This is my third update today, and I absolutely won't falter, rest assured. Some people say the chapters are numerous, but the word count per chapter is low—it’s baffling to me.

Every chapter is 3000 words; I haven't reduced it. Please support the official release; you’ll see exactly how long each chapter is.

…… Huang Zhong and Huang Lu stared, slack-jawed, watching the Six-Legged Lizard get slaughtered in the blink of an eye, then looking at Ye Chen, whose expression remained unchanged. A dignified Eighth-Tier monster, instantly vaporized?

Even Huang Zhong, who possessed the combat power of a Tenth-Tier by being two levels higher, couldn't boast such a clean and swift execution—and Ye Chen did it barehanded! At this moment, Ye Chen reached out, grabbed the corpse of the Six-Legged Lizard, dragged it over, and tossed it in front of Huang Zhong.

“The surface scales of this lizard are poisonous; don't touch them carelessly. Its internal organs are also unusable.

However, its eyes can be dried and ground into powder, which acts as an antidote.” Huang Zhong paused, staring at Ye Chen in astonishment. “How do you know?” “I’ve killed them before.” Ye Chen stated briefly.

Although he didn’t recognize this particular Six-Legged Lizard monster, his past life involved extensive jungle survival, giving him detailed knowledge of lizard-type monsters. Most lizard monsters possessed venomous scales because they frequently preyed on venomous snakes!

“Then how did you avoid injury?” Huang Lu asked, his face full of curiosity, looking at Ye Chen’s palm. Ye Chen smiled faintly, raising his hand.

“I brought protective gauntlets.” He then removed the Blazing Flame Gauntlets and handed them to Huang Lu for inspection. The gloves looked almost transparent; one would be hard-pressed to notice they were gloves unless scrutinized closely.

“So thin,” Huang Lu exclaimed in awe. Huang Zhong looked at Ye Chen, his expression a mixture of suspicion and uncertainty.

For some reason, he had the distinct impression that the way this young man slew monsters was even more practiced than his own! And this man was just a youth!

He himself had spent fifty or sixty years slaying monsters, countless numbers falling beneath his hand. …… For the time that followed, Ye Chen and Huang Lu, under Huang Zhong’s guidance, trained in this forest.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, three months were nearly up. Deep within the jungle… Swish!

Huang Lu’s figure moved like an ape, clad in animal skins, leaping across vines and wood. His black hair streamed behind him in the air.

His face was alight with smiles; his days had been full during this period. Moreover, under Huang Zhong’s rigorous training, his physique had soared again in just three months, reaching the Fifth Tier!

One Tier gained every three months! This was absolutely rare in the world!

“Aooo…” He roared loudly, crossing the edge of a great tree. Suddenly, the tree split open without warning, revealing a massive maw—it was a Man-Eating Tree!

Puff! A streak of blade light flashed past, severing the tree.

Huang Lu landed steadily on the ground, a smile curving his lips, revealing a row of white teeth. “We have food today.” He then proceeded to carve up the Fourth-Tier Man-Eating Tree, extracting many useful ingredients from its body.

With a few bounds, he soon arrived at the lakeside. After three months of training, his combat potential had erupted, and his hunting skills were exceptionally proficient; he feared nothing even in the face of danger.

By the sparkling lakeside, Huang Zhong, with his white robes and white hair, sat watching the distance, his gaze melancholic yet calm. Hearing the rustle of leaves behind him, the corner of his mouth curved slightly, and his plain voice cut through the air: “You’re back?” “En!” Huang Lu grinned widely.

“The food is ready.” Huang Zhong slowly rose and turned to look, nodding with satisfaction at the much more mature and sturdy Huang Lu. “Prepare the firewood.” Huang Lu nodded, glancing around.

He asked curiously, “Where is Brother Ye?” Before Huang Zhong could reply, suddenly— BOOM!! A deafening roar echoed, conspicuously loud in the silent forest, followed by the sound of forest trees near the lake being destroyed and pulled apart.

Huang Zhong and Huang Lu turned their heads. In the shadow of the dense trees lining the path, footsteps sounded—one set, then two, faint and approaching, growing nearer.

Then, a figure clad in animal hides stepped out slowly, raising his head to reveal a face covered in wild, messy black hair and stubble, yet possessing striking handsomeness… Ye Chen! In his hand, he gripped a tail.

Following that tail, a body the size of a small hill, which had crushed countless trees, was being dragged toward them! Huang Zhong and Huang Lu were stunned for a long moment, then smiles broke out on their faces.

Huang Lu raised his fist and cheered, “Time to eat!” About fifteen minutes later, around a bonfire, the three sat together, grasping large chunks of roasted meat. Grease dripped onto the flames, sizzling with a hissing sound.

Compared to three months ago, Ye Chen’s eyes were deeper and calmer, as if even the collapse of Mount Tai wouldn't disturb his composure. He tore off a bite of roasted meat, looking at Huang Zhong.

“It’s almost been three months, right?” Huang Zhong nodded slightly. “We go back tomorrow!” Huang Lu’s eyes lit up with joy.

“Really?” Huang Zhong laughed. “Of course.

The notification came down. The Temple Envoy will arrive tomorrow to receive the participants from this island.” Huang Lu paused, then his enthusiasm dimmed.

“Oh,” he murmured, burying his face back in his roast meat. Ye Chen glanced at him, pondered for a moment, then his gaze flashed, and he said no more, lowering his head to eat.

When night fell. As per routine, Ye Chen and Huang Lu sat by the lake doing push-ups.

Huang Zhong lay beneath a large tree, eyes closed, though it was uncertain if he was sleeping or merely resting. After completing 100,000 repetitions, Ye Chen’s arms felt a little sore.

Doing 100,000 here was equivalent to doing 1,000,000 outside! “Xiao Lu, come here.” Ye Chen beckoned to Huang Lu, leading him behind a nearby forest tree.

Huang Lu, slightly puzzled, got up and followed. Not long after, they reached the back of the tree.

Ye Chen flipped his palm and, with imperceptible speed, retrieved a fruit from the Rune Space. It was crystal white, the size of an apple, and exquisitely beautiful.

“This is a White Blaze Fruit. Eating it can temper the body and improve physique.

Perhaps it can help your physique break through to the Sixth Tier!” Ye Chen casually tossed it to Huang Lu. “Whether you succeed depends on you.” Huang Lu froze, instinctively catching it.

He felt a gentle warmth. Hearing Ye Chen’s words, his whole body jolted.

He stared blankly at the fruit in his hand. After a long pause, he looked at Ye Chen, tears streaming down his face in gratitude.

He wiped them away, choking out, “Brother Ye, this, this is too precious; I cannot accept it.” Ye Chen smiled faintly, patting his arm. “Happiness must be fought for yourself.

Go for it!” Huang Lu’s body trembled, and the hand holding the White Blaze Fruit slowly tightened. He felt as if he were adrift in a dream, his heart pounding wildly.

But, but. Why was this dream so real?

A beautiful silhouette from the depths of his heart flashed before his eyes… He gritted his teeth, slowly kneeling on one knee before Ye Chen, his giant-like body bowing to the elder who only reached his waist. It was as if he were signing a pact with the gods, his softly sobbing voice, laced with unwavering determination, echoing across the sky of the forest: “Brother Ye, for as long as I, Huang Lu, live, whatever you ask of me in the future, I am willing to do!!” Ye Chen patted his shoulder and laughed, “This is nothing.

Get up, don’t alarm the Dean.” Huang Lu wiped the tears from his eyes and slowly stood up, clutching the White Blaze Fruit tightly. After a moment, his turbulent emotions calmed considerably.

He looked up at Ye Chen. “Brother Ye, where did you get such a miraculous fruit?” Ye Chen smiled faintly.

“We found it today while hunting in a valley. There were two; I ate one.” “Oh.” Huang Lu nodded heavily.

Ye Chen patted his arm and then turned to leave, leaving him standing there alone. Of course, the White Blaze Fruit was not found on the island; it came from the treasury of the Fire Civilization.

Inside, there were 1008 precious medicinal items, including treasures to enhance strength, vision, arm power, and physique—all available! During these three months, Bai Lan had managed all the affairs outside, and the Fire Civilization had returned to his side.

Meanwhile, Zi Lan was stationed outside, reporting the situation constantly. Naturally, she didn’t report directly to Ye Chen but to Bai Lan, who then relayed the information to Ye Chen.

That girl seemed not to like Ye Chen, or rather, she deeply disliked the master of the Fire Civilization… According to external intelligence, that Ghost-God Realm dark creature had led a monster army, starting from the Shanghai area, spreading outward around China. Many cities and provinces had been occupied, and even the Shennongjia region, where the Light Base City was established, had been scoured.

Fortunately, they had evacuated into the ruins beforehand, suffering little loss, though they couldn't plant grain during this time. Furthermore, through the external reports, Ye Chen knew that the time flow in the Divine Tomb was the same as the outside world.

That meant three months had also passed outside! “I must get to the Inner Sea as soon as possible…” Ye Chen suppressed the thought, pushing the notion deep down as he considered the next steps.

During these three months, his physique reached Level 3000. His daily push-ups and exercises had increased it by another 500 levels.

Additionally, he had immersed himself in the Spring of Divine Power once midway, boosting it by another 500 levels! In the Divine Tomb, he was considered a King Grade Third-Tier expert!

However, he hadn't had time to cultivate his strength in this period; it remained stuck in the mid-stage of Strength Master Third-Tier, parallel to his physique level. Through his training, Ye Chen discovered a secret: this mysterious place also had special energy permeating the air.

When doing push-ups, running, exerting effort, cells and genes were in a state of motion and consumption. When extremely fatigued, the cells became like hungry wolves, drawing that mysterious energy from the air, causing the body to grow stronger with every workout!

Outside, one couldn't even raise their physique by one level after decades of training! According to Huang Zhong, the mysterious energy permeating the air in the Divine Tomb was free-floating Divine Power!

It was the same energy as in the Spring of Divine Power, just tens of millions of times sparser! After a night of rest, the three returned the next day.

After the night, Ye Chen noticed that Huang Lu’s aura had strengthened considerably. His eyes sparkled with piercing light, carrying a commanding presence reminiscent of a fierce general.

Clearly, that White Blaze Fruit had not been wasted; it had successfully propelled Huang Lu into the Sixth Tier! (To be continued~~~~)