(Sorry about that! Something came up at home and I was busy all day — only now do I have a chance to upload a saved draft!)
Gray-black rotting ground, murky puddles bubbling ceaselessly, twisted trees of bizarre shapes, nameless blood-red grass underfoot, and a pungent, strange smell permeating the air — this was the scene that greeted Han Li the moment he regained consciousness.
Without pausing to question the peculiar surroundings, Han Li first swept a cautious glance in every direction, checking whether anyone else was nearby. After all, the greatest danger still came from disciples of other sects who had entered the forbidden region along with him.
It seemed he had gotten lucky — within a radius of several dozen zhang, there was no one but himself. He let out a quiet breath of relief.
However, he did not let down his guard. One hand gripped a talisman, while the other drew out the "Gold Silkworm Parent-Child Blades," ready as a last resort.
Only then did Han Li calm himself enough to carefully observe the oddities of his surroundings.
He was not particularly surprised at suddenly finding himself in an unfamiliar place. Before the forbidden region expedition, the stewards had distributed to each disciple a detailed dossier about the area.
The documents mentioned that anyone who stepped into the forbidden region would be instantly transported to one of its many corners by a teleportation formation that still functioned inside. Where exactly you ended up depended entirely on luck.
Some were teleported right into the core zone, where rare spiritual herbs could be gathered immediately — the truly fortunate ones. Others found themselves face-to-face with several demonic beasts the moment they arrived, unable to escape alive without a bloody battle. As for the unluckiest, they were sent straight to some death trap and perished on the spot — though this happened least often.
Most commonly, people ended up in a remote corner of the forbidden region, just like Han Li, and had to find their own way forward.
According to the deductions of senior experts, the reason for all this was that the method they used to break through the barrier was not the proper way in. Naturally, it triggered certain minor restrictions, leading to unexpected outcomes.
Han Li cautiously circled the nearby area while cross-referencing the memorized information with the surrounding landscape. At last, he found something very useful — data accumulated over the years by disciples who had successfully left the forbidden region, now of great value to newcomers.
"Black Dragon Pool is located in the northeast corner of the forbidden region, centered on a deep pool several dozen zhang in diameter. Within a radius of over ten li, there are abundant Corpse Rot and Serpent Twist trees and other plants that can be used to make poisons, though their value is modest."
"At the center of Black Dragon Pool, by the edge of the pool, Cold Grass appears at random intervals of roughly a decade or more. It is an extremely versatile rare herb, and if possible, one should try to collect as much as possible, for it can be exchanged within the sect for certain rewards. However, note that deep in the pool lurks a group of first-rank lower-tier demonic beasts called Frost Toads. They are docile in temperament and will pose no danger as long as they are not provoked."
After reviewing the information several times, Han Li felt he had a solid understanding.
In principle, the closer to the center of the forbidden region, the rarer the spiritual treasures and the more powerful the guardian beasts. Black Dragon Pool's location was slightly toward the outer edge, though not the outermost layer. If he hurried, he could reach the core zone within a day.
With that in mind, Han Li refrained from using a flying tool. Instead, he leapt up into a large, densely foliaged tree, looked around to get his bearings, and then jumped back down.
The pool lay to the south, directly on the path toward the center of the forbidden region, so he could take a look along the way.
Han Li cast a concealment spell on himself, then set off with light, careful steps, proceeding with caution the entire way. Whether it was because Han Li was being overly tense or not, after walking several li nothing unexpected occurred — it was as though the entire Black Dragon Pool area held no one but him.
Only when he heard the sound of flowing water did his taut nerves finally relax a little.
He pushed aside several crooked branches blocking his path, and a deep pool of emerald-green water came into view. Before he even drew near, a piercing, bone-deep chill washed over him and made him shudder.