The forest of coastal region was darker than ever as Feng Kail and the group slowly stepped inside. The air was heavy, filled with strange mist that reduced visibility to only a few meters. Xu Guifei stayed close behind Feng Kail, while Egneel hovered in his small phoenix form on his shoulder, scanning the surroundings with sharp eyes.
Feng Kail said calmly, "Stay close and don't separate. This forest is not ordinary. There are things here that even spirit realm cultivators fear."
The group nodded, but tension was clearly visible on their faces. Every step they took made the ground slightly damp, as if the forest itself was breathing.
Xu Guifei whispered, "I still don't understand why something so dangerous is considered a safe path."
Feng Kail replied without turning back, "Because the real danger avoids this place. And that's exactly why we are using it."
They continued forward for nearly an hour. Strange noises echoed occasionally, but nothing directly attacked them again. However, Feng Kail's instincts kept warning him. Something was watching them.
Suddenly Egneel spoke in a low voice, "Feng Kail… something is following us from above."
Feng Kail stopped instantly and looked up. The trees were so tall that their tops disappeared into the mist. His eyes narrowed.
"Everyone stop," he said.
The group froze immediately.
In the next moment, multiple shadows jumped from the trees. Five massive beasts landed around them, blocking every direction. They were wolf-like creatures, but their bodies were covered in bone armor and their eyes glowed green.
One of the villagers shouted in fear, "Bone Armor Wolves!"
Xu Guifei raised her bow instantly, but Feng Kail lifted his hand.
"Don't move unless necessary," he said.
One of the wolves growled and attacked first, rushing directly at Feng Kail. Its speed was terrifying, but Feng Kail didn't even take out his sword. He simply stepped forward and punched the wolf directly in its head.
A loud crack echoed.
The wolf's head shattered instantly and its body collapsed.
The remaining wolves hesitated for a second, then all attacked together. Egneel transformed instantly, growing into his larger phoenix-dragon form, and unleashed a wave of fire that forced two wolves back.
Feng Kail moved like a shadow. Every punch he threw carried explosive force, breaking bones and crushing armor. Within moments, all five wolves were lying dead on the ground.
The villagers were shocked.
Xu Guifei looked at him and said softly, "You didn't even use your sword…"
Feng Kail replied, "These are just outer beasts. Using a sword would be wasteful."
They continued forward, but Feng Kail's expression grew serious. The deeper they went, the stronger the pressure in the forest became.
After another long walk, Feng Kail suddenly stopped again. This time, even Egneel became silent.
Ahead of them, the forest opened into a massive clearing. In the center was a large glowing pond, exactly as Feng Kail remembered. The water was crystal blue, and pure spiritual energy floated above it like mist.
Xu Guifei gasped, "This… this energy is unbelievable."
Feng Kail nodded, "This is the place I told you about."
But before anyone could relax, the ground suddenly shook.
From beneath the pond, a deep roar echoed.
The water exploded upward, and a massive serpent-like creature emerged. Its body was covered in dark scales, and its eyes were completely white. The pressure it released made the entire group struggle to breathe.
One of the villagers fell to his knees, "Spirit realm beast…"
Feng Kail narrowed his eyes, "No… this is stronger."
The serpent slowly coiled around the pond, blocking access to the energy completely. It looked at Feng Kail directly, as if recognizing him.
Egneel whispered, "This thing is guarding the pond…"
Feng Kail stepped forward slightly, "Move aside. We are not here to fight unnecessarily."
But the serpent responded with another roar and attacked.
A massive tail strike came crashing down. Feng Kail dodged instantly, but the impact destroyed the ground completely.
Xu Guifei shouted, "It's too strong!"
Feng Kail finally pulled out his sword. "Then we end it quickly."
He activated his energy, and blue flames surrounded his blade. Egneel also flew into the air, preparing to assist.
"Dragon Blood Art Style One… Dragon Breath Strike," Feng Kail said calmly.
A blue dragon-shaped energy formed and rushed forward.
The serpent countered with a dark energy blast.
The two attacks collided, causing a massive explosion that shook the entire forest. Trees were uprooted, and the pond's surface split apart.
Feng Kail was pushed back slightly, surprised.
"This thing is not normal…" he muttered.
The serpent prepared another attack, but suddenly Egneel flew above it and released a concentrated flame strike directly into its eyes. The beast roared in pain and staggered.
Feng Kail took that chance.
He dashed forward at full speed and pierced his sword directly into the serpent's core point.
"Break."
A second later, the serpent collapsed heavily into the pond, slowly dissolving into energy particles.
Silence returned.
The villagers were completely stunned.
Xu Guifei looked at Feng Kail with disbelief, "You… defeated something like that so easily?"
Feng Kail didn't answer immediately. He was already walking toward the pond.
"The energy here is still stable. We don't have much time. Everyone, sit down and cultivate immediately."
The villagers quickly obeyed. Xu Guifei also sat down, still shocked.
Feng Kail entered deep meditation in the center of the pond. Egneel stayed nearby, guarding him.
As Feng Kail absorbed the pure energy, his body began evolving rapidly. His meridians expanded, and his spiritual pressure increased continuously.
Hours passed.
Then suddenly, the entire pond lit up.
A massive surge of energy exploded outward.
Xu Guifei opened her eyes in shock, "He's breaking through…"
Feng Kail's body floated above the water as his aura intensified. His cultivation finally crossed into a higher stage.
When everything calmed down, he slowly opened his eyes.
His gaze was sharper, colder, and far more powerful than before.
"I've reached the next stage…" he said quietly.
Egneel flew happily around him, "You're getting stronger again!"
Feng Kail looked at the group.
"Now we continue. This place was just the beginning. Somewhere deeper in this forest… something is calling me."
He turned toward the darkness ahead.
And they moved forward once again.
Chapter 11 End