Chen Yu took another deep breath and activated his Universal Eyes. Immediately, the world around him sharpened into focus—his field of vision expanded, the colors more vivid, and he could see everything in startling clarity. The trees, the leaves, even the faint movement of small animals in the distance. He could feel the flow of Qi in the environment, like invisible rivers of energy streaming through the air.

"Okay," he said, thinking aloud. "I need to find some kind of direction… maybe I can follow the Qi flow. But first… let's see how deep this goes."

Chen Yu focused on his surroundings, turning his enhanced vision toward the forest floor. His eyes traced the flow of Qi, the energy moving through the soil and roots beneath him. He could see the Qi from the earth, rich and dense, like the lifeblood of the forest itself. The trees drank it in, thriving on the elemental power around them.

He stood up, glancing at the trees around him. "Let's see if I can figure out where this energy is strongest," he mused. "If I can follow it, maybe it'll lead me somewhere important—like a village or even a Qi-rich zone."

Chen Yu focused his gaze further into the forest, following the tendrils of Qi that snaked through the trees. His vision zoomed in automatically, and he could see faint traces of Qi growing stronger in the distance, as if the energy was pooling in one particular direction. His eyes caught the slight flicker of what looked like concentrated Qi a few kilometers ahead.

"There!" he exclaimed, excitement bubbling up inside him. "Looks like I've got a destination after all."

He took a step forward but hesitated. "Wait a sec… what if it's dangerous? There could be beasts or traps along the way." His eyes narrowed, focusing deeper into the forest. He scanned the path ahead, looking not only for Qi but for any sign of danger. His Universal Eyes allowed him to peer through the underbrush, revealing the movements of small creatures scurrying through the leaves and the faint shimmer of spiritual energy in the air.

But something caught his eye—off to the side, not far from his intended path, a faint ripple in the Qi flow. It was subtle, but with his enhanced sight, he could tell something wasn't right. It looked like a distortion, almost like the Qi was bending around something hidden.

"A trap?" he muttered, squinting. He zoomed in with his Universal Eyes, and sure enough, there was a thin wire hidden under the leaves, likely a trigger for some kind of snare. "Nice try," he muttered. "But you can't hide from me."

Chen Yu smiled to himself, stepping around the trap with ease. "Okay, these eyes are turning out to be pretty useful after all."

He pressed forward, keeping his senses alert as he followed the stronger Qi flow. Every so often, he would pause to scan the area, his Universal Eyes revealing more traps—some rudimentary, others more intricate, likely set by experienced hunters or cultivators. He avoided each one with a grin, feeling like he was getting the hang of using his new ability to stay one step ahead of whatever lay in wait.

Chen Yu continued moving forward, his Universal Eyes picking up every little detail—the soft rustling of leaves, the faintest traces of Qi bending around obstacles, and the slight movements of creatures lurking in the shadows. His confidence was growing as he dodged yet another snare, this one cleverly hidden beneath a pile of fallen branches.

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"Man, these guys went all out," he muttered, stepping around the trap. "But they didn't count on someone with these eyes."

But as Chen Yu ventured deeper into the forest, a sudden sharp sting erupted behind his eyes. He winced, his vision blurring slightly as a wave of dizziness hit him.

"Ugh, what the—" he gasped, clutching his forehead. The once crystal-clear clarity of his surroundings started to distort, the edges of his vision flickering like a faulty TV screen.

[Warning: Prolonged use of Universal Eyes has exceeded user's current Qi reserves.]

The system's voice echoed in his mind, cold and unfeeling, as always.

"Great," Chen Yu muttered through clenched teeth. His hands shot up to rub his temples, hoping to alleviate the throbbing pain. The burning sensation in his eyes was growing worse by the second, and he could feel the meager amount of Qi he had rapidly draining from his body.

He hadn't realized it at first—too caught up in how cool it was to see everything so clearly—but his body wasn't ready for this level of strain. Without a proper cultivation base to fuel the technique, his Qi reserves were quickly running dry.

"Damn it," he groaned, forcing his eyes shut. The stinging didn't stop, but it lessened slightly now that his vision was cut off from the world. "Guess I'm not as ready for this as I thought."

He sat down heavily on the forest floor, his breath coming in ragged gasps. "I thought this would be easy," he muttered, frustrated. "Of course, I have to do things the hard way."

The pain finally began to fade after a few minutes of keeping his eyes closed. His heart still pounded in his chest, and he felt drained, like he'd just run a marathon. "Gotta pace myself next time," he muttered, leaning back against a tree.

He opened his eyes slowly, grateful to find that his vision had returned to normal. The world looked so much duller now without the enhanced sight, but at least the burning was gone.

With a sigh, Chen Yu turned his attention back to the path ahead. He'd gotten a good glimpse of where the Qi flow was leading before his vision cut out, and it seemed like there was something important up ahead. If he could just get there without overextending himself again, maybe he could find the answers he needed.

"One step at a time," he muttered. "Let's hope I don't run into anything too crazy while I'm half-blind."

Chen Yu took a couple of minutes to recover himself, and his meager qi reserves.

Pushing himself back to his feet, Chen Yu dusted off his robe. "Alright, then. I've got a village to find, hopefully one that doesn't mind a clueless outworlder crashing their cultivation party."

With a deep breath and one last glance at his sad little sapling, Chen Yu set off again. As he walked, he couldn't help but shake his head in disbelief. "Only I could get thrown into a magical world with superpowers and still somehow get the short end of the stick."

He remembered reading about cultivation worlds in novels—how they were filled with powerful clans, sects, dangerous beasts, and complex hierarchies. He needed to learn the basics: what kind of cultivators existed, what kind of dangers there were, and, more importantly, how he could avoid getting himself killed.

"And I definitely need to find some food," he muttered, his stomach growling in agreement. "Can't cultivate on an empty stomach."

He continued walking east, his mind racing with questions. As he moved through the forest, he kept his senses alert, trying to stay aware of any potential threats. Every rustling leaf and snapping twig made him jump, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Okay, calm down," he whispered to himself. "This is just a forest. Nothing's going to—"

Suddenly, a low, guttural growl echoed through the forest, freezing Chen Yu in his tracks. His heart skipped a beat, and he slowly turned his head, hoping against hope that it was just his imagination.

Nope. No such luck.