101: Chapter 101 The danger of Fengming Pass

Lin Muchen lay down on the bed at the Black Stone Town relay station, resting his head on his hands.

The distant barking of dogs had ceased, and the room was quiet.

He closed his eyes and analyzed tomorrow's route.

From Black Stone Town to Fengming Pass, he had heard that the forest along that stretch was dense and far from peaceful.

He needed to get enough rest.

As dawn just began to break, the caravan set off.

Lin Muchen mounted his gray horse and followed at the very back of the caravan.

The Official Road grew narrower, and the trees on both sides were tall and dense, blocking out most of the sunlight.

The road felt eerie and gloomy.

While riding, Lin Muchen diverted a sliver of consciousness into his Dantian to connect with the Origin Star.

He wanted to see how the wind spirit grass was growing.

As the image unfolded, he was momentarily stunned.

The patch of green on the wind spirit grass slope was significantly more vibrant than yesterday; the leaves were swaying slightly as if a breeze were blowing through them.

[System Notification: Detected that the Host is continuously approaching an area rich in Wind Attribute (Northern Region direction).]

[Origin Star Wind Attribute derivation is receiving strong positive stimulation.]

[Current Wind Attribute derivation cycle: 22 days.]

[wind spirit grass growth speed increased by 20%.]

22 days.

It had shortened by another day.

Lin Muchen felt a small surge of excitement.

This journey was like an idle game, farming experience while traveling; it felt great.

As he was thinking, the burly man leading the way, Wang Meng, suddenly reined in his horse.

"Stop!"

Wang Meng shouted.

The caravan came to a halt immediately.

Lin Muchen looked up and ahead.

At the bend in the Official Road, seven or eight dusty-looking Yao Beasts emerged from the forest.

They looked like wolves but were smaller in size with red eyes.

"They are Red-Eyed Jackals, First-Order Demonic Beasts that enjoy moving in packs," the System's voice rang in his head.

The curtain of Chen Qingxue's carriage opened a crack; she glanced outside and then let it drop.

"Guards, handle it," her voice drifted from the carriage, as cold as ever.

Wang Meng snorted, leaped off his horse, and drew the large saber from his back.

"A few little beasts, leave them to me!"

He charged forward as soon as he finished speaking.

The Blue-Robed Man and the Blue-clothed Woman didn't move, remaining on guard by both sides of the carriage.

Lin Muchen didn't move either, watching from the back.

Wang Meng did indeed have some skill; his large saber swung with a whistling wind, cleaving a Red-Eyed Jackal with a single blow.

However, the Red-Eyed Jackals were numerous and cunning.

They didn't fight head-on but scattered to flank him from both sides.

As Wang Meng cut down the second one, a third had already circled behind him, lunging to bite his calf.

"Watch out!" the Blue-clothed Woman shouted.

Wang Meng's reaction was a bit slow; though he avoided a vital injury, his trouser leg was torn open.

He cursed, turning to swing his blade, but two other Red-Eyed Jackals pounced from the side.

In an instant, he was surrounded.

Unable to fully swing his large saber, he became somewhat flustered.

The Blue-Robed Man frowned and looked toward the carriage.

There was no movement from inside.

Lin Muchen sighed.

If he didn't act now, Wang Meng might actually get hurt.

He squeezed his legs against the horse's flanks, and the gray horse lunged forward a few steps.

Lin Muchen jumped off the horse and reached the edge of the fray in a few strides.

"Brother Wang, I'll help you!"

He shouted, raising both hands.

The Five Elements Cycle rotated within him, and Water Element spiritual power surged out, transforming into a hazy mist before him.

Water Cloud Art—Cloud Transformation!

The mist spread out, instantly enveloping the Red-Eyed Jackals.

The movements of the Red-Eyed Jackals suddenly slowed, as if they had stepped into a quagmire.

The pressure on Wang Meng eased, and he took the opportunity to cut one down.

Lin Muchen didn't stop; with a thought, his Five Elements Body Protection Aura radiated from him, forming a faint five-colored halo on the surface of his body.

He charged directly into the mist, throwing a punch at the nearest Red-Eyed Jackal.

His fist carried the power of the Protective Aura, landing with a muffled thud.

The Red-Eyed Jackal was sent flying, crashing into a tree and going still.

The other two tried to run, but Lin Muchen kicked off the ground, moving even faster. He struck out with both hands, landing two more punches.

It was clean and efficient.

The mist dissipated.

Five corpses of Red-Eyed Jackals lay on the ground; including the two Wang Meng had initially cut down, they were all dealt with.

Wang Meng leaned on his saber, panting heavily, and looked at Lin Muchen with a complicated expression.

His trouser leg was torn, and there was a shallow bloody scratch on his calf—not serious, but quite embarrassing.

"Thanks," Wang Meng grunted.

"Don't mention it." Lin Muchen waved his hand and turned to walk back.

As he passed the carriage, he felt a gaze fall upon him from behind the curtain.

It lingered for two seconds and then moved away.

Lin Muchen didn't mind and vaulted onto his horse.

The caravan continued its journey.

During the noon break, the atmosphere was a bit subtle.

Wang Meng sat to one side, silently tending to the wound on his leg, and didn't speak again.

The Blue-Robed Man and the Blue-clothed Woman looked at Lin Muchen several times.

The Blue-clothed Woman leaned in and whispered, "Junior Brother Lin, that Water Element technique you used just now was beautiful. Did you learn it in the Sect?"

"I figured it out myself," Lin Muchen smiled, not saying much.

The Blue-clothed Woman gave an "oh" and didn't ask further.

The road in the afternoon was even harder to traverse.

The Official Road began to climb, with steep cliffs on both sides.

The wind grew stronger, making their clothes flap loudly.

Toward evening, a massive mountain pass appeared ahead.

Two high mountains sandwiched a narrow passage, looking as if it had been split open by a blade.

Wind poured out of the pass, making a howling sound.

Fengming Pass had been reached.

A checkpoint was set up in front of the pass, where a dozen guards in uniform leather armor stood holding spears.

As the caravan approached, a guard leader stepped out and raised his hand to stop them.

"Stop! Inspection!"

The curtain of Chen Qingxue's carriage lifted, and she leaned out, handing over a black token.

The guard leader took the token, examined it carefully, and then looked over the caravan.

"People from the Chen Family?" he asked.

"Yes," Chen Qingxue nodded.

"Heading to Luofeng Town?"

"Correct."

The guard leader returned the token to her and waved his hand.

"Let them through!"

The checkpoint opened, and the caravan slowly passed through the mountain pass.

As Lin Muchen rode through, he felt the wind inside the pass was exceptionally fierce, making the gray horse a bit unsteady.

Moreover, there seemed to be a trace of another aura mixed in with the wind.

It was very faint, but it was definitely there.

He frowned.

Once inside the pass, there was a small settlement with an inn, a tavern, and a small marketplace.

The sky had already darkened, so the caravan went directly to the relay station.

After they were settled, Chen Qingxue said, "We depart tomorrow at the hour of chen," and returned to her room.

Lin Muchen also entered his room.

Closing the door, he sat cross-legged on the bed.

His consciousness sank into his Dantian, preparing to Cultivate.

Just as he began to circulate his Cultivation Technique, the System's voice suddenly rang out.

[Warning: Abnormal energy fluctuation detected.]

[Fluctuation Type: Wind Attribute; Intensity: Low-Medium, but violent in nature.]

[Fluctuation Source: Deep within Fengming Pass, linear distance approximately three li.]

[Analysis: Suspected to be a naturally formed Astral Wind Fissure, periodically releasing unstable wind attribute energy.]

[Recommendation: The Host may go to investigate or obtain an Astral Wind sample, which would be of great benefit to the Origin Star's Wind Attribute derivation.]

Astral Wind Fissure?

Lin Muchen opened his eyes.

This Fengming Pass was indeed not simple.

He walked to the window, pushed it open a crack, and looked outside.

The night was thick; in the direction of the depths of the pass, it was pitch black, and nothing could be seen.

But the System's warning wouldn't be wrong.

The caravan would leave early tomorrow morning; there was no time left.

He had to go tonight.

Lin Muchen thought for a moment, pulled a God-Speed Talisman from his robe, and checked his Medicinal Pills and star dagger.

Then, he gently pushed open the door, slipped out, and merged into the night.