Urban Divine Doctor Descends the Mountain

Chapter 2653: Chapter 2652: Natives

The moment Lin Dong stepped into this enigmatic space, the Inner Qi that once surged around him was abruptly drained as if by an invisible hand, leaving only a void and a sense of powerlessness throughout his body.

All around was a scene of darkness and absurdity, with every inch of air exuding unease and the unknown.

"Roar～～"

Just then, a low and menacing roar came from not far away, followed by the appearance of a massive mutant tiger with blood-red eyes entering his line of sight.

Its fur was covered in peculiar markings, each seeming to contain violent power, clearly no longer a product of the natural world.

The tiger opened its bloody big mouth, revealing sharp fangs, charging straight at Lin Dong. Clearly, it had already considered Lin Dong its prey.

Faced with this sudden crisis, Lin Dong quickly adjusted his mindset. Even without his Inner Qi, he was still a battle-hardened martial artist, the essence of national art already ingrained in his very being.

He shifted his body to avoid the tiger’s initial attack, then used "Hua Jin" from the Tai Chi Boxing Skill to strategically counter it, using force to deal with force, seeking an opportunity to retaliate.

However, without the support of Inner Qi, every encounter was extraordinarily difficult, with the fight between the beast and man in a stalemate, neither side gaining the upper hand.

"If I still had Inner Qi, I could’ve slapped this tiger into powder with one blow. They say a tiger falls to dogs when leaving the mountain; here I am being bullied by a tiger after losing my Qi!" Lin Dong secretly thought.

Just as Lin Dong was feeling his stamina dwindle and secretly anxious, a faint whistling sound suddenly pierced the air, followed by several cold flashes accurately shooting into the tiger’s body.

The tiger let out a wretched howl, its massive body crashing to the ground, completely losing its life force.

In a moment of shock, Lin Dong looked towards the sound and saw several figures stepping out from the shadows, dressed in animal skins with strange runes painted on their faces, their eyes filled with both wariness and curiosity.

"Are you an outsider?" asked the man leading them, in a language Lin Dong had never heard before, a sound tinged with ancient flavor.

Lin Dong recognized this language as ancient.

Luckily, Lin Dong had received the Heritage of the Sovereign Witch in his earlier years, mastering this ancient language, not only understanding what they were saying.

But he could also speak it too.

At the moment, Lin Dong’s heart stirred, attempting to respond in the same ancient language: "Yes, I come from the outer world and accidentally ended up here."

As his words fell, the surprise was evident on their faces, clearly not expecting Lin Dong to understand and speak their language.

In the following exchange, Lin Dong learned that these people were the indigenous inhabitants of this enigmatic space, living here for generations, isolated from the outer world.

They informed Lin Dong that this place was fraught with danger, whether it was the mutant sea beasts or the unknown creatures in the jungle, they posed mortal threats.

Out of goodwill, they invited Lin Dong to their village, where it was relatively safe and could provide more support and information.

After some thought, Lin Dong realized that the current situation was indeed grim, and it was too risky to act alone. So, he nodded, deciding to temporarily accept the goodwill and follow these natives to their village.

Along the way, Lin Dong gained a preliminary understanding of this enigmatic space through their narration.

This region was surrounded by ocean, with only one small island. It was the island on which he currently stood.

This small island was not large, about the size of a town from the outer world. In total, it was home to seven or eight tribes, and they belonged to one of them.

They had come out hunting but unexpectedly encountered Lin Dong.

"Speaking of, decades ago, there was also a group of people who entered this place. However, they sought to leave and died on the way; now only one remains alive, living in our village as one of our elders..."

"He also mentioned that he is a martial cultivator from the outer world," one of the people said to Lin Dong.

Upon hearing this, Lin Dong was initially stunned, then a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

"Perhaps, that person knows how to leave this enigmatic space," Lin Dong thought.

In the depths of this dim and twisted forest, as Lin Dong walked briskly, he could barely hide the anxiety and urgency in his heart.

Surrounding him were various forms of bizarre vegetation, seeming to possess life of their own, gently swaying in the night wind, whispering a rustling sound, adding an inexplicable mystery to the eerie space.

Reflecting on the earlier conversation with the indigenous tribe, those brief yet ancient dialogue gradually pieced together the outline of this space for Lin Dong:

This is a forgotten secret realm, where time and the outer world seem severed, and the eerie space prevents them from channeling Inner Qi, hiding countless unknowns and dangers within.

"Right, I need to quickly find Yun Ruoxian. Earlier, she gave me a card that can sense her position."

Taking out the card emitting a faint glow from his waist, Lin Dong stared at the flickering red dot on it, the only link between him and Yun Ruoxian.

The flickering of the red dot seemed to say she was still alive.

"Everyone, I have an unreasonable request." Lin Dong turned, facing those simple-looking tribespeople who eyes revealed curiosity, and sincerely said:

"This card can guide me to find my companion. She is currently in an unknown place, and I am concerned for her safety. I hope to accompany you, find her, and then return together to your village, so she can also be safely sheltered."

The tribe’s indigenous people exchanged glances, then showed warm smiles.

The leading elder, an old man with dark skin and wrinkles like deep hollows, slowly stepped forward and responded in his slightly hoarse yet authoritative voice:

"Outsider, we admire your courage and kindness. On this land, no one should face danger alone. We are willing to follow you, find your companion, and then return to the village together."

With resolute words of "Okay" echoing through the forest, Lin Dong and the tribespeople embarked on the journey to find Yun Ruoxian.

They traversed through the densest parts of the forest, evading numerous hidden traps and the prying eyes of exotic beasts, while the red dot on the card served like the brightest star in the night sky, guiding their way forward.

As time passed, the forest seemed to grow even deeper and more enigmatic.

After walking approximately ten kilometers, they arrived at the side of a small mountain within the forest.

Just as they were about to pass through the last bit of the dense forest and step into the unknown realm, a gentle yet familiar voice suddenly pierced the silence of the night, echoing through the woods: "Lin Dong... Is that you?"

Hearing this voice, Lin Dong rejoiced, and indeed, through this wooden card, he found Yun Ruoxian.

Lin Dong quickly responded: "It’s me, Yun Ruoxian. Where are you? Come out and meet me!"

"I’m in this cave; I can’t get out. I’m injured, and my leg can’t move. Can you come in and carry me out?" Yun Ruoxian’s voice came from a nearby cave.

Upon hearing this, Lin Dong immediately ran towards that cave.

The tribespeople, however, did not enter, remaining outside on guard, wary of any sudden beast attacks.