Chapter 159

After defeating the figures in black, Zhang Yue and his companions continued on their way. Before long, they came upon an ancient forest. This forest seemed like a forgotten corner of time, with towering, massive trees whose intertwined branches twisted together like giant pythons. Sunlight struggled to pierce through the gaps in the foliage, casting mottled patches of light that drifted like golden fragments across the ground. The air was filled with a damp chill, carrying the scents of earth and rotting leaves. The ground was blanketed in a thick carpet of fallen leaves that crunched with every step, as if whispering tales of the ages. From time to time, the crisp calls of insects and birds echoed through the silent woods, adding an even more mysterious atmosphere to the scene. The group carefully picked their way through the forest. Zhang Yue walked at the very front, his features as resolute and sharply defined as if carved by a knife and axe. Beneath a pair of sword-like brows, his deep eyes flashed with vigilance. Dressed in dark, form-fitting martial attire that hugged his slender frame and highlighted his agile posture, he tightly gripped a long sword, its blade gleaming with a cold, piercing light in the dim illumination.