Alpha Reborn!

The monsters didn't see it coming, and Evan couldn't help but smile as the frost bullets drilled into their backs, freezing them from the inside out.

The Tendril-Clawed Xenomorphs immediately died, but the craterborn stubbornly held on to its life, slowly advancing towards Evan on all fours like a monkey.

"What's wrong, big guy? Feeling a bit sluggish? Better pick up the pace if you want to catch me."

Evan strolled away from it tauntingly, a sly grin etched on his face, and the creature let out a fierce gnarl and moved after him, driven by an unrelenting thirst for revenge.

Evan, however, had no intention of letting it have its way.

"Hmm, my magic sword has some interesting properties. Let me show you what happens when I activate it."

As it inched closer, Evan activated the special effect of his magic sword, causing shards of ice to rain down on the creature, impaling it.

"That should do the trick. It is game over for you."

The shards of ice went straight through the creature's head, chest, and legs with a sickening squelch, instantly putting an end to its miserable life. The ground shook as the creature collapsed, its slimy body disintegrating into a pile of ash.

[Ding! Congratulations, Player Evan on defeating Five Tendril-Clawed Xenomorphs of the sixth level and one Craterborn beast of the 13th level. You get 550 experience points, and a minor improvement in all your stats]

Evan breathed a sigh of relief, his heart still pounding from the adrenaline rush. The completion of the first task of the second trial of the inheritance war within a day was a major accomplishment that he had achieved. All he needed to do now to pass the trial was to search for the bunker and return to the clan.

"Wait!"

Evan paused, lost in thought, as he reflected on the level of the monster he had just defeated.

"That Craterborn was a level 13, which is stronger than it should be. That's definitely strange. I know their level cap is only 12. How did it manage to exceed that limit?" he mused, the fact perplexing him.

He recalled that the only way for a monster to exceed the level cap was by using treasure formed between heaven and earth, and he concluded that the creature must have been fortunate enough to come across such a treasure.

With eyes glistening in child-like curiosity, Evan gazed at its remains.

[Inspection Successful!]

He went through its background info and was amazed.

"Interesting. So just a few hours ago the Craterborn stumbled upon a cave filled with unique magic herbs that helped it break through its limit. I'll have to investigate that cave myself and see what else I can find."

With plenty of time left before the trial's end, Evan saw no harm in exploring the cave. The possibility of discovering natural resources that could benefit cultivators was too enticing to ignore.

The unique footprints left by the Craterborn offered a promising lead, and Evan eagerly followed them, his keen eyes picking out the distinct features of each imprint. The impressions were deeper and more pronounced than those of other creatures, as it possessed a formidable weight and strength.

After a while, he found himself standing before the entrance to a cave in the forest, and without hesitation, he stepped inside.

The walls of the cave were embedded with ruby rubies, casting a dim but enchanting glow on the surroundings. Evan continued deeper into the tunnel. Soon, he emerged into a wide open area within the cave, where a short field of herbs grew.

Evan approached the herbs, his eyes widened in unmistakable joy.

He recognized them as the Soul Nourishing Herbs, a rare and highly sought-after herb in the empire.

Although they were inedible, these herbs could be refined into pills that were highly beneficial for cultivators in the Soul Manifestation and Soul Fusion stages. These cultivators were also known as first step soul manipulators and second step soul manipulators, respectively.

"I have stumbled upon a hidden gem!"

Evan bent down and carefully plucked the vibrant herbs from the rich soil, taking care to store them neatly in his inventory. Just as he stood up, a symbol etched onto the wall caught his attention.

His curiosity piqued, he inspected it.

[Ding! You have been successful in inspecting the mysterious symbol!]

A system notification popped up in his field of vision, providing him with information about its purpose.

[This is a hidden mechanism that can be activated to unlock a secret room.]

[You can activate it by feeding it your soul energy!]

The hidden mechanism would only respond to the soul energy of the ice element, a fact that Evan had learned after reading the notifications.

His heart pounded with anticipation as he strode up to the symbol, his eyes fixed on the intricate design etched into the cave wall.

With a deep breath, he poured his ice-type soul energy into the symbol, and watched as it sprang to life, causing the wall to slide open with a soft hiss. A hidden room was revealed before him, and his eyes immediately settled on a pedestal with a small rectangular piece made of green jade resting atop it. His gaze locked onto the precious object, and his eyes lit up with excitement.

"How could something so precious be here? Development hasn't even begun on Planet X!" Evan exclaimed in disbelief, his eyes glued to the jade slip.

It was a known fact that jade slips were made of precious gemstones, which were known for their beauty, durability, and unique ability to contain the wisdom of a cultivator so that it can be easily imparted to the future generation.

The unique mechanism of the jade slip made it impervious to hacking or tapping, ensuring that the information stored within was secure.

Thus, cultivators often relied on this precious item to safeguard their most important knowledge and secrets for their descendants.

Without wasting any time, Evan inspected the jade slip, wondering whether it contained the knowledge of a cultivator.