Dark and damp.
The deeper he ventured into the Soul Hunting Forest, the heavier the air around him grew. The crowns of towering ancient trees almost completely blotted out the sky, leaving only scattered flecks of light to spill through the gaps and cast eerie patterns on the ground.
Underfoot lay a thick layer of humus accumulated over who knew how many years. It felt soft beneath his steps, giving off faint squelches mingled with the distinctive smell of soil and rotting vegetation.
The surroundings were terrifyingly silent.
Even the chirping of insects and birds had vanished. Only the steady beat of his own heart and the faintest sounds of his breathing seemed amplified in his ears.
Ling Feng suppressed his presence to the utmost, moving like a ghost between the thick trunks. He pushed his Purple Demon Eye to its current limit, a faint purple sheen suffusing his eyes as he carefully scanned every inch of ground and every patch of shadow ahead.
His passive skill, "Danger Sense," acted like the most sensitive radar, feeding back the slightest changes in his surroundings.
That powerful presence was growing clearer and clearer.
Like a sleeping volcano, it held a heart-palpitating power within. Its naturally emanating pressure alone had turned this area into forbidden ground for low-level Soul Beasts.
After he crept forward for another li or so, the view suddenly opened up.
He had not left the forest. Instead, a small clearing had appeared. At its center lay a little pool, its water clear yet unfathomably deep, giving off a faint chill.
And there, beside the pool, a plant seized all of Ling Feng's attention.
It stood about half a foot tall, its entire body a translucent blood-red, as though carved from the purest ruby. Its leaves resembled dragon scales, overlapping in layers around a flower bud poised to bloom at the top. The bud remained tightly closed, yet faint streams of golden light flickered across its surface.
A strange, delicate fragrance drifted through the air, barely perceptible. Breathing it into his lungs actually refreshed his mind, and even the Soul Power within him seemed to grow somewhat more active.
"Is this... a Dragon Blood Orchid?" Ling Feng's pupils contracted slightly. From the notes Grandmaster had given him and the knowledge of Soul Beasts instilled by the system, he recognized it as an extremely rare heavenly treasure! It was said to grow only where dragon-type Soul Beasts had fallen, formed by absorbing their remaining blood essence. It had miraculous effects on strengthening the physique and tempering Soul Power, and was even the main ingredient in certain high-grade pills!
It was worth a fortune!
And the system's notification pointed here unmistakably-the special check-in point was precisely where this Dragon Blood Orchid stood!
Yet Ling Feng's gaze did not linger on the Dragon Blood Orchid for long. Instead, it snapped toward the other side of the pool!
There, at the edge of the clearing, a massive skeleton lay half-buried in soil and vines.
The shape of that skeleton... vaguely resembled a giant ape, but it was far larger than an ordinary ape. Its bones were dark gold, and even after untold years, they still emanated an unyielding, primeval presence.
The remains of a Titan Giant Ape?
Ling Feng's heart jolted. Could a Titan Giant Ape once have fallen deep within this Soul Hunting Forest? Had this Dragon Blood Orchid grown by absorbing his blood essence?
The discovery made his heart race. The Titan Giant Ape was a top-tier Soul Beast. A Dragon Blood Orchid growing where one had fallen was probably of far greater quality than usual!
But immediately afterward, an icy chill shot up his spine!
Right beside that dark-golden skeleton, a Soul Beast lay prone on the ground, seemingly dozing.
It was not particularly enormous, measuring a little over three meters long and resembling a leopard magnified several times over. But dark-purple scales covered its entire body, with tiny arcs of electricity crackling in their gaps. Its long tail resembled a steel whip, its tip gleaming with a dangerous, eerie light.
Most striking of all was its forehead, where a single spiral horn grew. At the horn's tip, a mass of silver lightning slowly revolved as though alive.
A Thousand-Year Soul Beast-the Thunderhorn Zheng!
A ferocious Soul Beast renowned for its speed, attacks, and control over lightning!
Judging by its form and the fluctuations of power it emitted, it was definitely over a thousand years old, and might even have been approaching two thousand!
It seemed to have claimed this clearing as its territory, and the Dragon Blood Orchid and the Titan Giant Ape's remains were clearly things it guarded. It lay there, seemingly resting, but its vertical pupils, which occasionally opened and closed, gleamed with cold, cunning cruelty.
The powerful pressure was emanating from it.
Ling Feng held his breath and concealed himself completely behind an ancient tree so thick that several people would have to join arms to encircle it, his mind racing through the possibilities.
Fight it head-on?
What a joke! This was a Thousand-Year Soul Beast! An existence whose strength rivaled a human Soul Ancestor! And the Thunderhorn Zheng excelled at speed and lightning attacks, making it extremely difficult to deal with.
With his current strength, the sheer might of the Clear Sky Hammer, and his first Soul Skill, he might be able to crush Soul Beasts two or three hundred years old. He could fight and defeat those around five hundred years old. But against a Thousand-Year Soul Beast... especially a Thunderhorn Zheng nearing two thousand years old...
In a direct confrontation, his chances of winning were practically zero!
He might even be killed instantly!
The speed of that lightning absolutely surpassed his current movement techniques.
Outwit it?
How could he outwit it?
Lure the tiger away from its mountain? What could he use to draw it away? This Thunderhorn Zheng was no fool. Guarding a treasure like the Dragon Blood Orchid, it probably would not leave easily.
Use the surroundings? This clearing was relatively open. Apart from the pool and the skeleton, there was little terrain he could exploit.
Poison? Traps? He had no poison effective against a Thousand-Year Soul Beast. There was not enough time to set up traps on the spot, nor could he guarantee they would go unnoticed.
For a moment, Ling Feng found himself caught in a dilemma.
The check-in point was within arm's reach, and the Dragon Blood Orchid and the possible legacy left by the Titan Giant Ape were enormously tempting.
But the Thousand-Year Soul Beast guarding them stood in his way like an insurmountable mountain.
Give up outright? He could not accept that! The rewards from a special check-in point marked by the system were bound to be generous. And this Dragon Blood Orchid was crucial to solidifying his foundation and rapidly increasing his strength.
Take the risk and try? The price might be his life!
Ling Feng carefully swept his gaze over the clearing again, letting no detail escape him.
The pool... the chill... the Thunderhorn Zheng had the lightning attribute and seemed somewhat wary of that pool. The spot where it lay was some distance from the water.
The Titan Giant Ape's skeleton... those dark-golden bones had endured the years without decaying. Did some kind of pressure still linger in them, keeping the Thunderhorn Zheng from drawing too close?
The Dragon Blood Orchid's bud... did it seem close to maturing? That flowing golden light was becoming increasingly distinct. Soul Beasts often guarded heavenly treasures so they could devour them upon maturity and gain the greatest benefit. Could he act at the instant it matured, when the Thunderhorn Zheng's attention was most focused?
Ideas flashed through Ling Feng's mind, only to be swiftly rejected or refined.
The risk was enormous.
But the opportunity was just as great.
He slowly clenched his fists, his gaze sharpening.
Backing down was not his style.
Since he had encountered it, he had to at least try!
If he could not fight it head-on, then he could only... take a gamble!
Gamble on this Thousand-Year Soul Beast's habits! Gamble on the timing of the Dragon Blood Orchid's maturation! Gamble on his own speed and... luck!
He silently retreated, putting more distance between them as he searched for a better place to observe and lie concealed.
He had to devise a meticulous plan.
There might only be one chance.
Failure would mean eternal damnation.