Next morning at dawn, Celestial Light not yet fully brightened the sky, Chen Xu checked out of the inn.

He carried a wicker basket on his back, with the little hedgehog Wei Yuan inside, and had the Spirit Garden Pouch at his waist, where the mouse was still soundly sleeping.

The man and two mystical creatures departed Lingxi County in the early morning light, beginning their ascent of Lingxi Snow Mountain.

Unbeknownst to Chen Xu, shortly after he left the inn, a mysterious group stirred up a whirlwind and galloped on horseback into Lingxi County's city gates.

Among this group, at first glance, the most conspicuous were the guards and servants wearing straw hats, but upon closer inspection, one would realize that at the center of this party was a thin youth surrounded by these servants for protection.

The young man wore a Jade Crown, his complexion ashen, with a grand entourage, yet his expression was morose.

Upon careful observation, he lacked the demeanor of an aristocratic family scion, appearing more like he originated from a wealthy background yet carried a slight air of discordant peculiarity.

Such were these people, who galloped into the city, briefly halted by the gate guards.

The leading straw-hatted guard lifted his chin, sneering coldly, "Open your eyes, this is not someone you can afford to antagonize, scram!"

Before he finished speaking, he swung a whip.

The guard who stopped them let out a shriek, struck from head to toe by the powerful whip charged with intense Qi Blood.

A deep wound revealed bone on the guard's face, his chest clothing ripped, blood pouring down.

Bang!

The guard collapsed with a cry, and the other guards hurriedly drew their weapons to surround them.

In the nick of time, one of the straw-hatted guards threw a badge at the gate captain, shouting, "Get out of the way, clod, dare to offend a noble, or we'll skin you alive!"

The captain caught the badge, turned it over in his hand, and was shocked.

He hastily ordered the guards to move the injured aside, prepared to stoop and speak conciliatory words, but the group of straw-hatted figures, clustered around the pale-faced young man, spurred their horses and whisked away.

From beginning to end, the white-faced youth at the center never glanced at the gate guards.

He just kept a gloomy face as the company rode fiercely towards the inn where Chen Xu had stayed.

"What? Checked out?"

In the inn, several straw-hatted guards' faces changed dramatically.

The white-faced youth atop a sandalwood-red steed grew even more stony-faced.

He tightly grasped a whip, glaring with evident rage.

"Go, search the inn, if there's anything left behind, bring it here, continue the pursuit!"

The so-called "left-behind items" were certainly not any specific belongings or artifacts, but rather hairs or skin flakes left after a person slept in the inn...

Sometimes even just a wisp of breath might be captured by Exotic Technique.

However, the straw-hatted guards turned the inn upside down, finding nothing of the so-called "left-behind items."

They were searching for what Chen Xu might have "left."

But Chen Xu had long cultivated a good "leave nothing behind" habit, knowing this world was rife with odd and mystic arts.

Everywhere he went, he left not a trace, not even a hint of his own aura.

No matter where he stayed, he would use the Tribulation Mirror to scan thoroughly; finding anything left behind would be unusual.

Thus for the white-faced young man, pursuing Chen Xu by magical methods would definitely yield nothing.

Even calculations would be repelled by Tribulation Mirror, rendering them ineffective.

The white-faced young man pursued along the journey, relying on scattered informants rather than magical means.

Yesterday in the inn, among the gathered chatters, some might recognize Chen Xu.

"Go after him, head to Black Forest Town and wait!"

The group of straw-hatted figures mounted again and rushed off like a storm.

Black Forest Town was the necessary route from Qinglin Prefecture to Pingyang Prefecture.

To bypass Black Forest Town would mean traversing the Lingxi Mountain Range.

However, the Lingxi Mountain Range soared high, with eternal snow atop, populated by countless mountain spirits and wild creatures; even those highly skilled in Cultivation rarely wandered deep into such treacherous terrain, not to mention candidates on their journey.

Therefore, the straw-hatted figures never considered that Chen Xu might avoid Black Forest Town.

Their squad came vigorously and departed likewise, yet failed to notice that while pursuing others, several pairs of green eyes quietly observed them from the shadowed alley.

The wonders of this world always unfold layer after layer.

Unaware of this, Chen Xu constantly remembered the major tribulation looming on his exam journey, thus avoiding conventional routes.

This so-called "major tribulation," he was unsure if he could escape.

Nonetheless, even if unavoided, with his greatly intensified Cultivation, he might handle it.

Hence Chen Xu remained confident, yet cautious in avoiding the mainstream path.

He began climbing from the eastern side of the mountains.

Initially he wasn't eager to use Mana, instead strolling leisurely along the mountain path.

As he aimed to seek the snow of previous years, he also took time to admire the beautiful scenery along the way.

Since leaving Lingxi County town, the hedgehog leapt down from the basket on Chen Xu's back.

Sometimes it sat directly on Chen Xu's shoulder, and at other times hopped through the forest, burrowing one moment, leaping along the mountain paths the next.

Wei Yuan rarely exhibited such liveliness, but now beside Chen Xu, compared to the constant vigilance against predators of the past, the security Chen Xu provided was indescribable.

The hedgehog was emboldened, even its sharp spines often softened.

Knowing there was no danger, it dared act this way.

"Brother Chen, the mortal world is good, the mountains are good too, the mountains are cool, not hot."

Wei Yuan joyfully burrowed several yards on the mountain path, suddenly popped up from the grass, showing only a small head, smiling widely as he earnestly spoke to Chen Xu.

Chen Xu smiled, responding, "Which do you prefer, the mountains or the mortal world?"

"I like both," Wei Yuan said, "there are many delicacies in the mountains, but... the mortal world has you."

Having said this, the hedgehog suddenly tunneled underground, disappearing from sight in front of Chen Xu.

Chen Xu was momentarily speechless.

Yet he remained unperturbed by the possibility of Wei Yuan getting lost; ever since both carried the Jade Leaf Knot, although it hadn't been a month and the Jade Leaf Knot hadn't matured, the bond between Chen Xu and Wei Yuan had simultaneously grown deeper.

As long as they were within ten miles of each other, mutual sense was maintained.

Chen Xu continued ascending the mountain, neither fast nor slow,

Yet he remained unperturbed by the possibility of Wei Yuan getting lost; ever since both carried the Jade Leaf Knot, although it hadn't been a month and the Jade Leaf Knot hadn't matured, the bond between Chen Xu and Wei Yuan had simultaneously grown deeper.

As long as they were within ten miles of each other, mutual sense was maintained.

Chen Xu continued ascending the mountain, neither fast nor slow,

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