Live Streaming Academy

While sipping the warm herbal tea, Solomon glanced around the dense, ancient treeline.

"I could not really see any of this yesterday because I passed out in the carriage," Solomon noted, admiring the towering oaks and the vibrant, overgrown flora illuminated by the morning sun. "This forest is actually incredibly beautiful. Perhaps it is a good thing that it was left unexplored for centuries. The moment people start building outposts and logging roads, they would just destroy all of this natural beauty."

Gideon let out a deep, rumbling laugh. "You will likely never meet another person in your entire life who would willingly step foot into the Whispering Wilds, let alone consider it beautiful. You possess a rather strange perspective on things, Solomon."

Solomon scratched the back of his head and took another sip of his tea. "Well, I am just a farmer’s son. I come from a small village and a farming background. I literally grew up surrounded by nature, hiking through hills and working in the mountains. Maybe that is exactly why I feel so calm in places like this."

[1Fizzy: farmer’s son lore?]

[James_hayes: bro is a country boy.]

[Mezz_3863: Solo Man planting potatoes before fighting angels.]

[PandoraLifeweaver: that actually explains why he is so grounded.]

Gideon widened his eyes in genuine surprise. "I honestly assumed you had received incredibly strict martial training since childhood. You fight like someone who was raised in an elite military academy or an expensive guild program, the kind of training that is strictly locked within massive cities."

The paladin smiled warmly. "Which village are you from? It sounds like a peaceful place that might be worth a visit someday."

Solomon glanced at the floating bronze owl and shook his head. "I cannot reveal the location on the stream. I really do not want the entire world getting involved in my personal life."

"I completely understand," Gideon nodded, respecting the boy’s boundary. "A warrior must protect his home."

After finishing their tea, the group quickly prepared to depart.

Solomon looked back at the perfectly straight, razed path they had traveled on the previous day, and then turned his attention to the dense, untouched forest blocking their route forward.

"Would you like me to cut down the trees and clear a path for us today?" Solomon offered, resting a hand on the hilt of his greatsword.

"There is no need," Gideon responded, adjusting his platinum gauntlets. "I have already taken care of it."

Solomon furrowed his brow and climbed into the wooden carriage alongside Yue.

He mentally calculated the timeline of their journey. Before he had passed out from his reckless cultivation experiment the previous day, they had traveled for roughly ten hours straight. Not once during that entire duration had the carriage stopped or taken a break for Gideon to dismount and cut down more trees.

’That means the single strike he unleashed right before we entered the forest was the only attack he used the entire day,’ Solomon deduced, staring at the wooden floorboards. ’But I clearly saw the attack radius fade after exactly one mile. So how is the path continuously paved?’

Before he could voice his suspicions to the pavilion master, two sharp knocks echoed against the carriage door.

"Step outside for a moment," Gideon requested from outside the cabin.

Yue pushed the door open and stepped down onto the grass. "What happened, Sir Gideon?"

"Pavilion Master Yue, which direction was the river Solomon visited last night?" Gideon asked, his tone laced with sudden concern.

Yue snapped her jade fan open and pointed confidently toward the northeast. "It was in that direction."

"Please use your qi to sense the moisture currents again," Gideon instructed.

Yue frowned, but she closed her eyes and waved her jade fan, sending a subtle pulse of spiritual energy into the surrounding air. Her eyes snapped open a few seconds later. She looked completely bewildered.

"The river is no longer in that direction," Yue muttered. She turned her body entirely around and pointed her fan toward the southwest. "The water current is now flowing from that way."

Gideon stroked his white beard. "We might have simply made a mistake last night due to the darkness. However, the river was located in the complete opposite direction of our tent and the exact path we razed to get here. Based on our current orientation, the river should still be exactly where you pointed the first time, but it is not."

Solomon leaned out of the carriage window. "Someone in my chat is saying that rivers sometimes change their paths randomly without any logical reason."

[Kaolafiedgamer: erosion and mudslides can alter a river’s course!]

[M00N: physics check!]

[Zoomtech: trust the chat logic.]

"While that geographical phenomenon is certainly true," Gideon nodded, "we absolutely should not assume that is the only case here."

The paladin gestured toward the oppressive treeline. "This forest is entirely unnatural. This phenomenon could easily be related to a massive spatial distortion or active dimension shifting. If the terrain itself is moving around us, that means the razed path we traveled on yesterday might not even be the same path anymore. We could be walking in circles."

Solomon hopped out of the carriage. "There was a waterfall and a deep cavern near the riverbank. I also left a few distinct markings near the rocks. I can go back in the exact direction I went last night and confirm if the landscape actually shifted."

"That is a sound tactical plan," Gideon agreed. The paladin turned to the four-star knight standing nearby. "Sir Kulbro, you will accompany Solomon. Do not engage any threats unnecessarily. Just verify the terrain and report back."

Solomon and Kulbro nodded. They drew their weapons and ventured into the dark, whispering woods, heading directly toward the coordinates of the previous night.

As Solomon and Kulbro disappeared into the dense underbrush, Gideon turned to the pavilion master. "What do you make of all this, Yue?"

Yue snapped her jade fan open and frowned at the dark treeline. "I am honestly not sure."

"You are native to the Eastern Realms," Gideon pointed out, resting a hand on his broadsword. "You must have heard the local lore surrounding this forest."

Yue nodded slowly. "I have heard countless stories of rogue cultivators and dark martial artists secluding themselves in hostile environments like this to train in forbidden arts. Since the Whispering Wilds sit directly behind the Azure Moon Kingdom, and absolutely nothing exists on the other side of these woods except the Ruined Azure Kingdom, this territory was essentially abandoned by modern civilization.

Because of the frequent mysterious disappearances and the unnatural magical interference, no noble house ever stepped forward to claim or regulate it. And those who were assigned soon abandoned it."

She closed her fan and gestured toward the distant horizon. "Furthermore, the towns bordering the edge of this forest are incredibly scarce. They are mostly populated by reckless mercenaries or small, isolated clans who use the outskirts for secluded survival training."

Gideon pondered the geographical isolation for a few seconds. "If the anomalies occurring within this forest were truly as apocalyptic and dangerous as the local stories claim, the major orthodox sects or the neighboring kingdoms would have undoubtedly organized a joint crusade to eradicate the threat before it spilled over their borders."

The paladin crossed his arms over his platinum breastplate. "We camped out here for the entire night. We did not encounter a single monster, nor did we witness any unnatural sights. I am absolutely certain the terrifying lore of this forest is being purposely spread and exaggerated to ensure nobody ever steps foot inside. Which logically means there must be something incredibly precious hidden within these woods that someone desperately wants to protect."

Yue considered the tactical assessment. "While it is true that we did not encounter any roaming monsters, that could simply be because they were terrified of our combined auras. Intelligent beasts possess strong survival instincts. They know exactly when to hide from a superior predator."

Gideon nodded in agreement, emphasizing her point. "Intelligent monsters, yes. But the weak, mindless fry should have shown themselves regardless. Just like how mindless insects are helplessly attracted to a bright flame, the lower-tier beasts are bound to be attracted to the smell of fresh food and the warmth of a campsite. Yet, nothing approached us."

He looked around the oppressive, silent canopy. "If the terrain is actively shifting and we are genuinely lost, there is only one viable tactical option left. We will have to raze this entire forest to the ground."

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!