Into the Wilderness, Danger Lurks

In the afternoon of the second day, the outline of the Shadowy Mountain Range finally appeared at the edge of their vision.

It was a series of undulating black peaks, like a giant beast prostrate on the horizon. The mountains were shrouded in thick mist, and even from dozens of miles away, one could feel the chilling aura emanating from there. Sunlight seemed to deliberately avoid the area, with lead-gray clouds perpetually gathering above the mountain range.

"That's the Shadowy Mountain Range," Sun Wanting stopped, pointing into the distance. "According to Zhou Ming's map, the 'abnormal zone' begins thirty miles from the outer perimeter of the mountains."

Lin Fan followed her gaze.

The forest at the foot of the mountains had an unnatural color—the leaves weren't the usual green, but a grayish-brown, as if something had drained their vitality. Occasionally, birds would take flight from the woods, but their flight paths were erratic, as if fleeing from something.

"The temperature is dropping," Bai Susu said softly. She held out her hand, palm up. "It's at least five degrees lower than before."

Indeed, the closer they got to the mountains, the colder the air became. It wasn't the dry cold of winter, but a damp chill, carrying a scent of decay that seemed to seep into the bones.

Shadow returned from the front, his expression even more grave than the day before.

"Five miles ahead, we've started finding traces of many Demonic Beasts," he reported. "Not scattered activity, but... migration tracks. At least a hundred Demonic Beasts of different species are heading in the same direction—Cannibal Valley."

"A hundred of them?" Chen Dahu gasped. "Aren't they afraid of attacking each other?"

"That's the abnormality," Lin Fan said somberly. "Under normal circumstances, different species of Demonic Beasts would be wary of each other, even fight. But Demonic Beasts influenced by Soul Power Crystals will temporarily suppress their instincts and gather towards the source of the fluctuation."

He recalled the record in the black-robed man's booklet: a blood sacrifice of three thousand Demonic Beasts.

If there were already a hundred on the way, there might be even more gathered within Cannibal Valley. The number three thousand was probably not an exaggeration.

"We need to speed up," Sun Wanting glanced at the sky. "We must set up camp in the outer perimeter of the mountains today and enter the mountains tomorrow morning. The full moon is tomorrow night; we only have a day and a half left."

The team set off again, but this time, everyone was on high alert.

After entering the abnormal zone, the environmental changes became more pronounced.

Trees grew twisted, with tumor-like growths on their branches. The ground was soft and slippery, leaving deep footprints that emitted a faint stench of decay. The sickly sweet smell in the air grew stronger, and even with a Clarity Pill in his mouth, one could vaguely smell it.

"Something is approaching," Shadow suddenly said in a low voice. "To the front left, three hundred meters, the number is... very large."

Everyone immediately entered combat readiness.

Chen Dahu raised his heavy shield, guarding the flank of the team. Sun Wanting drew her twin blades, Lin Fan gripped his sword hilt, and Bai Susu retreated to the center, preparing paralyzing powder and healing potions.

A few seconds later, a dense rustling sound came from the woods.

It wasn't the sound of footsteps, but a grating sound of something dragging across the ground, making one's teeth ache.

Then, they appeared.

It was a group of "Rotten Bone Lizards"—2nd Tier Demonic Beasts, nearly two meters long, with grayish-green skin covered in mucus. Their eyes were a murky yellow, and corrosive saliva dripped from their mouths, causing white smoke to rise when it hit the ground.

Even stranger, these Rotten Bone Lizards moved in perfect unison. A dozen or so lizards lined up in two columns, like a trained army, slowly advancing towards the team. Their eyes were vacant, lacking the ferocity of predators, only the emptiness of being controlled.

"They're controlled," Lin Fan judged. "Be careful of their saliva and tails; they're poisonous."

The Rotten Bone Lizards stopped about thirty meters away, raised their heads in unison, and opened their mouths.

"Scatter!" Sun Wanting shouted.

Almost simultaneously, over a dozen streams of dark green venom shot out like arrows.

Lin Fan rolled to the side, the venom grazing his back and hitting a tree trunk. The trunk corroded at a visible rate, forming a fist-sized pit. Chen Dahu blocked with his heavy shield, white smoke rising from its surface, the metal etched with mottled marks.

"We can't just take hits!" Lin Fan got up, his sword already unsheathed.

Gale Sword Technique—though not yet mastered, it was already quite powerful at the peak of Minor Accomplishment.

He charged into the lizard pack, his sword light like the wind.

The first strike was aimed at the neck of the foremost lizard. The Rotten Bone Lizard's skin was tough, but his sword was imbued with Origin Energy, easily slicing through flesh. The lizard's head rolled off. Foul-smelling blood splattered, and white smoke rose from the ground.

[Killed Rotten Bone Lizard (2nd Tier Mid-level): Proficiency +40]

[Gale Sword Technique Proficiency +8]

[Combat Instinct Proficiency +5]

The system notification flashed, but Lin Fan had no time to look closely.

The second and third lizards lunged simultaneously, one on his left and one on his right, their tails whipping like whips towards his legs.

Lin Fan leaped, using his sword tip to push off the ground, twisting his body in mid-air. His sword light drew an arc. The tails of both lizards were severed at the root, and they writhed in pain.

The moment he landed, he stepped on Basic Footwork, his movements like a phantom, dodging the fourth lizard's pounce and stabbing his sword into its eye with a backhand, piercing straight into its brain.

In just three breaths, four 2nd Tier Demonic Beasts were dead.

On the other side, Sun Wanting and Chen Dahu had also dealt with their opponents. Sun Wanting's twin blades danced like wheels, and where the blade light passed, lizard limbs flew. Chen Dahu was simple and brutal, smashing with his heavy shield, each blow carrying a thousand pounds of force, crushing the bones of any lizard he hit.

Shadow did not engage in direct combat but moved around the periphery, specifically targeting lizards that attempted to spit venom. His short blade accurately pierced their throats, interrupting their spitting actions.

Bai Susu constantly monitored the battle, and whenever someone was about to be splashed by venom, she would throw a handful of white powder—a neutralizing agent that could temporarily inhibit corrosion.

The battle lasted for a quarter of an hour.

When the last Rotten Bone Lizard's head was severed by Lin Fan, silence returned to the woods—if one ignored the corpses littering the ground and the pungent smell.

"Clean up the battlefield and leave quickly," Sun Wanting panted. "The smell of blood and venom will attract more things."

Everyone quickly collected the Demonic Cores—the Rotten Bone Lizards' Demonic Cores were dark green with gray patterns on the surface, clearly contaminated. Lin Fan specifically used the system to scan:

[Item: Rotten Bone Lizard Demonic Core (Contaminated)]

[Quality: Mortal Tier Mid Grade (Abnormal State)]

[Status: Contains faint evil aura, direct absorption not recommended]

[Suggestion: Purify before use, or process as material]

"These Demonic Cores are all contaminated," Lin Fan warned. "Put them away for now, don't absorb them directly."

Chen Dahu nodded and placed the Demonic Cores into a specially made isolation bag.

Just as everyone was preparing to leave, Shadow suddenly raised a hand. "Wait."

He squatted down and carefully examined a Rotten Bone Lizard corpse.

"What is it?" Lin Fan asked.

"Look here," Shadow pointed to the back of the lizard's neck.

There was a tiny wound there, not caused by combat, but an old, healed injury. The skin around the wound was an abnormal grayish-white, and something could be vaguely seen wriggling beneath the skin.

Lin Fan used his sword tip to pry open the skin.

Inside, a black needle, about half an inch long, was revealed. The needle was covered in barely visible runes.

"Control Needle," Sun Wanting's face darkened. "The Shadow Society not only uses crystal fluctuations to attract Demonic Beasts, but they also implant Control Needles into some key Demonic Beasts for more precise manipulation."

Bai Susu carefully used tweezers to remove the black needle and observed it in her palm. "The needle has neurotoxins and tracking runes on it. This means... the Shadow Society might know our location."

As soon as she finished speaking, a long wolf howl echoed from the distance.

It wasn't an ordinary wolf howl, but carried a certain rhythm, as if transmitting a signal.

Immediately after, a second and third wolf howl responded from different directions.

"We're surrounded," Shadow stood up, a short blade in his hand. "There are many of them, at least thirty. And... one of them has a strong aura, possibly 3rd Tier."

The wolves appeared faster than expected.

They emerged from the shadows of the forest, their steps uniform, their eyes equally vacant. These were "Shadow Wolves," 2nd Tier High Grade Demonic Beasts, skilled in stealth and ambush. Their fur could blend with the environment, making them almost invisible in the shadows.

But now, they weren't hiding. Instead, they openly closed in, forming a perfect encirclement.

Behind the wolf pack, an exceptionally large Shadow Wolf slowly walked out.

It stood nearly two meters tall at the shoulder and over four meters long. Its silver-gray fur had a metallic sheen in the dim light. Most striking were its eyes—the left eye was a normal eerie green, while the right eye was a murky gray-white. At the center of its pupil was a tiny black dot, as if something had been implanted.

A 3rd Tier Demonic Beast, the Shadow Wolf King.

"This is troublesome," Sun Wanting tightened her grip on her twin blades. "A 3rd Tier Demonic Beast is equivalent to a 3rd Grade Martial Master, and this Wolf King has clearly been enhanced."

Lin Fan quickly assessed the situation.

Among the five members of the team, Sun Wanting was a 3rd Grade Martial Master. He and Chen Dahu were 2nd Grade Martial Artists. Bai Susu was a 2nd Grade Martial Artist but primarily studied medicine. Shadow's strength was unknown, but likely around 3rd Grade.

Facing over thirty 2nd Tier Shadow Wolves and one 3rd Tier Wolf King, their chances of winning were slim.

Especially since they had just finished a battle and were depleted in both stamina and Origin Energy.

"We can't fight head-on," Lin Fan said in a low voice. "We need to find an opportunity to break through. Our target is the Shadowy Mountain Range, not to die fighting here."

"Agreed," Shadow said. "I'll keep the Wolf King occupied. You guys break open a gap."

"You're going to face the Wolf King alone?" Chen Dahu's eyes widened.

"Just keeping it occupied, not killing it," Shadow said calmly. "I have a way to disengage. The key is for you to be quick. Once the wolf pack completes its encirclement, it will be difficult to move."

Sun Wanting took a deep breath. "Alright, let's do as Shadow says. Lin Fan, you and I will lead the way. Dahu, protect Susu in the center. Shadow, the Wolf King is yours. Be careful of its right eye."

With clear roles assigned, there was no time for hesitation.

The wolf pack began to tighten its encirclement.

"Charge!"

Sun Wanting moved first, her twin blades turning into a silver whirlwind as she slashed at the three Shadow Wolves directly in front of them. Where her blades passed, one wolf had its forelimbs severed, while the other two retreated in a panic.

Lin Fan followed closely, his sword light like a waterfall.

He unleashed the Gale Sword Technique at full power, his sword speed reaching its limit. Each strike precisely targeted the Shadow Wolves' vital points—eyes, throats, hearts. His sword lacked the ferocity of Sun Wanting's blade work, but it was more lethal and efficient.

[Killed Shadow Wolf (2nd Tier High Grade): Proficiency +50]

[Gale Sword Technique Proficiency +12]

[Killed Shadow Wolf (2nd Tier High Grade): Proficiency +50]

[Gale Sword Technique Proficiency +12]

System notifications refreshed continuously, but Lin Fan had entered a special state.

In his eyes, there was only the sword, only the enemy, only the next position to attack. His body seemed to have a mind of its own, each dodge and each swing perfectly timed, requiring no thought, relying purely on instinct.

This was the result of long-term cultivation, reactions ingrained into his bones from countless practice sessions.

In this state, the proficiency of the Gale Sword Technique grew rapidly.

1620/5000...1650/5000...1700/5000...

Meanwhile, Shadow had already engaged the Shadow Wolf King.

He didn't fight head-on, instead using his speed advantage to weave around. His short blades were like a viper's strike, each attack aimed at the Shadow Wolf King's eyes, joints, and other vulnerable spots. The Wolf King roared repeatedly, its claws shattering the ground, but it could never catch the slippery human.

However, the strength of a 3rd Tier Demonic Beast was not to be underestimated.

After a missed pounce, the Wolf King's right eye suddenly flashed with a gray light.

Shadow's heart tightened, and he retreated rapidly, but it was still a step too late.

The gray light swept across his left arm, instantly turning his bracer to dust. Corrosive marks appeared on his skin, reaching down to the bone.

"Be careful of its right eye!" Shadow shouted through the pain, "It's a corrosive ray!"

Lin Fan's heart clenched upon hearing this.

He looked at the Wolf King and saw the gray light in its right eye condensing again, clearly preparing for a second shot.

I have to interrupt it!

"Sun Wanting, cover me!"

Lin Fan suddenly changed direction, no longer charging forward to break through, but instead rushing towards the Wolf King.

"Lin Fan, are you crazy?!" Chen Dahu exclaimed.

But Lin Fan had already charged out.

He calculated the distance, speed, and the Wolf King's movement habits. Countless pieces of data flowed through his mind – combat information long recorded by the system, all of it now being called upon.

The Wolf King noticed the small human daring to charge at it, and it opened its massive maw in fury, preparing to tear him to shreds.

But Lin Fan suddenly changed direction when he was five meters away from the Wolf King.

Not a straight charge, but an arc.

The Wolf King instinctively turned its head, its right eye's gray light locking onto Lin Fan.

Now!

Lin Fan stomped on the ground, his body shooting out like an arrow, not forward, but upward.

He leaped three meters high, his sword tip pointing down.

This sword had no fancy moves, only speed and precision.

The target – the Wolf King's right eye.

The Wolf King sensed the danger and tried to close its eye, but it was too late.

The sword edge pierced the cloudy eyeball, emitting a bone-chilling sound of penetration.

"ROAR—!!!"

A piercing wolf howl echoed through the mountain forest.

The Wolf King thrashed its head wildly, flinging Lin Fan away. He slammed heavily into a tree, a sharp pain shooting through his ribs; at least two were broken.

But he succeeded.

The Wolf King's right eye was pierced, the gray light dissipated, and blood mixed with black fluid flowed from its eye socket. It writhed in agony, knocking down several trees.

[Inflicted heavy damage on a 3rd Tier Demonic Beast: Proficiency +300 (Over-leveling Bonus)] [Gale Sword Technique Proficiency +60] [Gale Sword Technique Level Up: Minor Accomplishment → Proficient (0/10000)] [Sword Technique Power Increased by 20%, Sword Speed Increased by 30%, Origin Energy Consumption Reduced by 15%] [Learned New Trait: Sword Wind (Attacks carry wind pressure, can slightly affect enemy balance)]

Breakthrough!

At the brink of death, Lin Fan's Gale Sword Technique had finally broken through to the Proficient level.

He suppressed the intense pain and got to his feet, feeling the surging power within him. The breakthrough in his sword technique brought not just a change in stats, but a qualitative leap – his understanding of the sword and his perception of the wind had entered a new realm.

"Lin Fan, let's go!"

Sun Wanting had already opened a gap, and Chen Dahu, protecting Bai Susu, followed closely behind. Shadow had also broken free from the wolf pack's entanglement and was converging towards them.

Although the Wolf King was heavily injured, the pack was still present. Moreover, the commotion here was likely to attract even more troublesome things.

Lin Fan no longer lingered, turning and fleeing.

The wolf pack wanted to pursue, but the Wolf King's injury threw their command system into chaos, their actions no longer unified. A few Shadow Wolves chased after them but were easily dealt with by Sun Wanting and Shadow.

The team broke out of the encirclement and fled into the depths of the Shadowy Mountain Range without looking back.

They ran for ten miles straight before stopping in a hidden mountain hollow, confirming the wolf pack was not in pursuit.

Everyone was covered in wounds.

Lin Fan had two broken ribs, and his left arm bore three claw marks from the Wolf King that went down to the bone. Sun Wanting had taken a whip from a wolf's tail to her back, causing a slight spinal misalignment. Chen Dahu's shield was severely damaged, and the tiger's mouth on both his hands had split open. Shadow's corrosive injury on his left arm required urgent treatment. Only Bai Susu's injuries were the lightest, but she had also consumed a large amount of Origin Energy to cast spells for pain relief for everyone.

"Let's treat the wounds first," Bai Susu opened her medical kit and began preparing medicine.

She first treated Shadow's corrosive wound, cleaning the abrasion with a special medicinal solution, applying muscle-regenerating paste, and bandaging it. Then, she dealt with Lin Fan's ribs, setting the bones, immobilizing them, and administering medication. Next was Sun Wanting's spine, which required precise manual repositioning.

The entire process took half an hour.

By the time the last person was dealt with, the sky had completely darkened.

"We can't stay here overnight," Shadow said, enduring the pain. "The fight just now was too big; the Shadow Society must have noticed. We have to keep moving, at least until we reach the complex terrain of the Shadowy Mountain Range. Only then might we find cover."

Sun Wanting looked at Lin Fan. "Can you manage your injuries?"

Lin Fan tried to circulate the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Origin Art. Origin Energy flowed through his wounds, bringing waves of stinging pain, but it was bearable.

"Yes," he nodded. "The broken bones are set and don't affect my movement. The key is... we have to reach Cannibal Valley before the full moon."

According to the information from the black-robed man's booklet, the full moon night was when the ritual would begin. There was still a day and a half until the full moon, and time was so tight it had to be calculated in hours.

"Then let's keep moving," Sun Wanting gritted her teeth and stood up. "But we can slow down and focus on stealth. The Shadow Society is definitely searching for us now; we can't afford another large-scale battle."

The group ate some dry rations, replenished their water, and set off again.

This time, they were even more cautious.

Although Shadow's left arm was injured, his reconnaissance skills remained excellent. He chose a more concealed route—not one on Zhou Ming's map, but one he planned on the fly based on the terrain. This path was longer, but it was lined with cliffs, dense forests, and caves, making it suitable for hiding.

The Shadowy Mountain Range was even more dangerous at night.

The fog grew thicker, reducing visibility to less than ten meters. Amidst the vaguely sweet, fishy scent in the air, a faint smell of decay emerged, as if something was rotting in the darkness.

Occasionally, they could see faint green lights flickering in the distance; those were the eyes of Demonic Beasts. But strangely, these Demonic Beasts didn't attack them. Instead, they hurried along, their direction also toward Cannibal Valley.

"They're 'pilgrimaging'," Lin Fan whispered. "Drawn by the ritual, heading to the final sacrificial site."

This realization weighed heavily on everyone.

A blood sacrifice of three thousand Demonic Beasts... If the Shadow Society truly succeeded, what kind of entity would they summon?

What exactly was the Abyssal Eye?

At midnight, the team found a natural cave and decided to rest there for two hours.

The cave wasn't deep, but its entrance was hidden, and the interior was dry. Shadow set up warning traps and scent-masking powder at the entrance, providing at least a temporary sense of security.

The group took turns on watch, while the others seized the opportunity to meditate and recover.

Lin Fan sat inside the cave entrance, circulating the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Origin Art to heal his injuries while checking his system panel.

[Character: Lin Fan]
[Age: 16]
[Realm: 2nd Grade Martial Artist (Tier 3)]
[Origin Energy: 1200/2500 (Recovering)]
[Cultivation Art: Nine Revolutions Mysterious Origin Art - Second Revolution (Proficient 500/1000)]
[Martial Skills: Basic Fist Technique (Mastered), Basic Sword Technique (Mastered), Gale Sword Technique (Proficient 0/10000), Iron Body Skill (Perfection)]
[Special: Gale Sword Intent (Beginner 1/1000)]
[Support Skills: Alchemy (Beginner 50/100), High Temperature Resistance (Beginner 5/100), Teamwork (Proficient 80/500)]
[Skill Points: 0]
[Storage Space: 1 cubic meter (Used 0.9)]

The Gale Sword Technique breaking through to Proficient had significantly boosted his strength. But facing the impending crisis, it wasn't enough.

He needed to be stronger.

He needed to break through to 3rd Grade Martial Master, cultivate the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Origin Art to a higher level, and... comprehend true Sword Intent.

But time was too short.

"Can't sleep?"

Sun Wanting's voice came from beside him. She was on the first watch, sitting in the shadows near the cave entrance, gazing out at the thick night.

"My injuries are a bit painful," Lin Fan lied.

Sun Wanting was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "Thank you for that sword strike today. If you hadn't severely injured the Wolf King, we might not have made it out."

"It's what I should do," Lin Fan shook his head. "We're teammates."

"Teammates..." Sun Wanting repeated the word, her voice a little distant. "My father used to say that word often. He said that in the wilderness, teammates are people you can entrust your back to."

She paused. "Lin Fan, if... I mean, if we can't stop the Shadow Society this time, what will you do?"

Lin Fan didn't answer immediately.

He looked at the swirling mist outside the cave, thinking of Jiangnan City, of Xiao Yu, of that ordinary yet real life.

"There's no 'if'," he finally said. "We must stop them."

"Even if it costs us our lives?"

"Even if it costs us our lives."

Sun Wanting turned her head. In the dim light, her eyes shone astonishingly bright.

"Good," she said. "Then together, we'll smash that damned ritual."

Two hours later, before dawn, the team set off again.

Shadow brought back some bad news: during his reconnaissance, he found traces of new black-robed figures, quite a few of them, and they were setting up some kind of detection formation. This meant the Shadow Society had launched a full-scale search, and their whereabouts could be exposed at any moment.

"We must change our route." Shadow spread out Zhou Ming's map and drew a new path with his finger. "We'll go around to the north side of the mountain range from here, then approach Cannibal Valley from the rear. This route will add half a day to our travel time, but it's relatively safer."

"Then we'll take this route." Sun Wanting made the decision. "Safety first."

However, just as they were preparing to change direction, a sharp, piercing scream suddenly came from the distance.

It was a human voice.

And... somewhat familiar.

Lin Fan's heart tightened.

That was... Zhou Ming's voice?

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