Yu Ye, what do we do now? I feel like those guys could make a move at any moment. Pan Lun sidled up to Yu Daohen and whispered.
Yu Daohen was about to speak when his phone suddenly vibrated. He paused, surprised to find a signal here.
Yu Daohen pulled out his phone and saw over ten text messages, most of them from that guy. However, one message made his expression turn serious.
He opened the message from Qiangzi. It contained only six characters:
(Be careful of me! Be careful of me!)
Yu Daohen's face grew stern. Had Qiangzi run into trouble? What did "Be careful of me" mean?
Yu Daohen scrolled to Qiangzi's number and called him.
"I'm sorry, the number you have dialed is out of service."
Yu Daohen realized something was wrong and asked Pan Lun beside him, "Old Pan, is there a shortcut to Yin Chen Valley?"
Pan Lun looked a bit odd, but seeing Yu Daohen's serious expression, he replied, "Remember that stream we passed on the road? If you follow it upstream, we can reach it tonight."
Yu Daohen nodded. He couldn't delay any longer. If Qiangzi sent that message, it meant he was already in danger.
"Old Pan, I might have to go ahead. Be careful yourself," Yu Daohen instructed.
Pan Lun nodded. "Don't worry, Yu Ye. I can't say for sure elsewhere, but in the deep forest, I, Pan Lun, am not afraid of anything."
Yu Daohen nodded and turned to Yuan Jiuan, Wang Fei, and the others. "I have something to attend to, so I'll be parting ways with you all."
Yuan Jiuan and Wang Fei's expressions changed. Neither of them expected Yu Daohen to leave so abruptly.
After speaking, Yu Daohen prepared to retrace his steps. The reason he had been following Yuan Jiuan and the others was twofold: he didn't know the way through the Greater Khingan Range, and he was also doing Lao Biao a favor by protecting Yuan Jiuan.
As Yu Daohen stepped back and brushed past Wang Fei.
"Master Yu, are you truly leaving?" Wang Fei's voice was chillingly cold, laced with threat.
Yu Daohen turned and glanced at Wang Fei, a grin spreading across his face. His killing intent was palpable. He had been too lenient before, never harboring a desire to kill them. If Wang Fei dared to follow, he would show no mercy. "That's right!"
Wang Fei's expression shifted, and his body instinctively tensed.
Yu Daohen said no more, walking directly towards the rear.
Wang Fei wanted to move, but his instincts screamed at him.
To follow meant certain death!
In the end, Wang Fei froze, not daring to pursue.
Yuan Jiuan remained expressionless, but inwardly he gritted his teeth and cursed, "To be scared into inaction by a mere boy, what a waste!"
After walking for a while, Yu Daohen suddenly remembered. He had been so worried about Qiangzi that he hadn't sent a message to that guy to let him know he was safe.
He pulled out his phone and typed a few words, sending them.
(All is well, don't worry!)
Yu Daohen waited for a minute. Seeing that the guy hadn't replied, he found it strange. That guy usually replied instantly. What was going on today?
Yu Daohen waited for another three minutes, confirming that the guy wasn't responding, before continuing his journey along the stream.
The path by the stream was indeed difficult. Although it was faster, it was overgrown with weeds and mud.
After about three hours, Yu Daohen stopped to rest and took a drink from his water flask.
Rustle, rustle, rustle.
The grass behind him suddenly made a noise. Yu Daohen's heart tightened. He instinctively gripped the Kang Long Rod at his waist and spun around to face the rustling grass.
As the rustling sound grew closer, just as Yu Daohen was about to swing his Soul Suppressing Stone short sword, a head poked out.
Yu Daohen took a closer look. It was a grey snake head, flicking its tongue and speaking human words: "Master, please don't misunderstand. I'm just here for a drink."
Animals that lived for fifty years gained sentience. After cultivating for a hundred years, they could be called demons. Another hundred years of cultivation would allow them to speak human words. After five hundred years, a demon core would form within them.
Yu Daohen moved aside, a smile appearing on his face. "My apologies, great immortal!"
The grey snake crawled out. Yu Daohen estimated it was over eight meters long.
The grey snake shook its head. "Master, you jest. How could I be worthy of being called an immortal?"
After speaking, the grey snake sighed. "The path to becoming a spirit has been sealed. Even with diligent cultivation, one cannot achieve true spirit form."
Yu Daohen remained silent. Since the founding of the People's Republic, the path to becoming a spirit had been sealed. No matter how demons cultivated, they could not achieve human form. Their bodies remained their original forms, and their lifespans were also limited.
Yu Daohen hesitated for a moment before asking, "Does great immortal know of spirit springs?"
"Is Master also here looking for a spirit spring?" the grey snake asked.
Yu Daohen nodded. "That's right, I am indeed looking for a spirit spring."
The grey snake thought for a moment and said, "I did hear my old wife mention it. There's a pool in a cave in Yin Chen Valley. The water there has a magical effect, said to be able to mend wounded souls, but it is guarded by something."
Yu Daohen frowned upon hearing this. "What is it?"
The grey snake shook its head. "No one knows what's inside. All living beings who have entered and emerged have been like changed people, never mentioning what happened inside. Many years ago, my wife's elder brother went in, but after coming out, his temperament changed drastically, and he never spoke of what transpired within."
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Author's notes: