The Lingwu Classic absorbed the magical energy from the soul-devouring demon spirit, quietly merging into Lin Tian's body. Lin Tian instinctively let out a sigh of relief. Although being touched was uncomfortable, as long as he didn't lose anything important, he didn't mind being thoroughly searched. He knew that no matter how much Brother Zhou searched, he would never find the Lingwu Classic on him. Moreover, the Lingwu Classic itself seemed to possess some kind of intelligence, subtly transferring a trace of spiritual energy into Lin Tian's consciousness palace, rapidly strengthening the nascent spiritual root within his body. In an instant, it expanded threefold, even showing signs of wanting to split.
If it had been left to his own cultivation, it would have taken Lin Tian at least a year to reach this level, and that would have only been possible in an area rich in spiritual energy. Now, all of this seemed like a dream, all thanks to the Lingwu Classic. Though Lin Tian's spiritual root was still fragile, its quality was exceptionally high, allowing him to display amazing potential among cultivators in the spiritual root stage. With his current magical power, though still insignificant, he could control a portion of his physical strength—almost a fifth of it. If he could further enhance his magical power, he would be able to wield powerful magical artifacts and easily defeat cultivators in the early stages of Qi Transformation.
Lin Tian's cultivation had reached a kind of balance between physical strength and magical power. He could feel the power of magic growing within him, but since he had never fought anyone, he couldn't fully assess how he compared to other cultivators. However, he sensed that if he increased his power a little more, the gap between his magical power and spiritual energy would rapidly close. Perhaps one day, with his immense spiritual power, he could compete with cultivators in the middle stage of Qi Transformation.
As the group left, Lin Tian grew more anxious. These people were clearly not simple, especially that Junior Brother He, whose seemingly ordinary cultivation hid deep strength. His methods were sophisticated, and his scheming was profound. Escaping from him would be much harder than dealing with the other three combined. Coupled with Brother Zhou's ruthlessness, Lin Tian had no means of resisting and could only allow them to take him along.
They arrived at a forest and found a dilapidated wooden house. At first, they thought they could take shelter there for the night and plan their next move when dawn came. But as they approached the house, Brother Zhou suddenly stopped, his eyes flashing with caution. He quietly signaled everyone to halt and, with his ears slightly twitching, said, "There's movement inside. I can hear faint breathing. Although it's very weak, it's clear to my ears."
Junior Brother He frowned, seeming to sense something unusual. "You go investigate. If it's just a common hunter, kill them. If it's a cultivator, capture them alive and question them."
Although his tone was not directly commanding, Lin Tian could still sense the extraordinary authority Junior Brother He held. Even Brother Zhou didn't argue but silently observed him with evident respect.
Zhao and Sun, two other disciples, stealthily approached the wooden house, their steps light and soundless. But just as they were three zhang (roughly 9 meters) from the house, a low, angry shout came from inside, followed by the sound of heavy objects falling to the ground. Zhao and Sun immediately collapsed, unmoving. This sudden turn of events made Brother Zhou and Junior Brother He's expressions change drastically.
"Retreat!" Brother Zhou immediately commanded, pulling the others back quickly. Junior Brother He also rapidly dragged Lin Tian into the forest. Their reaction was fast, but the person inside the house was even quicker. A grey figure flashed by, and before the four of them could retreat a few steps, their path was blocked.
Lin Tian's heart sank, his face changing drastically. His gaze instinctively swept toward the house and he immediately recognized the familiar figure—It was Lu Benben! The injured enemy hadn't left but had hidden in the forest, waiting to recover.
"Just when I was struggling to find a way to recover, here comes a bunch of fools delivering themselves to me," Lu Benben said with a low voice full of danger, his eyes locking on Lin Tian with an eerie glint.
Lin Tian's heart skipped a beat, and he felt a natural repulsion from the Ashura Demon Qi inside him towards Lu Benben. The intense discomfort almost made him lose his balance. Though Lu Benben's cultivation had stagnated at the peak of the Innate stage, after practicing the Ashura Demon Skill, the demonic energy within him had granted him extraordinary strength. He didn't regret spending most of his time focusing on the Ashura Demon Skill. Though it was risky, once mastered, his power would increase dramatically, even allowing him to challenge those in the Void Breaking realm.
However, at this moment, he didn't expect that the aura emanating from Lin Tian would make him feel a deep discomfort. The innate repulsion from the Ashura Demon Qi caused him to feel irritated. Though Lin Tian appeared weak, the special energy hidden within him clearly made Lu Benben feel that he was not to be underestimated.