At noon, Old Jack returned. He had nearly worn his lips raw, but he'd finally managed to get a work-study spot at Nuoding Academy from one of the neighboring villages.
Jiang Chen was deeply moved. From the time he was little, Old Jack had truly treated him like his own grandson.
He didn't dare tell anyone about his tribulation. If he failed and died, Old Jack would be heartbroken, wouldn't he?
Since he couldn't ask anyone for help, he planned to find a remote mountain forest in two days and secretly undergo the tribulation.
He wasn't worried about who would care for Old Jack in his old age—after all, Tang San was there. He was only worried that Old Jack would miss him after he died.
Two more days passed, and the third day had arrived. He had to find a place to undergo the tribulation today.
For the past two days, he'd prepared lavish meals of meat and fish for Old Jack at every sitting. Old Jack had been grinning from ear to ear, praising Jiang Chen for being so filial. But he had no idea that once Jiang Chen left today, he might never come back.
Early that morning, Jiang Chen met with Tang San and asked him to take good care of Old Jack from then on, leaving Tang San completely baffled.
Even when Tang San pressed him for an explanation, Jiang Chen didn't tell him what was going on. After all, knowing wouldn't help Tang San do anything.
At noon, after sharing his last meal with Old Jack, Jiang Chen tidied his room and folded his bedding. He took a long, lingering look around the room, then slipped out of the village without daring to look at Old Jack again.
He'd heard long ago that half a day's walk south of the village lay a sizable forest, sparsely populated. It was the perfect place to undergo his tribulation.
Jiang Chen moved quickly, reaching the forest in just two hours. He went inside.
There were no Soul Beasts in this forest, only ordinary wild animals. After all, it wasn't far from several villages, and Soul Beasts would threaten their safety.
Aside from vast forests like the Star Dou Great Forest, the Icebound Forest, and the Sunset Forest, Soul Beasts were generally kept in captivity by the Heaven Dou Empire in Soul Hunting Forests scattered throughout the land.
If a Soul Beast appeared near a village, the locals would usually report it to the city-state. The army would then deal with it, either killing it or capturing it and taking it to a Soul Hunting Forest.
Although there were no Soul Beasts, the wild animals in these mountains were still vicious and terrifying to ordinary people. Except for Soul Masters and a few hunters, hardly anyone dared to venture inside.
Jiang Chen made his way through the mountainous terrain. The area was covered in rolling peaks and dense forest.
As he pressed onward, the trees grew taller and taller, and signs of human activity gradually disappeared.
Every so often, he could hear a tiger roar. Even hunters rarely made it to a place like this.
Jiang Chen stopped and gazed at a mountain ahead, a smile appearing on his face.
"You'll do."
This mountain was probably at the very heart of the forest. Even a thunderclap on a clear day wouldn't draw anyone's attention.
There was no trail up the mountain, but with his immense strength, Jiang Chen had no trouble climbing it.
Thorny vines bristling with sharp spikes tore his clothes, but couldn't scratch his skin.
Ten minutes later, he reached the summit.
There were far fewer trees up here, and little soil. Great slabs of gray stone jutted out from the ground.
Jiang Chen glanced around and chose a broad, fairly level rock. He sat down cross-legged on it.
It was two or three in the afternoon, when the sun was at its fiercest. The huge rock beneath Jiang Chen felt scorching hot.
There was no breeze, and few birds were flying. All the plants and animals seemed to wilt beneath the blazing sun.
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