The atmosphere suddenly became silent. There was no sound of animals singing to enliven the night. There was no movement at all—only silence and stillness. Even the night wind did not blow as usual. Only a white mist slowly descended from above, growing thicker by the moment.

 The two young men were still unaware of the presence of a group of unseen figures. They remained immersed in dreams, deep in their slumber.

 There was no movement from either of them until the increasingly cold air made their bodies shiver. 

 Ho Chen stirred, hugging his knees. The piercing cold had become unbearable. The absence of a fire for warmth also played a significant role in waking him from sleep. 

 There was a reason why Ho Chen did not light a fire. The warm glow could attract wild animals and venomous snakes. Furthermore, the unfamiliar surroundings added to his caution.

 The young man opened his eyes and sat up, hugging his knees. While resisting the persistent drowsiness, he scanned his limited surroundings, obscured by thick mist. 

 Yawn!

 Ho Chen yawned widely. His eyes narrowed in curiosity. He faintly saw several pairs of glowing round lights scattered in various spots. His year-long experience exploring forests told him that wild animals were lurking, watching him and Fang Yun.

 Though he didn't yet know what kind of creatures were observing them, Ho Chen did not want to speculate further. He and Fang Yun needed to find a way to escape. 

 "Damn it!" he muttered softly. Slowly, he reached out to shake Fang Yun awake.

 Fang Yun yawned widely. His eyes slowly opened. "What's wrong?"

 "Lower your voice. I think something is watching us," Ho Chen replied. 

 "A wild animal or the guardian of this mountain?" Fang Yun shuddered in fear, recalling his friend’s words about Gobi Mountain having its own supernatural protector.

 "I don’t know. But we should find a safe place to escape."

 "Where?" Fang Yun asked, struggling to think clearly in his panic.

 Ho Chen glanced behind them and spotted a towering tree standing firm just a meter away. "Can you climb a tree?"

 "I can, but it's been a long time since I last did it," Fang Yun replied.

 "That’s fine. As long as you can. Now climb that tree behind us, and I’ll stand guard below." Ho Chen gripped the hilt of Li Hao’s sword, which he had brought with him.

 "If you're staying below, then I won’t go. If we die, we die together."

 "That's not what I meant, you fool! You climb first, and I’ll follow after."

 Fang Yun chuckled quietly. He then turned toward the large tree behind them and quickly began climbing.

 The dampness from the thick mist made the tree trunk a bit slippery. Fang Yun struggled slightly but eventually succeeded. He managed to conquer the 10-meter-tall tree.

 "Ho Chen, climb up quickly!" Fang Yun shouted from above. He could see several pairs of red eyes moving swiftly toward Ho Chen. 

 But his warning came too late. Ho Chen was already surrounded by six wolf-like creatures, their eyes emitting an unnatural glow—not the typical reflection of light in an animal’s eyes at night.

 Ho Chen swallowed hard. He could no longer move. To his left, right, and front stood two of the creatures each, their tongues lolling out. Behind him, the large tree blocked his escape route.

 For a moment, he considered climbing the tree, but no matter how fast he tried, he knew he would be outmatched. The creatures would easily pounce on him as soon as he turned his back.

 In his desperation, the young man drew Li Hao’s sword. A bluish glow radiated from the black blade, illuminating the once-dark surroundings.

 Ho Chen was startled. But his confidence grew as he saw the creatures retreat whenever he brandished the sword. Whether it was because of the bluish glow or something else, he didn’t care. What mattered was that he now had a chance to survive.

 From above the tree, Fang Yun was mesmerized by the bluish light emanating from Ho Chen’s sword. But what shocked him even more was that Ho Chen’s entire body seemed to be enveloped in a golden-red aura, resembling the first rays of the morning sun.

 Clinging tightly to the tree branch, Fang Yun couldn’t take his eyes off Ho Chen. His brows furrowed deeply as he felt a strong energy spreading, exerting pressure.

 As someone learning martial arts, he had begun to sense foreign energies pressing against his body. 

 However, the phenomenon didn’t last long. The golden-red aura surrounding Ho Chen gradually faded before disappearing completely. As it vanished, the energy Fang Yun had felt also dissipated.

 "Who is he really?" Fang Yun wondered, his curiosity about Ho Chen swirling in his mind.

 His curiosity wasn’t unfounded. He knew for a fact that Ho Chen had never practiced martial arts since stepping foot into the Star Sword Sect. Yet possessing an aura that bright and energy that strong required years of training. Even after six years of training, Fang Yun himself had not been able to produce such a powerful aura. 

 The six red-eyed creatures began advancing again as soon as Ho Chen’s golden-red aura vanished. They had regained their courage and moved closer to him.

 Ho Chen immediately noticed. He took slow steps backward until his back pressed against the tree trunk. 

 "Damn it! Why are they approaching again?" he cursed inwardly.

 Ho Chen tried thrusting his sword forward, hoping the creatures would retreat like before when he had first drawn it. But his hopes were dashed. The creatures remained unfazed, stopping only seven steps away—just within striking distance of the twenty-year-old young man.

 "Go away! I have no intention of disturbing you!" he shouted, swinging his sword repeatedly. 

 "Ho Chen, I’m coming to help you!" Fang Yun yelled from the treetop. 

 "Stay up there! Let me handle this!" Ho Chen retorted, feigning confidence. 

 Grrrgggh!

 Suddenly, the six strange creatures shifted their focus. Simultaneously, they all turned to look at a single point.

 ***