161: Chapter 161 The Forest of Strange Beasts

The four of them said no more. Each sat cross-legged, clutching high-grade Spirit Stones in their palms, closed their eyes, and concentrated, frantically absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to restore their depleted spiritual energy and heal their injuries.

Li Changqing stood alone to the side, his expression indifferent, silently acting as a Protector, though a hint of vigilance remained hidden in his eyes.

He knew well that this group was composed of people with different agendas—righteous and evil mixed together, seemingly united but actually at odds. Though they appeared to coexist peacefully, crises were hidden beneath the surface. Only by maintaining the initiative and staying vigilant at all times could he protect himself in such a dangerous situation.

After a full half-day, the four Cultivators opened their eyes one after another.

At this moment, everyone's complexions were rosy, their breathing steady, and the turbulence had completely vanished. Their eyes shone with brilliance, and their spiritual energy had been fully restored to its Peak state.

Qingfeng waved his hand, took out a set of brand-new plain robes to change into, and flicked a ray of spiritual light from his fingertip, instantly burning his damaged old clothes into ash, leaving no trace behind.

Moyuan stood up straight and laughed loudly: "Many thanks to Fellow Daoist Li for diligently acting as Protector. We have fully recovered our physical condition. There is no time to lose; we should set off for the Immortal Cave as soon as possible to seize the initiative!"

Everyone had no objections, so they immediately reorganized their gear and set off again.

On this journey, all five of them were extremely cautious. Whenever they encountered low-grade Yao Beasts along the way, they would avoid or bypass them whenever possible. If they truly could not avoid a Yao Beast, the five would instantly join forces, unleashing both spiritual energy and Devilish Qi to kill and clear the threat as quickly as possible, never delaying or engaging in prolonged combat.

The journey was without incident, and half a month later, the group finally stepped completely out of the treacherous, miasma-filled heart of the marshland.

Looking into the distance, the scene ahead changed abruptly.

The endless poisonous miasma of the swamp had completely dissipated, replaced by vast, undulating mountain ranges, layer upon layer.

Among the mountains, ancient trees towered into the sky, dense forests overlapped, and vegetation grew lush and green. Mist hung heavily in the woods, casting intersecting shadows, stretching endlessly into the depths.

This mountain forest was desolate, deep, and filled with a chaotic mix of life. From afar, it looked so quiet that it was unnerving; it appeared peaceful and harmless, but it actually hid countless lethal dangers.

Li Changqing understood in his heart that this was the place with the highest concentration of Yao Beasts in the Taixu Secret Realm—the Strange Beast Forest—and it was also the final barrier he had to cross before reaching the ancient Sect ruins in the Qingxia Mountain region.

As the name implied, the forest was home to countless wild Yao Beasts, with complex and varied tribes of differing strengths. It was the area with the highest density and most savage Yao Beasts in the entire ancient battlefield, far more dangerous than the Multi-Origin Lake Group.

Moyuan took out his Jade Slip, compared the orientation and terrain in the air, and after confirming it was correct, he flew towards the depths of the Strange Beast Forest without hesitation, clearly very confident in the terrain recorded on the map.

Fellow Daoist Chu Cang, Fellow Daoist Zhou Xuan, and Qingfeng followed closely behind, and Li Changqing did not hesitate either, following the team into this deep sea of forests.

Since he had come this far, no matter how dangerous the road ahead was, he would never give up halfway.

Once they entered the Strange Beast Forest, Moyuan deliberately slowed down his flying speed. The five of them kept a distance of more than ten zhang from each other, cautiously advancing steadily towards the depths of the Strange Beast Forest, the atmosphere becoming increasingly oppressive.

The ancient trees in the forest had lush branches and leaves, intertwining to block out the sky and most of the daylight. The light in the forest was dim and gloomy, and the breeze blowing through the trees made a rustling sound, faintly mixed with the roars and cries of beasts coming from the depths, exuding a thick, savage, and ferocious aura.

With the current cultivation strength of the five, the low-grade Yao Beasts on the outskirts of the forest posed no threat at all.

First-grade Yao Beasts, sensing the Foundation Establishment pressure radiating from the five, all shrank back and avoided them from afar, not daring to approach even a little bit.

The group went deeper and deeper, stepping into a vast, thin, white mist.

Li Changqing sensed it carefully for a moment, and his heart stirred slightly.

This thin mist was not a Restriction barrier; the Divine Sense he released passed through the mist layer without any obstruction or binding, and his detection range remained complete.

This made him secretly suspicious. He glanced sideways at the four Cultivators beside him and saw that their expressions were normal, without any surprise, clearly indicating they were already familiar with the rules of this place.

Although Li Changqing had doubts in his heart, he did not ask, but silently followed the team, remaining calm and composed, his aura always kept to an extreme minimum, making it impossible to tell his true depth.

This layer of mist stretched for hundreds of miles. When the group broke through the mist, the scene before their eyes suddenly opened up.

Rolling green mountain ranges spread out, with lush Peaks and towering ancient trees. The forest was thick with lush vegetation, dotted with spiritual flowers, and birds chirped softly. It was a scene of vibrant, quiet life, completely devoid of the sinister danger of the marshland heart.

Moyuan, who was leading the team, did not stop or pause. His flying light did not cease, and he continued to lead the group rushing toward the deeper parts of the Strange Beast Forest.

Li Changqing fell to the back of the team, his gait composed, his expression calm, following closely without haste or delay.

As they moved forward, the group encountered wandering Yao Beasts several times along the way, all of which were first-grade types below the second grade.

These Yao Beasts, sensing the powerful aura of the five, fled in panic from afar and dared not approach. The five of them had no intention of wasting spiritual energy on slaughter and flew straight past.

After traveling like this for five full days, the group finally stopped their flight on the summit of a towering, majestic green Peak.

Moyuan stood at the edge of the cliff, overlooking the deep sea of forests ahead, his expression becoming increasingly grave. He turned to look at the others and said in a deep voice: "We have already penetrated thousands of miles into the Strange Beast Forest. Moving forward, we will enter the inner territory of the Strange Beast Forest. From here on, second-grade Yao Beasts will appear, including many at the second-grade Late Stage and even second-grade Peak."

"Second-grade Peak Yao Beasts possess thick spiritual energy and a powerful Physical Body, and their innate techniques are ferociously unparalleled. They are absolutely not something an ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivator can contend with."

"Later, if we encounter a strong enemy, remember that everyone must join forces and work together, using all their means, without holding back or relying on luck. If there is the slightest negligence, all five of us could perish here; this is no empty talk."

When these words landed, the expressions of those present became slightly grave, and a sense of unease grew in their hearts.

Everyone was clear about the strength of a second-grade Peak Yao Beast. If one were to encounter a second-grade Peak Yao Beast alone, it would inevitably be a bitter battle. If they encountered a group of Yao Beasts led by a second-grade Peak Yao Beast, even with the five joining forces, no one had absolute certainty about whether they could defeat them head-on and retreat unscathed.

The group rested and adjusted their breathing on the Peak for three hours to recover from the fatigue of the journey and stabilize their spiritual energy status.

After the rest, Moyuan continued to lead the way, setting off to go deeper once again.

But this time, his flying speed was significantly slowed down. He was cautious with every step, his Divine Sense fully expanded, constantly scouting for hidden dangers around them.

Li Changqing remained steadily at the back of the team, his expression indifferent and unruffled, showing not a hint of tension or fear.

Two days later, the five were concentrating cautiously, moving forward steadily.

Suddenly, in the sky to their front left, thick, billowing black mist surged without warning, like a rushing wave of ink, carrying monstrous ferocity as it rolled rapidly toward the group's position.

The black mist rushed extremely fast, and in just a moment, it closed in from ten miles away to within five miles.

The sudden and strange phenomenon caused the expressions of the five to change slightly, and for a moment, none of them knew where this change had come from.

Everyone spread out their Divine Sense simultaneously, probing into the depths of the black mist. In a short moment, the faces of all five changed drastically, and a heavy look of shock surged into their eyes.

Within that rolling black mist, there were dozens of huge beast shadows lurking. A flock of giant Yao birds was flapping their wings and rushing forward, their mouths constantly spitting out smoke and clouds, wrapping themselves in black mist as they flew rapidly toward the five to surround and kill them!