The Silent Forest was aptly named. It wasn’t the absence of sound but the oppressive hush that followed every noise, as if the forest itself demanded reverence. Riu Xian moved cautiously, his spiritual sense extended to detect any lurking threats. The thick canopy above filtered the moonlight into fractured beams, casting eerie shadows on the undergrowth.
His map had marked this forest as dangerous, but he had underestimated the extent of its hostility. The Qi-dense environment had nurtured not only lush vegetation but also powerful beasts and hidden traps left behind by long-dead cultivators.
As he traversed a narrow path, his spiritual sense flared, warning him of an approaching presence. A pack of spectral wolves emerged from the shadows, their translucent bodies shimmering with ghostly light. Their eyes glowed with malevolence as they encircled him, cutting off any chance of retreat.
Riu Xian clenched his fists, the ring on his finger pulsing faintly. “I don’t have time for this,” he muttered, his mind racing for a plan.
One of the wolves lunged at him, its claws gleaming under the moonlight. Riu Xian sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the attack, and retaliated with a burst of Qi that sent the beast sprawling. But as it dissolved into mist, two more took its place.
“Endless,” he thought grimly.
Realizing that fighting them all was futile, Riu Xian activated the spatial treasure ring. A soft hum filled the air as the ground beneath him rippled like water. The wolves hesitated, their instincts warning them of something amiss. With a thought, Riu Xian sank into the earth, the ring creating a tunnel around him as it carried him underground.
The sensation was disorienting at first. The earth shifted effortlessly, parting like liquid as the ring guided him through the subterranean world. Darkness enveloped him, but his spiritual sense painted a clear picture of his surroundings. Above, the spectral wolves howled in frustration, their prey slipping out of reach.
Riu Xian allowed himself a small smile. “This ring truly is invaluable.”
He navigated deeper, avoiding clusters of Qi-rich minerals that might attract burrowing beasts. The ring’s energy pulsed steadily, carving a safe path through the dense earth. After several kilometers, he surfaced cautiously, emerging in a small clearing bathed in starlight.
But the forest wasn’t ready to let him go.
A rumble beneath his feet sent shivers up his spine. Before he could react, a massive earth wyrm burst from the ground, its scales glinting like polished stone. The creature’s roar shook the trees, and its serpentine body coiled around, cutting off his escape.
Riu Xian didn’t hesitate. He activated the ring, transforming it into the boat. A soft light enveloped him as the boat emerged, its sleek frame fitting perfectly in the enclosed space. With a surge of energy, he guided the boat towards the direction of the Azure Immortal Sect. The wyrm’s massive jaws snapped shut where he had stood only moments ago, narrowly missing him.
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The feeling of flying underground was strange. The spatial treasure boat moved easily through the earth, pulling the soil inside as it went. As the boat moved, it left a hole, but the soil quickly filled the space behind it, almost as if the ground was repairing itself. The wyrm roared in frustration, unable to keep up with the boat’s quick and smooth movements. The boat not only cut through the earth but also made sure the hole was filled as it went along.
“Persistent, aren’t you?” Riu Xian muttered, sweat beading on his forehead as he brought the boat to a halt. The wyrm’s relentless pursuit was becoming more than just a nuisance. He paused to gather his thoughts, knowing he needed a solid plan to defeat the creature. With the boat now stationary and the wyrm closing in, he focused on the map in front of him, weighing his options carefully.
Riu Xian looked at the wyrm, its massive form still lurking beneath the earth, and considered the valuable body and core it held. “This wyrm is at the peak of Foundation Establishment, its body and core must be extremely valuable.” He thought of the potential rewards, but then quickly reminded himself, “I don’t want to stretch this any longer. I need to move on.”
The boat cost too many spirit stones to use frequently, and he knew that if he fought the wyrm here, it would only drain more of his precious resources. “If I fight it here, it will cost me even more spirit stones”, he thought, feeling the weight of the decision. “I must leave this place and continue my journey.”
The thought of staying in the forest any longer didn’t sit well with him. “Traversing through the boat takes a lot of spirit stones”, he remembered. He had already crossed more than half the forest on foot, carefully conserving his resources. “If I wanted to, I could have used the boat from the start and crossed the whole forest quickly. But the cost was too high—using the boat for the entire journey would have consumed more than 70% of my spirit stones.”
Instead, he had decided to go on foot, using the time to practice his techniques and strengthen his skills while moving through the dense forest. But now, after encountering the wyrm, his situation had changed. The battle with the creature had forced him to reconsider his options. “The boat will be the best choice now, he thought. I can use some spirit stones to cross the remaining distance quickly and reach the Azure Cloud Sect.”
With a firm decision in mind, Riu Xian took a deep breath and adjusted his boat. He activated it once more, guiding the spatial boat underground in the direction shown on the map. As the boat cut through the earth, he focused on the path ahead, knowing that the remaining journey would be faster but not without cost.
The boat moved smoothly beneath the surface, effortlessly gliding through the soil while conserving Riu Xian's energy. The pressure of the earth above was barely noticeable, thanks to the boat’s protective barrier and its unique function of absorbing soil from the front and releasing it behind, leaving no trace of its passage. Riu Xian kept a sharp eye on the map, carefully adjusting his course toward the Azure Cloud Sect, determined to use his remaining spirit stones wisely and complete the journey efficiently.
After several kilometers, he surfaced again, this time at the edge of the Silent Forest. The oppressive atmosphere lifted, replaced by the cool, open air of the plains. Riu Xian exhaled deeply, his shoulders relaxing for the first time in hours.
“The forest lived up to its reputation,” he muttered, glancing back at the dark treeline. “But I’ve made it out. The ring’s capabilities are even greater than I imagined.”
As he turned his gaze toward the horizon, the distant peaks of the Azure Immortal Sect’s mountain range came into view. His journey was far from over, but for now, he had earned a brief moment of respite. With the spirit vein safely stored and the Silent Forest behind him, Riu Xian felt a renewed determination to face the challenges ahead.