Still, Han Yu gave credit where it was due. The horse had sensed the panther before he did. Without its agitation, the panther might have gotten close enough to cause trouble.
He patted the horse reassuringly.
"Good. But I do not know how much longer something like this can keep working."
For the first two days within the Middle Ring, things went surprisingly smoothly. He encountered several powerful beasts, but none approached him. Most stared from afar, judged the threat, and retreated thinking it was not worth it.
This allowed him to make good progress through increasingly difficult terrain. He even encountered a few valuable spirit herbs.
The first was a Broad Leaf Cold Fern growing beside a shaded cliff wall. Its fronds shivered faintly even in still air. Han Yu plucked several leaves carefully and stored them. These could be used for cold resistance pills and sometimes even in body tempering salves.
The second find was a bush full of Spirit Snow Berries.
