The atmosphere in front of the city gate carried a strange sense of eeriness.
Everyone stared at the Water Mirror. What appeared in the mirror was actually a blank expanse!
Everyone waited for the original form to appear in the Water Mirror, but when Jian Zhen stood within the mirror, there was only his current human form, his true form could not be reflected at all!
Wang Can said in some surprise, “How could this be? He’s clearly yao clan.”
The guard also frowned.
Logically speaking, if such an anomaly appeared, they should immediately report it. Just as the guard was about to speak, Yu walked over and said, “Brother Jian, were you formed by gathering the spiritual energy of heaven and earth?”
Seeing him ask this, Jian Zhen nodded and said, “Seems so. The place where I grew had very dense spiritual energy.”
“That explains it.” Yu smiled at the guard and said, “My little brother here was formed by gathering the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Because he is closer to a spirit born of heaven and earth, sometimes ordinary Water Mirrors cannot display him. If you switch to a higher-grade mirror, it will work. If you need, we can wait.”
With the explanation, the guard relaxed his vigilance.
Tianshui City was originally a neutral city among the three realms. Cooperating with the search this time was already following the rules.
High-grade Water Mirrors were rare, and there was a long line behind them.
The guard waved his hand. “Alright, alright, hurry up and go!”
Everyone left. Jian Zhen secretly let out a breath, he hadn’t expected this matter to be resolved just like that.
After leaving the city, Wang Can, who was walking at the front, turned back and said, “You bumpkin really have good luck. There aren’t many places in this world that have the spiritual energy of heaven and earth!”
Jian Zhen thought to himself, isn’t that so, and he’d even stayed in two such places.
Yu said, “Say less. If we want to go to Fuling Mountain, we need to pass through the Mist Forest ahead. This forest connects the demon clan and the yao clan’s territory, it’s the Mist Forest, and it’s also the most dangerous place.”
Wang Can said somewhat dissatisfied, “Can’t we just take the official road?”
Hearing him dampen the mood again, Yu frowned and said, “We got lost in the Marsh Forest a few days ago and wasted a lot of time. If we don’t take the shortcut, we’ll miss the selection time. If you’re afraid of danger and unwilling to go, you can take the official road. I won’t stop you.”
Wang Can was scolded until his face and neck turned red.
Yu turned around and walked away.
Jian Zhen followed behind him at an unhurried pace.
Watching the backs of the two, Wang Can’s square face gradually darkened. He muttered a curse under his breath, “Just because he knows the way, he thinks he can lecture me.”
His younger brother Wang Man hurriedly comforted him. “Brother, why bother arguing with him? Anyway, once we pass through this forest, we’ll reach Fuling Mountain, which is yao clan territory. We won’t need him anymore then. When the time comes…”
Wang Can let out a cold laugh. “Find a chance to get rid of him in the forest. As for that boy…”
Wang Man looked at Jian Zhen’s back, a bit greedily. “He looks pretty good. Why don’t we keep him for ourselves and enjoy the benefits?”
Wang Can smiled as he patted his younger brother on the shoulder: “You really know how to enjoy yourself, kid. Alright, don’t worry, that Mist Forest is fraught with danger, there’s no way they can escape from the palm of our hands!”
Wang Man nodded: “Mm!”
The midday sun rose high, spilling across the land below and slowly raising the temperature.
Yet once this light entered the narrow path leading into the forest, it grew sparser with every step. Towering trees soared into the clouds, branches and leaves dense and luxuriant; in such an environment, it was easy to lose one’s sense of direction.
Yu walked at the very front, his pace gradually slowing: “Everyone be careful, the poison miasma in the forest has grown stronger.”
As soon as the words fell, the others unconsciously eased their steps.
Suddenly…
There seemed to be the sound of something cutting through the wind within the forest.
Yu abruptly drew his sword and struck forward. A crisp clash rang out, and the vines in the mist were neatly severed. At the same time, shouts from Wang Can and the others came from behind.
Vines shot up from the ground and attacked the ankles of two people.
Wang Man let out a scream; his hand transformed into a tiger’s claw and he forcibly tore the vines into two pieces, narrowly escaping disaster.
Jian Zhen had previously seen the two brothers’ true forms as tigers in the water mirror, but he had not expected that they could use the abilities of their tiger bodies for themselves, quite interesting indeed.
“Watch out!”
Yu pulled Jian Zhen’s hand.
A vine lashed down from the air toward Jian Zhen, then missed and snapped back.
Wang Can cursed angrily not far away: “These d*mn things can’t be chopped to death, and there are more and more of them, what the h*ll are we supposed to do!”
Yu spoke up: “The weakness of these vines is the Chaoyang Flowers on the cliff ahead. I’ll cover you, go pick a few. Otherwise, no one is leaving this place today!”
While using his tiger claws to tear at the vines, Wang Man said, “Easy for you to say. Those Chaoyang Flowers are plants of the demon race, anyone who isn’t of the demon race will wither the moment they get close to them!”
More and more vines came hurtling through the air.
Just as everyone was in complete disarray, a somewhat soft and crisp voice sounded: “Is it this flower?”
Everyone went over, somewhat surprised.
They saw Jian Zhen standing at the edge of a nearby cliff, holding several flowers in his hand. He quickly squeezed the juice out of the flowers and smeared it on himself, then came over and smeared a little on the others beside him as well. Almost as soon as he finished applying it, the vines receded.
Yu’s sword was still dripping vine sap as he panted: “Brother Jian, you… how did you get them?”
Jian Zhen pointed behind him: “I just walked over there and picked them.”
Silence fell over the group.
Even the vine corpses all over the ground seemed to fall silent.
Wang Can finally couldn’t hold it in anymore: “You’re not of the demon race. Only people with demonic aura on them can touch the flowers, how were you able to pick them?”
Jian Zhen: “……”
The little grass itself was also a little surprised.
Right, it was clearly a blade of grass. It was of the yao race, how could it take something from the demon race?
Could it be…
Because it had stayed with Ye Jisheng for too long?
If that were said out loud, its little life might not be safe. Jian Zhen guiltily glanced at everyone and said in a soft voice, “Maybe because I’m an overlord flower and it’s also a flower, so I can pick it.”
Wang Can was astonished: “That works too?”
Yu let out a light laugh: “No matter how it happened, we got through this without danger. Let’s leave here quickly, the Mist Forest is full of dangers, there may be other threats.”
Wang Can was in a sorry state, his fat body leaning against a tree as he gasped for breath: “We haven’t been walking that long and it’s already this hard, won’t it be even more dangerous ahead?”
A flash of disgust passed through Yu’s eyes, though his expression did not show it. He replied, “In the Mist Forest, only the miasma and the vines are the most dangerous; the rest aren’t much to speak of. It’s said that deep in the forest there are high-tier demonic beasts, but the chance of encountering them is extremely low. As long as we walk properly, we generally won’t run into, ”
Before he could finish, a furious roar came from deep within the forest.
The sound was powerful and forceful, seeming to make the ground tremble along with it. Birds in the forest took flight, letting out piercing cries.
Wang Can’s eyes slowly widened as he looked toward the sky not far away, stammering, “Th-that… what is that thing?”
A gigantic demonic bird circled in the sky. Its body stood over eight chi tall; when its wings flapped, they stirred up layers upon layers of terrifying waves of leaves. Its sharp gaze carried a viciousness, as though it were searching for its prey. And at this moment, the commotion caused by the group’s recent battle with the vines drew its attention, the demonic bird’s eyes fixed on them from afar in the sky.
Four eyes met.
Yu shouted, “Run!”
A piercing bird cry ripped through the sky. Everyone ran forward with all their might. The towering trees behind them were their best cover, yet they were nearly severed by the demonic bird’s sharp blades. The wind resistance caused by its flapping wings was right at their backs, and a fierce will to survive drove everyone to run without regard for anything else.
Only when they fled to a sheer cliff did Jian Zhen panic and hide.
Hiding together with him behind a rock were the two brothers, Wang Can and Wang Man.
The demonic bird circled in the air, having lost their trail, yet it was unwilling to leave. It hovered back and forth around the cliff, stubbornly searching every possible place a living creature might appear. It had been hungry for a long time, if it did not catch prey today, it would never give up.
Only the two Wang brothers, being of the beast race themselves, sensed this hunter’s instinct.
Wang Can exchanged a glance with his younger brother and silently mouthed the words: “Push him out.”
Jian Zhen had originally been hiding in a crevice between the rocks.
Suddenly, an invisible palm struck from behind, abruptly shoving him out from behind the stone. The unsteady young man stumbled and fell to the ground, and almost instantly was keenly detected by the demonic bird in the air!
The demonic bird threw back its head with a long cry and dove downward.
Below, Jian Zhen watched the enormous demonic bird swoop down from the sky. The pain from the fall left him unable to move, with no time to dodge.
Suddenly, a red soul-flame light lit up in the air. The soul fire engulfed the demonic bird within it. A shrill bird cry tore through the sky, and it plunged heavily straight down.
When the two Wang brothers were at a loss in shock, Jian Zhen, on the other hand, was completely stiff where he stood, his eyes clearly reflecting the light in the sky. Others might not understand, but he knew better than anyone, the red glow was nothing else but the soul fire of Demon God Ye Jisheng!!!
Heaven save his life.
It, it, its caretaker is here!!
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