In the black forest, Lin Xiao Tian met Zhu Kai again.
"Master, I did it. I'm in the Foundation Establishment stage now, and I'm in the middle of it," Zhu Kai boasted to Lin Xiao Tian.
Lin Xiao Tian nodded.
"Well done. Here are some pills for you. Come back to see me in six months when you've reached the peak of Foundation Establishment."
As Lin Xiao Tian prepared to leave, Zhu Kai called out to him.
"Master, your disciple has a request."
"What request?" Lin Xiao Tian asked.
"Master, I have two friends who are also very talented. Can you..."
"You want me to take them as disciples?" Lin Xiao Tian's voice rose slightly.
"Your disciple has this thought, Master, can you..."
"Presumptuous! Who do you think I am?"
Lin Xiao Tian flatly refused Zhu Kai.
He already had a way to help Wan Hao, but it wasn't by taking him as a disciple. Lin Xiao Tian hoped for more chance, which would be beneficial to both himself and them. If anyone were to investigate karma in the future, it would not be easy for them to discover Lin Xiao Tian's presence.
"But my two brothers are really good!"
"That's enough. This matter ends here."
Lin Xiao Tian vanished, leaving a dejected Zhu Kai behind.
When Zhu Kai reappeared before Wan Hao and Lin Xiao Tian's avatar, he did not mention this matter, but the guilt on his face was clearly visible.
The three brothers ventured out together and soon encountered a crisis.
A pack of Phantom Moon Demon Wolves discovered them. Zhu Kai charged ahead to buy the group time, while the others retreated, fighting as they went.
Zhu Kai thought he had it under control, but this time he made a mistake.
A scream echoed from within the group. Zhu Kai looked and saw a large bird carrying Wan Hao away.
"Brother Hao!"
Zhu Kai's eyes were bloodshot as he prepared to rescue Wan Hao. Just then, another scream came from Lin Xiao Tian's side. Lin Xiao Tian was accidentally injured by a demon wolf.
Of course, this was all an act put on by Lin Xiao Tian.
With both his palms equally dear, Zhu Kai had no choice but to prioritize Lin Xiao Tian and could not go to save Wan Hao.
After everyone escaped, Zhu Kai went alone to search for Wan Hao.
"Old Zhu, you can't leave! What if those demon wolves come back? We won't be able to stop them," Instructor Wang was the first to stop Zhu Kai.
"Don't worry, it's very safe here. If absolutely necessary, send me a signal, and I'll be back immediately." Zhu Kai's mind was consumed with saving Wan Hao, and he couldn't care about anything else.
Seeing Zhu Kai about to leave, the others in the group were also anxious. The demon wolf pack had given them too much pressure.
Everyone looked at Zhu Yu for help. Zhu Yu gritted her teeth and walked up to Zhu Kai.
"You shouldn't go, it's too dangerous!" Zhu Yu stepped forward to block Zhu Kai.
"Instructor Zhu, this is my brother, I have to go save him! If anything happens to him, how will I explain it to sister-in-law and the others!" Zhu Kai glared at her.
Afterward, Zhu Kai ignored Zhu Yu and left alone.
Lin Xiao Tian did not stop Zhu Kai. He understood Zhu Kai; he had risked his life to save him before, and he would do the same now.
On the other hand, Zhu Yu, who did not understand Zhu Kai, looked very awkward at this moment.
There were occasional murmurs from within the group. Zhu Yu suddenly found these voices grating. Although few of them were talking about her and most were concerned about their own safety, Zhu Yu was very sensitive and felt ashamed.
In the evening, Zhu Kai returned. As Lin Xiao Tian had predicted, he found nothing.
Zhu Kai was in a bad mood, completely distracted. Lin Xiao Tian comforted him from the side.
There was nothing he could do, Lin Xiao Tian was the instigator.
At this moment, Wan Hao was unharmed.
Lin Xiao Tian had secretly taken him to a place. It was an ordinary place, where a cultivation technique was recorded on the wall, along with some discarded pills.
Yes, it was very ordinary!
At least, Lin Xiao Tian thought it was very ordinary!
A week later, as everyone was preparing to leave the forest, Wan Hao reappeared before them as expected.
Seeing Wan Hao suddenly appear, Zhu Kai was ecstatic.
"Brother Hao! You're alive! Am I dreaming?"
"Lucky."
"What happened to you these past few days?"
Zhu Kai stepped forward, looking at Wan Hao with surprise.
"It's a long story, I'll tell you properly."
Instructor Wang clearly wanted to probe further, but out of respect for Zhu Kai, he did not dare to say much.
Upon returning to the academy, Wan Hao directly told Zhu Kai and Lin Xiao Tian about his fortuitous encounters in the forest.
"That's roughly what happened," Wan Hao said, looking at his two brothers.
"This is what they call good fortune after surviving a great disaster," Lin Xiao Tian said, feigning seriousness.
"Hahaha, this is truly great fortune. I was originally planning to..." Zhu Kai stopped abruptly. He remembered what his master had said: if he were to mention taking a disciple outside, he would be letting his master down.
Wan Hao and Lin Xiao Tian did not press further. Afterward, Wan Hao shared the cultivation technique and martial skills.
"This cultivation technique is domineering, and the martial skills are also very domineering. You two should take them back and take a look. They might be useful in the future."
Zhu Kai waved his hand and refused, "Brother Hao, I don't want this cultivation technique. You keep it for yourself!"
Lin Xiao Tian looked at the cultivation technique. "Domineering Cultivation Technique! What a domineering name. The person who named it must be a genius."
"Yes! Thanks to the things left by that senior. If I achieve something in the future, I must personally thank them for their teachings."
Meanwhile, Lin Xiao Tian's main body was still in the forest. Thanks to the heaven-defying attributes of the Shen Nong Heart Method, Lin Xiao Tian had reached the peak of the Nascent Soul stage within half a year.
At this level, Lin Xiao Tian dared to venture deeper.
This time, he reached a place only accessible to those at the peak of Core Formation.
He was still quite cautious, not daring to advance too far. If it were in the past, he might have only taken one step forward.
However, through half a year of observation, Lin Xiao Tian had gradually mastered the Immortal Slaying Formation and gained more confidence in his own strength.
As soon as Lin Xiao Tian arrived, several creatures came looking for him.
The most arrogant among them was a creature with red fur and horns. Lin Xiao Tian recognized them; they were a type of demon.
"Heh heh, you dare to come to my territory, courting death." The red-haired demon sneered.
A voice drifted leisurely from the depths of the forest.
"Wa Li, remember to leave them alive."
The voice seemed lazy, but it contained infinite destructive power. If not for the restraining formation of the black forest, that voice alone could have shattered the heart meridians of a Nascent Soul stage cultivator.
"Elder, rest assured, he's mine."
Wa Li licked his lips, revealing a sinister smile, and charged at Lin Xiao Tian.
Without any defenses, he stepped into the Immortal Slaying Formation.
"This formation can conceal one's aura, but before us demons, it's useless. We demons can detect even the slightest ripple of spiritual energy," Wa Li said smugly.
While Wa Li spoke, he had already taken several steps forward.
Lin Xiao Tian did not stop him. During this period, he had only set up the Immortal Slaying Formation but had never actively used it; he had only let the formation play its role in concealing his aura.
The Immortal Slaying Formation was Lin Xiao Tian's trump card. He would not use it unless he encountered an insurmountable enemy.
Lin Xiao Tian's concealment was excellent, which led the creatures in the forest to form the illusion that Lin Xiao Tian's Immortal Slaying Formation did not possess such great killing power.
At least, that was what Wa Li believed.
Now that he was within the Immortal Slaying Formation, the crushing force within the formation could at most threaten ordinary Core Formation stage creatures; it had no effect on a high-level demon like him.
"I shall take your flesh and blood," Wa Li roared.
The next moment, streaks of red phantoms appeared before him.
They were red statues, but each statue contained an infinite aura of death.
"Demon Spirit, appear!"
As Wa Li's voice fell, the red statues opened their eyes.
A terrifying pressure surged towards Lin Xiao Tian.
The strength of these statues actually reached the peak of the Nascent Soul stage!
"Human, you are lucky. I only want you alive!"
Lin Xiao Tian frowned.
He hadn't expected demons to have such a killing move. No wonder a Core Formation stage cultivator dared to be so arrogant.
But Lin Xiao Tian was not afraid.
If the Immortal Slaying Formation below were to be fully activated, these peak Nascent Soul stage statues would all be finished. He was not using it simply because he wanted to test his combat strength.
"Is this all the strength you have? A bunch of dead demon warriors, do you really think they can deal with me?" Lin Xiao Tian sneered.
To Wa Li's shocked gaze, the next moment, Lin Xiao Tian charged towards these demon warriors.
"Arrogant!"
"Although you are all at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, the physiques of us demons are beyond comparison to you humans. You are foolish enough to confront us head-on!"
"These demon warriors alone can easily take down five or six peak Nascent Soul stage human cultivators in any clinic."
Wa Li looked at Lin Xiao Tian's reckless move and felt both amused and exasperated.
But his smile quickly faded.
With a crisp crack.
The next moment.
A demon statue shattered into dust.
Wa Li was stunned.
Although these demon statues were inanimate objects, their strength was formidable. Ordinary humans would struggle to even touch them, even if they fought to the death, yet Lin Xiao Tian managed to destroy one.
Vaguely, Wa Li felt a sense of unease.
"Heh heh, it's just one statue. There are still nine left!"
He could only force himself to remain calm.
But the humiliation came too quickly.
Faint electrical arcs streaked across the sky. These arcs seemed to carry world-ending power, and with just a small touch, they tore through the defense of the demon statues.
Pfft, pfft, pfft...
The statues shattered one by one.
Wa Li was dumbfounded.
He had clearly seen that the human before him had not even used any martial skills.
Just then, Lin Xiao Tian's gaze fell upon him.