"This is called Giant Python Peak, a place where we mountain guests often rest after entering Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain. Beyond here is the real heart of the mountain," Ma Yufei explained.
Zhao Ya looked up and indeed found that this stone peak resembled a giant python with its upper body raised.
"Wait here for a moment, I’ll go take a look."
With that, Zhao Ya leaped into the air, and with a few swift jumps, he disappeared into the thin mist.
Ma Yufei stood below watching, his face full of astonishment.
Because Zhao Ya’s body technique was truly astonishing and unprecedented, even Ma Yufei, who was well-traveled, had never seen such a spectacle, naturally leaving him shaken.
A moment later, Zhao Ya returned, then shook his head, "There’s no place similar to the map within a ten-mile radius."
To quickly find the treasure location, this was the most feasible method.
Finding high vantage points and observing the surroundings for similar terrain can greatly speed up the search process.
Otherwise, with just Zhao Ya and Ma Yufei, pinpointing a mountain peak in the vast Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain would be like finding a needle in a haystack.
But this method only suited Zhao Ya, who had top-tier body technique.
For an ordinary person, just ascending Giant Python Peak would be impossible, let alone observing the surroundings.
Ma Yufei admired him in his heart, and his confidence in the subsequent search greatly increased.
The two rested for a moment, then continued their journey.
Since they already knew there was no similar peak within a ten-mile radius, both did not hesitate and quickly traversed through the mountain forest.
Although the path was rugged and difficult, one was boosted by lightweight skills, and the other was an experienced mountain guest, so their progress wasn’t slow at all.
Soon, under Ma Yufei’s lead, the two arrived before another high peak.
"This peak doesn’t have a name, but it’s the highest peak around here. However, if you go up, be careful because I’ve seen flying Exotic Beasts at the top before."
This is the benefit of having a guide.
Because Ma Yufei understood Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain, he could provide Zhao Ya with lots of useful information to avoid potential dangers.
Zhao Ya nodded, then drew his Meteorite Iron Saber and disappeared into the verdant mountain forest with a few leaps.
Watching Zhao Ya’s figure disappear, Ma Yufei chose a clean, flat high ground to sit down, then leisurely took out a piece of dried meat to eat.
But halfway through eating, Ma Yufei suddenly noticed the sky darkened.
It was sunny just now, and suddenly it felt like it was overcast.
Upon looking up again, the distant trees that were visible earlier were now shrouded in blue-gray fog.
"Not good, it’s the gray fog." Ma Yufei’s heart sank.
What he feared most really happened.
In this vast Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain, it’s not the strong and eerie Exotic Beasts that frighten the mountain guests the most, but rather this fog that comes and goes suddenly.
You can never figure out its pattern—one moment everything’s fine, and the next, the weather changes.
Especially in this season, with lush grass and dense forests, fog is particularly dangerous.
Ma Yufei immediately stood up.
In just a moment, it was already impossible to see one’s hand in front of their face.
Moreover, this gray fog not only obstructed vision but also seemed to muffle sound.
Where there was the lively sound of bugs and birds, now the forest was eerily silent.
Ma Yufei realized the severity of the situation.
The gray fog they encountered this time was of the highest danger level, something even he, with his rich experience, hadn’t encountered often.
He didn’t dare move randomly because with visibility completely blocked like this, one’s sense of direction would be severely affected.
If you leave your original position, it’s almost impossible to return.
The only thing he could do was quickly take out a pre-prepared firecracker from his backpack and ignite it.
Bang.
The firecracker, which usually made a loud noise, sounded incredibly dull in this instance, then it flew into the air and burst with a bang.
Although the sound wasn’t loud, it at least caused some disturbance in the silent gray fog.
This was the signal Ma Yufei and Zhao Ya agreed upon before entering.
If encountering a special situation, the firecracker would be set off as a warning.
The purpose was to indicate one’s position and to deter some exotic beasts with the sound.
At this moment, Ma Yufei only hoped Zhao Ya could hear the firecracker and stay on the mountain peak for the time being.
Because according to Ma Yufei’s experience, the fog’s height was usually very low, overall just like a wad of cotton, with a not too large scope.
If you’re at a high place, you might be able to avoid being shrouded by the fog.
After sending the signal, Ma Yufei also took out his weapon, preparing to deal with any potential dangers.
Even though in foggy conditions, regular wild beasts don’t usually move around, this is Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain where exotic beasts appear; anything could happen, so he had to brace for the worst.
At the same time, Zhao Ya stood on the peak, gazing into the distance.
When he heard the faint sound of the firecracker, Zhao Ya looked down to see that below the mountain’s halfway point was already enveloped in gray fog, and this fog was continuously spreading upwards, like a flood.
Zhao Ya immediately recalled what Ma Yufei had told him earlier about the fog.
He didn’t act rashly, because rushing into the fog, even for Zhao Ya, could lead to getting lost.