Returning to the Earth (2/2)

For Xu Feng, the final fight had been over in a flash.

Even so, he was breathing hard.

Such exertion would once have forced him to catch his breath, but the great fish's essence had given him stamina to spare.

After killing the dog king with a few slashes, Xu Feng fled for his life.

On his previous visits, he had always come by daylight. Now the entire Lost-Trace Forest was changing into something he no longer recognized. If he hadn't checked his [map] and taken the shortest route between two points—a straight line—

any other way of finding his path

would have been a struggle!

He couldn't tell whether the pack of wild dogs had been fearless through ignorance or had some other reason.

How had they dared to set foot in a place like this?

By the time Xu Feng stumbled out, the air outside felt

damp.

It even carried a trace of earthy smell.

As though rain were coming.

He glanced around to make sure no wild dogs lay in ambush nearby, then found Master and went over. After judging the distance, he called out to him first.

Then he blew on his tinder, bringing up a small flame to light his face.

That let Master see it was him.

Xu Feng said, "It should be all right now.

There was a dog king inside, along with some tomb raiders and people from the Earth-Fire Cult.

The tomb raiders and cult members are all dead. The dog king survived, but I killed him, and nearly all the wild dogs are dead too.

Even if I missed any, the Lost-Trace Forest swallowed them.

Master, we can begin!"

Master nodded. He had been keeping track of the time. "We still have over an hour. There's plenty of time."

He