Chapter 57: Night Mist (2)

— "Help!"

The cry cut through the silence but lasted only a moment before being swallowed by the mist. The unfortunate soul was dragged into the dense fog, leaving only signs of struggle and a trail of blood on the ground.

This kind of scene repeated itself in various locations across the Clear Water Mountains. For some, the night was merely an inconvenience, but for others, it was a death sentence.

But the beasts weren't the only predators that night.

Shadowy figures moved silently through the mist, their auras exuding malice. Evil cultivators, assassins, and thieves used the mist as a curtain to kill unsuspecting cultivators. Blood flowed over the damp earth, quickly absorbed by the soil, as if the mountains themselves were accustomed to carnage.

Among all those facing difficulties that night, there was someone isolated in their own silent battle.

Inside a natural pool of boiling water, Lin Xu remained motionless, his body partially submerged as the heat around him distorted the air. No living creature dared to approach. Even the creatures in the nearby river had retreated, sensing the danger emanating from his presence.

He clenched his fists underwater, his face remaining impassive, but his body betrayed the tension he felt.

"Transferring the heat to the environment isn't a long-term solution."

Lin Xu knew this, but he had no choice.

The mist had appeared suddenly, bringing with it voracious predators. His body was already at its limit before this, so he couldn't afford unnecessary battles.

Every drop of energy he spent on a non-essential enemy was a weakness that could cost him his life later.

That was why he had made this drastic decision.

By transferring some of the heat burning his body into the water and the environment, he could momentarily relieve the pain and unbearable weight he felt. But he knew he couldn't sustain this strategy for long.

And this bothered him.

Unlike most cultivators wandering aimlessly through the mist, Lin Xu knew exactly what this phenomenon was.

"This mist is a natural alchemical solution."

The realization didn't surprise him. It was likely the result of the interaction between certain plant properties and unique energies of the Eternal Mist Region.

The most interesting part was that almost no one seemed to notice this.

Pharmacists probably didn't notice because the properties were well mixed and dispersed in the mist, making it difficult to identify their true nature. Even if they noticed something unusual, they wouldn't think it could be something like that.

But intermediate or higher-level alchemists certainly knew.

The real question was:

Why were they hiding this information?

And more importantly...

Why did the mist rise from the ground?

There was something hidden in this region, and Lin Xu was sure this secret was worth uncovering.

But his train of thought was abruptly interrupted.

Inside his storage ring, something glowed softly.

He narrowed his eyes.

The communication talisman was activated.

Someone had sent him a message.

Without hesitation, he took out the talisman and activated it with a touch of spiritual energy. A voice sounded from the other side.

— "Young master, I've discovered something about one of the items we hadn't found any information on!"

Lin Xu straightened slightly, his expression sharpening. This was the second time Lu Zheng had contacted him.

— "Speak."

— "I found out there's a Twilight Mist Clover..."

A rare glint appeared in Lin Xu's eyes. As he listened to the explanation, a genuine smile formed on his face for the first time in a long while.

— "Good, keep up the good work. Any useful information, send it to me immediately."

He ended the communication and leaned back slightly, his thoughts already beginning to chart the next step of his plan.

"The Twilight Mist Clover... finally some good news."

This plant was an extremely rare resource, growing only where the mist concentrated in a place of deep Yin.

Its uses were limited, but for Lin Xu, only one mattered:

The clover could balance Yang energies in pills.

This was an essential piece for his recovery.

However, there was an obstacle.

The plant was being guarded by a Blood Armor Bear.

Lin Xu knew this beast. He had spotted one two days ago. This meant no one had yet reached the plant.

"If I act quickly, I can secure this opportunity."

But the Blood Armor Bear wasn't an easy prey.

This creature was cruel by nature. Its very name betrayed its brutality – "bloody."

It enjoyed hunting and torturing its prey before devouring them. It had a particular taste for the flesh of human women and younglings.

If someone else discovered the treasure's location, they wouldn't hesitate to use a live sacrifice to distract the beast.

"I can't let that happen!"

But before he could continue his reasoning, the pain attacked him again.

The intense burning pain of his body returned suppressing the pain of his datian collapsing.

His muscles stiffened, and a new wave of heat spread. Not even his clothes could resist.

The heat-resistant fabric turned to ash, revealing his body marked by dilated veins. The mist around him began to twist violently, as if boiling.

The pool's water evaporated in seconds.

The nearby river, unable to withstand the abrupt temperature change, became a boiling cauldron. Fish and marine creatures were cooked alive, their carcasses floating lifelessly.

The commotion scared away the beasts lurking in the mist.

Lin Xu gasped, tremors running through his body. The heat emanating from him hadn't ceased.

He reached out and grabbed a vial. Without hesitation, he swallowed a pill.

The effect was almost immediate. His muscles relaxed slightly.

But the pain didn't disappear.

It was merely numbed.

He wiped the sweat from his brow.

The sky was still dark, but the night wouldn't last forever.

— "When dawn comes, I'll go after the bear."

His voice was firm.

This wasn't just a decision; it was a statement to himself.

— "This chance belongs to me. And I won't let anyone take it from me!!"

And so he remained until dawn. With hope in his eyes and a gentle yet determined smile on his face.

—---------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the Monkey Den

Tang Chun Xi panted lightly as she moved agilely among the tree branches, dodging attacks and retaliating with surgical precision. The Lunar Umbrella spun in her hands like an extension of her own body, cutting through the mist like a silver lightning bolt.

— "That makes eight!" — she murmured, not slowing her pace, as another enemy fell before her.

The night, which should have been peaceful, had turned into a battlefield as soon as the mist covered the Clear Water Mountains. And as expected, the mist brought predators with it.

The Woody Rock Monkeys, were the first to react. The commotion began at the edge of their territory, where large fruit trees served as a natural barrier against invaders. The outer circle of the tribe — composed of older monkeys and warriors — took position to protect the weaker ones, including younglings and elders, who were gathered in the central trees.

The smell of blood soon mixed with the damp air of the mist.

Tang Chun Xi, who had initially been observing, decided to join the fight upon realizing the approaching danger.

The predators, this time, were the Pale Light Weasels, agile and stealthy creatures specialized in hunting in the mist. Their slender bodies allowed them to glide silently between branches, and their attacks were swift and treacherous.

For anyone else, it would be impossible to detect their movements within the mist. But Tang Chun Xi was different.

Even if her five senses failed to distinguish the distorted silhouettes in the haze, her survival instinct and keen perception caught the slightest change in the flow of danger.

The first attack came from above.

Tang Chun Xi reacted at the last moment, spinning the Lunar Umbrella in a defensive arc. The blade at the top of the weapon gleamed with a metallic aura, repelling the claws of the weasel trying to attack her from behind.

With a fluid motion, she thrust the umbrella forward and cut the creature in half before it could retreat into the mist.

— "These things are annoying..."

She didn't have time to catch her breath. Two other weasels emerged from the branches, charging at her simultaneously.

Tang Chun Xi jumped back, using a thick branch as support. She twisted her body in mid-air, activating the [Phoenix Wings].

Two translucent projections of flames momentarily appeared on her back, but without the characteristic heat wave, and her body shot forward like a bolt. The curved blade at the top of the Lunar Umbrella gleamed under the moon obscured by the mist.

Slash!

The two weasels fell, their warm blood splattering on the tree bark.

As she landed softly on a lower branch, Tang Chun Xi heard a sharp screech. She turned just in time to see a young monkey about to be attacked by another weasel.

Her body reacted quickly.

With an agile leap, she thrust the Lunar Umbrella against the trunk and used the impact to launch herself toward the young monkey. At the last second, she intercepted the attack, blocking the creature's claws with the metallic umbrella.

The young monkey fled to a higher branch, saved by a hair.

Tang Chun Xi retaliated with a clean, swift strike, sending the weasel tumbling to a silent death below.

When she looked up again, she saw the little monkey watching her with wide eyes. It tilted its head and, to her surprise, picked up a stone and threw it at a weasel sneaking up behind her.

The projectile hit the creature, causing it to miss its attack.

Tang Chun Xi laughed inwardly.

'Cute.'

The little monkey seemed a bit embarrassed, scratching its head as it returned to the higher branches.

But there was no time for distractions.

The battlefield was far from safe.

The Woody Stone Monkeys fought fiercely to protect their tribe. They attacked the predators with sticks and stones, using the advantage of the elevated terrain to prevent the weasels from approaching easily.

However, some creatures were clever.

Tang Chun Xi noticed when one of the weasels grabbed a monkey and pulled it straight into the mist.

The monkey's desperate scream echoed... and then, only the sounds transmitted through the mist resounded

Her expression grew more serious.

She spun the Lunar Umbrella, cleaning the blood from the blade and preparing to advance further. The monkeys were fighting bravely, but they needed help.

And she didn't intend to stand still.

The battle lasted for three long hours.

Tang Chun Xi moved like a blur among the branches, using the mist to her advantage as much as her enemies did. Her speed and technique had evolved, and Level Four and Five creatures fell easily before her.

Level Six ones, however, were more complicated.

One such weasel charged with force, dodging her attacks and almost catching her by surprise. But just as she was about to react, a stone was thrown again.

The little monkey.

Tang Chun Xi used the distraction to finish the weasel with a clean strike. She looked at the monkey, which swayed slightly, seeming proud of its assistance.

— "Good aim." — she murmured with a faint smile.

The forest-dwelling monkeys already knew how to deal with the mist.

Combining intelligence and teamwork, they soon found their rhythm, overcoming the predators. Using high branches to stay out of reach and attacking with sticks and stones, they forced the weasels into a corner.

And then, the mist began to dissipate.

Tang Chun Xi looked around, seeing the remnants of the battle.

There were bodies scattered about, both weasels and some monkeys. But the tribe had held.

They had won.

The mist finally receded, taking the surviving predators with it.

Tang Chun Xi stretched slightly and sighed, but with an discomfort in the tone.

— "This night was quite productive, but that feeling..."

What worried her the vision that fell upon her just moments after the fog had appeared. But thinking about how quickly he had disappeared, she thought it was an illusion.

It was causing her a discomfort she couldn't explain, but she shook off those thoughts when she couldn't identify their source or the culprit, and focused on the satisfaction of having fought alongside the monkeys and strengthened her bond with them.

But if others had heard that last part, they would have vomited blood in frustration.

"You were surrounded by allies and fought in the trees, somehow managing to react with precision to the attacks, and without facing any high-level beasts! How dare you say it was a good night?! Our night was hell!"

But Tang Chun Xi, completely oblivious to others' suffering, simply smiled and headed off to rest.

After all, for her, it had been a great experience—not too dangerous, but not easy either—and she had finally experienced the phenomenon of the night mist.

Tang Chun Xi stretched slightly, feeling the fatigue weighing on her muscles. The night's battle had been intense but satisfying, ignoring the discomfort she had felt moments ago.

She didn't know it, but she would soon discover, that this "presentiment" was a sign, that could prevent a disaster...

So she was about to retreat when something in the corner of her vision caught her attention.