Chapter 124 The New Chosen One
Half a month later, on the edge of a mountain range in the Northwest Region of the Xuanhuang Continent.
Completely different from the gloomy Death Qi that lingered year-round in the Demonic Path regions seen previously, this vast, boundless ancient forest presented a primitive, wild scene full of vital tension.
Towering ancient trees rose from the ground, their dense canopies almost blocking out the sky, casting only mottled shadows.
The air was faintly filled with the raw scent of vegetation and soil, the smell of humus, and a vague pressure belonging to some powerful predator.
From time to time, deep roars of unknown beasts, the sharp cries of birds, or the rustling sound of something speeding through the bushes echoed in the forest, revealing an atmosphere of danger and wildness everywhere.
What was active here were not ghosts or specters, but various types of powerful Vicious Beasts with massive bodies and peerless ferocity, among which there was no lack of terrifying existences capable of rivaling or even surpassing human Nascent Soul and Soul Transformation Stage Cultivators.
On the outskirts of the forest, one could occasionally see scattered figures. They were well-equipped, with eyes as sharp as eagles and fierce auras. Most were Cultivators or mercenaries who lived by licking blood from the edge of a blade, hunting Vicious Beasts, and collecting rare Materials, moving cautiously in this place.
Deep in the rarely visited forest, beside a deep mountain stream in the center surrounded by craggy rocks and cascading waterfalls, space rippled slightly, and three figures quietly appeared.
The leader was a young man dressed in a moon-white brocade robe. He was quite handsome, with a face like jade and eyes like bright stars. A faint, natural smile played on the corners of his lips, making him appear elegant and graceful.
Yet that smile revealed a depth and arrogance that felt out of place for a normal person.
Half a step behind him followed two people, one tall and one short, wearing uniform attire. Their auras were steady and restrained, their eyes sharp and constantly vigilant, and their postures were respectful and restrained, clearly well-trained servants or guards.
The young man's gaze swept quickly over the mountain stream that matched the description of the "Sign-in Location," and an irrepressible flash of burning excitement crossed his eyes.
He slowly took a deep breath of the rich and wild Spiritual Qi of this place and muttered to himself, "This is the place..."
As soon as he finished speaking, he seemed to realize he had lost his composure. He quickly reined in his exposed emotions, returning to that calm, waveless, and even slightly unfathomable, silent posture.
He stood quietly by the mountain stream, hands behind his back, gazing at the cascading waterfall and the bottomless pool, as if admiring the scenery or perhaps deep in thought.
Although the two guards behind him were puzzled in their hearts—had the Young Lord traveled thousands of miles to this dangerous, deep mountain range just to take a look at this unremarkable mountain stream?—they dared not ask. They kept their eyes on their noses and their hearts on their breathing, like two statues, not daring to make a sound.
No one knew what kind of excited turmoil was raging within the young man beneath his calm exterior at this moment.
He almost roared in his heart, unable to restrain himself: 'System! Sign me in!'
A series of notification sounds, which only he could hear, rang out in his mind, accompanied by an imperceptible, invisible fluctuation that seemed to originate from a higher dimension, sweeping over his entire body. It flashed and vanished, without causing any external anomalies.
A few breaths later, the young man's tightly closed eyes snapped open, and the irrepressible ecstasy and smugness deep within his eyes were almost overflowing!
This sign-in reward far exceeded his expectations! Indeed, risk and reward coexist; it was worth all the trouble he went through to come to this dangerous place.
He forcibly suppressed the urge to laugh up at the sky, quickly adjusted his expression, and turned around. His face had already returned to calm, even carrying a hint of indifference as if everything was under control, as he ordered the two guards behind him, "Let's go, we're returning."
His voice was flat, with no hint of anything unusual.
Although the two guards were full of confusion—was he done "looking"?—they loyally executed the order, bowing and responding, "Yes."
The young man didn't spare another glance at the mountain stream that had brought him such a huge Opportunity. With a flick of his sleeves, he transformed into a streak of light, dashing towards the direction they had come from.
The two guards dared not delay and followed closely behind.
The three figures soon disappeared into the sky above the lush forest, leaving only the roaring of the mountain stream, as if nothing had ever happened.
However, just above the mountain stream not far from where they had left, on a precipitous peak obscured by clouds and ancient vines, space rippled slightly like water.
A figure in black robes appeared without warning, like a ghost.
He had a tall, upright posture, with his black hair tied casually behind his head and an extremely handsome face. A playful and profound smile played on his lips, and his eyes were like lightning, as if they could pierce through space, locking onto the direction in which the three young men had disappeared from afar. It was Xiao Ming.
"Young man..." He murmured the name, his tone carrying a hint of interest like a hunter seeing prey, as if he had discovered an extremely interesting plaything. "Should be... a sign-in? Heh, the standard configuration for a 'Chosen One'... this is interesting."
Looking at the rather pleasant scenery around him, the curve of Xiao Ming's lips became even more profound and inscrutable.
He immediately turned into a wisp of mountain breeze, a patch of shadow, a glimmer of light skimming over the treetops.
With a few flickers of his figure, he appeared hundreds of feet away. His speed was astonishing, yet it eerily caused not the slightest ripple in Spiritual Qi, not even disturbing the Vicious Beasts in the forest—this was the Heavenly Demon Phantom Body.
The figure in black robes merged into the shadows of the forest like a ghost, following the direction in which the three young men had left, trailing them unhurriedly.
The clouds and mist on the peak slowly closed, and the mountain stream continued to roar, as if no one had ever been there.