Li Jun rested for about an hour, and as he got up, the sky suddenly changed drastically.
The sky instantly became overcast with dark clouds, and a fierce wind rushed in, mixed with lightning and thunder.
Li Jun was startled, turning back to look in the direction where the Black Cauldron was situated. Above that area, a dense Black Light had begun to surge, piercing through the entire Forest and soaring straight up into the firmament.
A deafening roar echoed through the heavens, causing the earth to tremble slightly.
Li Jun’s eyes widened as he watched that Black Light. Not long after, several streaks of Golden Light cut through the clouds in the sky, rushing directly toward the pillar of Demonic Qi that was the Black Light.
There seemed to be some flickering figures within that Golden Light as well.
Above the Black Cauldron, Demonic Qi overflowed, constantly intertwining with the Golden Light.
Li Jun could clearly hear the sounds of fighting coming from a distance. It was as if a Formless Force was struggling in the space between heaven and earth. The appearance of the Golden Light gradually suppressed the Black Qi, but Li Jun dared not relax his vigilance in the slightest.
He did not understand what this earth-shattering struggle was for, but he knew many of his companions had died there, and all he wanted now was to survive.
He cautiously approached the boundary of the distant trapping array, afraid of being swept into that Demonic Qi.
The Golden Light and the Black Qi seemed to move further away, and the sounds of fighting gradually weakened, but intermittent Fierce Winds pierced through the entire Forest, startling Li Jun.
Li Jun heard a cracking sound, and not far away, the transparent Light Screen before his eyes shattered.
The Light Screen trapping Li Jun disappeared!
With the Light Screen broken, Li Jun paid no attention to anything else, overjoyed—finally, he had a chance to escape.
He immediately fled.
He didn't know how vast this stretch of Forest was; he could only run wildly toward the east.
He longed to return to Song Village, return to the Lotus Pond, return to that familiar village, and get as far away from this strange land as possible.
The long hours of running through the mountains, the silence of the Forest, and the howls of wild beasts were all challenges for the young Li Jun.
It was also thanks to the experience gained from hunting in the mountains with Li San since childhood that gave him a bit more hope for survival in this Forest. Even when resting, he only dared to climb to the treetops, and after eating some wild fruit, he continued forward cautiously.
There was almost no sign of human habitation in the Forest, only unknown wild beasts occasionally appearing and disappearing in the distant mountain ravines.
His clothes were tattered, his body covered in scratches and dirt. Hunger and exhaustion made Li Jun’s steps heavier and heavier, and a shadow was closing in behind him.
“Awooo!” A low, ferocious Beast Roar broke the silence of the Forest. Li Jun suddenly turned back, only to see a giant Leopard Cat rapidly closing in on him. Its savage eyes glittered with a deadly light in the shadows of the trees.
Li Jun’s heart tightened, every hair on his body stood on end. Without thinking further, he turned and ran forward desperately.
That Leopard Cat seemed to be toying with him, sometimes quickening its pace to close the distance, and sometimes deliberately slowing down, as if enjoying this cat-and-mouse hunt.
Li Jun ran with all his might, the wind whistling past his ears, the ground beneath his feet uneven. Every step was like a race against death.
Yet, even so, the Leopard Cat relentlessly pursued him, occasionally extending its sharp claws to tear at his clothes and flesh. Li Jun nearly fell several times.
Suddenly, the Leopard Cat fiercely bit Li Jun’s hip. Intense pain struck him, and Li Jun almost fell to the ground.
He felt blood flowing down his thigh. The pain burned his nerves like fire, and his legs could barely support him.
He struggled with all his might, trying to break free from the deadly restraint.
In his despair, he vaguely heard human voices coming from ahead.
Li Jun gritted his teeth and rushed toward that direction with the last shred of his strength.
The Leopard Cat seemed to sense the prey's intention, stopped playing around, and suddenly accelerated, preparing to end the hunt in the final moment.
Just as the Leopard Cat was about to pounce from behind, a glimmer of hope for survival finally appeared before Li Jun’s eyes—a group of seven or eight people surrounding a white-haired elder.
Li Jun waved desperately, his voice trembling with panic: “Help! Help me!”
This year, the Medicine King Competition in Kefeng City commenced once again. This was the grand event for the medicinal materials industry in the city, held once every ten years, attracting the attention of countless medicinal masters and merchants.
Last time, the Medicinal Cuisine Workshop won the championship with an eight-hundred-year Medicinal Age Fire Spirit Ginseng, shaking the entire town.
That Fire Spirit Ginseng was discovered by Pan Zhuanghe, the Steward of the West Storeroom of the Medicinal Cuisine Workshop. Such a rare Medicinal Material not only made Kefeng City famous among surrounding cities but also established the Medicinal Cuisine Workshop’s unshakeable position in the medicinal materials industry.
Upon receiving the Medicine King title, the merchant would receive commendation and tax reduction from City Lord Huang Yaoxian. The winning Medicine King material had to be submitted to the Medicine Immortal Sect. After being verified by the Medicine Immortal Sect, they would also receive an Immortal Gate Token from the Medicine Immortal Sect and a considerable amount of Spirit Stones.
With this Immortal Gate Token, even an ordinary Mortal could join the Medicine Immortal Sect.
Therefore, the competition in the Medicine King Competition every ten years was extremely intense. No merchant would hoard their findings; they would spend a fortune to purchase rare medicines or send people to gather herbs in remote, deep mountains and forests.
This year, Pan Zhuanghe personally led the team for Herb Gathering again, and the Medicinal Cuisine Workshop placed high hopes on him.
However, unlike previous years, this time various medicine vendors and Herb Gatherers flocked to the Medicine Mountain near Kefeng City, making it much harder to find a precious Medicinal Material there in a short time, as they had in the past.
After several days of searching, Pan Zhuanghe decisively led the team to bypass Medicine Mountain and head straight for the perilous Fengluan Mountain.
Fengluan Mountain’s notorious reputation was widespread; Demonic Beasts ran rampant in the mountains, and ordinary people dared not set foot there. Even experts from Kefeng City rarely ventured into it.
However, a large quantity of precious Spirit Herbs grew in this dangerous Forest.
For Pan Zhuanghe and his team, these rare Spirit Herbs were their hope for seizing the top spot in the Medicine King Competition.
Although Fengluan Mountain was full of danger, in everyone's eyes, opportunity coexisted with risk, and finding precious Medicinal Materials was the most important thing.
Zhao Hongping was Pan Zhuanghe’s capable assistant, but initially, Zhao Hongping had many reservations about Pan Zhuanghe’s arrival.
Before Pan Zhuanghe took over the Medicinal Materials West Storeroom, Zhao Hongping had always been the Herb Gathering Steward of the West Storeroom, handling all Medicinal Material collection activities himself.
Pan Zhuanghe’s arrival undoubtedly diminished his status, but after two or three decades of interaction, Zhao Hongping had to admit that Pan Zhuanghe’s knowledge and abilities far surpassed his own. Gradually, he changed from initial resistance to sincere admiration, willing to serve this Master.
When they met, they would respectfully call out, "Old Pan!"
Most Herb Gatherers in Kefeng City would not rashly enter this perilous Fengluan Mountain.
After all, the Demonic Beasts were fierce and cunning; a moment of carelessness meant death.
However, for the sake of the top spot in the Medicine King Competition, Zhao Hongping and the other medicinal masters risked it all, following Pan Zhuanghe deep into Fengluan Mountain.
Over two months, Pan Zhuanghe led them searching everywhere in the Forest, avoiding several Demonic Beast attacks.
But precious Spirit Herbs were not so easily picked; after one full circuit, they only found ordinary Spirit Herbs.
Just when everyone was about to lose hope, they finally discovered a Three Soul Grass with nearly a thousand years of Medicinal Age on a steep cliff face.
The Three Soul Grass, this legendary rare Spirit Herb, not only had astonishing medicinal effects, but there were also rumors that it could prolong life and enhance a Cultivator's cultivation.
Picking the Three Soul Grass was not an easy task.
Under Pan Zhuanghe’s meticulous arrangement, Zhao Hongping and the others cooperated tacitly, finally succeeding in avoiding the Fierce Beast lurking on the cliff and successfully taking down the Three Soul Grass.
Just as they breathed a sigh of relief over this great success, a black pillar of Demonic Qi suddenly appeared on the distant horizon, blotting out the sky. Demonic Qi surged turbulently, startling many Demonic Beasts away.
This sudden anomaly made everyone uneasy. The men in the team became tense, instinctively wanting to move away from the terrifying scene.
However, Pan Zhuanghe did not immediately issue a retreat order. He stood there, quietly gazing at the distant Demonic Pillar, his eyes deep. But no one noticed that a streak of Golden Light quietly left his sleeve and headed toward that Demonic Qi.
Old Pan, shouldn't we leave now? Zhao Hongping asked in a low voice, starting to feel uneasy.
The Demonic Qi rolled, and dark clouds enveloped the sky; all of this made him feel ominous.
Yet, Pan Zhuanghe remained unmoved, standing there.
Several streaks of Golden Light flashed across the horizon, intertwining with the Demonic Qi, followed by the sound of fierce fighting from afar.
Seeing the conflict intensify, Zhao Hongping and the others began to feel restless.
“Alright, let’s go,” Pan Zhuanghe finally ordered, turning to lead the group away from this strange phenomenon.
Strange occurrences were common on Fengluan Mountain, and the Herb Gatherers were long accustomed to them. Although they would embellish these sightings every time they returned to the city, at this moment, the team only wanted to return to the safe Kefeng City as quickly as possible to avoid further complications.