BTTH : From the beginning of the battle to the top

Lin Yuan turned to look at the cave, pondering for a moment before saying to the Little Medical Fairy, "Although I don't know who the senior who left the treasure in this cave is, since this cave has completed its mission of bestowing treasures to the fated, we should give the cave's owner a peaceful rest in return for the benefits we've received."

"Yes, I think so too. What do you plan to do?" The Little Medical Fairy nodded. In her view, she had benefited the most this time, so it was only right to show some gratitude.

"It's simple. We'll block this passage to prevent anyone from disturbing the senior's rest. Little Medical Fairy, you should ride on Xiao Lan and leave the cave first," Lin Yuan said to her.

Nodding, the Little Medical Fairy swiftly mounted Xiao Lan, who then flew her away from the cave. Lin Yuan then soared into the air, unleashing his fighting spirit to directly collapse the cave's stone walls, completely sealing it off. With a flick of his sleeve, he gathered the surrounding dust and leaves to cover the traces, causing the cave to vanish from sight.

"Let's go, Little Medical Fairy. I'll take you back. Riding Xiao Lan back to Qingshan Town would be too conspicuous," Lin Yuan said as he flew onto Xiao Lan's back.

"Thank you," the Little Medical Fairy replied after a moment's thought, not refusing Lin Yuan's kindness. She had gained an unprecedented wealth that could support her ordinary life, but deep down, she felt a bit uncertain and thought it best to be cautious.

After instructing Xiao Lan, Lin Yuan embraced the Little Medical Fairy and flew towards Qingshan Town, while Xiao Lan soared freely in the sky above the Monster Beast Mountain Range, feeling the enhancement of her power and body.

Lin Yuan was quick, and before long, he had returned the Little Medical Fairy to her residence. They exchanged a glance, both understanding that it was time to say goodbye.

"Well then, goodbye, Little Medical Fairy."

"Goodbye, Lin Yuan."

After Lin Yuan left, the Little Medical Fairy lay in bed, tossing and turning. The experiences of the night replayed in her mind, and various chaotic thoughts surged within her.

The events of this night exceeded her years of living; she had acquired enough wealth to support her ordinary life, learned of her cursed poison body, and gained a talented young friend. Xiao Lan had advanced to a second-tier monster, and despite such great gains, the Little Medical Fairy felt an emptiness in her heart.

She got out of bed, put on a thin outer garment, lit a lamp, and sat down at her desk. She took out the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture and flipped to the last volume, staring blankly at it.

After an unknown amount of time, a deep sigh echoed in the room.

"Cursed poison body..."

Meanwhile, after parting with the Little Medical Fairy, Lin Yuan flew back to the residence he shared with Qing Lin.

Upon reaching Qing Lin's room, he found that the little girl was still awake at this late hour, practicing her cultivation, while Hong Yu was outside the room guarding her.

Seeing Lin Yuan, Hong Yu immediately conveyed a message to Qing Lin, who was meditating with her eyes closed. She quickly put away her cultivation posture, opened her eyes, and hurriedly got up to open the door.

Qing Lin ran up to Lin Yuan, looking at him with a big smile on her face.

"Young Master, welcome home!"

Hearing Qing Lin's words "welcome home," Lin Yuan suddenly felt as if he had traveled through time. How many years had it been since he lost his parents? How long had it been since he had heard the words "welcome home"? In that instant, Lin Yuan's heart felt soft, and his tone became unusually gentle.

"Yes, I'm back!"

Huh? Lin Yuan quickly realized this moment of uncontrollable softness in his heart. He felt a bit alert; how could he have such weakness? Would this fleeting feeling of home cause him to waver in the face of powerful illusions in the future? He needed to prepare in advance.

After pondering for a moment, Lin Yuan thought it was a good time to settle down and reflect on the restlessness caused by the numerous battles and killings in the Monster Beast Mountain Range.

"It seems I can also do some research on the soul and how to deal with illusions and phantoms during this time."

Having set a goal, Lin Yuan looked at Qing Lin and noticed that her mental state was clearly off, showing signs of excessive mental exhaustion. His expression turned serious. "Qing Er, although I told you to practice diligently at home, I also mentioned that cultivation should be balanced with rest. Given your current state, you probably haven't slept since I left, right? This approach is excessive; you can't do this in the future. Cultivation in the fighting spirit stage requires a gradual approach; you can't rush for quick results."

"But I want to become stronger quickly so I can help you sooner," Qing Lin said softly.

Lin Yuan gently touched Qing Lin's forehead and comforted her, "I understand your thoughts, and I'm glad, but there's no need to rush. I've already planned your cultivation path, and there will definitely be a time when you can help me in the future, so there's no need to hurry. Don't lose sight of the big picture for small gains."

"Okay, Qing Er understands," Qing Lin nodded obediently.

"Alright, go get a good night's sleep. Tomorrow, I'll take you out for a stroll."

After Qing Lin lay down as instructed, Lin Yuan lit a calming incense by her bedside to help her recover from the mental exhaustion of the past few days of intense cultivation.

Then, Lin Yuan returned to his own room and took out an ancient scroll from his storage ring. When he unfurled the scroll, a slightly yellowed map appeared before him, depicting some seemingly random patterns. In one corner, there was a blurry black lotus flower design, seemingly covered by a thin layer of black flames. Upon closer inspection, an eerie feeling arose; it was undoubtedly the remnant map of the Pure Lotus Demon Fire.

Lin Yuan released his soul power to probe the remnant map of the demon fire, carefully feeling the patterns on the map. After studying it for a long time, he put down the map and couldn't help but marvel.

"Truly worthy of being left by a peak nine-star fighting saint; it's far beyond what I can comprehend at the moment."

During his investigation, Lin Yuan discovered that the map concealed an extremely subtle yet vast soul power. This soul power would not directly harm a person. However, if someone attempted to probe the map's origin or replicate it, this soul power would gradually erode their consciousness, preventing them from obtaining any effective information. Even conscious resistance against the erosion would be futile.

Although Lin Yuan's soul perception was excellent, it was not much different from an ordinary person's in the face of the methods set by peak-level figures, even if that person had fallen a thousand years ago. This was the first time he felt the gap between himself and the peak, a gap so vast that he couldn't even determine how great it was.

"The peak of the Fighting Spirit Continent is indeed unfathomable, but one day I will reach it." The enormous gap did not discourage Lin Yuan; instead, it invigorated him.

"Speaking of which, the unique skill of the Pure Lotus Demon Saint, Nightmare Mist, creates a mist that can trap people in illusions. It is said that he once used this technique to make an entire city feel as if they had lived for hundreds of years, but when the mist dissipated, those people realized that their century-long experience was merely a dream. Such a miraculous ability shows his mastery of illusions; it would be great if I could gain something from this map."

"Just in time, as I plan to conduct research on illusions recently, so I'll use these two remnant maps and the Bi She San Hua Tong as my subjects!"

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(End of this chapter)