Cultivating immortality relies on spatial abilities; defying fate to become the protagonist.

Chapter 36 Ghost Cry Forest

Gu Shihan dared not be careless. His sword energy surged, and many plants that had transformed into demons were cut down. However, these plants were fearless. For every one that fell, more would emerge, one after another.

Gu Shihan charged forward, shouting, "Hey! Someone's there!"

Xingbai rushed over quickly. The three fallen cultivators were still warm. "Hanhan, they're not dead yet, but if this continues, they'll lose all their essence and blood and die. Should we save them?"

"Save them!" Gu Shihan took out a Qiankun House, dripped blood to bind it to her, and took the three of them inside.

This Qiankun House was one of the gifts given to us by Venerable Miaoyin. With it, saving people will be much easier.

After advancing another hundred feet, Gu Shihan found three dead cultivators beside a large rock, with no signs of a fight around them.

The cultivator's face was ashen, and he had no storage magic treasures or similar items on him, indicating that he had been dead for some time.

Gu Shihan swung his sword, cutting off a section of rock to bury the three corpses, then turned and left.

"Hanhan... I didn't have a good feeling about those three people!"

"How is it bad?" Gu Shihan asked, taken aback.

"It's extremely uncomfortable, a really strange feeling. Should we...should we take another look?"

Gu Shihan stopped and quickly turned around. The three corpses were lying there again, perfectly fine.

"What happened?!" Gu Shihan's face
The color has changed; it was clearly just buried...

"Clang!" Gu Shihan's sword slashed at the rocks again. "Let's go! It's probably just an illusion!"

A voice in Gu Shihan's heart urged her to leave quickly, so she obeyed and cautiously retreated, walking about ten feet away.

Out of the corner of her eye, the three corpses reappeared in front of her, seemingly unchanged except for their location.

"Xingbai, is this a vengeful spirit? A malevolent ghost? Or... a phantom?"

"Hanhan, I don't know. I don't know anything about this situation. I feel like I'm being watched by something," Xingbai said, sounding unsure of herself.

"Xingbai, do you know about the Ghost Cry Forest? Have we entered the Ghost Cry Forest?"

Xingbai thought for a moment and said, "That's possible! There's a record on a jade slip I bought last time that says Ghost Cry Forest has a sunny side and a shady side."

Normally, the Ghost Forest is the Yang side as recorded in the text. The Yang side is similar to other places, except that the Yin energy is stronger.

However, it also has a yin side. The yin and yang sides of Ghost Cry Forest switch once every three months, and the yin side can last for nine days and nine nights each time.

When experienced cultivators accidentally wander into the Ghost Cry Forest, they will find a place to hide. Of course, those who can hide must have a treasure that can restrain ghosts and spirits.

The three corpses we encountered should be the three guides from the shadowy side of the Ghost Cry Forest. Anyone who sees them will not have a good ending unless they use special methods; they will have no chance of escaping the shadowy side of the Ghost Cry Forest.

"Xingbai, you mean we've been targeted by him? That's not good news. I still have to go rescue people!" Gu Shihan took out his wine gourd, took a sip, casually hung it on his waist, and changed direction, bypassing the corpse.

Gu Shihan dared not be careless and mobilized the wood flames within her body to protect herself and the little white fox.

All evil entities are somewhat wary of fire, and the Red Lotus Karmic Fire is its trump card; it's not the right time to unleash it yet. "Hanhan, are you still thinking about saving people?" Xingbai asked.

"Can't we just not help? Don't worry, with you and me, even if things don't go well, we should be able to get out unscathed. Great risks always represent great opportunities."

Now that my life is no longer in danger, what reason do I have to back down? Isn't cultivating immortality about defying fate and changing one's destiny?
As dawn broke, the serene Ghost Cry Forest was bathed in the crimson glow of the rosy sky, seemingly lessening the eerie atmosphere but making it even more sinister.

"What the hell? What's going on?" A noisy sound came from afar. Was someone there?
Ignoring everything else, Gu Shihan quickly walked towards the direction of the sound.

There were three men and two women not far away, and a woman's voice was heard saying, "Wasn't I at the inn? How did I get here? I want to go home!"

"Go home! This place is too eerie, let's go home!" The man's voice came from over.

The rustling footsteps faded into the distance. "Something's not right, something's definitely not right!"

The five of them turned around several times... All they could see was the path through the Ghost Cry Forest, and there was no way to retreat, because there was simply no other way.

Every step they took led them into the Ghostly Weeping Forest. In their panic, one of the men cried out in terror, "The Ghostly Weeping Forest on the Yin Side! It must be the Ghostly Weeping Forest on the Yin Side! We...we were brought here by the will-o'-the-wisps, and we can't go back!"

"Don't panic, everyone. Change formation and move forward. Those who have protective items should take them out and carry them with them. Those who don't have any can use fire spirit stones." A male voice rang out.

The others acted almost simultaneously. The five of them quickly took their positions according to the ever-renewing directions of their spiritual root attributes, took special steps, and headed towards the inescapable Ghost Cry Forest.

"Don't panic, everyone. The dark side of Ghost Cry Forest only lasts for nine days each time. As long as we hold on, there is still hope of getting out."

"I understand, Uncle. I... I'll never be willful again. I'm sorry, it's all my fault that we ended up in the Ghost Cry Forest because of me," the girl sobbed.

"Little sister, don't cry. Since we can't change reality, let's face it bravely. You have a fire elemental root, and we still need your protection!" another female voice said gently.

"it is good!"

Gu Shihan wanted to get closer to the group quickly, but something seemed to be separating them, keeping them forever at a distance.

Gu Shihan tried several times with the same result, so she simply gave up on meeting up with them. She wandered through the Ghost Cry Forest, stopping and starting along the way. She encountered two more ghostly figures and killed them! She then retrieved the Heavenly Nether Pearl!
"Is it dark again? It feels like less than an hour has passed!" Gu Shihan wondered.

"Hanhan, this is how the Ghost Cry Forest is. There's only one hour of daylight each day, and the rest of the time it's night! Quick! Something's attacking!" Xingbai shouted.

Gu Shihan turned around, her pair of green eyes staring at them coldly and bloodthirstyly, as if she wanted to go forward but was hesitant because of something.

Before the green eyes could move, Gu Shihan took action, wielding her longsword and unleashing a streak of azure light as she swiftly swept it toward the bright green eyes.

"Woooo..."

Gu Shihan couldn't tell if it was the sound of wind or crying. She swung her longsword recklessly, and the green ape retreated, leaving behind silence.

"Hanhan, do you see that big willow tree? It's a tree demon. Use your strange fire to insert into its ninth green eye; that's its Achilles' heel. This anomaly within a hundred feet is its doing," Xingbai whispered after sensing for a while.

"Alright!" Gu Shihan thrust her sword forward without hesitation. A red flash appeared on the tip of the sword.

With two loud "Pfft!" and "Ah!" sounds, Gu Shihan felt the ground beneath her feet tremble and the space twist rapidly. It was indeed an illusion.

(End of this chapter)