With a command from the team leader, everyone unfolded the jade slips in their hands and freely formed teams according to the marked patrol areas. Three-person teams, five-person teams, and seven-person teams took shape one after another, and streaks of light shot out from the sky, rushing towards various areas of the Azure Wood Divine Forest to patrol in all directions.
Shen Qingchen unfolded the jade slip in his hand, glanced at the patrol territory marked to the north, and then turned to look at the two beautiful figures beside him. One was Su Qingyuan, who had been traveling with him for a long time, and the other was Chi Qingyue, a female disciple of the Chi Lineage, whose cultivation was at the True Annihilation Realm · Advanced Stage.
Chi Qingyue possessed a refined and otherworldly beauty, with graceful and lively eyes and a complexion as smooth as jade. Even without makeup, she exuded a captivating charm. Standing quietly beside the two, her expression was serene and Wenwan. Her brows revealed the composure and confidence cultivated from childhood by the direct descendants of the Chi Lineage. Her demeanor was elegant and dignified, and she treated others with propriety, neither distant nor overly affectionate, displaying a refined and self-possessed temperament.
Shen Qingchen raised his hand and pointed to the northern territory marked on the jade slip, his eyes bright and his voice clear and crisp. "Junior Sister Qingyue, let's be responsible for patrolling the northern region of the Divine Forest this time."
Chi Qingyue glanced in the direction he indicated, nodded slightly, and said in a soft, Wenwan voice, "Alright, Senior Brother, I'll follow your arrangements."
After verifying her own jade slip and confirming that the three of them had inspected interconnected and seamless territories, Su Qingyuan put away her jade slip and said calmly, "It's safe, let's set off."
The three of them did not linger. Points of Fate Soul radiance rose from beneath their feet, and they soared into the air, skimming over the outer layers of forest, rapidly advancing into the northern depths of the Azure Wood Divine Forest.
The deeper one ventures into the heart of the forest, the more treacherous and complex the Dao Path becomes.
Below, a straight ancient forest path, stretching for dozens of miles, is completely blocked off by two intertwined, towering ancient trees. On the other side, where there was originally no way to find the path, a secluded path suddenly appears between the gnarled ancient trees, as the branches and leaves of the ancient trees slowly close and shift, winding its way into the depths of the northeast.
Shen Qingchen and his companions frequently took out the jade slips to compare and verify their findings. Relying on the records of changes in the Dao Path accumulated by the Chi Lineage through generations of patrolling the Azure Wood Divine Forest, they continuously avoided strange paths, traversed several forest areas with vastly different growth logics, and steadily ventured deeper into the forest.
After a long trek, the three finally arrived at the core northern patrol area they were responsible for. They all slowed down and stopped in mid-air.
In the center of the forest ahead, a vast area nearly a thousand feet in diameter was completely shrouded by a semi-transparent pale blue barrier. This barrier was extremely well hidden and could hardly be detected from an ordinary perspective. Only by concentrating and looking closely could one catch the occasional fleeting ripples of light blue patterns in the air.
Hundreds of ancient, vigorous trees grow naturally around the barrier, their thick, gnarled roots crisscrossing underground to form an indestructible natural boundary. Thousands of fine life patterns hang from the sky, echoing the underground root system and connecting the inside and outside, sealing off the entire core area as solid as a rock.
This is the exclusive patrol and defense system used by the Chi Lineage to guard the Azure Wood Divine Forest.
This restriction is not intended to hinder the evolution of the Divine Forest's own laws. Its core function is to deter and intercept unfamiliar cultivators from outside, preventing outsiders from trespassing into the Chi Lineage's territory. At the same time, it records all anomalies and changes in the life force and the logic of the Dao Path within the domain in real time. Without the Chi Lineage's exclusive identity token, anyone who forcibly touches the barrier will immediately trigger the restriction's warning and activate the power of the guardian.
Shen Qingchen landed first and said, "We've arrived." Su Qingyuan and Chi Qingyue followed closely behind, landing steadily in front of the barrier. The three of them took out their exclusive Chi Lineage identity tokens at the same time.
Shen Qingchen held the token in his palm and slowly infused it with his own Fate Soul essence. Su Qingyuan and Chi Qingyue performed the same action simultaneously, and the ancient clan patterns of the Chi Lineage, passed down through the ages, lit up one after another on the surface of the three tokens, their lustrous light flowing endlessly.
Buzz!!! The pale blue barrier that had been standing still in front of it immediately responded.
Three slender beams of azure light shot out from the three tokens, landing precisely at three different points on the barrier. The barrier did not open rashly, but instead verified the identities and backgrounds of the three people layer by layer, following their Fate Soul essence. The root patterns that were originally hidden underground lit up layer by layer, and the life patterns hanging in the sky slowly split to the sides to make way for the three people.
A moment later, the three beams of azure light converged and merged at the center of the barrier. The thick, semi-transparent barrier slowly opened from the center, creating a passageway of suitable width, allowing the three people to pass through comfortably.
Shen Qingchen put away the token and said in a deep voice, "Enter and patrol." The three of them stepped inside one after another.
The entrance to the barrier behind him closed in an instant, and the pale blue light patterns completely disappeared into the forest without leaving a trace.
Upon entering the core patrol area, the relaxed and casual expressions on the three faces vanished, replaced by serious and solemn demeanor. Su Qingyuan, holding a jade slip, guided the route. The jade slip unfolded into a finely detailed three-dimensional map of the forest region, hovering in front of the three.
Real-time marking of surrounding road conditions and restricted nodes; Chi Qingyue meticulously verified the locations of barrier points along the way, the growth of ancient trees, and changes in laws, investigating regional anomalies; Shen Qingchen released his Fate Soul perception to sweep the surrounding airspace over a wide area, searching for the aura of unfamiliar cultivators and abnormal fluctuations.
The three of them followed the established patrol route and steadily advanced into the depths of the forest. At each key restricted node, Dao Path point, or ancient tree cluster they passed, they immediately stopped and meticulously recorded the growth of the ancient trees, the evolution of the Path of Logic, and the details of the stable state of the barrier in the jade slip.
Deep within the Azure Wood Divine Forest, ancient trees reach for the sky, their branches and leaves blocking out the sun. The intricate Dao Path of laws stretch endlessly into the distance, and the rigorous patrol mission belonging to the three of them officially begins.
In the northern part of the Azure Wood Divine Forest, the deeper one ventures into the forest, the more majestic and dense the ancient trees become. The interlaced canopies pierce the sunlight filtering through the sky, transforming it into countless tiny specks of light that slowly drift along the gnarled and sturdy branches.
The Chi Lineage's patrol and defense measures in this area are intertwined with the roots of ancient trees, with subtle protective patterns hidden in the folds of the bark and deep in the soil, making them extremely difficult to detect under normal circumstances. Shen Qingchen, Su Qingyuan, and Chi Qingyue followed the route recorded by Yu Jian, and had already recorded more than ten nodes of the protective measures along the way. Until they reached a towering ancient tree, hundreds of feet tall, Shen Qingchen suddenly stopped.
Ahead, where the barrier should have been silent, a faint ripple was now slowly spreading outwards from the tree roots. The ripples had weakened considerably, yet they had not completely subsided or disappeared.
A hint of hesitation appeared between Shen Qingchen's brows. He lowered his eyes and carefully examined the few remaining Chi Lineage restriction patterns among the tree roots, and doubts arose in his heart. He squatted down, his palm stopping a few feet away from the restriction, not daring to touch it rashly, but slowly scanning his senses along the outer edge.
The restriction itself was intact, with no broken Dao patterns inside, and no traces of forced breaking of the formation could be found in the surrounding area. However, this faint ripple clearly indicated that the restriction had indeed been triggered not long ago.
"Could it be that some senior brothers or sisters have been here?" Shen Qingchen straightened up, his brows still furrowed.
Su Qingyuan had already moved to the other side, carefully examining the edge of the restriction for a moment. The ease in her eyes gradually faded, and her expression turned serious. "Something's not right. This restriction has been triggered."
Upon hearing the sound, Chi Qingyue immediately stepped forward, intending to personally inspect the central node. She had only taken one step when Shen Qingchen raised his arm to block her path. "Junior Sister Qingyue, wait."
Chi Qingyue abruptly stopped. Shen Qingchen stared at the not-yet-completely-disappeared markings, his expression gradually becoming serious. "Something's fishy here. Someone's been here..."
Chi Qingyue's eyes suddenly narrowed, and her gaze returned to the restriction.
The Azure Wood Divine Forest has long been under the jurisdiction of the Chi Lineage, especially the separate patrol areas in the north, which are heavily guarded by the Chi Lineage's restrictions. Under normal circumstances, only Chi Lineage disciples are allowed to enter.
Those patrolling within the clan are all familiar with the location and activation rules of these restriction nodes. When they pass through with their identity tokens, the restrictions will recognize the aura of the Fate Soul, so there is no need to touch them directly, and no residual fluctuations will be left after such external force triggering.
Chi Qingyue raised her eyes and scanned the dense forest around her. The silence among the ancient trees was eerily quiet, with only the occasional rustling of branches against each other. Her hand had already quietly reached for the divine weapon at her waist.
Unwilling to linger here, Su Qingyuan immediately took out her patrol jade tablet and said in a calm voice, "Quickly, record the unusual activity of the restriction, and report it to the clan elders upon our return." "Yes, sir."
Shen Qingchen and Chi Qingyue nodded in unison. The three of them separated slightly and began to record the anomaly of this node. Shen Qingchen recorded the residual fluctuations after the restriction was triggered; Su Qingyuan engraved the node's location, surrounding environment, and the time of discovery into the jade tablet; Chi Qingyue patrolled the outer perimeter and also recorded the fact that there were no obvious signs of external damage.
After the last wisp of Fate Soul imprint sank into the jade tablet, Su Qingyuan carefully put the artifact away. "Recording complete." Shen Qingchen glanced back at the restriction one last time. "Let's go, continue the patrol."