The spring afternoon sun was warm.
The mountain forest was silent, with only a few crisp bird calls occasionally breaking the tranquility.
Fang Cheng walked alone through the mountains with a slightly worn blue shoulder bag.
Sunlight filtered through the lush leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground covered with fallen leaves.
As the breeze blew, the shadows gently swayed like rippling water, and the leaves rustled softly.
Beneath his feet was a rarely-trodden yellow mud path, winding its way towards the mountaintop.
This area was already quite close to the West Mountain, or strictly speaking, part of its remaining ridge.
Though the terrain wasn’t particularly treacherous, it was relatively high.
Its remote location made the forest grow especially thick and verdant.
Apart from a few outdoor enthusiasts, few people ventured here.
As he ascended, the woods gradually thinned, and the view suddenly opened up.
The mountaintop was a broad, open flatland with scattered massive rocks that had weathered the passage of time.
Here, the wind noticeably intensified, constantly blowing through his hair and making the hem of his clothing flutter noisily.
Fang Cheng walked to the edge of a cliff and halted.
Gazing far into the distance, the rolling green hills stretched out like a frozen sea of green below.
Further away, the surface of Yulong Lake glimmered in the sunlight like a massive sapphire.
Several pleasure boats glided slowly across the lake, leaving trails of white ripples behind.
Fang Cheng’s eyes were bright, his gaze extending beyond the lake to a valley a few kilometers to the east.
There, a cluster of gray-white buildings was faintly visible.
A few towering cranes were at work, apparently engaged in major construction.
Fang Cheng understood that this was the Lu Family Manor hidden within Mist Mountain.
Since participating with his uncle and Lin Chuqiao in the competition for the Golden Benba Bottle, he hadn’t set foot in this area to avoid suspicion.
Now, nearly a month had passed, and the initial turmoil seemed to have completely subsided.
The surrounding woods of Mist Mountain were blocked off by tall barbed wire fences.
It’s said that developers planned to build a golf course and private holiday villas here.
According to information gathered by Xu Sanduo, the Lu Family had become increasingly low-profile recently, with few members venturing outside.
Even the Lu family’s second young master, who usually dominated the entertainment gossip news, seemed to have turned over a new leaf overnight, disappearing from the public eye.
The only notable activity was the internal restructuring and layoffs within the Jinlu Group, causing quite a stir in the business world.
Evidently, the newly appointed family head, Lu Yongquan, although young, had impressive skills.
However, none of this concerned him.
As long as the Lu Family didn’t provoke him, Fang Cheng wasn’t interested in engaging in direct conflict with such an ancient family wielding mysterious powers.
After all, he had benefitted from them back then.
Not only did he use the spiritual power of the Golden Benba Bottle to advance his Qigong and comprehend the Flame Breathing Technique,
but he also absorbed a massive amount of "Blood Rain," significantly enhancing his physical attributes.
Fang Cheng withdrew his gaze and looked back down at the cliff underfoot.
At the base of the cliff lay a verdant forest,
its dense branch and leaf coverage like a huge green carpet, almost completely obscuring the view.
It seemed the vertical distance from here to the forest below was over two hundred meters, almost equivalent to a seventy-story building.
This was even higher than the pinnacle where he had previously attempted a gliding leap at Mist Mountain.
Jumping from such a height far exceeded his body’s current limits.
Under gravitational acceleration, even though his constitution attribute now exceeded 50 points, with resilient muscles and sturdy bones, he would still end up as an unrecognizable heap of flesh.
But Fang Cheng wasn’t just physically outstanding, he also wielded extraordinary powers derived from gym skills.
He deliberately came here today to undertake an all-new "quasi-flight" experience.
By challenging limits, he intended to test just how strong his airborne ability had become.
The wind on the mountaintop continued to blow.
Although it couldn’t compare to the level seven gale he faced during his flight over Mist Mountain, it was sufficient as an aid for testing.
Fang Cheng raised his hand, removed the wig on his head, and carefully placed it into his shoulder bag.
Then, he began to warm up his body: wrists, ankles, knees, hips...
Every joint was given a thorough stretch, producing a series of crisp crackling sounds like popping beans.
Afterwards, he took a few steps back, lowered his body slightly, bent his knees, and assumed a pose like a leopard ready to pounce.
His soles tightly pressed against the ground, clearly feeling the solid sensation transmitted from the earth.
Eyes fixed on a relatively open area in the dense forest in the distance, as the designated landing spot.
His brain began to operate swiftly, simulating the wind speed, angle, and precise power burst required for the jump inside the Memory Palace.
He waited silently for a few minutes.
Fang Cheng raised his wrist to switch his sports watch to "timer and distance measuring" mode.
Finally, he took a deep breath in and slowly exhaled.
All distractions within his chest seemed to evacuate alongside this breath of turbid air.
In the next instant, his eyes turned incredibly sharp, like an arrow being shot.
The ground under his feet seemed to be struck by a heavy hammer, instantly collapsing into a clear footprint.
Fang Cheng propelled himself forward with unstoppable force, launching like a cannonball.
His figure turned into a blur of a shadow, and just as he reached the edge of the cliff, he exerted strength with his legs and leapt powerfully!