People in Doupo: The beginning of the game intercepts the rich woman Xun'er

"They're moving faster than expected. Right now, the other forces haven't even touched the edge of the second level, but they'll be soon." Hun Li unconsciously rubbed his cuff with his fingertips, his voice extremely low.
"Hopefully they won't run into the ancient clans too soon. If they do join forces, it will be difficult for us to deal with them."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Hunya beside him suddenly curled his lips into a wicked smile, a sinister glint appearing and disappearing in the mist, his eyes gleaming with a dark light: "Who cares how fast or slow they are, let's just head to the third level as planned."

"As long as the plan succeeds, let alone Xiao Ling and Gu Xun'er, even if Gu Qingyang comes, he will only face certain death."

"Moreover, getting to the third floor earlier will be more advantageous for our deployment."

Hunya took half a step forward, his foot grinding over the remaining energy fragments on the ground. The fierce look on his face intensified, and his voice was as soft as poisoned silk.

"Once this group is all gathered, we can wipe them out in one fell swoop. The dangers within the Heavenly Tomb are well-known, and people have died here before. Even if they all perish here, no one can say anything..."

Hun Li verbally agreed, but he knew perfectly well that the idea of ​​secretly eliminating everyone who entered the Heavenly Tomb was simply an unrealistic delusion.

After all, those who can step into this place are all young prodigies selected from several ancient families. Which one of them doesn't have a trump card hidden in their chest? Unless they encounter a life-or-death situation, they are all quite confident in their ability to protect themselves.

Looking back at the number of times the Heavenly Tomb has been opened in the past, the number of participants who have lost their lives inside is extremely small. If all the other ancient families have perished here this time, and only the two members of the Soul Clan are unharmed, such an abnormal result would make anyone guess that the Soul Clan had secretly sabotaged the operation.

In this way, the two of them became clearer about their goals, and their main focus remained on the six people from the Gu Clan and the Xiao Clan.

As for the prodigies from other forces, they would rather ignore them than provoke them, preferring to avoid unnecessary trouble and disrupt their original plans.

The two men locked eyes, and almost simultaneously a sinister smile curled at the corners of their mouths, their eyes filled with an unyielding malice.

"I haven't forgotten how Xiao Ling humiliated me in front of everyone last time." A few cold laughs escaped Hun Ya's throat, his fingertips turning white from the force of his grip.
"I'm just waiting to see him come to a dead end and suffer a miserable fate. Just thinking about it makes me feel so good!"

Upon hearing this, Hun Li's eyes flashed with even more ruthlessness, but he said nothing more. He simply activated his battle qi and leaped into the air.

Hun Li followed closely behind, and the two figures instantly transformed into two swift black shadows, darting through the thick fog like ghosts. In the blink of an eye, they completely disappeared into the vast, misty wasteland, leaving only a faint trace of black energy that had not yet dissipated, quietly permeating the air...

……

The mist on the second level of the Heavenly Tomb resembled an ancient, ever-present veil.

There is no warmth of the rising sun piercing the morning mist, nor the splendor of the sunset painting the sky. Even the stars and moonlight are isolated by a thick energy barrier, making it impossible to distinguish between day and night. Only the energy particles that quietly flow through the air silently tell the story of the passage of time.

In this chaotic scene, half a month slipped away like sand through my fingers.

On a long-abandoned mountain range, jagged black rocks are exposed, their surfaces covered with dark brown cracks, as if gnawed by the passage of time.

The mist clung to the mountain rocks, blurring the surrounding scenery. Only occasionally did a pale silver stream of energy flash through the mist, breaking the deathly silence.

"drink!"

Xiao Yan let out a low shout, and his crimson Dou Qi surged suddenly, attaching to the Xuan Heavy Ruler like flames.

His eyes were sharp as an eagle's, precisely capturing the six-star energy entity that burst out of the mist. The entity was surrounded by a pale silver aura, and the energy blade condensed in its hand radiated a chilling aura as it rushed straight toward his face.

Instead of retreating, Xiao Yan advanced, stomping his foot hard on the black stone ground, sending fragments of stone flying everywhere.

He flipped his wrist, and the Xuanzhong Ruler swept out with a whistling wind, the crimson battle qi chain colliding fiercely with the energy blade.

With a crisp clang, energy fragments scattered like stars, landing on the black stone and sparking tiny sparks.

Seeing that its attack had missed, the energy entity suddenly became illusory and tried to sneak up behind Xiao Yan to launch a surprise attack.

However, Xiao Yan was prepared. His soul perception spread out like a spider web, instantly locking onto the opponent's trajectory.

He turned around abruptly, his left hand forming a sword shape with his fingers together, and a condensed, compressed flame shot out, landing precisely at the core of the energy body.

The pale silver halo flickered violently a few times, and the energy body disintegrated like shattered glass, eventually transforming into a faintly glowing energy core that slowly landed in Xiao Yan's palm.

Xiao Yan held the warm energy core, let out a long sigh of relief, and raised his hand to wipe the thin layer of sweat from his forehead.

The crimson battle aura slowly receded, and he looked at the energy core in his palm, a hint of relief flashing in his eyes.

Over the past two weeks, under the cover of Xiao Ling and Xun'er, he has been traveling and fighting against energy beings along the way. Not only has his fighting spirit become more and more proficient, but his soul perception has also become much more acute. Now he can deal with energy beings at the level of a six-star Dou Zun with ease.

For the past two weeks, Xiao Yan has been focused on practical training against high-level energy beings. Even though he has acquired a lot of energy cores, he has not taken the time to refine and absorb them. Instead, he has devoted all his energy to honing himself.

Although his cultivation level did not improve significantly, he completely stabilized his previously fluctuating realm. This solid foundation was a rare achievement.

While Xiao Yan was immersed in real combat training, Xiao Ling and Xun'er also began their own operation in the thick fog of the second level of the Heavenly Tomb.

Compared to the energy bodies of varying strengths in the first layer, the energy bodies in the second layer are a completely different story. Not only is their basic strength generally higher, but some of them even retain some spirituality, making them far superior in quality to the former.

More importantly, as the three of them ventured deeper into the second layer of the territory, the strength of the energy beings they encountered along the way continued to increase with each layer. Eventually, even energy beings at the level of seven-star and eight-star Dou Zun began to appear frequently in their field of vision.

This perilous environment, however, became an excellent "hunting ground" for Xiao Ling and Xun'er.

For the past two weeks, the two have worked together seamlessly, making their way through the area as if it were their own.

Countless six-star and seven-star energy bodies were killed by them. Even those eight-star energy bodies, which were beyond the reach of ordinary people, were successively disintegrated under the combined efforts or individual attacks of the two, and finally turned into energy cores radiating rich energy, which were then stored in their storage rings.

It can be said that in this misty area of ​​the second level of the Heavenly Tomb, no energy body that Xiao Ling and Xun'er encountered could escape their clutches. By the end of the half-month, the two had accumulated nearly six hundred energy cores in their storage rings, and the quality was not low either. They had truly made a fortune.

As soon as Xiao Yan regained his footing, the residual warmth of his Dou Qi still lingered on his fingertips, the mist around him suddenly parted, revealing Xiao Ling and Xun'er side by side. The former's clothes were spotless, while the latter's hair, which was gently swaying, still carried a faint aura of energy, indicating that she had also recently finished a battle.

Xiao Ling's gaze swept over the energy core that Xiao Yan had not yet put away in his palm, his tone carrying a hint of certainty.

"These past two weeks of practical experience have paid off. Not only have you completely stabilized your previously somewhat unstable cultivation level, but your precision in attacking has also improved significantly. Now, you can try refining energy cores to break through to the next realm."

Xun'er nodded slightly beside her.

Upon hearing Xiao Ling's words, a glint of light flashed in Xiao Yan's eyes, and his fingers unconsciously tightened around the energy core.

For the past two weeks, he has been immersed in battles with high-level energy beings every day. Not only have his combat skills improved visibly, but his previously somewhat weak cultivation has also settled down completely, and even his soul perception has become much more acute.

What reassured him even more was that his "hunting" during this period had not been in vain. He had accumulated nearly a hundred energy cores in his storage ring, which was quite a lot. However, compared with Xiao Ling and the other person, it was not enough.

Putting aside the difference in quantity, in terms of quality alone, he has at most seven-star energy cores, while Xiao Ling and Xun'er each have more than a dozen eight-star energy cores in their storage rings.

Before Xiao Yan could respond, Xiao Ling had already steered the conversation in a calm tone, tinged with consideration.

“I just checked the energy flow around us. We’re not far from the entrance to the third level. At our current speed, we should be able to get there in a day or two.”

His gaze fell on Xiao Yan, and he went straight to the key question: "You have two choices now. Do you continue to advance to the third level with us, or do you find a safe place to stop and cultivate, refine the energy cores you have collected during this time, which will not only improve your cultivation level but also further refine yourself?"

After a slight pause, Xiao Ling added his suggestion, his tone becoming more serious.
“My idea is that you should focus on your cultivation first. Although you have made rapid progress in the Heavenly Tomb and are not far from breaking through to the sixth-star Dou Zun, the danger of the third level is far greater than that of the second level. There are not only terrifying energy bodies there, but you may also encounter half-saint level beings. With your current strength, it is too risky to go in.”

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the fluctuations of Dou Qi around Xiao Yan, and continued...

"More importantly, the energy barrier at the entrance to the third level is extremely strong. With your current level of battle qi cultivation, you may not be able to penetrate it smoothly. Rather than taking the risk of forcing your way through, it's better to stabilize your realm and improve your strength first, and then make plans later."

Upon hearing Xiao Ling's words, Xiao Yan took a deep breath, suppressing his curiosity and eagerness for the third level. His fingertips unconsciously rubbed the energy core in his palm. After a moment of contemplation, a bitter smile appeared on his face.

"To be honest, I really want to see what the third level of the Heavenly Tomb looks like." He looked up at Xiao Ling and Xun'er, his tone carrying a hint of sincere regret.
"But my cousin is right. With my current strength, it would be too risky to go in rashly."

As he finished speaking, the hesitation in his eyes completely vanished, replaced by a sense of certainty.
"In that case, I'd better find a place to consolidate my cultivation and refine these energy cores first. Anyway, the Heavenly Tomb is still far from closing. It's not too late to consider the third level once my strength has really improved."

Thinking back to the struggles he faced against the energy beings on the second level over the past half month, Xiao Yan felt a slight unease. Although he managed to protect himself each time, he inevitably suffered several embarrassing moments and even sustained many hidden injuries.

If the second level was already this bad, he dared not think too deeply about the terror of the semi-saint level energy bodies on the third level, and subconsciously shook his head.

He knew in his heart that if he insisted on going to the third floor, with his current strength, he would not only be unable to help, but would also become a burden to Xiao Ling and Xun'er. The two of them would have to be distracted to protect him, which would inevitably affect their speed of progress, and they might even be put in danger because of him.

This situation, which would only hold them back, was the last thing he wanted to see; it would be a burden for both of them.

Rather than indulging in momentary pleasure, it's better to face reality.

A resolute glint flashed in Xiao Yan's eyes. He was self-aware enough to know that refining the energy core to improve his strength and making a plan that suited his own situation was the safest option.

Seeing that Xiao Yan had thought it through, Xiao Ling smiled faintly and nodded slowly.

His words just now were less of a question and more of a way of revealing that from the beginning, he had no intention of taking Xiao Yan into the third level.

Leaving aside whether Xiao Yan can force his way through that energy barrier that even ordinary Dou Zun finds difficult to overcome, even if he does manage to get in, the dangers posed by those semi-saint level energy bodies on the third layer are far beyond what Xiao Yan can currently withstand.

At that time, he and Xun'er would have to devote most of their energy to protecting her, which would only cause more trouble.

During this period, he had taken good care of Xiao Yan on the second floor, whether it was covering his training or tacitly allowing him to collect energy cores, he had done everything he could.

Now that Xiao Yan has taken the initiative to recognize the situation, it saves him from having to waste any more words, which is the most appropriate outcome.

Seeing this, Xiao Ling flicked his finger, and a storage ring with an ancient luster flew straight towards Xiao Yan with a slight whooshing sound.

Xiao Yan reacted extremely quickly, raising his hand to firmly grasp the storage ring in his palm. When his fingertips touched the ring, he could clearly feel the pure energy surging within.

"This storage ring contains the energy cores that Xun'er and I collected on the second floor over the past half month." Xiao Ling's voice was somewhat casual, but it contained a real consideration. "In terms of both quantity and quality, it is much better than what you have collected on your own."

He paused, then added, "Although using too many energy cores can lead to resistance, the quantity here is sufficient. If you can digest all of these energy cores, not only will stabilizing your realm be easy, but breaking through to the high-level Dou Zun will not be difficult at all."

For Xiao Ling and Xun'er, the vast number of energy cores in their storage rings had long lost their value.

The two had previously absorbed top-quality eight-star energy cores from the harvest, but that pure energy was merely a drop in the ocean for them, with negligible improvement.

On the contrary, Xiao Yan, who is in a critical period of advancement, needs these energy cores to solidify his realm and break through to the higher-level Dou Zun.

These "idle items" that are useless to Xiao Ling and Xun'er can be put to maximum use in Xiao Yan's hands.

Moreover, Xiao Ling also harbored some thoughts of giving back. If it weren't for the information provided by Xiao Yan, he might not have been able to successfully subdue the Red Lotus Karmic Flame.

Giving away the unused energy core to Xiao Yan is both a convenient gesture and a small token of gratitude for the information.

If he's lucky, the stronger Xiao Yan becomes in the future, the more unexpected help he might bring. (End of Chapter)