Divine Emperor Demon Emperor

They didn’t start a fire. Within the Mysterious Forest, Lin Yun prioritized safety above all else. The light from a fire could attract Demon Beasts, and if it drew in a Tier Four Demon Beast, they would be in for a tragedy.

In the pitch-black forest, Lin Yun and the others sat circled together. Although it was so dark you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face, to Lin Yun, his own senses were far more useful than his eyes.

No one dared to sleep—except for the carefree Little Ape. Curled up in Lin Yun’s arms, he was already fast asleep.

Eyes closed in meditation, Lin Yun didn’t dare relax his guard for a second, constantly monitoring his surroundings. The first half of the night passed without incident, but in the second half, the sound of rustling leaves arose.

His eyes snapped open. ’What was bound to come has come.’ He stood up. By his perception, they were already heavily surrounded.

This was nothing like the encounter during the day; there were dozens of Tree Spirits.

There was no escape. That left only one option: fight. With the Demon Bone Heaven-Dominating Spear in hand, blazing flames illuminated the clearing. Only then did Lin Yun see them: three full rows of Tree Spirits, standing right in front of them.

Running was absolutely not an option. Fleeing rashly into the Mysterious Forest at night was far more dangerous. In this clearing, they at least had a fighting chance. If they fled into the dense woods, they would never be able to spot the Tree Spirits’ hidden movements.

’It’s do or die.’ The Monk and Daoist took out their respective Spirit Soldiers. The Monk brandished a Long Staff, and the Daoist held his Duster. Little Ape woke from his sleep, transforming until he was taller than a man, his entire body radiating a dense Evil Qi.

ROAR! ROAR! ROAR! The Black-striped Tiger let out a series of mighty roars. At its cry, the thirty Tree Spirits’ dense branches moved like a sky-blotting net, sealing off every escape route for Lin Yun and his companions.

"Kill," Lin Yun shouted, moving first. The Demon Bone Heaven-Dominating Spear in his hand swung again and again, severing branch after branch.

He took the lead, charging toward the Tree Spirits with the Monk, the Daoist, and the others close behind. To kill the Tree Spirits, they first had to close the distance; a war of attrition would be incredibly foolish.

Slashing their way forward, Lin Yun failed to dodge several times and was viciously whipped by the branches. Bloody welts quickly appeared on his body. The Monk and Daoist behind him fared little better.

Paying the price in injuries, Lin Yun was the first to break into the horde of Tree Spirits, successfully piercing the blockade of branches. His Red Flame Spear Technique began to show its power.

With a sweep of the spear, he severed a dozen branches. Seizing the opportunity, Lin Yun thrust his spear into a trunk, and intense flames instantly consumed the entire tree.

Following Lin Yun’s lead, the Monk, the Daoist, Little Ape, and the Black-striped Tiger also managed to close in on the Tree Spirits. Though they lacked a Fire Attribute Martial Skill like the Red Flame Spear Technique, their terrifying Combat Power was fully unleashed once they were in close quarters.

The Monk brandished his Long Staff and, with a furious barrage, smashed a Tree Spirit into splinters.

The Daoist brandished his Duster. It shot out, wrapping tightly around a Tree Spirit’s trunk. Under the Daoist’s control, the Duster acted like a grinder, twisting until it snapped the trunk in two.

Little Ape was the most direct. With his pair of Iron Fists, he simply launched a furious, indiscriminate barrage.

As for the Black-striped Tiger, its situation was rather pathetic. It could only use its sharp claws and teeth to tear at the trunks. The image of a fierce tiger hugging a large tree and gnawing away was so absurd that even Lin Yun found it a little amusing.

The group displayed their Divine Techniques. In the end, after a great battle, though everyone was injured to some degree, they had successfully killed most of the Tree Spirits. Only a few managed to flee in panic.

Lin Yun had killed the most Tree Spirits, and he had also sustained the worst injuries. His clothes were now in tatters, and his body was covered in bloody welts from the whipping branches.

It felt as if he had been flogged; Lin Yun’s entire body stung with fiery pain.

"I need to heal. You two, be careful," Lin Yun said to the Monk and Daoist before swallowing a Rejuvenating Pill and beginning to recuperate.

Nothing else happened until the next morning, when Lin Yun opened his eyes. They had only been superficial wounds, and with the help of the Rejuvenating Pill, he was already mostly healed.

"Let’s go. We need to make up for lost time," he said, getting to his feet and addressing the Monk and Daoist.

The deeper they ventured into the Mysterious Forest, the more humid and scorching the air became. After seven straight days, the air had become so corrosive that Lin Yun and his companions were forced to circulate their Elemental Power just to resist it.

Everyone was suffering terribly. This meant they were consuming Elemental Power every moment of every day, leaving their internal reserves constantly on the verge of depletion.

They could only replenish their energy with Qi Essence Pills, but over time, the pills’ side effects would begin to manifest.

"What the hell kind of godforsaken place is this? Forget the Tree Spirits, the air alone is enough to kill us," the Monk grumbled.

"I can’t take it anymore," the Daoist added. "The air is just too corrosive. I haven’t been able to fully refine the Qi Essence Pills I’ve taken over the past two days. If this keeps up, the excess Elemental Power from the pills building up inside me is going to run rampant."

Lin Yun, who was leading the way, was also suffering. But having come this far, retreat was simply not an option for him.

"The corrosion in the air has reached its limit. Just hold on a little longer. We should be out of the outskirts of the Mysterious Forest soon," Lin Yun urged.

They trudged on, slowly and painfully. Every day, they traveled by day and rested by night. Only during these nightly rests could they take the opportunity to refine the residual Elemental Power left by the Qi Essence Pills.

They persevered through this incredible hardship for another seven days. In that time, they weren’t just attacked by Tree Spirits, but also by Cannibal Flowers and other plants that had gained Spiritual Wisdom.

After half a month, deep exhaustion was etched on everyone’s faces. Even Little Ape and the Black-striped Tiger were utterly drained.

This place was a veritable paradise for plants. You never knew when a small flower beside you might suddenly expand and lunge at you with a gaping maw.

"I really can’t walk another step," the Monk said. "This is no place for people to live. I feel sticky all over, and there’s not a single drop of water to be found."

Just as the Monk was complaining, the Daoist suddenly pointed ahead. "Look! A lake!"

Hearing this, Lin Yun looked ahead, confused. ’A lake? In the Mysterious Forest?’

Looking out, he saw it was true. Before them lay a small lake, its water crystal clear—a world apart from the rest of the Mysterious Forest.

"This is..." Separated by a mere line, it was like two different worlds. A clear lake and a dark, damp forest—two complete extremes.

"This Mysterious Forest is truly miraculous. Have we finally made it out of the outskirts?" the Monk said.

"I think so," the Daoist replied, though he didn’t sound sure.

(A note from the author, Wufeng: Brothers, let’s rally! I’m releasing all my stockpiled Chapters today. If average subscriptions hit 3,000, I will release four Chapters a day. If they hit 5,000, I will release five Chapters a day. This will last until the end of August. Brothers, let’s see this through to the end together! I, Wufeng, will keep my word.

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