Early the next morning, the party continued deeper into the mountains.
With a new member joining, the group had expanded to seven people, making for a much more imposing presence.
"Young Master Mu, up ahead is Serpent Neck Gorge, the only route leading to Spirit Mist Valley." Zhao Tieshan pointed at the two peaks ahead, shaped like giant serpents raising their heads. "They say a great snake guards the valley. We must be careful."
Mu Bai nodded, quietly raising his guard.
As they ventured deeper, the vegetation around them grew increasingly dense. Many trees were strangely shaped—some trunks twisted like snakes, others with leaves edged in sharp thorns—giving off an eerie, sinister air.
Zhao Tieshan suddenly raised a hand to signal them, then crouched down to inspect the ground. "Wolf tracks. And they're very fresh."
Everyone immediately tensed up.
Following his indication, Mu Bai saw several enormous paw prints in the soft earth. Each was the size of a palm, deeply embedded in the ground.
"Silver Moon Demonic Wolves—and not small ones, either." Zhao Tieshan's expression turned grave.
"Are we still going forward?" one of the treasure hunters asked timidly.
Zhao Tieshan pondered for a moment before gritting his teeth. "We've come this far. We can't return empty-handed. Stay alert, everyone. The moment we spot a wolf pack, retreat immediately."
The party continued onward, but the atmosphere had grown noticeably more tense.
Mu Bai had the Bai Ze Beast walk in the center of the party, while he and Zhao Tieshan walked side by side at the front to clear the way.
After passing through Serpent Neck Gorge, the view suddenly opened up—a valley shrouded in thin mist lay before them. The mist was not ordinary white, but glimmered with a faint blue radiance, dreamlike and mysterious beneath the sunlight.