In the morning, Ye Fei woke up to find Liu Junyi had already left the room. He marveled at how effortlessly she seemed to recover, even after such a long night. His own body had become stronger than the average person's, but she always seemed to keep pace with him, rising early despite everything.
What Ye Fei didn't know was that when Liu Junyi got up that morning, she felt completely drained. But as the commander-in-chief, she couldn't let herself be seen faltering. Forcing herself to gather her strength, she got up and resolved that she wouldn't allow things to get so out of hand again. Still, a hint of a smile crept onto her face as she remembered the intensity of the night.
After finally getting ready and stepping out of the room, Ye Fei noticed that all the special forces members, apart from himself, had already assembled in the yard. With years of training, these soldiers had a strong discipline and respect for time.
Even though Ye Fei was the last to arrive, no one seemed particularly surprised—Ye Fei's impressive strength and unconventional approach meant he was accustomed to operating a bit differently from the rest.
He smiled and nodded toward those who glanced in his direction, making his way over to stand next to Zhang Qiang. Though he had been given a separate mission, he would still travel with the group until they reached the forest's edge.
"Xiaoman, your aunt and the others headed to the meeting. Why didn't you go with them? You joined them before," Zhang Qiang asked curiously.
Ye Fei chuckled. "My task was already set, so there was no real need for me to join this one."
Zhang Qiang looked slightly surprised. "So you're not joining us at all?"
Ye Fei nodded and explained his mission to scout the enemy's base on his own. In this operation, everyone was on the same side, and he trusted Zhang Qiang implicitly.
"Ah, that makes sense. Given your strength, going solo is probably the best approach," Zhang Qiang replied.
"Exactly," Ye Fei said with a grin. "My aunt wouldn't send me off on anything too dangerous."
Just then, one of the gossip-loving soldiers in the group sidled up with a mischievous look. "Ye Fei, so, nothing going on between you and that sharpshooter from Beijing? I swear, she's glanced over here a dozen times since you showed up."
Ye Fei followed his teammate's gaze and noticed that Wei Qing indeed kept glancing his way, though she seemed hesitant to approach. When she caught Ye Fei looking back, she immediately averted her eyes. Her unusually shy demeanor intrigued Ye Fei.
Curious, he approached her with a friendly smile. "Is there something on your mind?"
Still curious, Ye Fei began a methodical search of the area, though he found nothing out of the ordinary besides the massive, ancient trees and thick layers of fallen leaves.
Just as he was about to give up, he noticed a small cave near the roots of an immense tree. The cave opening was just large enough for someone to crawl through.
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"Could this be the lair of some kind of forest guardian?" he mused himself with a joke, driven by a mix of caution and curiosity. While he doubted the cave housed enemies, the oddity of the place intrigued him enough to investigate.
Carefully, Ye Fei cleared the entrance and crawled in. The tunnel, surprisingly, expanded as he moved further inside, allowing him to stand upright.
The deeper he went, the darker it became, and soon he was moving in pitch-black surroundings. Ye Fei took out his high-intensity flashlight, securing it to a branch to hold it a few meters ahead, illuminating the path while keeping himself safely back from the light source.
Strangely, despite hours of walking, the tunnel appeared endless. Finally, the path began to descend sharply, and before long, it sloped almost vertically. Ye Fei managed to navigate carefully, but as the slope became steeper, he allowed himself to slide down, occasionally stabilizing himself on rough patches to control his descent.
After nearly fifteen minutes of sliding, a faint light appeared below. Ye Fei was astonished. He was now likely miles below the surface, yet light seemed to fill the depths.
After reaching the bottom, he walked toward the light until he emerged from the tunnel into a breathtaking scene. He found himself in a valley, surrounded by sheer cliffs and filled with a gentle, luminous mist. There was no visible sun, yet everything was softly lit, creating an otherworldly glow.
"Paradise on Earth," he murmured. That was the only description that fit. The valley was filled with vivid flowers and plants that glowed as if enchanted, and unfamiliar animals roamed about, adding life to the dreamlike landscape.
For a moment, Ye Fei wondered if the legends of hidden sanctuaries for cultivators were true, but as he explored, he found no signs of human presence. It seemed this place was a natural formation.
While the valley's energy felt much more concentrated than that of the outside world and the fruits scattered around seemed almost mystical, Ye Fei knew this environment would be of limited help to him. His unique cultivation method meant that even such a place couldn't rival his own potential growth rate.
Having assessed that this place held no particular advantage for him, Ye Fei decided to explore further. He approached the valley's cliffs, intending to climb up to get a better sense of his surroundings.
Summoning his inner strength, he leaped ten meters up, using the cliff as leverage to continue his ascent. But to his surprise, his body seemed to grow heavier as he rose, and the further he climbed, the stronger the force pulling him down became. He managed to reach a little over a hundred meters before he found himself unable to lift his own weight any further.