Chapter 78: The Withered Forest of Heaven

"See!"

Mrs. Tian's face lit up with joy, and she immediately got up. She stood in front of the bronze mirror, tidied her appearance, calmed her emotions, and walked to the main hall to receive guests, hurriedly saying, "Quickly, invite Mr. Dark Cloud!"

"Yes!" The servant bowed and left to invite the guest. Mrs. Tian had already composed herself, now appearing dignified and composed, with no trace of her previous agitation.

A moment later, a man dressed in a scholar's robe, energetic and smiling, stroked his goatee and walked in, his face beaming. He was Dark Cloud, one of the strategists who had paved the way for Xiao Yan.

"Mr. Dark Cloud, it's been a long time!" Mrs. Tian stood up, her smile gentle.

"Mrs. Tian, there's no need for formalities, please sit!" Dark Cloud, who had clearly met Mrs. Tian before, sat down as a guest, bowed, and after some polite conversation, Mrs. Tian's mood improved significantly.

"Every time I talk to Mr. Dark Cloud, it always lifts my spirits!" Mrs. Tian smiled.

"Not at all. By the way, there's something I'm not sure is true or false. Master Xiao Yan heard that recently, Lady Tian Tian has a love interest. He specially sent me to inquire about this. You know, our two families have privately agreed to this marriage, and the elders of the Tian family have all approved it. We mustn't let anything go wrong."

"What!" Mrs. Tian's face changed, and she slammed her hand on the table, shouting angrily, "Impossible! Tian Tian would never hide her feelings from me. Who is spreading such lies?"

For the Tian family, the marriage alliance with the Xiao family was of great significance.

This matter was decided by the elders of the Tian family in private, and it was a significant agreement with the elders of the Xiao family!

Someone spreading such rumors to Xiao Yan was like pouring oil on the fire for Mrs. Tian!

"This matter, Mrs. Tian, is naturally unknown to you. It is said that Gao Ziqi and Meng Ziyang are trying to match Tian Tian with a young man named Xu Daoyan..." Dark Cloud recounted the entire story.

Mrs. Tian was furious, shouting, "How dare Meng Ziyang do this to me! It seems he wants to ruin the Tian family's plans..."

"Mrs. Tian, please calm down. We are not certain about this. We can take the following actions..." Dark Cloud, being very clever, began to strategize for Mrs. Tian. Her originally pale face gradually improved.

"Mr. Dark Cloud, you are truly wise. I will follow your plan!" Mrs. Tian felt a sense of relief, a cold smile on her lips.

"Since that's the case, I will take my leave. Mrs. Tian, please stay!" Dark Cloud bowed and, facing Mrs. Tian, retreated to the entrance of the palace before turning to leave.

"Gao Ziqi, Meng Ziyang, when did it become your business to meddle in the affairs of the Tian family?" Mrs. Tian's expression was fierce, a hint of killing intent in her eyes.

A beam of light descended from the sky.

Xu Daoyan and his companions found themselves in a desolate mountain.

The Withered Forest of Heaven.

This place was also in Youzhou, but it was very remote, rarely visited by people because it was extremely dangerous. Only cultivators seeking trials or those hunting fierce beasts for their materials would come here. Ordinary people would never venture into this area!

This place was home to many ferocious beasts, making it unpredictable and dangerous. The deeper one went, the stronger the beasts became. It was said that even those who had reached the divine realm could die here. The difference between a deity and an immortal was significant, with the deity being the more powerful.

This was a place where even deities could fall.

Looking around, the landscape was desolate, with no greenery. Bare trees stood tall, giving a sense of solidity.

"The Withered Forest of Heaven, what kind of place is this?" Xu Daoyan looked at the group, very curious.

"Legend has it that long ago, this place was home to many ferocious beasts. They were extremely powerful and caused great harm, making the land barren. Finally, many high-ranking monks descended, sacrificing their lives to suppress the nine great beasts, restoring peace to the area!" Tian Tian, who was very familiar with the Withered Forest of Heaven, walked to a bare ancient tree and said, "Look, the patterns on the trunk, don't they resemble the face of an old monk?"

Everyone gathered to look, and as Tian Tian said, they exclaimed, "It really does!"

"Each tree here represents one of those high-ranking monks. It is said they transformed into ancient trees to suppress this place!" Shi Yun sighed.

"Is that so? Let's find a safe place to set up camp. We will be training here for a long time, and it will be troublesome if we wait until nightfall!" Xu Daoyan surveyed the surroundings. Among the group, his eyesight and perception were the sharpest.

"Follow me!"

He grew up in a mountain village and felt at home in such an environment, knowing how to handle it.

The Withered Forest of Heaven.

Here, the mountains stretched endlessly, not very high but covering a vast area. The forest spread out as far as the eye could see.

No one knew how many high-ranking monks had died to suppress this place. It was evident that many ferocious beasts had once ravaged the area, killing countless lives.

On the way, Xu Daoyan did not encounter any beasts, and he said somewhat helplessly, "What can we cultivate here? We haven't even seen anything!"

"Don't worry, at night, all kinds of demons and ghosts will come out. Just don't back down when the time comes!" Tian Tian, who had heard many legends about this place, was unusually cautious.

"With Brother Daoyan here, we have nothing to fear from any demons or ghosts. We'll kill them all!" Sun Ling, clearly standing by Xu Daoyan, had an inexplicable confidence. Tian Tian rolled her eyes but said nothing.

"Little Ling, when the time comes, hide behind me. I'll protect you!" Shi Yun puffed out his chest, eager to be a hero.

"Alright, I'll thank Brother Shi Yun in advance!" Sun Ling's clear laughter echoed in the desolate mountains, sounding out of place.

As they talked, Xu Daoyan found a high cave and pointed ahead, excitedly saying, "Look, there's a cave over there. Let's set up camp there. It's hard to climb, making it a good defensive position!"

The cave was about three hundred feet above the ground, very steep. From a distance, the entrance was about thirty feet wide, with rugged cliffs. Climbing up would be challenging.

"Let's go!" Shi Yun, dressed in black training clothes, moved nimbly, his fingers hooking onto the rugged cliffs, leaping up.

Without reaching the True Immortal realm, one could not fly through the air. Only creatures like the Earth Dragon, with innate abilities, or those with magical artifacts, could fly.

Sun Ling, dressed in white training clothes, moved even more agilely, stepping on slightly protruding rocks, leaping up quickly.

Their training clothes, provided by Chu Lan, looked ordinary but had incredible protective abilities, resistant to water and fire, and were very flexible, making them superior earth-grade artifacts.

Xu Daoyan, Tian Tian, and Bai Shi also followed, gathering at the entrance of the cave.

"It's inside here!" Xu Daoyan pointed to the dark cave entrance.

Everyone looked at each other, and Sun Ling laughed, "What if something suddenly jumps out inside? That would be scary, right?"

Her casual comment made everyone shiver and feel uneasy.

The cave was extremely dark, and each person could only see about ten feet inside.

"Everyone, be quiet. I'll listen for any strange sounds!" Xu Daoyan took a deep breath, his ears moving, fully focused.

"It seems there's nothing! Should we go in?" Xu Daoyan looked at the group, and except for Bai Shi, the other three all took a step back.

"Master, I'll lead the way!" For Bai Shi, who had reached the Earth Immortal realm, his body could be restored if destroyed, though it would take time to adapt. For Xu Daoyan and the others, if their bodies were destroyed, they would die.

"Alright!" Xu Daoyan nodded, holding the Thunder Spear, and said seriously, "You wear the Black Tortoise Armor and hold the Black Tortoise Shield. No one here has better protection. We'll cover you from behind!"

"Let's go!" Bai Shi led the way, the Black Tortoise Armor glowing faintly, protecting him.

As he entered the cave, the cold moonlight shone inside.

"Ah!" Suddenly, Tian Tian and Sun Ling screamed. At the moment of their screams, pairs of red eyes opened deep in the cave, glowing with a bloodthirsty light!

Xu Daoyan and Bai Shi, who were at the front, felt their hearts race and quickly turned back, "What's happening?"

"Look!" Tian Tian pointed to the cave walls, where grotesque, twisted faces appeared, looking particularly eerie in the moonlight, as if they could leap out of the stone walls at any moment, terrifying.

"What is this?" Shi Yun was also startled, frowning.

"I don't know, but since they are inanimate, there's no need to worry!" Xu Daoyan shook his head and said, "Be careful and stay behind us. Brother Shi Yun, watch our backs to avoid being attacked from both sides!"

"Don't worry, leave it to me!" Shi Yun puffed out his chest.

The cave was not very large, about ten feet in diameter, wide enough for a few people to walk side by side.

Bai Shi, tall and wearing the Black Tortoise Armor and holding the Black Tortoise Shield, almost took up half the cave.

He defended, while Xu Daoyan attacked, slowly advancing forward.

Tian Tian watched Xu Daoyan's focused expression and thought, "Is this guy naturally thick-skinned? He can be so calm in the Withered Forest of Heaven!"

She didn't know that the *Yellow Emperor's Heavenly Scripture* that Xu Daoyan practiced first cultivated the liver, enhancing his courage and confidence, which was unique among other scriptures.

Xu Daoyan's hearing was excellent. Besides the group's heartbeats and footsteps, he listened carefully inside the cave.

Almost at that moment, he heard rustling sounds, and whistling noises came from the darkness. He shouted, "Be careful!"

(Three updates today. I've been stomped on the new book chart for so long. Can't you all feel a little sorry for me? Kneeling for flowers, clicks, and all sorts of support. Let me stand firm on the new book chart. After reading, give me a thumbs up, throw a flower, and if you haven't collected, register an account and collect it first!)

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