Inside the Black Mist Forest, Bai Tian walked slowly, each of his steps sinking into the suffocating silence. A thin mist hung in the air, caught between the form of gas and dew—as if nature itself could not decide its shape. The phenomenon seemed strange, yet for this forest, such things were ordinary. From the cracks in the earth, geothermal heat forced water to evolve, birthing veils of mist that shrouded vision.
But it was not only ordinary mist that lingered here. A subtle poison also danced in the air, hidden behind the softness of the haze, waiting for careless prey.
For a full hour, Bai Tian kept treading the gloomy path, following his instincts. The shadows of towering trees, like ancient ghosts, seemed to guide him deeper, until his steps unknowingly carried him far to the west.
Suddenly, from the distance came a faint sound—like the hiss of a snake slithering among wet leaves. Bai Tian sharpened his hearing. Beyond the towering trees, a black shadow flickered quickly, as if stalking his movements.
Silence once again consumed the forest. Yet Bai Tian knew for certain: he was no longer walking alone.
His hand slowly moved to his waist, touching the hilt of his sword. His body remained calm, but his eyes were filled with vigilance. A single wrong step could trap him in poisonous mist—or make him a feast for the creatures of the forest.
Without slowing his pace, he kept moving westward. The deeper he went, the stronger the feeling grew—that something, or someone, was waiting ahead.
The mist thickened, swallowing the tree shadows and reducing his vision to only a few steps ahead. Just as Bai Tian was about to take another step, his ears caught a faint sound—the trickle of water.
In the midst of the eerie, silent forest, that sound felt foreign, like a hidden calling. Bai Tian paused, closed his eyes to steady his breath, then followed the direction of the sound.
His steps were steady, yet every movement was filled with caution. The poisonous mist still swirled around, and the black shadow that had been stalking him seemed to vanish—or perhaps was following silently from behind.
The closer he came, the sound changed from a gentle trickle to a flowing current. Soon, the mist's curtain parted slightly, revealing a slow-moving river. Its water was strange, reflecting the pale moonlight with a bluish hue, as if it carried something not of the ordinary world.
Bai Tian bent down, his sharp eyes piercing the mist above the water's surface. From within the haze, he saw a herd of wild deer drinking calmly at the riverbank. Cold steam escaped their nostrils, merging with the mist as though painting a scene of tranquility in the dark forest.
But that peace lasted only for a moment.
Plung…! The river's surface churned. From the depths of the black water, figures surged upward—monsters with slimy wet bodies, their skin covered in dark scales. Their crimson eyes glowed in the moonlight, and long fangs jutted from jaws thirsting for blood.
In an instant, the creatures lunged at the deer herd. Water splashed wildly, the cries of animals echoed through the silent forest. Some deer bolted into the woods, but others were dragged into the river by merciless claws.
A fierce battle erupted before Bai Tian's eyes. The river churned violently, red blood mixing with black currents, painting a horrifying scene.
Bai Tian stood still behind the mist, his eyes narrowed. He did not move, only watched in vigilance. In his heart, he knew—these creatures were not ordinary beasts, but feral monsters of the river.
He remained hidden, his body stiff and soundless, eyes fixed on the raging battle. The deer dragged into the river struggled in vain, their cries quickly drowned out by the monsters' roars. Only a few managed to leap out of the death circle, fleeing into the dark forest with blood-soaked bodies.
The river continued to churn until finally only ripples remained, tinged with red before fading into the current. The monsters dove back into the depths, as if they had never surfaced at all. Silence returned, leaving only the stench of blood in the air.
Among the panicked herd, Bai Tian's eyes caught something unusual. A deer with small glowing antlers stood tall, its body radiating a strange aura. For a moment, its form was clear, then blurred like an illusion blending with the mist.
The river monsters clawed only empty air. In the blink of an eye, the deer reappeared elsewhere, its movements swift and incomprehensible. With its small antlers, it pierced through the monsters' defenses. Screeches echoed as several fell, their bodies torn apart by the strange power contained in the antlers.
Bai Tian's eyes narrowed. He watched the creature fight as if dancing between two realms—between reality and illusion.
The battle did not last long. After losing several of their kind, the river monsters retreated into the depths, leaving blood and torn bodies adrift in the current.
The small-antlered deer stood by the riverbank, its clear eyes sharp with vigilance. The mist seemed to protect it, making it hard to see clearly.
Bai Tian was silent for a long time, thoughts racing. That ability… illusion and reality intertwined. Could it be… a descendant of the Phantom Deer? From his gathered information, such deer were known to breed prolifically.
After considering carefully, Bai Tian made his decision. He would follow it. If his guess was right, this creature's existence could help fulfill his mission.
With light steps, he waited until the deer began to move, then trailed it from a distance, suppressing his breath and aura to avoid detection.
After a long pursuit, Bai Tian reached a clearing deeper within the forest. There, within the swirling mist, he saw the small-antlered deer again. But now its form was clear—revealed as a male Phantom Deer, standing proudly with an aura that made surrounding creatures bow in submission.
Around it were several female deer and young fawns, as if guarding their leader. The sight only confirmed Bai Tian's conviction—this Phantom Deer was no ordinary beast, but a rare descendant.
Without hesitation, Bai Tian drew his sword. A cold gleam sliced through the mist, and in an instant two female deer fell, their blood staining the damp earth.
The air turned tense. The herd scattered in panic, but the Phantom Deer remained still. Its clear eyes glimmered, radiating an intelligence beyond that of a beast. Slowly, its body blurred, as if swallowed by the mist. In a heartbeat, its figure flickered between reality and illusion, impossible to tell if it was still there or had vanished.
Bai Tian's eyes narrowed. The deer was beginning to sense danger. Its aura shifted sharp, like a hidden blade ready to strike.
"Hiding within illusion… seems you are of pure blood," Bai Tian muttered, his body tense and ready for whatever would come.
His foot pressed against the ground, his sword trembling slightly, emitting a cold light. He knew well—one wrong strike, and his own body could be trapped within the Phantom Deer's illusions.
A faint voice drifted through the mist, soft yet echoing. It seemed to come from the deer's mouth, yet also whispered directly into his ears:
"Human… why do you trespass into my domain?"
Bai Tian was startled, eyes narrowing. It could speak? No… this was no true voice…
Before he could respond, the ground beneath him shook. From within the mist, dozens of phantom deer emerged, their glowing antlers charging all at once like a storm of spears.
Bai Tian gritted his teeth. His sword slashed, trailing fiery arcs that tore through the mist. Each strike dispersed phantoms, yet more appeared, multiplying endlessly.
His chest tightened, his mind nearly dragged into the illusion's vortex. One moment he stood in the forest, the next he was drowning in a pool of blood. The cries of deer mingled with monster roars, eroding his sanity until the boundary between reality and illusion thinned to nothing.
Bai Tian closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, then summoned his spiritual power. A glowing orb formed in his hand—compressed with a quarter of his spiritual energy.
"All of this is only illusion… I just need to find the source," he murmured firmly.
His eyes snapped open. He hurled the orb, igniting it, while channeling half his remaining energy into a protective shield.
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion rang out, the spiritual orb bursting in blinding light that swept away the mist. Hundreds of phantoms vanished instantly, cut off from their source. And beyond the scattered veil, Bai Tian finally saw the true form—a Phantom Deer. Its body wounded, its antlers trembling with ragged breaths.
Without hesitation, Bai Tian advanced with full strength. His sword pierced forward, slicing through the lingering mist, striking the deer's true body.
CRASH!
The air quaked violently, the surrounding fog blasted apart. The Phantom Deer staggered, fresh blood dripping from its shoulder, its antlers shivering in pain.
Yet instead of fleeing, the deer fixed its intelligent eyes on Bai Tian. Within its gaze lingered anger, wariness… and recognition.
Bai Tian withdrew his sword, chest heaving with heavy breaths. He realized—this mission had nearly cost him his life. For the first time, he truly felt himself at the edge of death.
He stepped closer, eyes cold. With one sharp swing, his sword severed one of the deer's antlers. Instantly, its spiritual aura plummeted, its cultivation falling several levels. The Phantom Deer trembled, its breath ragged, stripped of strength to resist.
Bai Tian glared with piercing eyes, then said flatly,
"Give me information about this forest… and reveal the places that hold natural treasures. Do this, and I will spare your life."
The Phantom Deer bowed submissively. In its eyes flickered lingering fury mixed with fear. Slowly, it raised a foreleg, pointing toward an ancient carving faintly etched upon a stone wall, half-veiled by the fading mist.
Bai Tian frowned and approached. His fingers traced the ancient markings, and at once a dim glow emanated. The carvings formed a map—the layout of the forest's secrets. Every line of mist, every spiritual river, every nexus of gathered energy—all revealed before him.
Bai Tian drew a deep breath.
"So… this is the structure of the forest. Even if it's only one-tenth, it's already valuable."
A faint smile curved his lips, his gaze sharp with calculation.