Chapter Ninety-Five: A Journey Through Turbulent Skies

He Zhixing led the beautiful woman downstream, their appearance at this moment was ridiculously comical. In his soaked dress pants, water seeped into the pocket where he carried the little wooden beauty carving, which rattled and bulged with every step, rising and falling in rhythm with his stride. In the other pocket was a wallet-sized, jet-black flat stone, its ends slightly concave inward. Like the wooden beauty, both pockets pitifully burdened with treasures, He Zhixing could barely keep his balance, each step almost toppling him in a ludicrous display.

Fortunately, they were moving with the current; had they been fighting upstream, speed would be out of the question. Feeling suffocated, He Zhixing simply took the two items out of his pockets and gripped them in his hands. Now, with his wet dress pants no longer hindering him in the rushing water, he quickly caught up with the stunning woman, both drifting downstream.

After riding the rapids for a stretch, they felt their strength return. The two finally found a calmer, flat section of river and managed to climb ashore. Just as they reached the riverbank downstream, the five men upstream finally descended. The river, swift and winding, flanked by mountains and dense forests, prevented any view from upstream to downstream. Though voices carried, neither side could see the other's precise location.

He Zhixing and his companion heard the commotion and conversation as the five men came down. Swiftly, they veered onto the mountain path in the woods, slipping into the riverside forest. Cautious not to make a sound, they avoided direct conflict, their stamina and wounds still not recovered, and with the sable injured as well, fleeing was their only option. They hoped the five pursuers would lose patience and give up the chase.

Alas, their hopes were in vain. The five, having finally glimpsed the mystical sable and still coveting He Zhixing’s treasures, were not about to retreat. With both treasures together, it suited them all the more to attack in unison.

He Zhixing and the woman circled the dense mountain forest, losing all sense of direction. All they knew was to keep moving forward, never stopping for fear of being caught. To buy time and keep up the pace, they slept in turns, traveling through the night. Each took turns carrying the other on their back; the one being carried would sleep, and when fatigue set in, they switched roles.

This battle-forged method was their own invention—exhausting, but necessary. Day and night, they faced harassment from wild animals in the woods, with one always on full alert, confronting every challenge nature threw at them.

Along the way, He Zhixing discovered a method of recovery. Using the wooden beauty's powerful absorption ability, he swiftly drew energy from the death-defying flat black stone. He had no clue what this energy stone truly was, but its Daoist energy could be absorbed regularly, strengthening his internal force and fortifying his body. No wonder the sable preferred to curl up on the black stone in the temple—it was also cultivating by absorbing spiritual energy.

He Zhixing shared this cultivation method with the exceptional beauty. In conversation, she revealed her name: Li Wuxin, and explained why she had remained at the dilapidated temple.

She said, “I originally came here to hike and clear my mind. I’d just ended a relationship and wanted solitude in remote mountains. Unexpectedly, I encountered the mystical sable, which convinced me to stay.”

With the wooden beauty’s absorption ability, they rapidly drew energy crystals from the stone. The sable benefited greatly, and within a day, its wounds were under control—now, it could easily handle ordinary opponents.

The five pursuers soon caught up, launching an attack against them. After absorbing some of the black stone’s energy, He Zhixing and Li Wuxin felt a minor breakthrough and quickly took fighting stances for a second round. Luckily, they were clever; when the group charged, they didn’t engage in a brutal melee. Instead, they skillfully darted among grass and trees, slipping away whenever exhausted, their coordination growing ever more seamless.