The moonlight was hazy, casting dappled rays through the mountains and forests. The mountains were far from peaceful at night, with the occasional roar of wild beasts echoing through the air, sending chills down one's spine.
The golden dragon carried Chen Nan eastward through the sky, traversing several towering mountain ranges, and quickly arrived above the forests fifty miles from the City of Sin. The moonlight was dim, and in the darkness, the forests below appeared vast and eerie.
The purple-gold dragon growled softly, "Awoo... I escaped from that forest below. I wonder if that little wench is still there. That wretched, hateful woman! If I can catch her this time, I'll make her pay!"
Chen Nan signaled the Purple-Gold Divine Dragon to descend. He gripped his longsword tightly. Although he knew Meng Ke'er might be seriously injured, her terrifying cultivation still made Chen Nan wary. He was prepared for battle. The Purple-Gold Divine Dragon also knew that Meng Ke'er was not easy to deal with. As it approached low altitude, it stopped speaking and cautiously descended.
The forest was pitch black, so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. Moonlight couldn't penetrate the towering, centuries-old trees. Relatively speaking, the forest was very quiet; there were no roars of monsters, only the occasional sound of animals moving around.
Chen Nan stood quietly in the forest, opening his mind and body to merge with the surrounding world. His divine sense extended outwards, sensing everything around him. At this moment, his mind was completely clear; even with his eyes closed, he could feel every blade of grass and every tree nearby. He saw two birds sleeping peacefully, their necks intertwined on a tree; he saw a raccoon dog watching him warily from the shadows…
Although his eyes were closed, the surrounding scenery was vividly perceived in his mind. In the stillness, he merged with the world around him, and he could perceive everything nearby. This was the spiritual perception that the old monster repeatedly emphasized. When everyone cultivates to a certain level, their spiritual gates will open wide, allowing them to perceive the things around them with their hearts.
The commonly known "clairvoyance" is formed on this basis, while "telepathy" is a more advanced realm. The human body is like a treasure trove. As the cultivation realm improves, the door of the treasure trove will gradually open, and many supernatural powers will appear.
Although the Purple-Gold Divine Dragon had lost all its dragon essence and was no longer as powerful as before, its aura as a king of dragons remained. The animals in the forest, guided by their innate instincts, seemed to sense the presence of the divine beast and were too frightened to make a sound; the forest fell silent.
Chen Nan tried his best to sense Meng Ke'er's presence, but couldn't find it. He gestured to the Purple-Gold Divine Dragon, signaling it to look for her. The Purple-Gold Divine Dragon flicked its tail in the air and began to swim and fly through the forest. Half an hour later, it flew back, shook its head, and muttered, "Awoo...didn't find that little wench. Damn it! Could she have already escaped back to the City of Sin?"
Chen Nan frowned. According to his guess, Meng Ke'er should not have escaped from this mountain yet. If she still had the ability to fly on the Jade Lotus Platform, she would never have let the Purple-Gold Divine Dragon escape.
He moved forward step by step, guided by his senses, his right hand gripping the long sword tightly, his keen perception heightened to its limit. Beyond the forest lay a thicket of thorns. As Chen Nan traversed the thickets, a glint of light flashed in his eyes. By the moonlight, he spotted a long strand of hair entwined and fluttering among the thorns.
He carefully removed the strand of hair and examined it closely. The hair was black and shiny, soft and long, very similar to Meng Ke'er's hair. Most importantly, there was no one else in this desolate wilderness.
The Purple-Gold Divine Dragon exclaimed excitedly, "Awoo... This little wench is indeed seriously injured. Otherwise, why would she have walked through the Thorn Forest? If she were in good health, she would probably have already ridden the Jade Lotus Platform back to the City of Sin."
Chen Nan gestured for it to be quiet. The man and the dragon cautiously continued forward, walking about 500 meters until they reached the edge of the thorn bushes, where another long, shiny black hair was wrapped around a vine.
"Aww...it seems she really is going in this direction."
Ahead of the thorny thicket lies a small valley, from which a babbling brook flows outwards, shimmering faintly in the moonlight and humming softly.
The valley is not large, only about two or three square kilometers in size. Wild camellias bloom throughout the valley, and their fragrance is refreshing and invigorating. It is indeed an elegant valley.
Chen Nan secretly guessed that, given Meng Ke'er's nature as a woman, she was very likely healing her injuries here. After arriving here, he became even more cautious to avoid alerting any potential opponents hiding here.
Suddenly, the purple-gold dragon danced excitedly in the air, but dared not utter a sound. It gestured for Chen Nan to look ahead. Beside the clear spring, a white woman's coat hung on a camellia tree, swaying gently in the breeze.
Chen Nan's eyes narrowed sharply; it was Meng Ke'er's coat. He held the long sword in front of him and walked forward with firm steps.
When they were less than ten feet away from the camellia tree, a beam of light as bright as lightning suddenly shot out from the camellia grove beside them. It was as powerful as thunder, and it generated terrifying energy fluctuations that shook all the nearby camellia trees, causing camellia petals to fly everywhere.
Chen Nan hurriedly twisted his body, slashing diagonally with his longsword. The blade's light shone like divine punishment, unleashing a four-zhang-long streak of light to meet the incoming beam of light.
A deafening roar erupted, and a blinding flash of light illuminated the entire valley. Chen Nan was blasted backward, flying seven or eight zhang (approximately 33-40 meters) away. Upon landing, his chest heaved violently, and he nearly coughed up blood. Patches of tea trees collapsed and shattered, endless tea blossoms drifted through the air, and the area within a ten-zhang radius was reduced to flat ground, all vegetation destroyed.
Chen Nan steadied himself and looked in the direction of the bright light. He saw Meng Ke'er walking calmly from the depths of the camellia forest. She wore a white, tight-fitting women's dress that accentuated her graceful figure, making her look sexy and alluring. Her beautiful face shone with a crystal-clear luster, like fine jade, and her bright eyes shone with a deep light.
At this moment, Meng Ke'er stared intently at Chen Nan with a half-smile. She was originally a stunningly beautiful woman, usually dressed elegantly and exuding a faint aura of holiness. Now, wearing tight-fitting clothes, she had a different kind of charm, with a touch of bewitching allure amidst her holiness, revealing a captivating allure.