Chapter Ten: Entering the Middle Layers of the Haunted Forest

Chapter 10: Entering the Middle Layers of the Ghostwood

A sudden, piercing scream sent a jolt through Ye Bai’s heart, an ominous feeling creeping over him. Something had happened to Ma Xiao—this was the first thought that flashed through Ye Bai’s mind. At that very moment, he caught sight of Wang Mi, who was also looking at him; worry was evident in both their eyes.

Low, rumbling bellows echoed continuously from the depths of the Magic Valley. The guardian wood beast before them halted, turned around, and fixed its gaze on Ye Bai and Wang Mi. The two of them, back to back, edged slowly toward the outer edge of the canyon, not daring to make any sudden moves for fear of provoking the beast further and luring out whatever else lurked in the canyon. The guardian wood beast, for its part, seemed to recognize that these two were not easy prey and advanced cautiously with their every step.

Before long, another mutated beast emerged from the depths of the canyon, equal in size to the guardian wood beast, followed by several smaller ones, one of which had a wound on its belly.

Ma Xiao was dead—this was Ye Bai’s first thought upon seeing the beast appear. But he immediately shifted focus to how he might escape, cursing Wang Mi’s unreliable intelligence. She had boasted so much before, but now her information seemed laughable, and Ye Bai couldn’t help but think she was all talk and no substance. At this point, there was no hope of reaping any benefits here; they were lucky if they could escape with their lives.

Back to back with Wang Mi, Ye Bai felt not a soft, boneless back but one trembling with fear. “What should we do?” Wang Mi’s voice quivered as she spoke.

“How should I know? This is all because your information was wrong,” Ye Bai muttered inwardly, but there was no time for blame now. He continued, “Let’s take it step by step. Don’t stand together later—be careful, or we’ll be wiped out. Whether we make it out alive is up to fate.”

At that moment, the guardian wood beasts, having waited long enough, charged forward with their young. Ye Bai had no choice but to dash toward the mouth of the canyon, while Wang Mi ran for the canyon rim above where she had descended.

One guardian wood beast herded its playful offspring and chased after Wang Mi, while the other barreled straight for Ye Bai. The valley floor was flat, and what had begun as a tense standoff quickly turned into a desperate chase.

Ye Bai ran, head down, grass flying behind him. The guardian wood beast thundered after him, snorting white vapor from its nostrils, clearly excited by the pursuit.

The beast lowered its head, the sharp horn atop its skull aimed straight for Ye Bai’s back. Feeling a rush of wind behind him, Ye Bai veered to the side, but the creature’s massive bulk was overwhelming. After only a few steps, Ye Bai felt as if he’d been struck by a speeding car. The next instant, he experienced flight for the first time in his life, tracing a graceful arc through the air before crashing heavily to the ground.

Ye Bai was hit by a wave of dizziness, but the trembling earth beneath him warned that a second attack was imminent. Using his hands, he forced himself upright along the edge of the canyon, though his vision was still blurry and he could barely make out the oncoming guardian wood beast. Panic clawed at him—if that horn struck him, he would surely die—but his body had already reached its limit.

Suddenly, his fingers brushed against a hollow, and his whole hand slipped inside. Instinctively, he crawled in, collapsing into a cavity just as a thunderous crash shook the earth. Ye Bai shut his eyes tight, awaiting the fatal blow, his mind filled with visions of his body being torn apart by that immense force.

The cavity shuddered with violent tremors. Unexpectedly, Ye Bai opened his eyes to find himself intact, while the guardian wood beast outside repeatedly slammed against the canyon wall.

He had stumbled into a hollow formed by a landslide along the canyon’s edge. The Magic Valley, suffering from scant rainfall and relentless sun, had dried and cracked, causing parts of the cliff to collapse—thus, Ye Bai had narrowly escaped death.

After resting in the hollow for a while, his vision cleared, and he could see again. But relief was short-lived; another guardian wood beast and its offspring soon arrived, and Ye Bai’s heart sank.

“Could Wang Mi be dead? That’s unlikely. Judging by the quality of the soft sword she carried, she must have other means of survival. But why did she run for the canyon rim? Maybe she had some backup plan,” Ye Bai mused, rubbing his throbbing head. Only later, during the joint competition of the Four Great Academies, would Ye Bai see Wang Mi again and learn that guardian wood flowers did not grow inside the beasts, but in their lairs—he and Ma Xiao had only been bait.

The pounding of the beasts outside broke Ye Bai’s reverie. He knew he couldn’t stay here forever; even if the beasts couldn’t break through, he couldn’t live here, especially with no food and the dangers of the night. Glancing at his particle blade, Ye Bai gave a bitter laugh—he couldn’t possibly take on the guardian wood beasts with this “toy.” Even against one, the blade could barely inflict a scratch. If only he’d bought that purple particle blade, even at a higher price! Now, was he supposed to risk his life with this?

He was not foolish enough for that. He rummaged through his belongings—mugwort grass for paralyzing the beasts? “Ridiculous. These creatures aren’t even afraid of the Seven-Colored Poison Miasma.” Countless ideas flashed through his mind.

His fingers brushed against something beneath his clothes, and suddenly he had an idea.

Ye Bai stood up along the edge of the hollow and saw that the beast with its young was still some distance away. He pulled something from his pocket, mustered all his strength, and hurled it in a white arc—a streak like a shooting star.

With a bang, a blinding white light exploded.

Just as Ye Bai anticipated, the newborns, full of curiosity, bounded toward the light, and the adult beast, concerned for them, had no choice but to follow.

Seeing his ruse succeed, Ye Bai felt a surge of hope. Now, facing only one guardian wood beast, he still had a chance.

The beast outside was still ramming the hollow. Ye Bai couldn’t help but admire its persistence. He took another flash bomb from his pocket and hurled it at the mutant beast’s face.

With a loud bang, the flash bomb exploded in its face. The blast didn’t do much harm, but the blinding white light left the beast temporarily sightless.

Seizing the moment, Ye Bai squeezed through the crevice and, using every ounce of strength, sprinted for the canyon’s exit.

The beast, suddenly blind, couldn’t believe its prey had slipped away at the last moment. It shook its head furiously, trying to recover its sight. As the blurry human figure dwindled into the distance, the beast roared in fury and gave chase.

Ye Bai didn’t know whether his recent advancement had increased his speed, or if it was a desperate burst of energy, but to the guardian wood beast, he was growing smaller and smaller until he vanished altogether.

What Ye Bai did not know was that he had already entered the middle layers of the Ghostwood Mountains—and was venturing ever deeper.