Yi Ling moved through the dense forest, each step making her more determined to escape the clutches of King Jin. Her mind raced with thoughts of Mu Xin, Linyu, and Tefei, hoping they weren't worried about her. She cursed the king under her breath, calling him a pig. Her surroundings changed as she ventured deeper into the forest, her eyes catching glimpses of spiritual herbs scattered all around.
Her heart raced with excitement and disbelief. The Jin Kingdom must indeed be one of the High Ranked Kingdoms in Huaxia, but this was beyond her wildest dreams. She cautiously approached the herbs, thinking she might be in the spiritual beasts' territory. Her eyes darted around, expecting danger, but nothing happened.
Taking a deep breath, she plucked a herb from the ground. When nothing reacted, she allowed herself a small smile.
"Since you guys aren't coming out, I won't be shy!" she declared, her voice echoing in the silent forest.
She gathered as many herbs as she could, including those she could use to change her appearance and voice. Mu Xin's book had proved invaluable. She continued her journey, her bag now heavy with spiritual herbs. She had been traveling for hours, unaware that a group was hot on her trail.
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As the sun began to set, Yi Ling reached the heart of the forest. She hadn't encountered any spiritual beasts, though she often felt like she was being watched. The abundance of spiritual herbs continued to amaze her, and she picked as many as she could. Her load was now substantial, but the pill from King Jin had gradually strengthened her, allowing her to carry the weight.
She spotted a large cave in the center of the forest. Deciding to rest, she entered cautiously, leaving her load beside a big rock. After gathering some wood, she made a small bonfire at the cave's entrance to keep warm and ate some fruits she had found.
Unknown to her, spiritual beasts were guarding the cave. The forest's guardian, a legendary beast of immense power, kept watch. As she settled in for the night, hundreds of li away, the Golden Knights closed in on her position.
"Crap! What's with all the spiritual beasts?" exclaimed Fox, one of the Golden Knights.
"This road definitely leads to that woman! Her aura is getting weaker. If we let this pass, she will escape!" Eagle, one of the female knights, added.
"I can sense a legendary beast around," said Tian Gu, their leader, whose strength was slightly above the others, earning him the title of Lion.
The Golden Knights used code names corresponding to their abilities, a secret known only to their members, Yu Ran, and King Jin. The names were inspired by King Jin's sister's fondness for beasts.
"We won't be able to get past unless we fight our way through," stated Turtle, another knight.
"Leader, what are we going to do?" asked Snake, another female knight.
"Leader, I suggest Tiger go and inform the Phoenix and Dragon about the situation while the rest of us handle it," proposed Ape.
Tian Gu nodded. "Tiger, go and let the Phoenix and Dragon know about this ASAP! It looks like this woman is not easy. I won't be able to hold off the legendary beast for long!" he ordered.
Tiger bowed and vanished, his speed leaving only afterimages. The rest of the Golden Knights sighed, knowing the difficulty of their task. They were all in the mid-sainthood stage, ranks 4-6, with Tian Gu at the 7th rank, unable to break through despite his efforts. The legendary beast was far stronger than him, above sainthood. He needed to bring the woman back to King Jin, but he wondered about her true identity and why Yu Ran had warned them not to hurt her.