Chapter 190: The Scent

The secret tunnel was very deep and not straight at all. It twisted and turned, sloping downward at about a thirty-degree angle, like a V shape.

Every ten meters or so, there was a Realm-Breaking Bead. Xu Feng’s instincts told him these things were why this tunnel had stayed open all this time.

After walking roughly over a thousand meters, Xu Feng started feeling a bit suffocated. Suddenly, he sensed waves of strange energy pulsing from up ahead.

“The golden barrier of the Celestial Garden!” Xu Feng’s eyes lit up. Finally, he was almost out of this horrible place! He hadn’t gained any benefits at all and almost lost his life!

Up ahead, a pale golden energy shimmered like a screen, forming a barrier right inside the tunnel and blocking Xu Feng’s path.

The defensive barrier of the Celestial Garden was incredibly powerful. It could shield against attacks from the air, the ground, and even underground. In truth, this golden barrier was actually spherical. The Celestial Garden sat right in the center of this protective bubble.

Xu Feng crawled up to the barrier. Dozens of magic runes were carved into the surrounding rock walls. At every single point where these runes crossed, there sat a Realm-Breaking Bead. Just a quick glance showed him dozens of these beads on this side of the formation. The side behind the golden screen looked like it had even denser runes and a much grander formation. Naturally, it would use even more Realm-Breaking Beads.

“What extravagance!” Xu Feng sighed. “But aiming for the Celestial Garden… even this huge cost was worth it.”

The thought of missing out on so many rare treasures sent a twinge of pain through his heart.

Right now, this formation wasn’t active. The golden barrier was just blocking his path. Xu Feng looked closely at the formation on his side.

Among the dozens of Realm-Breaking Beads, one seemed to have been taken out for some reason. It was set to the side, not resting in the small hollow at the rune node.

Xu Feng gave that bead a gentle nudge, pushing it into the hollow on the magic rune node. Instantly, the entire magic circle lit up as streams of energy flickered rapidly along the carved patterns.

Sizzle, sizzle…

The energy from the formation clashed with the golden barrier. The two forces collided repeatedly, throwing off tiny sparks of power.

Finally, the formation’s energy surged like a cluster of needles, puncturing the golden screen and shooting outwards.

Xu Feng crouched nearby and waited silently.

The minute strand of energy, having pierced the golden barrier, connected with the Realm-Breaking formation outside. Immediately, that much more complex formation outside also activated. Working together, the power from both formations – inside and out – tore a hole big enough for a person to fit through in the golden barrier!

“Amazing!” Xu Feng marveled, feeling a strong fascination with formations stir in him for the first time.

Now wasn’t the time to study them, though. Xu Feng quickly crawled through the hole in the barrier and made his way out.

Once past the barrier, he couldn’t resist glancing back. He grabbed all the Realm-Breaking Beads from the formation. In an instant, the formation’s energy vanished, and the golden barrier sealed itself whole once more.

Xu Feng had thought taking the beads might cause trouble, like making the tunnel collapse with a bang. But seeing how just moving the one bead earlier had merely deactivated the formation, he decided to grab them all.

The beads embedded in the tunnel walls kept the passage open and prevented collapses. But the formation at the barrier had only one purpose: to breech it. It had no other function. That’s why Xu Feng dared to take the beads.

Dozens of Realm-Breaking Beads slipped easily into Xu Feng’s pocket. Coming away empty-handed from a treasure trove, this small haul offered him a tiny scrap of comfort.

With the golden barrier behind him and nothing else blocking his path, Xu Feng finally crawled out of the secret tunnel. He emerged inside a hollow tree trunk. It was a massive, ancient tree, completely hollow inside. Nothing unusual showed outside; you had to come down into it from the canopy nearly thirty meters high.

“Clever exit,” Xu Feng smiled slightly. Using the sides of the ancient tree trunk for footing, he pushed upwards. Soon, he left the tree far below and slipped into the jungle bordering the Celestial Garden.

Spotting the Beastkin guarding the entrance to the Celestial Garden, he dared not disturb them. Carefully, he took a big detour through the forest, heading swiftly towards the Teleportation Array.

…

Beast Demon Village.

Inside a simple grass hut, Black Ape Village Chief Yuan Yi sat around a central campfire with four or five Beastkin. The atmosphere was quiet and heavy.

“Village Chief,” one bear-headed Beastkin finally whispered, breaking the silence. “Are we just… keeping watch outside the Forbidden Land like this forever?”

A different Beastkin nearby snorted. “Hmph! What else can we do? You dare chase that human inside?”

They all remembered chasing Xu Feng into the Celestial Garden, only to be driven out by its Guardian. The memory stung, filling them with both bitter humiliation and reluctance.

“The Celestial Garden forbids anyone from entering,” Yuan Yi stated coldly. The empty socket of his missing eye was stark beside his one good eye. One arm was crudely splinted with hardwood, and his whole posture radiated exhaustion. “Including us. Our duty is to guard the perimeter. To prevent others from approaching.”

“But a human already got in!” protested one beastkin. “We failed! Finding that person inside is the only way to clear our shame!”

At Yuan Yi’s single-eyed glare, sweeping over the group – representatives of the village’s strongest fighters – they all quickly lowered their heads. The fear he commanded remained strong, despite his obvious injuries. They knew not to challenge his authority.

Yuan Yi felt a wave of sorrow watching them. Were they truly eager only to hunt the human, Xu Feng? Or, deep down, were they drawn by the priceless wonders within the garden – treasures powerful enough to create countless experts?

“Remember our task.” Yuan Yi closed his good eye. “Forbidden. Forbidden for entry. All trespassers enter only to die.” His voice left no room for argument.

The other Beastkin shifted uneasily, resentment plain on their faces, but none dared speak against him. They kept their gazes lowered.

“Huh?” A wolf-headed Beastkin suddenly lifted his snout, nostrils flaring as he sniffed the air aggressively.

“What’s up, old dog? Catching the scent of something tasty?” teased the Beastkin beside him.

“Curse it!” the wolf-headed sniffer snarled, his eyes snapping open, features twisting with menace. “It’s the human! I smell the human!”