Chapter 42: Warcraft Forest
"What's even more outrageous is that they picked an easy job, but the reward is slightly higher because the journey is long." Someone else added, revealing confusion and disdain for the two's choice of task.
"Stay away from those two guys, lest you be tainted with bad luck." The warriors around echoed one after another, their words full of rejection and vigilance towards Shangguan Jiannan and his companions.
However, among this group of people, a man in the middle suddenly shouted in a deep voice: "Everyone, cheer up! No one can have a good life if they don't complete the task assigned by the eldest brother!" Although his voice was not loud, it revealed an unquestionable majesty.
"Yes, Senior Brother Wang!" Upon hearing this, the other four people quickly suppressed the disdain and laziness on their faces and responded respectfully.
Afterwards, the group quickened their pace and followed closely.
At this moment, Shangguan Jiannan and Lu Feichen were walking side by side, heading towards the Duanyun Mountains not far away. They talked while enjoying the scenery along the way. However, as they went deeper, the surrounding terrain gradually became rugged, and the mountain road became extremely difficult to travel.
The towering ancient trees blocked out the sun, completely isolating the outside sunlight. The bushes in the forest were intricate and dense, but fortunately, since it was on the outskirts of the mountain range, many winding paths had been trampled out by the warriors passing by.
However, as they continued to move deeper into the mountains, the surrounding warriors were gradually dispersed by these small paths, and eventually only the three of them were left.
At this moment, deep in the jungle, there were deep and powerful roars and fierce fighting sounds. This sudden sound made Shangguan Jiannan feel an inexplicable tension.
However, with two reliable partners, Lu Feichen and Liu Ruyan, protecting him, this tension was greatly alleviated.
Lu Feichen walked in front holding a broad sword and leading the way. His eyes were as sharp as an eagle, scanning the surroundings for all potential threats; while Liu Ruyan followed closely behind Shangguan Jiannan to provide him with cover and support.
The three of them maintained a tight formation and moved forward cautiously. "Junior Brother Jiannan, you have to be careful." Lu Feichen's voice came from the front, breaking the silence and dullness around them.
"Although this is only the territory of first- and second-level monsters, there are also some tough guys among them." His words were full of concern and reminders for Shangguan Jiannan.
"Don't worry, brother." Shangguan Jiannan took a deep breath and tried to calm his inner tension and anxiety. "I will always pay attention to the movements around me." His words were light but revealed a kind of firmness and determination.
In this way, under the protection of Lu Feichen and Liu Ruyan, Shangguan Jiannan gradually adapted to this deep and mysterious jungle environment.
They continued to move towards their target - the direction of the Shadow Rhino.
In the jungle that was so dense that it seemed to swallow everything, Lu Feichen's figure appeared exceptionally thin, forming a sharp contrast with the giant sword in his hand that was as wide as a door and extremely disproportionate to his physique.
The giant sword was like a vigilant beast, constantly swinging in the surrounding bushes, trying to uncover the veil of this unknown area.
Shangguan Jiannan's face was stern, his hands tightly grasping the cold hilt of the sword, and beads of sweat had seeped out of his palms, which was a testimony to the interweaving of tension and concentration.
"In this jungle, the first thing to do is to keep a cool head." Lu Feichen's voice sounded in front. As he walked forward steadily, he imparted the wisdom of survival to Shangguan Jiannan behind him. "Even if you encounter those huge monsters, you must not panic. Only by staying calm can you find a way to escape. Once you panic, you will only anger those beasts, and it will be even more difficult to escape."
Shangguan Jiannan nodded silently upon hearing this, secretly reminding himself to stay calm. He knew very well that his survival skills were still immature in this dangerous jungle.
Liu Ruyan, on the other hand, always maintained a solemn expression similar to Shangguan Jiannan. Her eyes were as sharp as torches, and she was always alert to the movements around her.
The three of them carefully shuttled through the jungle, occasionally startling some low-level monsters, and just avoided them from a distance, not daring to approach easily. Time passed like a white horse, and in a blink of an eye, they had already stepped into the Broken Cloud Mountains for an hour.
Although he occasionally encountered other warriors along the way, most of them were just a quick meeting before they went their separate ways.
Shangguan Jiannan followed closely behind Lu Feichen, absorbing the valuable experience he taught like a sponge, and gained a deeper understanding of the way to survive in the jungle.
He gradually realized that the complexity of this vast and boundless Broken Cloud Mountains was far beyond his imagination.
As we went deeper, we encountered fewer and fewer warriors, and the surrounding environment became increasingly quiet, as if the whole world was immersed in a deep tranquility.
"Brother Lu, if we continue like this, will we have already gone deep into the inner area of the mountains?" Shangguan Jiannan finally couldn't bear the doubts in his heart and asked Lu Feichen.
There was a tremor in his voice, and he was obviously shocked by this deep environment. Hearing this, Lu Feichen turned around and smiled slightly. In that smile, he understood Shangguan Jiannan's first expedition, and also showed his familiarity and confidence in this mountain range.
"Kid, it's normal to have such thoughts when you enter the Monster Forest of Broken Cloud Mountain for the first time." He said lightly, "But you have to know that even after five hours, we are still wandering around the periphery of the mountain range. The terrain here is complex and there is no fixed path to follow. As long as we don't go in blindly, there will be no problem."
After hearing Lu Feichen's comfort and explanation, Shangguan Jiannan's fear and worry suddenly dissipated. He took a deep breath, tried to calm himself down, and then mustered up the courage to move forward.
At the same time, he did not forget to remind Liu Ruyan: "Miss Ruyan, you should also be more careful and pay attention to the movements around you at all times."
Deep in the dark and unknown jungle, the traces of the third-level monster seemed to be approaching quietly. Lu Feichen was as alert as a falcon in the night. He whispered to Liu Ruyan at the end of the team, asking her to be vigilant.
Following his calm instructions, the three of them slowed down their pace in tacit understanding, as if every step was stepping on invisible strings, and everything around them was carefully combed by their delicate eyes. At this moment, a sudden noise, like a sharp blade cutting through the quiet night sky, instantly made the three people's heartstrings tense to the extreme.
They were frozen in place like stone sculptures, even their breathing was deliberately slowed down, for fear of disturbing this crisis-ridden territory.
Lu Feichen's eyes flashed with a calm light. He slowly turned his gaze, trying to catch the source of the sound. "It's a second-level monster, the Wind Fire Fox. We don't need to get entangled with it. Just go around it."
Lu Feichen's voice was low and firm, as if it could calm people's anxiety. He withdrew his gaze from the vague black shadow in the distance, then adjusted the direction and led the team to cleverly avoid the potential threat.
Shangguan Jiannan's mood was complicated. He was nervous about facing unknown challenges, but also excited about the upcoming encounter with a more powerful existence.
But he knew very well that the most important thing at the moment was to follow Lu Feichen's pace and maintain the team's tacit understanding and order.
Along the way, they encountered no less than ten monsters, but each time they relied on wisdom and caution to cleverly avoid unnecessary conflicts.
These monsters were either ferocious or cunning, but none of them could become an obstacle on their way forward. However, just when everyone thought they were about to successfully cross this dangerous area, Lu Feichen's footsteps suddenly stopped.
His voice was so low that it was almost inaudible, but it was clearly heard by everyone: "Wait a moment."
At this moment, there seemed to be an unusual atmosphere in the air, indicating that more important discoveries were waiting for them.