Chapter 297

Chapter 297: Cooperation and Control

Receiving nine golden carp meant he had secured eighteen hundred points, but Li Hui didn’t stop there. He returned to the vine-covered wall and searched for wilted branches, tearing down a long one to string up his golden carp like sugar-coated hawthorns.

At that moment, Li Changtian approached, carrying six golden carp, eager to copy him.

Li Hui moved quickly, dashing back to the red fruit tree hall. He climbed to the treetop and lowered the wilted vines. Not long after, he heard buzzing.

Many tiny bugs flew in and swarmed the golden carp, sucking their blood. The golden carp shriveled up, looking like dried fish that had been preserved for ages.

"Got it!" Li Hui waved and plucked six red fruits, paying the eighteen hundred points. Fishing for the dragon turtle while gathering golden carp made this routine seamless—earning six thousand points would be straightforward.

"Just prepare ten dragon turtles, and we can enter the next stage. At that point, more points will be needed to offset the penalties, but the points gained will also be substantial. All those clauses before entering the cave, those conflicting requirements, can be effectively utilized."

Ma Rongsheng and Qian Pingzhang were dumbfounded, but once they figured out the process, they hurried to act.

Wen Shaobao’s face turned pale, and after a moment of hesitation, when he decided to shed his pride and pick the red fruit, only two remained on the tree. Gritting his teeth, he picked the remaining red fruit and hurried to the pond to catch golden carp, but after jostling for a while, he saw no bubbles rising.

"Damn, why is there none here for me? Six hundred points! I lost six hundred points thanks to you, Li Yingjun."

There were no golden carp left for him—the fishes were nearly extinct by the time they reached Ma Rongsheng and Qian Pingzhang, and without catching the dragon turtle, they couldn’t progress to the next stage.

Li Hui dashed around, madly collecting points, until they reached the collaborative phase, where he finally paused, pleased with his efforts. Checking his score, he realized he had unintentionally climbed up to twenty-six thousand points. Li Changtian, Luo Xiuna, and Cheng Yuhuan also made great gains and looked at him with gratitude. The other three lagged behind significantly, with Wen Shaobao’s score barely reaching four hundred, his anger rising with each passing second.

Ahead, a stone wall appeared, covered in numerous cracks. Some cracks whistled with wind, while others emitted a green light.

Cheng Yuhuan’s face brightened, "Great! We reached here first. We can search for Sound Bugs and green stones freely. If we find something, just whistle, and the others can help."

"No!" Li Hui decisively rejected, "We aren’t the first group; at least two groups already came before us, but they erased their traces and concealed themselves."

"Are you sure?" Ma Rongsheng and Qian Pingzhang looked skeptical.

"It’s easy to confirm; we just need to hide and wait. I have highly effective Spirit Concealment Talismans. Each costs one Miao Jade, along with various spirit talismans close to treasure talismans. As you know, after this checkpoint, we need to fight our way through, so more preparation is always better. I run a talisman business at home, fair as can be for everyone, with reasonable prices." Li Hui seized the opportunity to sell his spirit talismans, knowing he had plenty of them.

"This…” The six felt the sudden shift, as Li Yingjun transformed into a talisman merchant, and the Spirit Concealment Talismans seemed a bit pricey!

"I guarantee that after using my talismans, you’ll want to use them again. The Spirit Concealment Talismans have a high cost, but the others are quite cheap."

Alright! It proved that the Spirit Concealment Talismans Li Hui produced were indeed effective; the seven concealed their tracks and sat quietly waiting. In just half a stick of incense, seven people arrived.

These seven were honest, diligently climbing and digging.

Before long, a huge bang reverberated: "The Sound Bug exploded, quickly intercept it! Don’t let it escape!"

A moment later, another loud crash, and someone yelled angrily, “Damn it, a second explosion! The rules state we can’t use artifacts or treasure to capture it. Whoever is fastest, go chase!"

At that moment, seven people suddenly appeared, with one accurately catching a thick red bug, but unexpectedly, with a third loud bang, the Sound Bug exploded, escaping from its outer shell.

"Someone really was hiding nearby!" Ma Rongsheng and Qian Pingzhang were impressed; the seven who revealed themselves could not hide anymore, and they quickly chased after the Sound Bug.

Li Hui was calm, knowing that each person needed to catch one Sound Bug and obtain one green stone to pass. However, these two items were not easy to obtain; it was best for multiple people to encircle and attack, or they would face repeated explosions.

From his observations, some bugs had ten layers of outer shells, meaning they could explode ten times. Even if someone was quick, if they misjudged the timing, they would face continuous explosions. Once the outer shell was blown away, the bug would shrink to the size of a thumb and self-destruct, leaving nothing behind.

The green stones were harder to obtain; someone needed to touch them first.

The first person to touch the green stone would become immobilized. If the green light did not diminish, the second person who touched it would also become trapped.

That created a dilemma: Who touches it first? What order should they go in? What if the last person who acquired the green stone denied their agreement? What if an outsider intervened?

There were tests and traps everywhere. Li Hui didn’t want to appear too outlandish. If he used his Personal Artifact and the Five Spirits Transformation Talisman to enhance the Ideal Body to eighteen times speed, passing should be easy. But revealing so many of his cards would be detrimental to his future. Also, using artifacts was forbidden, but could the Personal Artifact and divine talismans be allowed? Surely they would be prohibited too.

No matter the circumstances, quietly amassing wealth is the true way to success.

Before them lay only one option: cooperation. This might be the message the Haotu Sect intended to convey to the new disciples: only by working together can they overcome difficulties. Yet, they must not lower their guard and should coordinate their relationships to achieve the desired outcomes, requiring sacrifices and strategic planning.

About a stick of incense later, Cheng Hong and the six of them suddenly appeared, taking the green stones the other groups were collecting.

Li Hui’s judgment was vindicated; indeed, two groups had been hiding, waiting for their chance. But now what? Should they quietly slip into other groups and pick up bargains, or rely on their own efforts to catch bugs and obtain stones?

"Two people on lookout, five to catch bugs." Li Changtian suddenly transmitted this strategy.

"Who will be on lookout?" Cheng Yuhuan asked the crucial question.

"Simple, Li Yingjun and Wen Shaobao!" Li Changtian answered without blinking.

Everyone thought about it and realized he was right! When five people were catching bugs and grabbing stones, the most worrisome part was the lookouts. But since Li Yingjun and Wen Shaobao didn’t get along, it would actually work better; they could monitor and control each other, reducing the risk of betrayal.

Li Hui felt a surge of surprise, thinking, "This Li Changtian has great leadership skills! At such a young age, he has this level of strategy; he will surely rise in the future, at least much better than Wen Shaobao."

"Let’s do it!" Li Changtian’s plan received unanimous approval.

Under the cover of the Spirit Concealment Talismans, the seven began to ascend the rock wall. Li Hui and Wen Shaobao guarded the outside, ready to lend aid at a moment’s notice, while the other five squeezed through the stone crevices.

Before they acted, Li Hui took out talisman flags and set them around, while Wen Shaobao prepared formation disks, ensuring double protection and double readiness. They soon heard thunderous sounds and began to act.