Divine Emperor Demon Emperor

Ignoring the Monk and Daoist, Lin Yun and his group fled for some distance before making a beeline for the Mysterious Forest. Since a Primordial Ocean Realm expert from the Wind Forest Sect had arrived, they decided to put off dealing with them. They would settle the score after their business in the Mysterious Forest was concluded.

Meanwhile, the Elder from the Wind Forest Sect assessed his party’s condition. The Blood Leopard had been torn apart by the Black-striped Tiger and was now on the brink of death. Of the ten Mid-Stage Qi Sea Realm Disciples, only half had survived, and three of the survivors were critically injured.

After a moment of contemplation, the Elder surmised that based on the direction Lin Yun’s group was traveling, they must be heading for the Mysterious Forest.

’What are they going to the Mysterious Forest for?’ he wondered. ’Even I don’t dare to venture too deep into that place. It would be a tragedy to risk my life for a few brats.’

After much consideration, the Elder made his decision. Lin Yun could not be allowed to get away. He had dared to openly provoke the Wind Forest Sect. If he escaped, the sect would lose all face in the Nan Feng Kingdom.

"Lang Dan," the Elder ordered, "return to the Wind Forest Sect at once. Implore the Grand Elder to send reinforcements to the Mysterious Forest. I suspect their group has entered the forest. We will wait for them outside. The moment they emerge, we kill them on the spot."

Hearing this, Lang Dan nodded. The Mysterious Forest was the most forbidden of all forbidden lands; they didn’t dare go inside. The best plan was to wait for them outside.

Soon, Lang Dan departed for the Wind Forest Sect with the five surviving Disciples and the Blood Leopard in tow. The Elder, meanwhile, flew off in the direction of the Mysterious Forest.

It would be best if he could intercept them before they reached the Mysterious Forest. If he couldn’t catch them in time, he would simply blockade the forest and lie in wait.

A Primordial Ocean Realm expert was incredibly fast, especially with the ability of Sky Control flight. Lin Yun and his group, still rushing along the ground, were now less than ten li from the Mysterious Forest when Lin Yun suddenly sensed the aura of a Primordial Ocean Realm expert rapidly closing in.

"Go, quickly! They’re catching up!" Lin Yun shouted to the Monk and Daoist. He spurred the Black-striped Tiger onward toward the Mysterious Forest. ’As long as I can get inside, even a Primordial Ocean Realm expert won’t be able to touch me.’

"Brat, still think you can run? You’re not getting away today!" the Elder bellowed from the sky as he spotted Lin Yun’s group scrambling through the woods below.

Without looking back, Lin Yun simply urged the Black-striped Tiger to go faster. He even pulled the Monk and Daoist onto its back; without any Elemental Power, the two of them were just too slow.

Another Forbidden Artifact materialized in his hand, and a pained look flashed across Lin Yun’s eyes. Zhong Lin had originally given him five Forbidden Artifacts, but now only three remained. After using this one, he would be down to just two.

’Whatever, I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.’ Escaping this pursuit was the top priority; he couldn’t afford to worry about anything else right now.

With a great leap, Lin Yun launched himself into the air. Soaring more than ten meters above the ground, he violently hurled the Forbidden Artifact at the pursuing Elder from the Wind Forest Sect.

The Elder had long anticipated that Lin Yun might have another Forbidden Artifact. The instant it left Lin Yun’s hand, he threw up a protective shield of Elemental Power. While it couldn’t completely nullify the artifact’s attack, the remaining shockwave posed no threat to him whatsoever.

’Sigh, what a waste,’ Lin Yun lamented to himself, knowing the Forbidden Artifact couldn’t possibly kill his pursuer. As it exploded, he landed back on the Black-striped Tiger, and the entire group charged headfirst into the Mysterious Forest.

The Forbidden Artifact was only meant to buy time, allowing them to enter the Mysterious Forest safely.

When the explosion subsided, the Elder’s figure reappeared in the sky. Lin Yun’s group was long gone. The Elder cursed under his breath, "They got away. But do you really think you can make it out of the Mysterious Forest alive? Even if you do, I’ll be waiting to kill you with my own hands."

After a mad dash, Lin Yun and the others finally entered the Mysterious Forest safely. They had only just stepped across the border, into the forest’s outer edges, but the difference was like night and day.

Though it was still a forest, every tree in the Mysterious Forest was black—black trunks, black branches, black leaves. Even the soil itself was black.

"Young Master Lin, are you sure you want to go deeper into the Mysterious Forest?" the Monk asked, his tone finally serious. "This is the most infamous Land of Death in the entire Southeast Domain. Even experts at the Late Stage of the Primordial Ocean Realm have a survival rate of less than fifty percent. For us to go in is no different from suicide."

Lin Yun was already aware of everything the Monk said. He had known about the dangers of the Mysterious Forest before they arrived, but no matter how great the peril, he had to go.

Great rewards come from great risks. This was especially true for Lin Yun, who carried too many burdens. If he didn’t seize every opportunity to grow stronger, he could forget about revenge—it was doubtful he could even make it back to the Divine Realm.

"I have to go," Lin Yun said with determination.

Hearing Lin Yun’s resolute answer, the Monk and Daoist fell silent. They exchanged a look, then both turned their gazes to Lin Yun, their eyes betraying their urge to retreat.

’The Mysterious Forest is no joke,’ they thought. ’Go in, and you might never come out again.’

Knowing their personalities, Lin Yun had already thought of a way to handle them. He said casually, "I came to the Mysterious Forest because I have reliable information that there is a Ghost Fruit inside. You two have been to so many places; you should know what a Ghost Fruit is used for, right?"

Ghost Fruit... At these words, the eyes of the Monk and Daoist flew wide open. A Ghost Fruit was far too precious; it was a Heaven and Earth Spiritual Treasure that money couldn’t buy.

Its effects on a Martial Artist were self-evident—anyone in the know understood its value. To put it simply, consuming a single Ghost Fruit was a surefire way to break through to the realm above the Primordial Ocean Realm.

"Young Master Lin, are you certain there’s a Ghost Fruit? You’re not trying to fool us, are you?" the Monk asked with suspicion.

"Of course not. I can guarantee there’s a Ghost Fruit, and I even know its precise location," Lin Yun replied calmly.

’The easiest way to handle the Monk and Daoist was to entice them with wealth. These two were so greedy it was beyond belief—the classic "money over life" type.’

"Ghost Fruit... Ghost Fruit..." the two of them muttered to themselves. After several dozen breaths, they both looked at Lin Yun simultaneously, their eyes gleaming with a rapacious light.

"Young Master Lin, we’ll go with you."

Hearing their reply, Lin Yun’s expression didn’t change, but inwardly he was laughing his head off. ’These two are an interesting pair. You can’t say they’re smart, because they’re fatally stupid. But you can’t say they’re stupid either, because they’re as crafty as can be.’

"Good. In that case, I’ll unseal your meridians first. The Mysterious Forest is full of dangers; we must be careful every step of the way."

Now that they were in the Mysterious Forest, Lin Yun wasn’t worried about the pair trying any tricks. Besides, if he didn’t restore their Elemental Power here, they would just be dead weight and might even get him killed.

Besides, with the Black Blood Pill as a failsafe, Lin Yun wasn’t the least bit worried about them.

(A note from the author, Wufeng: Brothers, let’s get fired up! I’m releasing my entire stockpile of Chapters today. If our average subscriptions reach 3,000, I’ll release four Chapters a day. If they reach 5,000, I’ll release five Chapters a day! This will last until the end of August. Brothers, fight alongside me to the very end! I always keep my word.

Please add this to your library, recommend it, donate, and subscribe!)