The forest greeted him with silence.
Not the silence of an empty place.
The silence of countless living things watching one another.
Xiao Feng stood at the edge of the Magic Beast Mountain Range and took a slow breath.
The air felt different.
Cooler.
Richer.
Even the spiritual energy drifting through the trees was noticeably denser than inside Wu Tan City.
“So this is the outside world…”
A faint smile appeared on his face.
No matter how familiar he was with this world from the novel…
Reading about it and standing inside it were completely different experiences.
Without hesitation, he stepped forward.
The old road disappeared after only a few hundred meters.
Soon, nothing remained except towering ancient trees.
Birdsong echoed overhead.
Somewhere deeper within the forest, a beast roared.
The sound rolled across the mountains before slowly fading away.
Xiao Feng didn’t panic.
Instead, he quietly spread his spiritual sense.
Like invisible ripples across a calm lake, it expanded in every direction.
Within moments…
Everything within several hundred meters became clear.
Groups of herb gatherers.
An adventurer climbing a rocky slope.
Several First-Rank Magical Beasts hunting smaller animals.
Even insects hidden beneath fallen leaves.
Xiao Feng slowly withdrew his spiritual sense.
“…Useful.”
It was almost unfair.
The journey continued peacefully until noon.
Following Xiao Zhan’s old map, Xiao Feng avoided the more dangerous paths.
He wasn’t here to show off.
He was here to grow.
Just because he possessed strength didn’t mean he should abandon caution.
A cultivator who underestimated the world usually didn’t live long.
As he crossed a shallow stream…
Rustling came from nearby bushes.
A gray shadow burst forward.
Sharp fangs.
Red eyes.
A Wind Fang Wolf.
A First-Rank Magical Beast.
Hungry.
It lunged without hesitation.
Xiao Feng simply watched.
When the wolf came within two meters…
He casually raised one hand.
No flashy technique.
No overwhelming aura.
Only a single finger. Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
Tap.
The finger landed lightly against the wolf’s forehead.
The beast froze in midair.
Its body flew backward several meters before rolling across the ground.
When it finally stopped…
It slowly stood up.
Its fierce eyes had completely changed.
Confusion replaced aggression.
The wolf stared at Xiao Feng for several seconds.
Then…
It lowered its head.
Turned around.
And quietly disappeared into the forest.
Xiao Feng smiled.
“There.”
“No unnecessary killing.”
He had intentionally controlled his strength.
The wolf had attacked because it was hunting.
Not because it was evil.
There was no reason to take its life.
The rest of the afternoon passed peacefully.
Along the way, Xiao Feng collected several medicinal herbs.
Most were common.
Still, they would prove useful later.
As the sun began setting, he found a small cliff overlooking a valley.
A clear stream flowed below.
The location was perfect for spending the night.
After setting up a simple camp, Xiao Feng sat quietly near the fire.
The forest gradually became darker.
Night belonged to the magical beasts.
He looked toward the countless stars above the mountains.
“So…”
“This is where everything really begins.”
His life inside Wu Tan City had been stable.
Predictable.
From this moment onward…
Nothing would remain predictable.
Not even for someone who knew the original story.
Because his existence had already begun changing fate.
The diary quietly appeared before him.
After thinking for a while, he began writing.
Diary Entry #8
Today I officially entered the Magic Beast Mountain Range.
The forest is quieter than I expected.
Not because nothing lives here.
Because everything here is listening.
Every sound matters.
Every mistake matters.
It reminds you very quickly that nature doesn’t care whether you’re talented or ordinary.
I also met my first magical beast.
Poor thing. Get faster updates on g.com.
It was probably just looking for lunch.
Hopefully it finds something easier than me next time.
Standing here, I suddenly realized something.
For seventeen years, my world was no larger than Wu Tan City.
Today…
It became much bigger.
Sometimes taking one step forward is enough to discover that the world you’ve known your entire life was only a tiny corner of something far greater.
Tomorrow, I’ll head deeper into the mountain range.
If everything goes according to memory…
I should eventually meet a certain young doctor.
Though knowing my luck, fate will probably throw something unexpected at me first.
He closed the diary.
A moment later—
[Diary Entry Completed.]
Reward Granted.
Spirit Step Technique
A movement technique entered Xiao Feng’s mind.
Unlike ordinary movement Dou Techniques, Spirit Step consumed very little spiritual energy while allowing the user to move silently through forests, mountains, and uneven terrain.
It emphasized precision rather than explosive speed.
Xiao Feng nodded in satisfaction.
“This one fits perfectly.”
Far away…
Inside a modest wooden cabin hidden among the mountains…
A young girl carefully closed the diary.
Her medicine basket rested beside the door.
She looked toward the dark forest outside.
“A traveler…”
She whispered softly.
“I wonder what kind of person you really are.”
For reasons she couldn’t explain…
She had the feeling they would meet very soon.
Inside the black ring…
Yao Lao stroked his beard thoughtfully.
“He didn’t kill the wolf…”
A small smile appeared on the old man’s face.
“Good.”
“Strength without restraint creates tyrants.”
“Strength with restraint creates masters.”
Perhaps…
This mysterious young man wasn’t merely knowledgeable.
Perhaps his temperament was just as extraordinary.
High above the endless forest…
The moon slowly rose.
One young man quietly cultivated beside a campfire.
One young healer prepared tomorrow’s medicines.
Neither knew that the distance between them had grown much shorter.
And with that single step into the Magic Beast Mountain Range…
The first chapter of Xiao Feng’s quiet life came to an end.
End of Volume 1
Volume 2: The Doctor’s Fate