Though Angela was only sixteen or seventeen years old, she had trained her battle energy to the first level, making it easy for her to carry a crocodile. She gently placed the crocodile on a giant leaf, then wiped her eyes, but the more she wiped, the more tears flowed.

Angela had been treated like a princess since childhood and had never faced such hardships. The more she thought about it, the more she cried. After a while, she finally managed to stop. Suddenly, she screamed, hoisted the crocodile, and ran towards the river, fearing she would be scolded if she didn't hurry.

She quickly washed the roasted crocodile and ran towards the distant crowd. Although the dragons didn't eat it, her companions were eager for it.

Her companions, to save time, didn't bother with roasting. They started their day with some raw meat, then began their training. Day after day passed, and as the one-month deadline approached, they grew more anxious. Angela placed the food next to them without disturbing them and hurried back. She still had a lot of work to do.

The smell of the food distracted them from their training, and one by one, they opened their eyes, exchanged glances, and sighed simultaneously. Their dark circles looked comical, but none of them were in the mood to laugh. The immense pressure left them with no desire for humor.

They all looked at the roasted crocodile, their eyes gleaming green, and their mouths watering uncontrollably. They hadn't had cooked food for nearly half a month, subsisting on fruits and raw meat, their stomachs churning with acid. They looked haggard, with disheveled hair and beards that hadn't been shaved for days, resembling beggars from a slum, a far cry from their previous handsome and spirited selves.

Ten minutes later, the huge crocodile was reduced to a pile of white bones, the eating process akin to a war.

"Sigh! Othello, how's your training going? Do you feel close to a breakthrough? The pressure on me is getting worse, and I can't focus on my training. I feel like I'm about to collapse," Cindy said with a bitter face, lightly sighing.

"Almost there, but I don't know when I'll break through. I thought I was working hard before, but compared to now, it feels like I was on vacation," Othello said, looking haggard but in good spirits, feeling he was close to a breakthrough.

Silence followed.

"Klein, among so many people, only your spirit seems the best. Have you broken through? I notice that with my strength, I can hardly see through you anymore," Augustus glanced at Klein, noticing he didn't seem worried, his face dirty but with a hint of joy in his eyes, and couldn't help but ask.

"Just broke through!" Klein said, trying to suppress his excitement, but his eyes betrayed his joy.

"My God, you actually broke through? Congratulations!"

"Congratulations!"

Though they congratulated him, their dry smiles appeared even more bitter, and the pressure in their hearts grew more intense.

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Though they were all congratulating him, their dry smiles only made the bitterness in their hearts more evident, and the pressure on them grew even more.

Augustus remained silent, but his mind was in turmoil. As the future hope of the Church, he couldn't allow himself to fall behind others, even in terms of breakthrough speed. He was the best, he screamed inwardly. His prideful heart made the pressure on him greater than on anyone else.

Although his fighting qi was at the peak of the third level, just a step away from the fourth, this seemingly simple step had ended the careers of countless warriors. Once he crossed it, he would become a rare Earth-level master, garnering respect or fear from others and enjoying a long lifespan. But if he failed, he would remain a mediocre warrior. This single step marked a world of difference.

Suddenly, it felt like there was nothing left to say. Apart from Klein, everyone was filled with a sense of urgency. In unspoken agreement, they each walked away to train in silence.

Klein was stunned for a moment, then sighed inwardly. He too had no reason to be happy. Thinking about the upcoming month, not knowing how many companions would be executed, he felt a pang of sorrow.

Although he hadn't gotten along well with the others before, often quarreling, their shared hardships over this period had made them like grasshoppers tied to the same rope, fostering a sense of camaraderie and greatly improving their relationships.

He found a corner and began to train. Even though he had already broken through, he wanted to share the hardships with his companions.

Brandon shook his body and began to slowly crawl out of the cave, pondering the safety of Snake Valley. He had found many useful methods in his memories. For example, building a massive magic array in Snake Valley to fortify its defenses. This array could slowly absorb the energy of the heavens and the earth, providing automatic defense against attacks. The longer it stood, the stronger its defenses would become. But this plan was clearly unfeasible due to the enormous engineering required and the need for a large amount of energy crystals.

So far, Brandon had only found one of the shiny crystals from his memories, the colorful gem in the hilt of a sword, which was a top-grade energy crystal. According to his memories, these energy crystals were crucial for training, magic arrays, and powerful magic weapons. Without them, most methods were rendered useless.

However, having just one crystal was practically useless; at least two were needed. With two, a simple teleportation array could be set up. In case of a human attack, even if they couldn't win, the creatures of Snake Valley could escape safely. But where could he find the second crystal? Ah, the more of these shiny things, the better.

Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind. Shiny things—yes, that pearl! Brandon remembered the pearl he had taken from the sea monster. He realized it resembled something from his memories.

He hurried back into the cave to find the pearl. Soon, he found it in the deep pit where he had been lying. Carefully picking it up, he examined it closely. It emitted a white light, and the interior was invisible, appearing like a ball of light. The more he looked at it, the more familiar it seemed. A name from his memory surfaced!

Energy Crystal Essence!

Unexpectedly, this pearl, which showed no signs of power, was actually a rare Energy Crystal Essence. Typically, such essences randomly appeared in the core of super-large energy crystal mines. Unlike ordinary energy crystals, the essence emitted no power fluctuations, appearing just like a ball of light, but it contained terrifying energy.

Energy Crystal Essences were usually stable and extremely hard. Only special methods could extract the energy within. Additionally, they had a unique property: no matter how much energy was absorbed, as long as it didn't exceed its limit, it would automatically absorb energy from the heavens and the earth to slowly recover. Even in the memories of divine beings, such crystals were extremely precious.

Brandon's eyes gleamed with intense golden light as he stared at the pearl. Oh, it was an Energy Crystal Essence. Just a few days ago, he had been a downtrodden beggar dragon, and now he discovered he had a priceless treasure at home. He was ecstatic. This time, he had truly hit the jackpot.