Chapter 57: Danger Arrives!

On the following day, the break of dawn dispelled the darkness, and the morning sun in Luofeng Canyon ushered in the first gentle warmth of the early morning.

After preparing, the group advanced toward the southwest along Ling Feng's designated route, maintaining a deliberate and unhurried pace.

After what they experienced the day before, these rookie disciples demonstrated a significant improvement in their adaptability. When confronted with demonic beasts, they no longer showed the same level of panic and unease as before.

Because they believed.

They believed that with Ling Feng around, no one would face a life-threatening situation.

Even the more fearsome members of the demon race met their end at Ling Feng's hands. How could ordinary demonic beasts on the outskirts of Luofeng Canyon possibly succeed in killing any team member under his vigilant watch?

Furthermore, the group soon observed that accompanying Ling Feng resulted in an unusually plentiful harvest of rare flowers and herbs along the way. Virtually every segment of the journey revealed numerous valuable medicinal plants, seemingly awaiting their harvest.

The significance of the map provided by Li Liang to Ling Feng became apparent. Following this path not only minimized the risk of encountering substantial danger but also allowed for the easy accumulation of numerous spirit flowers and herbs. Upon their return to the sect, achieving exceptional results seemed almost inevitable.

Excitement rendered each team member speechless, their admiration for Ling Feng reaching unparalleled heights.

Time passed swiftly, and before they knew it, the group had been in Luofeng Canyon for four days.

"We're nearing that river valley," Ling Feng remarked, his hand tracing the map contours, lost in thought.

Ling Feng believed that near the river valley where Autumn Dew Fruits grew was the location of the mutated red-tailed fox's den. He had a subtle feeling that discovering the fox's lair might yield unexpected treasures.

"Senior Uncle Ling Feng, what's on your mind?" Su Hongxiu approached Ling Feng with a smile, offering a piece of grilled meat. She ingeniously fashioned a small bowl with a leaf and brought a bowl of stream water.

During these recent days, it has been this girl taking care of Ling Feng's meals. Whether it's grilled meat or not, what Su Hongxiu cooks is just right – crispy on the outside, tender on the inside.

In these few days, Ling Feng's palate has grown discerning, anything not grilled by Su Hongxiu becomes difficult to swallow.

"Nothing much," Ling Feng accepted the grilled meat, watching as Su Hongxiu squatted in front of him, holding a bowl of stream water. He pursed his lips and said casually, "Have a seat."

Speaking, he shifted towards the rock he was seated on, making room for Su Hongxiu.

"

Oh,

" Su Hongxiu's cheeks turned rosy as she sat beside Ling Feng. Her heart pounded incessantly, akin to a young deer in a rush.

Unaware of Su Hongxiu's expressions, Ling Feng remained immersed in contemplation regarding the mutated red-tailed fox.

Out of nowhere!

Swoosh!

A sharp and piercing sound tore through the southwestern sky, accompanied by the manifestation of the symbol 'xian'.

All eyes turned upward, and Luo Jianying was the first to grasp the situation, exclaiming, "That seems to be the signal from the Wenxian Sect!"

In a swift leap, Jiang Wanqing ascended, landing on the treetop. With a focused gaze, she frowned, remarking, "A red distress arrow – it's a signal for help. Looks like a team is abandoning this trial mission!"

"Abandoning the mission? Unbelievable! Giving up on the first trial mission?"

"Hehe, that team must be very weak. Quitting on the fourth day; it's truly embarrassing!"

Upon hearing Jiang Wanqing's words, the team members began whispering among themselves.

The signal appearing in the sky was unmistakably the distress signal for Wenxian Sect disciples, kept securely in the hands of the team captain.

Only when faced with a crisis beyond the capability of even two captains would the distress arrow be deployed. At that point, the elders of Wenxian Sect, stationed outside Luofeng Canyon, would mobilize to offer assistance.

Considering the fact that each inner sect disciple represents the new lifeblood of the Wenxian Sect, their value to the sect is immeasurable. Consequently, the sect takes stringent measures to protect them until they mature.

For instance, in this particular expedition, apart from the two designated team leaders, five assisting elders at the later-stage of Pulse Formation Realm were dispatched to respond to distress signals.

Furrowing his brow, Ling Feng couldn't help but think that, logically, the trial area this time should, at most, be inhabited by second-tier advanced demonic beasts, akin to the cloud-striped tiger he had slain in his previous encounter. With a team led by a captain at the Pulse Formation Realm, the situation shouldn't be severe enough to warrant the use of distress signals!

At that moment,

Swoosh!

Swoosh!

Swoosh!

Three distress signals ascended into the sky in the southwest, erupting into a radiant brilliance and transforming into a vivid red 'xian' character.

"It's another distress signal!"

"It's the third one in succession!"

A sense of unease began to ripple through the team members. While they might have initially considered some teams too weak and easily giving up on the trial, the current circumstances felt distinctly ominous.

Within a short timeframe, four consecutive teams had signaled for distress. This couldn't be dismissed as mere coincidence; it was a clear indication that an overwhelming and uncontrollable danger had emerged.

"Out of ten teams, nearly simultaneously, four have already abandoned the mission. Good heavens, what could possibly be happening?"

"And it appears to be coming from the southwest. What could be happening there?"

Only at this moment did the seriousness of the situation truly register with everyone. Furthermore, in terms of their overall direction, it seemed their path also aligned with the southwest!

A solemn expression spread across the faces of the group as they exchanged uncertain glances.

The circumstances suddenly took a drastic turn, as if an invisible force was shrouding the southwest area of Luofeng Canyon. The looming crisis was gradually closing in on them all.

"You have fifty breaths' time. Quickly get everything in order, discard any unnecessary burdens, and travel light!"

Ling Feng promptly rose, making an instant decision.

"But... What about our spoils?"

These recently joined disciples might not all have treasures like dimensional pouch, and the storage capacity of these pouches was indeed quite limited.

Hence, many individuals carried animal-skin bags with them, containing materials gathered from demonic beasts, rare flowers and herbs along their journey. Some even had portions of demonic beast meat as pre-prepared rations.

"Discard it all!" Ling Feng's gaze turned cold. "Thirty breaths left!"

While reluctant to part with those materials, the group understood that this was a life-and-death moment, and prioritizing their survival was crucial.

Jiang Wanqing also descended from the treetop, gritting her teeth as she asked Ling Feng, "What do you intend to do?"

"We're currently in a relatively safe position. There's no need to let fear paralyze us. Release distress signals immediately," Ling Feng decisively directed, pointing towards the east. "Let's move in this direction. Once the sect elders arrive, and we've steered clear of the immediate danger, things should stabilize."

"Understood!"

The group wasted no time and, without any hesitation, shed anything hindering their speed, racing fervently towards the east.

Leading the way upfront was Jiang Wanqing, with Ling Feng securing the rear.

The group, resembling startled birds after four consecutive distress signals, felt an unsettling tension. Each person exerted all their strength, sprinting madly towards the eastern canyon.

Ling Feng occasionally looked back and indeed observed a massive demonic qi emanating from the deep mountains in the southwest. It was ten times more formidable than the mutated red-tailed fox from the previous night.

"Could it be that the appearance of the mutated red-tailed fox is not an isolated incident? Has there been a large-scale mutation among the demon race within Luofeng Canyon?"

Ling Feng swallowed hard, his expression growing serious. If that were the case, with his limited abilities, he might not be capable of handling such a situation.