The three clung desperately to the edges of the wooden raft, too shaken to process their ordeal. The rushing water battered their hands, turning them red and purple within monts.
“Boss, wasn’t there an earthquake around here? Are we really going to be safe in the Smoky Forest?” Brother Hu couldn’t hold back his question.
In an earthquake, it seed like no place was truly safe.
Wang Yun nodded and shouted over the roaring waters, “The Smoky Forest is mostly swamps and shrubs, with very few trees. The soil is soft, and there aren’t many rocks either. It’s at least safer than the surrounding mountains.”
“Plus,” he added, “I studied the area. There’s a large plain inside the Smoky Forest. While the earthquake ca suddenly, judging by the loose soil composition of Yun City, the ground here is still solid. This region focuses on tourism, not oil drilling.”
As soon as Wang Yun finished speaking, the other two understood imdiately.
If there was no developnt of stone or mining projects, it ant the ground beneath hadn’t been hollowed out. A ground untouched by excavation gave them a chance to escape. Plains were the safest areas during earthquakes.
“But I can’t guarantee anything,” Wang Yun added. “It’ll all co down to luck.”
His tone carried a hint of resignation, though deep inside, Wang Yun felt strangely confident. His intuition told him they’d be fine. And if soone asked why? Well, he just felt it.
The raft sped forward, no longer pursued by anyone. Yet the force of the current behind them made it seem as though an army was giving chase.
This river eventually led to the sea—the ocean that encircled the island.
The group sat tensely on the raft for about half an hour. Then, not far ahead, they saw the vast, open expanse of seawater.
“We’re about to hit the sea. Everyone, be careful. Jump to the left! Don’t get hurt by the raft,” Wang Yun shouted.
The three stood, half-crouched, bracing themselves.
Fifty ters.
Thirty ters.
Two ters.
“Jump!”
Splash!
Thud!
Two sounds rang out simultaneously. One was the raft crashing into the sea, and the other was the three of them diving into the water.
As soon as they hit the sea, the cold water engulfed them. Chaotic waves churned around them, making it nearly impossible to float. The force of the raft’s impact had created a violent disturbance, leaving the nearby waters unstable.
The thrashing waves overwheld Brother Hu and Xiao Gang, and they almost lost consciousness from inhaling too much seawater.
Just as they were about to black out, a strong arm yanked them upward.
God-level Breath Control.
This was one of Wang Yun’s unique skills. With it, he could hold his breath underwater for ten minutes without surfacing. For perspective, even world-class free divers could only manage eight minutes and thirty-two seconds.
“Ah!”
Brother Hu and Xiao Gang broke through the surface, dragged up by Wang Yun. Around them, the waves still surged violently. Without wasting ti, Wang Yun began pulling them toward the shore.
The shoreline was over 200 ters away, but the water’s buoyancy eased his efforts. Before long, they reached land. The three collapsed on the beach, gasping for air. Brother Hu imdiately started vomiting seawater. He had swallowed too much.
“Thank God Boss was here. I thought I was dead for sure,” Brother Hu exclaid, pounding his chest, his face pale.
Xiao Gang wasn’t much better off but managed to fare slightly better than Brother Hu.
“Thank you, boss!”
Wang Yun waved them off as he greedily sucked in oxygen.
“Enough with the thanks. Let’s hurry to the Smoky Forest and find that plain. I only know it’s inside, but I’m not sure of its exact location.”
He stood up, and the other two quickly followed.
The desolation around them made everything feel surreal, like a dream.
“It’s incredible,” Brother Hu said, marveling at the scene. “Who would’ve thought that next to this barren, desert-like wasteland is a lush forest filled with towering trees and greenery?”
Xiao Gang spat out so seawater, the salty taste still lingering in his mouth.
“Yeah, it’s weird. If there were sand here, it’d look just like the Gobi Desert.”
His comnt brought a rare smile to Wang Yun’s face. Indeed, it was a desert without sand. Looking around, all they saw were muddy pits stretching across the area. Many of these pits were small pools of water, so bubbling ominously.
The sight was eerie.
Amid the waterlogged terrain, patches of green grass grew sporadically. Where there was no grass, waist-high shrubs dominated the landscape.
Most unnerving was how the two areas seed divided by an invisible wall—on one side, muddy pools, on the other, dense shrubs.
A traveler encountering this bizarre sight would likely hesitate to venture further.
Fortunately, Wang Yun had heard from locals that the Smoky Forest was full of swamps and potentially even more dangerous than the surrounding mountains.
“Let’s go. Into the forest,” he said.
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