Mu Qinlian tightened her grip on her sword's hilt. Her pupils began to shift, taking on a hypnotic glow. Instantly, the leopard's massive body froze completely, unable to move a single muscle under the mental invasion.
—Now, Qinlian! —her Master's voice roared in her mind.
Mu Qinlian lunged forward and swung her sword in a perfect arc. The feline, utterly unable to react, was sliced cleanly in two. Not expecting it to fall so quickly, the young woman immediately distanced herself to avoid getting splashed by the blood and viscera.
—Is the Enchanting Eye truly this powerful? —she asked, genuinely surprised as she stared at the beast's corpse.
She had only tried to use that technique once before in a moment of high emotional distress, attempting to "enchant" her Senior Brother. Since it hadn't worked at all back then, she had assumed it was an ability with too many conditions to be useful.
[Very few human beings possess a mental fortitude high enough to resist the influx of the Enchanting Eye,] —the Master explained calmly—. [Much less a magical beast that is barely beginning to develop its spiritual consciousness. Wu Huang simply turned out to be an atypical exception.]
Mu Qinlian nodded, processing the information, and wiped the steel clean before resuming her march.
—Which direction is he in now? —she asked.
[He seems to have ventured even deeper into the depths of the forest,] —the entity in her mind replied—. [And from what I can perceive, he is moving in a very specific direction.]
The young woman nodded determinedly and propelled herself forward, turning into a blur that vanished into the gloom of the forest.
Meanwhile, deep within the forest...
At the exact same time, Wu Huang was advancing through the woods. With a satisfied smile on his face, he held a delicate bundle of plants tightly in his hands.
—If I refine these spiritual herbs, I can make a perfect Qi Condensation Pill —he murmured to himself.
However, his smile faltered slightly as he looked at the stems in his hands.
—Unfortunately, since I lost my spatial ring and have nothing to store them in, the herbs will spoil if I keep them like this for too long. In the worst-case scenario, I will just have to consume them directly —he consoled himself—. Although the effect would be much lesser than that of a pill, it is far better than having them lose their spirituality and turn into waste herbs.
After storing the plants with utmost care, Wu Huang consulted his mysterious companion mentally.
—How far are we from the sect?
[Looking at the star map, we are getting quite close,] —the Heavenly Book explained in his mind—. [At this pace, we should be there in a day and a half.]
Wu Huang nodded and continued advancing through the dense vegetation.
[There is a sect hideout nearby for those who explore the forest,] —the book added—. [It is usually used by outer disciples, so if you are lucky, you might run into someone.]
—Considering my luck, I highly doubt it —he replied with a hint of irony.
Patiently following the directions of the Heavenly Book, Wu Huang arrived at the exact spot where the shelter should have stood. However, as he pushed some vines aside, he only found undergrowth and ancient trees.
—There is nothing here? —he said, arching an eyebrow in clear confusion.
[The coordinates should be correct,] —the book explained, sounding puzzled—. [It is probably an error or an outdated record in the logs.]
Wu Huang nodded, a bit skeptical of his guide's excuse, but he didn't stop to argue. At any rate, they hadn't encountered any imminent danger yet. If they kept advancing along this route, it was only a matter of time before they bumped into a patrol group.
[Wait, stop!] —the Heavenly Book suddenly warned in his mind.
Wu Huang froze on the spot, sharpening his senses.
—What is it? I don't feel anything with my divine sense —he whispered, scanning the surroundings.
[A spiritual plant. Right there, to your left. Take it.]
Wu Huang nodded. He approached stealthily, pushed the thick brush aside, and with extreme care, pulled the plant from the damp earth so as not to damage its properties. Upon examining its knotty shape and dark red color, his eyes widened.
—What kind of herb is this? —he asked.
[It is an Earth Dragon Blood Root, a high-grade spiritual herb,] —the Heavenly Book explained—. [It is exceedingly rare, as it only grows in places with an extremely high concentration of natural energy and wild Qi.]
Wu Huang stood motionless, staring at the root in his hand. A cold realization hit him all at once, and his expression changed completely.
—Wait a minute... If this herb only grows in places with an ultra-high density of wild energy... —Wu Huang grit his teeth, realizing the problem immediately—. That means instead of getting closer to the sect, we are venturing deeper and deeper into the depths of the forest!
There was a short, awkward silence from his guide before it replied.
[... Exactly,] —the Heavenly Book admitted with a hint of guilt—. [I am afraid the star map was inverted or the poles of this forest are distorted. We are heading straight into the heart of the territory of the most dangerous magical beasts.]
Just as the book finished its explanation, a deafening and commanding roar echoed through the thicket, shaking the ground and completely paralyzing Wu Huang's body out of pure survival instinct.
[I see now...,] —the Heavenly Book deduced immediately, analyzing the vibrations in the air—. [It is not just that the map is wrong. This whole place is distorted and strange because an ultra-high rank spiritual herb is about to be born right in this area.]
—And how does that help us? —Wu Huang asked, feeling cold sweat begin to trickle down the back of his neck.
[It doesn't,] —the book sentenced severely—. [The most powerful magical beasts in the forest are about to arrive in droves to fight over it. Hide as best as you can if you want to survive.]