With the rise of my family, I can summon the Daoist Soldiers' Nest.

The group scattered and fled, and Lin Ye also took the opportunity to run desperately into the depths of the dense forest.

He walked swiftly until he could no longer hear the deafening roar of the Moon-Gazing Rhinoceros and the crashing of trees behind him, then he suddenly stopped.

By this time, he had exhausted most of his internal energy. Leaning against the tree trunk, he gasped for breath and took a few gulps of cold water from the water pouch at his waist.

Looking back, it was truly a perilous situation.

One of the moon-gazing rhinoceroses seemed to realize that he was a bit slower than the elders, so it broke away from the herd and bit him tightly.

If it weren't for my own decent lightness skills, and my ability to constantly maneuver around the complex terrain of the dense forest, using the dense tree trunks to block the giant beast's charging route, I would probably have already perished under the rhinoceros's hooves.

Even so, he narrowly avoided the white rays shot from the opponent's unicorn horn several times along the way, and the memory still sends chills down his spine.

Faced with such an incredibly defensive acquired demon beast, second-rate martial artists are completely powerless to fight back, and even a group of first-rate martial artists might not fare well.

Although theoretically, five top-tier martial artists working together can contend with one acquired martial artist, that is based on the premise that both sides are made of flesh and blood, their internal energy will eventually be exhausted, and they can wear down the opponent through a war of attrition.

Unlike the Moon Rhinoceros, it is naturally thick-skinned and has an abnormally strong defense. Ordinary martial artists can hardly hurt it in the slightest. Unless a strong person of the same acquired realm makes a move, it is impossible to break through its defense.

This is why the members of the Sword Sect could only flee in disarray when faced with this beast.

When a low-level martial artist encounters a high-level defensive monster, the so-called "three-five rule" becomes completely ineffective.

After a short rest and once his internal energy had recovered to about 70-80%, Lin Ye leaped onto a tall tree and, leaning on the branches, looked around.

The surroundings were deathly silent; not even the chirping of insects or the calls of birds could be heard. Clearly, he had run to an extremely remote corner, long since outside the general area of ​​the map that Liang Feiyu had previously distributed.

What's recorded there is nothing more than the Sword Sect's usual exploration routes from previous years.

Fortunately, when he looked up, he could still see a majestic mountain standing on the distant horizon, which was the highest peak of the entire island.

Before setting off, everyone had made an agreement to prevent any unexpected situations like getting separated.

If they get separated, they will meet at a secluded spot at the foot of the highest mountain.

Of course, if you wish to give up exploring, you can simply return to where you moored the ship and end the exploration there.

However, Lin Ye felt no urge to return to the ship.

Although he had just been chased and was in a terrible state, his life hanging by a thread, the thrill of his adrenaline surging and brushing past death was something he had never experienced before.

Thinking about it carefully, perhaps I am not a person who seeks stability. Otherwise, I could have stayed in Northern Han and lived a peaceful life as a lord. Why would I risk stepping into this Thunder Swamp?

After regaining his composure, Lin Ye discerned the direction and, with a swift movement, headed towards the solitary, towering mountain in the distance.

Lin Ye walked exceptionally slowly along the way. Without the elders scouting and protecting him, he had to face all potential dangers alone.

Not only must they constantly avoid the territories of various monsters, but they must also be careful not to leave any traces.

The slightest rustling or movement around him would instantly make him tense up, stop in his tracks, and carefully observe.

Lin Ye cautiously explored all day, but still failed to encounter any fellow disciples from the Sword Sect.

Fortunately, he could occasionally find secret marks left by the elders along the way, guiding him to continue towards that high mountain.

Midway through their journey, Lin Ye had to take a long detour around a bear-like monster.

Even from a distance, he could feel the oppressive aura emanating from the other party, estimating that they possessed second-rate strength.

Realizing that he had lost his spear while fleeing from the Moon-Gazing Rhinoceros, and was now empty-handed, he knew he had no chance of winning if he were to confront this giant bear head-on. He could only avoid its attacks.

To get around this monster, Lin Ye took a very long detour.

Before he could readjust his direction and return to the intended path, an unusual depression suddenly came into view.

This depression stands in stark contrast to its surroundings, making it extremely conspicuous from a distance.

The surrounding area was lush with vegetation and full of life, but this depression seemed to have been completely cleared away by some force, with not a single blade of grass growing, and even the color of the soil looked somewhat strange.

Seeing this, Lin Ye felt a chill and became even more careful to conceal his aura, slowly approaching by hugging the shadows of the trees.

Even after he crept closer and looked around, he still couldn't find any living creatures or hear any unusual noises.

Only then did Lin Ye realize that this seemingly barren depression was not devoid of plants, but rather suspended in mid-air.

An inconspicuous blade of grass floated there without any support, its roots having no connection to the earth, swaying gently in the wind.

"Azure Grass!" Lin Ye was shocked and almost cried out.

This is precisely the top-tier spiritual treasure that Liang Feiyu highlighted to everyone on the way. It is on par with the Marrow Cleansing Fruit and the Tai Sui, and can be considered a treasure of the world.

Unlike the Marrow Cleansing Fruit, which can improve one's physical constitution and help one overcome bottlenecks, the Sky Green Grass is not like the Tai Sui, which can be repeatedly harvested to strengthen the clan's foundation.

It is revered as a top-tier treasure, solely because consuming it can significantly enhance a martial artist's lightness skill.

As for how much it can improve, the sword sect in the Northern Han Dynasty could not give a definite answer. After all, such top-level spiritual objects were too far removed from the sword sect, and they had only heard of them throughout the ages.

When Lin Ye heard about these top-tier spiritual items, he even thought it was a fantasy world, simply because their effects were too powerful.

Unexpectedly, I actually encountered a green algae.

According to Elder Liang, the herb *Agrostis stenoptera* has only appeared a few times in recorded history.

Lin Ye forcibly suppressed his turbulent emotions and cautiously scanned his surroundings once more, but still found no trace of any guardian beast.

Logically speaking, a treasure of this level should be guarded by a spirit beast or a demon beast, but Lin Ye lay in the grass in the distance and observed for a long time, but he couldn't detect anything unusual.

"We can't wait any longer. The guardian beast has most likely gone out to forage for food. If we wait for it to return, I'm no match for it."

After making up his mind, Lin Ye checked the surrounding environment again, then suddenly sprang up, frantically pouring his true energy into his legs, and transformed into a blur as he rapidly swept across the open space.

As he drew near, he leaped into the air, his hand flashing out like lightning, and grabbed the airy grass in his hand.

However, before Lin Ye could even savor the joy of his success, a sharp, needle-like pain suddenly shot through his calf.

He subconsciously looked down and saw a small red snake, about three inches long, coiled on the ground.

At this moment, it was raising its head, its two ruby-like eyes staring intently at itself. Just now, that bite was made by this little thing.

"The color is so vibrant, I didn't even notice it just now," the thought flashed through Lin Ye's mind.

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his neck, and the hand that was gripping the empty green grass began to lose sensation as well.

"Oh no, it's poisonous!"