They continued their journey through the forest, which was now transforming before their eyes. The dense, almost impenetrable thickets that had once surrounded them began to thin out, allowing the sun to pour its light through the canopy in dappled, golden patches.
The birds had quieted as the air itself seemed to grow still, as though it too sensed they were approaching something significant.
Feng Liang, darting gracefully from one tree to another, noticed the gradual change. His heightened senses picked up on the subtle shifts in the landscape, the light breeze that now carried the scent of damp earth, and the feeling of the air itself becoming lighter. He couldn't help but think to himself...
"We must be getting close."
His steps were light, almost imperceptible, as he leaped from branch to branch with the ease of someone who had lived within nature for centuries.
