89: Chapter 89 The Journey Through the Misty Valley

Early in the morning three days later, Lin Muchen arrived outside the mountain gate on time.

Shen Yueru was already waiting there, carrying a gray knapsack and holding a sword in her hand.

"Senior Brother Lin, morning." Shen Yueru smiled when she saw him.

"Morning." Lin Muchen walked over. "Have you been waiting long?"

"No, I just arrived as well," Shen Yueru said. "Do you have everything ready?"

"All set." Lin Muchen patted the Storage Pouch at his waist.

The two didn't say much more, turning and walking toward Misty Valley.

Once they left the area of the mountain gate, the road became somewhat difficult to traverse.

As Lin Muchen walked, he recalled the Basic Formation Knowledge he had just learned a few days ago.

This stuff couldn't be used for direct combat, but it was quite useful for observing the environment.

For instance, the forest ahead had trees growing a bit too neatly, as if they naturally formed a simple "Trapping Formation" terrain; walking in would make it easy to go in circles.

"Let's go this way." Lin Muchen pointed to a side path that looked more winding but had more open terrain.

Shen Yueru glanced at the forest and nodded. "I'll follow your lead."

System, plan the safest route to Misty Valley, avoiding any potential Yao Beast dens or natural hazards.

[Route planning in progress...]

[Preliminary environmental analysis completed using Basic Formation Knowledge.]

[Recommended route generated. It is estimated to detour by five li compared to the conventional route, but can avoid three potential risk areas.]

A simplified map appeared in Lin Muchen's mind with a winding line marked on it.

"Follow me," he said.

Shen Yueru followed behind him. The two walked one after the other, not very fast, but very steadily.

After walking for more than an hour, they didn't encounter any trouble on the way.

Shen Yueru spoke up: "Senior Brother Lin, you're at the second layer of the Foundation Establishment Stage. How well-stabilized is your Realm?"

"It's okay," Lin Muchen said. "I just made a Breakthrough not long ago, so I'm still adjusting."

"When I broke through, Elder Zhao taught me a clumsy method," Shen Yueru said. "Every day when operating your Cultivation Technique, deliberately compress the spiritual power to the very bottom of your Dantian, like tamping soil, building it up layer by layer."

"Although it's slow, once it's built solid, the Foundation will be stable."

Lin Muchen thought about it for a moment.

This method sounded a bit clumsy, but it seemed to make sense.

"I'll try it," he said.

"And another thing," Shen Yueru continued. "The Foundation Establishment Stage is different from the Qi Refinement Stage. The spiritual power is more condensed, but operating it actually needs to be a bit 'looser'; you can't keep it too tense."

"If it's too tense, the Meridians are easily injured."

Lin Muchen nodded.

Without someone's guidance, it would indeed take time to figure out these details on one's own.

"Thanks," he said.

"Don't mention it," Shen Yueru laughed. "We're a team; we look out for each other."

After walking a bit further, Lin Muchen thought for a while and finally spoke.

"Junior Sister Shen, about that matter in Black Rock City, I thought about it later and felt something was off."

"What's off?" Shen Yueru asked.

"How did the people from the Criminal Investigation Department know so quickly that I had returned to the Sect and even set up a precise checkpoint on the outskirts?" Lin Muchen said. "I changed my return route on the fly; they shouldn't have known."

Shen Yueru's pace slowed down.

"You mean..."

"I suspect someone in the Sect might be passing information to them," Lin Muchen said. "Or, their reach has already extended into our Sect's mission System. For example, the Mission Hall."

Shen Yueru's expression became serious.

"The Mission Hall..." she said in a low voice. "If that's really the case, then this mission to Misty Valley..."

"Might also be a trap," Lin Muchen finished.

Both of them fell silent.

After a while, Shen Yueru said, "But the missions posted in the Mission Hall can be seen by many Disciples."

"If it were specifically targeting you, there would be no need to use such a public method."

"True," Lin Muchen said. "Maybe I'm overthinking it."

"Still, it's better to be careful," Shen Yueru said. "Commander Zhao is the kind of person who will use any means to achieve his goals."

"Someone in my Family has dealt with him before and said he acts unscrupulously."

Lin Muchen took note of that.

After walking for about another two hours, the surrounding scenery began to change.

The trees became sparse, and a faint, gauze-like white mist began to appear on the ground.

The humidity in the air significantly increased, making it feel a bit chilly to breathe.

"We're almost at the outskirts of Misty Valley," Shen Yueru said. "This mist will get thicker and thicker. Once we're in the valley, you won't be able to see anyone more than three to five steps away."

Lin Muchen stopped walking.

System, scan the surrounding Spiritual Qi fluctuations.

[Scanning...]

[Detected faint Spiritual Qi within the mist ahead; this is a normal phenomenon.]

[However, an abnormal Spiritual Qi fluctuation has been detected approximately one li to the front-left. The intensity is roughly at the First-Order Demonic Beast Peak, and the fluctuation pattern is unstable, suspected to be injured or in a special state.]

"One li to the front-left, there's something," Lin Muchen said in a low voice.

Shen Yueru immediately gripped her sword tightly. "A Yao Beast?"

"Probably, but its state isn't quite right," Lin Muchen said. "Should we bypass it or go take a look?"

Shen Yueru thought for a moment. "Let's bypass it. We're here to gather herbs, not to hunt monsters. It's better to avoid unnecessary trouble."

"Alright."

The two adjusted their direction and took a large detour to the right.

That abnormal fluctuation never moved, as if it were truly just staying there.

After bypassing that area, the mist became significantly thicker.

Visibility had dropped to about ten-odd zhang.

"We can't go any further in today." Shen Yueru looked at the sky. "The sun is about to set, and entering the valley at night is too dangerous."

"Let's find a place to camp on the outskirts of the valley entrance and go in tomorrow morning."

Lin Muchen agreed.

They found a relatively dry and flat open space outside the valley entrance, with several large rocks nearby that could block the wind.

Shen Yueru took a small tent out of her knapsack and skillfully set it up.

Lin Muchen went nearby to pick up some dry firewood.

Before dark, the campfire was lit.

The two sat around the fire and ate some dry rations.

"I'll take the first half of the night, you take the second half?" Shen Yueru asked.

"Okay," Lin Muchen said.

After eating, Shen Yueru crawled into the tent to rest.

Lin Muchen sat by the fire, listening to the faint, indistinct roars of beasts coming from deep within the valley.

He closed his eyes, and his consciousness sank into his Dantian.

Origin Star.

Chen Tribe.

In the open space in the center of the tribe, a new shed had been erected, with a roaring fire inside.

Several young people were gathered around the furnace, holding stone hammers and striking a red-hot stone.

On the ground nearby lay several already-formed stone axes; the blades had been polished and were carved with crooked "Sharpness" runes.

Elder Yan stood outside the shed, watching the young people work and muttering under his breath, as if in prayer.

Lin Muchen "watched" for a while.

They had already preliminarily mastered forging knowledge.

Although it was still very primitive, at least it was a start.

[Detected that the Chen Tribe of Origin Star has preliminarily mastered 'Basic Forging Technology'.]

[Tribal tool level has improved, and productivity has increased.]

[Feedback Efficiency updated: 11% → 11.1%.]

A subtle but continuous feedback of energy returned.

Lin Muchen withdrew his consciousness.

He opened his eyes and added a piece of wood to the fire.

It was late at night.

The mist had grown even thicker, and even the light from the campfire was suppressed to only illuminating a small circle around them.

The roars of the beasts in the distance seemed to have gotten a bit closer.