Imperial Scepter

Gao Chun and his three companions found a secluded grove of dense foliage to rest and recover.

"Uncle, quickly take this pill; it will help you recover faster!"

Before his nephew Gao Chengzhi could finish speaking, he hurriedly took out a healing pill and handed it to Gao Chun.

Gao Chun took the pill, tilted his head back, and swallowed it.

The pill instantly transformed into a sweet and mellow taste upon entering the mouth, and a gentle medicinal power slowly spread along the throat, flowing through the limbs and bones like a stream.

But only for a short while.

The burning pain in his body subsided considerably, and the injuries that had plagued him had basically healed.

In the instant he decided to cover the rear and block the sow's charge, he had already mobilized most of his pale yellow Xuan power, which he tightly attached to the vital points in front of him.

He didn't actually suffer any serious internal injuries. His real injury came from the moment he was thrown into the air by the wild boar's immense force and crashed heavily to the ground, when his bones trembled violently.

But Wang Hu's situation was far less smooth.

Even after taking the healing pills, his face remained as pale as paper, and his lips were bloodless, clearly indicating that he was seriously injured.

In order to save Gao Chun, he disregarded everything and charged straight at the wild boar's tusks.

The sharp teeth tore through his flesh in an instant, leaving a horrifying wound. Although the bleeding had been barely stopped, it would not heal anytime soon.

Such injuries will likely require a period of rest and recuperation. Fortunately, he survived.

The four of them were deeply saddened by their failure to complete their mission, and their spirits were extremely low.

Gao Chengzhi, in particular, had a tense expression on his face, his brows furrowed, and his head hanging down as if he were pondering something.

An indescribable heaviness and oppression filled the air, making it hard to breathe.

"The main fault for this mission's failure lies with me."

Gao Chun spoke first, breaking the suffocating silence and dispelling some of the tension among the four.

"It's all my fault. When I was luring the seven piglets, I only managed to attract two. I failed to lure the other five along with them." He readily took the blame upon himself.

"This isn't your responsibility," Li Daoqiu immediately chimed in, his tone resolute. "I discovered that the wild boar wasn't chasing me very fast; it wasn't using its full strength at all, and it got slower and slower as it chased—it's just too clever."

"Even if it didn't hear the piglet's screams, it would most likely turn around to protect its cub and would never follow me into the trap."

Gao Chun's expression changed slightly, and his tone became more earnest: "So, it's still my fault. I'm the team captain, and I didn't even consider this little bit of a variable. The responsibility still lies with me."

Seeing this, Li Daoqiu quickly comforted him, saying, "This is not the responsibility of any one person; all four of us share the blame. Ultimately, it's because our cultivation levels are too low that we've fallen into this predicament."

Wang Hu was too badly injured to even speak, and could only lean against the tree trunk, his chest rising and falling slowly with his weak breaths.

Gao Chengzhi, who was always lazy and a little arrogant, was now experiencing a storm of emotions.

The life-or-death scene he had just witnessed had an unprecedented impact on the ten-year-old boy.

He had read countless stories of brotherhood in novels, where brothers risked their lives to save each other, but he had never truly felt it.

But today, when the wild boar charged towards the three of them, the image of his uncle Gao Chunyi standing up first to cover their retreat without hesitation was deeply imprinted in his heart.

Immediately afterwards, when his uncle was in danger and his life was hanging by a thread, Wang Hu rushed over without hesitation, disregarding his own safety.

At that moment, Gao Chengzhi felt his mind go blank and he was completely stunned.

That was a perilous situation where one faced life and death; a slight misstep could mean certain death!

What shocked him even more was that there was already a rift and old grudges between Wang Hu and his uncle, but at the critical moment of life and death, those barriers vanished instantly.

Gao Chun noticed his nephew's unusual behavior immediately.

She reached out and gently patted his shoulder, comforting him softly, "Don't think too much about it, you've already done very well."

"If you hadn't suddenly used the talisman this time, Wang Hu and I would probably have been doomed. You are the greatest contributor."

"Don't worry, your uncle remembers all the talismans you used. He'll definitely repay you tenfold in the future and buy you even more exciting storybooks."

Upon hearing the words "storybook," a glimmer of light suddenly flashed in Gao Chengzhi's dim eyes. He finally snapped out of his shock and daze, and his face gradually relaxed.

This battle deeply moved him.

It wasn't just the life-saving rescue between his uncle Gao Chun and Wang Hu, but also his tacit cooperation with Li Daoqiu during their escape. The four of them worked together and supported each other all the way.

That unwavering commitment, regardless of who is who, allowed him to truly experience the power of teamwork.

The camaraderie among companions, their mutual protection and selfless rescue, is far more impactful and moving than any story or legend.

Li Daoqiu, who was usually quiet and reserved, was also experiencing a great deal of turmoil in his heart.

Even though he was usually calm, his state of mind was deeply shaken.

He gazed at Gao Chun quietly, feeling that his childhood friend was truly the most qualified team captain.

When the team was in trouble, he was the first to step forward and cover the rear; after the battle, he was the first to take responsibility; when the team members were emotionally affected, he was the first to offer gentle words of comfort.

This is his childhood friend, Gao Chun.

Li Daoqiu was filled with joy and even more proud to have such a childhood friend and such a captain.

What moved him even more was that he had seen too many different kinds of mystics. They often talked about brotherhood and loyalty, claiming they would go to great lengths for each other and fight to the death, but in the end, it was all just talk.

No one ever truly took those words to heart, and no one ever actually shielded their comrades from a knife or risked their lives for them.

But today, he truly witnessed it firsthand.

Some bravely sacrificed their lives to cover his retreat; and the rest of his companions did not abandon him in the slightest. Seeing him in danger, they all turned back and risked their lives to save him from the crisis.

Wang Hu, who was pale and still weak, had a silly, faint smile on his lips.

His heart was filled with a warm current, an indescribable joy and happiness.

He clearly sensed the change in the three people's attitude towards him. It was genuine acceptance, a heartfelt recognition.

Wang Hu was inherently proud and had always looked down on Fan Tong, believing that Fan Tong and Xuan Zhe were fundamentally different people. This arrogance made him unpopular, but deep down, he longed for genuine friendship and for friends who truly understood and accepted him.

In the past, his peers either feared him or treated him perfunctorily; no one ever truly entered his heart.

But now, he feels genuine recognition and acceptance from Gao Chun, Li Daoqiu, and Gao Chengzhi.

This gain would be worth it even if it cost him his life.

At this moment, Gao Chun is deeply immersed in reviewing and reflecting on the situation.

The entire plan, the details of the operation, and the wild boar's habits and reactions replayed in his mind again and again.

Finally, he concluded that with the four of them's current cultivation levels, this mission was simply impossible to complete. No matter what method they used, they would ultimately find themselves in danger and inevitably fail.

Perhaps this was exactly what Old Man Gao intended.

If the mission could be accomplished with just a simple trap, then he wouldn't be the wise Old Man Gao he always was.

The real purpose of the training he arranged was to test the four of them: what choices would they make when faced with danger? Would they cooperate with each other as they had just done, or would they abandon their teammates and escape alone?

Furthermore, it is to allow the four people to personally experience the changes in their mindset at the critical moment of life and death, to see their true nature clearly in desperate situations, and to temper their character.

This has always been a test of humanity. Everyone in the team will be impacted and grow through this experience.

Although the mission was not completed, Gao Chun felt that the gains far outweighed the mission itself. Wang Hu's selfless protection, Gao Chengzhi's courageous return, Li Daoqiu's unwavering loyalty and rescue, and the four's steadfast unity and mutual support.

This bond forged in adversity, this tacit understanding that transcends life and death, is far more valuable than completing ten or a hundred tasks.

Gao Chun felt increasingly burdened by his responsibility as the team captain.

He deeply realized that such practical experience was far more effective in improving combat effectiveness and teamwork than training on the training ground, even if it was ten or a hundred times more effective.

He had already made up his mind to bring his team to the Southern Wilderness Forest for training more often in the future. Only a team tempered in real combat would possess true fighting power.

At the same time, he was also clearly aware of the team's shortcomings: everyone's cultivation level was relatively low, and they especially lacked long-range spell attack methods.

If even one person had mastered magic, they could have used it to restrain the enemy from a distance, preventing them from being in such a sorry state and potentially even allowing them to complete their mission.

Gao Chun already had a plan in mind: upon returning, his first priority would be to study magic. He was now at the fourth-grade Bronze Realm, qualified to learn magic.

As for improving one's realm and comprehending the fifth state of mind, it's best to put those aside for now and discuss them after mastering the techniques.

The four of them, each lost in their own thoughts, rested silently in the woods. Only the gentle breeze rustled the leaves and the chirping of insects made the surroundings exceptionally quiet.

As the setting sun gradually sank towards the treetops, the warm golden afterglow spread through the forest, casting long, overlapping shadows of the four people on the ground, making it impossible to distinguish their individual outlines.

The oppressive atmosphere that had been suffocating just moments before had long since dissipated with the forest breeze, replaced by a unique tranquility that comes from being tempered by life and death.

That bond was forged in the shared dangers and life-risking protection, stronger and more intense than ever before, quietly taking root in the hearts of the four, becoming the most solid foundation for moving forward together in the future.