A wide clearing stretched out within the forest's lush tangle, the canopy allowing slender beams of sunlight to pierce through. Beneath the dappled illumination, Crown Prince Zhen Ping and his assembled entourage stood in uneven circles, recovering from yet another vicious battle with a Rank 4 Spirit Beast. Broken branches and churned-up soil were scattered around them, reminders of the desperate skirmish that left a few of them nursing fresh wounds.
A handsome young man in regal, embroidered robes stood off to one side, dabbing sweat from his brow with a silk handkerchief. He cast an exasperated glance toward Zhen Ping and said, "Crown Prince, this forest is enormous. Are you really expecting we'll find anyone here, let alone that Liu Xuefeng?"
