to those items.

  "Those kinds of treasures, unless they're like the Mountain Dragon Branch and have no beast guardians, we could never get them," Bai Ruoyue said, shaking her head.

  "Junior Brother, you've done well."

  "In the past, treasures like those would only be found deep in the Black Mountain," Zhang Yuantao suddenly said, "It seems we haven't met anyone from the Yun family, have we?"

  The Yun family must have entered Black Mountain by now, maybe even earlier, yet they hadn't encountered them. Han, with his God’s-eye view, hadn’t spotted any of them either.

  "The Yun family is descended from the Mountain God, maybe they were greeted by the Mountain God as soon as they entered," Han laughed. "It's normal not to encounter them."

  For them, this treasure hunt was an adventure, but for the Yun family, it was more like coming home.

  Han and the others weren't envious of the Yun family's treatment; in fact, they felt relieved.

  It was better they didn’t run into them—after all, they couldn't go deeper into the Black Mountain, and avoiding the Yun family would ensure they didn’t interfere with each other.

  "They'll see their ancestors; we’ll keep gathering our treasures. Everyone will have a bright future."

  After a brief rest, Han and the others continued their treasure hunt, but not long after, Han motioned for everyone to stop.

  "I see... My intuition tells me that people from the Furious Blade Martial Arts Academy are nearby."

  The Furious Blade Academy was just a signal. Soon after, people from other powerful factions—like the Gao family and the Tenglong Martial Arts Academy—appeared.

  Six days into their treasure hunt, after spending more time looking for treasures, these later arrivals finally reached the same area.

  ...

  "We’ve only been in the Black Mountain for a few days, yet we’ve already found four spiritual plants of the Zangfu level and two rare treasures. This mountain really is filled with riches," Long Yun and the three Zangfu realm martial artists from the Tenglong Martial Arts Academy whispered to each other, their voices full of excitement.

  Zangfu level spiritual plants—these used to be impossible to obtain without spending days or even weeks in the depths of Black Mountain. But now, after just a few days, they had such great results.

  If the environment were different, Long Yun might have thrown his head back and yelled, "Who else is there?"

  "I wonder where Tai Bai’s group is now?" one of the martial artists, whose face looked old and worn, asked as he gazed around.

  Long Tianfu, the elder brother of Tenglong Martial Arts Academy's head, had limited talent compared to his younger brother. Even in his old age, he was still stuck at the Zangfu realm, nearing its peak.

  They had come to Black Mountain hoping to seize an opportunity for another breakthrough into the Bone Refining realm.

  Cultivation was harsh—some people could achieve in a few years what others took a lifetime to complete. It made no sense at all.

  "I think Bai Tian has gone senile. Of his seven disciples, five are in the Meridian realm, and he sent them all here. He might as well have sent them to die." Long Yun sneered.

  "I’m afraid, by now, there aren’t many of Tai Bai’s seven still alive."

  The Black Mountain was no place for the weak.

  Even four Zangfu realm warriors had to tread carefully, fearing they might encounter unexpected dangers. Along the way, they'd had numerous close calls, and the most thrilling moment had been when they were chased by Bone Refining beasts for miles.

  Tai Bai’s seven disciples? A joke.

  "Bai Ruoyue is strong; they should have found some good things by now, maybe even Bone Refining treasures."

  Long Tianfu's eyes were sharp. "I hope I encounter them. I can’t wait any longer..."

  "The number of people is increasing," Han said, shaking his head. "If this continues, it'll be hard to avoid them."

  Since discovering other factions’ groups, Han had been constantly adjusting their direction, trying to avoid any encounters.

  The teams that made it this far into the Black Mountain were all from the Zangfu realm. If they clashed, their team would be at a serious disadvantage.

  Most importantly, if Han wasn't mistaken, everyone must have known by now that they had entered the Black Mountain early.

  Being the first movers, they had become a target—there was a real chance they'd be surrounded and beaten up.

  "I’ve slowed everyone down," Shen Yu said with self-reproach.

  Being newly at the Meridian realm, she was too fragile for the harsh environment here, but no one blamed her. It had been a unanimous decision to bring her along.

  This was a journey for self-improvement; they didn’t want Shen Yu to fall behind.

  Han thought for a moment and then said, "Let me make a call... I’ll contact the messenger snail first."

  He quickly reached out to the snail with the message he had left with Lu Qingmo.

  "Hello, can you hear me, Aunt Mo?"

  "Are you all in danger?" Lu Qingmo’s voice came through, a mix of relief and sudden concern.

  "We’re fine, all seven of us are okay," Han assured her. "We’re now in the middle part of Black Mountain, where Bone Refining beasts are rampant, and other factions have entered the area as well."

  "I wanted to ask, how’s the situation outside?"

  After a brief pause, Lu Qingmo’s voice became sharper. Two Zangfu realm warriors, and five in the Meridian realm, had ventured into such a dangerous place?

  And how had they gotten there? Did the beasts give them a free pass?

  Lu Qingmo briefly explained the situation outside. Not only Tianyue County, but also neighboring Tianyang County and Tianhai County had sent people to Black Cloud Town, making the situation very complex.

  However, thanks to the Mountain God’s presence, things were still under control.

  After Han hung up, Lu Qingmo suddenly realized something.

  Wait… This snail… can be used inside and outside Black Mountain?

  She was stunned. Black Mountain restricted many powers, including basic spiritual sense and communication methods, but this snail was unaffected.

  What kind of treasure was this snail?

  Han considered his options and made a decision.

  "Here’s the plan: We’ll leave for now, return to the martial arts academy, and then decide whether to go back depending on the situation."

  "Wait, we’re leaving already?"

  "We can’t go deeper, and my intuition tells me we’ve gathered all the treasures we can. Staying here longer doesn’t serve any purpose."

  Han shook his head. "Let’s head out."

  "Let’s trust Junior Brother’s judgment," Bai Ruoyue decided.

  Since Junior Brother was so reliable, whatever he said went!

  The group immediately set off towards the exit. Though it had taken them a while to enter, leaving was much faster.

  Han deliberately chose a route that didn’t overlap much with their entrance, and on the way out, they harvested another round of spiritual plants.

  Previously, they'd mostly gathered high-end treasures, but now they took everything in sight—whether rare or common, they took it all.

  With the God’s-eye view, the other martial artists never saw them.

  Everyone played by a different set of rules.

  "You’re in hell; I’m in heaven."

  "You’re in a fog; I’m a god."

  It wasn't until they reached the outer area of the Black Mountain on the seventh morning that they encountered other people.

  Only a few factions could reach the middle of the mountain, so it was still possible to avoid them. But the outer area was too crowded, and avoiding anyone was impossible.

  Still, that was fine—everyone here was in the Meridian realm or lower, so Han’s group wasn’t worried.

  They'd been careful in the middle; now they'd strike with full force in the outer area!

  "Is that the Tai Bai Martial Arts Academy?"

  "They’ve been in for so many days, and this is the first time anyone’s spotted them?"

  "They all look fine, which is strange."

  "They probably didn’t go deeper, just searched the outer area. I’ve heard the deeper parts are terrifying."

  "They entered two or three days earlier, occupying Black Mountain. Even if they only searched the outer areas, they must have gotten a lot. Maybe they found one or two Bone Refining spiritual plants."

  "Jealous..."

  As they neared the edge of the mountain, Han ran into a familiar face—Lin Fan, who had once wanted to challenge him but had backed out due to his unwillingness to pay for guidance.

  "Zhou, are you leaving Black Mountain?" Lin Fan asked curiously. "Looks like you’ve had a good haul."

  "We were planning to leave, but don't mention it—no treasures to be found," Han nodded and then let out a long sigh.

  "The Black Mountain is getting too dangerous. You wouldn’t believe it—every five steps, there's a Bone Refining beast; every ten steps, a marrow-washing beast."

  "We tried to go deeper, but it was impossible. We were chased by beasts, and the deeper we went, the more dangerous it got. We couldn’t go on."

  "We thought entering early would get us some treasure, but we didn’t realize the beasts were in a violent rampage. We couldn’t get any rewards, and some of our senior brothers got injured. We’ve been resting for several days."

  "Sigh... we’re leaving now. Never coming back."

  "Let me give you a piece of advice—go back. It’s dangerous inside, and there really aren’t any treasures. Don’t risk it."

  Han’s tone was sincere, with the heart of a bodhisattva. He couldn’t bear to see fellow cultivators risking their lives over something that didn’t even exist.

  Treasures? There were no treasures!

  Don’t be fooled, really, for your safety—just leave.

  Such kindness. Old Zhou was too kind.

  Zhang Yuantao and the others shared his sorrow, nodding in agreement.

  Bai Ruoyue and Shen Yu covered their faces, sighing repeatedly, their lips twitching.

  Shen Long wore a cold expression, making him look even more intimidating.

  And so, without much to show for it, the seven disciples of Tai Bai Martial Arts Academy left Black Mountain, having only circled the outer areas.

  As for stopping them, who would dare?

  The others were left in silence.

  Some believed a part of what Han said, but also doubted part of it.

  It was true they couldn’t get into the deeper areas, and they’d caught the worst of the beast rampages.

  But to say they didn’t get anything? No one believed that.

  But it was certain that their haul wasn’t as big as it should’ve been.

  "Hahaha, Tai Bai Martial Arts Academy tried to get a head start, but ended up losing big. What a huge mistake," someone laughed.

  "Did they think they were the Yun family?"

  Hearing the laughter, Han’s group quickened their pace, too embarrassed to stay any longer.

  Yes, you’re right. You’ve figured it all out.

  We lost big, we lost terribly. We’ve bled enough to fill the entire Yun River.

  The Dragon Maiden is already well-fed on my blood.