Zanxing

Chapter 36 - Black Swamp (2)

Thirty disciples entered the mountain, but only twenty-nine returned.

The noisy crowd gradually quieted down, and Tian Fangfang realized that Zhan Xing was missing. He walked up to Zi Luo and said, "Senior sister, why hasn't Zanxing returned yet?"

Zi Luo frowned and asked Tian Fangfang, "Were you with her earlier?"

"Yes," Tian Fangfang nodded. "Zanxing was looking for night vines, while I was searching for other herbs. We went our separate ways. After I finished gathering the herbs, I went to the edge of the black swamp to look for people. I saw that the night vine had already been cut, but there was no sign of Zanxing so I thought she must have left."

"Found the night vine but no one..." Zi Luo's expression grew even more serious. "Could something have happened?"

"Senior sister," said the young man who had been bitten by a snake earlier, "I heard that after sunset, Gu Feng Mountain becomes very dangerous. Why don't we find a few brothers and go into the mountain to look for her?"

Hua Yue, who was nearby, spoke indifferently, "Yang Zanxing didn't follow the rules. Now she's trapped in the mountain and wants others to risk their lives to save her. There are plenty of fierce beasts in the mountain; going in recklessly is not wise."

Tian Fangfang was dissatisfied. "Are we just going to watch her die without doing anything?"

"Hasn't there been a situation like this before?" Mu Chengxiao, who had been silent, finally spoke up.

Zi Luo sighed, "It's not that it hasn't happened before. But the night on Gu Feng Mountain is very dangerous. To prevent disciples from accidentally entering, the sect leader has set up restrictions at the mountain gate. Once the sun sets, no one can enter the mountain. To go in, we would need to lift the restrictions."

"Then we should report this to the sect leader and ask him to lift the restrictions." Tian Fangfang felt a glimmer of hope.

Zi Luo shook her head, "The sect leader is currently in closed-door meditation and won't come out for another eighty-one days."

"Isn't there anyone else in Taiyan Sect who can lift the restrictions?" After a moment, Mu Chengxiao asked.

"There is, but Seventh Uncle can also lift the restrictions. However," Zi Luo replied helplessly, "He has been away from Taiyan Sect for over a year, and we don't know when he will return."

Silence enveloped the group.

In the distance, the starlight over Gu Feng Mountain looked like a golden mist, shrouding the dark peaks.

"Let's inform the other elders and uncles," Zi Luo said anxiously. "I hope Zanxing is safe."

The surroundings were becoming increasingly cold. Zanxing stood up, leaning against a tree. Previously, Hua Yue had sliced her robe with his sword, leaving it in tatters. She attempted to piece it back together, making herself look like a unique fashion model.

Taiyan Sect emphasized a cool and indifferent aesthetic, and her ethereal robe appeared elegant, yet it offered little warmth. Cultivators usually have good physical conditioning, so she was fine during the day. However, she didn't know if it was due to her current energy depletion or the unique environment of Gu Feng Mountain, but it felt like she was wearing only a thin garment in winter, making her teeth chatter from the cold.

The surrounding area was still filled with colorful miasma, but Zanxing felt nothing, probably due to the mint candy she had just consumed. Now that it was nighttime, Gu Feng Mountain was very dangerous. Zanxing contemplated that it would be better to leave soon.

Gu Feng Mountain at night appeared beautiful, unlike the ethereal paradise of the day; it carried an enchanting mystique. The distant shrieks of birds mingled with the roars of unknown beasts, combined with the wild winds and heavy dew, creating a backdrop of wilderness survival.

She took a few steps, feeling the temperature drop even further. Unable to resist, she rubbed her hands together and blew warm breath onto them.

If she were to die of freezing in the mountain, rather than being killed by a beast in the original story, it would sound like a joke.

Zhan Xing pushed aside a thicket of branches, suddenly hearing a rustling sound in front of her. The noise was initially faint but became terrifying in the still mountain forest.

She pressed the small knife she used to cut the night vines at her waist, focusing her gaze. Before her, coiled in the grass, was a golden snake, about the thickness of a child's arm, glowing as it writhed, raising its head to flick its tongue and suddenly lunging towards her.

Zanxing was prepared; she swung her hand, and with a swift motion, severed the snake's head, causing green juice to splatter everywhere. The snake's head, surprisingly, was still alive and lunged at her again. Zanxing enveloped it with her energy and struck forcefully, finally turning the head into mush.

Fortunately, after her earlier fight with Duan Xiangrao, Zhan Xing had gained considerable experience in catching snakes. She carefully circumvented the snake's corpse and was about to leave when she sensed something amiss. She halted and looked back in the direction she had come from.

The headless snake had lost its strength, its coiled body now limp, revealing what had been coiled within it.

It was a golden egg.

The dead snake appeared dull and lifeless, while the egg shone brightly, as if covered in luminous powder, nearly blinding her eyes. It turned out that the previous golden light had not been from the snake's color but emanated from this egg.

This didn't look like an egg laid by that snake; the egg was much larger than the snake itself.

Zhan Xing didn't dare to touch the egg directly; instead, she crouched down in front of it, observing carefully.

The egg was roughly the size of an ostrich egg. At first glance, it looked like a prop from a promotional event for a real estate development, overly flashy and golden.

She lightly tapped the egg with the sheath of her small knife. The egg remained still, but as she approached, it emitted a soft warmth.

Warm?

Zanxing was taken aback; if she kept this in her arms, it would be like having a ready-made hand warmer!

She felt tempted but was worried about the trouble that might arise from taking the egg, given that the original world had little regard for human life. After pondering, she activated the Xiao Yuan Pearl in her heart. Currently, it seemed to have insufficient energy, but under her strong urging, it barely managed to emit a hint of light, tentatively wrapping around the surrounding energy.

Zanxing felt no connection with the egg; as she approached it, a wave of comfortable warmth washed over her.

It was as if, when she was tired, a soft, warm bed appeared before her, gentle and inviting, like the fur of a pet. In that moment, Zanxing made her decision and reached out to embrace the egg.

The golden egg looked small but felt a bit heavy in her arms; however, it was very warm, like a hand warmer in the cold mountain, instantly warming both her heart and body. It was also bright, providing its own light, illuminating the path ahead.

Zanxing cradled the golden egg, taking careful steps forward, keeping an eye out for any unexpected occurrences. She didn't notice that the occasional bird calls and beast roars in the forest had fallen silent without her realizing it.

On Gu Feng Mountain, the bright moon shone, and everything was tranquil.