Chapter 132: Chapter 132: Encounter with the Stranded (Arriving at Last)
Translator: 549690339
Lin Zhen pulled out the Star Crystal from the tree hollow and placed it above his Dantian, as described in the survival manual.
As he normally did when practising, he circulated the energy in his Dantian. Thin strands of light began to automatically seep into his body from the Star Crystal, moving towards his Dantian.
Lin Zhen moaned in satisfaction. This feeling was fantastic!
The warmth in his Dantian was incredibly comforting. The influx of energy strengthened his Dantian rapidly.
The strength of the Dantian energy was determined by the capacity of the Dantian. To give an example, the maximum capacity of Lin Zhen’s Dantian energy was nine hundred, possibly dropping by dozens after a fight. However, these infused energies not only instantly filled his Dantian, but also caused its capacity to expand!
If Lin Zhen’s Dantian energy capacity reached one thousand, he would advance to an Intermediate War General. Absorbing this Star Core Crystal, his Dantian energy capacity has now reached nine hundred and eight!
Only when all the power of the Star Crystals was infused and finally disappeared did Lin Zhen open his eyes.
“Phew! Such a quick practice speed. Just a small newborn Star Core Crystal has helped me significantly advance toward the peak of third level. It saved half a month of my practice time. With another one, I could become an Intermediate War General. ”
“If it were a Meteor Crystal instead of a just-born Star Core Crystal, I might instantly advance to the initial stage of the fourth level. ”
After absorbing the Star Core Crystal, Lin Zhen, satisfied, left the tree hollow and returned via the same route to where Zhang Yue was located in the flower bud.
After a bit of rest and a nap, it gradually began to lighten.
In the fresh morning, with intense morning dew, Lin Zhen suddenly felt a chill after tossing and turning all night and getting a rare morning nap.
Opening his eyes abruptly, he didn’t have time to dodge, and a huge stream of water fiercely hit him. Together with Zhang Yue, both of them were instantly soaked in waist-deep water.
“Cough, cough! ” Lin Zhen coughed violently, swallowing several mouthfuls of water before managing to struggle upright.
Zhang Yue was even worse off, flailing in the water. Sometimes his head would pop up and he’d yell, “Help! I can ‘t swim! Ah… gurgle, gurgle!”
Sometimes, his head would sink back into the water and then reappear, all while looking like he was about to drown.
Lin Zhen got up, wiped the water off his face, and the water gradually seeped down through the gaps in the petals.
Within ten seconds, the water only reached up to their ankles. But Zhang Yue was still splashing about, “Waah! There are mutant beasts in the water. It’s pulling me under. Who’s going to save….. huh! Idol?”
Zhang Yue stood, stunned, staring blankly at Lin Zhen, his face showing utter confusion.
“Had enough?” asked Lin Zhen.
Zhang Yue was stunned for a moment, then replied, “Enough.”
“Then get up. It’s dawn already. I’ve never seen a Martial Artist who can sleep as much as you. No wonder you’re so fat. ”
Zhang Yue, looking like a drowned rat, also stood up. He still didn ‘t understand the situation and asked Lin Zhen, “Idol, who ambushed us? How could they use so much water for an ambush? This doesn ‘t have any lethal force, right? Did my enemies find out I can’t swim?”
Lin Zhen rolled his eyes at him, “Save it. How could you have so many enemies? It’s the morning dew, falling from leaves above. We were both unlucky and inexperienced, not noticing whether there were any dangling leaves above the flower bud. ”
“Ah!… Dew… Dew?” Zhang Yue opened his mouth wide, looked up, then lowered his head again, “This place is too dreadful. Even dew could drown people. I feel like an ant. ”
Lin Zhen wrung out his sleeve, “Stop complaining. Let’s get some food. I’m starving. ”
Martial Artists can ‘t live without food. When Lin Zhen came, he packed some food in his Space Ring, but they were all emergency rations such as compressed biscuits, beef jerky, and vitamin pills, which were difficult to eat but could solve hunger issues. Unless absolutely necessary, no one wanted to eat these things.”
“Food, I have food. I brought two pork legs, and even the seasoning packs are in my bundle, ” said Zhang Yue as he rummaged through his bundle in the flower bud. He didn ‘t have a Space Ring.
He found the bundle in a water pocket in a corner. Upon opening it, he saw that the pork legs were all wet, and the seasoning packs had turned into mush.
“Idol, I told you we should have barbecued last night but you refused. Now, all the seasoning is gone. ” Zhang Yue showed Lin Zhen his empty bag of salt with a bitter expression.
“No seasoning…” Lin Zhen was also somewhat at a loss. He had prepared a lot of things, but he really hadn’t prepared any seasoning.
Zhang Yue threw away the seasoning pack, looked at the pork leg again and said, “Idol, this pork leg seems to smell a bit odd. It’s too hot here. The pork leg has gone bad. ”
“It’s rotten! You can’t eat rotten things. If a Martial Artist gets food poisoning, it will affect their fighting ability. Throw it away. ”
Zhang Yue reluctantly threw away the pork leg. Lin Zhen took out a few packs of compressed biscuits and sugar-coated pills, and the two of them nibbled dryly for a while.
“Idol, can’t we leave this tree until we reach the War God Realm?”
“Exactly. ” Lin Zhen struggled to swallow a compressed biscuit. As he hadn’t brought any water in his space ring, he resorted to drinking dew.
“Why can ‘t we leave? As a Spiritual Mind Master, you can fly. Couldn’t you just fly out from beneath the tree canopy to buy some stuff?”
Lin Zhen shook his head, “When we came here, Guan Shanyue told us, and it’s written in the survival manual too. The outermost layer of leaves from the Star Fruit Tree is protective. The leaves have powerful corrosion capabilities. Not to mention humans, even aircraft would be corroded when they approach. No sane person would get close to these leaves, so we have to pass through the sky ladder. Otherwise, would we have met Liang Feng, a man turned almost phantom-like?”
Zhang Yue’s expression turned sourer, “Then what are we supposed to do? We’re just novice War Generals now. It would take at least a year or two to become a War God. No! One or two years wouldn ‘t be enough. This could take three to five or even up to ten years. If we continue like this for three to five years, I’ll starve to death. ”
Lin Zhen gazed at Zhang Yue, a bit helpless. He hadn ‘t expected the young man to hold his fat figure in such high esteem, no wonder he never managed to lose weight.
But he did have a point. Even Lin Zhen, who had lived as a heavy laborer in his past life, could not bear such an existence.
“There’s no immediate solution. Let’s hold on for now. If we meet others, we’ll see if we can borrow some food or buy some.”
Having swallowed a sugar pill, Lin Zhen stood up, “Don ‘t worry. Losing some weight wouldn ‘t hurt. Let’s go, we’ll hunt for Star Crystals. I found a blooming Star Core Crystal last night. ”
“Wow! You found a Star Crystal, you ‘re awesome. Let’s go. ”
Zhang Yue rose to his feet, slapping the dust off his butt. Hearing about the Star Crystal gave him a little motivation, yet he was not jealous of Lin Zhen ‘s find.
Indeed, he was a good teammate.
Inside the thicket, they had no sense of direction. Everywhere they looked, they saw nothing but branches and leaves. They had no idea how long they had been walking, and both of them were somewhat dazed.
The sights were the same all around. They could hardly tell north from south, east from west. Eventually, Lin Zhen pulled out a compass, something he had prepared beforehand.
“This way. Let’s opt for paths less traveled. The broad branches have surely been passed by others, so there will be fewer Star Crystals. ”
The two started climbing the smaller branches, trying their best to head towards the densely leafed areas that were harder to reach. After a while, Zhang Yue suddenly sniffed the air, “I think I smell flowers. ” “Oh! You have such a keen nose?” Lin Zhen was surprised.
“Hehe, I’ve loved to eat all sorts of delicious food since I was a kid. I’m very sensitive to different smells, especially various aromas. There must be a flower blooming nearby. ”
A blooming flower meant the presence of a Star Crystal because once the Star Crystal was picked, the flower would wilt. This news sparked Lin Zhen ‘s interest. Guided by Zhang Yue, they cautiously crawled through the thick branches and leaves, and after going past several layers of leaves, they finally found their target.
“Wow! So this is a Star Crystal, it’s so beautiful!”
In the dim forest, a flower bloomed vibrantly with a stunning Star Core Crystal floating right above its pistil, emitting a gentle starlight.
They ran over quickly. After ensuring there were no Mutant Insects or enemies around, Lin Zhen told Zhang Yue, “You pick it, then absorb it. The more power we gain, the safer we’ll be. ”
Unexpectedly, Zhang Yue shook his head, “You should pick it, you’re about to break through to Four-level War General, right? You should absorb it to enhance your strength. That way we can collect more Star Crystals without fearing battles. ”
“No!” Lin Zhen waved his hand. As the one who found it, Zhang Yue should have it. Since they were working together, it would be fairest for each of them to have one each, reducing potential conflicts.
Seeing Lin Zhen’s persistence, Zhang Yue happily accepted the Star Crystal. Twenty minutes after he absorbed the Star Crystal, his strength significantly increased, and he was promoted to the initial stage of a Four-level War General!
Zhang Yue had already been at the peak of the three-level, and the Star Crystal he got was on the verge of entering the Meteor Stage, naturally better than the one Lin Zhen found. It contained more energy, so advancing to the fourth level was expected.
After his promotion, Zhang Yue felt his sense of smell had become more sensitive. The two continued their exploration in the forest.
But this time, their luck didn’t hold. In the span of three whole days, they trekked unknown distances without stumbling upon a second Star Crystal.
While no Star Crystals were discovered, they encountered many insects. Fortunately, Lin Zhen was a headstrong survivalist. Time and again, they faced narrow escapes.
On the morning of the third day, they had some jerky before setting off on their journey of exploration.
They hadn ‘t gone far when they heard voices coming from a large tree branch up ahead.
Lin Zhen and Zhang Yue hurriedly hid under a leaf, peeking out through its gaps.
At first, they thought they might have encountered fellow trainees. But it turned out, they hadn ‘t.
On the broad branch, four Martial Artists were running swiftly. Their clothes were ratty, and one was even wearing an unidentified fur. Clearly, they were from another batch.
” Hurry up! someone nas round several Star crystals. Many are vymg tor tnem. Whoever secures them, gets them. We, from the 496th batch, must get our
share! ‘ ,
They are stragglers!
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