The feeling of solid ground underfoot returned, and the dizzying sensation of spatial tearing receded like a tide. Tang Xiao Qi, suppressing the churning in his stomach and the lingering vertigo in his mind, immediately steadied his posture, leaning against an ancient tree that would require several people to encircle, his vigilant gaze like the sharpest knife, swiftly sweeping the surroundings.
Silence, deathly silence.
Overhead were layer upon layer of massive, impenetrable tree canopies that completely obscured the sky. Only a few extremely tenacious beams of light, like swords, pierced through the leaf curtain, casting several swaying patches of light on the ground thick with heavy humus and damp moss. The air was humid and oppressive, containing spiritual energy far more concentrated than the Back Mountain of Qingxu Temple. Inhaling it carried the distinctive sweet-sour scent of decaying vegetation and soil, and also a... faint, elusive, dangerous scent belonging to a primal jungle.
There was no sign of the steady figure of his eldest senior brother, no clear voice of his third senior sister, no sturdy frame of Shi Jian, nor any trace of the lively Su Xuan. As far as his eyes could see, there was only him, and this ancient woodland that seemed to have existed since time immemorial, so deep it was heart-palpitating.
The random teleportation array truly lived up to its reputation, completely scattering him and all his teammates, casting them into some corner of this unknown secret realm.
A cold feeling named 'isolated and helpless' quietly climbed up his spine. In this completely unfamiliar, danger-filled environment, his Qi Refining fifth layer cultivation seemed utterly insignificant. He subconsciously took a deep breath; the spiritual energy so thick it was almost tangible flowed into his lungs, bringing a hint of coolness, yet also making him more clearly realize where he was.
Don't panic!
He firmly gripped the black, unremarkable frying pan in his hand, which nonetheless gave him an inexplicable sense of security. The cool touch of the pan handle somewhat calmed his somewhat unsettled mind. The jade pendant on his chest remained warm and smooth, and the Heart-clearing Stone tucked close to his body also emitted a faint aura of tranquility.
He first checked his own condition. Spiritual energy circulation was unimpeded, only slightly depleted from the teleportation. His storage bag was intact; a mental probe revealed that the pills, talismans, and spare supplies stored within, all meticulously categorized, were safe and sound. The frying pan on his back was securely tied with specially made cloth strips, ready to be taken down for combat at any moment.
After confirming his own safety, he once again took out that specially made Messaging Talisman. Infusing it with spiritual energy, the talisman's surface lit up with a faint glow, but the light flickered unsteadily like a candle in the wind, its direction chaotic—sometimes pointing east, sometimes leaning west—unable to provide any effective positional information.
'Indeed, the interference from the secret realm environment is too strong; within short distances, it's probably difficult to use this for regrouping.' Xiao Qi understood in his heart, carefully putting away the Messaging Talisman. It seemed that to find his teammates, he would need luck, time, and, most importantly, he needed to survive in this forest first.
Leaning against the rough tree bark, he carefully listened to the surrounding sounds. Aside from his own slightly rapid breathing and heartbeat, there seemed to be extremely faint chirping of unknown insects in the distance; further off, perhaps there was the indistinct sound of flowing water. Any unusual sound could mean danger or opportunity.
He recalled the warnings from his master, senior brothers, and senior sisters, as well as the scattered information he had read about secret realms. In such an unknown environment, blindly charging about was the most foolish behavior. He needed to first determine his approximate location, find relatively safe paths, simultaneously watch for possibly existing resources, and always be prepared to deal with unexpected situations.
His gaze swept over the surroundings again. The trees were too dense, severely obstructing his line of sight. He needed to find a relatively open area or a slightly higher spot to better observe his surroundings and determine direction.
Carefully, he extended his divine sense outward like a spiderweb. After breaking through to Qi Refining fifth layer, the range of his divine sense coverage had increased, but in this place with dense spiritual energy and complex environment, his divine sense was also significantly suppressed. He could only vaguely perceive the situation within a radius of a dozen zhang; beyond that, everything was chaos.
After confirming that no obvious signs of life or dangerous fluctuations were detected nearby for the time being, Xiao Qi took a deep breath, gripped the frying pan, chose a direction to the left that seemed slightly less densely wooded, and began his first exploration since entering the secret realm.
He walked with extremely light steps, each footfall landing on the thick layer of decaying leaves, trying not to make a sound. His body leaned slightly forward, maintaining a posture ready to exert force or dodge at any moment. His gaze was sharp, like a young leopard searching for prey, not missing any sign of movement. His ears were pricked, capturing any minute change in sound waves in the air.
The dense tree shadows slowly receded around him. The surroundings were terrifyingly silent, with only his faint footsteps and breathing. The sense of loneliness wrapped around him like invisible mist from all sides. But the hand gripping the frying pan grew steadily more firm.
He knew that from now on, he had to rely entirely on himself. This ancient woodland was both a danger-filled hazardous area and possibly contained opportunities belonging to him. He needed calmness, courage, and, most of all, to apply everything he had learned to survive here, until he could regroup with his teammates, or... find a way out.
The trial of being alone truly began from the moment he took this first step. His figure gradually merged into the background of this deep, mysterious, and dangerous primal forest, with only those alert and resolute eyes, in the dim light, flickering with a radiance that could not be ignored.