Lin Zheyu carefully traversed through the forest, encountering many large snakes, wild beasts, and various brightly colored small insects along the way.

Following the route on the map, he walked for about half an hour and finally saw a small creek.

The creek water was so clear that one could see the swimming fish and the aquatic plants at the bottom.

Although it was winter, Songyi City was located in the south, where it doesn't freeze in winter, and many fish and shrimp could still be seen swimming in the creek.

The creek water was very clean. Lin Zheyu scooped up some water to wash his face.

Seeing no one around, he took off his clothes and jumped in for a thorough wash.

Splash!

The creek water was icy cold and chilling to the bone, steam rising from his body.

The Qi blood circulated within his body, making him feel hot all over, so this bit of coldness was nothing.

"This way, there shouldn't be any lingering scent on me, right?"

After washing, Lin Zheyu changed into a set of sturdy clothes.

He discerned the direction of Lion Valley and continued on his journey.

After crossing a mountain, he occasionally saw some herb gatherers and hunters on the road. Each was extremely cautious, merely glancing at Lin Zheyu from afar before quickly leaving.

At this time, those who dared to enter the mountains to gather herbs or hunt were mostly experienced masters with strong abilities.

There were also some forced by circumstances to venture into the mountains to carve out a living.

After entering the forest, it became more challenging to distinguish directions, and it was easy to lose one's way.

Lin Zheyu happened to encounter a few hunters and loudly inquired from a distance, then managed to reorient himself.

In this era, without satellite navigation, asking a passerby for directions was often more effective than looking at a map.

Once drawn, maps were seldom updated; aside from the main official roads, the small paths and trails were quickly overgrown with vegetation.

Besides the main roads, the small paths on the map were somewhat unclear, some having been overgrown over time.

Others had been trodden into several paths by frequent travelers, creating some confusion.

Traveling on the main roads would be much easier.

The main roads were regularly used by caravans, well-maintained, and very easy to travel, but if war broke out, the main roads would be the most dangerous, as bandits and rebellious forces would gather near them.

Moreover, to facilitate the passage of large troops, main roads were built with many twists and turns, requiring two to three times more travel time to reach a destination.

This trip was primarily for Lin Zheyu to become familiar with the environment outside the city, to understand the terrain and roads nearby, and to prepare for the future.

Therefore, he deliberately chose the small paths to familiarize himself with the terrain in the mountains and forests.

After crossing the mountain and reaching the foot of another, he again didn't know which path to take.

"Which path should I take?"

Lin Zheyu looked at the three small paths in front of him, comparing them to the inadequate map, and studied the directions.

The roads on the map were no longer visible, as these three small paths had been recently trodden by people.

"Let's take this one!"

Lin Zheyu quickly climbed to the top of a nearby tree to identify the direction and chose the middle path.

If it turns out to be impassable, he would just forge his own path.

As a great man from a previous life once said, there were no roads in the world, but as more people walked them, they became roads.

After walking for about five hundred meters, Lin Zheyu noticed that the path was heading up the mountain.

So he climbed to the treetop again, identified the direction, and created his own path.

After discerning the position and confirming it, Lin Zheyu moved on for several hundred meters when he heard the roar of a beast.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Roar!

Massive crashes, mingled with beast roars, emanated from the forest, startling the birds around to scatter and flee.

"The sound is strong and powerful; it seems quite capable. What kind of beast is this?"

Driven by curiosity, Lin Zheyu moved towards the source of the sound.

The closer he got, the louder the commotion.

After moving forward two or three hundred meters, he finally saw the beast in battle.

The creature was about two and a half meters tall, with a build as sturdy as that of a giant bear, a massive head, a protruding mouth, and two sharp tusks.

On the other side was a middle-aged man.

The man was around forty years old, with a robust build.

He wore animal hide on his upper body, his muscles bulging, his aura strong, with strength around the Mid-Stage of Organ Refining.

In his hand, he wielded a machete, the blade unusually sharp.

The saber is the king of all weapons, with skills focusing on hacking, chopping, blocking, thrusting, and scraping—simple and easy to learn. Among the martial artists Lin Zheyu had seen, those using sabers were the most common.

Thud!

The beast, as mighty as a giant bear, swung its massive claws towards the man, the gust fierce, its power exceedingly terrifying.

Lin Zheyu guessed it had at least the strength of the Peak of the Refining Internal Realm.

The man dared not take it head-on, quickly retreating, as he slanted his machete upwards, avoiding the beast's thick arm and chopping towards its chest.

The blade grazed the beast's chest, leaving a shallow wound. Blood flowed out, and upon touching the fur, it congealed into a lump, sealing the wound.

Roar!

The beast let out a roar, kicked back fiercely, and lunged forward, opening its bloody mouth to bite at the man's head.

The man twisted his waist, flicked his wrist, and swung his blade towards the beast's furry face.

Buzz!

The beast's giant paw slapped the blade, the tremendous force making the blade tremble, emitting a humming sound.

The man couldn't dodge and was slammed into by the beast head-on, flying backward and spitting blood.

He rolled on the ground, picked up the crossbow, knocked an arrow, and shot at the beast's eye.

The arrow whizzed towards the beast's eye, but the beast suddenly turned sharply, darting into the depths of the forest.

Poof.

The arrow hit the beast's back, pierced through its fur, and embedded shallowly into its body.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.