The forest's peaceful ambiance was shattered by Old Man Feng's unexpected outburst. As Yi Chang sat listening to the older man, something suddenly gnawed at the back of his mind. Old Man Feng's tone was strange—not the reserved, composed man he had always known. His frustration and anger, he could understand but for him to suddenly make such an outburst it's very unlike him, it was too strong, too sudden.
Yi Chang's eyes narrowed slightly. Something felt off.
As Old Man Feng continued to voice his concern, Yi Chang subtly spread out his divine sense, sweeping the area for any abnormalities. His spiritual perception extended in every direction, touching the trees, the soil, the very air around them. For a brief moment, everything seemed normal, just the quiet of the forest at dusk. But then, his divine sense locked onto something small, something hidden.
There, just beyond the clearing, he noticed a tiny plant. It looked ordinary at first, but as he focused, he saw it turning a faint shade of red, almost pulsing with a strange energy. His eyes sharpened. It wasn't just any plant—it was a demonic herb 'Mind-erosive herb', a grade one plant capable of releasing an aura that subtly affected emotions, particularly amplifying anger and frustration.
No wonder Old Man Feng was acting so out of character.
Yi Chang stood up slowly, his calm exterior betraying nothing of the realization he had just made. Old Man Feng, however, was still caught in his anger. His voice rose again, frustration seeping into every word. But Yi Chang wasn't listening anymore. Without a word, Yi Chang released his aura—an invisible pressure that rolled out like a tidal wave. The weight of it was immense, far beyond anything Old Man Feng had ever felt before.
Instantly, Old Man Feng fell silent. His anger evaporated, replaced by a sudden clarity as the overwhelming power of Yi Chang's presence washed over him. He stood there, wide-eyed, as if a switch had been flipped inside him, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to comprehend what had just happened.
Yi Chang's voice was soft, but it carried the weight of authority. "Old Man Feng, that's enough."
The older man stepped back, his face pale, beads of sweat forming on his brow. He wasn't sure what had just happened, but the anger that had been boiling within him moments before was gone, replaced by a strange sense of calm.
Yi Chang turned his attention to the demonic herb. "It wasn't your fault," he said, more to himself than to Old Man Feng. " Something is wrong here, this plant... it's been influencing you."
With a flick of his wrist, Yi Chang directed a sliver of his cosmos-chaos qi towards the herb. In an instant, the red plant withered and turned to ash, leaving nothing behind. The aura of anger that had tainted the air disappeared with it.
Yi Chang watched as the last of the red-tinged plant disintegrated into ash. His divine sense expanded again, sweeping over the area with more intensity. To his dismay, the problem wasn't limited to just a few plants—there was an entire patch of Mind-erosive herbs covering a significant portion of the forest floor. In the Endless World, such plants were common enough, growing only in areas dense with spiritual qi. But in this world? It shouldn't be possible.
Someone or something had to be sustaining them.
Yi Chang's brows furrowed. His suspicion grew as he considered the scale of the infestation. No ordinary forest in this world should be able to support the growth of such herbs. The only explanation was a source of concentrated spiritual qi hidden nearby.
As he destroyed the remaining herbs with a flick of his cosmos-chaos qi, his divine sense picked up something else—an odd sensation in the earth. His attention snapped toward it, and he noticed a cave entrance, partially concealed by overgrown foliage, just a short distance away. The cave seemed ordinary, but Yi Chang could feel the faint trace of spiritual energy emanating from it. The energy was weak, but it seem to be the source of the Mind-erosive herbs.
"So, it comes from there," Yi Chang murmured, eyes narrowing at the cave.
He turned to Old Man Feng, who was still recovering from the shock of everything that had transpired. The old steward's face was pale, his mind clearly wrestling with what had just happened—the unnatural influence of the plant, Yi Chang's release of qi, and the way he had effortlessly destroyed the herbs without lifting a finger.
"Old Man Feng," Yi Chang called, breaking the silence. "Wait outside for me. I'll check that cave."
Old Man Feng didn't hesitate to agree. He was still too shaken from the earlier events and the lingering feeling of powerlessness. The idea of venturing further into unknown dangers didn't sit well with him, and he was even sure if this person is Yi Chang, or whether he is the one dreaming. With a small bow, he stepped back. "Of course, Young Master. I'll stay here and ensure nothing else happens."
Yi Chang gave a slight nod and moved toward the cave, feeling the pull of the spiritual qi within it. He understood Old Man Feng's perspective—what had happened today was well beyond the man's understanding.
In Oldman, with his years of experience, he had known of the existence of the martial artists, the closest comparison to cultivators, operated on an entirely different level. They needed physical attacks and close combat to exert their power. But Yi Chang? His cultivation was worlds apart from his understanding of them, this is like something out of a movie.
As Yi Chang approached the cave, he could sense the subtle fluctuations of qi increasing. There was something more inside, and the closer he got, the more certain he became that this was no ordinary forest, no ordinary cave.
As Yi Chang stepped into the cave, the air grew heavier, filled with a primal energy that pulsed faintly beneath the surface. The darkness was suffocating, but his divine sense pierced through it with ease, revealing a pack of mutated Eurasian wolves prowling within the shadows. Their eyes glowed with an light, and their muscles rippled with power—each beast is a Grade 1 beast with some lower stage and some late stage of grade 1, but dangerous in numbers.
Yi Chang's lips curled into a slight smirk. "Finally, something worth fighting."
With a growl, the wolves sensed the intruder and sprang into action. The cave filled with the sounds of snarling as the pack charged at him from all directions, their fangs bared and claws ready to tear into flesh. But Yi Chang remained still, his eyes calm, his qi flowing through his meridians as he prepared for battle.
The first wolf leaped toward him, but Yi Chang channels his qi through his meridian to his hand and met it with a swift punch, his fist colliding with the beast's skull. The wolf's head cracked under the force, sending its limp body crashing to the ground. He pivoted smoothly as two more wolves lunged at him, one from each side. Yi Chang's fist shot out in a blur, striking one in the throat while his other hand met the second wolf's snout. Both creatures collapsed, their bodies crumpling under the overwhelming power of his strikes.
Another wolf darted in from behind, its claws aimed for his back. Without even turning, Yi Chang kicked out sharply, his heel connecting with the wolf's chest. The beast was flung against the cave wall with a sickening thud, its ribs shattered on impact. One by one, the wolves fell to his brutal attacks. His punches were swift and precise, each strike fueled by the cosmos-chaos qi coursing through his body, amplifying his strength beyond what his current realm should allow.
As the cave floor became littered with dead wolves, only a few of the later-stage Grade 1 beasts remained. They circled cautiously now, hesitant after watching their comrades fall so easily. But Yi Chang gave them no quarter. He surged forward, moving faster than they could react. His fist plunged into the side of one beast, the impact tearing through its flesh and sending a burst of blood spraying across the cave. He pivoted, dodging another wolf's desperate bite, and retaliated with a punch so fierce it snapped the creature's spine with a crack.
Soon, the pack lay in heaps around him, but just as Yi Chang lowered his fists, a low, rumbling growl echoed from deeper within the cave. His divine sense flickered over the remaining area, and his gaze locked onto the source: a larger wolf, nearly twice the size of the others, stood at the back of the cave. Its fur was darker, almost black, and its eyes glowed deeply. This was no ordinary wolf—its aura was oppressive, marking it as an early Grade 2 beast, and judging by its qi fluctuations, it was nearing a breakthrough to mid-Grade 2.
Behind the wolf, partially obscured by its large frame, was an egg—slightly larger the egg of an ostrich, nestled in a bed of rocks. The wolf's protective posture made it clear that this egg was its priority, but watching its packmates being slaughtered had pushed the beast over the edge.