Chapter 29: Escape Through the Jungle

Tang Chun Xi moved swiftly through the forest, leaving the battlefield behind. Her body still pulsed with the adrenaline from the previous fight, but her mind remained sharp.

Then, a familiar sound sliced through the air.

A high-pitched squeal, unmistakable.

Her heart pounded. —"That sound… could it be…?"

Before she could finish her thought, the squeal multiplied, turning into a deafening chorus that blended with the sound of trees crashing and something rapidly closing in.

— "It can only be…!"

Without hesitation, Tang Chun Xi activated Phoenix Wing Step and shot forward like an arrow. Behind her, the sounds of trees splintering and the ground trembling signaled that at least two massive creatures were giving chase.

The Cloud-Haired Boars.

They had heard the final cry of their fallen companion, and now they were out for revenge.

Tang Chun Xi ran at full speed, pushing her body to its limits. The boars were relentless. Even with her superior mobility and constant changes in direction, the pursuit continued.

'They won't give up… even after kilometers of running?' — she thought. Her instincts told her something was wrong.

Growing uneasy, she decided to test the Lunar Umbrella's concealment ability, bending the light around her to create an illusion. Her body became a shimmering mirage within the forest.

Yet, the boars continued chasing her without hesitation.

— "What the hell…?"

Her concealment should have been enough to confuse their sight. And yet, they still located her effortlessly. Then how were they tracking her?

Her mind sharpened as she ran.

 'They can't be sensing me through spiritual energy… After all, I never made direct aura contact with the boar I killed. So what could it be?'

A sudden realization struck her.

— "The blood!"

Her eyes quickly scanned her own body. That's when she noticed—on the corner of her clothes and in her hair—tiny drops of dried blood.

'Of course… They're not tracking me by my energy… but by the scent of blood.'

Now it all made sense.

She needed to find a place to wash and change her clothes immediately.

Then, she remembered something.

A river lay ahead in the forest. If she could reach it, she could finally throw off the boars and cleanse any trace of blood.

But there was a problem.

The fastest path to the river led through an area that, according to her senses and the Lunar Umbrella, radiated danger.

She weighed her options:'The chase won't stop as long as I carry the scent of blood. And while this place feels dangerous, it doesn't carry the aura of certain death.'

She made her decision.

Tang Chun Xi adjusted her pace and dashed toward the dangerous zone.

As she entered the area, she remained on high alert. Moving swiftly yet cautiously, she didn't immediately sense where the danger lay. But she dared not lower her guard.

She maintained her vigilance—until halfway through, when suddenly, every hair on her body stood on end. A primal instinct of danger surged within her.

Her sharp gaze swept the surroundings.

The vegetation was dense, towering trees with interwoven branches forming a natural canopy overhead.

Then, something moved.

A subtle shadow. A nearly imperceptible slithering from above.

Tang Chun Xi reacted instantly.

She threw herself to the side just as a whip-like vine struck down from above, lashing the spot where she had been a moment before.

But when she looked up to see her attacker… her eyes widened in horror, and a shiver of disgust ran through her body.

The vines weren't vines.

They were snakes.

She couldn't even count them. But at a glance, there had to be hundreds.

Hundreds of dark-green serpents hung from the trees like vines, their bodies entwined so seamlessly with the branches that they were nearly indistinguishable. They varied in size—from the smallest, barely the thickness of a rope, to the largest, as thick as a bowl. Their cold eyes gleamed between the shadows, and their bodies undulated in hypnotic unison.

A chill ran down her spine.

"They were here the whole time… and I didn't even notice."

Tang Chun Xi had no time to hesitate.

Behind her, the boars' roars grew closer.

Ahead, the snakes began to move, slithering down from the trees like a living wall.

She had to get out of there immediately.

Which meant using one of her trump cards—Phoenix Wings.

The Flight

Tang Chun Xi closed her eyes for a brief moment and took a deep breath.

— "Activate."

A burst of flaming energy erupted around her.

A scorching shockwave instantly spread outward, forcing the snakes to recoil. Those nearest to her launched themselves onto higher branches, desperately avoiding the intense heat.

The fire wasn't destructive enough to burn the forest down, but the surrounding trees had their bark scorched.

Tang Chun Xi felt the impact of the technique on her own body. Phoenix Wings required a massive amount of energy, draining her Qi rapidly. She could only sustain it for fifteen minutes at most. And after that, she'd be left powerless.

But it was worth it.

A faint, nearly transparent projection of flaming wings materialized on her back.

Her speed instantly increased by 50%.

She became a streak of flame within the jungle. The wave of heat emanating from her body seemed to unsettle the Vine-Snakes, and they instinctively avoided her.

Sensing this, Tang Chun Xi propelled herself forward, ignoring the venomous gazes of the snakes above and the furious roars of the boars behind.

The chaotic sounds of the jungle roared around her, but every step carried her further from danger.

And then, finally, the sound of her pursuers began to fade.

The river was near.