112: Survival in the Wilderness and the Reappearance of the "Signal"

Deep in the Qinglan Mountain Range, ancient trees towered into the sky, vines twisted like Dragons, and miasma permeated the air.

This was a true forbidden zone for humans; even the most seasoned hunters and herb gatherers dared not set foot here easily.

Wen Youyi, Zhao Iron Pillar, and Senior Brother Zhang, the three of them, trekked arduously through this primitive barren forest like three cautious ants.

The environment was even harsher than they had anticipated.

Ubiquitous venomous insects and fierce beasts, elusive and eerie plants, and the dense canopy that seemed to devour light all posed immense challenges.

"Damn it, this hellhole!" Zhao Iron Pillar cursed while swinging his heavy sword to hack away the thorns blocking their path.

He was thick-skinned and tough, so he wasn't afraid of ordinary venomous insects, but the omnipresent sense of oppression made him very uncomfortable.

Senior Brother Zhang was like a curious baby; despite his fatigue, he was filled with a desire to study the various strange plants and minerals, stopping from time to time to collect samples.

"Youyi, look at this. Its leaf structure seems to naturally absorb and neutralize miasma... Perhaps it could be used to improve our purification Formation."

Wen Youyi walked at the very front, his Mental Energy highly concentrated, constantly sensing the dangers around him.

The feeling of being watched, which came from the star core fragment in his bosom, seemed to have weakened significantly here, which gave him some relief.

Their goal was to find a relatively safe and easily concealable place to stay.

It didn't need to be anything great; a dry cave or a solid patch of forest would suffice.

A few days later, in a small valley backed by a cliff and fronted by a stream, they found an ideal place to stay—a natural rock cave with most of its entrance obscured by vines.

The cave was dry and well-ventilated, with a small underground fissure providing fresh air.

"This is the place!" Wen Youyi made the decision.

The three of them immediately got busy.

Zhao Iron Pillar was responsible for clearing the cave entrance and setting up perimeter guard traps; Senior Brother Zhang set up simple concealment and purification Formations inside the cave; Wen Youyi used the surrounding environment to set up some clever early warning devices.

Although their new "home" was crude, they finally had a place to shelter from the wind and rain that was relatively safe.

After settling down, survival became the primary task.

Zhao Iron Pillar was responsible for hunting; relying on his formidable Physical Body and combat skills, he was able to hunt enough food.

Senior Brother Zhang was responsible for identifying and collecting edible plants, fungi, and water sources; Wen Youyi coordinated the overall situation and continued his research and Cultivate.

Days seemed to return to when they first started at Lijian Valley, but it was tougher and lonelier.

Every so often, Wen Youyi would use "Star Language" to try to send brief safety inquiries to the scattered "Seed" groups.

Most of the time, there was no response, which was a good thing, as it meant they were in a silent and safe state.

Occasionally, receiving a "safe" signal from one or two groups was enough to put Wen Youyi at ease for a long time.

In this extreme environment, the strength of the three was also slowly and steadily improving.

The fights with Yao Beasts and the adaptation to the harsh environment became the best whetstones.

Wen Youyi's cultivation was steadily advancing towards the Qi Refining Seventh Layer, and his application of "Star Language" and the star core fragment was becoming more proficient.

He even began to try to see if he could use the star core fragment to simulate the pure environment of the "ark" on a small scale for Breakthroughs at critical moments.

In one life-and-death battle after another, Zhao Iron Pillar completely consolidated his Qi Refining Seventh Layer cultivation, and his heavy sword swings became even more powerful, carrying a wild, primitive aura.

Although Senior Brother Zhang was not good at fighting, he had made new Breakthroughs in Formation research and Materials science.

He used some special Materials found in the barren forest to successfully improve the energy consumption of the "personal node" and designed a simple Magical Artifact that could more effectively warn of energy scans.

However, the peaceful days did not last long.

One late night, while Wen Youyi was attempting "Star Language" communication, he suddenly received an extremely weak and chaotic "Star Language" signal that did not come from any known "Seed" group!

The signal was intermittent, filled with pain and anxiety, as if it were a final cry for help issued in despair:

[...Escape... Run away quickly... 'cradle'... is fake... 'ark'... is actually... a trap... coordinates...]

The signal stopped abruptly at this point, and no matter how Wen Youyi tried to contact, there was no response.

Wen Youyi's face instantly turned incredibly ugly!

This was not the "Star Language" fluctuation of any companion he was familiar with!

It was that distant "Co-frequency Person" who had always been in contact with him!

Something happened to him!

And judging from the last message he transmitted, he seemed to have discovered some shocking secret!

"'cradle' is fake"? "'ark' is actually a trap"? What does this mean?!

And that unfinished "coordinates"... what did he want to point out?

Wen Youyi's heart module began to beat violently.

He felt as if he had touched the tip of the iceberg of the truth about this "Ranch," and that truth was far darker and crueler than they had imagined!

"Iron Pillar! Senior Brother Zhang!" Wen Youyi stood up abruptly, his voice carrying unprecedented gravity, "We might be in trouble, or we might... have found the key!"

Zhao Iron Pillar and Senior Brother Zhang were awakened, and seeing Wen Youyi's ugly expression, their hearts both sank.

"Boss, what's wrong?"

Wen Youyi informed the two of them about that chaotic "Star Language" message.

"The Co-frequency Person... is in danger?" Senior Brother Zhang's face turned pale.

"He said 'ark is actually a trap'? What does that mean? Could it be that everything we've done is wrong?" Zhao Iron Pillar was both shocked and angry.

Wen Youyi forced himself to calm down and carefully analyzed the message: "Not necessarily."

"The 'ark' he mentioned might not refer to the one we built, but rather... something more macro? Or perhaps, our understanding has a deviation?"

He recalled the "source code" about "independent energy cycles" and "spatial barriers" in the chaotic jade slip; could these themselves be part of a larger trap?

"We must figure out what he meant!" Wen Youyi's gaze was firm, "That unfinished 'coordinates' is the key!"

He tried again to send inquiries and comforting "Star Language" to that "Co-frequency Person" through the star core fragment, but it was still like a stone sinking into the sea.

An ominous premonition hung over the three of them.

They knew that their days of lying low would probably have to end early.

They had to take the initiative to go and explore those unfinished "coordinates" and uncover the truth of the "ark trap"!

Otherwise, all their efforts might just be working for the enemy.

(End of chapter)