Chapter 1020: Ghost Vines and Dusk Crows; A Third Party
Chapter 1020: Ghost Vines and Dusk Crows; A Third Party
Caw! Caw!
Harsh and mournful crow cries echoed through the ancient forest. They came from the Duskvine Crows, one of the strangest devil sprites in existence. Unlike ordinary beings, this crow possessed a single body but two souls. One soul originated from a Ghost Vine, a peculiar wood sprite born wherever death energy gathered in abundance, while the other belonged to a devil beast known as the Dusk Crow.
The two had evolved alongside one another for countless years, and their relationship was neither purely parasitic nor entirely symbiotic. The Ghost Vine was rooted to the earth for most of its life, but when it grew weary of that place, it could transfer its soul into a Dusk Crow and travel elsewhere. The resulting creature was what people knew as a Duskvine Crow.
Such sprites were exceptionally dangerous. Their illusion ability, Dusk Veil, was known among cultivators. Those caught within it would find themselves trapped beneath an endless sunset, watching the sun sink toward the horizon again and again without ever disappearing. While they remained lost within the illusion, Ghost Vines would silently coil around their necks and strangle them to death.
Had he been on his own, Luo Chen would have never ventured inside a place as dangerous as the Hundred-Crow Ghost Forest. If he had a choice, he would have instead traveled through the Sunken Sea vortex to enter the Wood Heaven Plains directly and bypass the forest altogether. Fortunately, he was not alone, and he didn't need to worry about the dangers of the forest. With the Flesh Ganoderma, once one of the three great overlords of the forest, leading the way, those dangers posed little threat to them.
As they ventured further into the woods, Luo Chen shifted away from the crows overhead and toward the ancient trees surrounding him. Every tree in the forest was a rare spirit wood seldom seen in the outside world. Even the third-tier Xuyang Wood he had painstakingly nurtured outside his Tianlan Peak cave residence would rank among the most ordinary specimens here. Lightningflash Wood, Hell Illusion Trees, Frostblossom Wood, and countless other precious varieties stood throughout the forest. In fact, some were so rare that even Luo Chen could not identify them.
What truly puzzled him, however, was not their rarity but the fact that they all existed together in the same place. Spirit plants of this caliber typically demanded very different environments, and many were fundamentally incompatible with one another. Yet within this forest they flourished side by side without conflict. Even more strangely, they seemed to have altogether abandoned the territorial instincts common to spirit plants. Such a bizarre sight naturally left Luo Chen deeply intrigued.
Then, in the middle of the procession, he suddenly came to a stop. His gaze settled upon an inconspicuous tree nearby. Its trunk was pitch black, resembling an ancient pine, while its drooping branches were more akin to those of a locust tree. He stared at it for a moment before speaking uncertainly. "Soul-Nurturing..."
"Soul-Nurturing Tree!" Han Zhan's excited voice sounded at the same moment.
Luo Chen nodded slightly, certain now that there was no mistake—the tree standing before him was indeed a Soul-Nurturing Tree. It had an ugly hole marring its trunk, deep enough to reach the core, but this defect did nothing to diminish its aura. In fact, looking at that hole, Luo Chen could give a rough estimation of the tree's age: It was over 3000 years old. If its heartwood was harvested, the Soul-Nurturing Wood would undoubtedly be of the highest quality. At the very least, it would be on par with the piece Han Zhan was...
Just as that thought crossed his mind, Luo Chen's eyes drifted downward. "Hm?"
The three-cun wooden plaque hanging against his chest swayed gently in the breeze. It looked strangely... fitting. He realized the piece of wood he had appeared to be almost exactly the same size as the hole in the tree trunk.
To confirm his suspicion, Luo Chen raised his head again and examined the tree again. Yet what greeted him was no longer the forest but a world bathed in dim yellow light. Within that, a setting sun slowly descended toward the horizon. His expression changed at once. An illusion... Dusk Veil! Wait—How's this possible?!
Ever since entering the Hundred-Crow Ghost Forest, he had remained constantly vigilant against falling victim to a Duskvine Crow's illusion spell. Even without the protection of the Woodrot Go Stone, the Divine Breaker of Malevolence he had practiced since his early ages and the Fine Dust Primordial Art had strengthened his resistance against such attacks. On top of that, he had the protection of Han Zhan. Yet despite all these safeguards, he had fallen into an illusion without sensing the slightest trace of it!
Even amid his shock, Luo Chen sensed something was off. "Wait... If I'm stuck in an illusion, why is my mind still so clear? Unless... my mind is not actually clear and I'm only imagining it?"
Han Zhan's voice dispelled his doubts. "This illusion is extremely powerful. It's far beyond anything the second-tier or third-tier Duskvine Crows are capable of."
"Wait? You were caught too, Senior?"
"Yes."
"Could it be the work of a fourth-tier Duskvine Crow?"
"No. A fourth-tier devil sprite's illusion might be able to affect me, but not this easily. And it certainly couldn't pull both of us into the same illusion and let us talk to each other like this."
The moment those words landed, Luo Chen's breathing grew heavier. A-a... fifth-tier Duskvine Crow?
Han Zhan spoke again, his tone calm and reassuring. "Don't panic. I don't sense any hostility from this illusion. It feels more like it's trying to keep us separated from the outside world than harm us. That's probably why I didn't notice it sooner."
"No hostility?"
Luo Chen looked around once more. The setting sun was indeed descending toward the horizon, but it was doing so at a normal pace. That alone set this apart from the legendary Dusk Veil, where the sun was said to fall endlessly without ever reaching the horizon. Whoever had cast this illusion was clearly not going all out. Its purpose seemed less like an attack and more like temporary confinement. But why?
He frowned slightly as he recalled what the Flesh Ganoderma had said earlier. It had once been one of the three great overlords guarding the Wood Heaven Plains. Presumably, it shared a deep connection with the other two. Now that it had finally returned after so many years, perhaps the old companions were meeting again and reminiscing about the past. The explanation made a certain amount of sense, but that did little to improve Luo Chen's mood. "I've had enough of illusion, enchanting voices, and all these soul-bewildering techniques..."
Han Zhan chuckled softly. "Well, you yourself seemed quite fond of using Mirror Flower Water Moon on others."
Luo Chen's expression stiffened, then he shook his head. "I'm not talking about the 'do unto others...' thing. I mean, what's fair game for me is fair game for everyone. But I keep being caught in these things lately, and you know very well that it's a matter of life and death."
He looked at Han Zhan with a trace of hope. "Senior, aside from divine soul-defense treasures and relying on a powerful divine soul to withstand illusion attacks head-on, are there any other ways to defend against these?"
Han Zhan replied, "Not really. If your divine soul foundation is insufficient, you will naturally be restrained. There is no real way to defend against it."
Luo Chen felt somewhat disappointed. He had assumed that someone capable of refining and strengthening the divine soul to such a degree would possess extraordinary defensive methods as well. He had not expected Han Zhan to be similarly helpless in that regard.
While Luo Chen was still disappointed, Han Zhan suddenly said, "That said, while you can't always prevent yourself from being caught, I do know at least three ways to force your way out once you're trapped."
"Three ways?" Luo Chen's eyes lit up. He licked his dry lips and said, "Senior, please teach me!"
Han Zhan laughed softly. "And why should I teach you for free?"
Luo Chen was stunned. If you weren't planning to teach me, why bring it up in the first place?
The thought lasted only a moment before he understood what lay behind it. Although his relationship with Han Zhan was excellent, anything involving cultivation arts or secret techniques had never been given away freely. Their exchanges had always been based on mutual benefit. The Black Sovereign Paste formula, for example, had been payment for Han Zhan's "rent" while residing within the Primordial Unity Cauldron and the Myriad Soul Banner. The Nascent Core Art and the complete Nascent Soul Pill formula had been the price Han Zhan paid in exchange for Luo Chen sourcing Soul-Nurturing Wood on his behalf. That transaction in particular had benefited Luo Chen enormously. It could even be said that the reason he could now dominate against Adepts and casually eliminate his peers was largely due to the immense mana provided by his Nascent Core. But even though Luo Chen had usually come out on top in these transactions, none of his gains had come without a price.
After realizing this, Luo Chen calmed himself down and asked, "Senior, is there something you want?"
Han Zhan smirked. "Sure took you a while to figure it out. I thought you were a smart man."
"What is it?"
Instead of answering, Han Zhan asked, "Do you remember why I agreed to accompany you here?"
Luo Chen froze. Years ago, he had asked Han Zhan that very question and received an answer. "To seize a body?"
Han Zhan nodded.
Luo Chen sucked in a sharp breath. The smile vanished from Han Zhan's face, and his tone turned cold. "I hope you don't forget this. I didn't come all this way just to watch over you. This pocket world is filled with opportunities, and it's drawn in plenty of Sages. Sooner or later, a major battle is bound to break out. When that time comes, I want you to help me seize the body of a Sage."
Luo Chen's voice turned dry. "Senior... you're joking, aren't you?"
"Do I sound like I'm joking?" Han Zhan asked in return.
Luo Chen fell silent. This time, it was Han Zhan's turn to persuade him patiently. "Haven't you been preparing to face Sages all along? You've spent years treating them as enemies you might one day have to fight. Now that the possibility is right in front of you, are you really afraid? Besides, even if I don't teach you anything, shouldn't you do something for me in return? Think about everything that's happened between us. From Green Parasol Mountain to Profound Rock Island, from Jadecold City to the Myriad Immortal Society, and now here in the pocket world itself. How many times have I helped you? Sure, some of those were fair exchanges, and we both benefited. But what about all the guidance I gave you in cultivation? The spells I helped you create? The advice I gave you about reaching Nascent Soul? And not long ago, I even helped you drive off a Demon Emperor. Have I ever asked for anything in return?
"Luo Chen, I know what kind of person you are. Even if I didn't bring this up today, you'd still help me when the time came. I'd simply rather be honest about it now. That way, neither of us will have any misunderstandings later."
Was this repaying kindness through coercion? No. This was simply taking advantage of his sense of obligation. Luo Chen was a man with principles. As long as his own life was not directly at stake, he was willing to repay those who had helped him. In a sense, Han Zhan's years of guidance and assistance had all been building toward this very moment.
"Haaaaiiiihhh..."
"Alright, then we have a deal. I'll teach you the art best suited for you to break those illusions. It's called the Opened Thatch Art. You've already learned the Nascent Core Art and Beaded Curtain Lock; learning this one should be easy for you. Listen carefully..."
Han Zhan's voice flowed steadily through his ears as he began explaining. Luo Chen's expression shifted several times as he listened, but in the end he said nothing. He simply remained silent and absorbed every word.
***
Caaaawww...
The raspy caw of a crow echoed melodiously through the ancient forest. Meanwhile, dark vines slowly coiled around a fat figure.
"You're back."
"Yes."
"Since you've escaped, you shouldn't have come back."
The Flesh Ganoderma laughed bitterly. "Escaped? Does a fragment of will really count as getting out? My true body is still trapped in the abyss!"
"You brought that on yourself. Heaven Refiner warned us long ago not to enter the inheritance grounds. You were the one who got greedy."
"Greedy?" The Flesh Ganoderma snorted. "And spending your entire life guarding the forest is what you call being dutiful and content?"
"I don't know about that. I only know that Heaven Refiner was the one who let us become whole. Before that, we were nothing more than muddleheaded creatures stumbling through the world."
"Old Ghost, Heaven Refiner is already dead and gone."
"No." The answer came without hesitation. "I don't believe it. Heaven Origin couldn't do that; even Rosycloud couldn't. A lofty figure like that wouldn't fall so easily. If anything, they simply chose the wrong path and had to start over."
"Hm? Old Ghost, it sounds like you know more than you're saying."
The forest fell silent. After a long moment, the Flesh Ganoderma's expression turned grave. "Whether Heaven Refiner returns or not has nothing to do with me. I've had enough of this place. Last time, you found the Soul-Nurturing Wood and helped my remnant will escape. This time, I'm not asking for your help. Just don't stand in my way."
"Okay, okay... Hm? But have you found a way to free your true body?" Asked the so-called Old Ghost.
The Flesh Ganoderma replied confidently, "Yes."
"Really? Then what are the chances of success?"
The Flesh Ganoderma shrugged. "Not especially high, but I think it's doable. Heaven Refiner didn't pay much attention to us anyway. Those restrictions were merely minor arrangements put into place on a whim. As long as I'm willing to pay the price and use the right formations, I should be able to free myself from the abyss. Once I'm out, I can enter the inheritance grounds and use the great teleportation formation to reach the outside world."
As it spoke, longing appeared across its face. "Old Ghost, you have no idea how prosperous the world beyond this place is. The spirit energy there is still abundant. For those like us, it's a paradise."
"Really?"
"Yes! Let me put it this way. There are still ancient beasts alive out there."
"Ancient beasts!" A cry of shock came from the black vines, which tightened instantly around the Flesh Ganoderma.
Flesh Ganoderma frowned. "Hey! You're hurting me."
"Oops, sorry."
Even then, Old Ghost struggled to calm itself. After a long pause, it spoke slowly. "Make me a copy of that technique... No, make two."
"Two copies?" the Flesh Ganoderma asked in confusion. "Is one for Elder Crow?"
"We were originally one anyway. Why would I need an extra copy for it?"
The Flesh Ganoderma immediately understood. In that case, the second copy was clearly intended for the Wood King. Since they had once been companions, it saw no reason to refuse. After making two copies of the escape technique, the black vines wrapped around it loosened and withdrew.
Before it left, Old Ghost asked one final question, "Are those three your helpers?"
The Flesh Ganoderma stretched lazily and answered with a carefree smile, "Yep. I can't carry out this plan alone. I need a few people who understand formations. Sages are far too troublesome to deal with, so Adepts are a much better choice...."
Halfway through speaking, however, its expression suddenly changed.
Three?! Aside from Devil's Cloud and Azure Yang, who else is there?
As another crow's caw rang out, Luo Chen and Devil's Cloud broke free from Dusk Veil. The two immediately looked toward one another, but their expressions could not have been more different.
The Flesh Ganoderma's voice drifted over before either of them could speak. "The ancient trees here all possess a will of their own. Don't disturb them unless you have to. At best, you'll get caught in a Duskvine Crow illusion. At worst, you'll end up attracting an entire army of woodfolk."
Devil's Cloud chuckled awkwardly and hurriedly put away the small spade in his hand. Before him stood a fourth-tier Vajra Tree. Luo Chen also looked away from the Soul-Nurturing Tree, though through it all, he could sense the Flesh Ganoderma was staring intently at him.
Luo Chen frowned. "Didn't you say we'd have nothing to worry about with you leading the way?"
The Flesh Ganoderma grinned. "Just a small mishap. Everything will be fine from here on."
As it spoke, it pointed toward the plateau ahead. "The Wood Heaven Plains are full of spirit herbs. There are about eight kinds of herbs there that can help with Nascent Soul formation, and even some devilish herbs useful for Physique Refinement. Interested?"
According to their original plan, they were to pass through the Hundred-Crow Ghost Forest, cross the Wood Heaven Plains, and then continue across Azure Tide. Beyond the border of the Heaven of the Five Elements, they would enter the third great region of the Land of Fallen Devils, the Heaven of Bright Illumination, where the famed inheritance grounds awaited.
But now, both Devil's Cloud and Luo Chen were tempted. Seeing their reactions, Flesh Ganoderma let out a knowing laugh. With a sweep of its sleeve, it turned around and strode ahead. "Then follow me."
The two exchanged a glance before hurrying after it.
Once they had departed, countless black vines rustled as they retreated deep beneath the earth. A moment later, a sleek black crow descended from the sky and landed atop an ancient tree whose branches seemed divided in half—between flourishing vitality and withered decay. The crow settled onto a branch and let out a caw.
Almost immediately, the bark on the trunk below began to shift, forming the outline of an aged face. A weathered voice emerged from the face's open mouth. "What brings you here?"
The black crow replied in a croaking voice, "The cycle has begun again. The world is open, and the Flesh Ganoderma is back."
"Hm?" The Wood King sounded surprised. "After everything it did to escape, why would it come back?"
The Wood King was somewhat slow-witted. It swept out its senses and found the Flesh Ganoderma's group still making their way through its domain.
The black crow cawed again, but this time a different, deeper voice emerged. By the Flesh Ganoderma's way of addressing it, this was Old Ghost.
Old Ghost said quietly, "It's back, but this time, it plans to leave with its true body."
"... In that case, I hope it succeeds."
Then the black crow flapped its wings and rose into the sky, circling above the Hundred-Crow Ghost Forest.