C21 Danger!

Lu Yi was at a loss for words, murmuring under his breath before finally speaking up.

"I'm not sure either, but I have this strong feeling that there's something extremely dangerous ahead, likely a powerful soul beast."

As Lu Yi uttered these words, he felt a pang of guilt.

After all, he truly knew nothing; it was merely a sense of impending danger.

But who would take his intuition seriously?

Lu Yi offered a wry smile in response.

Gong Binghan gazed at Lu Yi with earnest eyes, nodded affirmatively, and said,

"Others may doubt you, but I trust you. I'm sure there's no mistake in what you say."

Beneath the night sky, Gong Binghan seemed even more radiant.

Inhaling the unique scent of the young girl, Lu Yi felt his heart skip a beat.

Could it be that Gong Binghan's way of speaking to him meant she had feelings for him?

He wanted to express his thoughts, but fear held him back, leading to an awkward scratch of his head and a forced chuckle.

Gong Binghan, observing Lu Yi's endearingly bashful demeanor, couldn't help but laugh.

"Who would've thought you'd be so bashful," she said, her cheeks flushed with amusement.

Gong Binghan, tired of the sleazy ways of her other suitors, found Lu Yi's innocence refreshing.

"That's right, I'm quite the romantic," Lu Yi replied, shaking off his embarrassment and boldly boasting once more, drawing laughter from Gong Binghan.

...

Nearby, three young men stood together, their faces twisted with malice as they watched Lu Yi.

One of them clutched an empty ceramic bottle in his palm, his expression one of deep resentment.

"Is it ready yet?" asked the leader of the trio, Xu Xun, his voice icy as he eyed the youth with the bottle.

Xu Xun was a prodigy of the Xu family, renowned as their top talent.

He had been infatuated with Gong Binghan ever since laying eyes on her, envisioning her as the woman of his dreams.

For years he pursued her, only to have Lu Yi unexpectedly come into the picture.

Since then, Gong Binghan had stayed by Lu Yi's side, her looks of adoration for him only fueling Xu Xun's rage to the point of nearly grinding his teeth to dust.

The fury of a man whose love has been usurped knew no bounds.

The once-filled ceramic bottle had contained the powdered Red Soul Fruit.

Now, the remnants of that powder had dispersed, settling upon Lu Yi.

The Red Soul Fruit had no particular use, aside from being a favorite treat for soul beasts.

Just the scent of the fruit was enough to drive the beasts wild.

Sprinkle someone with Red Soul Fruit powder, and they'd be ripped to shreds by the creatures.

"Don't worry, boss, I've covertly dusted Lu Yi with the powder. By tonight, he'll be nothing but bones."

A sinister smile played on Xu Yang's lips, as if he could already envision Lu Yi's lifeless body.

"Well done. Once Lu Yi's out of the picture, I'll take care of Gong Binghan, that wretched woman. After I've had my fun, she's all yours."

Xu Xun spat viciously on the ground, his already narrow mouth curling up with smugness and lechery.

"Damn it, that woman. She's supposed to be smitten with me, yet she's still fooling around with that Lu guy. Disgusting. I'll make sure he pays!"

"Thanks, boss."

Xu Yang chuckled darkly, his mind filled with images of the aloof beauty Gong Binghan pleading beneath him, excitement causing him to salivate.

...

The five-kilometer trek passed in no time.

Upon reaching the mountain's base, they discovered it was an ideal spot for setting up camp.

They chose a site halfway up the mountain.

A sheer cliff, dozens of meters high, loomed behind them, its face as polished as a mirror.

One could see their own blurred reflection in the stones of the cliff.

This cliff provided a natural defense for their rear.

To their left flowed a broad creek, its water sweet – a welcome relief after a day's march.

To their right stretched a fragrant meadow, its scent heady and alluring.

But these flowers were the dreaded Soul Burning Flowers, loathed by soul beasts.

The location was, by all accounts, far superior to the barren spot Lu Yi had found earlier.

Zhang Ziping gloated,

"See, it's important to own up to your mistakes. No one's going to mock you. It's your first time, after all. You'll get the hang of it with experience."

The team members and the Liger Guard cast complex glances at Lu Yi.

In a hushed tone, one of the Liger Guards attempted to reason with Lu Yi, "Commander, perhaps there's some truth to what they're saying. Why not just admit you were wrong?"

Lu Yi surveyed the crowd, his brow furrowing in response.

He remained silent, his gaze darting around as if searching for something.

Zhang Ziping observed Xu Yang's demeanor, scoffed, and shook his head in disbelief.

"Why bother with such stubborn pride? It's pointless to cling to face like this."

A chorus of jeers rose from the onlookers.

The once revered and formidable image of Lu Yi was crumbling in their minds.

"What are you up to?" Gong Binghan approached Lu Yi, her voice laced with both concern and bewilderment.

Her delicate eyebrows knit together as she spoke.

With a rueful smile, Lu Yi replied, "I sensed a powerful presence nearby, revealing its aura. But your interruption distracted me."

"Now, I'm not certain about the source of the aura I detected."

He finished with a sigh, deflated by the turn of events.

He knew he couldn't escape the inevitable. If he couldn't locate the adversary first, he'd have to wait for them to reveal themselves.

What was there to fear? He'd face whatever came his way.

By now, the Liger Guard had pitched their tents and lit a bonfire.

The aroma of roasting ingredients mingled with the scent of wildflowers, wafting through the air, tantalizing the senses.

Lu Yi put aside his concerns and joined the crowd, grabbing a pork trotter and savoring each bite.

Yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that the gazes upon him were amiss.

After his meal, Lu Yi was allocated a tent to himself.

Whoosh!

As Lu Yi settled in for the night, a white afterimage flashed in the darkness!

Bathed in moonlight, it took on a ghastly, sinister appearance, reminiscent of a specter's claw from the netherworld.

"Gale Summon!" In a split second, Lu Yi activated his skill, Gale Summon, in the face of danger!

It boosted his movement speed by 30% and allowed him to evade all physical damage. The skill also purged any effects that slowed him down.

As the steely claw bore down on him, Lu Yi simultaneously unleashed Gale Summon!