Chapter 350

Chapter 350: Inside the Lost Forest

Fang Lie did not care what the two major sects outside were angry about and directly flew into the colorful clouds.

As a result, he felt a tightness around him, and the space shook. In the next moment, he found himself in an unfamiliar place.

This place was a lush, green forest.

Fang Lie stood in the woods, with soft and fertile soil beneath his feet. Tall trees surrounded him, each one dozens of yards high, dense with leaves.

Under the trees, various plants grew just as abundantly.

What was most unusual here was that a thin mist cloaked the area, with a lot of humidity. In just a moment, Fang Lie felt his clothes beginning to dampen.

Worried that the mist might have something sinister, Fang Lie quickly held his breath and activated his magic to form a protective shield, pushing the mist away.

After carefully examining himself, he found no signs of poisoning and finally felt relieved.

Fang Lie took a couple of steps but found the bushes too thick to move through. So, he simply flapped his wings and flew straight up.

Once he soared above the treetops, Fang Lie saw the distant scenery, which was all forest, stretching endlessly. Further away, there was a white mist, obscuring visibility.

In such a strange place, even immortal beings might get lost. It was no wonder it was called the Lost Forest.

As the saying goes, for outside matters, ask the old bird; for internal matters, ask Bird Bro.

Fang Lie had gotten used to consulting the old bird whenever he was puzzled.

This time was no different as he cluelessly asked, "Bird Bro, what kind of ghostly place is this?"

"This should be a small paradise, a good place!" the old bird replied. "It was definitely created by an ancient great one; they must have merged with the Heavenly Dao here!"

"What does merging with the Heavenly Dao mean? Bird Bro, can you explain?" Fang Lie quickly asked.

"Merging with the Heavenly Dao basically means uniting oneself with a paradise, becoming the Heavenly Dao of this place," the old bird explained. "From the perspective of the body, they have already died, but from a spiritual perspective, as long as this place exists, they can achieve eternal life!"

"Can they still preserve their consciousness?" Fang Lie curiously inquired.

"Of course not!" the old bird chuckled. "To merge with the Heavenly Dao, one must abandon their self and all human emotions. As the saying goes, the Heavenly Dao is heartless, and that is the reason!"

"Then how is that different from dying?" Fang Lie scoffed. "Isn’t it better not to merge?"

"Ha, under normal circumstances, great ones wouldn’t wish to do that. But when facing their end, it may not be a bad choice," the old bird explained.

"Now I understand!" Fang Lie then asked, "So what is the difference between this place and where we are?"

"The difference is huge!" the old bird laughed. "This place is just a paradise. Because the Heavenly Dao laws are incomplete, the beings here, even if they achieve spiritual form, possess low cultivation. Based on past observations, the strongest creatures here are only around level three or four; this level is enough to reign, indicating that this place isn’t even a Small Thousand World, but merely at the level of paradise."

"Our location, on the other hand, is the Great Thousand World, where the Heavenly Dao laws are very comprehensive, allowing for the existence of extremely powerful beings." The old bird laughed, "In short, this is just a low-level Secret Realm!"

"Ha!" Fang Lie immediately laughed. "So this place is actually quite weak? But why can’t those who die here be revived?"

"It should be related to the Heavenly Dao laws here. The Heavenly Dao in this place is formed by the cultivator’s understanding and insights when they merged with it, resulting in some very strange rules that even the Great Thousand World doesn’t have." The old bird chuckled. "Based on the situation here, this great one must be a wood element strong being and have a deep study of soul fragments; otherwise, there wouldn’t be so many Flower Demons."

"However, as the saying goes, every advantage comes with a disadvantage. The unique Heavenly Dao laws born from their insights inspire many Flower Demons but also possess the trait to destroy souls." The old bird continued, "Therefore, those who die here will have their souls shattered, which is the same as the body and soul perishing, just like being struck by the Puppet That Dies in Place Divine Lightning, so they naturally cannot be revived!"

"Is that so?" Fang Lie finally understood and then continued to ask, "Is there anything I should be aware of now?"

"Yes, the most important point is to not cast spells beyond the capabilities of a Golden Pool realm cultivator," the old bird said sternly. "This place is quite strange, and because the Heavenly Dao laws are incomplete, it will respond to anyone who exceeds its strength and bring down a Heavenly Tribulation. Essentially, it would be a strike equivalent to eighty percent of that great one’s power; even a Thunder Tribulation Immortal would be doomed. You must remember this."

"Why is that?" Fang Lie asked in shock.

"Because it’s just a small paradise? It cannot contain too much strong power, much like in the Great Thousand World; anyone above Semi-Immortal must face Heavenly Tribulations, it follows the same reasoning." The old bird laughed, "Otherwise, the major sects wouldn’t specifically state that only Golden Pool realm cultivators should enter."

"I understand~" Fang Lie nodded solemnly. "I won’t act recklessly. By the way, which of my items exceed the limits?"

"The Blood Puppet, Blazing Dragon Cannon, and Amethyst Silkworm King are all restricted. Oh, and the Man-Eating Demon Monk must stay hidden too. Everything else is permitted!" the old bird chuckled.

"Seriously? What’s left?" Fang Lie grumbled. "Only my divine skills and Dao magic remain. How can a Qi Sea cultivator like me battle Golden Pool realm Inner Elite Disciples?"

"That’s your challenge. Since death doesn’t frighten you, treat this as training!" the old bird said cheerfully.

"You tricked me by not mentioning this earlier!" Fang Lie complained. "Fine, I’m stuck on this ship now. Let’s hope no fools provoke me—I still have three Sizzling Sun Divine Lightning Pearls as last resorts!"

"Don’t use those either! They’ll summon Heavenly Tribulations!" the old bird warned urgently.

"No matter~" Fang Lie shrugged. "If I face someone unbeatable, we’ll perish together. I don’t mind!"

With a stomp, Fang Lie activated the Guiding Mark Art, leaving a special mark. Even if killed here, he could resurrect and return via the Cycle of Fire’s teleportation array—a privilege granted by his Ninth-Rank Treasure backing. Death meant nothing; he could outlast any foe.

Resolved, Fang Lie declared, "Hunting Flower Demons? Easy! Witness my Earth Eye Divine Skill!"

Activating the technique, he surveyed everything within a thousand li. His search soon pinpointed an anomaly—a fog-choked valley where even his Earth Eye struggled to see.

*Abnormalities breed monsters*, Fang Lie thought. He flew straight to the valley.

Upon landing, he found the small valley shrouded in oppressive mist. Without his Eye Technique, he’d be blind. The Spiritual Energy density surpassed even heavenly paradises, while an odd power blocked divine sense. His vision barely reached thirty zhang.

Forced to search manually, he eventually discovered a forearm-thick red ginseng in a rocky crevice. His eyes gleamed—this crimson treasure required ten thousand years of fire timing! Red ginsengs were rarest, impossible to cultivate. Finding a century-old one was rare, let alone this mythical specimen.

Salivating like a hungry hound, Fang Lei froze when a wail erupted: "Waaah! Why me? I hid in this wasteland to avoid evil humans! How’d this dog-nosed fiend find me? I’m doomed!"

The shrill cries dizzied him. Turning, he saw a tearful toddler—rosy-cheeked, adorable, yet wailing as if the sky had fallen.

"Stop crying," Fang Lie said gently. "I didn’t realize you’d gained Wisdom. I won’t harm sentient beings."

"R-really?" The girl sniffled. "You won’t capture me? Don’t trick little Hong! I’m gullible… people always fool me…"

Her innocent pout reminded Fang Lie of his sisters. Softening, he stepped back from the ginseng. "See? I could’ve taken your true form anytime. No need for lies."

"You’re… kind!" Little Hong beamed. "I like you!"

Fang Lie smiled. "Let’s be friends. I’m Fang Lie of the Mo Sect. And you?"