Chapter 196

Zhuowen frowned slightly as he stared at the unruly young lady whose face was filled with disdain and ridicule. However, he did not pay much attention to her. Instead, he turned his gaze towards the elder and said, "Elder, although I am not very powerful, I am quite familiar with some of the places in the Annihilation Forest. Looking at the direction that everyone is heading in, you should be heading towards the Heaven Fiend Dark Eye in the depths of the Annihilation Forest. Furthermore, everyone seems to be in a hurry to get there.""I know of a shortcut. Within a day, we can pass through this forest and reach the Heaven Fiend Dark Eye." Zhuowen cupped his hands together and said in a manner that was neither servile nor overbearing."Oh?You actually know of a shortcut? "The elder looked at Zhuowen in astonishment and said."I naturally do not dare to deceive elder!" Zhuowen nodded and said.After deliberating for a moment, the elder nodded and said, "Little brother, you are quite perceptive to be able to tell that we are in a hurry to reach the Heaven Fiend Dark Eye. If you really know of a shortcut, I can bring you along!"The rest of the group did not have much of a reaction when they heard the elder's agreement. Only the youngest young lady objected once again and said with a sneer, "Third uncle, with this fellow's weak strength, how could he possibly enter the depths of the Annihilation Forest?I think that the shortcut that he mentioned is very likely false. His goal is to let us protect him for free. "The elder and the rest were stunned when they heard the young lady's words. Soon after, they looked at Zhuowen with unfriendly gazes. Clearly, the young lady's words were not without reason.Seeing the change in everyone's expressions, the unruly young lady revealed a gloating smile on her pretty face. She curled her lips and stared at Zhuowen mockingly. Clearly, she wanted to see how Zhuowen would embarrass himself.Zhuowen's expression did not change. Instead, he took out a map from his chest. This map was given to him by Black Rose and it recorded the approximate location and area of the Annihilation Forest."Senior, you should know that there's a town called Liuchuan Town in the Annihilation Forest. I'm a doctor in this town. There are many mercenaries gathered in Liuchuan Town. These mercenaries rely on the elemental cores in the Annihilation Forest to survive. As the mercenaries explore, the map of the Annihilation Forest is naturally drawn.""So if you want to know the location of the Annihilation Forest, you don't have to explore it yourself!" Zhuowen said as he waved the map in his hand.After receiving the map from Zhuowen, the old man roughly skimmed through it. After confirming that the area depicted on the map was indeed the Annihilation Forest, his expression became much more relaxed. He nodded and said, "Little brother is right, I have wronged you. Since you have contributed the map, you should be protected by us.""Thank you, senior!" Zhuowen cupped his hands and said with a smile.Seeing that the old man was about to take Zhuowen in, the unruly young lady was a little anxious. Just as she was about to object again, the old man glared at her and she did not dare to speak. She could only glare fiercely at Zhuowen, stomp her feet, and walk to the side."Let's set up camp here and rest for the night. We'll leave tomorrow!" The old man looked at the pitch-black night sky and waved his hand as he said.With regards to this, the few of them did not have any objections. They began to pack their bags and set up camp.Zhuowen was not afraid of strangers at all. He leisurely packed his bags and set up his tent. Then, he sat in front of the bonfire as if nothing had happened and silently warmed his hands and feet.After packing up the tent, the rest of the people gathered around the bonfire and warmed themselves. The night in the Annihilation Forest was extremely cold. Even though everyone present was a cultivator with a strong cultivation, it was still difficult for them to withstand the bitter cold of the Annihilation Forest.After all, this bitter cold was not an ordinary cold air. It was a powerful cold current that came from the depths of the Annihilation Forest from the Heaven Fiend Underworld Eye. This cold current was not easy for ordinary cultivators to withstand."Little brother, you dare to enter the Annihilation Forest at such a young age. It shows that you have guts. Come, have a cup!"The old man laughed and patted Zhuowen's shoulder. He then took out a jar of wine and poured a cup for Zhuowen."What do you mean by guts?Entering the Annihilation Forest with such a weak cultivation is extremely stupid. It's fine if you are stupid, but now you are implicating us. "The unruly young lady sitting on the other side of the bonfire rolled her eyes at Zhuowen and coldly snorted."Xia Yu!Little brother is now a member of our team. Can you stop being so stubborn? "The old man frowned and said in a low voice."Alright, alright!I won't say anything. Really, he is clearly a piece of trash. Why are you being so polite to him? "The unruly young lady muttered a few times and turned her head away without saying anything else.The old man looked at the young lady helplessly and said to Zhuowen with a sigh, "Little brother, don't take it to heart. Xia Yu is still young and it is inevitable that she will speak rashly. I hope you don't mind."Zhuowen smiled and shook his head. He naturally would not argue with the unruly young lady.As time passed, Zhuowen and the old man chatted happily. Occasionally, the young man with a faint smile on his face and the oldest lady would chime in a few words. For a moment, the atmosphere was rather warm.As for the unruly young lady, because she was angry, she did not say a word throughout the entire conversation. Instead, she glared fiercely at Zhuowen as if she wanted to eat Zhuowen alive.The other person who hadn't spoken was the girl in the red dress who had saved Zhuo Wen. Perhaps it was her personality, but the girl in the red dress appeared cold and distant. She gave off a feeling that she was a thousand miles away from everyone.After this conversation, Zhuowen also learned about the origin of this team. It turned out that these five people were from the Lin family of the prefecture capital.The distribution of power in the prefecture capital was intricate and complicated. Among them, the three marquises of the prefecture capital were the three most powerful forces. Under these three forces were the Imperial Sword School and the Jade Lady Galaxy. In addition to these five forces, the rest were the forces of the five great families of the prefecture capital.Although the five great families were not as powerful as the three marquises of the prefecture capital, the Imperial Sword School and the Jade Lady Galaxy, they were much more powerful than the other forces. They were recognized as the most powerful force in addition to the five great families.The Lin family was one of the five great families of the prefecture capital. It was also a powerful force.The three young ladies in the team who looked quite similar were the experts of the younger generation of the Lin family. At the same time, they were also sisters.The oldest woman was called Lin Meiyu. She was the eldest sister of the three sisters. She had a steady personality and was very organized. Moreover, her strength was not bad. Her cultivation had reached the Initial Human King Realm.The frosty girl was called Lin Chai Yu. She was Zhuo Wen's second sister. She was a person of few words. She looked cold and indifferent on the surface, but in her heart, she abhorred evil. What she hated the most was the bullying of men and women in front of her. This was also the reason why she suddenly appeared and 'saved' Zhuo Wen when he was robbed.The unruly young girl was undoubtedly the youngest of the three sisters. She had a lively personality, but her words were harsh. At the same time, she was a little unruly. From her performance just now, one could see the characteristics of her personality. Her cultivation had reached the fifth layer of the Corporeal Yang realm, and she was at the bottom of the five.The old man was called Lin Xuanzhong. He was the bodyguard sent by the Lin family to protect them. At the same time, he was also the senior of the three sisters.The young man with a faint smile on his face seemed to be a cousin of the three sisters. His name was Lin Zechang. He had taken the initiative to follow the four to the Ancient Cavern Mansion.However, Zhuo Wen felt that there was something strange about Lin Zechang, who always had a faint smile on his face. Although he didn't know why Lin Zechang gave him such a feeling, Zhuo Wen still paid more attention to him.The Lin family members knew that the real benefits in this fight for the Ancient Cavern Mansion should belong to the five forces: the three marquises of the prefecture capital, the Imperial Sword School, and the Jade Lady Star Court. The Lin family could only follow behind and drink the soup.However, they also knew that even if it was just the treasures left behind by the five forces, it was still a considerable gain for them.After a series of conversations, Zhuo Wen could be considered to have integrated into the team. Although the others were still somewhat wary of Zhuo Wen, there was no longer a sense of estrangement like in the beginning.As night fell, the few of them went into their respective tents to rest.When the morning sun shone on the second day, the Annihilation Forest finally became lively again. Many of the teams woke up early, packed their bags, and headed straight for the Heaven Fiend Dark Eye.When Zhuowen opened the tent, he saw Lin Xuanzhong and the other four packing their bags. Naturally, Zhuowen did not continue to laze around in bed. He also got up to pack his bags."When we enter the depths later, don't drag us down, okay?!Otherwise, I will not save you if you are in danger. "Lin Xiayu slowly walked over. She glared fiercely at Zhuo Wen and snorted in a delicate manner."Don't worry!If I am in danger, I won't trouble you. "Zhuowen replied indifferently. He continued to pack his bags and ignored the young lady who was gritting her teeth."Hmph!I hope you will. "Lin Xiayu snorted coldly and turned to leave.After packing his bags, Lin Xuanzhong glanced at Zhuowen and led the team to the shortcut marked on the map.According to the normal route, they would need at least three days to reach the Heaven Fiend Dark Eye. If they followed the shortcut marked on the map, it was likely that they would be able to successfully reach the Heaven Fiend Dark Eye before sunset. This would undoubtedly save everyone a lot of time.After entering the shortcut, Zhuowen and the rest encountered fewer teams. Obviously, there were not many teams who knew about this shortcut.Along the way, Zhuowen purposely stayed at the back and secretly used his mental strength to observe the surroundings. Although this team had Lin Xuanzhong who was at the Perfect Human King Realm and the chances of them encountering a strong opponent were low, Zhuowen did not let his guard down.Zhuo Wen's actions did not raise any suspicions. They only thought that Zhuo Wen was too weak, to the point that he was unable to keep up with them.Of course, Zhuo Wen's backward behavior naturally caused Lin Xiayu, who had always been dissatisfied with him, to grumble. Naturally, the words that came out of her mouth were not good.

Zhuowen frowned slightly as he stared at the unruly young lady whose face was filled with disdain and ridicule. However, he did not pay much attention to her. Instead, he turned his gaze towards the elder and said, "Elder, although I am not very powerful, I am quite familiar with some of the places in the Annihilation Forest. Looking at the direction that everyone is heading in, you should be heading towards the Heaven Fiend Dark Eye in the depths of the Annihilation Forest. Furthermore, everyone seems to be in a hurry to get there."

"I know of a shortcut. Within a day, we can pass through this forest and reach the Heaven Fiend Dark Eye." Zhuowen cupped his hands together and said in a manner that was neither servile nor overbearing.

"Oh?

You actually know of a shortcut? "The elder looked at Zhuowen in astonishment and said.

"I naturally do not dare to deceive elder!" Zhuowen nodded and said.

After deliberating for a moment, the elder nodded and said, "Little brother, you are quite perceptive to be able to tell that we are in a hurry to reach the Heaven Fiend Dark Eye. If you really know of a shortcut, I can bring you along!"

The rest of the group did not have much of a reaction when they heard the elder's agreement. Only the youngest young lady objected once again and said with a sneer, "Third uncle, with this fellow's weak strength, how could he possibly enter the depths of the Annihilation Forest?

I think that the shortcut that he mentioned is very likely false. His goal is to let us protect him for free. "

The elder and the rest were stunned when they heard the young lady's words. Soon after, they looked at Zhuowen with unfriendly gazes. Clearly, the young lady's words were not without reason.

Seeing the change in everyone's expressions, the unruly young lady revealed a gloating smile on her pretty face. She curled her lips and stared at Zhuowen mockingly. Clearly, she wanted to see how Zhuowen would embarrass himself.

Zhuowen's expression did not change. Instead, he took out a map from his chest. This map was given to him by Black Rose and it recorded the approximate location and area of the Annihilation Forest.

"Senior, you should know that there's a town called Liuchuan Town in the Annihilation Forest. I'm a doctor in this town. There are many mercenaries gathered in Liuchuan Town. These mercenaries rely on the elemental cores in the Annihilation Forest to survive. As the mercenaries explore, the map of the Annihilation Forest is naturally drawn."

"So if you want to know the location of the Annihilation Forest, you don't have to explore it yourself!" Zhuowen said as he waved the map in his hand.

After receiving the map from Zhuowen, the old man roughly skimmed through it. After confirming that the area depicted on the map was indeed the Annihilation Forest, his expression became much more relaxed. He nodded and said, "Little brother is right, I have wronged you. Since you have contributed the map, you should be protected by us."

"Thank you, senior!" Zhuowen cupped his hands and said with a smile.

Seeing that the old man was about to take Zhuowen in, the unruly young lady was a little anxious. Just as she was about to object again, the old man glared at her and she did not dare to speak. She could only glare fiercely at Zhuowen, stomp her feet, and walk to the side.

"Let's set up camp here and rest for the night. We'll leave tomorrow!" The old man looked at the pitch-black night sky and waved his hand as he said.

With regards to this, the few of them did not have any objections. They began to pack their bags and set up camp.

Zhuowen was not afraid of strangers at all. He leisurely packed his bags and set up his tent. Then, he sat in front of the bonfire as if nothing had happened and silently warmed his hands and feet.

After packing up the tent, the rest of the people gathered around the bonfire and warmed themselves. The night in the Annihilation Forest was extremely cold. Even though everyone present was a cultivator with a strong cultivation, it was still difficult for them to withstand the bitter cold of the Annihilation Forest.

After all, this bitter cold was not an ordinary cold air. It was a powerful cold current that came from the depths of the Annihilation Forest from the Heaven Fiend Underworld Eye. This cold current was not easy for ordinary cultivators to withstand.

"Little brother, you dare to enter the Annihilation Forest at such a young age. It shows that you have guts. Come, have a cup!"

The old man laughed and patted Zhuowen's shoulder. He then took out a jar of wine and poured a cup for Zhuowen.

"What do you mean by guts?

Entering the Annihilation Forest with such a weak cultivation is extremely stupid. It's fine if you are stupid, but now you are implicating us. "The unruly young lady sitting on the other side of the bonfire rolled her eyes at Zhuowen and coldly snorted.

"Xia Yu!

Little brother is now a member of our team. Can you stop being so stubborn? "The old man frowned and said in a low voice.

"Alright, alright!

I won't say anything. Really, he is clearly a piece of trash. Why are you being so polite to him? "The unruly young lady muttered a few times and turned her head away without saying anything else.

The old man looked at the young lady helplessly and said to Zhuowen with a sigh, "Little brother, don't take it to heart. Xia Yu is still young and it is inevitable that she will speak rashly. I hope you don't mind."

Zhuowen smiled and shook his head. He naturally would not argue with the unruly young lady.

As time passed, Zhuowen and the old man chatted happily. Occasionally, the young man with a faint smile on his face and the oldest lady would chime in a few words. For a moment, the atmosphere was rather warm.

As for the unruly young lady, because she was angry, she did not say a word throughout the entire conversation. Instead, she glared fiercely at Zhuowen as if she wanted to eat Zhuowen alive.

The other person who hadn't spoken was the girl in the red dress who had saved Zhuo Wen. Perhaps it was her personality, but the girl in the red dress appeared cold and distant. She gave off a feeling that she was a thousand miles away from everyone.

After this conversation, Zhuowen also learned about the origin of this team. It turned out that these five people were from the Lin family of the prefecture capital.

The distribution of power in the prefecture capital was intricate and complicated. Among them, the three marquises of the prefecture capital were the three most powerful forces. Under these three forces were the Imperial Sword School and the Jade Lady Galaxy. In addition to these five forces, the rest were the forces of the five great families of the prefecture capital.

Although the five great families were not as powerful as the three marquises of the prefecture capital, the Imperial Sword School and the Jade Lady Galaxy, they were much more powerful than the other forces. They were recognized as the most powerful force in addition to the five great families.

The Lin family was one of the five great families of the prefecture capital. It was also a powerful force.

The three young ladies in the team who looked quite similar were the experts of the younger generation of the Lin family. At the same time, they were also sisters.

The oldest woman was called Lin Meiyu. She was the eldest sister of the three sisters. She had a steady personality and was very organized. Moreover, her strength was not bad. Her cultivation had reached the Initial Human King Realm.

The frosty girl was called Lin Chai Yu. She was Zhuo Wen's second sister. She was a person of few words. She looked cold and indifferent on the surface, but in her heart, she abhorred evil. What she hated the most was the bullying of men and women in front of her. This was also the reason why she suddenly appeared and 'saved' Zhuo Wen when he was robbed.

The unruly young girl was undoubtedly the youngest of the three sisters. She had a lively personality, but her words were harsh. At the same time, she was a little unruly. From her performance just now, one could see the characteristics of her personality. Her cultivation had reached the fifth layer of the Corporeal Yang realm, and she was at the bottom of the five.

The old man was called Lin Xuanzhong. He was the bodyguard sent by the Lin family to protect them. At the same time, he was also the senior of the three sisters.

The young man with a faint smile on his face seemed to be a cousin of the three sisters. His name was Lin Zechang. He had taken the initiative to follow the four to the Ancient Cavern Mansion.

However, Zhuo Wen felt that there was something strange about Lin Zechang, who always had a faint smile on his face. Although he didn't know why Lin Zechang gave him such a feeling, Zhuo Wen still paid more attention to him.

The Lin family members knew that the real benefits in this fight for the Ancient Cavern Mansion should belong to the five forces: the three marquises of the prefecture capital, the Imperial Sword School, and the Jade Lady Star Court. The Lin family could only follow behind and drink the soup.

However, they also knew that even if it was just the treasures left behind by the five forces, it was still a considerable gain for them.

After a series of conversations, Zhuo Wen could be considered to have integrated into the team. Although the others were still somewhat wary of Zhuo Wen, there was no longer a sense of estrangement like in the beginning.

As night fell, the few of them went into their respective tents to rest.

When the morning sun shone on the second day, the Annihilation Forest finally became lively again. Many of the teams woke up early, packed their bags, and headed straight for the Heaven Fiend Dark Eye.

When Zhuowen opened the tent, he saw Lin Xuanzhong and the other four packing their bags. Naturally, Zhuowen did not continue to laze around in bed. He also got up to pack his bags.

"When we enter the depths later, don't drag us down, okay?!

Otherwise, I will not save you if you are in danger. "Lin Xiayu slowly walked over. She glared fiercely at Zhuo Wen and snorted in a delicate manner.

"Don't worry!

If I am in danger, I won't trouble you. "

Zhuowen replied indifferently. He continued to pack his bags and ignored the young lady who was gritting her teeth.

"Hmph!

I hope you will. "Lin Xiayu snorted coldly and turned to leave.

After packing his bags, Lin Xuanzhong glanced at Zhuowen and led the team to the shortcut marked on the map.

According to the normal route, they would need at least three days to reach the Heaven Fiend Dark Eye. If they followed the shortcut marked on the map, it was likely that they would be able to successfully reach the Heaven Fiend Dark Eye before sunset. This would undoubtedly save everyone a lot of time.

After entering the shortcut, Zhuowen and the rest encountered fewer teams. Obviously, there were not many teams who knew about this shortcut.

Along the way, Zhuowen purposely stayed at the back and secretly used his mental strength to observe the surroundings. Although this team had Lin Xuanzhong who was at the Perfect Human King Realm and the chances of them encountering a strong opponent were low, Zhuowen did not let his guard down.

Zhuo Wen's actions did not raise any suspicions. They only thought that Zhuo Wen was too weak, to the point that he was unable to keep up with them.

Of course, Zhuo Wen's backward behavior naturally caused Lin Xiayu, who had always been dissatisfied with him, to grumble. Naturally, the words that came out of her mouth were not good.