Chapter 165: The Negative Fiend Forest

Early next morning.

After handing over the refined Foundation Establishment Pill to Zhu Jie, Chen Luo departed from Shanyin Pass alone. This place was merely a temporary stopover; having gathered the desired information, there was no reason to waste more time here.

“Following the Blackstone Mountain path, you’ll encounter the Negative Fiend Forest. Traverse through it, and you’ll reach the corpse breeding ground.”

Mounted on the mule exchanged from the Blade Forge Shop, Chen Luo recalled the purchased information in his mind, which he had obtained from the Black Wind Cave Lord and Blood Bone Madame. Apart from their intel, he also gleaned fragments of obsession from the collected brains. The brother of the Black Wind Cave Lord possessed similar strength, both being in the Late Stage Qi Refinement. His brain was well-preserved, so after extracting the information, Chen Luo released it.

Low-level Qi Refinement brains were now of little use to him. Whether it was the Blood Bone Madame or the Black Wind Cave Lord, fundamentally, they were no different from the late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators found dead in the mountain cave. Among the hundred-plus Qi Refinement brains stored in the external brains, aside from those with unique abilities, most were deemed obsolete and awaiting disposal.

The information about fourth-stage materials provided by Ning Ling was unknown to Black Wind Cave Lord and his group. Chen Luo gleaned some details from his brother’s ‘obsession.’ Their extermination of Ning Ling’s family stemmed from accepting a mission, which traced back to a faceless evil cultivator; they merely carried it out for spirit stones.

The trail ended here.

Such an outcome was not surprising when dealing with secrets involving fourth-stage spirit materials. The knowledge held by Ning Ling’s clan was superficial at best, and their eradication was likely just a precautionary measure, as effortless as stepping on an ant while passing by.

The mule moved steadily along the sandy, rugged path, its hooves producing a soft rustling sound. Occasionally, it would stop to graze on some black vegetation.

These plants were short, resembling weeds, with dark green stems bearing triangular leaves of jet-black hue. After the mule chewed them, milky white sap would drip from its mouth.

Chen Luo observed that these black plants contained trace amounts of heat-resisting properties. By consuming them, the mule could withstand the increasingly colder temperatures outside.

They continued onward.

As the temperature dropped further, the mountainous path became more treacherous. The sand particles grew larger, giving way to fist-sized rocks, and the terrain steepened, revealing slopes and dense old forests on either side.

“Caw, caw.”

From the depths of the dense, pitch-black forest, peculiar bird calls occasionally echoed.

“Is there something over there?”

Seated on the mule, Chen Luo scanned with his divine sense and faintly glimpsed a shadow, but upon closer inspection, it vanished. The mule, having finished eating the black leaves, continued its journey.

“…ignorant of life’s trials, knowledge confined to the mind… Alas, what sorrow…”

As they proceeded, a loud singing suddenly emerged from the nearby woods.

It was the voice of a young man. Following the sound, Chen Luo spotted a figure clad in a long robe, carrying a scholar’s case on his back—the source of the song.

Using his divine sense, Chen Luo detected no spiritual energy fluctuations from this individual; he was merely an ordinary person.

Why would an ordinary person be here?

Intrigued, Chen Luo urged the mule to catch up. The scholar ahead seemed to hear the commotion as well, initially startled. However, after catching sight of Chen Luo, he visibly sighed in relief.

Straightening his attire, the scholar stepped aside at the roadside and bowed respectfully to Chen Luo as he approached on the mule.

“Greetings, immortal.”

Judging by his reaction, this scholar appeared to have encountered cultivators like Chen Luo before.

“Who are you? What brings you here alone?”

Chen Luo halted his mule and, from this close proximity, scanned the scholar again with his divine sense, confirming that he was indeed just an ordinary person.

“I am Ning Chenye, a student. My aunt’s husband is the owner of Ye Family’s Grain Store in Black Wolf City. I am traveling to seek his help and also collect on a loan made to our family years ago.”

The scholar spoke courteously, his tone refined and scholarly, distinctly different from the common vernacular used by most people.

“What were you singing earlier?” Not immediately detecting any issues, Chen Luo shifted the topic. After leaving seclusion, one must not underestimate any seemingly ordinary individual. Moreover, this region of evil cultivators differed from what he had imagined; there were still normal townsfolk here, maintaining their own unique order rather than being entirely chaotic.

“It’s a verse written by Old Mr. Bai, which I sang spontaneously,” the scholar replied, blushing slightly. He hadn’t anticipated someone would hear his impromptu singing.

“Aren’t you afraid of encountering danger while traveling alone?”

As Chen Luo spoke, his divine sense detected something amiss, prompting him to glance back once more.

In the forest, the peculiar shadow reappeared, now significantly closer. As soon as his divine sense swept over it, the shadow vanished again.

The mountain woods remained eerily quiet, an atmosphere far from natural.

“I’m not afraid; I have a protective talisman bestowed by Old Mr. Bai.” The scholar confidently produced a sachet containing a triangular amulet with faint spiritual energy emanating from it, presumably drawn by the mentioned Old Mr. Bai.

“How far is this Black Wolf City you spoke of?” Chen Luo asked.

The information he had purchased included details about cities and gathering places for cultivators, but no one had ever heard of Black Wolf City. It was unclear whether it was entirely fabricated by the scholar or if Black Wolf City was simply too insignificant to attract any cultivators’ attention.

“After crossing the upcoming hillside and traversing an old forest, you’ll reach it. Approximately half a day’s journey on foot,” Ning Chenye promptly replied. In his understanding, immortals were immensely powerful beings who demanded respect; otherwise, they could curse someone to descend into the eighteen layers of hell.

An old forest beyond the hillside?

Chen Luo recalled the ‘corpse breeding ground’ from the memories of the Black Wind Cave Lord brothers. To reach that place, one must pass through a region known as the Negative Fiend Forest. He wondered if this Negative Fiend Forest was the same as the ‘old forest’ mentioned by the scholar.

“It seems we’re heading in the same direction. Let’s travel together.”

After some thought, Chen Luo decided to closely observe this scholar named Ning Chenye, intrigued by his mysterious appearance.

“Thank you for your kindness, immortal elder.”

Although uncertain of Chen Luo’s intentions, Ning Chenye’s face lit up with surprise at the prospect of traveling alongside an immortal elder.

They set off, Chen Luo riding ahead on his mule while Ning Chenye followed closely behind, carrying his book chest. To accommodate the scholar, Chen Luo deliberately slowed his pace.

Soon, they reached the end of the narrow path, arriving at a fork in the road. The left branch led to a dead-end culminating at a cliff, leaving only the right path open for travel.

As the mule approached the junction, it suddenly stopped and brayed loudly, its legs pacing restlessly back and forth, refusing to move forward. Following its gaze, Chen Luo noticed a woman dressed in a white gauzy dress standing by the right turn, seemingly unnoticed until that moment.

She stood silently amidst the trees, staring directly at them.

A woman? Chen Luo furrowed his brow.

First encountering a scholar, now a woman—would he next meet a bearded man?

A familiar sequence flashed through his mind.

“Do you know that woman?” Chen Luo asked the scholar accompanying him, Ning Chenye.

Chen Luo turned to Ning Chenye, the scholar accompanying him.

“A woman?”

Ning Chenye, laboriously trudging with his scholarly chest strapped to his back, instinctively lifted his head upon hearing Chen Luo’s question and looked towards the old forest ahead.

“What woman?” He scanned the area, then gazed at Chen Luo with confusion, unsure of what he meant.

“You can’t see her?” Chen Luo narrowed his eyes. Just as he was about to test the situation with his abilities, a sudden gust of yin wind swept through, rustling leaves on the ground and obscuring their view. When everything settled, the woman in the white dress standing in the middle of the path had vanished abruptly, as if she never existed.

This occurrence deeply furrowed Chen Luo’s brow.

His divine sense had been focused on her the entire time, yet inexplicably, this living person disappeared right under his watch. The ability to affect one’s divine sense indicated that the entity was likely of similar or higher cultivation rank than himself. It was unexpected to encounter such scrutiny so soon upon entering this territory of evil cultivators.

No wonder Daoist Wuwei couldn’t withstand it and was driven out by these evil cultivators.

“Immortal elder, are you sure there was someone over there?” Scholar Ning Chenye grew anxious, his fear escalating at Chen Luo’s question. Instinctively, he tightened his grip on the talisman given to him by Old Mr. Bai.

This old forest had its share of legends, and people from the city typically avoided it. If not for his family’s dire poverty, Ning Chenye would never have risked taking this path.

“It’s nothing; I must have seen wrong.”

After the woman vanished, the mule returned to normal, carrying Chen Luo along the mountain path downward. Observing this, Scholar Ning Chenye clutched his book case tightly and hastened to catch up.

Unbeknownst to them, the sky had turned dark.

Thick clouds gathered overhead, with faint rumbles of thunder echoing amidst the roiling layers, creating a continuous low rumble.

Within three miles, the weather drastically changed.

As they descended the mountain via the right path, the sky became completely shrouded by dark clouds. Despite being daytime, it felt as gloomy as dusk, with the frequency of thunder increasing. A wind began stirring through the woods, causing the temperature to drop sharply. Ning Chenye, clad only in light clothing, pulled it tighter around himself while clutching the talisman and incessantly muttering prayers for protection, though it was unclear whom he was invoking.

“This is the old forest.”

After walking further and passing through a rocky gap, Chen Luo saw an expansive old forest that blotted out the sky. Uniformly composed of Baleful Yin Trees, each one stood nearly thirty meters tall. Their massive canopies obscured the heavens, dense foliage blocking all light, casting the forest floor into utter darkness.

The ground was covered with fallen leaves, concealing the original path entirely.

Scholar Ning Chenye took out a fire starter to light an oil lamp, holding it aloft to illuminate their way. Having planned his journey to Black Wolf City, he had naturally inquired about the route beforehand.

However, upon reaching this point, the mule refused to proceed any further. With no choice, Chen Luo let it go; the animal’s keen perception of danger might allow it to survive after being released.

“Immortal elder, I still have another oil lamp,” Ning Chenye offered.

“No need.” Walking ahead, Chen Luo’s divine sense rendered the darkness inconsequential.

Together, they entered the old forest, one following the other.

Determined to find the corpse breeding ground, Chen Luo could not be deterred by a mere forest. As for Ning Chenye, his motivation was sheer desperation; without this journey, his elderly mother would not survive the winter.

Once they entered the woods, all light vanished completely.

Only the glow from Ning Chenye’s oil lamp illuminated a three-meter radius around them, with darkness enveloping everything beyond. The sky above the forest grew even darker, as thunderclouds roiled incessantly and lightning occasionally pierced through the gloom, casting brief flashes of brightness.

However, these fleeting lights were obstructed by the dense foliage, making the interior of the forest feel like another world entirely.

Treading on soft, decaying leaves, the scent of rotting vegetation permeated the air.

“Singing vows at the Empress Temple, a lovelorn maiden awaits her lord. Across lifetimes, love remains unwavering, lamenting only her heartless beloved.” After walking some distance, a melancholic song suddenly drifted towards them from ahead.

The voice belonged to a woman, filled with sorrow, as if narrating a tale of star-crossed lovers.

Expanding his divine sense, Chen Luo spotted a wooden building not far up ahead.

“Immortal elder, there’s light over there! It seems like an inn!” Holding the lantern, Ning Chenye pointed excitedly towards the source of the illumination.