Chapter 612 - 612: Crossing the Dark Silent Forest
Half a month later, Jiang Chengxuan and Shen Ruyan had crossed the border of the Eastern End and arrived in a desolate wilderness.
Shen Ruyan said,
“Husband, if we continue forward, it’ll be the Silent Forest.
We both will need to close off our six senses and proceed with unwavering determination through the forest.
Only by doing so can we traverse the Silent Forest in the fastest and safest manner.”
This method was indeed the safest and quickest way to pass through the Silent Forest.
The key lay in maintaining an unyielding courage throughout the journey. Although many in Shen Ruyan’s previous era were aware of this method, very few dared to attempt it.
After all, the Silent Forest was vast, and even at full speed, crossing it would take at least a month.
Imagine being in an environment devoid of sound, smell, touch, and complete darkness for such an extended period.
Without immense mental fortitude and unbreakable will, this feat was impossible, even for cultivators.
Even Nascent Soul cultivators at the top of the pyramid were no exception.
At this moment.
Now, the couple had crossed the desolate wilderness and entered the dim and ominous Silent Forest.
From the outside, the forest seemed engulfed in shadows, with its trees and flowers appearing to be dyed in a gloomy hue, as if something within was absorbing most of the light from the outside world.
Just by looking at it, one would have an ominous feeling.
Indeed.
As far as Jiang Chengxuan knew, it was well-known that since the Silent Forest’s appearance, countless individuals had perished within its confines in various bizarre ways.
These included falling to death, starvation, freezing, overheating, fright, and even death from overexcitement.
The victims spanned all cultivation levels, from Qi refining to grand cultivators, and there were unconfirmed records of even Soul Formation cultivators perishing in the forest.
It could be seen how terrifying and strange this place was.
“Are you ready, husband?”
Shen Ruyan asked with a smile.
“Just follow what I said, and no matter how dangerous or bizarre the Silent Forest is, it won’t harm us.”
Hearing his wife’s words, Jiang Chengxuan smiled and nodded.
“Let’s go then.”
With that, He took the lead, sealing his six senses and charging into the forest like a cannonball.
Seeing this, Shen Ruyan was only stunned for a moment. Then, she smiled and sealed her six senses. Like Jiang Chengxuan, she rushed into the forest.
Rumble!
Their speed was incredibly fast, and they shattered large swathes of trees and rocks in their path.
Strangely, the trees and rocks that Jiang Chengxuan and Shen Ruyan broke did not make any sound.
It was as if this was a silent moving picture.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh—
In the void, black and twisted vines, like slimy tentacles, tried to entangle the couple but failed to advance any further when they hit an invisible barrier around Jiang Chengxuan and Shen Ruyan, eventually falling limply.
This was just one of many bizarre occurrences they encountered in the Silent Forest.
On the fourth day in the Silent Forest, a massive shadow suddenly appeared in front of Jiang Chengxuan and Shen Ruyan.
It opened its extremely sharp fangs and swallowed Jiang Chengxuan and Shen Ruyan without them noticing.
Strangely enough, about an hour after being swallowed, Jiang Chengxuan and Shen Ruyan emerged unscathed from the other end of the shadow, as if they had just passed through a tunnel.
On the tenth day, a vast expanse of black flames suddenly burst forth from under their feet, consuming everything around them and engulfing them in its fiery embrace.
All the flowers, grass, trees, soil, and rocks in the surroundings became nourishment for the black flames. The flames became even more intense.
Whoosh-
After an unknown period of time.
When Jiang Chengxuan and Shen Ruyan appeared again, they were on a huge mountain filled with blades.
Chi! Chi! Chi! Chi!
In an instant, flesh and blood flew everywhere.
Jiang Chengxuan and Shen Ruyan’s bodies were instantly dismembered and turned into blood mist.
However, three days later, they appeared in the Dark Silent Forest unscathed. This time, they faced not a sea of corpses or a mountain of blades but magnificent palaces like fairy realms with flowers floating in the air.
The colorful clouds turned into a rainbow and a long staircase under their feet.
The spring water that was filled with Spiritual Qi was sprinkling down from the sky.
Colorful koi jumped in the spiritual pool.
Immortals with heavenly light shining above their heads and adorned in exquisite immortal robes, holding various celestial instruments, bowed to congratulate the couple.
“Congratulations to both of you,” they said with a grand yet silent voice echoing through the entire Silent Forest. “Congratulations on ascending to the ranks of immortals, being listed in the immortal registry, and from now on, shining as bright as the sun and moon, living as long as heaven and earth!” Everything formed a bizarre balance and harmony at this moment.
However, all these seemed irrelevant to Jiang Chengxuan and Shen Ruyan at the moment.
They moved forward, unwavering, not looking back, nor stopping for a second. They were like logs, insensate to everything around them, shooting forward relentlessly.
Finally.
After a month had passed, they suddenly burst through an invisible bubble, emerging into sunlight.
A gentle breeze carried the fresh scent of earth.
The chilling, greasy, stiff, and eerie sensations gradually left their bodies. After the two of them flew thousands of meters forward, their six senses, which had been tightly sealed, finally opened with a bang.
In an instant, all the senses returned to their bodies.
Jiang Chengxuan and Shen Ruyan’s eyes snapped open.
Their divine sense, like surging tides, quickly spread in all directions.
Buzz, buzz, buzz!
Buzzing sounds filled the air as the Five Elements aureola and the Thundercloud Electric Umbrella appeared above their heads.
The Golden Void Sword and the Five Lightning Immortal Slayer even emitted sharp sword qi that locked onto the upper, lower, left, and right sides.
It was only after they were sure that there were no enemies around that they exchanged glances and sighed in relief.
Only then did they have the chance to observe their surroundings.
They realized that they had exited the Silent Forest and arrived at a vast plain. Perhaps due to its proximity to the forest, there were no signs of human activity around.
Regardless, they had successfully traversed the Silent Forest.
The month-long journey, especially with their senses completely sealed, had been an unparalleled test of their will.
Now they had a feeling.
As long as they were given a relatively safe environment, they were 100% confident that they could break through to the ninth level of Nascent Soul, which was the peak.
Exchanging another glance, Jiang Chengxuan and Shen Ruyan seamlessly moved in unison, quickly advancing towards the front.
A few months later.
They finally officially stepped into the territory of Southern Wilderness.
Upon entering, they immediately noticed the differences from the Eastern End.
First, the spiritual Qj of heaven and earth here was significantly weaker than in the Eastern End, even less than in their Northern Border.
The environment was the next striking difference.
At a glance, the landscape was filled with signs of decay and ruin.
Mountains had collapsed, rivers had dried up, and the earth was riddled with countless intersecting cracks.
Even the cultivators here seemed numb and listless, their eyes dull and devoid of vitality.
How could this be?
Jiang Chengxuan and Shen Ruyan were puzzled.
The Southern Wilderness, though not as prosperous as the Central Plain or Eastern End, should not be in such a state.
Had they experienced some kind of disaster?
As they pondered this, they tried to blend in with the local population to gather information.
However, before they could act, several cultivators, dressed distinctly from the others and radiating robust energy, suddenly blocked their path.
One of them, wearing a brocade robe and seemingly the leader, narrowed his eyes at Jiang Chengxuan and Shen Ruyan and spoke coldly,
“Unexpectedly, there are still some that slipped through the net.
Go!
Arrest them!”