Chapter 121: Trapped in the Primeval Forest

Zixuan was currently located on Wuji Star, the fourth star system of the cultivation world. It was considered a mid-tier planet, home to only one sect: the Wuji Sword Sect. While the Wuji Sword Sect might not be the most powerful among the elite, it was quite formidable compared to other mid-tier factions. It held a reputable status among the surrounding star systems, and many cultivators from ordinary or lower-tier planets, eager to make a name for themselves, would do anything to join the sect. A sect’s development relies on talent; with the influx of these individuals, the Wuji Sword Sect became increasingly prosperous. Virtually no mid-tier power in the vicinity dared to provoke them, making the Wuji Sword Sect the ultimate authority on the rules of the land.

The attire of most people on Wuji Star resembled the clothing of ancient China’s Tang and Song dynasties, though there were no strict regulations. When out and about, people dressed according to personal preference, and some even wore strange, eccentric robes. With such people around, no one looked at Zixuan like a freak. Regardless of the style, the fabric of their clothing was of excellent quality. Even the outer-sect disciples of the Wuji Sword Sect, who were only at the Qi Refining stage, wore garments made of spirit silk. Unlike Zixuan, who was still wearing casual cotton clothes—a style reserved for mortals or the most destitute of cultivators—it was no wonder the two guards dared to refer to a Golden Core cultivator like Zixuan as "boy."

After gathering a general understanding of the cultivation world, Zixuan decided to spend two more days adapting before attempting to teleport from one star system to the next. He knew that as long as he and Tang Wei were in the same star system, he would immediately be able to sense the presence of the space. No matter how far apart they were, he could enter it, which would significantly narrow down the search area.

As for where Tang Wei had been teleported to—and whether she had truly perished in the spatial turbulence—that goes back to the moment she was pushed into the teleportation array by the Black Dragon at the bottom of Heaven Lake on Changbai Mountain. As the array activated, Tang Wei’s head felt heavy and dizzy, as if someone were pulling at her mind. It was a painful, blurred, and indescribable sensation.

Dazed, she saw the Black Dragon lunging toward her, but then she lost consciousness. When she finally came to, she found her body appearing suddenly about four or five meters above the ground. In the blink of an eye, the power of the teleportation array vanished. Before she could react, she fell with a loud "thud," feeling as if her backside had been split in two. The massive impact sent birds scattering from the surrounding trees. Fortunately, a thick layer of fallen leaves cushioned her fall, or she might have been severely injured. She then curled up, clutching her backside and howling in agony. But here, no one would hear her even if she screamed at the heavens. A quick glance at the surrounding dense forest, with trees and branches intertwined, confirmed that even if it wasn't a primeval jungle, it was certainly a deep, uninhabited wilderness.

Reflecting on it, Tang Wei had been foolish. Who just stands easily in a teleportation array without using spiritual energy to protect their body? At the very least, she could have spared herself this ordeal!

After a bout of delicate self-pity, Tang Wei realized she was truly alone. With Zixuan not by her side, no one would answer even if she screamed her heart out. Thinking of him, she fell silent for a moment. She forced herself to stand, limping a few steps. A sharp pain shot through her backside, and she winced, intending to enter the space to heal. Only then did she realize she had lost contact with it. Although she had been prepared for this, actually facing the situation left her feeling incredibly lost.

After clearing a spot to rest, Tang Wei sat in meditation to heal her injured backside. With the Wood Spirit treasure within her, her injuries healed quickly. In just the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, she stood up, gave her hips a tentative wiggle, and realized they were perfectly fine. Only then did she turn her mind toward what to do next.

Given the current circumstances, Tang Wei could not afford to dwell on sentimentality. Her priority was to exit this forest as quickly as possible, gather information, and then plan her next move.

Without Zixuan, Tang Wei was not truly helpless. At the very least, she knew she was in an unfamiliar environment where a single mistake could cost her her life. Her first act was to hide the fact that she possessed all five elemental attributes. With the Five Spirit treasure, concealing the other three was effortless. From now on, Tang Wei would only be a Fire and Wood dual-attribute cultivator. It was a pity that the five spirits had remained dormant since they fell asleep, or she could have asked them for advice.

Tang Wei flew into the sky on her sword. Looking around, she saw nothing but an endless, boundless forest that seemed to merge with the horizon. Knowing she had to pick a direction, she realized that distinguishing north, south, east, or west was useless here, as she was unfamiliar with the geography anyway. She figured that as long as she picked a direction and kept moving, she would eventually find people.

Tang Wei thought that once she found people, everything would be easier; she could just ask. Rather than worrying, she decided to save her energy and move forward. Perhaps there is a benefit to being simple-minded—everything can be simplified!

And so, Tang Wei flew toward the rising sun for three days, yet she still hadn't reached the edge of the forest. She couldn't be sure where she was, as the spiritual energy here was not particularly rich—only slightly better than in China—but the air was free of the impurities harmful to cultivation.

Along the way, she had seen all sorts of creatures. Some were like the rabbits, cows, sheep, and tigers of China, but there were others she had never seen before. Some looked like small animals but could spit fire; others were as hard to kill as cockroaches; some moved like lightning. She had seen all kinds of strange things. At first, she feared she had crossed into another world, but she didn't want to panic until she was certain. Over the last two days, she had become accustomed to it. Though these creatures had their unique tricks, they were weak; if they were unlucky enough to block her path, they generally couldn't escape her sword.

Speaking of her sword, it required a brief explanation. Not wanting to expose her Metal-attribute spirit root, Tang Wei had found a "junk" sword in her storage space to use as a weapon. After a little refinement, she used it for sword flight and as a machete to clear her path. At first, she found it incredibly inconvenient—it wasn't as obedient as "Little Gold"—and she had wanted to give up. But considering her safety, she decided to persevere. Only after three days did it feel slightly more comfortable, and she stopped thinking about how to hide her true nature.

Tang Wei hadn't spent all three days in the air; when she found a beautiful spot, she would land and walk for a while, taking to the sky only when she lost her way.

Now, while controlling the sword and scanning the ground with her spiritual sense, she discovered something that made her excited: people! After three whole days, she finally saw people! Even though they were fighting, it didn't dampen her mood. Suppressing her excitement, she carefully flew toward them, landed on a four-story-tall tree, and silently observed the commotion below.

There were over a dozen people divided into two factions. The larger side had a leader directing the others. The smaller side consisted of only three men and two women. The two women were being held captive, struggling frantically, their mouths gagged; they couldn't speak, but tears streamed down their faces. Among the three men, one was quite elderly and lacked combat ability, clearly dragging the others down. While it looked like a fight, it was really them just taking a beating, occasionally landing a desperate blow. Tang Wei noticed that even while being beaten, the two young men were trying to protect the elder, suggesting he held a high status. The larger group was not only more numerous but clearly stronger; the fact that they hadn't ended the "farce" yet proved they were merely toying with their victims. Everyone was dressed in ancient-style clothing and looked similar to people from China. If Tang Wei didn't know better, she would have thought they were filming a martial arts movie, though their techniques were lackluster and hardly worth watching.

Seeing the five of them nearing their limit, Tang Wei couldn't help but want to intervene. Suddenly, the leader of the larger group spoke: "Leave them with a breath and dump them at the entrance of their village. These two women are quite pretty; bring them back and train them well. Who knows, they might fetch a good price."

Tang Wei was delighted to hear this. Their language was identical to Mandarin. Great! No need to worry about a language barrier. These people clearly weren't cultivators, so even if she saved them, she wouldn't have to worry about offending any major powers.

Tang Wei let out a clear, sharp shout: "Release those five immediately, they are under my protection!" With that, she leaped from the tree, landing in a perfect pose, sword in her left hand, striking what she considered a most impressive stance. It was the very image of a sword-wielding heroine meting out justice! Who would have thought that I, Tang Wei, could exude such an aura of authority? Ha! Ha! Ha!