The first light of dawn pierced through the canopy of the Sunset Forest, its golden fingers reaching into the shadows as mist clung to the damp underbrush. The air was thick with dew and mystery, every leaf glistening like a jewel. Birdsong trilled softly in the distance, but closer to the forest's heart, silence reigned—a sacred quiet that even the wind dared not disturb.
"Is everyone ready?" Flender voice cut through the hush, his sharp gaze sweeping across the group from beneath the brim of his worn traveling hat. His tone was measured, but there was an edge of unease beneath it. Despite his years of experience and power as a Spirit Saint, the deeper parts of the Sunset Forest always demanded caution.
Li Wei stood at the front, calm and unreadable as ever. His teal white robe fluttered gently, blending with the shadows as if he were a part of the forest itself. He scanned the terrain with cool precision. Beside him, Zhu Zhuqing adjusted the black ribbons in her hair, her black eyes gleaming with quiet resolve. Every movement she made was calculated, sharp, like a blade honed by silence.
Ning Rongrong, cloaked in the soft hues of her Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, stood near Liu Erlong. Her gaze flitted nervously between the ancient trees. She wasn't weak—far from it—but the pressure of this expedition pressed heavily on her shoulders. Xiao Wu toyed with a strand of her hair, her playful demeanor tempered by a keen awareness of their surroundings. Meng Yiran leaned against a tree with arms crossed, every muscle relaxed but ready to spring. She scanned the shadows, instincts sharpened from her past hunts.
"We're heading north by northwest," Li Wei explained. "If the reports are accurate, the Crystal-Eyed Wisdom Fox was last spotted near Moonmist Lake. After that, we'll comb the eastern ravine for traces of the Voidfang Tiger."
"Two ten-thousand-year spirit beasts," Zhao Wuji muttered, tightening the straps on his gauntlets as he thought about Li Wei suggestions before. "That's quite the welcome party."
"Nothing about this will be easy," Liu Erlong replied, her expression unreadable. Her eyes, however, swept the forest like a blade. "But if they succeed, the reward will be immeasurable."
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The group moved in silence through the underbrush, each step muffled by moss and fallen leaves. Sunlight filtered through the canopy in fractured beams, giving the path an almost dreamlike glow. The forest seemed to breathe around them.
As they passed a thick tangle of vines, Ning Rongrong fell into step beside Li Wei. Her voice was soft, barely louder than the wind.
"That fox beast… It improves mental acuity, right?"
"And quickens the mind," Li Wei confirmed. "Its spirit ring will sharpen your reaction time and your support abilities. But be warned—it's not only clever, it's elusive. It might observe us for days, weighing us."
Ning Rongrong clenched her fists lightly. "Then I'll make sure to get it. I won't let it see any weakness in me."
Li Wei gave her a brief glance. There was no mockery, no encouragement—only acknowledgment.
Up ahead, Zhu Zhuqing had crouched beside a tree. Her sharp eyes caught a deep gash in the bark, almost hidden beneath a trailing vine. She reached out, brushing the mark with two fingers.
Too deep for a normal animal.
She turned her head and met Li Wei gaze. Nothing more was needed. He nodded once.
They moved on.
Hours passed. The terrain shifted subtly—the trees grew taller, older. Roots twisted like serpents beneath their feet. Eventually, they reached a narrow ridge overlooking a mist-filled gully. Flender raised a hand.
"We'll rest here. Ten minutes. Stay alert."
Xiao Wu exhaled loudly, flopping onto a sun-warmed boulder. "Finally! My legs have turned to jelly."
Meng Yiran remained upright, back to a tree, scanning the forest with narrowed eyes. "This part of the forest feels… watched."
"It is," Li Wei said from where he knelt, inspecting a cluster of disturbed ferns. "High-level spirit beasts are more than animals. They test us before they attack."
Zhu Zhuqing took a swig from her flask, her eyes never leaving a shadowed path on the far slope. The wind stirred, lifting leaves—and for a heartbeat, she saw them: two slivers of silver light in the darkness.
Then they vanished.
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By twilight, they reached the ethereal shores of Moonmist Lake. The waters shimmered like glass, reflecting the deep purples and golds of the sky. Ghostly lichen grew along the shoreline, bathing the area in a soft, natural luminescence.
Xiao Wu started a fire with practiced ease after Li Wei get the firewood, humming a soft melody that barely reached above the crackling flames.
Zhu Zhuqing sat near the edge of the camp, looking around the place focusing and mentally prepare for the fight that will come.
Li Wei approached and crouched beside her.
"Your movements are sharper than before, that is good." he said.
She didn't look up. "Not sharp enough. Not yet. But I will be."
He nodded. "The Voidfang Tiger won't hesitate so you will need to be careful, Zhuqing."
"Then I'll make sure it doesn't get a chance."
Across the fire, Ning Rongrong watched them, her expression unreadable. Later, as the others prepared to sleep, she approached Li Wei.
They stood at the water edge, the lake reflecting stars like scattered diamonds.
"Do you think I'm truly ready?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
He looked at her. "I am sure that you're ready. The training that you've gone through will prepare and you wouldn't be here otherwise. Believe me, you've grown."
She hesitated, then said, "I don't want to follow behind anymore. I want to stand beside you."
He didn't answer, but the silence that followed felt weighted, not empty.
Behind a tree, Xiao Wu watched, the playful curve of her lips faded. "You're not the only one fighting to stand there," she whispered to herself, then turned and walked away.
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That night, as the moon climbed to its zenith, something stirred.
Ning Rongrong shot upright, breath caught in her throat. A sharp pressure had brushed her consciousness—a curious, inquisitive probe.
"Something seem touching my mind," she gasped.
Everyone woke in an instant. Li Wei was already standing, his aura flaring.
"It might be the fox," he said. "The fox can be said to be one of the spirit beast that deal mind. If you felt it, the fox must be nearby. Watching us."
Zhao Wuji and Liu Erlong spread out to investigate. Moments later, faint glowing footprints were discovered at the water's edge. They shimmered briefly before fading.
Then Liu Erlong called from the ridgeline.
The group gathered. Carved into the rock were four long claw marks, each deeper than a sword width.
Zhu Zhuqing stepped forward, her breath catching. "Voidfang Tiger claw mark." she whispered. The mark of the claw at the middle deeper than the usual claw mark. And this usually left by Voirfang Tiger.
This night three people wake up to watch the camp at every hour.
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The next morning, before the sun had broken the horizon, Li Wei stood alone at the cliff's edge. The mist below rolled like a living sea.
Zhu Zhuqing approached without sound.
"They're both seem to be watching us," she said.
He nodded. "And waiting."
She looked at him. "What if we fail?"
"Then we adapt. We learn. We get stronger."
She turned to face him fully. "Then I'll keep growing. Not for glory. For you. For Rongrong. For all of us."
His eyes met hers. For a moment, something softened. Then, without a word, his hand brushed hers—light, brief.
A silent vow.
Far beneath the ridge, hidden from sight, a pair of crystal eyes blinked once and vanished. And deeper still, the void rippled, revealing curved fangs and glowing stripes before folding back into nothingness.
The hunt had not ended. It had only just begun.