After several days of continuous escape, the group found themselves deep in the mountain forest.
Despite having traveled far for several kilometers, the danger had not yet passed.
The forest was completely different from the snowy regions they had passed through before. Towering pine trees blocked most of the sunlight, and tangled vegetation made walking difficult.
Damp, cold air carried the smells of earth and mildew, and the sounds of strange animals could be heard from distant places.
"We need to find shelter," Zhang Yong said in a low voice, wiping sweat from his forehead. "We can't keep moving at this rate."
Because of the non-stop traveling, Zhang Yong, whose mind was already exhausted, grew weaker.
Su Ming looked around cautiously. "I'll look for a suitable place. Stay here and don't move."
After an hour of searching, Su Ming returned with good news. "I found a cave behind a rocky slope. Its entrance is hidden by bushes, and it looks safe."
The cave was narrow at the entrance but widened inside. The humidity was high, but at least it provided protection from the wind and wild animals.
"This will be our temporary home," Zhang Yong said, leaning against the cave wall. "We need to organize ourselves."
"Where are we even headed?" Liu Yan couldn't help but ask.
Zhang Yong couldn't answer the question. He already had a priority: coming to this continent was his priority. But he found that what he had done was a hasty step without any preparation.
He had even dragged the others into this matter.
'According to my limited information, the Zhang family is supposed to exist here. But presenting the seal out of nowhere would be suspicious and could end with me being interrogated or even killed.'
Zhang Yong already realized the situation he was in. Therefore, he couldn't simply head to the Zhang family's location.
After a moment of deep thought, Zhang Yong looked at his companions with serious red eyes.
"We'll first have to determine the location of any nearby cities. After that, we can decide what needs to be done."
A few days later, after resting in the cave, Zhang Yong recovered part of his mental energy. He decided to use the Library of Obscurities technique to get some guidance.
He sat in a meditative position, focusing his mind on one question: "Where is the nearest safe human settlement?"
He estimated the climate, terrain structure, and advantages of geographical locations and all other factors, then obtained a probability that the nearest one was about 100 to 150 kilometers away.
"150 kilometers?" Liu Yan said, shaking her head in frustration. "That means weeks of travel in this dangerous forest."
"Not necessarily," Su Ming intervened. "If we move quickly and avoid confrontations, we might arrive in about ten days."
Zhang Yong couldn't help but stare at his companions. Whatever the cost, he would return them home.
After two more days of rest, they were ready for the journey.
The journey was incredibly arduous, as it seemed like fourth and fifth-rank beasts were raining on them from the sky.
Fortunately, they managed to run and escape, avoiding combat and energy depletion.
On the fifth day of the journey, they faced the most dangerous threat yet: a pack of demonic wolves.
These beasts were a pack of fourth-rank wolves—fast and ferocious, with black fur that blended with the shadows and glowing red eyes.
The wolves attacked from all directions, moving with astonishing coordination. Su Ming fought with his Sword Will, while Liu Yan sent spiral water arrow spells.
But the wolves were too many. They began slowly surrounding the group, tightening the noose around them.
"We can't keep this up!" Liu Yan shouted as she fired a stream of fire at a wolf leaping toward her.
The number of wolves was endless, and they moved with terrifying coordination as if they shared one mind.
Su Ming was cutting down wolf after wolf, but their numbers far outmatched them.
Suddenly, from among the shadows, a massive wolf the size of a bull—the pack leader—pounced from directly behind toward Su Ming.
Woosh!
A beam of light flew toward the group and annihilated the wolf pack.
All the wolves suddenly stopped, then began retreating quickly, as if they knew danger had arrived.
An old man appeared, wearing an elegant robe of dark blue silk embroidered with mysterious silver symbols.
His white hair was neatly arranged, and he had a long white beard. He stood firmly on a high tree branch, looking at the scene below.
Within moments, all the wolves disappeared into the depths of the forest, leaving the group in a state of shock and confusion.
The old man descended from the tree quietly, his movement graceful and balanced. He looked at the group with eyes carrying an assessing gaze.
Zhang Yong did not delay and stepped forward toward the old traveler. "We thank the benefactor for helping us in our crisis."
The old man looked at Zhang Yong with piercing eyes, as if judging him. "No need for that. This was a request from the young lady."
"The young lady?" The group couldn't help but look in confusion.
Then the sound of rustling began to approach, and a giant yellow lizard emerged before the group... Correction, there was a herd behind it of various huge beasts. But they all seemed to share one thing: they carried packs on their backs, and some had rooms resembling houses atop them.
Zhang Yong realized what was happening. 'It's a trade caravan!'
The caravan continued to emerge from among the trees, composed of dozens of giant beasts carrying goods and passengers. It was an astonishing sight, with the beasts arranged in orderly rows despite their different sizes and types.
From atop one of the giant lizards, from a cabin, a young girl emerged. She wore a green dress, her long black hair tied in a neat bun, and her honey-colored eyes gleamed with curiosity. She appeared to be seventeen or eighteen years old.
The moment Zhang Yong looked at her, he froze for a moment before feeling his blood boil slightly.
'Impossible... she... possesses the same lineage?!'
"Uncle Tai, are they alright?" the girl asked with concern, then lightly leaped from the giant lizard's back and approached the group.
"We're fine. Thank you for your help," Zhang Yong answered, trying to hide his astonishment. "We owe you our lives."
The girl shook her head gently. "Not at all. How could we look away from someone in need?"
Zhang Yong couldn't help but stare at this girl, feeling curious about her.
"Young Lady, why have we stopped?" A voice came from behind, and a young man appeared from one of the cabins.
He wore a black robe—not luxurious, but appearing ordinary. He had long blue-black hair and eyes sharp as a hawk's. He moved smoothly and confidently but carried no training aura.
"We found these travelers under attack by demonic wolves, Zhou Yang," the girl explained to the man.
Zhou Yang looked at the group with a neutral expression, but his eyes quickly captured every detail.
Zhang Yong immediately activated his Heavenly Demon Eyes on the man and felt something wrong. His emotional aura was red tinged with purple—he was annoyed—but his face hid a smile.
"Oh, it seems the young lady has been overcome by her kindness again. It would be better if we moved, or the caravan leader Hao might be upset," the man said with a smile, clearly hinting at leaving the group and departing.
But the young lady was faster. "We can't leave them here. Look at their condition—they're on the verge of collapse."
Zhou Yang looked at Zhang Yong and his companions, examining them, then pointed to their visible wounds and torn clothes. "They really are in bad shape." Then he turned to the girl. "But Young Lady Shu, that's exactly why we can't just take them. They'll be a burden."
Zhang Yong's eyes gleamed as he felt something. This Zhou Yang—there was something wrong with him. That was what Zhang Yong felt.
This was an opportunity. The area they were currently in was unknown, and they were tired, their energy nearly sealed. The best way to hide would be to join the caravan.
Zhang Yong stepped forward and bowed. "Allow me to interject. We know we can't receive a favor without giving something in return. The young lady saved us, so we can join the caravan as guards and provide protection."
Zhou Yang raised an eyebrow with an interesting expression. "Guards? You can barely protect yourselves."
Zhang Yong smiled. "That's simply because we need rest. We've been traveling for two months without stopping, which exhausted us. And if you don't believe us..." Zhang Yong turned toward his companions. "Brothers, show them your levels."
Su Ming, Liu Yan, and Liu Yin nodded in understanding, then deliberately released their energy auras. The power of the Ancestor rank erupted from their bodies, causing dust and leaves around them to fly.
Uncle Tai was astonished for a moment, then a smile of appreciation appeared on his face. "Two Ancestor-rank cultivators and one Guru on the 9th stage . Your level is a rare talent at such a young age."
For a moment, the smile disappeared from Zhou Yang's face before he corrected his expression. "What a poor manner I have. I failed to see the mountain before me. I hope you won't take my actions and words to heart. You are more than enough to join."
But Lady Shu shook her head. "No need for that. You are all invited to join our caravan as guests. No need for you to work as guards."
Zhou Yang looked at Lady Shu, then at Zhang Yong, and finally let out a sigh. "As you wish, Lady Shu. But I must get Leader Hao's approval first."
After a few moments, Zhou Yang returned with a middle-aged man. His round face was covered in pockmarks, he was fat with a large belly, and his eyes crinkled when he smiled.
After hearing an explanation of the situation, Hao looked at Zhang Yong and his companions, examining them. "Ancestor-rank practitioners... yes, they can join. But they must understand that the caravan's rules are strict. Protecting the cargo is the priority, and orders must be obeyed."
Zhang Yong nodded seriously. "We accept your conditions, Leader Hao."
Hao smiled, making his narrow eyes disappear among the wrinkles of his face. "Excellent! I'll assign you a cabin at the rear of the caravan. Rest today from your journey, and you can begin your work tomorrow."
As they walked toward the cabin assigned to them, Zhang Yong noticed that Zhou Yang was giving them a mysterious look. There was something in that man's eyes he didn't like.
"Don't trust that man Zhou Yang," Zhang Yong whispered to his companions as they settled into the cabin.
"I feel the same," Su Ming answered in a low voice. "His behavior is very polite, but his eyes hide something else."
The cabin was simple but comfortable, with enough beds for everyone. After weeks of sleeping on hard ground, it seemed like paradise.
"Finally, a real bed!" Liu Yan said as she threw herself onto one of the beds.
After they settled, a maid came bearing hot food. The meal was simple but nutritious: fresh bread, meat soup, and cooked vegetables.
"They really respect us highly," Su Ming couldn't help but marvel at how they were being treated.
Zhang Yong said simply as he lay on the bed, "Simply put, the higher your power level, the more respect others give you. Would you dare to offend a King or Emperor? They willingly offered four Ancestor-rank fighters for protection. They're equivalent to tribe elders. We're just four with high-level combat power."
As they enjoyed their first warm meal in a while, everyone felt a sense of real relaxation beginning. But Zhang Yong remained alert—his ears caught the sound of light footsteps approaching their cabin door.
The door was knocked on gently, then opened to reveal Lady Shu standing outside.
Zhang Yong bowed. "Oh, it's an honor to be visited by our benefactor."
Lady Shu raised her finger to her lips. "Please lower your voice. I just wanted to make sure you were comfortable," she said with a gentle smile. "And I wanted to apologize for Zhou Yang's behavior. He's just... overly cautious."
'Overly cautious? I doubt that. There's something wrong with him,' Zhang Yong thought cautiously.
"No need. We understand, Lady Shu," Zhang Yong said with a smile.
"I hope the misunderstanding has been cleared up. My name is Shu Yanran. I haven't heard your names yet," Shu Yanran said to lighten the atmosphere.
Zhang Yong introduced himself and his companions' fake names smoothly. As he spoke, he noticed how Shu Yanran's eyes paused for a moment on his red eyes, but without any fear or disgust—only gentle curiosity.
Zhang Yong couldn't help but ask, "Is something wrong, Lady Shu?"
Shu Yanran realized she had been staring inappropriately before a faint smile appeared. "Oh, sorry. It's just that your eyes are very rare," she said with sympathy. "Is it a family trait?"
Zhang Yong smiled mysteriously. "Something like that."
Shu Yanran seemed about to say something more, but she hesitated and then simply smiled. "Well, rest well. I wish you a safe journey to your destination."
After she left, Zhang Yong quietly closed the door. His red eyes gleamed with deep thought.
'This is going to be a long journey.'