Everyone turned and looked at Ian Song in confusion. Kevin Zhao's face darkened as he said, "Ian, what are you doing? We're all short on time, so don't waste everyone's time."
"Sharpening your axe won’t delay your chopping," Ian replied with a faint smile, ignoring Kevin’s deliberate provocation. He stepped forward, bent down to pull up a blade of grass, then walked five steps to the left and picked a flower.
Seeing this, the group grew even more puzzled.
Kevin Zhao shouted, "Ian, what exactly are you trying to do? None of us are interested in playing games right now!"
"Alright, that's enough!"
Ian took a few more steps, collected two leaves, and said to the group, "In a primeval forest like this, snakes and bugs are everywhere. But if you mix these three herbs together, they give off a scent that keeps them away!"
As he spoke, Ian pressed his palms together, using his true essence to crush the three herbs into a paste right in his hands.
"Just smear it on any exposed skin," Ian explained, holding out the strange-smelling herbal paste to Elaine Zhao. "Sister Elaine, do you want to try it?"
The paste was a sickly green and gave off a strange smell, making Elaine Zhao hesitate.
"What’s wrong? Sister Elaine, you don’t trust me?" Ian asked with a smile.
"Alright then, give it to me. I’ll put it on myself," Elaine said, unable to refuse and agreeing in the end.
Ian split the paste in half and gave one part to Elaine, then smeared the rest on his own face and exposed skin. He looked at Gavin, Ray, Derek, and asked, "Do you guys want some? If you do, I’ll make more!"
"Thanks, Ian!" Gavin Zhao nodded.
"I’ll use it too," Ray Zhao said.
Seeing that most people agreed, Derek Zhao didn’t insist on refusing either.
Only Kevin Zhao refused to use the paste—maybe out of pride, maybe because he didn’t believe something so gross could really repel snakes and bugs.
The three herbs were everywhere nearby, so Ian quickly mixed up enough paste for three more people.
Once everyone had smeared the paste on, they set off again.
Unfortunately, the further they went, the denser the trees became—and the forest was full of poisonous insects and mosquitoes.
Strangely, everyone who used Ian’s paste was completely ignored by snakes and bugs. Only Kevin Zhao, in just one hour, was attacked by poisonous snakes five times—and all the toxic insects and mosquitoes seemed to target him.
Fortunately, he was an Innate expert and could use his true qi to shield himself.
But true qi isn't endless, and rushing through the primeval forest was exhausting. After an hour, he realized he'd already burned through a fifth of his reserves just keeping up his protective barrier.
Even after reaching Innate, your qi will slowly recover on its own, but the rate is painfully slow. At this pace, he'd run dry in five hours, tops.
Meanwhile, Ian and the others barely had to worry about snakes or insects, so their qi consumption was minimal.
Realizing this, Kevin regretted his earlier arrogance. If only he'd smeared that paste on himself, too.
The others noticed it as well, and their gratitude toward Ian quietly grew.
"Ian, could you make some more of that stuff?" After another half hour, Kevin finally swallowed his pride and asked.
"Wait a sec," Ian replied.
With a quick flash, Ian darted into the nearby undergrowth. When he reappeared, he was holding another batch of paste.
"Here, put it on."
"Thanks."
Kevin's face reddened as he spoke.
The other four watched the exchange, each with their own expression. Everyone remembered how Kevin had tried to make things difficult for Ian earlier, but now Ian was willing to let bygones be bygones and help him out. It said a lot about Ian's character.
Once Kevin applied the paste, the six of them continued onward.
After two hours, they'd covered at least 120 kilometers. Spirits were high; the task suddenly seemed doable.
But twenty minutes later, their faces fell again.
A vast swamp stretched out ahead of them.
Innate martial artists with good movement techniques could leap ten meters in a single bound, but this swamp seemed endless. No matter how skilled you were, it wasn't wise to risk crossing it.
"Let's go around."
Gavin said helplessly.
Everyone nodded; there was no better option than to go around.
Half an hour later, after skirting the swamp, they found themselves farther from their destination than before.
"Nearly three hours in, and we've still got 290 kilometers left. That means we're only averaging a little over thirty-six kilometers per hour. If we keep this pace, we'll barely make it." Gavin calculated aloud.
Of course, that's assuming nothing else slows us down. If we hit another obstacle, finishing on time will be tough. So I suggest we pick up the pace!" Gavin signaled everyone to stop and spoke loudly.
Ray frowned. "At our current speed, qi consumption is minimal. If we go faster, we'll burn through a lot more! Gavin and I can handle it, and the three Innate Fifth-Layer guys should barely manage, but Ian's only Innate Fourth Layer. I'm worried he won't have enough qi to last to the end!"
Everyone turned to Ian again.
"Don't worry about me. I can keep up!" Ian smiled at them.
"Since Ian says so, let's speed up!" Kevin sneered.
Gavin hesitated, guilt flickering across his face as he looked at Ian. "We're representing the Zhao Family. If the whole team gets eliminated, it'll be a disgrace. Sorry, Ian."
"It's fine. I really can keep up!" Ian shrugged, unconcerned.
"Alright, let's pick up the pace!" Gavin waved his hand, and everyone started running faster.
At first, everyone thought Ian would have trouble keeping up.
But every time they looked back, they saw him jogging along, calm and steady. Gradually, their worries faded—though Kevin felt a bit uncomfortable about it.
Sure, Ian had helped him out with that bug-repelling paste, but Kevin wasn't about to feel grateful or let go of his grudge over such a small favor.
Three more hours passed.
Now they were only 150 kilometers from the destination. As long as they kept up twenty-five kilometers per hour, they'd make it.
But running at high speed took its toll. Even Gavin and Ray, both Innate Sixth Layer, felt the fatigue, and the three lower-ranked members were drenched in sweat, faces drawn with exhaustion.
Only Ian looked unchanged, his breathing steady and face calm.
"Let's rest for ten minutes before we move on!" Gavin called out.
"There are wild wolves nearby. It's not safe to rest here!" Ian suddenly warned.
Fatigue had dulled their senses, so when Ian spoke up, everyone paused and listened closely. Sure enough, wolf howls echoed from several miles away.
Their faces changed instantly. A wolf pack wasn't terrifying, but fighting them would sap their strength and qi.
So Gavin didn't hesitate. "Keep moving! We'll rest once we find a safe spot!" he ordered.
As he spoke, Gavin glanced at Ian, a complex look flickering in his eyes.
Gavin couldn't help but feel both admiration and wariness toward Ian. His herbal skills had saved them a lot of qi, his broad-mindedness kept the team together, his stamina was astonishing, and his senses had just helped them avoid new danger. Ian's value to the team was undeniable.