RPAGF Chapter 191 Tanlin
Chapter 191 Tanlin
Compared to the Fengye Mountains, Shitan Forest pales in comparison.
It looks like a primeval forest, but you can see the sky and the sun shines on the ground. Moreover, the monsters here are a mix of high and low levels.
After only two days in Sunset City, the little snake urged Liu Jun to head to Ten Pools Forest. As soon as they arrived at the familiar place, before they even got there, the little snake excitedly ran ahead to lead the way, and Liu Jun let it go.
With the little snake leading the way, no one dared to bump into it. With nothing else to do, Liu Jun looked around. If he saw any treasures that caught his eye, he would secretly make a note of them. He was in a hurry to get on his way and couldn't come back for them now. He would come back for them when he had time.
After walking for half a day, the man and the snake finally arrived at the cold pool covered with ghost grass mentioned in the snake's mouth. This place was also the heart of the Ten Pools Forest, and high-level demonic beasts roamed around it.
The Cold Pool is quite large, almost like a small lake. As its name suggests, a chilling aura emanates from it as soon as you approach it.
The ghost grass around the cold pool was indeed abundant, with grasses reaching half a person's height forming a large meadow.
This herb has no medicinal value. Its only use is that at night it becomes completely transparent and emits a ghostly glow, which looks quite beautiful from a distance, hence the name Ghost Grass.
"Ah, it's all thanks to my unchanged aura, and no foolish beasts have dared to invade my lair! Hahahaha, I'm back!!!"
Ever since approaching the Ten Pools Forest, the little snake had been in a state of excitement. Now that it had returned to its lair, it went completely mad, ignoring Liu Jun and wandering around on its own.
Liu Jun shook his head helplessly and looked around again. Although some things were hiding in the shadows and hadn't come forward, their eyes were still on the two "strangers". So he raised his hand and set up a magic array around the cold pool to isolate these things from their gaze and potential danger.
Judging from the little snake's behavior, it will probably stay here for some time, and its molting will likely cause some disputes. It's best to make preparations in advance.
They chose a spot with a wide view and plenty of sunshine, and with a wave of their hand, the surrounding wooden blocks flew over and quickly and automatically formed a small triangular shed that could shelter them from the wind and rain. A small pit was dug in front of the shed specifically for burning campfires, and even the firewood was stacked to the side for a day's supply.
The firewood was enough for one night; once she started a fire, it never went out.
Originally, none of these things needed to be made, but Liu Jun still wanted to experience life in the forest. The illusion didn't count; at that time, she was only thinking about survival and had no time to think about these things.
The little snake had disappeared somewhere and hadn't come looking for her since she arrived. But as long as it didn't go outside the magic circle, Liu Jun didn't bother with it anymore and went about her life in the primeval forest.
It's not really a primeval forest. There are tall trees, but even more wild "animals." It resembles a forest, but it's not quite.
……
At first, Liu Jun did keep track of the days, but as time went on, he got too lazy to keep track and just remembered the approximate time.
Sometimes when they got bored, they would go hunting. Who knew what they would catch? And so, Shitanlin gained another legend.
A madwoman appeared in the forest at some unknown time. Whether she was happy or unhappy, she would come to steal their treasures and beat them to vent her anger. But no one could beat that human, so they could only admit defeat.
They remembered that there was another "thing" in the forest that was also incredibly powerful, but few monsters could get close to it unless they gained its favor. Among them, none of the beasts had ever spoken to that thing; they were all terrified of it.
But given their current situation, they have no choice but to choose a representative to talk to that thing, otherwise they really won't be able to survive (?﹏?) !
"Brother Yi, you're the strongest among us, so why don't you go?"
"Huh? You want to rebel? If we're talking about the leader, then it has to be Brother Scorpion King. Why don't you go, Brother Scorpion King?"
"Why are you bringing this up again? If you want to go, then go!"
"Oh dear, are these two of them really going to harm that thing like that?"
"Tch, all that chattering is so annoying. I'll go myself. They're all cowards who're afraid of dying."
An ancient tree spirit, holding a cane horizontally, stepped forward with great disdain.
"Hey, old man, are you awake now?"
"You've been arguing in front of this old man for so long, how could you not wake up!"
"Then it's settled, you go."
"Alright, I'm going now. Those of you who are afraid of dying, stay away. He's just some guy with a bit of blood in him. You might be afraid, but I'm not."
The old tree spirit stretched its back with its cane and walked unhurriedly into the depths of the forest. The few monsters that had been arguing earlier looked at each other and then followed at a distance to watch the commotion.
The old tree spirit was right. They didn't know much about that thing either. They only knew that the aura of his bloodline made them, these demonic beasts, very afraid, but they had no idea how strong he was.
Although the old tree spirit had already taken human form, it was no longer classified as a demon beast, so naturally it was not afraid of that guy.
As the shade of the trees gradually thickens, the view opens up again after walking a while, revealing a waterfall cascading down a high cliff, with the accumulated water below forming a clear lake.
In early autumn, the maple leaves on the cliff turn yellow, creating a picturesque scene.
Those who can live here should be overjoyed, but he has lived here for thousands of years and has never been able to leave. Even the most beautiful scenery becomes boring after a while.
The monsters feared him, and humans couldn't see him. Time flew by, and he no longer remembered why he was there or why he had become like this.
The only thing I remember now is that he seemed to be waiting for someone to come back, someone very important.
But he forgot.
He had forgotten what that person looked like, and he had also forgotten why he was waiting. This was the only thing he remembered in all these millennia, as if it were engraved into his soul.
"Lord Ao Si, I have something to ask of you."
An old, aged voice came from the bottom of the cliff. Ao Si, who had been sitting like a stone statue, finally moved. His numb, empty red eyes seemed to look down, and then glanced to the right at the sleeping red sable beside him.
"...It's rare to find someone willing to speak with me."
Ao Si muttered to himself, then raised his voice slightly and said, "Come on up."
At the top of the cliff, at the source of the cascading waterfall, on the flat stone beside it, was the place where Ao Si sat, his only little world.
Not long after he finished speaking, a branch broke through the soil behind him and slowly grew into the shape of a human, still holding a withered wooden cane. It was the old tree spirit that had come.
After the old tree spirit completed its transformation, it respectfully clasped its hands and bowed to Ao Si: "This humble old man pays his respects to Lord Ao Si."
Ao Si did not turn around, still looking at his flowing waterfall: "No need for formalities, sir, have you come to see me about something?"
"Yes."
The old tree spirit didn't dare take another step closer, and simply stood there and replied directly:
“Recently, a highly skilled human cultivator has come to the forest and has been robbing treasures everywhere. None of them can defeat that human cultivator, so I’ve come here to ask Lord Ao Si.”
"Oh?"
Ao Si's crimson eyes seemed to move as he slowly turned to look at the old tree spirit behind him.
Upon seeing those pupil-less eyes, the old tree spirit felt a chill run down its spine and swallowed hard.
Fairies have different aesthetic standards than humans, so he didn't know whether Ao Si, who always appeared in human form, was beautiful or ugly, nor did he know what his true form was. But looking at his pair of red eyes without pupils, he felt a chill.
Now I understand why those monsters were so afraid of him.
It wasn't just his imposing aura of bloodline that made the old tree spirit feel suffocated just by his gaze.
The old tree spirit bowed its head respectfully and replied, "Yes, some of their treasures were hard-won items used to enhance their strength, while others were companion spirits; all of them were snatched away by that human."
"..."
"Have you seen enough humans coming and going in the forest? Why did you specifically come looking for me this time?"
The old tree spirit smiled bitterly: "Lord Ao Si, this time it's different. That human is much more powerful than the humans who have come to the forest before. Even the Scorpion King and the others couldn't do anything to her, so they asked this old man to come and ask you."
Ao Si's eyelids were half-closed, as if he was pondering what the old tree spirit had said.
"...Did they only take the items, and didn't hurt them?"
"No... I don't think so."
The old tree spirit was somewhat guilty: "Humans always like to kill beasts for treasure, or kidnap them to use as henchmen. That human seems to only take things, and they can't even get close to him."
"That's strange, since the humans I've seen never show mercy..."
"Oh, so that's where it was hidden~"
Before they could finish speaking, a casual voice from not far away interrupted their conversation.