As the saying goes, "What looks near is far away in reality". Moreover, Ling Yun and his group were currently in the remote primary forests of Shennongjia, which had a total area of over three thousand square kilometers.

Ling Yun and Dugu Mo executed their techniques and sprinted all the way, arriving at the foot of the mountain in no time. They successively crossed four streams and scaled an even higher mountain peak.

During their journey, they encountered many white animals such as the river deer, monkeys, deer, snakes, and bear, among others. They even met several golden monkeys which looked adorable when they pursued Ling Yun and his group out of curiosity. The monkeys didn't fear humans, possibly due to a lack of contact with them.

Ling Yun stood on the mountain peak and gazed at the clouds and mist, the undulating landscape of mountain ranges, as well as the dense forests which seemed endless. He couldn't help but frown slightly.

There wasn't even a path on the mountain, and with their random navigation through the dense primary forest, there was a danger that they could lose their way anytime.

"I say, didn't you escape from the Hengduan Mountain Range? Where have you been leading us? When can we get out of here?"

Dugu Mo scratched his head and answered gloomily, "I'm familiar with the Hengduan Mountain Range, but this is Shennongjia, and I've only been here three times in total. Moreover, I only visited the renowned scenic locations without detouring…"

Although there were quite a number of scenic locations that had been developed in Shennongjia, those places didn't even const.i.tute ten percent of the entire area. As Dugu Mo had visited the scenic locations only for leisure and was always in a hurry during his trips, his level of familiarity with Shennongjia was comparable to that of Ling Yun's.

Ling Yun was anxious; he raised his hand to interrupt Dugu Mo and asked bluntly, "Then what are we going to do now?"

Dugu Mo laughed aloud. "There are two solutions!"

He pointed at the faraway Shennongding. "Firstly, we can run directly towards the highest mountain peak, which is Shennongding. From there, we can make our descent via the mountain pathway. I'm sure that we'd be able to encounter tourists there and have direct access to the highway."

Following which, Dugu Mo pointed in the direction of the sunrise. "Secondly, we can rely on our abilities to cross the mountains and rivers that come our way. We keep advancing in the eastern direction until we find a highway, and then we hitch a ride in a vehicle."

"However, tourists who visit Shennongjia would usually pa.s.s through a place, Muyuzhen, which is located in the eastern region. If we advance towards the east, we won't be too far off from that place."

Actually, these two proposed solutions were the silliest of plans. However, the group was virtually unfamiliar with the terrain and lacked a compa.s.s for navigation. Hence, they were indeed left with two feasible solutions for escaping the Shennongjia forest.

Ling Yun surveyed the landscape. If they were to advance towards the highest mountain peak, Shennongding, they would need to cross seven to eight mountains at least. Moreover, the mountains were getting higher in that direction. On the contrary, the mountains would be smaller if they were to proceed towards the east even though it seemed to be an endless landscape.

"Let's take the direct route and proceed to the east!" Ling Yun quickly came to a decision. The both of them, now experts in Qinggong, could scale cliffs without any trouble, and Ling Yun didn't want to make any detours.

Dugu Mo wondered aloud, "I say, genius, why are you in such a hurry? We came to Shennongjia with much difficulty, so wouldn't it be a waste if we didn't take the opportunity to enjoy ourselves?"

Ling Yun casually explained, "We don't know what day it is, and I've already promised Ning Er that I would celebrate her birthday with her. So, we have to make our way back as soon as possible."

Actually, there was another important reason, which was, ever since Ling Yun had descended into the crater, he had been missing for several days; wouldn't Qin Qiuyue and Ning Lingyu be highly anxious after failing to contact him for such a long time?

"Who is Ning Er?"

"We'll talk after escaping from Shennongjia."

Ling Yun was in no mood to elaborate. He brought Little White along and darted towards an eastern valley. Dugu Mo had no choice but to follow him at breakneck speed.

The duo took twenty minutes to arrive at a valley. It was densely forested with a lush, vegetative cover, and different kinds of rare creatures were shuttling in and out of the forest in a carefree manner.

"There's smoke at the southern end of the valley…" Dugu Mo remarked suddenly.

The duo walked without stopping and were clearing the th.o.r.n.y undergrowth which hindered their path. After they had crossed streams and were spurring towards the mountain peaks in the east, they suddenly realized that a cloud of thick smoke was billowing in the south.

They a.s.sumed that smoke was indicative of human presence. Ling Yun flew to a treetop and gazed towards the south. Indeed, there was thick smoke billowing about a kilometer away.

Dawn had arrived faster on the mountains than on level ground. It was currently six o'clock in the morning; who would start a fire in the primary forests of Shennongjia so early in the morning?

"Perhaps it's a hunter who is staying near Shennongjia… Let's go over to ask for directions."

Ling Yun guessed that it ought to be a hunter who had secretly entered the deeply forested areas in Shennongjia to carry out his sport. He thought that it would be better for them to go over and ask for directions instead of figuring their way out.

Ling Yun landed on the ground and beckoned at Dugu Mo. The two of them darted through the dense forests towards the billowing smoke quickly.

In just a few minutes, they had moved seven hundred meters. Following which, Ling Yun stopped in his tracks to listen intently for any movement in front of them.

"What's the matter?" Dugu Mo halted his movement as well and asked Ling Yun in a puzzled tone.

With their abilities, it didn't matter who the other party was. Why was there a need to stop here instead of advancing to ask for directions?

"It's not a single person. I seem to have heard people conversing…"

Dugu Mo couldn't help but feel shocked. He was already on the verge of breaking through into the Xiantian Realm, but Ling Yun was able to detect sounds at a distance that was out of Dugu Mo's audible range. Wouldn't that mean that Ling Yun's hearing abilities were superior to his?

"They don't seem to be speaking in Chinese. Let's proceed slowly to listen to what they're saying!"

This was a broad-leafed primary forest that was teeming with dense vegetation. A person standing in the midst of the dense forest would be blocked by multiple layers of shrubs and wouldn't be able to see anything beyond tens of meters.

Ling Yun took caution as the other party was likely to be a foreigner if he wasn't speaking in Chinese. Why would a foreigner visit the deepest regions of Shennongjia at night?

Traveling with the fox, the duo used the surrounding vegetation as a cover for their movement as they proceeded two hundred meters towards their destination stealthily. When they were about a hundred meters away from the smoke, even Dugu Mo was able to hear the conversation.

Indeed, it wasn't just a single person. Judging by the voices, there seemed to be a considerable number of people in the group who were discussing a particular issue.

"It's the East Asian people! Kill!" Dugu Mo was a great fan of romance and action movies from East Asia, so he was able to identify their language the moment he heard the group speaking.

Dugu Mo was infuriated; his eyebrows shot up as he gnashed his teeth!

The Dugu Clan didn't actually originate from the Hengduan Mountain Range. It was only when the East Asian people had invaded their country and destroyed it seventy years ago that the Dugu Clan had risen in rebellion. However, the ancient Huaxia were unable to defeat the fighter jets which were bombing their territory and had killed many experts from the Dugu Clan, pus.h.i.+ng them to the verge of extinction. As such, the Dugu Clan had no choice but to retreat deep into the mountains.

After several drastic changes, the East Asian people were eventually expelled from Chinese territory. However, the Dugu Clan had planted their roots in the deep mountains and were already used to their way of life.

Nevertheless, their burning hatred for the East Asian people had been perpetuated through each successive generation of the Dugu Clan. Being a hot-blooded adolescent, Dugu Mo's fury was ignited as he glared at the enemy before him.

Ling Yun had also been able to identify the East Asian language spoken by those people. Judging by their distinct voices, he estimated that there were at least seven or eight of them, which caused him to frown deeply.

Without a doubt, those people weren't new arrivals who had visited the place that very morning. They couldn't have possibly entered the deepest regions of Shennongjia so quickly!

In that case, they would have certainly been living in Shennongjia for a considerable period already. Why would so many people be gathering in Shennongjia?

"Don't be in a hurry, let's proceed a little further to see what they're doing…" Ling Yun sent a telepathic signal to Dugu Mo and conveyed a composed expression through his gaze. Then, the duo crept forward soundlessly.

The two of them crept about fifty meters forward, and in a place that was approximately forty meters away from those people, they each hid behind a huge tree and scrutinized the scene from the gaps between the shrubs in the vicinity.

Ling Yun was shocked as soon as he peered at the scene; there were, in fact, nine people in the other party, and mountaineering backpacks were placed beside seven of them. Each of them had a long knife and a heavy-duty gun and were currently filled with excitement as they interacted with each other around a bonfire.

They had also constructed ten military-style tents around the bonfire and appeared to have just woken up as they were in the midst of starting fires to boil water.

This looked like a fully-equipped expedition team!

However, why were there ten tents even though there were only nine people? Where did the missing person go?

"D*mn! It's the warriors from East Asian! And six amongst them belong to quite a respectable realm that's at least Houtian Realm Level Seven!" When Dugu Mo saw that the other party was equipped with weapons, he grew angrier. Had it not been for Ling Yun gesturing for restraint and shooting him a warning glance, Dugu Mo would have acted out of anger!

At such a distance, Ling Yun was able to discern the words of the East Asian people even if they were whispering. He sensed that it would be better to wait a little longer to see if they could discover anything else.

The two of them were unable to understand the East Asian language. The other party appeared to be firing rapid speeches and had even tilted their heads in wild laughter whenever they were excited. Ling Yun frowned on many occasions while witnessing the scene.

Suddenly, their faces took on a mysterious expression with a hint of excitement during a certain point in their conversation. They continued speaking in hushed voices as if it concerned a mysterious object.

Ling Yun listened intently and vaguely heard one of its supposed leaders mentioning terms such as "cauldron", "lid", and "book"!

Ling Yun was dumbfounded as his eyebrows shot up. How could this be the case?

These East Asian people might really be searching for the bronze cauldron that Ling Yun wanted for himself, and they even knew about the secret of the Earth Emperor's book. As for the lid…

As he had only found the bronze cauldron and was unable to locate its lid, could it be that the lid was in the hands of the East Asian people? Were these people searching for the bronze cauldron and Earth Emperor's book in this place?

Ling Yun's forehead broke into a cold sweat, not because of fear but as a result of post-trauma!

Fortunately, he had only thought of asking for directions from them. Had it not been the case, the East Asian people would have discovered the remote valley that the duo had recently departed from, and Ling Yun would certainly have lost the spiritual herb garden that he was planning to use to make his medicinal concoctions in future!

As the supposed leader of the East Asian party spoke, he took out a photograph from his clothes and circulated it amongst several people near him. Following which, he put it away smugly and uttered some words before letting out a burst of wild laughter!

After some time, Ling Yun heard a rush of footsteps. The East Asian party immediately halted their conversations and began to engage in casual talk through tacit understanding.

Ling Yun and Dugu Mo knew that the tenth person had returned! Judging by his footsteps, they could tell that he was also a martial arts expert.

"Mr. Tokugawa, I've already explored the road ahead of us. According to the map, we need to cross a mountain first, and we won't be far from our destination after that."

As soon as the person had appeared, he stood amidst the nine other East Asian people and gave an ingratiating smile, bowing before the middle-aged team leader as he spoke.

Ling Yun looked in the direction the person was pointing and knew that they were planning to enter the remote valley. Immediately, his impulse to kill them was greater than that of Dugu Mo's!

They actually had a map?

"D*mn you traitors! Ling Yun, leave this one to me, I want to kill him myself!" Dugu Mo ranted in a telepathic signal to Ling Yun, and his eyes were glaring at him to the point of bursting.

The person was speaking in Chinese, so they were able to tell that he was an ethnic Huaxia. Dugu Mo was unable to contain his anger any longer.

"Rest a.s.sured, none of these people will be able to escape. However, kill that person last of all, as I still have many questions to ask him!"

Ling Yun's face turned grim as he affirmed Dugu Mo's views. Undoubtedly, they shouldn't leave any of those people alive!

"Mr. Chen, you've done well. I believe that our East Asian Tokugawa Clan and your Huaxia Chen Family will surely have a pleasant collaboration!" Tokugawa exclaimed fluently in Chinese.

The team leader named Tokugawa nodded his head smugly and wore a slight smile on his face. He spoke condescendingly to Mr. Chen, and although he was rather polite in speech, it was evident to everyone present that there was a look of disdain in his eyes.

The way in which Tokugawa looked at Mr. Chen was similar to how one would look upon a dog.

"Thank you for your encouragement, Mr. Tokugawa. I'm willing to be at your service, and I guarantee that you'll all be able to obtain the object of your desire this time around!"

Mr. Chen was still wearing a fawning smile on his face and had the cheek to speak to Tokugawa. Both Ling Yun and Dugu Mo were repulsed by the servile manner in which he had conducted himself, which was more befitting of a lapdog.

Tokugawa chortled, and the rest of the East Asian party joined him in laughter.

"Mr. Chen, this is the wild game that we caught just now. Let's barbecue it together! I have to admit that you Huaxia people have a vast territory inhabited by a myriad of creatures! The sheer number of rare creatures in Shennongjia is truly amazing!"

As soon as Tokugawa had finished speaking, the rest of the East Asian party laughed and stood up. Walking towards a thicket at the side, each of them grabbed two animals that were covered in blood — a white river deer, white bear, white monkey, and even a golden monkey.

These rare creatures didn't even know how to hide from humans, and it was an easy catch for the Houtian Realm experts.

"To tell the truth, Mr. Chen, my favorite dish is raw monkey's brain. This is a golden monkey from Shennongjia, and we've only managed to catch one as they are very cunning. Would you like to taste it together, Mr. Chen?"

Tokugawa commented with a gentlemanly air while pointing to the golden monkey which was putting up an intense struggle.

Mr. Chen only concerned himself with bowing and giving flattering smiles; he didn't seem to have perceived the hidden meaning of the words uttered by team leader Tokugawa.

As those people were already preparing breakfast, Ling Yun knew that there was no need to delay the operation any longer. He sent a telepathic signal to Dugu Mo. "There are a total of ten people on the other side, what is our combat approach to ensure that they all remain here?"

Dugu Mo was extremely impatient; he ground his teeth and exclaimed, "Let's first think of a way to get rid of the four East Asian people who are unskilled in martial arts before taking out three experts each!"

Ling Yun's hand had already hooked onto a bunch of steel nails. He answered coldly, "No need, I have secret weapons on my body and will be able to get rid of six of them at once. Following which, we'll each take out two people. Which two do you choose?"

Dugu Mo replied in a low voice, "I can't discern the realm that Tokugawa has attained. It won't be good if he has already broken through to the Xiantian Realm. Leave it to me to handle him. He's the leader, so there will surely be bodyguards a.s.signed to protect him. After you've killed the rest, come and help me!"

Ling Yun laughed. "Rest a.s.sured, there's still Little White!"

Ling Yun secretly instructed Little White to thwart the attempts of all those who were trying to escape during the fight. Little White had fought alongside Ling Yun previously and had great chemistry with him. It nodded its head slightly to indicate its understanding of Ling Yun's instructions.

"Let's creep forward by another ten meters!"

Creeping under cover of the shrubs in the vicinity, the duo advanced soundlessly by approximately ten meters. They looked at each other before bursting forward together!

Ling Yun had already activated the Stellar Condensation Technique. He wasn't concerned by the obstacle posed by the shrubs and immediately demonstrated his Dragon Fish Phantom Ability. Advancing by over thirty meters in an instant, arriving beside the bonfire!

With a physique as robust as a dragon's, Ling Yun resembled a divine soldier who had descended upon Earth!

Ling Yun used the Sky Full of Rain technique to throw out tens of steel nails; he had reached Physique Tempering Stage Four currently!

When Ling Yun was at the peak of Physique Tempering Stage Three, his steel nails could already render Priest Compa.s.sionless and Priestess Heartless helpless; much less now, at this moment, with his power doubled from the Spiritual Energy within him.

Tens of steel nails flew in flashes and instantly penetrated the throats of the four East Asian people who were unskilled in martial arts!

Apart from that, two East Asian people were holding their hunted game and were slightly slow in their reflexes. Their bodies were pierced by Ling Yun's steel nails as well, and they groaned as their blood-splattered!

Three others from the East Asian party — including Mr. Chen — had swift reflexes despite their confusion and managed to escape Ling Yun's steel nails by the skin of their teeth.

How fast were Ling Yun's hands? With a turn of his wrist, a bunch of steel nails appeared in his hands. As he executed the Sky Full of Rain technique, it was directed at the heads of the two East Asian people who were already injured!

Taking the opportunity to kill you when you're down!

Ling Yun was from a fighting ancestry. With Little White around, he wasn't afraid that any of them would be able to escape from their predicament, and he was initially focused on striking those who were down on their luck!

True enough, the two injured East Asian warriors had only broken through Houtian Realm Level Eight recently and didn't appear to be experts of Qinggong. They were unable to make a timely escape from Ling Yun's wild usage of his secret weapons, and their pierced bodies resembled sieves in an instant!

"F*ck!" Tokugawa could never have imagined that he would encounter such a highly-skilled martial arts expert in the depths of the Shennongjia forests. Despite cultivating his powers to Xiantian Realm Level One, he could never have thought that he would be ambushed by two people who had crept up on him!

The reflexes of Tokugawa and two of his East Asian bodyguards were swift, and they displayed their highly skilled Qinggong. In an instant, they had picked up their weapons and flew beyond twenty meters of Ling Yun!

They didn't know how many people were on Ling Yun's side and had thought that it was the Huaxia special forces that were attacking them. Currently, having a clear a.s.sessment of the situation was their topmost priority.

Dugu Mo had been waiting for this moment for a long time. Instead of aiming for anyone else, he flashed his Sky Shocking Sword and pierced towards Tokugawa's nape!

This was an encounter between enemies, and Dugu Mo had long been restraining himself to the point of suffocation. He didn't feel obliged to abide by any rules of the martial arts realm and was only bent on killing the other party!

At this time, Mr. Chen didn't have anyone to battle against and had turned pale in fright. However, he took hold of an opportunity to hide behind a huge tree and ascertain the ident.i.ties of their attackers.

Their attackers were very powerful and had already conceived a strategy prior to the ambush. He wanted to see which side was gaining the upper hand in combat; if Tokugawa was winning, he would naturally jump out to a.s.sist him. However, he would decide to flee if Tokugawa was unable to defeat his enemies.

For a person who had only broken through to Houtian Realm Level Seven recently, it was understandable that he wouldn't be able to escape from Little White's illusionary tactics. Ling Yun couldn't be bothered to deal with Mr. Chen and appeared before Tokugawa and his two bodyguards in a flash to a.s.sist Dugu Mo in besieging them.

Both of Tokugawa's bodyguards had attained Houtian Realm Level Nine. Together with Tokugawa, they had managed to make a clear a.s.sessment of the situation and were shouting out at each other during the counter-attack against Dugu Mo.

As the four of them were furiously entangled in battle, Ling Yun was unable to use his secret weapon against the enemy. When he saw that Dugu Mo was unable to cope in the uneven fight, Ling Yun used his Mystical Dragon Howl to shock the three enemies into a slower response before raising his Devil's Underworld Essence Blade. Using his Dragon Fish Phantom Ability, Ling Yun flew into battle!

"The blade that severs heaven and earth!"

Suddenly, Tokugawa and his two bodyguards felt a piercing cold sensation. As they turned their heads to look, they saw a long pitch-black blade that struck a chilling fear of death in them. The black blade was overshadowing everything else in its path as it came towards them!