novellaaa Chapter 101 The First Appearance of the Secret Realm: The Dangers of the Jungle
Chapter 101 The First Appearance of the Secret Realm: The Dangers of the Jungle
The dizziness came and went quickly; before the white light in front of my eyes had even faded, I was already standing on solid ground.
Lin Chen was the first to land. He slightly bent his knees to absorb the impact of the teleportation, and his right hand instinctively pressed against the hilt of his sword. It took less than two seconds for his vision to go from blurry to clear—towering ancient trees, canopies that blocked out the sun, a thick layer of humus under his feet, and a rich spiritual energy in the air rushed towards him. Taking a breath, his entire lungs felt cool.
A series of soft thuds came from behind. Four people, all of them, landing within three steps.
Su Muyue landed to his left rear, the array flag already drawn from the side pocket of her backpack and held in her hand. Chu Fan landed to his right rear, crouching slightly, his left hand on the ground, his spiritual energy rippling out to quickly sense the surrounding earth vein fluctuations. Su Ling'er landed in the middle, the strap of her medicine box already across her shoulder and fastened to her chest, each hand holding a Blazing Flame Pill. Leng Feng landed on the far outside, his battle sword drawn three inches from its sheath, the blade flashing briefly in the light and shadow of the forest.
From landing to forming a defensive formation, it took no more than three seconds. Without commands or hand gestures, the five people were like a well-oiled machine, each part knowing exactly where to turn.
The light in the forest was a dark green. The canopy overhead, layer upon layer, completely blocked out the sky, with only scattered beams of light piercing through the gaps in the leaves, slanting into the forest mist like luminous pillars. The air was damp and stuffy, mixed with the sour smell of decaying leaves and some indescribable sweet-smelling odor—the smell of a ferocious beast, neither too close nor too far, like eyes lurking in the shadows.
Su Muyue raised her hand and formed a hand seal, a faint silver light appearing at her fingertips. Fine threads of spiritual energy spread from her fingertips, extending silently in all directions like spider silk. She closed her eyes, her brows slightly furrowed, and after about three or four seconds, she opened them.
"Within a three-mile radius, there's no aura of high-level ferocious beasts. Just a few first and second-tier creatures, nothing to worry about." She paused, glancing at the dense forest to her left. "However, the auras are mixed; it's not just our small team. The area near the entrance is open, serving as a buffer zone for various groups. Further in, the terrain narrows, and then it'll be impossible to hide."
As she spoke, the blood poison within her stirred again, like a dormant snake turning over. Her fingertips trembled slightly, and before she could even muster her inner energy to suppress it, a gentle surge of stellar energy flowed from her side. It was Lin Chen. He didn't turn around, didn't speak, and didn't even make any obvious movements, but his stellar energy seemed to have eyes, precisely locating the evil poison within her body. With a gentle touch, it retracted.
Su Muyue glanced at him. Lin Chen's profile was sharply defined in the dark green light, his gaze fixed on the dense forest ahead, as if nothing had happened. She looked away, her lips twitching slightly, but she remained silent.
Chu Fan had already opened the map. He laid it out on a moss-covered stone next to him, squatted down, pointed to a mark on the map with his fingertip, and pushed up his glasses.
"Our landing point is here, on the southeastern edge of the secret realm, which is considered a safe zone. The valley to the west and the stream to the north are resource-rich areas, with many spiritual herbs and ferocious beasts, making them hotspots that everyone will be vying for." He drew two lines on the map with his finger. "No matter which direction we go, we'll most likely encounter other teams sooner. There's no way to avoid it; we'll have to fight."
Leng Feng didn't look at the map. He half-squatted on the ground, his eyes scanning the ground from left to right, and then from right to left. His eyes caught something—a pile of half-dried fallen leaves with several unnatural depressions, the soil at the edges trampled over, revealing a layer of damp black soil underneath.
He reached out and compared the size and spacing of the indentation, then stood up and used his thumb to pry open the latch on the scabbard.
"Someone walked by. Less than half an hour ago, at least six people. Their footsteps were light, and their spacing was even; they've practiced." He tucked his scabbard behind him and looked at Lin Chen. "The style of scions of noble families. They're not here with good intentions."
Su Ling'er switched the two Blazing Flame Pills to her left hand, freeing her right hand to check the clasp of the medicine box, making sure it was secure before loosening it. Her round face was tense, all her usual bouncy energy gone, and her voice was lowered by two octaves.
"Pick as many medicinal herbs as you can from the outer areas; they can be exchanged for points and used as materials for alchemy." She paused, then added, "But don't fall behind while picking herbs. This is a secret realm, not the back mountain of the school."
Lin Chen nodded. The Star Martial Core in his dantian slowly rotated, and the silvery-white star power surged like a tide, wave after wave, to his limbs and bones, and then receded like breathing. His cultivation was still at the mid-stage of the Meridian Opening Realm, but the circulation speed of the Star Origin Technique was much faster than when he first entered the school, and the star power in his meridians was also thicker, like thin porridge being cooked into a thick soup.
"No rush," Lin Chen said, his voice not loud but steady. "Let's circle around the perimeter first, collect the basic resources, and familiarize ourselves with the terrain and spatial pressure. At the same time, let's observe the movements of the other teams. There's no need to get caught up in the chaos at the beginning."