Chapter 201: Surprise
A man in a black robe spoke, his tone tinged with astonishment. He was a Cultivator at the Peak of Early Stage Innate, a level of strength that should have allowed him to dominate the martial world. Yet right now, a chilling sensation crept over him.
"We should leave. A power like that is too dangerous. Our main objective right now is to find the Red Flame Fruit. It's likely been taken already, but that doesn't mean we have no chance at all."
Another man in a black robe added, his brow furrowed. He happened to be the weakest member of their group.
"Why do I get the feeling someone's watching us?"
a young man asked in confusion. This was a dense forest; logically, they should rarely encounter other Ancient Martial Artists. So why this strange feeling?
The sensation of being watched grew increasingly distinct, which they found deeply unsettling.
"If someone's watching us, there might be other experts hiding in the shadows. Let's go, quickly. It seems we weren't the only ones drawn here."
A burly man spoke up. He was an expert at the Mid-Innate Perfection Level and, by extension, the strongest person in their small team.
"We should leave this place as soon as possible, or we'll be in danger,"
a female Ancient Martial Artist added, reminding the others.
The Ancient Martial Artists all nodded silently at her words. They knew this was no time for heroics; ensuring their own safety was paramount.
With that, their figures flickered and vanished in the blink of an eye. Their speed was incredible; they were gone without a trace in an instant.
Several kilometers away, Lin Feng finally slowed his pace. He sat down cross-legged and began circulating his energy to heal.
Here, his recovery rate was less than half of what it was normally.
Although Lin Feng had ultimately defeated the old man, his opponent's desperate, last-ditch attack had cost him dearly. After all, the man had been a whole realm stronger.
In the Mortal Realm, such power would be considered heaven-defying, but in the Martial Arts Realm, it was far from the apex. Even so, he had been an extremely troublesome opponent for Lin Feng.
Lin Feng had also benefited greatly from this battle. He could even feel himself touching the invisible, intangible barrier of the Mid Stage of Innate.
He only needed to take one more step to enter the Late Stage of Innate, a truly exciting prospect for him.
...
The night passed quietly. As the morning sun rose, the Wo Hu Mountain range gradually came to life.
Countless creatures awoke from their slumber, weaving through the lush mountain wilds. Small animals hid in the canopies or bushes, enjoying the beautiful morning.
At the base of the colossal tree where he had rested the night before, Lin Feng slowly opened his eyes. A sharp glint flashed within their depths, and his entire aura had become more restrained, as if he had merged with his surroundings.
He stretched lazily, a smile spreading across his face. Thanks to the Healing Medicine he had prepared in advance, he was mostly recovered.
He was confident the rest of his injuries would heal completely before long, which was a great relief. His physical condition had improved immensely.
He glanced at the sky, a faint smile playing on his lips. He knew the conflict here was far from over. 'This trip to Wo Hu Mountain is going to be lively,' he thought.
Lin Feng stood up and scanned his surroundings. Wo Hu Mountain was truly a treasure trove, filled with an abundance of natural wonders and many precious Spiritual Medicines.
At the same time, however, the level of danger was also extremely high. He didn't dare to get complacent. After all, things were different now.
Lured by the Red Flame Fruit, a great many Ancient Martial Artists had already arrived.
But that no longer mattered to him. The Red Flame Fruit was already in his possession.
Now, all he had to do was avoid the other Ancient Martial Artists and leave Wo Hu Mountain.
Wo Hu Mountain truly lived up to its other name, Wolong Ridge. The vegetation here was incredibly lush; the leaves on the trees were as large as hand fans.
Every branch was incredibly thick, and the leaves were like sharp daggers, letting out a whistling shriek as they cut through the air.
These towering ancient trees blocked the sun, preventing its light from reaching the ground below. In the gloomy shade, there was an inexplicably oppressive feeling, as if ferocious beasts lay dormant all around, which was enough to make one's blood run cold.
Lin Feng wandered through the dense forest of ancient trees. The terrain of Wo Hu Mountain was too complex; he had already lost the path he took on his way up.
Lin Feng had tried stubbornly sticking to a single path, but he would either run into a cliff, find a sheer rock face covered in thorns, or stumble into an area swarming with venomous insects and snakes.
The level of danger was a hundred times greater here. An ordinary person would have perished long ago.
But for Lin Feng, this was hardly a problem. Weaving through the dense forest, he was as swift and agile as a cheetah; no matter how vicious the dangers within, they posed no threat to him.
Lin Feng's journey through the boundless primeval forest was quite fruitful; he gathered a great many medicinal herbs.
He even managed to gather a few rare medicinal ingredients, so his backpack was already quite full.
However, Lin Feng did not linger. After gathering some more herbs and conveniently picking two fist-sized, luscious red fruits to sate his hunger, he continued his search forward. By this time, Lin Feng had entered a swamp.
'This mountain range is huge.'
Lin Feng's brow furrowed slightly as he looked at the completely new terrain before him.
He had never noticed these features on his way up the mountain. 'It seems we Martial Artists truly don't know the secrets of this mountain range,' he mused. 'Otherwise, we wouldn't have trespassed on Wo Hu Mountain so rashly.'
Lin Feng shook his head, no longer dwelling on it. His current task was to get as far away from people as possible. This was Wo Hu Mountain, after all, and it was fraught with danger.
Guided by his instincts, Lin Feng headed toward the edge of the mountain range. He crossed mountains and valleys, collecting numerous natural treasures along the way. He even had two plump wild rabbits and a wild pheasant in hand.
This haul was enough to feed him for a long time once he got out, so he decided to stop rushing and instead enjoy a leisurely tour of Wo Hu Mountain.
It wasn't just Lin Feng; many others within Wo Hu Mountain also chose to rest and regroup before continuing their ascent.
After all, Wo Hu Mountain was fraught with hidden crises, and no one wanted to throw their life away for nothing.
...
「At the foot of Wo Hu Mountain.」
A group of people appeared, led by a young man and a young woman. They were dressed in luxurious clothes, exuding the air of disciples from a wealthy family.