The sky was covered with dense dark clouds, pressing down, making the entire Mountain Valley dim.
A flash of lightning split the sky, and a thunderous roar awakened Li Jun from his unconsciousness.
Li Jun's vision pierced through the sparse treetops, and he saw the dark clouds churning ceaselessly above his head.
In an instant, he sharply turned his head, his gaze locked firmly onto the Masked Old Man.
Although Li Jun had just struggled back from the edge of death and regained some ability to move, that extreme exhaustion and terror were still tormenting his nerves.
The Masked Old Man did not move at all; Li Jun naturally did not know that the old man had already had all his Vitality strangled by the silver chains.
He stared at the old man's withered body, his heart rate accelerating, cold sweat breaking out on his palms.
"Is he asleep?" Li Jun stared intently at the other party, afraid that he might make a move or suddenly attack him.
"I can't just wait here to die!" A resolute thought surged in Li Jun's mind. He looked around, saw corpses strewn everywhere, and shivered all over.
The Masked Old Man in the distance was like a statue in Deathly Silence, completely motionless.
His heartbeat echoed in Li Jun's ears like a drumbeat; he made a bold decision—to escape!
He reached out, picked up a stone, and threw it forcefully toward another direction in the distance.
"Plop!" The stone landed with a slight sound. Li Jun quickly feigned death, remaining motionless, listening intently.
A quarter of an hour passed, and the surroundings were silent.
Li Jun grew bolder. He stared tightly at the Masked Old Man, his heart almost leaping out of his throat, but the Masked Old Man remained still.
Li Jun's heart settled slightly, but he still dared not let his guard down.
He picked up another stone and threw it into the distance.
"Plop!" Still no reaction.
Li Jun swallowed, firmly believing that the Masked Old Man at this moment must be in a state of unconsciousness or unawareness.
The tension and fear in his heart were gradually replaced by wisps of the desire to survive.
Li Jun knew that the opportunity had arrived.
He slowly crawled on the ground, retreating slowly like a lizard, every movement cautious and deliberate, every step like dancing on the tip of a knife.
Sweat slid down his forehead, his heart clenched tightly, afraid that the slightest carelessness would alert the Masked Old Man, but he was too weak, and his movement was extremely slow.
After moving a short distance, he felt a weight on his calf.
He swallowed and quietly turned his head. He saw a headless corpse pressing on his leg; the body's clothes were tattered, stained with blood.
Li Jun took a closer look—it was Huang Zhongxin's corpse!
He covered his mouth and nose, nearly vomiting. He suppressed his fear, hardened his heart, closed his eyes, and gently kicked the corpse away.
His body was covered in Huang Zhongxin's blood and rotting flesh, emitting a foul odor, but Li Jun could no longer care about that.
He looked down again and quickly moved backward, trying his best to make no sound.
After an extremely tense escape, his trailing foot finally touched a cold, massive rock.
He shifted his body, hiding behind the rock, gasping desperately, nearly collapsing from exhaustion.
A distance of several dozen meters felt like the longest road he had ever traveled. He was soaked, sweat and blood mixed together, soaking his clothes.
"It seems the Masked Old Man really is asleep. That's great, I have a chance to escape!" Li Jun calmed his mind slightly, using the rock as cover, and secretly glanced back at the Masked Old Man.
The Masked Old Man still showed no movement, but the Black Cauldron was trembling slightly. The "buzzing" sound sent a chill down Li Jun's spine, as if something terrifying was about to burst out of the cauldron.
Those companions near the cauldron had their bodies gnawed beyond recognition by Poisonous Scorpions; their internal organs and flesh were almost completely eaten, leaving only gruesome remains.
Li Jun's gaze fell upon Sun Xiuer. She was facing away from him, her body stiff and unmoving; it looked like she had also met a terrible end.
"She's dead, she must be dead..." Li Jun muttered to himself, the suppressed emotion surging up, almost suffocating him.
He knew he could not linger any longer.
Li Jun no longer hesitated. He quickly squatted down, bent over, and plunged into the woods of the Mountain Valley. He went from a small jog to running for his life, his steps growing heavier, driven forward by the fear in his heart.
After running only a short distance, his body could no longer support him. Weak, he fell heavily onto the ground, panting.
No, I must keep running!
Li Jun fell heavily onto the ground, his gasps mixing with his rapid heartbeat echoing in his ears.
His palms were covered in sweat, his fingers trembling slightly, his teeth chattering, as if he were completely enveloped by fear.
His heartbeat roared deafeningly like a drum; he had to escape this Mountain Valley as quickly as possible!
He must get far away from that terrifying Masked Old Man!
The surrounding bushes and towering trees resembled a gloomy Cage, obscuring his vision.
The dark clouds in the sky continued to churn, and thunder occasionally sounded from afar, like a warning or an urging. He glanced back; the Masked Old Man's figure was blocked by dense thickets.
"I finally escaped..." Li Jun calmed down slightly, took a deep breath, stood up again, and started running.
His steps were hurried, his eyes constantly scanning the surroundings, trying to find the path leading out of the mountain. All he could think about was escaping back to Song Village, returning to that familiar land, which was his place of safety.
But just as he was running with all his might, suddenly, with a "bang," Li Jun violently collided with something, nearly being thrown back.
He paused for a moment, raised his hand to touch the air in front of him, his face full of confusion—there was clearly nothing in front of him, yet his hand felt an invisible Barrier, like an unseen wall, incredibly solid.
"What the heck is this?" Li Jun frowned, tracing his fingers over the Barrier. The terror in his eyes instantly turned into anger and unease.
He tried to ram into it forcefully, but the Barrier remained completely unmoved.
A strong sense of anger and helplessness surged in Li Jun's heart. He finally understood that this was not an ordinary obstacle; it must be a magical mechanism set up by the Masked Old Man.
Even if he ran out of the Mountain Valley, he was still trapped within this bizarre Barrier!
"Damn it!" Li Jun gritted his teeth, intense unease and fear rising in his heart.
He clenched his fists and smashed the Barrier several times fiercely, but every impact felt like hitting an invisible wall of bronze and iron, numbing his arms.
He charged against it a few more times unwillingly, to no avail.
Then, he picked up nearby stones and, as if crazed, smashed them forward with reckless abandon!
"Thud! Thud! Thud!" Li Jun's strength gradually depleted, and finally, he leaned against a tree, completely drained, gasping heavily.
"What should I do?" His mind was in chaos, and uncontrollable fear surged into his heart again.
Now, he not only had to face this unbreakable Barrier but also guard against the Masked Old Man appearing behind him at any moment.
Tears mixed with fear slid uncontrollably from the corners of his eyes.
However, he quickly calmed down. First, he had to find a safe place and figure out a way to escape.
Li Jun quickly looked around, his gaze catching a relatively dense thicket of bushes.
He gritted his teeth, quietly moved behind that thicket, found a hidden corner to hide, and constantly scanned his surroundings vigilantly.
The current situation did not allow him any room for wishful thinking.
The Masked Old Man was unfathomable and could find him and kill him completely at any moment.
Li Jun broke out in a cold sweat, his knuckles turning slightly pale, constantly telling himself: "Calm down, calm down, I must find a way out."
His mind was in turmoil. Although many questions lingered in his heart—Why did I end up in this situation? What is the Masked Old Man's purpose? Why did I become the target?—Li Jun knew this was not the time to seek answers; staying alive was the only goal right now.
"Escape... I must escape."
Li Jun hid in a thicket. The surroundings were silent, filled with a strange heaviness. He chewed on tender leaves and small fruits from the bushes to sustain himself.
Half a day passed, and he was trapped in this Forest, with no way out.
After recovering some strength, he looked at the invisible wall before him, became furious, and continued to smash it with stones! The Light Screen of the Formation Array was incredibly sturdy, utterly useless, and had only exhausted him.
Afterward, he continued to rest among the bushes.