Chapter 93: Misty Forest
Xilutiya stepped forward with the others, drew a wooden stick, then boarded the horse carriage covered in black cloth according to the number on it, heading to the departure place.
Today she wore a rice-gray-colored robe, with a simple belt tied around her waist, constraining the robe and revealing a bit of her slender waist, followed by the lantern and two swords hanging inside the robe at her waist.
The other students were also dressed differently, carrying their prepared weapons and crafted items.
According to the assessment’s rules, except for weapons and some armor that could be purchased or crafted by others, other combat consumables had to be made by oneself.
Limited by personal rank and family strength, the weapon and equipment prepared by the vast majority did not exceed first order, and higher rank crafted items were also difficult for the students to wield and utilize at present.
“This is the place.” The rider’s voice came from outside the horse carriage, and at the same time the carriage cloth was lifted, allowing Xilutiya inside to get off.
This black-haired maiden lifted the curtain and lightly stepped off the carriage, then thanked the rider who was seeing her off.
“Thank you.”
The rider looked at her slightly surprised, then spurred his horse and left.
“Be careful at night.” Just as Xilutiya thought the other had gone far, a voice came from the direction the rider left, making her turn back.
“I know.” She bowed in thanks again.
Would it be very dangerous here at night? Xilutiya looked up, glanced at the mountains shrouded in mist ahead, then stepped into them.
……
The forest was very quiet, probably due to the recent rain, the fallen leaves on the ground were also very damp, and stepping on them made no sound.
Not long after walking, Xilutiya found a tree branch in the woods to use for probing the path, parting the thick, damp shrubs.
This mountain forest was very large, the ‘Sweet Water Spring’ mentioned by the instructor provided no clues, so she could only find it herself. The only thing she remembered was that the instructor had mentioned that the spring water had a faint ‘Mist Shadow’ nature.
After walking some distance, Xilutiya stopped, took out a small tube of potion from the waist pocket between her robe, this was the ‘Emerald Pupil’ potion she had refined herself, also the only potion she currently mastered. Probably because of the ‘Emerald Honey’ nature and 【Qilu·Comb Branch】 ability, she refined this potion very easily and didn’t spend much energy studying it.
Dripping a drop of potion into her pupil, her originally cornflower-like light blue eyes gradually took on emerald green, and then everything before her eyes became bizarre and colorful.
Because the ‘Emerald Pupil’ potion was specially for observing plants, when she stood in the forest, her vision was overwhelmed by the ‘spectra’ emitted by various plants. This massive information overload made Xilutiya feel a slight pain in her eyes.
She had to close her eyes first to ease it, then slowly open them again. At this time, her heterochromatic eyes, one blue and one emerald, both flowed with brilliance, giving this maiden in the forest a strange charm.
Blue Stream Grass… Black Water Mushroom… Fire Fierce Red Grape Fruit… Purple Perilla Moon Grass…
She murmured in her mouth, cataloging the strange rare plants she found, but unfortunately did not find traces of the spring water with ‘Mist Shadow’ nature.
It shouldn’t be this place. The maiden closed her eyes again to ease her overused eyes. At this time, the emerald green in her eyes also slowly faded, returning once more to soft light blue.
Continue forward. She replanned her route, preparing to pick the rare plants she had just found, then head step by step to deeper mountain forest.
……
On another path, Komiya carefully hopped between the tree shades carrying a basket, then looked around. She had a bell hanging at her waist, occasionally emitting crisp sounds.
“Has Dough really come? If it could follow, this assessment would be easy.” Komiya murmured softly.
That day after knowing the assessment location, she pointed out the direction to that white Ti Lang, letting it go there first to wait for her, but she didn’t know if ‘Dough’ had understood. If it did, that would be best.
……
Suolin walked in the mountain forest, holding a strange copper piece pendant in his hand, its shape similar to a chicken, connected above by a structure that could rotate automatically.
Mist Shadow nature… This ‘Wind-Seeking Chicken’ given by Dad should be able to detect it, but it would also be interfered by other ‘Mist Shadow’ things, so I need to hurry and spin it more times.
After secretly determination, Suolin quickened his footwork again.
……
The noble youth Baron was also carrying a small cage walking in the mountain forest at this moment, looking at the white bird inside the cage, murmuring from time to time.
“If you find traces of the Mist Shadow spring water, call out a few times, got it?” This bird was bought by his dad at a high price from a specialized bird trainer, and it could detect manifested ‘natures’.
Unfortunately, if he were a professional who mastered bird training skills, he could directly release this bird and let it search on its own.
……
The other students were also searching with various strange methods. At worst, they simply walked through the mountain forest with their footwork, purely relying on luck.
In the morning half-day, everything was normal. As time gradually passed noon and many students entered deep the forest interior, some situations began to occur.
“Strange, this tree always feels like it has a human face growing on it.” A student walked past a big tree, saw the twisted tree bark and trunk, and felt chills.
“This one too…” Soon, he encountered another tree the same way. Looking toward the deep forest, it seemed everywhere were such twisted tree branches, some even withered black, with leaves withering and falling.
Around two in the afternoon, the first battle occurred in the assessment forest.
“Roar…”
The black-red Ti Lang wrinkled the fur on its nose, bared sharp teeth, its front claws restlessly scratching the ground, and before it was a student tense to the extreme.
“Don’t come over, I know breathing technique, it might be you die or I live.” This student gripped his sword with both hands, eyes fixed on this Ti Lang, muttering intermittently.
He had participated in many trainings in the past, but truly facing an enemy alone, he was still a bit timid and uneasy.
However, the Ti Lang before him wouldn’t have much patience. It rushed out at extreme speed, charging toward this student’s legs.
In a moment of panic, he swung his sword and missed, then felt pain in his left foot. Looking down, he saw that Ti Lang biting his trouser leg, probably its teeth embedded in the flesh.
Under the intense pain and fear stimulus, he thrust his sword fiercely at that Ti Lang, immediately drawing a spurt of blood.
“Aaaah—” As if to bolster his own courage, he continuously stabbed and slashed at the Ti Lang before him until the other was dead beyond dead, before gradually calming down.
Even though the Ti Lang was ferocious, for a student who had trained for months and mastered two stages of breathing technique, he could suppress it just relying on panel physique. It was just that he lacked too much experience and panicked first.
After this battle, this student became much more mature and decisive, and gained a bit of confidence. He bandaged his calf, then continued advancing toward the deep forest.
……
Of course, not all students were so inexperienced.
In another corner of the forest, golden-haired Iona advanced quickly. Any wild beasts or monsters she saw along the way were easily sliced open by the dual swords she gripped, blood splattering the ground, while she herself remained pristine, not a drop of blood on her.
Because she had a father who was a general, Iona had followed Lord on hunts from a young age and seen many scenes of fierce fighting, rich in experience. She wouldn’t be timid and hesitant like ordinary girls.
Although she didn’t know the exact direction of that spring water, she was familiar with the assessment process. Such spring water must be placed in the deep forest, not near the starting point, and there would definitely be special beasts patrolling and guarding around the spring water.
Therefore, she just needed to find the place in this area where large numbers of wild beasts gathered, and she could find clues to the spring water.
……
At the starting point closest to the main road, Mike followed the marks along the way and advanced quickly, with some unease in his heart.
These were marks left by Brother Jieluo’s adventurer team. Could they have just entered here too?
This was not a safe place. Many team members hadn’t even condensed ‘first order’ nature, and facing those powerful monsters used for the assessment would be very dangerous.
Naturally, he thought of the giant wild boar they encountered while hunting before, and felt worried.
He needed to go faster. He hoped Brother Jieluo and the others were okay.
Yes, Brother Jieluo was stronger than him, braver, and rich in experience. He certainly wouldn’t have any problems.
The young man murmured to himself, rushing into the deep forest marked by the signs.
