In the distance, two men were still arguing.
They seemed to be discussing how to survive in this forest. Should they press forward, or retreat? It was clear, however, that Huang Zelin's ideas were not shared by many.
At that moment, Lin Yun turned his gaze to the younger of the two men. His original intention was simply to investigate the young man's identity, but he quickly realized this matter was far from simple. With his current strength, he was completely unable to see through this young man, to gauge what kind of abilities he possessed.
Lin Yun stared intently at the man's panel and took a deep breath.
[Name]: Qi Hengtian
[Realm]: ???
[Destiny Template]: ???
[Attributes]: ???
[Fate]: ???
[Recent Turning Point]: Finds a Spirit Pool in the Forest of False Words, which can nourish the divine soul and enhance his spiritual power.
Lin Yun was stunned when he saw the panel. For him to be unable to see through someone at this stage, it was highly likely they were an expert at the Yin-Yang Realm. He knew that experts of such a level had indeed entered this place. It now seemed that this Qi Hengtian was probably one of them.
Normally, Lin Yun would have chosen to steer clear of such a character. But this time, he couldn't just leave. After all, a treasure was laid out right before him. If he didn't go for it, it would be a terrible waste.
"Senior Brother Zhou. We won't engage them for now. Let's just wait here quietly."
The three of them were extremely cautious, following from a great distance, not daring to make any rash moves. At first, they were worried the group in front would quickly pinpoint their location, but as time went on, that fear subsided.
Throughout their journey, Huang Zelin and Qi Hengtian argued incessantly. It was clear that neither was willing to submit to the other. However, when Huang Zelin argued with Qi Hengtian, there was always a trace of respect in his tone. This made Lin Yun even more certain that there was a clear hierarchy between the two. Qi Hengtian's status was likely much higher than Huang Zelin's.
Their group numbered over twenty people in total. According to their conversations, their team had originally consisted of forty members, but they had run into all sorts of trouble along the way. Even with their excellent coordination and powerful strength, they had ultimately suffered heavy losses, reducing their number to the current twenty. But those who remained were the elite of the elite, capable of facing any challenge with confidence.
This team had not, as Lin Yun had initially thought, stumbled in here by accident. It seemed they had entered this place on purpose, and they were looking for something.
All along the way, Huang Zelin followed beside Qi Hengtian, listening to his constant questions.
"We've been walking for so long. Are you sure you can actually find where that thing is?" Qi Hengtian was growing impatient. He had entered this place hoping to get what he came for quickly and then leave this damned forest. There were plenty of other troubles outside waiting for them to resolve. But who would have thought they would get bogged down here?
Huang Zelin, standing beside him, scratched his head in embarrassment. "According to my memory, it should be right around here. But for some reason, the thing seems to have disappeared."
Listening to their conversation, Lin Yun also began to observe his surroundings. The reason the two of them hadn't discovered his group was likely because, in the current situation, no one else would so easily venture into an unknown forest. What's more, these two were also desperate to finish their business and leave this damned place, so they had subconsciously lowered their guard, giving Lin Yun the perfect opportunity.
According to the prompt on the panel, they were searching for some kind of treasure. Since that was the case, this was his best chance to make a move. Lin Yun scanned his surroundings. It was now a race against time to see whether he or the group in front would find the treasure first.
With Huang Zelin following Qi Hengtian so cautiously, it would likely take him some time to find the so-called treasure spot. Just as Lin Yun was worrying that he might lose this race, he spotted a hollow in a tree. The opening wasn't large, but if he got on the ground, he could crawl inside. His companion, the burly Zhou Damao, wouldn't be so lucky.
"That's it."
The reason he was so certain was because he could feel an incomparably rich fluctuation of spiritual energy. However, this energy seemed to be bound within a small space; if one wasn't close, it was impossible to detect.
Lin Yun breathed a sigh of relief. "Senior Brother Zhou. I'll have to trouble you to stand watch out here."
Lin Yun glanced at Fang Yu'er beside him, and the two of them squeezed into the tree hollow.
Zhou Damao didn't mind at all. He knew that even if he couldn't get the treasure himself, Lin Yun would surely compensate him accordingly, so there was no need to worry about gains and losses.
After crawling into the tree hollow, Lin Yun finally let out a long breath. It was just as he had thought; there was another world inside. They passed through a long tunnel and arrived in an empty grotto. In its center was a pool of water.
The liquid in the pool was crystal clear, like translucent milk. The rich fluctuation of spiritual energy was emanating from this very spot.
"This is… Shangqing Divine Water?"
Seeing the liquid in the clear pool, Fang Yu'er was aghast. This was not something an ordinary person could ever hope to enjoy.
Lin Yun, on the other hand, didn't waste a second. He first dipped his hand in, and after feeling the power fluctuation, he was quite satisfied. But what he did next left Fang Yu'er utterly stunned.
Before she could say another word, the Shangqing Divine Water began to disappear at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Fang Yu'er stared at Lin Yun, dumbfounded. She had never imagined that someone would solve a problem with such a method.
Lin Yun, for his part, was very pleased. "Those guys outside should be finding this place soon. We should hurry up and leave." He gave a faint smile, then prepared to leave with Fang Yu'er.
At this point, Fang Yu'er was completely in awe of him.
The two of them slipped out through another exit. And just then, they saw Huang Zelin and Qi Hengtian arriving at the tree hollow. Qi Hengtian's face was clearly filled with excitement. It seemed this was the treasure he had been desperately searching for.
It was just a pity that he would never have imagined that the very thing he had been searching for so desperately had already been claimed by Lin Yun, who had beaten him to it.