I established the Eternal Immortal Clan by taming beasts.

A vast primeval forest stretches across the southern border of Chuyang City.

This is the Silent Forest, a dangerous place around Chuyang City recognized as having the strongest monsters.

Towering ancient trees stand tall, their canopies layered upon each other, their lush branches and leaves intertwined, almost completely blocking out the sunlight.

This creates a dark and hazy atmosphere in the forest year-round.

The air was filled with the scent of damp earth, the slightly acidic smell of decaying leaves, and a unique, slightly crisp, grassy aroma characteristic of ancient forests.

The ground was covered with a thick layer of withered branches and leaves that had accumulated over countless years, making it soft and silent when stepped on.

This forest is named "Silent" not because it lacks life; on the contrary, it is the absolute territory of the Shadowmoon Wolf pack.

The wolf pack's strict hierarchy and efficient hunting keep other creatures in a state of high alert and concealment year-round, making them afraid to make a sound.

Over time, this created a tense and oppressive silence.

However, today, this silence has been completely shattered.

At several relatively open entrance areas on the edge of the forest, a large number of cultivators had already gathered.

The sounds of hushed conversations and the soft clanging of ritual implements could be heard continuously.

A restless atmosphere, a mixture of anticipation, vigilance, and greed, permeated the air.

Their goal is self-evident.

It was that second-tier top-grade spiritual plant that was about to mature.

Aside from Foundation Establishment cultivators who were somewhat confident in their abilities, there were a large number of Qi Refining stage rogue cultivators.

Normally, they wouldn't dare to easily set foot in the Shadowmoon Wolf's territory, even if they had several lives, but today was different.

The gathering of a large number of high-level cultivators will inevitably attract or even restrain the powerful wolf pack deep in the forest.

For them, this was undoubtedly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

It is relatively safe to venture into the outer and even middle areas of the forest.

Search for low-level spiritual herbs and ores that are usually difficult to obtain, or hunt down lone low-level monsters.

The scene was as lively as the outskirts of a temporary market.

"Hey, Lao Zhang, do you think that news is reliable? Is there really a second-tier top-grade spiritual creature maturing in this godforsaken place? Or is it some unscrupulous person spreading fake news to trick us into being their scouts?"

A burly man with a full beard, who was in the late stages of Qi cultivation, lowered his voice and asked his companion.

"Who knows? In this world, it's hard to tell what's true and what's false, but then again..."

The gaunt monk, known as Old Zhang, squinted as he surveyed the dark entrance to the forest.

"Since we're already here, we should at least go in and take a look. Even if we don't find the treasure, it wouldn't be a loss to grab some 'scraps' in the chaos. We don't usually get this chance in this Silent Forest."

Another, younger cultivator beside him rubbed his hands together, his eyes gleaming with excitement:

"Hehe, that's what I think too! Such spiritual treasures are destined to be fought over by Foundation Establishment seniors, and we know our place."

"However, I've heard that there are some Yin-attribute 'Shadow Grass' and 'Bone-Rotting Flower' in the Silent Forest, which can be worth some spirit stones after a while... With so many people this time, the wolf pack definitely won't be able to handle them all!"

The independent cultivators gathered in small groups, maintaining a delicate distance from one another, both wary of each other and subtly inclined to stick together for mutual support.

They began to cautiously make their way towards the dark entrances to the forest.

Lin Che stood under the shade of a tree a little distance from the main entrance, his breathing subdued, his gaze calmly sweeping over the crowd.

He quickly spotted several familiar figures among the throng of people—the Red Fox Squad.

This small group of independent cultivators still maintains a stable cooperative relationship with the Lin family.

He also spotted Liu Fang, a secret agent from the Shadow Hall, in the group.

In recent years, the Demon Palace of Rebellion seems to have completely fallen silent in the territory of Chuyang City, and has not made any major moves.

These lurking Shadow Hall spies, like hibernating vipers, concealed their fangs and made almost no unusual moves.

This was undoubtedly good news for the Lin family, which was in a period of stable development, and it allowed the Lin family to safely pass through this precious ten-year accumulation period.

Liu Fang and the others did not recognize Lin Che.

Because at this moment, he does not resemble the head of the Lin family.

Instead, he once again used the disguise technique, transforming himself into "Han Li," a rogue cultivator with a metal-type spiritual root.

With only one step left to reach the Golden Core Path, Lin Che's mind became increasingly calm and cautious.

He knew that the closer he got to his goal, the less he could afford to be arrogant.

True brilliance is revealed after the Golden Elixir is achieved and the great momentum is forged.

To prevent being targeted by various parties at this final juncture.

Lin Che shifted his gaze to several teams that were clearly better equipped and had a more focused aura.

That was a team from several Foundation Establishment families in Chuyang City.

Clearly, everyone was smart enough to understand the growth characteristics of the Moon Essence Crystal Fruit.

It is inseparable from the essence of demonic power that the Shadow Moon Wolf King has been dispersing over the years.

Arriving too early may not only alert the wolves, causing them to destroy or relocate the spiritual plants prematurely, but may also disrupt the demonic energy environment, preventing the spiritual fruits from ripening completely.

Therefore, all parties unanimously chose to gather here on the eve of the spiritual fruit's ripening to engage in this final struggle.

Among the Zhou family's group, Lin Che spotted a familiar figure who looked somewhat forlorn—Zhou Wanhai.

Compared to his spirited appearance ten years ago, he now looks much more weathered.

His eyes no longer held the sharpness and arrogance of the past, but instead showed a hint of melancholy and weariness.

The leader of the Zhou family's team this time was not him, but a middle-aged Foundation Establishment cultivator with a more profound aura.

According to the scattered intelligence gathered by the Lin family, it seems that this person bore the main responsibility after the Zhou family's series of plans against the Lin family failed.

Not only did the expected rewards vanish, but his salary was also reduced, and his power within the family was greatly diminished.

Lin Che's gaze swept indifferently over Zhou Wanhai, and he quickly assessed the strength displayed by the other teams, making a rough plan in his mind.

He no longer lingered at the edge of the crowd to observe. With a swift movement, he vanished silently into the quiet forest, choosing a relatively deserted direction.

Upon entering the forest, the hustle and bustle of the outside world is instantly shut out by the thick trees and tranquility.

The light dimmed at a visible speed, with only scattered spots of light filtering through the extremely sparse foliage, scattering like broken gold across the humus-covered ground.

The air became moist and cool, carrying a richer scent that belonged to the depths of the forest.

The density of trees has increased significantly.

On the ground, one can occasionally see some small monsters.

However, they are all extremely vigilant, and often disappear without a trace the moment Lin Che appears.

Clearly, this is a survival instinct honed under the long-term rule of the Shadowmoon Wolf pack.

Lin Che moved with light steps, but his divine sense, like invisible ripples, meticulously scanned his surroundings.

On the rough trunks of many ancient trees that required several people to encircle, he saw deep, almost parallel, sharp scratches.

Those were the marks left by wolf claws, clear and powerful, the most direct way for the Shadowmoon Wolf Pack to assert its territorial ownership.

Even in this relatively peripheral area, the wolf pack's presence is incredibly strong.

Suddenly, Lin Che's keen senses caught sight of several dense bushes to his side.

Several faint green lights seemed to flash by, carrying a cold, scrutinizing meaning.

With a slight thought, his divine sense quietly extended over.

There were three Shadowmoon Wolves.

They are a size larger than ordinary wolves, and their fur is a deep, dark gray that blends almost into the shadows in the dark forest.

Only those narrow wolf eyes flickered with a ghostly green light as they opened and closed, like will-o'-the-wisps.

Their scent was around the mid-to-late stage of Qi Refining, clearly indicating that they were a patrol squad deployed by the wolf pack at the edge of their territory.

The three Shadowmoon Wolves had clearly also noticed Lin Che, this uninvited guest.

But they didn't pounce on them immediately, nor did they let out any warning cries; they just stared intently in Lin Che's direction for a few moments.

Immediately afterwards, the lead Shadowmoon Wolf, which was slightly larger, let out a low whimper.

The three wolves turned around at the same time and, with ghostly light and swift steps, silently sped away into the depths of the forest.

In the blink of an eye, it disappeared into the layers of dark tree shadows.

"Want to go back and report? Perfect, lead the way for me." A glint flashed in Lin Che's eyes.

He only had a general location information about the exact location of the Shadowmoon Wolf's lair, which was not precise.

These three patrolling wolves are the best guides right now.

With a thought in mind, Lin Che quietly activated his supernatural power, Absolute Concealment.

In an instant, his aura seemed to be completely wiped away by an invisible hand.

Although its physical form still exists, it has become perfectly integrated with the surrounding air and tree shadows in terms of divine perception and even light refraction, without any sense of abruptness.

He remained in a state of near-nothingness, like a part of the forest itself.

They patiently trailed behind the three swiftly charging Shadowmoon wolves from a distance, stealthily making their way to the most dangerous depths of the Silent Forest.