...

Whoosh~

Whoosh whoosh~~

Lin Zheyu swiftly shuttled through the forest, distancing himself from that strange, large tree.

On the red Blood Lotus, he sensed the aura belonging to the divine and demon, now that aura had merged into the tree, coming to life, making him feel a strong sense of crisis in his heart.

"Could it have marked me?"

This thought flashed through Lin Zheyu's mind. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

He had dealings with the Nine Nether Sect before, though not many, their methods of searching for people left a deep impression on him.

Previously, the demi-demon who hunted him down used tracking methods that exceeded his understanding; even now, he still hadn't figured out how to use the Ink Jade Disc.

No choice, different knowledge circles.

Lin Zheyu knew too little about immortal cultivation, gods and demons, and demonkind.

"No matter what, I'll talk about it after going back."

"In recent times, when patrolling deep in the mountains, do not stray too far from the garrison line, to prevent being eyed by an unknown strong person again."

Lin Zheyu said to himself.

In the coming days, he needs to be a little more cautious.

The Blood Lotus was obtained from Pei Xuan, and now that Pei Xuan is dead, those behind him will surely suspect that Lin Zheyu killed him.

If they were to target him again, the martial artist they'll send next time will definitely be even more terrifying.

Entered the assigned area.

Lin Zheyu found a secluded spot and reverted to his original appearance.

This time the mission requirements for Lin Zheyu and his team weren't very stringent; they just need to assist the garrison in holding the line.

Hunting demon puppets and collecting contribution points is an extra task, optional.

However, this time the official rewards are extremely generous, making the martial artists highly motivated to hunt demon puppets, voluntarily venturing deep into the mountains to find them.

Lin Zheyu originally planned to do the same.

He was very interested in the spiritual liquid and cultivation techniques on the exchange board.

What he didn't expect was that he encountered this situation on the very first day.

Roar~

In the forest, the roar of fierce beasts could be heard from time to time.

After rounds of cleaning by numerous martial artists, coupled with demon puppet hunts at night, there are far fewer fierce beasts in the forest.

Those that remain are either relatively weak in strength or very powerful yet possess strong concealment and life-saving abilities.

Nearing the garrison line, a few kilometers away, Lin Zheyu's pace slowed considerably.

At a distance of four to five kilometers, should any danger arise, be it to call for help or escape, Lin Zheyu's speed would suffice to handle the situation.

"Catch a beast, roast it for a meal, pass the time."

Upon hearing the beast roar in his ear, the thought occurred to Lin Zheyu.

He was determined not to hunt demon puppets too far away in the forest, and in this setting, cultivation was not suitable, catching a fierce beast for a barbecue was a good choice.

Whoosh~~

Lin Zheyu's silhouette vanished in an instant, darting toward the direction of the beast's roar.

Before long, he returned carrying a giant beast over three meters long.

Arriving in the forest outside the garrison line.

Lin Zheyu met an acquaintance, someone he got to know at the martial arts exchange meeting at Wuji Manor.

Coming to Wuling City for this long, other than disciples from the Infinite Sect, it was during that time that Lin Zheyu made the most friends.

"Mr. Lin, I didn't expect to be assigned to the same area as you."

Li Yin said with a smile.

This was also an exceedingly unique girl.

The last time they met, she sported a shoulder-length haircut, now she'd grown it long, adding a touch of feminine allure to her elegant demeanor.

"Miss Li, long time no see."

Lin Zheyu greeted her with a smile.

He placed the beast on his shoulder on the ground, inviting, "Miss Li, would you be interested in roasting some meat together?"

"No, thank you."

"I've just had a meal, not hungry."

Li Yin smiled and shook her head.

With her longsword, she walked a bit farther, training by herself in the nearby open area.

Li Yin was practicing the Thousand Silk Sword Skill, both firm and flexible, a single sword stroke could transform into a thousand strands of sword silk, quite powerful.

Lin Zheyu watched curiously for a while, nodded approvingly.

No wonder she's a famous prodigy in Wuling City; her Thousand Silk Sword Skill has made significant progress compared to a year ago.

If Li Yin were to face Heng Qiming from a year ago, there's a good chance she could defeat him.

Which means, her current strength already possesses the potential of the Hidden Dragon List.

Lin Zheyu chopped down a few trees with his blade for firewood.

This time he carried small pieces of Red Flame Stone; under the high temperature of the Red Flame Stone, even the wettest wood could be ignited easily.

...

Cold Wind Tower.

Liang Cheng, carrying a secret message, smoothly entered.

He waited for over ten minutes in the first-floor hall, a middle-aged man with a smiling face walked in briskly.

"Greetings, Mr. Deng."

Liang Cheng saluted and handed over the secret message: "This is the secret message that General Wei asked me to deliver to you."

"Thank you."

"A small token, not worth mentioning."

Deng Yuanzhi took the message, pulled out a bottle of elixir from his chest and handed it over.

"Thank you, Mr. Deng."

"If you have no further instructions, I'll take my leave." Liang Cheng accepted the jade bottle, speaking blandly.

"There's nothing else."

"Please pass my thanks to General Wei."

Deng Yuanzhi said with a smile.

After Liang Cheng left, he opened the secret message and took out the letter inside.

Upon reading the information in the secret message, a smile appeared on Deng Yuanzhi's face.

"Haha, what a coincidence, Huang Baizhong's most proud disciple has appeared in the area under General Wei's charge."