“Hahaha, we are from Nebula Pavilion. My name is Eric Bennett, this sister of yours is called Julia Clark, and over there is Henry Collins...” Eric Bennett laughed heartily, briefly introducing the people around him, and said, “We heard there was some Star Iron nearby, so we came to try our luck. Unexpectedly, our luck was bad and we ran into a flock of Shadow Thunder Carvings. Heh, as for first-grade spirit beast cores, we really don’t care about them. Don’t worry, we won’t compete with you for those...”

Ryan Carter was moved.

First-grade spirit beast cores truly weren’t considered precious, but for most martial artists at the Body Tempering Realm, they were still not ordinary items. At the very least, he knew that the martial artists of the Ling family would never be so indifferent upon seeing these beast cores.

Although Eric Bennett and the others were from Nebula Pavilion, they were also at the Body Tempering Realm. Being so young and yet so dismissive of first-grade beast cores was enough to show that these seven must have significant backgrounds within Nebula Pavilion.

Chapter 9: Absorption

Silent Ridge.

From the foreheads of forty-seven Shadow Thunder Carvings, Ryan Carter harvested a total of forty-seven prismatic beast cores. The seven of Eric Bennett truly didn’t covet those beast cores at all; they all smiled as they watched him collect the cores into a leather pouch, making good-natured jokes.

As night fell, no one left Silent Ridge. Instead, they found a dry spot nearby and sat around together.

If it were just the seven of Eric Bennett, they wouldn’t have dared to spend the night here, but with Ryan Carter it was different. Ryan Carter, who could hunt so many Shadow Thunder Carvings alone, made them feel at ease staying, not at all afraid of more of those giant birds showing up.

They even hoped new Shadow Thunder Carvings would appear, so they could witness Ryan Carter’s skills firsthand and see what kind of miraculous spirit artifact he might have.

They lit a fire, quickly set up tents, and gathered together, roasting a dozen or so wild rabbits and pheasants they had caught, taking out strong liquor to drink heartily, laughter and cheerful voices filling the air.

Far from Ling Family Town, having left Medicine Mountain, Ryan Carter no longer restrained or suppressed himself, returning to his true self. His naturally lively disposition quickly helped him bond with the seven of Eric Bennett.

After a few drinks, everyone gradually relaxed. Ryan Carter stated that he was from Ling Family Town, called “Ryan Harper,” and had also come to the Extreme Frost Mountains to temper his martial arts.

Upon hearing he was from Ling Family Town, Eric Bennett became even more enthusiastic, laughing and saying, “Haha, we’re all fellow travelers!”

The other six also truly let down their guard.

The Extreme Frost Mountains stretched for thousands of miles, with many surrounding powers. Nebula Pavilion was just one among them. If they had encountered martial artists from a rival faction, they and Ryan Carter really couldn’t have gotten too close.

Different factions, due to conflicts over spirit mines, territory, and cultivation grounds, fought bloody battles year-round, never ending!

Some factions even had blood feuds that could never be reconciled—whenever they met, it was a fight to the death, making it impossible to get along.

This area, though always within Nebula Pavilion’s sphere of influence, still couldn’t guarantee that martial artists from outside powers wouldn’t enter.

So, as soon as they sat down, Eric Bennett’s main concern was Ryan Carter’s identity. Once he knew he was from the Ling family, he truly relaxed.

Nebula Pavilion was a Bluestone-level martial faction. Any faction rated with a level had at least some foundation and considerable strength.

In the Spirit Domain, martial factions were ranked from Bluestone, Black Iron, Red Copper, Silver, to Gold, each level much stronger than the last, with strict hierarchies and vast differences in strength between levels.

In Bluestone-level factions, most martial artists were at the Body Tempering and Origin Opening Realms, with very few Manifestation Realm martial artists staying for long.

Generally, as soon as one broke through to the Manifestation Realm, they would attract the attention of Black Iron-level factions and directly step into a new world of martial artists.

Black Iron-level factions mostly had Manifestation and Netherpassage Realm martial artists. If someone broke through to the Wishful Realm, they could quickly leave the Black Iron-level faction and enter a Red Copper-level faction to cultivate, gaining more resources and advancing faster.

Similarly, Red Copper, Silver, and the legendary Gold-level factions were the same, each corresponding to different tiers of martial cultivation.

Red Copper-level factions were mostly home to Wishful and Shattered Realm martial artists; Silver-level factions were the domain of Nirvana and Undying Realm martial artists; and the legendary Gold-level factions were the ultimate holy lands for Void and Domain Origin Realm powerhouses.

These variously ranked martial factions usually had higher-level backers above and lower-level dependents below, forming a pyramid-like structure of mutual checks and balances.

For example, Nebula Pavilion depended on other factions, subject to the control and deployment of stronger powers, but it also had its own dependents... the unranked Ling family and several other small factions depended on it, subject to its management and required to pay tribute every year.

After eating and drinking their fill, the group of youths lounged about, gazing at the starlit night sky through the dense leaves.

“We’ve been out for three months now. If we still can’t find Star Iron, we’ll have to go back.” Eric Bennett sighed, “Without Star Iron, I won’t be able to forge that spirit artifact. Sigh...”

“This kind of thing is all about luck. Just because others found Star Iron nearby doesn’t mean we’ll find it too. Star Iron is, after all, a grade-seven mortal-level forging material—pretty rare. Those who found it before probably mined it all out. How could there be any left for us?” Julia Clark took a swig from her wine pouch, speaking with some helplessness.