Someone else just entered the forest.

 

The speed of these vines whipping through the air was astounding, as if their tremendous weight could not hinder them at all. Moving with an agile, calculated precision, they cut off every possible path of escape for the two of them.

Faced with this sudden attack, even Junxiao couldn't maintain the upper hand. Holding Bai Ke close, he wrapped his sleeve around Bai Ke’s body to shield him from any vines that might sneak through, darting with incredible speed through gaps between the whipping vines. Finally, they burst upwards into the air. Junxiao took Bai Ke and turned to a higher altitude.  Once clear, Junxiao quickly formed a hand seal, fingers pressing together.

His black robes was fluttering in the strong wind stirred by the powerful qi, and before the twisted vines could reach them, Junxiao thrust his hand downward. His palm struck with a crushing force, and then, as if with great strength, he bent one knee and fiercely pressed downward. The air trembled and a brilliant golden light exploded in front of them. The deafening impact echoed in Bai Ke's ears, followed by countless hissing sounds, as if water had been splashed into boiling oil, then a chorus of shrill, contorted howls.

The razor-edged wind blades swirled around them, so fierce that Bai Ke, nestled in Junxiao’s embrace, could barely keep his eyes open. His ears throbbed painfully from the piercing noise, and he buried his face deeper into Junxiao’s shoulder, subconsciously clutching his hands to his ears.

After a moment, the sharp agonizing cries began to fade. Bai Ke glanced down to see the once inescapable vines, now pressed down by the immense spiritual force. The vine tips, once tapered like a snake's tail seemed pinned beneath an invisible dome, forced into unnatural contortions. Some were so bent that cracks appeared along their lengths, as if they might break at any moment.

Junxiao held Bai Ke close, his expression serious and hiser lips pressed together. as he watched the struggling vines. With a stronger push of his palm, his fingertips and wrist gleamed with a golden glow as runes began to rise, spiraling up his arm. The vines buckled under the pressure; cracking sounds filled the air as the tough, powerful vines snapped in half, then slumped lifelessly to the ground, kicking up clouds of dust and fallen leaves.

Not content to leave it there, Junxiao clenched his hand into a fist, muscles taut and veins prominent. The fallen vines convulsed violently, rupturing in rapid succession, tearing apart as though they were being shredded from within.

In a final motion, he closed his fist tight, and the vines disintegrated into a fine powder, dispersing into a smoky haze that hung in the air.

Bai Ke, wide-eyed, thought to himself: It’s like having a personal enforcer around at all times.

The fierce winds stopped all at once, leaving an eerie silence. Only the faint echo of the last few howls lingered, buzzing in his ears. Junxiao floated gracefully back down, landing in the forest. With a sweep of his sleeve, the drifting remnants vanished, leaving the grove as tranquil as a typical forest, the sun filtering softly through the canopy, casting dappled patterns on the ground.

Seeing this calm, sunlit forest, Bai Ke almost doubted what had just happened. It felt like an illusion, as though nothing had actually transpired. Only the fresh layer of fallen leaves and the powdery residue on them bore any evidence of the struggle.

Bai Ke was silent for a moment, then twitched his lips and said, “So… how do we get out of this cursed forest?”

Junxiao patted his shoulder, reassuring him. “By finding the exit.”

Bai Ke shot him a look. "..." That’s about as helpful as saying nothing.

Realizing his vagueness, Junxiao clarified. “With an ordinary forest, walking in any direction will eventually lead you out. Here, however, it’s similar to my secret realm. One cannot simply enter, nor leave at will.”

“Secret realm?” Bai Ke considered this. “Your realm has an entrance in Lin Jie’s courtyard, and the grove behind the house acts as an exit. Do you have any other exits?”

Junxiao nodded. “Of course, entrances and exits are relative.”

“…So, if this forest has multiple exits tied to different entrances, we need to find the correct one to reach the ‘Ice Soul’?”

“Correct,” Junxiao replied, as he sent another small, blue flame drifting into the forest.

Watching the flame’s path, Bai Ke asked, “Then why land here to look? Wouldn’t it be clearer to survey from above? With your abilities, you could see the whole layout from up high, right?”

He remembered that in the secret realm, Junxiao often soared over the terrain, pinpointing every forest, cliff, spring, or house with precision. It was like he held a map in his hand. With that vantage, he could navigate directly to any destination, avoiding unnecessary detours. Why wander aimlessly in this dense forest?

Unexpectedly, Junxiao shook his head, “I just took a look from above. This forest isn’t just any secret realm; it’s part of a formation specifically set up to hinder cultivators who can fly using qi. From the air, this forest appears vast and boundless, with the same layout in every direction. Searching from above wouldn’t make things easier; in fact, it’d likely drain more energy. Moving through the forest on foot will be faster.”

Bai Ke muttered, “The Hengtian Sect really knows how to…”— drive people crazy!

He thought of himself and Junxiao navigating this tangled mess of a forest, dashing through dense woods. No matter how he imagined it, it felt like nothing but endless trouble.

“This Sanqing Pool has stood for thousands of years with barely anyone making it through, right? Why would the Hengtian Sect waste so much time setting up a dense forest like this? They’ve got too much time on their hands.” Bai Ke complained, allowing Junxiao to lead him forward as he vented.

His life had been manageable before this—not exactly leisurely, but at least free from worry about basic needs. Now, he was on edge, trapped in this infuriating forest, just to remove the equally aggravating pill within his body. And to make it worse, obstacles kept coming one after another. All of this could be traced back to the Hengtian Sect.

Even someone as calm as Bai Ke couldn’t help but feel a wave of resentment toward them.

Junxiao guided him forward, protecting him as they walked. “Actually, I don’t think this forest was created solely for the Sanqing Pool.”

“Oh?” Bai Ke looked around but saw nothing particularly distinctive about the forest. “Then what was it made for?”

Junxiao analysed, “Everything here seems set up with cultivators in mind—not to kill them, but to trap them. It feels like it’s meant to force cultivators to proceed step-by-step through this forest exactly as the Hengtian Sect intended.”

Bai Ke frowned. “You think that last attack wasn’t deadly?”

Junxiao shook his head, “Those vines are strange... Against someone like me, or our Master, they wouldn’t pose any real threat. Even to the Hengtian Sect’s head or their elders, they wouldn’t last long. But for disciples like Lin Jie, who have only been cultivating for a decade or so, these vines could easily be fatal. If they were in a large group, some might manage to escape. But if it were just one person, or a small group, they’d stand little chance of making it out alive.”

Bai Ke considered thoughtfully, “If the Hengtian Sect is tampering with the Sanqing Pool during the Trial Gathering to keep people out, it’s unlikely they’re doing it just to fend off new disciples who aren’t any real threat. If they truly want to keep others out, they’d likely be guarding against members of other sects with ulterior motives or those with an eye on the Sanqing Pool—people who are surely far more skilled. Which would mean, this forest wasn’t designed to kill.”

Junxiao nodded in agreement.

“Then…” Bai Ke paused, a thought flashing through his mind. “Lin Jie mentioned that the Hengtian Sect usually holds the Trial Gathering each year in Wanchao Valley. It’s filled with dense forests, treacherous landscapes, and has additional formations set by the sect, making it an ideal secret realm for training new disciples. Doesn’t that sound a lot like the forest we’re currently in?”

Reminded of Lin Jie’s previous remarks, Junxiao considered it and found the resemblance uncanny.

However...

“If this was truly a training ground for new disciples, why would there be vines like the ones we just encountered? Didn’t you say they were nearly inescapable for someone like Lin Jie?” Bai Ke wondered aloud. Then, before Junxiao could respond, a possibility occurred to him. “The elders mentioned that, for this year’s Trial Gathering, the Hengtian Sect made additional preparations—they added blood beasts and the Nine Killing Formation. Those vines just now—could they be linked to the formation, or to the blood beasts?”

Junxiao let out a cold laugh, “Whether they’re tied to one or the other, it’s clear the Hengtian Sect has every intention of making this trial fatal for their disciples.”

As they spoke, Junxiao’s ears perked up. He turned to Bai Ke and said, “Someone else just entered the forest.”

 

Translator : DarNan