131: Chapter 131 The Mystery of the Bamboo Forest and the Warning from the Cold Pool

Half an hour of flying on artifacts is not long for Cultivators at the Qi Refining Late Stage or above.

However, deep within this Secret Realm, the Spiritual Qi became increasingly abundant, and the scenery grew more bizarre.

Beneath them lay a boundless ancient forest, with vines intertwined like dragons and snakes.

Occasionally, massive flying Yao Beasts were startled, letting out distant cries, but upon realizing that this group was not to be trifled with, they quickly vanished into the clouds.

Lin Lingtu was supported by a gentle stream of Spiritual Qi from Clan Chief Lin Yaozong, standing on a Flying Sword, which saved him the effort of flying himself.

However, looking at the jungle flashing by below, which might hide unknown dangers, his palms couldn't help but sweat.

"We have arrived." The Grand Elder Lin Yao Shan, flying at the very front, suddenly slowed down and spoke in a deep voice.

Hearing this, everyone lowered their altitude, hovering in the air and looking forward.

Ahead, the terrain suddenly opened up. An endless emerald bamboo forest, like an azure ocean, submerged all the hills and valleys, stretching to the horizon.

The bamboo stalks were tall and straight, piercing the clouds, with dense leaves swaying in the wind, emitting a rustling sound.

Even more striking was that the concentration of Spiritual Qi here had clearly risen to another level, and the air was filled with a refreshing Wood-attribute Qi that made one feel relaxed and happy.

"Such dense Spiritual Qi!" Third Elder Lin Yaoqing took a deep breath, a look of comfort appearing on his face, "This bamboo... doesn't look ordinary either."

Clan Chief Lin Yaozong's gaze was like lightning as he swept across the bamboo forest below.

He flicked his finger, and a condensed Geng Metal Finger force shot through the air, striking the main trunk of the nearest Spirit Bamboo, which was as thick as a bowl.

"Ding!"

A crisp sound, like metal clashing against metal, rang out.

On the main trunk of that Spirit Bamboo, only a shallow white dot remained; not even the skin was broken.

"Hiss—" Lin Lingfeng gasped, "This hardness is comparable to a first-tier high-grade defensive Magical Artifact!"

Lin Cangchen's eyes also lit up: "If used to make talisman paper, the effect of carrying Spiritual Qi would be absolutely excellent! Even if used directly as an Artifact Refining material, it would be a top-tier choice for refining Wood-attribute Flying Swords or shields!"

He seemed to see a mobile Spirit Stone vein beckoning to him.

Clan Chief Lin Yaozong nodded, a smile appearing on his face: "It seems this trip is worthwhile. Such a large forest of Spirit Bamboo is of immeasurable value. Let us be careful and explore first to see if there are better things in the depths."

The group descended on their flight lights and cautiously stepped into the bamboo forest.

Bamboo shadows danced, and light and shadow were mottled.

Beneath their feet was thick, accumulated bamboo leaves from years past, which felt soft when stepped on.

Everywhere else, besides the rustling of the wind through the bamboo leaves, it was completely silent.

Even the chirping of insects and birds could not be heard; it was eerily quiet.

At first, everyone remained vigilant, releasing their Divine Sense to pay attention to the surroundings.

But after walking for about the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, with nothing but bamboo, the scenery seemed unchanging, and everyone's minds couldn't help but relax slightly.

Even the Clan Chief and the Grand Elder, although their Divine Sense had been covering the surroundings, were mainly sensing whether there were any powerful life auras, and had not paid too much attention to this seemingly harmless bamboo forest itself.

Lin Cangchen didn't pay much attention at first, thinking the bamboo forest scenery was excellent and the Spiritual Qi was abundant, making it a good place to Cultivate the Five Elements Spirit Nurturing Art Wood-attribute chapter.

He had even started calculating in his heart how to trick... ah no, suggest to the Family to open a long-term resource point here and harvest the Spirit Bamboo regularly.

After walking for another stretch, Lin Cangchen habitually took out the portable, self-improved positioning compass to confirm the direction and distance of their progress.

Upon looking at it, his brows furrowed slightly.

"Wait!" He suddenly raised his hand, signaling the team to stop.

"What is it, Cangchen?" Lin Yaozong looked back.

Lin Cangchen did not answer immediately but stared at the compass, then looked up at the almost identical bamboo forest scenery around him.

His fingers moved rapidly, calculating, and his expression gradually became solemn.

"Clan Chief, Elders, we... may have fallen into some kind of Formation," he said in a deep voice.

"Formation?" Second Elder Lin Yaohai was stunned and also carefully sensed the surroundings, "There is no abnormal fluctuation of Spiritual Qi?"

"It is not a man-made Formation," Lin Cangchen explained, his gaze sharply scanning the distribution, spacing, and even the orientation of the bamboo branches and leaves, "It is naturally formed! The growth of this Spirit Bamboo secretly matches a certain rhythm of heaven and earth, forming a pattern on its own. We have been going in circles inside!"

His words were like a thunderclap, instantly causing a layer of fine cold sweat to break out on everyone's backs!

A natural maze!

Clan Chief Lin Yaozong, Grand Elder Lin Yao Shan, and other Elders' expressions instantly became extremely ugly.

They were all crafty individuals who had lived for decades or nearly a century, and they immediately understood the key point—these years, the development of the Lin Family had indeed been too smooth!

With the Secret Realm in hand, Foundation Establishment Cultivators appearing frequently, vassals coming to surrender, territory expanding...

Although they always emphasized being cautious and steady in their words, subconsciously, including themselves, the mentality of the entire Lin Family had indeed become a bit "arrogant."

They felt that with two Foundation Establishment Cultivators, plus Lin Cangchen, a Formation Great Master, and the impregnable Secret Realm, they could handle most risks.

So much so that in the depths of this unknown Secret Realm, facing a seemingly harmless bamboo forest, they were actually so careless, almost capsizing in the gutter!

If what they encountered today was a natural maze without direct lethality, what if this was a natural killing Formation containing murderous intent, or if there were enemies lurking on the side...

Their group of Lin Family core members would likely have been wiped out and "died" right here!

Thinking of that consequence, even with the composure of Clan Chief Lin Yaozong at the Foundation Establishment Stage, he felt a lingering fear.

"Ashamed!" Grand Elder Lin Yao Shan sighed, his face burning, "The path of cultivation is like walking on thin ice; we were actually blinded by a little bit of smooth sailing!"

"Clan Chief, after returning, we must strengthen the cautious awareness of the entire Family! Especially us old guys, we must constantly reflect on ourselves!" Second Elder Lin Yaohai said solemnly.

Clan Chief Lin Yaozong nodded heavily, his gaze sweeping over everyone with unprecedented seriousness: "That is excellent advice! Once this matter is over, we will immediately hold a Family meeting to specifically discuss 'guarding against arrogance and impatience, and regaining our original intention'! Now, Cangchen, it's up to you. Can you find a way out?"

Lin Cangchen also felt lingering fear at this moment.

Hearing this, he took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down: "I will try! Natural Formations have no traces to follow and are harder to calculate than man-made Formations; it will take time."

He said no more, sat down cross-legged, placed the compass in front of him, and closed his eyes slightly.

His powerful Mental Energy spread out like a spider web, sensing the subtle differences in every Spirit Bamboo around him, capturing the flow of heaven and earth energy in the dark.

His fingers occasionally wrote and drew on the ground, deducing the direction of the gate of life.

This took nearly a quarter of an hour.

Everyone held their breath, not daring to disturb him.

Finally, Lin Cangchen opened his eyes, and sweat appeared on his forehead.

He smiled bitterly: "This natural maze borrows the Spiritual Qi of the earth veins and the vitality of the bamboo and wood to operate on its own. It is extremely complex. I have barely deduced a safe path, but to thoroughly understand or break it, with my current Formation Realm, I am afraid I lack the ability. Moreover, calculating the complete context of the Formation will take at least half an hour..."

Half an hour!

Hearing this, everyone's cold sweat increased.

Even Lin Cangchen needed so long to calculate; the power of this natural maze was imaginable!

If it were a killing Formation, this half an hour would be enough for them to die a dozen times!

"It doesn't matter, as long as we can find a way out. Natural Formations, if forcibly broken, might damage the spirituality of this place. If we keep it and guide it slightly, it can become a natural barrier for our Lin Family's Secret Realm." Clan Chief Lin Yaozong steadied himself and made a decision.

It took another half an hour before Lin Cangchen finally let out a long sigh of relief and stood up.

Although his face was a bit pale (due to excessive mental consumption), his eyes were bright: "Found it! Everyone, follow my footsteps closely; do not take a single wrong step!"

Under his guidance, the group walked like tightrope walkers, winding left and right through the seemingly irregular bamboo forest, sometimes moving forward, sometimes retreating, and sometimes even needing to turn sideways to squeeze through the gaps between two closely growing Spirit Bamboo stalks.

After walking cautiously for about the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, the scenery in front suddenly changed!

Everyone felt the scene open up before their eyes; they had walked out of that boundless emerald bamboo sea.

Behind them, the bamboo forest still rustled, as if the heart-palpitating maze just now was just an illusion.

And what appeared before them was a cold pool of considerable size.

The pool water was dark blue, and the surface was permeated with faint white cold air.

Even from a distance, one could feel the bone-chilling cold.

Around the cold pool, the land presented a strange frost-white color, yet dozens of Spirit Medicines full of Spiritual Qi were growing there.

There were 'Frost-Leaf Grass' with leaves like ice crystals, 'Jade Bone Flowers' with translucent petals emitting a cold fragrance, and several shrubs bearing small blue fruits...

Judging by their age, they were all at least several hundred years old!

If it were normal times, seeing so many rare, high-aged Spirit Medicines, the Lin Family members would have already rushed up to collect them with great joy.

But at this moment, having just experienced the baptism of the bamboo forest maze, the caution in their bones, which had been worn away by smooth sailing, regained the upper hand.

No one moved.

Everyone's gaze was first cast toward the deep, cold pool.

The pool water was silent and waveless, bottomless.

That bone-chilling cold seemed not only to affect the physical body, but even when Divine Sense probed in, it felt a trace of stagnation.

"Such a treasure land must have a guarding Yao Beast." Clan Chief Lin Yaozong's voice was low, his eyes scanning the cold pool and its surroundings like a falcon.

"Everyone, restrain your aura and form a defensive Formation. Yao Shan, you and I will focus our Divine Sense on probing the depths of the cold pool! Cangchen, pay attention to sensing if there are any traces of hidden Formations around!"

"Yes!"

Everyone responded in a low voice and quickly took action.

Lin Lingfeng and Lin Lingyan held swords in front, while Third Elder Lin Yaoqing held a spear in hand to guard the flanks.

Second Elder Lin Yaohai and Lin Lingtu guarded the rear vigilantly.

Clan Chief Lin Yaozong and Grand Elder Lin Yao Shan, the two Foundation Establishment Cultivators, had their powerful Divine Sense like two invisible large nets, cautiously infiltrating toward the depths of the cold pool.

Lin Cangchen also summoned his utmost spirit, his eyes flickering with spiritual light, carefully observing every inch of land and every rock by the cold pool, fearing to step into any naturally formed traps or trigger any Restrictions again.

For a time, the atmosphere became heavy and tense.

The rare Spirit Medicines around the cold pool seemed to have lost their appeal, and everyone's attention was focused on exploring the potential danger lurking in the dark.

The cold pool remained silent, and the white cold air rose slowly, as if mocking the visitors' caution, or as if covering up some unknown secret under the water.