Dawn had just broken, painting a rosy hue over the peak of Black Eagle Mountain, which still smoldered with smoke. There was no time to rest, nor was there time to gather the spoils of war. Immediately after the interrogation concluded, Tran Kien and Ly Tin selected the two strongest warhorses from the Black Eagle Stronghold's stables and, without a word of farewell, charged straight down the mountain.
The heavy, urgent pounding of hooves echoed along the dirt path, shattering the tranquility of the early morning. The chilling mountain winds lashed at their faces, carrying the scent of night mist and ashes. Both men remained silent, but urgency and anxiety were clearly etched into their every movement.
They were not merely chasing Uncle Sword; they were racing against the grim reaper itself.
"Young Hero Tran!" Ly Tin shouted to overpower the howling wind as they rode neck and neck. "According to the route, Uncle Sword will take the official road heading west! Although it is the fastest path, it is also the most susceptible to an ambush!"
"No!" Tran Kien shook his head, his gaze as sharp as a blade, staring straight ahead. "Uncle Sword is an incredibly cautious and experienced man. After learning of a mole, he absolutely will not take such an obvious route. He will choose another path, one he deems safer!"
He pulled a military map from his robes, spreading it out right over the horse's back with practiced ease. His finger swiftly traced across the map before stopping at a treacherous region.
"Here!" he pointed to a small, winding trail that pierced through an ancient woodland known as the Misty Forest. "Though this path is much harder to traverse and will take more time, it bypasses almost all of Marquis Vinh An's checkpoints. With Uncle Sword's movement techniques, he will definitely choose this route to ensure Lam Vy's safety!"
"But that is exactly the trap!" Ly Tin exclaimed in horror. "If the Myriad Snake Cavern is truly located in this region, then they aren't avoiding a trap; they are throwing themselves right into the net!"
"Exactly!" Tran Kien gritted his teeth. "This is a trap within a trap. That mole didn't just leak their route, but deliberately suggested this path to them—the path that appears the safest, but is in truth a road to death! We have to reach them before they venture too deep!"
"Understood!"
The two spoke no more, spurring their horses to fly forward. Dust billowed wildly behind their mounts' hooves.
They galloped for a full day and night, only pausing briefly to let the horses drink. When the warhorses were utterly exhausted, they did not hesitate to abandon them, relying on their own movement techniques and stamina to traverse the forests and cross the streams. Tran Kien's body, tempered by the Iron Dash incantation, now displayed its maximum efficacy. He could run continuously for several shichen without showing the slightest sign of fatigue, his speed not losing out in the slightest to Ly Tin, a general at the late Qi Condensation Realm.
Ly Tin, who initially only viewed Tran Kien as a scheming tactician, was now thoroughly shaken by the youth's terrifying physical endurance. Just how many more secrets was this young man hiding?
At noon on the second day, they finally arrived at the edge of the Misty Forest.
True to its name, the entire forest was shrouded in a dense, milky-white fog, even with the sun at its zenith. The mist not only obscured one's vision but also carried a damp, chilling aura that seemed capable of scrambling even one's divine sense.
"The miasma here is extremely heavy," Ly Tin said, his expression grave. "If we wander in blindly, it will be very easy to lose our way."
Tran Kien did not rush in. He stood at the forest's edge and closed his eyes. He did not use his eyes to see. He used his heart and mind to perceive.
He circulated his Primordial Chaos Qi, activating the Sun Star Guardian fragment. A faint golden halo, invisible to the naked eye, emanated from his body, silently probing into the mist. He sensed the chaotic spiritual energy, the massive ancient trees, and... a few distinct strands of yin-cold, deathly auras lurking somewhere within.
A long while later, he opened his eyes.
"They have already gone inside. About half a day ago. But... something isn't right."
"What is it?"
"I can sense that, aside from the auras of Uncle Sword, Elder Trinh, and Lam Vy, there is a fourth aura following them. This aura is incredibly faint, drifting in and out, concealed with utmost skill."
"An enemy?"
"It doesn't seem like it," Tran Kien shook his head. "There's no killing intent. It feels more like... a tracker."
He suddenly recalled the ethereal aura he had once sensed at the Myriad Tomes Pavilion. Could it be someone from Elder Ve?
But he had no time to ponder further. He had found the path Uncle Sword took. "This way!"
The two immediately plunged into the fog. The mist was so thick they could only see a few paces ahead. Yet Tran Kien moved like a fish in water; without any hesitation, he constantly changed directions, dodging giant ancient trees and muddy bogs. He was following the faint residual auras left in the air.
After traveling for about a shichen, Tran Kien suddenly stopped, raising his hand to signal Ly Tin to take cover.
Ahead, in a small clearing, lay several corpses. They were the bodies of demonic wolves. There were no obvious wounds on their bodies; only their flesh had turned a purplish-black, clearly indicating they had died from a lethal poison.
Tran Kien carefully stepped forward and squatted down to inspect them.
"It's the poison of the Myriad Snake Cavern," he said, his voice dropping. He had read descriptions of this poison in an ancient text concerning heretical factions. "This poison is colorless and odorless, yet incredibly tyrannical; it can even corrode spiritual energy. It seems we are getting very close to their lair."
He looked around again and noticed a hastily carved symbol on a nearby tree trunk. It was a small crane. An extremely discreet mark that no one would notice unless they were specifically looking for it.
"It was left by Uncle Sword!" Ly Tin said joyfully. "He's letting us know they are safe and continuing forward!"
"No," Tran Kien shook his head, his expression growing even more solemn. "This is not a signal of safety. This is a warning."
He pointed at the crane. "Uncle Sword is a sword cultivator. If he wanted to leave a mark, he would use Sword Qi. But he used a small dagger to carve this. It proves that at the time, he didn't dare use spiritual energy, afraid of being discovered by the enemy. This crane's head isn't pointing forward; it's looking back, toward the direction we just came from. He isn't telling us to proceed. He's telling us to..."
"...turn back immediately!" Ly Tin finished the sentence, horrified.
The two stared at each other in stunned silence. They understood now.
Uncle Sword had discovered the trap. But it was too late to turn back. He could only leave one final warning for anyone who might come to their aid. He and the other two had decided to face the tiger's den alone, rather than implicate others.
A silent sacrifice.
"Dammit!" Ly Tin punched a tree trunk fiercely, shattering the bark. "We have to go in and save them!"
"We must save them!" Tran Kien nodded, his eyes shining with an unshakable resolve. "But we cannot go in blindly. Knowing it's a trap and still charging in headfirst isn't bravery; it's stupidity."
He looked ahead, where the fog grew ever denser, and the yin-cold, venomous aura became increasingly pungent.
"General Ly," he said. "Perhaps it is time for us to lay down a true 'formation'."