Chapter Ten: The Ironwood Forest

After a night of cultivation, Shen An not only felt no fatigue, but was instead refreshed, his previously depleted energy replenished. He packed his things and was already on his way to the West Suburb Manor.

The western suburbs lay outside the city, on an open plain. Many wealthy people lived here, and it was said that everyone inside was at least a millionaire. He boarded the subway, rode for an hour, and finally set foot on this land.

“What are you here for? Outsiders aren’t allowed in,” a security guard blocked Shen An’s way.

Shen An frowned, sidestepped the guard, and turned to leave. He hadn’t intended to go in directly—just tried his luck—and seeing the guard’s wary expression, he didn’t force his way. He had no desire to cause trouble now.

The manor before him looked to cover dozens of acres, filled with villas, with a garden on the outermost edge, exuding luxury. Surveillance cameras dotted every view. The security was tight; entering would require some effort.

He surveyed the terrain and entered a patch of woods outside. This forest was considered the outer hunting grounds. At the end of the woods, one could reach the other side of the manor, and rumor had it that entry was possible from there.

He’d already inquired about this before coming. With the guidance from his future self, Shen An avoided many pitfalls. Now, he only needed to follow the planned steps, progressing steadily.

The entire forest was encircled with wire mesh. If not for his cultivation, and lacking tools, entry would have been difficult. He tore open a gap in the mesh with his bare hands and slipped into the woods.

Supposedly, wild beasts roamed within, though Shen An wasn’t sure if that was true. Outside, warning signs hung: “Danger! Do Not Enter!” Shen An, unconcerned, repaired the mesh behind him, and walked inward. If any beasts escaped through the gap, it would be troublesome.

His sneakers rustled against the earth. Although it was daytime, Shen An remained cautious in this forest where wild animals might appear at any moment.

Suddenly, Shen An halted.

Ding.

“Ten minutes until the change. Then, iron trees will emerge in the manor’s garden. Remember, at that moment the primal oxygen will be most concentrated—do not miss the opportunity.”

Seeing the message from his future self, Shen An was perplexed.

“What’s this? Not the lake this time?”

He’d thought it would be the lake again. The mention of iron trees struck him as odd—he’d never heard of such a thing. Watching the time tick closer, Shen An quickened his pace.

As Shen An moved through the woods, he suddenly glimpsed a pair of green eyes.

A wolf appeared before him.

Shen An cursed inwardly—what you fear always comes to pass. He hadn’t expected wild beasts truly to be bred here. Perhaps the wealthy used them for hunting entertainment?

As he pondered, he tried to skirt around. Yet the wolf kept its gaze fixed on him, unwilling to leave.

Moreover, as Shen An observed the wolf, he sensed a fluctuation in primal oxygen. Could this wolf be mutated?

His heart sank further. He was nearly at the manor, yet encountered this now.

While Shen An hesitated, the mutated wolf suddenly charged at him.

Cursing aloud, Shen An was certain: this wolf was mutated. Its speed was far beyond any normal wolf. He’d never seen wolves run, but he’d seen huskies sprint—this was nearly cheetah-like.

Reacting instantly, Shen An moved. He’d been alert all along, and now twisted his stride, spun elegantly, bent low, and in one fluid motion—he was off!

He darted backward. The wolf pursued even faster.

Man and wolf—one fleeing, one chasing.

Shen An couldn’t outrun the mutated wolf; it was closing in.

Suddenly, as he ran, Shen An leapt onto a nearby tree, flipped through the air, and landed behind the wolf.

Because Shen An had blocked the wolf’s line of sight while running ahead, the wolf didn’t expect him to somersault out of view. The mutated wolf crashed headlong into the tree trunk.

Its speed was so great it couldn’t stop; its head burst like a watermelon.

“Good heavens, that’s too gruesome—can’t let anyone see this.”

“Devour,” Shen An thought, and absorbed the mutated wolf into his inner space.

He’d never tasted wolf meat—curious how it would be.

Shen An smiled slightly and checked the time.

It was 10:15.

“Five more minutes, pick up the pace.”

He hurried, spending three minutes to reach the designated spot.

The sun hung high, the manor seemed quiet.

Shen An hid behind a landscape tree in the garden, secretly observing the changes around him.

Upon entering, he’d already noticed several people in police uniforms—just like those he’d encountered that night.

“I wonder if Bai Weiwei is here?”

Shen An suddenly thought of Bai Weiwei, recalling her in SWAT gear.

He hadn’t shown his face at all this time; his preparations were thorough—he wore a mask.

He was curious how these people knew the place was about to change. He had the advantage of future reminders, but what were the SWAT relying on?

They waited in the northern direction, while Shen An was in the south, hidden within the garden, shielded by the landscape tree. Even if someone looked over, they wouldn’t spot him.

Two minutes crawled by, feeling interminable.

When the clock struck 10:20, the ground began to tremble again.

“Earthquake! Everyone, don’t panic. Stay in place. Those who disobey will be dealt with according to military regulations.”

A cool voice sounded nearby.

Shen An recognized it as Bai Weiwei’s.

This tremor was particularly intense, but the buildings were sturdy, their foundations solid—no villas collapsed.

It was clear here, the difference between homes in the wealthy district and those of ordinary people.

Shen An clung to the tree, unmoving.

He’d already asked his future self—though the shaking seemed alarming, it was nothing to worry about. So, despite some panic, he had no urge to flee.

The tremor lasted about thirty seconds, then all was quiet.

Then, Shen An heard the ground churning, as if something was about to emerge from the depths.

“What’s going on?”

The SWAT team grew uneasy. They’d only detected energy fluctuations and were now here to investigate.

According to their superiors, this incident was likely similar to the one from the previous night, so they took it very seriously.

This time, far more personnel had been dispatched.