madnovel Chapter 22 A New Day! Let's delve deeper!
Chapter 22 A New Day! Let's delve deeper!
The next day.
Before dawn, the first cry of a soul beast echoed from the distant woods.
The voice was clear and melodious, like some kind of bird-like spirit beast announcing the arrival of a new day.
Then, more voices joined in.
Hissing, roaring, whistling, and humming.
Rising and falling, they intertwine to form a unique morning melody of the Starry Sky Forest.
Qing Mufeng opened his eyes as the sky was just beginning to lighten with the first hint of dawn.
He sat up and stretched his stiff neck.
Although the rocky ground was covered with animal hide rugs, it was still not as comfortable to sleep on as my bed at home.
However, he slept well.
Last night, he circulated the Azure Dragon Technique to fall asleep, and his soul power flowed slowly through his meridians. Even in his sleep, his physical cultivation did not stop.
This is another benefit of the Azure Dragon Technique: it operates automatically.
Although it is much slower than active cultivation, it has the advantage of persistence and can accumulate little by little.
Liu Yunlan has woken up.
The old lady squatted by the stream next to the campsite, washed her face with the clear water, and then took out a comb to re-arrange her silver hair.
Her movements were nimble, not at all like someone in their seventies.
Qing Hongyuan and Shen Wanqing also woke up one after another.
The couple walked to the stream, washed up briefly, and then returned to the camp to start packing up the animal skin rugs they had laid out the night before and the remaining dry food packages.
Qing Zhengyue was the last to get up. Before getting up, the old man used his spiritual power to scan the surrounding area within a hundred feet to confirm that there was no danger. Then he stood up, walked to the stream, and washed his face.
-
Breakfast was simple.
Liu Yunlan took out a few scallion pancakes from her storage ring. They were made at home before she set off. Although they were cold, they still tasted good.
The old lady took out another jar of pickled vegetables, opened the lid, and a salty and fragrant aroma wafted out.
Shen Wanqing boiled a pot of water and poured a bowl for everyone.
Five people sat around the campfire, eating flatbread, drinking hot water, and chewing on pickled vegetables. No one spoke, but the atmosphere was harmonious.
Qing Mufeng ate two scallion pancakes and drank a bowl of hot water, and felt his body regain its strength.
After watching him finish eating, Liu Yunlan slipped another bill into his hand.
"Eat more, we have to walk a long way today," the old lady said.
Qing Mufeng did not refuse, took the cake, and ate it slowly.
After finishing the last bite of the pancake, Qing Zhengyue picked up his water bowl, took a sip, put the bowl down, and glanced at everyone.
"After we've eaten, we'll pack our things and get ready to leave."
-
Fifteen minutes later.
Five figures set off from the camp and continued their journey deeper into the forest.
Qing Zhengyue remained at the forefront, his long sword drawn three inches from its sheath, his gaze sweeping across the woods ahead like that of a hawk.
The deeper you go, the denser the trees become, the dimmer the light, and the stronger the stench of decay in the air.
Qing Hongyuan followed closely behind, his right hand resting on the hilt of his sword at his waist, his gaze steady.
Last night's conversation with his father strengthened his resolve—he wanted to fly, he wanted to transform into a dragon, he wanted to become more like a dragon.
Liu Yunlan walked in the middle, holding her grandson's hand; the old lady's steps were still light and brisk.
Her gaze frequently swept over the bushes on either side, her right hand always gripping the poisoned dagger.
Shen Wanqing walked behind her husband, the illusory image of the Jade Orchid Martial Soul appearing and disappearing above her head, ready to provide assistance to the team at any time.
The five people moved at a moderate pace, their coordination was excellent, and there were no unnecessary movements.
-
From dawn to noon.
The five people traveled through the forest for a full four hours.
The road is getting harder and harder to travel.
The vines and shrubs on the ground became increasingly dense, and sometimes Qing Zhengyue had to personally wield his knife to clear a path that was barely passable.
The canopy overhead grew thicker and thicker, allowing almost no sunlight to penetrate, making the forest as dark as dusk.
The wood-elemental energy in the air became increasingly concentrated, to the point that even breathing carried the fragrance of grass and trees.
The wind carried a mixture of dampness and the scent of earth, with the occasional faint fishy smell—the scent mark left by a large soul beast.
Qing Mufeng's Azure Dragon Eyes remained half-open, with a faint golden light emanating from them.
He can clearly perceive the flow of wood and wind elements in the surrounding environment.
Those invisible energies flowed through the air like streams, becoming more concentrated the further you went.
"We're almost there." Qing Zhengyue suddenly stopped and looked ahead.
Everyone stopped and followed the old man's gaze.
The terrain ahead has changed.
The flat woodland gradually disappeared, replaced by a rolling valley.
Two low hills enclose a low-lying valley, which is covered with waist-high wild grass, and in the middle stand several huge ancient trees with canopies like umbrellas.
At the entrance to the valley stand two huge rocks, like two natural doorposts.
Looking into the valley from the entrance, one can see that the vegetation is even denser and the trees are even taller in the depths of the valley, with a faint layer of bluish mist floating in the air.
That's not fog.
It is a concentrated blend of wood and wind elemental energies, almost solidified into a tangible form.
Qing Zhengyue squatted down, picked up a bit of soil from the ground with his finger, and smelled it.
The soil was damp, exuding a rich aroma of grass and trees, mixed with a slightly unusual smell.
That was the aura left behind by a soul beast.
"The scent of a Windwood Dragon." The old man's eyes lit up. "And there's more than one."
Qing Hongyuan stepped forward, squatted down beside his father, and smelled the soil.
"There are at least three different scents," he said. "They are all different years and sizes."
Qing Zhengyue nodded, stood up, and scanned the surrounding terrain.
The terrain here is even more precipitous than the valley we visited yesterday.
Two hills, like two natural walls, enclose the valley, with access only from the entrance and the depths.
Once you enter the valley, there are steep slopes on both sides, dense jungle in front, and the only way back is behind you.
"The terrain here is easy to defend but difficult to attack," Qing Zhengyue analyzed. "If the Windwood Dragon is inside, we'd better lure it out and fight it. Don't go in; the space inside is too narrow, which is disadvantageous for us."
Qing Hongyuan nodded: "I'll go in and lead them, while Father and his men lie in ambush outside."
Qing Zhengyue glanced at his son and nodded.
"Be careful," he said, only two words.
-
Instead of rushing into the valley, the five found a secluded spot in the woods outside the valley entrance, lay in ambush, and observed the situation inside the valley.
Qing Mufeng lay down behind a rock, his Azure Dragon Eyes fully activated, the golden light in his pupils even more intense than usual.
His gaze pierced through the blue mist at the valley entrance and extended into the depths of the valley.
The valley was much larger than he had expected.
From the outside, it looks like an unremarkable valley.
But once inside, I found that the space was very spacious.
The valley is about 300 zhang long and about 100 zhang wide at its widest point. The surrounding hillsides are covered with tall trees, whose canopies overlap and completely block out the sky above the valley.
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