Finding Qiu Hou's location was not difficult. The difficult part was that the tree had taken him deep into the Dark Forest.
At night, many extraordinary creatures fell into slumber, but even more dangerous creatures awakened in the darkness. The group sprinted in the direction Su Ran had indicated, keeping watch for danger along the way. As they ventured deeper with every step, even the chirping of insects seemed to grow fainter.
Even the insects knew the depths were dangerous and were unwilling to chirp loudly, suppressing their instincts.
"Be careful."
Chu Xiao Yue reminded them.
Because of the unexpected incident, they had not rested until the sky began to brighten as planned. They had also entered the area beyond the outermost perimeter earlier than expected. Yet what felt strange was that they had encountered no danger on the way to rescue Qiu Hou, as if the path had been completely unobstructed, simply waiting for them to walk into the trap.
"We're close. Be careful."
Su Ran spoke up in warning, and the group slowed their pace.
The night wind brushed past them, bringing with it a faint scent of blood. The towering trees nearby, with their thick trunks and branches, seemed to sway in the wind. The shadows they cast upon the ground looked almost feral, claws and fangs bared.
"It's nearby, but something's strange. I can only sense the approximate location. I can't pinpoint it precisely."
Su Ran looked puzzled. She had never encountered such a situation before.
"Can junior see anything?" Shu Yushan turned to look at Xu Zhi.
Xu Zhi was also observing the trees. Though the moonlight was bright, the deeper they went, the more luxuriant the trees' branches and leaves became. Here, they had already formed a dense canopy overhead, and even moonlight could