Forty years old, awakening attribute panel

Chapter 257

Following Lin Pojun's final order, the entire team quickly took action and set out on the journey to the Trial Forest. Their steps were firm and powerful, and their faces were filled with excitement and anticipation for the unknown challenge.

The entrance to the Trial Forest seemed like an ancient secret forgotten by the years, obscured by clusters of ancient trees towering into the sky. The branches of these trees twisted and coiled, like ancient guardians, standing silently, guarding the secrets of this forest. The sunlight struggled to penetrate the layers of leaves and sprinkled on the ground, forming patches of mottled light and shadows, like a dynamic oil painting.

The air is filled with the scent of moist earth and a light fragrance of trees, making you take a deep breath involuntarily, wanting to breathe this freshness into your lungs. The breeze blows, the leaves rustle, and the occasional bird song in the distance creates an atmosphere that is both mysterious and peaceful.

Everyone walked through the entrance carefully. The dead leaves and branches under their feet made a slight crackling sound, which was particularly clear in this quiet forest. Although their footsteps were light, in this silent environment, every step was like a warning bell, reminding them to stay vigilant.

Lin Yi stood at the front of the team, his eyes were firm and sharp, like a leopard on the hunt, ready to catch the traces of prey at any time. He turned his head slightly, his eyes fell on the flying wing on his shoulder, the partner who had fought side by side with him for many years.

He gently stretched out his hand, and his fingers gently brushed the soft feathers of Fei Yi, as if whispering to an old friend. Fei Yi seemed to sense Lin Yi's intention, and it vibrated its wings slightly, making a slight rustling sound, as if responding to Lin Yi's call.

Then, Lin Yi's palm gently patted Fei Yi's back, which was a clear signal. Fei Yi instantly understood his master's intention. He no longer waited, and suddenly spread his wings, like a golden lightning streaking through the sky. The wings were broad and powerful, and each feather shone with a metallic luster. When flapping, it brought about breezes, blowing the surrounding leaves gently.

Feiyi held his head high, his eyes sharp as an eagle's, his gaze piercing through the trees and looking straight into the depths of the forest. His body leaned forward slightly, as if he couldn't wait to soar in the vast sky to track the golden bird.

Under Lin Yi's command, the flying wing circled in the air, its movements were graceful and agile, and every dive and climb seemed to be done with ease. Its eyes kept scanning the surrounding environment, looking for clues of the golden bird. Every subtle movement of it revealed its confidence and determination, as if telling Lin Yi: it was ready, ready to start a hunt at any time.

Lin Yi took a deep breath, followed closely by Jiang Sheng, Lin Xuan and others. They followed Lin Yi closely, keeping a proper distance to avoid getting lost in the forest. Everyone's face was full of seriousness and concentration.

After entering the forest, everyone was immediately shocked by this mysterious and dangerous environment. The trees were towering into the sky, and the dense branches and leaves were intertwined, as if forming a natural green barrier that almost completely blocked the sunlight. The trunks of these trees were thick, and the bark was covered with traces of time, revealing a kind of vicissitudes of beauty.

Jiang Sheng walked in front, holding a sharp dagger and looking around vigilantly. His steps were light and fast, like a leopard running through the jungle. His ears were erected straight, listening to the movements around him at all times. Once there was any movement, he would react immediately.

Lin Yi was in charge of aerial reconnaissance. He patted the flying wing on his shoulder, signaling it to fly up to the sky to search. The flying wing immediately spread its wide wings and flew high into the sky. It circled in the air, its sharp eyes piercing through the layers of branches and leaves, looking for traces of the golden bird. Whenever it found suspicious movements, it would immediately send a signal to Lin Yi.

Lin Xuan was responsible for observing the situation on the ground. He followed Jiang Sheng closely, his eyes constantly switching between the ground and the surrounding environment. He kept an eye on the ground under his feet to avoid stepping on dead leaves and branches that would make noises. At the same time, he also kept an eye on Jiang Sheng and Lin Yi's movements to ensure that the three of them maintained close contact.

Lin Yi quickly and skillfully jumped onto the top of a nearby towering tree. He gently patted the flying wing on his shoulder, signaling it to prepare for takeoff. The flying wing seemed to understand his intention, and it vibrated its wings slightly, making a slight rustling sound, as if it was accumulating strength.

Then, Feiyi spread its broad and powerful wings and flapped them fiercely. Lin Yi felt an upward force. He tightly grasped Feiyi's feathers and leaped into the air with Feiyi. They rose quickly, passed through layers of dense branches and leaves, and arrived above the treetops.

Standing on the treetops, Lin Yi looked down at the forest below. He saw dense trees with intertwined branches and leaves, forming a green ocean. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, felt the breeze brushing his cheeks, and listened to the music of various sounds in the forest.

The bird was circling in the air, its eyes sharp and bright, like two dazzling gems. It kept scanning everything around it, looking for the trace of the golden bird. Suddenly, it made a clear cry, the sound was high-pitched and sharp, as if it was conveying some information to Lin Yi.

Lin Yi opened his eyes and immediately caught the signal sent by the flying wing. He looked in the direction pointed by the flying wing and saw a golden light flashing deep in the forest. He was moved and knew that it might be where the golden bird was.

"Found it!" Lin Yi shouted excitedly, and he immediately jumped down from the treetop and landed steadily on the ground. He sent a signal in the direction of Jiang Sheng and Lin Xuan, signaling them to move in that direction.

The three-man team quickly gathered, exchanged affirmative glances with each other, and then headed in the direction of the golden bird. Guided by the flying wings, they passed through natural barriers, carefully avoiding dead leaves and branches on the ground, and moved towards the target.

Under Lin Yi's guidance, the team of Jiang Sheng, Lin Yi and Lin Xuan went deep into the direction of the golden bird. In order to ensure the smooth operation, Jiang Sheng decided to summon his contracted spirit beast, the Fiery Eyed Red Bearded Tiger Wild Fire, to go and investigate.

Jiang Sheng stood in a clearing in the forest, surrounded by dense trees and thick fallen leaves. He closed his eyes tightly, his face solemn and focused, as if he was communicating with some mysterious power.

He took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling, as if he was taking in the essence of the entire forest. Then, he put his hands together, interlaced his fingers, and his fingertips trembled slightly, as if he was playing a silent movement.

As Jiang Sheng's silent chanting gradually became louder, the ground beneath his feet began to vibrate slightly. At first, the vibration was so subtle that it was almost imperceptible, but as time went on, the vibration became stronger and stronger, as if a sleeping giant beast was waking up.

Suddenly, a dazzling red light emerged from deep underground. It quickly spread and dyed the surrounding trees and fallen leaves a light red. The light was so strong that everyone had to close their eyes to avoid being burned.

When the light gradually faded, a huge red-bearded tiger with fiery eyes appeared in front of everyone. Its fur was as red as fire, gleaming with a metallic luster. Its eyes were piercing, and it seemed as if two flames were burning in its pupils, making people dare not look directly at it.

Wildfire stood in the open space with his head held high. His limbs were muscular and each step was firm and powerful. His tail swayed gently in the air, as if to show everyone his strength and majesty.

Jiang Sheng looked at Huang Huo in front of him with a satisfied smile on his face. He stretched out a hand and gently stroked Huang Huo's head, as if communicating with it. Huang Huo also lowered his head meekly, allowing Jiang Sheng to stroke him, as if enjoying this rare intimate moment.

Wildfire's red eyes were like burning flames, flashing with a fiery and determined light. Its gaze was deep and sharp, as if it could see through all illusions and the slightest movement in the depths of the forest. Wildfire held his head high, his posture majestic, and every hair on his head looked so vivid and powerful.

Suddenly, it opened its mouth and let out a thunderous roar. The roar was as shocking as thunder, echoing throughout the forest, making the surrounding trees seem to tremble. The sound waves spread in the air, bringing a cold wind that made people shudder.

However, under this might, Jiang Sheng seemed calm. He stretched out a hand, gently stroked Huanghuo's neck, and soothed it with a gentle but firm voice: "Huanghuo, calm down. We are here to find golden birds, not to disturb this forest."

Under Jiang Sheng's comfort, Huanghuo gradually calmed down. It gently wagged its tail, as if responding to Jiang Sheng's words. Then, it lowered its head and waited for its master's order.

Jiang Sheng pointed to the depths of the forest and said firmly and decisively, "Huanghuo, go ahead and look for traces of the golden bird. Feiyi will assist you in the air. Once you find anything, come back and report immediately."

The wildfire nodded, as if it understood Jiang Sheng's order. It turned and headed towards the depths of the forest, taking firm steps.

The flying wing was also circling in the air, its eyes fixed on the movements of the wild fire, ready to cooperate with the wild fire at any time.

With the tacit cooperation between Huanghuo and Feiyi, the efficiency of the three-person team's search in the forest was significantly improved. Feiyi hovered lightly in the air, its eyes like sharp eagle eyes, not missing any possible clues. Its wings flapped lightly, and each flap brought a breeze, making the surrounding leaves rustle.

Suddenly, the flying wing's movements became hasty. After circling in the air for a few times, it suddenly let out a sharp and long cry. This cry was like a sharp arrow, piercing the silence of the forest and piercing everyone's eardrums. Its voice was full of excitement and excitement, as if it was announcing an important discovery.

At the same time, Wildfire also stopped at almost the same time. Its legs, which were originally running fast, suddenly stopped, as if being pulled by an invisible force. It raised its head, its red eyes flashing with blazing light, staring closely at the direction pointed by the flying wing. Its ears stood straight up, as if catching the subtle sound waves in the air.

Jiang Sheng, Lin Yi and Lin Xuan also noticed this change immediately. They all showed nervous and excited expressions on their faces. They knew that Fei Yi and Huang Huo must have discovered the golden bird's trace.

Jiang Sheng responded quickly, waving his hand to signal everyone to keep quiet, and then looked in the direction that Fei Yi and Huang Huo pointed. In that direction, the branches and leaves of the trees were faintly gleaming with golden light, which was the unique luster of the golden bird.

The three-man team approached the location of the golden bird carefully, their steps were light, and they tried not to make any noise. Lin Yi and Lin Xuan held their weapons tightly, ready to deal with any possible danger. Jiang Sheng stared nervously ahead, his eyes penetrating through the layers of branches and leaves, trying to catch the figure of the golden bird.

At this moment, a series of rapid branch snapping sounds and low roars broke the silence of the forest. Several huge, hideous-looking humanoid beasts suddenly appeared in front of the three-person team. Their bodies were covered with hard black hair, their muscles were knotty, and their arms were unusually long and powerful, like apes. Their eyes flashed with a fierce light, and their fangs were exposed, looking extremely hideous and terrifying.

These strange beasts were the Jing Demon Apes, which were known for their powerful strength and ferocious temperament. Their appearance instantly put the three-person team in danger.

The thorn demon apes suddenly discovered the three-man team, their eyes instantly turned blood red, and their roars echoed in the forest like thunder. These strange beasts were huge, with four limbs on the ground, muscular, and hair standing up, looking extremely ferocious.

They seemed to have no hesitation at all, and immediately took steps and rushed towards the three-man team. They were extremely fast, and almost in an instant, they rushed from far away to the front. During the sprint, their bodies seemed to be parallel to the ground, and their limbs swung wildly, driving the whole body forward.

Seeing this, Lin Yi and Lin Xuan's faces suddenly became solemn. They knew that these Jing Mo Yuan were extremely dangerous opponents, and they could lose their lives if they were not careful. So, they immediately waved their weapons and prepared to fight against these charging beasts.

"Be careful!" Lin Yi shouted, and at the same time he swung his sword, with a sharp sword light, straight at the Jing Mo Yuan in front. The Jing Mo Yuan did not seem to expect Lin Yi's attack to be so swift, and a flash of surprise flashed in its eyes, but was soon replaced by a fierce light. It stretched out its arms, trying to resist Lin Yi's attack.

However, Lin Yi's long sword easily pierced through the defense of the Ape. The long sword pierced deeply into its chest, and blood gushed out. The Ape roared in pain and fell to the ground. At the same time, Lin Xuan was not idle either. He held a huge battle axe and chopped at another Ape. The battle axe whistled and hit the Ape's head fiercely. The Ape had no time to dodge and fell to the ground with a bloody head.

"These strange beasts are really ferocious!" Lin Yi said while panting, "We must be careful when dealing with them."

"That's right!" Lin Xuan also nodded, "We must always be vigilant and not give them any chances."

However, at the moment when Lin Yi and Lin Xuan were fighting fiercely with the Jing Demon Ape, a sharp bird cry suddenly came from the deep and quiet forest. The cry was crisp and pleasant, but it seemed very abrupt in the tense atmosphere. At the same time, an ominous premonition surged in the hearts of the three-member team, and their eyes involuntarily moved to the direction of the golden bird.

The golden bird that was hiding among the branches and leaves was now exposed to everyone. Its feathers shone with golden luster in the sun, like a fine work of art. However, it was now panicked by the roar of the thorn demon ape. Its eyes were filled with fear, and its wings flapped rapidly, trying to escape from this dangerous place.

"Golden bird!" Jiang Sheng shouted anxiously, but it was too late. The golden bird uttered a sharp cry, full of fear and despair. It flapped its wings and flew high, like a golden lightning across the sky, and instantly disappeared into the depths of the dense forest.

The three-man team couldn't help but feel annoyed when they saw this. They knew that this opportunity had been missed. Before Lin Yi and Lin Xuan could swing their weapons, they had already lost their target. They could only watch the golden bird fly away, their hearts filled with regret and unwillingness.

"Damn it! How could these Jing Demon Apes suddenly appear!" Lin Yi cursed angrily, his eyes flashing with anger.

"We have to find a way to get the golden bird back!" Jiang Sheng said in a deep voice, his tone full of firmness and determination.

"That's right!" Lin Xuan also nodded, "We can't just give up like this."

However, the Jingmo Apes' attacks did not stop. They roared, waved their powerful arms, and launched a fierce attack on the three-man team. The three-man team could only fight with all their strength against these ferocious beasts.

However, the attack of the Jing Mo Yuan did not stop because of the golden bird's escape. Instead, they became more violent, and their roars echoed in the forest, shaking the leaves to fall. These strange beasts waved their powerful arms, and their sharp claws flashed coldly in the sun. Every swing was destructive.

Facing this sudden and fierce attack, the three-man team could only grit their teeth and fight with all their might. Holding a long sword, Lin Yi moved as fast as lightning, weaving through the siege of the Jing Mo Yuan. Every swing of the sword was precise and powerful, but the Jing Mo Yuan was numerous and attacked fiercely, and he soon felt overwhelmed.

Lin Xuan wielded a huge battle axe. Although his movements were not as flexible as Lin Yi's, every time he chopped, he had the force of thunder and lightning, and he repelled the Jing Mo Yuan one by one. However, there were too many Jing Mo Yuans, and their attacks came like a surging tide, making Lin Xuan feel a little overwhelmed.

At this critical moment, Jiang Sheng quickly summoned Wildfire. A red light surged from the ground and rushed into the sky, and then Wildfire's huge figure appeared in front of everyone. It let out a thunderous tiger roar, full of majesty and power, making the surrounding Jing Demon Apes tremble.

Wildfire rushed into the battle circle, like a tiger leaping out of flames. Its figure swept across the battlefield, and every attack was accompanied by the force of a hurricane, tearing the surrounding air apart. It suddenly leaped up, its front limbs spread out like a pair of huge wings, and rushed towards the nearest Jing Mo Yuan with flaming claws.

Although the Thorn Demon Ape was huge and powerful, it was vulnerable to Wildfire. Wildfire's claws were as hard as steel, flashing with cold light, and every swing was precise and powerful. Its claws cut through the air, making a sharp sound of breaking wind, and directly tore through the Thorn Demon Ape's defense.

The fur of the Ape was easily torn apart by Wildfire's claws, revealing the bright red muscles and bones inside. Wildfire did not give the Ape any chance to breathe, it opened its mouth wide, revealing its sharp fangs. These fangs were like daggers, flashing cold light and a frightening sharpness.

Wildfire bit down on the neck of a thorn ape. Its fangs easily pierced through the skin and muscles of the thorn ape and bit directly into the bone. As Wildfire bit hard, the neck of the thorn ape was bitten off, and blood gushed out, splashing all over the surrounding ground.

Wildfire's movements were swift and agile. It was like a nimble tiger on the battlefield, constantly attacking, biting, and ramming. Under its attack, the Jingmo apes fell one after another, and the entire battlefield was filled with a strong smell of blood.

With Wildfire's help, the pressure on the three-man team was immediately relieved. They cooperated with Wildfire tacitly, and the man and the beast launched a violent attack on the battlefield. The surrounding trees were affected by the aftermath of their battle and fell down one after another. The whole forest seemed to be shaking because of their battle.

The Jing Demon Ape was almost wiped out by the fierce attack of the wildfire, and only a few remaining beasts struggled to escape the battlefield. They roared in fear and quickly disappeared in the dense bushes.

Jiang Sheng, Lin Yi and Lin Xuan saw that the Jing Demon Ape had already escaped, so they did not choose to chase it. They knew very well that it was not advisable to chase after an enemy who was desperate, and their main goal now was to find the whereabouts of the golden bird.

"Let's not chase it for now." Jiang Sheng took a deep breath and searched the forest. "The most urgent thing is to find the golden bird."

Lin Yi nodded, used the sword in his hand to push aside the branches in front of him, and stepped forward carefully. "The golden bird was frightened and should have flown far away now. We need to look carefully for its traces."

Lin Xuan followed closely behind, holding a battle axe and scanning the surroundings with vigilance. "We have to be careful. Although the Jing Mo Yuan has escaped, there may be other dangerous creatures here."

The three-member team carefully searched for traces of golden birds in the forest. Sometimes they looked down at the ground to find feathers or footprints left by golden birds; sometimes they looked up at the sky to try to catch the flying figure of golden birds. They moved very carefully, fearing to miss any possible clues.

Time passed little by little, the sun gradually set, but the three-person team still did not find the whereabouts of the golden bird. They couldn't help but feel a little anxious, but they knew that they couldn't give up now.

"We have to speed up." Jiang Sheng frowned, "It's getting dark. If we still can't find the golden bird, we'll have to wait until tomorrow."

"Yes!" Lin Yi and Lin Xuan said in unison, "We can't give up, we must find the golden bird!"

As night slowly fell, the forest, which was originally shrouded in moonlight, suddenly became no longer peaceful. The sparse chirping of insects and the rustling of leaves in the breeze were replaced by a low and terrifying roar. This roar seemed to come from deep underground, shaking the entire forest, making the surrounding trees tremble under the impact of this force.

The three-man team - Jiang Sheng, Lin Yi and Lin Xuan - were standing in an open area, their eyes fixed on the direction where the roar came from. The darkness there seemed to be thicker than other places, as if some huge creature was slowly approaching.

They could see that in the distance, in the areas affected by the battle of the Jing Mo Yuan, faint flames flickered in the darkness. Those were the flames burning on the Jing Mo Yuan's corpse. These flames not only illuminated the surrounding trees, but also attracted the attention of other strange beasts.

Suddenly, a burst of hurried footsteps broke the silence of the forest. A group of strange beasts of various shapes rushed out from the darkness, their eyes flashing with greed under the firelight. Some of these strange beasts were huge and had rough skin; others were agile and had sharp eyes. They roared, their voices full of desire for food and excitement for battle.

The three-man team could feel that as the beasts approached, the air around them seemed to become tense. The wind in the forest seemed to have stopped blowing, leaving only the heavy breathing and roars of the beasts.

"Oh no, these strange beasts are attracted by the smell of blood." Jiang Sheng said in a low voice, his eyes fixed on the direction where the sound came from.

Lin Yi and Lin Xuan also realized the danger immediately. They quickly gripped their weapons in their hands, ready to deal with possible dangers.

"We have to leave here quickly." Lin Yi said, turning and pointing to a relatively safe direction.

The three-man team nodded in agreement and quickly moved. They carefully avoided the corpse of the Thorn Demon Ape on the ground and tried not to make any noise to avoid attracting more strange beasts.

During the evacuation, they looked back from time to time to observe the movements behind them. They saw more and more strange beasts attracted by the smell of blood, roaring and running, forming a surging beast tide.

"There are too many of these strange beasts. We can't stop them at all." Jiang Sheng said with a frown.

"It's okay, let's retreat to a safe place first." Lin Yi comforted and quickened his pace.

The three-man team rushed all the way and finally came to a relatively open area. There were sparse trees and a wide field of vision, which made them feel a little safe.

"Let's rest here for a while." Jiang Sheng looked around and said after making sure there were no traces of strange beasts.

"Okay." Lin Yi and Lin Xuan also nodded. They sat down and began to adjust their breathing and recover their strength.

During the break, they discussed their next plans.

"We have to find a way to find the whereabouts of the golden bird." Jiang Sheng said, "But at the same time, we must be careful of those strange beasts. They may appear again at any time."

(End of this chapter)