klisemfg Chapter 236 First Steps into the Rules
Chapter 236 First Steps into the Rules
The crimson sunset dyed the sky red, painting the mist at the edge of the forest with an eerie hue.
Zhuang Yu's heart tightened suddenly as a powerful aura pressed down on him like Mount Tai, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.
Danger!
This was the strongest feeling he had ever had since entering the spirit world, more terrifying than any demonic beast he had encountered before.
He immediately held his breath, suppressing his aura to the extreme, as if a drop of water were merging into the ocean, not daring to cause even the slightest ripple.
He slipped behind an ancient, giant tree, the rough bark brushing against his cheek, providing a slightly gritty sensation, but this did nothing to ease the tension in his heart.
The surrounding air seemed to freeze, the rustling of leaves disappeared, and only the increasingly powerful aura pounded against his heart.
"Thump! Thump! Thump!" Like the beating of drums, the aura grew closer and closer, and the sense of oppression became stronger and stronger.
Zhuang Yu could even feel the cold sweat seeping from his forehead, which quickly turned cold in the cool evening breeze.
He pressed himself tightly against the tree trunk, his eyes fixed on the front, ready to respond to any unexpected situation.
As the mist churned, a figure slowly appeared in Zhuang Yu's field of vision.
The figure was tall and robust, dressed in coarse linen clothes, and exuded a faint aura of power, which was the source of that powerful aura.
Zhuang Yu's heart jumped into his throat. He had thought it was some powerful demon beast or a cultivator with ill intentions, but he never expected that the person who came would be the village chief of the Spirit Realm's novice village!
"That was close!" Zhuang Yu thought to himself, and at the same time, a thought flashed through his mind.
He took a deep breath to calm his nerves, and then stepped out from behind the tree.
"Village Chief!" Zhuang Yu pretended to be still in shock and bowed to the village chief. "This junior wandered into this place by mistake and encountered a powerful monster. Fortunately, the village chief appeared, otherwise my life would have been in danger!"
The village chief frowned slightly when he saw Zhuang Yu, and was about to reprimand the outsider, but was interrupted by his words.
He sized Zhuang Yu up and down, noticing his simple clothes and unassuming aura, which suggested he wasn't some vicious criminal. His tone softened slightly as he asked, "Who are you? Why are you here?"
"I am Zhuang Yu, a junior who has just entered the Spirit Realm and am unfamiliar with everything here..." Zhuang Yu said sincerely, "I would like to ask the village chief for guidance."
The village chief looked at Zhuang Yu, remained silent for a moment, and finally sighed, "Very well, since you've met me, it can be considered fate. The Spirit Realm is extremely dangerous, and you're new here, so it's best to be careful." With that, he turned to leave.
"Village Chief!" Zhuang Yu hurriedly called out, "This junior has another request!"
The village chief stopped, but didn't turn around. "What is it?"
Zhuang Yu quickly stepped forward and began to deliver her prepared explanation.
He didn't mention that he had obtained resources, but instead portrayed himself as a pitiful person who had just entered the spirit world and had no one to rely on.
As the village chief listened to Zhuang Yu's words, his expression gradually softened, and he finally nodded, "Very well, then come with me."
Zhuang Yu was overjoyed and quickly followed the village chief.
He glanced behind him furtively, a cold smile flashing across his lips.
Just then, a cold snort came from afar...
A cold snort came from afar, and a man in a brocade robe walked through the air, his face stern and his eyes filled with contempt.
It was Li Kuang.
He was followed by two attendants, one burly and muscular, the other thin and with a sinister look in his eyes.
"Village Chief, what do you mean by this?" Li Kuang's tone was unfriendly, his gaze fixed on Zhuang Yu with undisguised hostility. "The Spirit Realm is not a place that just anyone can set foot in at will, let alone an outsider of unknown origin like this!"
The village chief frowned, his tone turning cold. "Li Kuang, watch your words. Although the Spirit Realm is xenophobic, it's not an unreasonable place. This young friend is new here and unfamiliar with the area, so as the village chief, I naturally have an obligation to provide assistance."
"Help? Hmph!" Li Kuang sneered. "I think he clearly has ulterior motives! He might be a spy sent from another realm! Village chief, aren't you afraid of inviting a wolf into your house by protecting him like this?"
The atmosphere between the two was tense, and an invisible pressure permeated the air.
The surrounding trees seemed to sense the pressure and emitted low, mournful sounds.
Seeing that the two were about to start arguing, Zhuang Yu quickly stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Seniors, I am new here and am not familiar with many of the rules of the Spirit Realm. Please forgive me if I have offended you." As he spoke, he took out a spirit fruit that emitted a shimmering light from his storage bag and handed it to the village chief. "I was fortunate enough to obtain some spirit fruits in the Resource Forest. I am willing to exchange them for the right to stay in the novice village temporarily. I hope the village chief will grant my request."
The village chief looked at the spiritual fruit in Zhuang Yu's hand. This spiritual fruit contained rich spiritual energy and was obviously not an ordinary item.
After a moment's thought, he accepted the spirit fruit and nodded. "Alright, you can stay in the beginner village for a few days and make plans after you've become familiar with the rules of the spirit realm."
Seeing this, Li Kuang's face turned even uglier, but since the village chief had already agreed, he couldn't say anything more. He could only glare at Zhuang Yu fiercely, snort coldly, and turn to leave.
His two attendants followed closely behind. Before leaving, the burly man glanced at Zhuang Yu with a hostile look, his eyes carrying a hint of barely perceptible killing intent.
Zhuang Yu watched Li Kuang and the others leave, a faint smile appearing on his lips.
He turned around, bowed to the village chief again to express his gratitude, and then followed the village chief toward the starting village.
"Wait..." a deep voice came from behind.
Xiao Jia and Xiao Yi watched with resentment as Zhuang Yu left with the village chief.
Xiao Jia clenched his fists, the thick veins on his arms throbbing, clearly still resentful about having swallowed his anger earlier.
"Big brother, are we just going to let it go like this? This kid is clearly an outsider, what gives him the right to act so arrogantly in our spirit realm?" Xiao Yi's eyes flashed with a sinister light as he whispered in Xiao Jia's ear, "Big brother, the village chief may be powerful, but we're not pushovers either. That kid definitely has something good on him, why don't we..." He made a throat-slitting gesture.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Jia's eyes flashed even brighter with ferocity. He let out a low roar, pushed off with his feet, and charged towards Zhuang Yu's back.
"Kid, don't even think about running away!" Xiao Jia roared, like a furious beast, his powerful aura causing the ground to tremble slightly.
The gust of wind carried his fist straight toward Zhuang Yu's back.
The surrounding trees rustled in the wind.
Zhuang Yu was prepared. He slightly curled the corners of his mouth, and with a flash, he easily dodged Xiao Jia's attack. Xiao Jia's fist missed and landed on the ground, creating a shallow crater.
Seeing this, Xiao Yi sneered and shouted, "Big brother, don't fight him head-on! His movements are unpredictable! Force him into that poisonous forest!" Upon hearing Xiao Yi's reminder, Xiao Jia immediately changed his strategy. Instead of confronting Zhuang Yu head-on, he pressed forward step by step, forcing Zhuang Yu deeper into the forest.
Zhuang Yu sensed the increasingly dense poisonous miasma behind him. With a sudden thought, he pretended to be outmatched and retreated repeatedly, leading Xiao Jia into a complex area.
The villagers in the surrounding newbie village were stunned by this sudden scene. They all stopped what they were doing and gathered around, watching the conflict with concern.
Xiao Jia became more and more excited as he chased after Zhuang Yu, as if he could see Zhuang Yu being defeated by him.
However, just as he was about to catch up with Zhuang Yu, Zhuang Yu suddenly stopped and a cold smile appeared on his lips.
He moved with the speed of a ghost, weaving through the trees. Xiao Jia's attacks missed their mark time and time again, only striking the tree trunks with dull thuds. Leaves fell like a green rain.
Zhuang Yu used the complex environment to constantly wear down Xiao Jia's patience and stamina.
Xiao Jia gradually felt breathless and began to feel anxious.
Just then, Zhuang Yu seized an opportunity. He suddenly stopped, channeled his spiritual energy into his fist, and punched Xiao Jia in the abdomen.
With a muffled thud, Xiao Jia flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily into a giant tree behind him, causing the trunk to sway a few times.
Xiao Jia let out a painful groan, his face turned pale, and a trickle of blood oozed from the corner of his mouth.
He looked at Zhuang Yu in disbelief.
"You..." Xiao Jia clutched his stomach, wanting to say something, but found it difficult to even stand up.
Zhuang Yu dusted himself off, looked coldly at Xiao Jia, and then glanced at Li Kuang, whose face was ashen, in the distance.
Just then, the village chief walked up to Zhuang Yu, gave him a meaningful look, and slowly said, "Your skills are not bad..."
The village chief's deep gaze fell on Zhuang Yu, carrying a hint of barely perceptible admiration.
"Your strength far exceeds my expectations. It seems you are no ordinary cultivator." He stroked his long beard, his tone becoming serious. "The Spirit Realm is completely different from the world you were in before. Here, strength is paramount, and the law of the jungle is an eternal rule."
Zhuang Yu lowered his head respectfully, listening to the village chief's teachings.
The surrounding air seemed to freeze, with only the village chief's voice echoing through the forest like an ancient incantation, revealing the mysteries of the spirit world.
"The Spirit Realm is divided into nine heavens, each with its own unique rules and challenges. The place we are in now is only the lowest heaven—the Mortal Realm. Even so, the spiritual energy here far surpasses that of your previous world." The village chief's voice was deep and magnetic. "In the Spirit Realm, in addition to cultivating oneself, one also needs to understand the rules of the Spirit Realm in order to survive better."
He pointed to the distant, undulating mountain ranges. "Look," he said, "those mountains are no ordinary mountains, but treasure troves of rare resources. But at the same time, they also harbor countless dangers. Powerful demonic beasts, perilous secret realms, and even other cultivators with ill intentions will all become obstacles on your path."
Zhuang Yu listened with rapt attention, feeling as if he had opened a door to a new world.
The mysterious veil of the spirit world was slowly lifted before him, revealing its magnificent true form.
His heart raced, his blood boiled, and his heart was filled with a desire to explore.
"Thank you for your guidance, Village Chief. I am deeply grateful." Zhuang Yu bowed deeply, feeling that he had finally begun to truly step into the Spirit Realm, and his heart was filled with excitement.
This is an important step in his exploration of the spirit world, a brand new beginning.
The village chief nodded with satisfaction. "You're a promising student. Remember, in the spirit world, caution is always the first rule of survival."
Night falls and the stars are shining.
Zhuang Yu bid farewell to the village chief and walked alone on the way back to his residence.
The moonlight shone on him, casting a long shadow.
He recalled the village chief's words, his heart filled with anticipation for the future.
However, in a dark corner, a pair of cold eyes were watching his every move.
A dark figure followed him silently, like a ghost, without making a sound.
"Big brother, that kid seems to have discovered something; his pace has suddenly quickened." A deep voice came from the shadows.
"Hmph, so what if we found out? He can't escape our grasp." Another voice carried a hint of malice, "Young Master Li instructed that we must keep a close eye on him and not let him make any mistakes."
The shadowy figure continued to follow Zhuang Yu, gradually disappearing into the night...