C8 Sun Opening Fruit First Chapter

Celestial Eye Tiger!

Wei Lulin's gaze shifted as he observed the enormous tiger, nearly seven meters in length and towering over four meters in height.

Despite being the least powerful among those present, his knowledge was considerable. Once he realized he couldn't cultivate, he devoted himself to learning, studying a vast array of subjects, including most magical beasts below Grade Eight.

The Celestial Eye Tiger is a growing magical beast. At birth, it's merely an ordinary beast, but once it reaches four meters in length, it can easily ascend to a Grade Ten Magical Beast. Additionally, an extra eye emerges on its forehead, capable of influencing an opponent's soul, making it extremely fearsome.

At seven meters long and four meters tall, it had just stepped into the realm of Grade Nine Magical Beasts, comparable to a Human Martial Artist in the early Body Refining Stage.

"Have I unwittingly entered the territory of Grade Nine Magical Beasts?" Wei Lulin mused as he eyed the Celestial Eye Tiger that had appeared out of nowhere.

Magical beasts are highly territorial. Typically, only those of similar strength can coexist peacefully. A weaker magical beast might be driven out or devoured. A stronger one would venture deeper into the Endless Forest. Thus, while the Endless Forest posed many dangers, one could usually avoid grave threats by not being overly bold.

"Baosan, take action!" Wei Ying remained composed at the sight of the Celestial Eye Tiger, instructing the man in purple garments beside him.

He then led Wei Lulin and two other experts, also in purple, to bypass the Celestial Eye Tiger and press on.

The Celestial Eye Tiger, a Grade Nine Magical Beast, was significantly more powerful than an average human at the Body Refining Stage. However, Baosan was no slouch. Shortly after the group departed, the fierce Baosan arrived, brimming with a killer instinct.

"Baosan, are you injured?" Wei Ying inquired, noticing Baosan's blood-stained appearance.

"Thank you for the concern, Eighth Elder. I'm unharmed," Baosan replied, shaking his head, his expression one of exhilaration as if the recent battle had enlivened his primal instincts.

"Since you're fine, you'll handle any upcoming Magical Beasts," Wei Ying nodded and directed.

The path ahead was not a straight shot but meandered, veering east and then west. Wei Ying frequently pulled out his map to check their progress.

As they ventured into the territory of the Grade Nine Magical Beasts, encounters became more frequent. The beasts that Baosan initially managed alone grew more challenging, prompting Baoer and Baoyi to step in.

Both Baoer and Baoyi were accomplished in the Body Refining Stage, with Baoyi's prowess reaching that of a Body Refining Stage Expert.

"Alright, we've arrived," Wei Ying announced with a hint of excitement after dispatching a Middle Rank Grade Nine Magical Beast and consulting his map once more.

The three brothers, upon hearing Wei Ying's words, allowed a rare smile to cross their stoic expressions. The increasing numbers of Magical Beasts had been taxing to fend off, and the reprieve was a welcome relief.

"Let's move on." Wei Ying scanned the area, his attention settling on a modest hill.

The Endless Forest, dense with trees, featured varied elevations - valleys below and hills above.

The group reached the hillside and conducted a thorough search, eventually uncovering a concealed cave entrance on the western slope, from which gusts of chilly wind emerged.

"Baoer, Baosan, lead the way," Wei Ying instructed, eyeing the dark maw of the cave and the intermittent gusts of cold air.

"Baoyi, stay close behind me." After Baosan and Baoer entered first, Wei Ying signaled to Baoyi and then proceeded into the cave with Wei Lulin.

The cave's exterior was narrow, requiring an adult to stoop to pass through. Inside, however, the passage opened up considerably, allowing them to walk upright and freely move about.

The one discomfort for Wei Lulin was the persistent, bone-chilling breeze wafting through the tunnel.

In that moment, Wei Lulin felt a warm surge of heat envelop him. Looking up, he realized it was Wei Ying, who had summoned his Spiritual Force to form a protective shield around him.

A warrior who reaches Level Seven of the Qi Refining Stage can harness their Qi to create a barrier, using Spiritual Force to generate a protective shield around their body. However, for those in the Qi Refining Stage, the Spiritual Force within their dantian is too sparse, meaning the Spiritual Energy Barrier cannot be sustained for long. It is only those at the Body Refining Stage who can maintain the Spiritual Energy Barrier for an extended period.

"Thank you, Eighth Uncle," Wei Lulin expressed, deeply moved by Wei Ying's consideration. Although he was unaware of the specifics of their next mission, his keen intuition allowed him to infer the potential dangers from Wei Ying and the others' behavior along their journey.

The mission seemed fraught with peril, possibly necessitating the involvement of a supreme expert like Wei Ying. Otherwise, Wei Ying would not have opted to let Baoer and Baosan sustain injuries when they encountered the Middle Rank Grade Nine Magical Beast before entering the cave. He likely wanted to conserve his peak strength to confront the imminent threats.

In such a scenario, Wei Lulin couldn't help but feel touched by Wei Ying's willingness to expend his Spiritual Force to protect someone who couldn't cultivate, someone considered worthless.

The hills appeared modest from the outside, but upon entering the cave, Wei Lulin discovered a vastly different interior. Despite the dim light and their slow pace, they had covered at least five to six miles within an hour, yet the tunnel's end was nowhere in sight.

About ten minutes later, Baoer and Baosan, who had been leading the way, came to an abrupt halt.

"Eighth Elder, listen!" Baoer whispered as Wei Ying approached them.

"Conceal your presence," Wei Ying commanded after a brief pause, his previously serene face now tense. He simultaneously withdrew the Spiritual Force barrier that had been enveloping Wei Lulin.

Thankfully, the cave's entrance only let in a faint cold breeze, which Wei Lulin could withstand.

Of the five people present, only Wei Lulin was a regular person, oblivious to the unfolding events. His yearning to heal his meridians intensified. Had he possessed the strength, he would have been able to anticipate the situation, rather than being shrouded in confusion as he was now.

After walking for another four to five minutes, accompanied by the sounds of battle, Wei Lulin understood the sudden change in Wei Ying's expression.

This time, Wei Ying remained silent. He gestured for everyone to proceed with caution and positioned Wei Lulin beside Baosan. Leading the way, Wei Ying guided the group stealthily toward the source of the commotion.

Dozens of meters later, the once pitch-black tunnel was now aglow. Utilizing the light, Wei Lulin spotted a massive boulder, over half a meter tall, at the cave's entrance. Wei Ying led the group to quietly take cover behind it.

Looking up, Wei Lulin realized they had reached the end of the tunnel, which opened into a vast cave.

The cave stretched up several dozen meters and spanned about a kilometer in diameter. Inside, there were five individuals and a colossal wolf, its length exceeding ten meters.

Four of the five were engaged in a fierce battle with the giant wolf, while the fifth stood at a distance, watching from the side of the cave.

Despite the spectacle of the skilled fighters clashing with the wolf, Wei Lulin's gaze was drawn to a small red tree in the center of the cave. What captivated him most were the three fruits atop the tree, radiating a crimson glow.

"Sun Opening Fruit!"