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

Chapter 37 Dryad
The branches of the big willow tree swayed wildly, as if stiffening in pain.

Gu Shihan's sword, carrying a wisp of crimson lotus karmic fire, plunged straight into the ninth eye on the trunk of the great willow tree. She stirred it slightly before pulling it out, and the crimson lotus karmic fire quickly wrapped around the great willow tree.

Gu Shihan did not stop attacking, cutting the willow branches that were being swung at her to the ground.

Star White's tiny paws swung rapidly, and a fireball talisman slammed into the branches on the ground, preventing them from returning to the willow tree.

"Hanhan, look! Blood is flowing out, it's dark green. Collect it quickly, it will be very useful."

"It works?!" Gu Shihan was skeptical, but she reached out and took a large branch into her hand. A refreshing aura wafted over her.

"The aura of life?! It really is a good thing!" Gu Shihan no longer hesitated and quickly slashed at the thicker branches. Xingbai darted among them and quickly collected them.

The two, one human and one fox, were so busy that they completely forgot they were in the perilous Ghost Cry Forest.

After working for about half an hour, most of the branches of the big willow tree had been cut off, and the Red Lotus Karmic Fire had burned countless holes in the big willow tree.

Gu Shihan looked over and saw that all the holes were the green eyes of the big willow tree. In the ninth hole, there was a green round bead.

"Hanhan, I'm rich! A Wood Spirit Pearl!" Xingbai grabbed with its little paw, and the green pearl was in its paw.

The large willow tree trembled and crashed down. At the base of the tree were hundreds of storage treasures, such as storage bags, storage bracelets, storage rings, and several magical artifacts, but they had all become dull and lifeless.

Below that were piles of white bones; these people had all been harmed by the big willow tree and died silently.

After the man and the fox finished tidying up, they looked around and found that things were different. The big willow tree was gone, and the surrounding area was bare, with not a blade of grass growing.

"Hanhan, look! Those five people seem to be dying!" Xingbai's voice came over.

Gu Shihan scanned the area with her divine sense. Five people in the distance were throwing talismans. One of them was still using fire-type magic, but he looked exhausted and probably wouldn't last more than a few breaths.

The black mist seemed to sense the opponent's weakness and suddenly surged, quickly enveloping the five people...

Gu Shihan didn't care about anything else and swung the flames in her hand. Several shrill cries rang out, and the black mist was quickly split apart, as if it wanted to escape with its spoils.

How can we let them escape!

"Xingbai, use talismans to intercept them!" Gu Shihan shouted, sheathed her sword, and the flames in her hand split into five streams, covering the black mist in five directions.

One breath, two breaths, three breaths, the black mist faded, and several people fell to the ground, only one of them was still conscious.

With a flick of its little white paw, Xingbai sent the dark green liquid it had just collected from the big willow tree into their mouths, one drop for each of them.

"Thank you!" The male cultivator, still conscious, glanced at Gu Shihan and the little fox, then passed out peacefully.

Gu Shihan didn't linger. He escorted the five people into the Qiankun House, picked up the seven Tianyou Pearls, and left.

"Hanhan, there are eight people in the Qiankun Room now. I remember thirteen people were brought in, which means there are still five people whose fate is unknown."

"Yes! Keep going!"

The woman and the fox walked for about a mile when they encountered five people. They seemed alright, except for their pale faces. "Fellow Daoist, were you also brought in by the will-o'-the-wisp? Have the others seen you?" a female cultivator at the peak of the late Foundation Establishment stage asked Gu Shihan.

"They are all still alive. I accidentally entered the Ghost Cry Forest while training," Gu Shihan said, bowing with his hands clasped.

The five people's expressions changed for a moment, but they quickly regained their composure. The man asked, "Fellow Daoist, do you have a magical artifact that can suppress the Yin Spirit Mist?"

A cold glint flashed in Gu Shihan's eyes as she subtly distanced herself from them.

"Hehe, my junior brother doesn't know how to speak. What he means is that we are alive because one of us has a lightning spiritual root and the other has a heavenly fire spiritual root."

"You must have something protecting you to be safe and sound all by yourself. Fellow Daoist, we mean no harm! In this Ghost Cry Forest, we can only rely on our juniors to survive the nine days and nine nights of the Ghost Cry Forest on the Yin side!" the female cultivator said.

Gu Shihan's expression softened, and she waved her hand to release the Wood Flame. "I have it!"

"A strange fire?!" A flash of surprise crossed the faces of the group. The female cultivator said, "Hello, I am Song Huifang from the Golden Lotus Peak of the Five Flowers Sect. These are my junior brothers."

"You're from the Five Flowers Sect?! Gu Shihhan, a disciple of the Five Flowers Sect's Danjian Peak!" Gu Shihhan thought for a moment and then gave his name truthfully.

"Ah! You are Master Uncle Gu?!" Female cultivator Song Huifang exclaimed in surprise.

"Grandmaster Uncle, what brings you to Ghost Cry Forest?" asked the male disciple Ling Hai.

"I didn't know about the Ghost Cry Forest. I was resting in a cave at night when I saw a ghost fire leading a group of people. I followed behind, wanting to help them, but for some reason, I couldn't get close. Later, I learned that this was the legendary Ghost Cry Forest. How much do you know about the Ghost Cry Forest?" Gu Shihan said, half-jokingly.

"Grandmaster Uncle, the Ghost Cry Forest is divided into Yin and Yang. The Yang side of the Ghost Cry Forest is not dangerous, but the Yin side is dangerous. Do you see? Those flowers, plants and trees are all plant puppets in the Yin side of the Ghost Cry Forest."

These things do possess some intelligence, and they also have some fighting ability. As long as their light doesn't fade away, everything is fine.

"When their light fades, they transform into tangible or intangible ghosts and phantoms, draining all flesh and blood from everything they touch," Song Huifang whispered.

"So that's how it is!" Gu Shihan understood. It turned out that those ghostly figures were plant puppets.

"Junior Grandmaster Uncle, it is said that in the Spirit Realm there is a Mountain of Two Realms, a place connecting the Human Realm and the Ghost Realm. All the vengeful spirits and wronged souls who cannot enter reincarnation will transform into a plant on the Mountain of Two Realms. They will instinctively devour living things, and after devouring many, they will develop sentience and eventually become Devourers."
ghost.

"The Devouring Demons have gained sentience; they can control plants and trees to become plant puppets, using them to provide nutrients for their growth." Lu Yundi also shared what he had heard.

"So you're saying the plant puppets aren't scary, but the ghost-devouring creatures behind them are?! Is this Ghost Cry Forest somehow connected to the Two Realms Mountain?" Gu Shihan asked.

"I don't know about that. It's just that the Ghost Cry Forest hasn't expanded outwards, and we cultivators need the Heavenly Nether Pearl, so... so the Ghost Cry Forest has its necessity!" Ling Hai said with a sigh.

"I understand what you mean. As long as we don't encounter any demon-devouring creatures, we'll be fine, right?" Seeing that everyone wasn't in good spirits, Gu Shihan took out some spiritual food and wine and distributed them to the group.

"Thank you!" Song Huifang and the others didn't stand on ceremony. They were all ascetic practitioners, and they carried Bigu Pills with them. Bigu Pills could only fill their stomachs and could not restore their spiritual power.

Besides, the Ghost Cry Forest is not suitable for meditation and absorbing spiritual energy to recover, since the yin energy here is too strong.

(End of this chapter)