Baleful Spirit General

After advancing roughly ten li, Lu Chen stepped onto the "Lone Peak" marked on the map.

Lone Peak stood in the middle of the ravine, about a hundred zhang tall. Its summit was relatively flat, spanning several dozen zhang across.

The baleful mist was slightly thinner here, making it suitable for a brief rest.

Lu Chen landed atop the peak, swallowed a pill, and swiftly regulated his breathing.

His true essence was being consumed even faster than expected. He had only covered a quarter of the journey, yet thirty percent of it was already gone.

I have to pick up the pace. I can't stay in one place for too long, Lu Chen thought.

He looked ahead.

From Lone Peak to the opposite bank was another thirty li, requiring him to cross a region marked as "Wind Rift."

A Wind Rift was a relatively calm strip formed where two streams of golden baleful gale blowing from different directions collided and intertwined within the ravine. The baleful mist was thinner there, the gale weaker, making it an ideal route through.

However, the Wind Rifts were not fixed in place. They slowly shifted along with the flow of the gale, and one had to seize the timing with precision.

Lu Chen observed for a moment, then fixed his eyes on a Wind Rift about three zhang wide that was moving toward the opposite bank.

Now!

His body shot forward like an arrow, plunging into the Wind Rift.

Sure enough, the baleful mist within the Wind Rift was only a third as dense as outside, and the gale was far gentler. His true essence consumption dropped sharply.

Delighted, Lu Chen increased his speed and raced through the Wind Rift.

He traveled another fifteen li or so without incident.

However, just as he was