84: Chapter 84 Crisis-ridden

After running for several dozen zhang, he turned back to take a look.

Beside that rock by the stream stood three figures dressed in black martial attire.

People from the Blood Fiend Sect.

The leader was none other than the sinister-looking youth whose shoulder had been stabbed by Lin Jingyun earlier.

His shoulder had been bandaged, and his face was pale, but his gaze remained cold and sinister.

He stood by the stream, looking around, then suddenly crouched down and overturned the stone that Li Changsheng had moved.

Then, he raised his head, his gaze following the stream as he looked toward the upstream direction.

Li Changsheng felt a shiver in his heart; he quickly lowered his body and held his breath.

The sinister youth watched for a moment, then suddenly sneered and, taking his two subordinates, chased along the stream toward the upstream direction.

Li Changsheng cursed inwardly, hesitated no longer, and turned to leave.

Li Changsheng did not want to entangle with them.

In the Secret Realm, unless one could kill with a single strike or possessed overwhelming strength, one should not engage in prolonged combat, as it was highly likely that someone else would reap the benefits.

When the sky in the Secret Realm darkened, Li Changsheng finally shook off those people from the Blood Fiend Sect.

He found a hidden cave, blocked the entrance with a large boulder, and curled up inside, panting heavily.

Outside, grayness shrouded the mountain forest.

There was no moon, no stars, only a gray, hazy sky.

From afar, the occasional mournful roar of a beast could be heard, though it was unclear whether it was a Yao Beast or a human.

He touched the Storage Pouch in his bosom and the green steel sword.

Tomorrow, he would have to continue.

He closed his eyes and, while remaining vigilant, fell into a deep sleep.

Li Changsheng curled up in the cave for the night.

While it was called a "night," in this hazy Secret Realm, there wasn't much difference between day and night.

He only estimated based on his own biological clock that about four or five hours had passed.

The light filtering into the cave entrance became slightly brighter.

He stretched his somewhat stiff body, moved the boulder blocking the entrance, and poked his head out to look.

It was very quiet outside.

That little stream was still gurgling along not far away, and occasionally, a few bird calls drifted from the forest; it sounded like a normal mountain forest.

Those people from the Blood Fiend Sect should have gone far away by now.

Li Changsheng took a deep breath and walked out of the cave.

He observed the surrounding terrain.

Yesterday, he had fled in such a rush that he hadn't had time to discern the direction.

Standing at the entrance now, he looked around and saw only an endless forest of giant trees.

The only thing he could use as a reference was that little stream.

The stream flowed to lower ground and would eventually merge into a river; following the river might lead him to a more open area.

He decided to continue following the stream downstream.

After walking for about half an hour, the stream gradually widened, turning from a two-to-three-foot-wide creek into a stream over a zhang wide.

The current also became faster, crashing against the rocks and splashing up white spray.

Li Changsheng walked while remaining alert to his surroundings.

Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks.

In the air, there was a faint, sweet fragrance.

The fragrance was very faint, elusive, but smelled extremely pleasant, refreshing his spirit.

Li Changsheng looked in the direction from which the fragrance came; on the opposite bank of the stream, a huge dead tree lay horizontally on the ground, its trunk covered in colorful mushrooms.

The fragrance was coming from there.

He hesitated for a moment, then decided to go take a look.

Wading through the knee-deep stream water, he walked to the side of the dead tree.

Those mushrooms were colorful—red, yellow, purple—appearing exceptionally vibrant in the hazy light.

The fragrance was being emitted from one cluster of purple mushrooms.

Li Changsheng crouched down to observe closely.

That cluster of purple mushrooms grew exceptionally plump.

The caps were the size of a palm, with edges slightly curled, covered in fine silver patterns.

He leaned in to smell them, and the sweet fragrance became even more intense, even causing him a momentary dizzy spell.

"Something is wrong."

He suddenly stepped back two paces and held his breath.

"Purple Pattern Mushroom."

There were records in the texts that this was a low-grade spirit mushroom; it was non-toxic, edible, and could replenish a small amount of spiritual power.

But its fragrance would attract something.

"Bzzzz... Bzzzz..."

"As expected."

A low buzzing sound came from afar, getting closer and louder.

Li Changsheng looked up and saw a large, cloud-like entity surging from the forest, blocking out the sky and sun.

"Poison Bee."

Each one was the size of a fist, pitch black, with a one-inch-long poisonous stinger protruding from its tail, glowing with a faint blue light.

Li Changsheng's scalp went numb.

"That is an Iron-Back Poison Bee, a Tier 1 Early Stage Yao Beast; individually, they are not strong."

"But when in a swarm, even a Cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Stage would have to give them a wide berth."

"There are at least ten thousand in this swarm!"

He did not hesitate, turned, and ran!

Behind him, that "cloud" was already chasing in a sky-covering manner, the buzzing sound deafening!

Li Changsheng ran frantically, the stream water beneath his feet splashing everywhere; he nearly slipped several times.

But the Poison Bees were too fast, the distance closing in; he could even smell that scent of the swarm, mixed with sweetness and fishiness!

"I cannot run like this."

While running, he reached into his bosom and pulled out a Talisman—the Gale Talisman.

He injected spiritual power, and the Talisman turned into a streak of cyan light that entered his body.

In an instant, he felt his body become lighter, his speed suddenly increasing by twenty percent!

"But it's not enough."

He pulled out another Golden Light Shield Talisman, ready to activate it at any moment.

Ahead, the stream suddenly narrowed, and the trees on both banks became increasingly dense.

Li Changsheng's eyes lit up, and he dashed toward the dense forest!

The swarm pursued relentlessly!

Just as he was about to rush into the dense forest, he suddenly stopped short, turned around, and instantly activated the Golden Light Shield Talisman in his hand!

"Hum!"

A layer of pale golden light shield enveloped him!

The swarm couldn't stop in time and slammed into the light shield with a boom!

Those Poison Bees were repelled, some even stunned directly and fell to the ground!

But more Poison Bees bypassed the light shield and swarmed in from the sides and behind!

Li Changsheng did not linger in the fight.

Relying on the light shield to protect his body for a few moments, he turned sharply and plunged into the dense forest!

The trees in the dense forest were extremely thick, with branches growing everywhere, greatly affecting the flight speed of the Poison Bees.

Li Changsheng darted left and right in the forest, using the trees as cover to gradually widen the distance from the swarm.

He didn't know how long he had been running, but the buzzing sound behind him finally faded away.

Li Changsheng leaned against a large tree, panting heavily, his whole body soaked in sweat.

His clothes had several tears from tree branches, and there were a few bloody scratches on his face, but he had finally escaped.

He rested for a moment and checked the items on his person.

He had used two Talismans, but there were still plenty left, and the green steel sword was still at his waist.

"That's good."

He stood up and looked around.

This was an even denser primeval forest, with trees taller than those he had seen before.

The air was filled with a moist, decaying scent, and the ground was covered with thick fallen leaves; stepping on them felt soft and spongy, as if he might sink in at any moment.

He walked forward cautiously, testing the ground with his toes at every step, only daring to step down once he confirmed the ground was solid.

Not long after, he suddenly stopped.

Ahead, a huge bluestone lay horizontally in the forest, and coiled on the bluestone was a giant python as thick as a water bucket.

The giant python was pitch black, its scales gleaming with a faint cold light, and it was at least five or six zhang long.

It was coiled into a ball with its head raised high, and on its triangular head, a pair of golden vertical pupils were staring coldly at Li Changsheng.

Li Changsheng's heart sank abruptly.

"Black-Scaled Python."

"Tier 1 Middle Stage Yao Beast."

"This adult Yao Beast has tough skin and thick flesh, astonishing strength, and is highly venomous."

"If it coils around you, the chances of survival are slim."

He did not move.

The giant python did not move either.

Man and python stood in a standoff just like that.

Li Changsheng's mind raced quickly.

"This adult Black-Scaled Python has the strength of approximately Qi Refining Level 6; fighting it head-on offers little chance of winning."

"Running—this giant python's speed is extremely fast, and the forest is its home turf."

"What should I do?"