In the first few days of the expedition, Lin Feng did not rush to explore those completely unfamiliar areas.

He first proceeded slowly westward along the edge of the known area, carefully checking every mark on the animal hide map, while simultaneously straining his senses to observe any minute changes in the wind and snow.

The air was cold and crisp, carrying a faint, bitter scent of cedar and some unknown wildflower. The sky was high and vast, a pure, breathtaking azure blue.

Occasionally, a few thin clouds drifted across the sky, like cotton wool casually torn by the gods. The sunlight was bright, but lacked warmth, merely illuminating the vast snowfield in a silvery-white glow, making it difficult to open one's eyes.

Lin Feng reined in Bai Yueguang and stopped on a slightly raised snow-covered hill.

He took the water pouch from his waist and drank a sip of warm sweet potato soup. Wangcai ran to his feet, looked up at him, and wagged its tail gently.

Lin Feng took a small piece of dried meat from his bag and tossed it to it.

"In this area, I only explored that frozen stream last time."

Lin Feng unfolded the animal hide map and pointed to a marked point with his finger. "On the other side of the river, at the edge of that coniferous forest, there are some balsam pines, but what lies deeper inside, we know nothing."

He decided to first thoroughly explore this vast forest, which he named the "Dark Coniferous Forest." Previous explorations had only lifted a corner of its veil of mystery.

After crossing a partially melting glacier that revealed gurgling water, Lin Feng officially entered the territory of the dark coniferous forest.

Sunlight struggled to break through the layers of massive, dark green coniferous canopies, casting dappled shadows on the thick layer of fallen leaves and snow.

The variety of trees here was far greater than he had imagined. In addition to the balsam pine, which he already knew about and which emitted a strong fragrance when burned, and the iron-boned bamboo, which was over ten meters tall, dark green, and as hard as iron, Lin Feng soon made new discoveries.

In a relatively flat clearing in the woods, dozens of unusual trees grow.

Their bark has an almost metallic silvery-white color, making it stand out in the dim forest.

The tree trunks are straight and tall, reaching over twenty meters in height, but not particularly thick. What's most peculiar is that these trees have very few branches, all of which are concentrated at the top, like a small, open silver umbrella.

Lin Feng dismounted and tied the reins of Bai Yueguang and Bai Feicui to a thick pine tree, signaling Wangcai to stay on guard.

He drew his sword and walked to a relatively small, silver-barked tree. He first tapped the trunk with the hilt of his sword, producing a dull "bang bang" sound, and sensed that it was somewhat hollow inside.

He took a deep breath, his arm muscles bulging, and his battle blade, flashing with a cold light, slashed at the tree trunk. With a "thud," the blade actually sank into the tree trunk an inch or so, unlike the iron-boned bamboo which was so hard it was impossible to budge.

He continued chopping, wood chips flying everywhere, and a faint, slightly astringent smell, similar to some kind of metal oxide, filled the air.

Soon, he chopped down the silver-barked tree, which was as thick as a bowl. At the break, he was surprised to find that although the wood was quite tough, the center of the tree was indeed a smooth, round cavity, about three fingers wide in diameter, with an inner wall that was very flat, as if it had been carefully polished.

"A natural conduit?" A hint of joy flashed in Lin Feng's eyes.

He cut down several sections of tree trunk of different lengths and examined them carefully. These cavities were straight and unobstructed, practically perfect storage tubes made by nature.

If both ends are sealed with animal hide, it can be used to store sweet potato flour, salt, or even tinder.

The thinner ones can be used as various pipes.

"Silver tube tree".

Lin Feng immediately named this peculiar tree and recorded its shape, characteristics, and the location of its growing area in detail on an animal skin scroll.

He collected several suitable branches of the silver tube tree, tied them together with resilient vines, and hung them on the side of the white jade's saddle. Lin Feng continued his journey deeper into the forest.

The snow in the forest is much thinner than in open areas because it is covered by the dense canopy of trees, but this also makes it easier to hide some subtle traces.

Wangcai's nose was almost always close to the ground. It would stop from time to time to dig up some fallen leaves and loose soil with its front paws and sniff carefully.

Suddenly, Wangcai stopped and let out a low, warning growl. Its fur stood on end as it warily stared at a dense thicket ahead.

White Moonlight and White Jade also sensed unease, their hooves pounding restlessly, and white steam billowing from their nostrils.

Lin Feng's heart skipped a beat. He immediately took off the bow from his back, drew out an iron-boned bamboo arrow, nocked it on the string, and locked his gaze on the bushes like a hawk.

The air seemed to freeze. Only the wind continued to howl among the treetops.

After a moment of deathly silence, a slight rustling sound came from the bushes. Then, a grayish-white shadow darted out from the bushes like a ghost, as fast as lightning, and pounced on the nearest white emerald!

"Beast!" Lin Feng shouted, and the already taut bowstring was instantly released.

"call out!"

The iron arrow whistled through the air and struck the gray-white shadow precisely in the ribs!

"Aow!" A short, shrill howl rang out, and the shadow staggered in mid-air, crashing heavily onto the snow. It rolled a few times and then lay still.

Only then did Lin Feng see its full appearance.

This is a feline that is slightly smaller than a leopard on Earth, but its fur is extremely unique in color. It is a mottled color of gray and dark brown that blends almost into the snow and withered leaves. No wonder he didn't notice it at all when it was hiding in the bushes.

Its limbs were thick and powerful, its claws and teeth were sharp, and its pair of eerie green eyes were staring intently at Lin Feng, filled with resentment and hatred, but its life force was rapidly fading away.

"Snow Leopard," Lin Feng named it. The creature's stealth and speed of attack had left a deep impression on him.

If it weren't for Wangcai's timely warning and quick reaction, the white jadeite would probably have been in danger.

Wangcai cautiously approached and growled a few times at the corpse of the Snow Leopard. After confirming that it was completely dead, it ran to Lin Feng's feet as if to claim credit and rubbed its head against his leg.

Lin Feng patted Wangcai's head, took the skinning knife from the horse's back, and began to skillfully process the snow leopard.

Leopard skin is an excellent material for keeping warm, and although leopard meat is somewhat coarse, it can still serve as a supplement to food.

He carefully skinned the leopard whole, and buried the internal organs in a pit to avoid attracting other larger scavengers.

After processing the Snow Leopard, Lin Feng tied the leopard skin and the cut leopard meat together with tough vines and hung them on the white jade saddle. The magnificent wildebeest didn't care about the extra weight at all, only occasionally snorting to urge Lin Feng to continue.

The dark coniferous forest seemed to have no end. The deeper one went, the dimmer the light became, and the trees grew taller and older. Some of the giant trees had trunks that required three or four people to encircle them.

The ground was covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves that had accumulated over countless years, making it soft and springy to walk on.

Beneath a shady, moss-covered, steep rock face, Lin Feng's gaze was drawn to several peculiar fungi.

They are carved from black jade, completely black, only the size of a fist, with thick, rounded caps and a slightly slippery, sticky surface.

Most remarkably, the edges of their canopies shimmer with faint blue fluorescence, like the dimmest stars in the night sky, which can be seen even in the daytime in the forest.

Lin Feng told Wangcai and the two wildebeest to wait a little distance away, while he cautiously approached.

He gently poked one of the "black mushrooms" with a dry twig. It did not emit any poisonous gas, nor did it undergo any unusual changes.

He crouched down and examined them closely. These shimmering fungi had thick, tough stems and their flesh appeared quite substantial.

He picked a flower, held it to his nose and sniffed it. A faint earthy smell mixed with an indescribable fragrance, similar to the scent of pine needles after rain, entered his nostrils.

"Gloomy Mushroom," Lin Feng named it in his mind.

He recalled some fluorescent fungi on Earth, some of which were edible, while others were poisonous.

He dared not be careless about this unknown alien fungus. But he keenly sensed that the fungus's bioluminescent properties were not simply for attracting insects to spread spores; it might contain some kind of special energy or have other medicinal value.

He carefully picked three or four luminous mushrooms, wrapped them in large leaves, and put them in a separate small bag in his baggage. He planned to test them on a small number of animals when the opportunity arose to confirm that they were non-toxic before considering other uses.

As they ventured deeper, Lin Feng gradually sensed a subtle tilt in the terrain, descending downwards. The types of trees around him also began to change, with the appearance of some broad-leaved species he had never seen before, with larger leaves and a deeper color.

They blend in with the towering conifers, making the forest more layered and deeper.

One evening at dusk, the last rays of the setting sun struggled to penetrate the layers of branches and leaves, casting a few final golden-red rays through the forest.

Lin Feng was searching for a suitable campsite in a maze-like depression filled with huge tree roots.

The tree roots here are intertwined, some even rising one or two meters above the ground, forming a natural barrier.

Suddenly, Wangcai stopped under a huge tree root hidden by dense vines, sniffing it hard and making a questioning "woo-woo" sound in its throat.

Lin Feng's heart stirred. He pushed aside the drooping vines, and an inconspicuous cave entrance, barely wide enough for one person to bend over and pass through, appeared before him.

The cave entrance was pitch black, but a faint but clearly discernible stream of air was slowly escaping from within, carrying a damp scent different from that of the forest floor, and... a faint warmth!

In such a frozen world, the significance of a cave that can emit warmth is self-evident.

Lin Feng did not enter immediately. He carefully examined the traces around the cave entrance and found no signs of large wild animals entering or leaving, only some small, fragmented footprints left by rodents.

He chose a relatively flat and dry spot near the cave entrance where he could observe any activity at the entrance and decided to camp there for the night before conducting further exploration the next morning.

As night fell, the forest was plunged into complete darkness and silence. Lin Feng lit a small campfire; the flames dispelled some of the chill and brought a sense of security. White Moonlight and White Emerald lay quietly by the fire, occasionally twitching their ears. Wangcai, meanwhile, huddled beside Lin Feng, its ears perked up warily, not escaping the slightest sound.

Lin Feng leaned against a thick tree root, munching on dried meat while sorting through his discoveries of the day on an animal hide scroll.

The vastness and complexity of the Dark Coniferous Forest far exceeded his expectations. The practical value of the Silver Tube Tree, the treacherous cunning of the Snow Leopard, the mysterious fluorescence of the Gloom Mushroom, and the unknown cave before him all filled him with anticipation for the exploration to come.