139 A Little Shadow and the Forest of Danger’s Longevity 4 (1/2)
The stream of water that An Fei had exerted an entire day and a half searching for, could be considered a small river.
The stretch of water spanned a distance of twenty meters, the water traveling throughout a major vein of the forest.
From where the young girl stood, she could faintly discern that the other end of the forest bisected by the stream was obscured by a faint mist.
The mist was cloudy white, and brimming with an unknown but dangerous aura. The instant An Fei directed her gaze upon the other side of the water's bank, her senses screamed of immediate danger.
…perhaps… within the mist laid the Core Formation creatures that the empress had cautioned about?
”The other side seems to be a habitat for dangerous creatures…” the young girl mouthed, before leaping to her feet in horror.
”I've been walking into the core of the forest the entire time!?”
The young girl anxiously stomped her feet, the pair of scarlet irises widened in shock.
An Fei's gaze jittered as she scanned her surroundings numerous times, her skin prickling with nervousness and danger.
She deeply wished to turn around and run in the opposite direction.
She was to exit the forest, not enter its depths!
Pa.
An Fei raised her right hand to collide with her forehead, her countenance displaying an unsightly expression of worry and exasperation.
The young girl puffed her cheeks towards the clouded bank on the opposite side of the stream, silently venting her frustration onto the innocent spring breeze.
”Forget it, I'll have to check the water first,” the young girl eventually sighed in resignation.
”Hopefully those creatures aren't capable of crossing the water bank…”
An Fei cautiously strode towards the stream of water, balancing her weight near the bank's edge. The young girl bent on her knees, reaching with her right hand to dip her finger into the water with trepidation.
Cool to the touch, with a swift current propelling the water down its channel to cleanse its impurities.
”Mm, this should… be good enough.”
An Fei assented, before cupping a mouthful of water and bringing it to her lips.
With a swift motion, the young girl drained the water pooled between her fingers, and her brows loosened as the cool water flowed down her throat and into her stomach.
The water obtained from the stream was slightly cold to the touch, almost as if it had been untouched by the drifting of spring.
The young girl could feel a chilly sensation rush down her nervous system, bringing forth an exhilarating experience to nibble at her fingertips.
Perhaps this could resemble the taste of mountain spring water, if it were only a few degrees colder?
An Fei shook her head in satisfaction, rising from her slightly precarious position and retreating over the bank to rest on solid ground.
The young girl allowed her gaze to roam around her surroundings, placing each detail under high scrutiny.
The knee-high grass, the botanic life that grew in between the weeds, the placement of trees within the vicinity and the arrangement of any nearby animals, An Fei did not dare underestimate any of the factors.
The young girl closed her eyes and stretched her arms to her sides, cautiously roaming around the earth besides the stream of water with small, cautious steps.
Her ears strained to their limits as they attempted to distinguish the individual components within the chaotic sea of sounds, and her nose attempted to detect any strange odors or fragrances.
One step forward with the left foot, then two steps to the right before concluding with a cautionary step to the left.
An Fei repeated the pattern as she continued to roam the earth around the stream of water at an excruciatingly slow pace, whilst mapping out a nearly identical visualization of her surroundings.
Her consciousness drove itself deep into the sea of perception, decoding the received information with utmost scrutiny.
On the tree just three meters to her left, nestled on the third-highest branch, was an animal similar to a bird. Likewise, seven meters away from her and in the taller, waist-high grass, slithered a rather large python.
Rather large python…
An Fei's eyes snapped open, the pair of scarlet irises brimming with vigilance and unease.
Nibbling on her lower lip, the young girl hesitated for a brief moment, before waving her right sleeve before her with a solid sweep towards the left.
”Come!”