Decision

Lu Heng turned the car around and drove back along the forest path he had come from.

The motorcycle rolled over the decaying leaves, its engine barely audible. The terrain he'd memorized along the way was reviewed in his mind: the location of the new border, the Wolf Pack's patrol routes, the ancient tree with the cuckoo's corpse hanging from it, and several slopes suitable for setting up observation points. The information was fragmented, but sufficient.

By the time we returned to the Moonview Valley, the sun was already setting.

He didn't rush into the valley. He paused at the entrance for a while, scanning the surrounding area. The vines were still there, spreading out along the rock walls and slopes at the valley entrance. The dark red vines were buried under fallen leaves, with only a few thorny nodes showing. There were signs of movement—a section of vine had been torn off, dried sap seeping from the break, and next to it lay a string of small animal paw prints, no bigger than a thumb.

The Blood-Devouring Vine disposed of itself.

Lu Heng walked into the valley and first went to look at the main root of the vine.

The main root was planted under the old tree in the center of the valley. The vine was thicker than it had been a few days ago, its bark hardened, and its thorns were denser. The ownership of the permanent territory remained intact, and the ownership of the valley was not wavering in the slightest. All day long, no high-level beasts had dared to enter. Those that occasionally slipped in were all small, low-level creatures that became entangled in the vines and then fell silent.

He squatted down to examine the broken section; he didn't replant it or reinforce it. The vine would grow in its natural direction on its own.

The flowers and grasses in the valley grew lushly, and wild bees and small flying insects scurried back and forth among the flowers, creating a constant buzzing sound.

Lu Heng looked up and glanced at the scene, but didn't make a move.

These insects are all harmless; they can't bite through skin, damage things, or harm people. Leaving them to pollinate allows the grass in the valley to produce seeds and the fruit trees to bear fruit. Cleaning them up would only cause more trouble.

He stood up and began to carefully examine the newly expanded valley.

The soil on the eastern slope was soft to the touch, covered with a thick layer of decaying leaves; each step sank half an inch. Lu Heng squatted down, digging his fingers into the soil, which was wet to the knuckles but dry underneath. He looked up at the top of the slope; a narrow, sloping crack ran through the rock face. He probed the crack with the tip of his knife, but couldn't reach the bottom. No wind escaped from the crack, and there was no smell of animals. He stepped back two paces and looked at the grass around the crack—it had fallen down the slope, with no drag marks or trampled patches on the blades.

A thicket of bushes emerged on the west side, thorns entwined with low pines, so dense that one could not see inside. Lu Heng walked along the edge, his ears perked up.

Birds chirped, insects hummed. There was no deep breathing.

There were footprints on the ground, badger's and hare's, all small. Several broken thorns at the base of the brambles were fresh, with the broken ends facing outwards.

He stopped and waited for a while.

There was no movement inside.

Before even getting close to the depression to the north, the sound of water could be heard.

Heavy, muffled, like something was constantly pounding. Lu Heng parted a clump of reeds, and the waterfall was right in front of him.

The water plunged down the newly expanded rock face, a drop of seven or eight meters, crashing into the pool and splashing up a cloud of white foam half a person's height. The mist drifted over, settling on my face, cool and refreshing, carrying the scent of moss from the rock face and the earthy smell of the soil. The stones along the pool's edge were all wet, dark, and covered with a slippery layer of moss; one had to be careful when stepping on them. A few grayish-white feathers floated on the water's surface, propelled by the mist, swirling around the pool's edge.

He walked along the edge of the pool. The waterfall kept rushing down, and the mud by the pool was always wet, so he would sink in if he stepped on it. There was a series of footprints by the water's edge, three toes with wide gaps between them. Half of them were covered by the mud wet by the water mist, so it was impossible to tell when they were left.

He looked up at the rock face. The waterfall gushed forth from a crack, above which grew newly sprouted grass and shrubs, their roots drooping down, glistening with water droplets, swaying in the wind. The rock face was covered in moss; where the water mist reached, the moss grew thickly, while where it didn't reach, the rock surface remained dry and grayish-white. Water droplets clung to the tips of the grass blades by the pool, falling silently to the damp mud when the wind blew.

The air was humid, cool to the touch, and carried the scent of decaying leaves and moss. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the canopy, illuminating the mist and creating tiny droplets that floated like a thin veil.

He continued walking forward.

Completed one lap.

There were no animal dens, no strange smells, and nothing that shouldn't have been there.

Lu Heng stood in the middle of the valley and exhaled.

The expanded Moonview Valley had even more fertile soil than he had imagined. On the sunny slope, new fruit trees had sprouted next to the few old wild jujube trees that had originally been scattered around.

He went over and looked at them one by one.

The wild hawthorn berries are only the size of a finger, a dark red, with a layer of white frost on the skin. They are so sour they hurt your teeth when you bite into them, but they are edible. Wild hawthorns grow at the foot of slopes, in clusters, with firm fruit. Wild apricots are sparser, scattered along the crevices of rocks, with yellowish skin that is already soft to the touch. Chokecherries grow on the shady north side, with drooping bunches of fruit that are purplish-black and sweet with a hint of astringency.

These are all native fruit trees that grow naturally in cold valleys; they are not mutated species and have no hierarchical classification.

More herbs.

Dandelions grow in patches in low-lying, damp places, with thick leaves; Patrinia scabiosifolia is mixed in with the grass, with upright stems that taste bitter when broken; Paeonia lactiflora is concentrated on the eastern slope, with thick tubers; Saposhnikovia divaricata and Bupleurum chinense grow in clumps on sandy soil.

He squatted down and plucked a Saposhnikovia divaricata plant, broke open the root, and smelled it; the medicinal scent was just right.

They're all low-grade Black Iron, and some are even ungraded. The medicinal effects are mild, not particularly precious, but sufficient for daily use. They can be used for fever, external injuries, and dispelling cold—all sorts of herbs can come in handy. This forest used to be sealed and suppressed, its earth energy trapped inside. Now that the barrier has loosened, everything has come out.

After surveying the hillside, he walked towards the lake.

The lake seems to have expanded considerably; the water surface is a bit wider than yesterday, and it has now stabilized. The water level is clearly visible along the shore, but strangely, there are no signs of it continuing to rise.

Lu Heng took off his shoes, rolled up his trouser legs, and walked into the shallow water.

The water was cool and crystal clear, revealing pebbles and aquatic plants at the bottom. There were plenty of fish, some half a foot in size and others as small as two fingers, swimming in groups close to the aquatic plants. Shrimp hid in the crevices of the rocks, leaping out as soon as he approached. The water was very lively, indicating it wasn't diseased. He reached in and scooped up a handful of water, splashing it onto the rocks on the bank.

He stood in the water and waited for a while.

Nothing approached from the depths.

The suppression of permanent territory still works underwater. There are no aquatic beasts of Black Iron Tier or higher in the entire lake. Higher-level creatures either cannot enter or are squeezed out by the rules once they do.

He came out of the water, sat on the shore, and put on his shoes. He tied his shoelaces tightly, stood up, and brushed the mud off his trousers. The wind blew from the lake, carrying the smell of fish.

The valley is rich in resources, has a stable ecosystem, and is self-sufficient in security.

It was better than he expected.

After the sun set, the valley fell silent for a while.

Then the sound came.

First came a distant wolf howl, drawn out and piercing at the end. Then came another echo, followed by a third from further away. Then came the low growls of wild beasts, rising in waves, mixed with the crisp sound of breaking branches and the dull thud of heavy objects hitting trees.

Chaos has broken out in the sky too.

A large flock of birds took flight from the canopy, their flapping wings sounding like a gust of wind, their shrill cries mingling together. Something was chasing them, the calls echoing from one end of the woods to the other, never ceasing.

Lu Heng stood up and walked to the entrance of the valley.

He didn't act immediately; he just listened.

The sound covered a vast area, far beyond what two tribes could make fighting over territory. Fighting was taking place to the east, west, and north, at varying distances and elevations, with the sounds of battle overlapping each other without any pause.

It's not a one-sided struggle.

The entire Frost Forest was in chaos.

The forest expanded overnight, pushing its boundaries outwards. The newly grown woodland was empty and unclaimed. Birds, taking advantage of the lush forest, multiplied in number and built nests everywhere. Native wild animals also expanded outwards, old hunting grounds became obsolete, and new hunting grounds had not yet been designated. The two sides collided, neither willing to give way, and neither able to suppress the other.

Ecological reshuffling is just how it is.

You can't avoid it, and you can't stop it.

Lu Heng stood at the valley entrance for a long time, until the sounds of fighting in the woods gradually became distinct—those nearby were still fighting, while those further away had already dispersed.

He turned back into the valley, walked to the front of the house, and waved his hand.

The Insect Armor Sword fell out of the Wristband and was held in his hand.

The sword was heavy, the armor plates fit snugly, and the blade was not chipped.

His principle was simple: go and see the top of the future forest.