The four left the wasteland gradually being covered by black dust, advancing toward that ominous black forest in the distance.
The land beneath their feet transitioned from gray-white to a deep brown, as if repeatedly soaked in blood then dried by time. The smell permeating the air also shifted from the sweet-fishiness of the God-Eroding Miasma to a musty odor like dried leaves mixed with mold. The closer they approached the forest, the quieter their surroundings became—that heart-pounding absolute silence where even the sound of wind disappeared.
"This is the Forest of Divine Fall." Dai Chengfeng stopped, taking out a yellowed bone fragment from his bosom covered with densely packed ancient characters and simple diagrams, "According to records left by predecessors, this forest formed after the first Twilight of the Gods. The fallen gods—their divine bodies, divine soul fragments, even their undispersed obsessions and resentments, accumulated and mutated upon this land, eventually giving birth to this forest that violates natural laws."
Tang Wulin looked up. The trees in the forest were not the usual brown, but an almost pure black color. Their trunks were rough and twisted, covered with vein-like protruding patterns. The leaves were dark red, shaped like human hands, trembling slightly even without wind. Most bizarrely, some tree trunks actually bore vague human face contours—distorted features, eyes tightly closed, as if experiencing eternal nightmares in slumber.
"Where are the Soul-Devouring Trees?" Qian Renxue gripped the Angelic Holy Sword, her six wings slightly spread, a sacred aura naturally emanating and forming a faint golden halo around her.
"They're everywhere." Bibi Dong said calmly, her gaze sweeping the forest edge, "See those human faces on the tree trunks? Those are the Soul-Devouring Trees' 'senses.' They have no eyes, but can perceive all living beings through divine soul fluctuations. The moment we stepped into the forest, they already 'saw' us."
As if to verify her words, the nearest black tree suddenly trembled. The vague human face on its trunk slowly "opened" its eyes—those weren't eyes at all, but two bottomless holes emitting pure hunger for souls.
"Careful!" Tang Wulin held his spear horizontally, a Golden Dragon phantom appearing behind him.
But that face merely "gazed" at them for a moment, then "closed" its "eyes" again. The entire tree returned to deathly stillness.
"Why didn't it attack?" Qian Renxue was puzzled.
"Because we're still at the forest's edge." Dai Chengfeng pointed at an almost invisible dividing line beneath their feet—on one side was deep brown earth, on the other a thin layer of black substance like ashes, "Soul-Devouring Trees have territorial awareness. The trees at the forest edge are relatively 'young' and not very aggressive. They'll wait until prey goes deep into the forest, entering the territory range of those ancient tree kings, before attacking en masse."
"So we must cross the entire forest?" Tang Wulin frowned, "This sounds like a trap."
"It always was." Bibi Dong said indifferently, "But this is the only path. The center of the wasteland holds the Divine Tomb Altar, where even more terrifying things slumber. By comparison, the Forest of Divine Fall at least has 'clear rules': don't get caught, don't stop, don't respond to any calls."
"Calls?" Qian Renxue keenly caught this word.
Bibi Dong didn't answer directly, instead looking toward the forest depths. Her gaze was complex—alert, with a trace of almost undetectable sadness, and some other difficult-to-interpret emotions. "You'll know once inside. Remember the three points I mentioned: no matter what you hear or see, don't believe it, don't respond, and definitely don't stop walking. Soul-Devouring Trees are best at excavating prey memories to create illusions."
The four exchanged a glance. Tang Wulin took the first step, crossing that dividing line.
The instant he stepped into the forest, the sound of the entire world changed.
The absolute deathly silence of the wasteland was broken, replaced by a low, continuous humming like thousands of people whispering by one's ear, or like wind passing through countless hollows. The air grew viscous—every step felt like treading on damp cotton. The most obvious change was the light—the forest interior appeared much darker than from outside. The only light came from the faint blood-red glow emitted by those dark red leaves themselves, barely outlining the contours of the twisted trees.
"Maintain formation." Dai Chengfeng said in a low voice, "I'll scout ahead, Tang Wulin guards the rear, the two ladies in the center. Soul-Devouring Tree attacks usually come from below and above—watch your feet and overhead."
They advanced along a barely visible path. This small trail was clearly not naturally formed, but rather seemed pressed out by some massive creature walking here year after year. Yet bizarrely, there were no footprints on the path, only some dried black mucus emitting a decaying aura.
After walking about the time of one incense stick, the surrounding trees grew increasingly dense, and the human faces on the trunks grew more numerous and clearer. Some could already distinguish gender and approximate age, some even maintaining terrified expressions from the moment of death. All the faces' eyes were tightly closed, but Tang Wulin could feel that countless "gazes" were greedily peering at them through those eyelids.
"What are they waiting for?" Qian Renxue asked in a low voice. Her sacred aura appeared especially dazzling here, but also especially "tempting." To Soul-Devouring Trees, the divine souls of god-level powerhouses were no different from the most supreme delicacy.
"For us to relax, for us to get distracted, for us to make mistakes." Bibi Dong answered, her gaze always level ahead, completely ignoring those twisted human faces on the tree trunks to either side.
Suddenly, Tang Wulin stopped.
"What is it?" Qian Renxue immediately grew alert.
"Do you hear that?" Tang Wulin's brows were tightly locked, "It seems... someone is calling my name."
"It's an illusion." Bibi Dong said decisively, "Don't listen, keep walking."
But that voice grew increasingly clear, increasingly familiar. It was a gentle female voice, carrying sobs and urgency: "Wulin... Wulin... save me... it hurts so much..."
Tang Wulin's body suddenly stiffened.
That was Gu Yuena's voice.
"Wulin?" Qian Renxue noticed his abnormality, reaching to pull him, only to find Tang Wulin's arm muscles taut, the Golden Dragon Spear trembling slightly.
"It's Gu Yue..." Tang Wulin murmured, his gaze beginning to scatter, "She's calling me... she's here..."
"Tang Wulin!" Bibi Dong shouted sharply, her voice carrying a trace of mental shock, "That's fake! The Soul-Devouring Tree is reading your memory! Gu Yuena isn't here!"
But Tang Wulin seemed unable to hear anymore. He slowly turned his head, looking toward the direction the voice came from—the depths to the left of the forest, where the figure of a silver-haired woman could be vaguely seen, entangled in pitch-black vines, reaching out toward him.
"Wulin... save me..." the figure wept, silver eyes full of tears.
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