Starting from the pharmacy, he grew into a martial saint among men.

The horse-drawn carriage rolled along the long bluestone street and slowly drove out of Yunxi County.

Chu Hong sat quietly in the car, gently parting the curtain, his gaze slightly lowered.

He noticed again that some seemingly ordinary street vendors and passersby always seemed to be glancing at the carriage, their eyes glued to it.

After the carriage passed, those people quickly began to tip off the others.

He knew in his heart that all his actions, or rather Gu Jin's actions, were under the other party's surveillance.

They might try to ambush and kill him once he leaves the city.

Despite this, he remained calm and composed, and carefully examined the map.

The map shows a route that has already been explored, which is the route Xiao Cui is leading him on; it is secluded and safe.

There are two other backup routes that can be used in case of crisis, but they require crossing the territory of several powerful demonic beasts, which is quite dangerous.

Xiao Cui sat silently to the side, feeling gratified to see Chu Hong so dedicated.

He thought to himself that the young lady had not misjudged him.

The carriage traveled for more than ten miles on the official road before the two quietly disembarked and stepped into the deep mountains and dense forests of Yunmeng.

If nothing unexpected happens, they only need to walk through the mountains and forests for about two days to reach the Black Dragon Abyss.

As expected of Gu Jin's chosen guide, Xiao Cui was extremely familiar with the mountain routes. She moved lightly and quickly without pausing.

According to her, although her internal strength cultivation was accumulated through practice and her martial prowess was not apparent, her movement techniques were exceptional, no less than Chu Hong's.

The mountains and forests here could not stop her.

Chu Hong followed closely behind, his movements equally swift. The two of them moved like shadows, rushing through the mountains.

About an incense stick's time after the two disappeared into the mountains, several more carriages, kicking up clouds of dust, hurriedly stopped at the entrance to the mountains.

More than ten masked martial artists, exuding a chilling aura, disembarked swiftly and decisively. Led by two old men, they quietly followed the trail into the mountains.

These deep mountains and wild forests are far more primitive than the peripheral areas like Canglang Mountain.

The ancient trees here block out the sun, and the thick layer of decaying leaves in the forest gives off a damp and gloomy feeling.

The area was entangled with vegetation, making travel extremely difficult.

Furthermore, powerful demonic beasts patrol the territory from time to time, and if they discover any intruders, they will strike them with thunderous force.

Under Xiao Cui's guidance, the two skillfully avoided the monster territories and were not in much danger.

But the pursuers behind them didn't have that ability.

The maps they had were simple and crude, and unlike Xiao Cui, they were not familiar with the routes. Most of the time, they could only follow the traces left by the two of them and try to find their way.

They stumbled and fell along the way, disturbing plants and monsters, and had to hide and lie in wait from time to time, leaving them in a sorry state.

As dusk settled, the mountains were shrouded in night.

A cold wind swept through the forest, rustling the leaves and creating a unique sense of eeriness.

But as the chirping of insects rose and fell in the forest, it revealed an extraordinary vitality.

Chu Hong and Xiao Cui found a sheltered mountain hollow and stopped to rest for the time being.

After a long day of travel, one is exhausted both physically and mentally. A hot and delicious meal would be a great pleasure.

However, both of them knew that in such deep mountains, the firelight would inevitably reveal their whereabouts and attract the covetous eyes of monsters.

So the two of them ate some dry food, divided up their tasks, and prepared to go to sleep and rest.

Chu Hong took the first half of the night watch, while Xiao Cui took the second half, both remaining fully vigilant.

Meanwhile, the pursuers behind them were also facing a difficult decision.

After a long day of travel, apart from the two elderly leaders, the group was exhausted and just wanted to rest on the spot.

But the leader, Old Wang, had a cold gaze as he swept his eyes over the crowd:

"Nighttime is the perfect opportunity to catch up with them. We can launch a night attack, catching them off guard and taking them down in one fell swoop. We can then leave the mountains tomorrow."

"If we just keep chasing after them like this, who knows how much more time we'll waste in the mountains."

The team members were exhausted; after a long day of running around, they were finally looking forward to the night to rest.

Unexpectedly, Old Wang decided to pursue them under cover of night.

If it were on a main road, tracking at night would be understandable.

However, this is the Yunmeng Mountains, a deep and ancient forest where monsters roam at night and visibility is poor, making it extremely dangerous to travel rashly.

Why would they be willing to gamble with their own lives?

Some people had a pained expression, and their voices were trembling with tears:

"Old Wang, it's not that we're unwilling, but there are many dangers in these deep mountains, and everyone is exhausted."

"If we encounter danger, our fate is uncertain."

"Moreover, Chu Hong is very strong and can fight several Dark Force cultivators by himself. Xiao Cui is also a Transformation Force cultivator. In our current state, even if we encounter them, we may not be able to capture them."

Since the news of Chu Hong's challenge to the gate had not been exposed, they only knew that Xiao Cui was a Transformation Realm martial artist and thought that Chu Hong was only an Inner Realm martial artist.

Their team, led by two peak Transformation Realm experts and assisted by a group of Dark Realm warriors, believed they could easily defeat Chu Hong and his companion.

Everyone is just tired right now and doesn't want to do anything.

When Old Wang heard the man still making excuses, his face darkened, and he spoke coldly:

"Hmph, that Xiao Cui is just a pretty face with no real fighting power; and Chu Hong is only a mere Dark Force cultivator, even if he were to attempt to enter the Transformation Realm, his strength is just weak and unreliable."

"Both Elder Li and I are seasoned experts in the Transformation Realm; defeating them will not be difficult."

"As for the demonic beasts, we outnumber them and have the advantage. What are we afraid of?!"

After saying that, he lowered his voice and threatened:

"If you disobey my orders, I will report everything to you when we return to the Azure Dragon Mansion. Don't blame me for being ruthless then."

Upon hearing this, no one dared to disobey in the slightest and could only apologize repeatedly.

Bravely stay focused and keep up with the pace.

These people were guest retainers raised by several clans in the Azure Dragon Prefecture, belonging to various factions.

Even though Elder Wang and Elder Li are powerful, they are not very willing to listen to them.

However, they came here on orders to intercept Chu Hong, seize the spiritual herb, and thus sabotage Gu Jin's final path.

The original plan was to follow Chu Hong and ambush him at the entrance and exit of Black Dragon Abyss.

As soon as Chu Hong returns from Black Dragon Abyss, he will hunt him down and kill him when he is off guard, and seize the Purple Cloud Grass.

However, after some discussion, Mr. Wang and Mr. Li decided that waiting for too long was too passive.

It would be better to just kill them outright and end it all.

Once you get back, just tell Chu Hong that you haven't obtained the spirit herb.

Since the main objective has been achieved, the higher-ups won't impose any penalties.

Therefore, they planned to launch a surprise attack in the dead of night to kill Chu Hong and his companion.

Under the cover of night, night birds sing and insects chirp.

Chu Hong sat quietly in the darkness, where he could not see his own hand in front of his face.

Suddenly, his ears twitched slightly, his whole body tensed instantly, and a chill inexplicably rose in his heart.

In an instant, the sounds of birds chirping and insects buzzing all stopped.

The mountains and fields were eerily quiet, without even the slightest sound of wind.

Chu Hong remained calm and quietly woke Xiao Cui, who was sleeping soundly beside him, and whispered:

"Watch out, something's coming!"

Xiao Cui instantly focused and stood up, cautiously observing the surroundings.

The night was too dark, with no light at all. One could only faintly hear the rustling of grass and trees, but could not see any sign of the approaching person.

Xiao Cui suggested in a low voice, "Young Master Chu, should we light a fire to illuminate the surrounding area? Otherwise, we'll be in a very passive position."

Chu Hong pondered for a moment.

Xiao Cui is right.

Humans cannot see in the dark, making it difficult to find their way in the dark. When monsters attack, it is difficult to react and defend against them, which is dangerous.

If a flame is lit, the darkness can be pushed aside, giving one a chance to react.

However, lighting a fire late at night also carries risks.

The flames would reveal their location and their whereabouts, making them easy targets for monsters.

After much deliberation, Chu Hong decided that they should still start the fire, but some adjustments were needed.

He whispered his instructions:

"Light the fire. Once the flames are up, retreat to the shadows and hide. Don't expose yourselves."