"Even if there are tigers, I've been to Lao Zhang's place; it's very remote. Plus, West Yin Mountain is huge, and it's a considerable distance from where the tiger tracks were found, so the likelihood of encountering one is quite low."

"Moreover, at this time, Lao Zhang should be finishing up his Martial Arts Training and resting. Usually, this is when we chat. If I can't reach him, it might be because he's seen the message and is currently coming down the mountain, too busy to answer."

"Let's wait a bit longer. It's three o'clock now. If Lao Zhang hasn't come down by four, I'll call my uncles, and we can go up the mountain to look for him, okay?" Zheng Jituo proposed.

Actually, his words made sense. With such a vast forest area, encountering wild beasts is quite difficult; it requires great luck. The official message was merely a reminder to prevent unforeseen incidents. If the situation were truly critical, the warning wouldn't be 'do not enter the mountain unless necessary'—they would have sealed it off completely.

Hearing his words, Lin Siqi's expression finally softened a little. She nodded, then walked aside and started dialing Zhang Beixing's number.

「Atop West Yin Mountain.」

"Dad, your son is calling, Dad, your son is..." The phone's ringtone echoed relentlessly from inside Zhang Beixing's tent. But due to the distance and his surroundings, Zhang Beixing, who was practicing Martial Arts Training under the waterfall, didn't hear it.

Of course, even if he had heard it, he probably wouldn't have answered immediately, because right now was a crucial period in his Martial Arts Training.

Standing under the waterfall, Zhang Beixing withstood its immense pressure. He performed the Yue Family's consecutive punches, and for a moment, water splashed everywhere.

BOOM!

A muffled sound echoed as Zhang Beixing landed a punch on the waterfall. The water exploded outwards, momentarily disrupting its flow. He then went into the final stance, feeling the Hidden Force within him, which had been stirred yet couldn't be released. Zhang Beixing found it very strange.

After days of intense training, just yesterday, he had managed to execute the Yue Family's consecutive punches under the waterfall. According to Zhang Beixing's initial assumption, after executing the Yue Family's consecutive punches while withstanding the immense pressure of the waterfall, his Hidden Force would be drawn out. Then he would be able to control the external release of Vital Energy and complete the mission suggestion. But it wasn't until he accomplished this yesterday that Zhang Beixing realized things were not as simple as he thought!

Under the pressure of the waterfall, his Hidden Force was indeed drawn out by this pressure, gathering and ready to be unleashed.

But... for some reason, at the final moment of 'release,' Zhang Beixing found himself stuck there, unable to proceed!

It was like being just one step away from squeezing out the cream to finish a cream puff. Yet, it was precisely this final step that Zhang Beixing couldn't achieve, no matter how hard he tried!

Why is this happening? Zhang Beixing wondered, utterly puzzled. Could it be that the pressure from the waterfall isn't sufficient, that it didn't stimulate me adequately? But that shouldn't be the case. If the pressure were insufficient or not strong enough, I should have felt it halfway through my practice, not just now, at the final step. But if it's not for these two reasons, then why am I stuck at the point of 'release,' unable to expel it? It's unheard of for someone to get stuck like this, and for so long, too. It couldn't possibly have something to do with my Hidden Force, could it?

Truly strange! Stepping out from under the waterfall and sensing the Hidden Force within him, Zhang Beixing found the situation all the more peculiar.

Just as he decided to return to the tent, retrieve his phone, and ask Elder Chen what exactly was going on, even before he reached the tent...

RUSTLE, RUSTLE—

A faint yet insistent rustling sound emanated from the nearby bushes.

Hearing this noise, Zhang Beixing instinctively looked over. There, he saw a large creature moving through the lush, tall grass towards him. Seeing this, Zhang Beixing furrowed his brows, instinctively sensing that something was amiss. He had been on West Yin Mountain for ten days and, due to its proximity to a creek, had encountered many of the mountain's animals. But until now, he had never encountered one of this size. Maybe it wandered over from another mountain? Zhang Beixing wondered.

Out of caution, he took two steps back and looked intently. The creature, apparently having noticed him, drew closer and closer. It wasn't until then that Zhang Beixing got a clear view of its features: black and orange striped fur, a prominent marking on its forehead, yellow eyes, and round ears.

This is...

"A tiger!!!"

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