Chapter 89: Journey to the Great Wilderness County
"Brother Xiao Tian!" "Brother Xiao Tian!" "Roar!"
Seeing Xiao Tian appear, Qing Tan, Qing Lin, Lin Dong, and even Little Flame were all overjoyed.
"Brother Xiao Tian, how long are you planning to stay this time?" Qing Tan asked.
"Not too long, just a few days before I leave again," Xiao Tian replied.
"Oh," both Qing Tan and Qing Lin looked a bit disappointed.
Xiao Tian reached out and ruffled their hair. "But this time, I plan to take you with me on a training journey!"
"Really?" Their faces lit up again, their smiles outshining the surrounding flowers.
"Of course," Xiao Tian laughed. "When have I ever lied to you?"
"Great!" The two girls jumped up and down excitedly.
Xiao Tian then turned to Lin Dong. "Lin Dong, you've already broken through to the Yuan Dan realm?"
"Yes, Brother Xiao Tian," Lin Dong nodded.
"Good, then you and Little Flame can come with us on this journey," Xiao Tian said.
"Awesome!" Lin Dong was thrilled. "I've been wanting to see the world beyond Flame City!"
"Then it's settled."
...
During their few days in Flame City, Xiao Tian spent time with Zi Yue and Xuan Su, leaving each of them a spiritual treasure. Then he set off with Little Doctor Fairy, Zi Yan, Qing Tan, Qing Lin, Lin Dong, and Little Flame.
Initially, there was some tension between Little Doctor Fairy and Qing Tan, Qing Lin. But after learning about each other's backgrounds, they quickly became good friends.
Their group left Flame City, crossing several counties until they reached the edge of the Great Wilderness County. Before them lay a vast, primitive forest shrouded in a thick, milky white mist. The mist was so peculiar that even spiritual power had difficulty penetrating it. Above, a cold chill filled the air, making it inhospitable for anyone below the Creation Stage.
Qing Tan looked at the misty forest and asked, "Brother Xiao Tian, this is the Misty Forest. Beyond it lies the Great Wilderness County. Do we have to go through here?"
"To pass through, we need someone familiar with the terrain," Xiao Tian mused, stroking his chin. "I think it might be best if you all return to the space while I fly over and then..."
Before he could finish, the ground began to tremble slightly.
Xiao Tian turned around to see a cloud of dust approaching the Misty Forest. "Someone's coming. Everyone, be on guard."
The approaching group also noticed Xiao Tian's group and slowed down, wary. Soon, a convoy of dozens of people arrived. When they saw that the group consisted of young men and women, they relaxed a bit, evidently not seeing them as a threat.
Xiao Tian took a few steps forward and addressed the leader, a burly middle-aged man carrying a black heavy sword on his back. "Excuse me, we're from out of town and need to get to the Great Wilderness County, but the Misty Forest is blocking our way. Do you happen to have a map of the forest? We're willing to pay a high price for it."
The burly man replied, "Sorry, young man, we don't have a map, but you can follow us through."
"Thank you, brother," Xiao Tian clasped his hands in gratitude.
"Let's move!" The burly man waved his hand, and the convoy started moving, soon entering the Misty Forest.
"Let's follow them," Xiao Tian said, and their group trailed behind the convoy.
In the convoy, a tall, pretty young woman complained to the burly man, "Dad, how can you just let strangers follow us? What if they're bandits?"
A little girl, cute as a button, retorted, "Sister, these big brothers and sisters look so nice. How could they be bad people?"
"Yin Yin, there are lots of bad people out there. You can't judge someone by their age or looks," the young woman shook her head. Although she admitted Xiao Tian was handsome and the three women were prettier than her, she still felt uneasy about adding strangers to their group.
As they traveled deeper into the forest, the sky grew darker. The burly man glanced at the darkening sky and called out to the convoy, "Set up camp!"
The convoy stopped, and people started setting up tents and preparing to camp for the night.
Xiao Tian told his group, "Let's rest here for the night."
"Okay," they all agreed, pulling out tents from their storage items.
Xiao Tian didn't set up a tent himself, given his current cultivation level, he could go without sleep for extended periods. Little Doctor Fairy and Qing Tan started a campfire and prepared some food.
After dinner, Xiao Tian sat down to meditate, swallowing and refining a fiery red bead he had obtained from a previous battle. He was nearing a breakthrough to the seven-star Dou Huang stage.
...
The next morning, the convoy was packing up when the burly man returned in a hurry, looking flustered. "Pack up quickly, we need to move!"
He rushed over to Xiao Tian's group, urgently saying, "Young man, you need to leave now, either with us or back the way you came. Just leave quickly!"
"What's wrong?" Xiao Tian asked.
The burly man sighed, "Our people accidentally killed a young beast while gathering herbs. It was the offspring of the Mist Leopard-Crocodile King."
"The Mist Leopard-Crocodile King?" Xiao Tian pondered. "Isn't that a Creation Stage beast?"
"Yes," the man nodded. "And there are two of them, a male and a female, both in the Creation Stage. Together, they're as strong as a peak Creation Stage beast. We can't fight them."
"I see," Xiao Tian said. "Then let's leave together."
Both groups quickly set off again, moving faster than before. Despite their speed, they were hindered by the need to transport people and goods, making them slower than the enraged beasts.
After just half a day, they were overtaken by the beasts.
Rustling noises from the surrounding bushes indicated at least a hundred beasts closing in on them.
(End of Chapter)