Hot spring

A dull, throbbing feeling in his chest was Lu Heng's first sensation upon waking.

He didn't suddenly open his eyes; he simply lay flat, his chest rising and falling slowly, testing his body's tolerance little by little.

The spot where I was bluntly struck by the Blizzard Monster's giant hand last night is no longer in a state of excruciating pain that pulls at my internal organs with every breath. The deep bruise is still there, like a heavy piece of flesh pressed against the side of my chest. I can hardly feel it when I am still, but as soon as I slightly expand my chest or turn over, a stubborn, dull, and aching pain will emerge.

Applying Tiger Bone Wine externally overnight, combined with rest, yielded tangible results.

The surface bruising and swelling had mostly subsided, and the tightness that had made him gasp for breath had completely disappeared. But Lu Heng knew that internal injuries were most dangerous to be careless about. This was only a temporary relief; the root cause of the shock to his bones and internal organs had not been eliminated. If he fought with all his might or ran violently, the injuries would immediately flare up.

He slowly sat up, the residual warmth of the cave's Geothermal enveloping his body, unlike the biting cold of the snowfield.

The wind and snow outside have subsided, and the howling wind that tore through the cliffs last night can no longer be heard; only the soft rustling of snowflakes brushing against the rocks can be heard.

The room was very quiet, so quiet that I could hear my own steady heartbeat.

Lu Heng raised his hand to wipe his chest; the remaining bruises felt hard and were a dark color. He quickly tidied his clothes and put on his gear. The Giant-Feather Crossbow was slung on his back, and the Bronze Hunting Blade was fastened to his waist. After confirming that nothing was missing, he reached out and pushed open the stone door.

A cold wind rushed in instantly, stinging the skin and making it stiff, but no longer causing chest pain.

The entire forest outside was covered with a clean, flat blanket of fresh snow. Lu Heng walked steadily through the snow, heading straight for the cliffside den where the battle had taken place the day before.

As he approached the cave entrance, he stopped, his gaze fixed on the footprints and bloodstains left from yesterday's fight, all buried under the thick snow. The world was a pure white expanse, cold and monotonous.

This Beast Nest is completely different from ordinary beast caves.

The usual monster's lair was littered with rocks, pits, and piles of mud and claw marks, all signs of wild beasts' wanton destruction. But here, the rocks showed signs of being moved by humans; protruding sharp stones had been broken and moved to the corners, and the ground had been roughly leveled to create an open space.

The workmanship was rough, and it still looked simple and messy. Outsiders couldn't tell the difference, but Lu Heng could tell at a glance that it had been deliberately tidied up.

The Blizzard Monster's intelligence is far higher than he estimated.

Yesterday's adult Blizzard Monster didn't charge around mindlessly; it witnessed its cubs and mate being killed, which completely enraged it, driving it to fight to the bitter end with an extreme obsession with revenge.

From another perspective, if this ferocious beast had been more patient and not let its anger cloud its judgment, it could have used the familiar cave terrain to hide in a blind spot, waiting for the beast to enter the cave to investigate before launching a sudden sneak attack.

Given his condition yesterday, where he fought while injured, he absolutely cannot withstand a second wave of attacks.

A slight chill ran down my back.

It was truly a stroke of luck that I survived.

Lu Heng suppressed his thoughts and stepped into the lair.

Inside the cave, the wind was blocked, and the temperature was much higher than outside, with no biting cold wind. He slowly searched along the rock wall, scanning every crevice, dark corner, and shadow of the boulders, confirming that there were no remaining young animals or lurking creatures, and that the entire nest was completely cleared and safe.

Behind a boulder about half a person's height at the deepest point, a Black Iron box rests quietly in the snow.

The box was covered with a thin layer of ice, its metallic texture was cold and heavy, and its edges were neat. There were no signs of being gnawed or bumped by any beasts, so it must have been left here a long time ago and unintentionally forgotten by the Blizzard Monster.

It's Black Iron-Level Treasure Chest.

Lu Heng did not activate it on the spot.

The wilderness environment is always unstable, and opening the chest could easily attract monsters, plus storing supplies in the open is too risky. He lightly tapped his Wristband, and with a flash of light, the heavy treasure chest was directly stored in his Storage Space. He planned to return to his Shelter, lock it securely, and then open it.

As you continue walking towards the innermost part of the cave, a wave of warm, humid air rushes towards you, dispelling the icy chill inside.

A natural Geothermal spring came into view.

The pool water was crystal clear, and the pebbles at the bottom were clearly visible. A thin layer of white mist floated on the surface, and the heat rose slowly, making the whole area warm and spring-like. The surrounding rocks were moistened by hot water all year round and were warm to the touch, a completely different world from the frozen snowfield outside where the temperature was tens of degrees below zero.

Lu Heng paused, gazing at the surface of the pool, a genuine sense of relief stirring within him.

In his previous life, he had seen countless images of hot springs online, various pools and secret warm spring resorts, but he had always just observed and never actually soaked in one.

After being transported to the Frost Snowfield, they fought day and night, living in endless cold and danger, and never imagined they would encounter such a place.

The mountains were frozen solid by heavy snow, but this place remained warm. Just watching the rising steam completely relaxed my tense nerves.

A draft swept in from the cave entrance from time to time, carrying the chill of the snowfield. Lu Heng quickly took off his clothes. The cold wind clung to his skin, stirring up a fine layer of coolness. He shivered slightly, then slowly stepped into the hot spring water.

Warm water instantly enveloped my entire body.

The warmth seeped into my skin through my pores, gradually easing the stiffness and soreness that lingered in my muscles and bones. The dull pain that had accumulated in my chest was soothed by the warm water, and the heavy fatigue dissipated layer by layer, allowing all my muscles to relax completely.

He leaned against the rock by the pool and reached out to take out the Tiger Bone Wine he had left behind.

Taking advantage of the excellent blood-circulating effect of the hot spring, I carefully applied the amber-colored liquor to the bruises on my chest, gently massaging it in with my fingertips in circular motions. The numbing heat of the medicinal liquor, combined with the warmth of the water, penetrated layer by layer into my skin, slowly dispersing the deep-seated blood stasis.

The combined effects of the medicine and the warm water brought back all the fatigue from the days of fighting.

Sleepiness came very quickly; my eyelids felt heavy, and my mind was completely relaxed.

Even when completely relaxed, the instinct for survival remains.

Lu Heng pushed himself up from the edge of the pool. As soon as he emerged from the water, a cold wind enveloped his naked body, instantly chilling his arms. He took out several thin planks from his Wristband, walked to the entrance of the nest, and placed them haphazardly at the entrance.

The wooden plank was unstable; if any wild animal approached or touched it, it would inevitably tip over, the noise enough to instantly wake him from his slumber.

Simple, but reliable enough.

Having taken this precaution, he didn't linger any longer and quickly lay back down in the warm water.

I completely relaxed and leaned against the edge of the pool, letting the warmth envelop my body. My nerves and muscles, which had been tense for many days, were completely relaxed. My breathing gradually became calm and long, and my consciousness slowly sank in. Before long, I fell into a deep sleep in the warm and tranquil hot spring.

A light mist drifted through the cave, and it was so quiet that there wasn't a sound.

Lu Heng was fast asleep, completely unsuspecting.

He was completely unaware that several tiny, Transparent Insects were slowly floating at the bottom of the clear hot spring water.

They are extremely difficult to distinguish with the naked eye. They slowly climb along the warm water flow, quietly attaching to the surface of his skin, and silently burrowing under his flesh along the tiny pores and the shallow cuts left from yesterday's fight.

The warmth still gently enveloped my body, and my sleep was long and peaceful.

Unbeknownst to anyone, an unseen threat had already quietly taken root within his body.