Guo Baiyu and Zhao Renshu walked through the thick fog. They were standing on a dirt road, and before them, the dirt was as black as ashes. The trees and vegetation are also dark gray. There are three roads ahead. One is on the left, one is on middle, and the other is on the right.
Zhao Renshu looked around, "The people who set up this barrier are very talented, but weak. If my master came across this, the portal would have been sealed already."
Guo Baiyu, "How is it?"
Zhao Renshu pointed out, "You see over there. This is like a Yin Yan maze. Separate darkness from lightness. Take a look at the dense dark wood, and then compare it with where we stand. Look at the difference of the soil." He bent down and grabbed a handful of dirt. "Normal color. The soil over there is dark." He pointed to two statues, "The two statues prevented the evil from passing."
Guo Baiyu looked at the two statues closely. The two statues are on both sides, protecting the passage. Each statue has eight arms, and each arm holds a different weapon.
Guo Baiyu, "Which way do you think they went?"
Zhao Renshu sighed, "No matter which way they go, it will only lead to one destination." He worried. "The spirit portal."
Gou Baiyu, "Then we better find them fast."
Zhao Renshu, "We better hope that no demons or spirits have passed through the portal. As part of the ceremony, Ping'an was given a pure silver bell. The pure silver attracted spirits." He reached into his inner robe and pulled out a red string. "Give me your hand."
Guo Baiyu stretched his left hand out. Zhao Renshu tied the red string onto his wrist.
Zhao Renshu, "This will protect evil spirit from possessing your body."
Guo Baiyu, "How about you?"
Zhao Renshu opened his left robe, "Mine is right here." It is a circle the size of a man's fist. It looks very similar to the fire magic binding circle created by Zhao Renshu in the past, but there is words written in the circle on his left chest. "This is a protective spell. If we make it out alive, I can tattoo one for you." He teased Gou Baiyu by bumping his right shoulder against Gou Baiyu's left shoulder. "But your skin is too white, I don't know if you can bear the pain." He smiled and said, "Hey... your next word will be ridiculous, right?"
Guo Baiyu still remained calm, "We go straight."
Guo Baiyu followed closely, and Zhao Renshu led the way. The dead trees on both sides are dark charcoal. There are no sign of life, but many whispers from both men and women can be heard. There is black mist everywhere. After a while, the two men reached a dark cave tunnel. The two men stopped, still wondering if they want to enter the cave, but a loud screamed from Ping'an made the two men rush into the tunnel. The moment they came out of the cave tunnel was the exact moment a giant worm tossed Xiong Grandma into the air. Xiong Grandma fell into the worm's open mount.
The enormous worm is about twenty feet long and ten feet wide. The worm's mouth is about three feet wide and full of teeth. Each tooth is about ten inches long and two inches wide. On the face there are no eyes or nose. There are only two big nostrils about four inches each located in the middle above the mouth.
Ping'an screamed, "Grandmother!"
Zhao Renshu conjured a talisman and sent it directly at the worm, but it was too late. Xiong Grandma has entered the worm's mouth. The talisman shocked the worm. The worm let out big angry eerie scream. The sound wave blew the dead tree barks and small bone fragments flying at the three friends. The worm stretched forward to the three friends.
Zhao Renshu shouted, "It's calling its friends."
The second worm jumped towards them from above the cave. The two men grabbed Ping'an's arms and flew back to avoid the attack.
Zhao Renshu hands-seals together and began to chant. Two magic circles appear. One is on the ground and the other one is in the air. The fire magic bidding circle locked the worm inside. The worm screamed in pain.
Zhao Renshu, "Stay back and protect Ping'an." He pushed Ping'an back to Guo Baiyu.
When Guo Baiyu pulled Ping'an behind him, Zhao Renshu unsheathed his sword from the scabbard on his back and he flew directly into the mouth of the first big worm.
Guo Baiyu shouted, "What are you doing?"
Ping'an screamed, "Renshu!"
Outside the forbidden forest the town people were half way up the hill when they heard the loud screams. They stopped and turned around and looked at the forbidden forest.
Both Guo Baiyu and Ping'an were panicked, they still can't believe what just happened.
Inside the body of the worm, Zhao Renshu pierced the sword into the inner wall of the worm. He sent a talisman down into the worm's stomach. In pain, the worm stretched it body high in to the air. When Zhao Renshu fell, his sword glide down the worm inner throat all the way to the stomach. His action caused massive bleeding inside the worm.
The first big worm shook, twisted, turned and rolled on the ground for about ten minutes, then the first big worm stop moving. In the middle of the corpse of the first big worm that died, a shiny sword poked out.
Guo Baiyu turned to Ping'an, "He is alive."
The sword made a big cut. Xiong Grandma slowly slipped out of the wound.
Ping'an, "Grandmother!"
The two friends ran towards the dead worm.
After Grandma Xiong came out, it was Zhao Renshu. Both Zhao Renshu and Grandma Xiong were covered with worm's gastric fluid. Zhao Renshu shook off some gastric fluid off. Zhao Renshu helped Xiong Grandma sit up, but Xiong Grandma was unresponsive, probably because she had been in the worm's stomach for too long. Zhao Renshu began to transfer his spiritual energy to Xiong Grandma.
Guo Baiyu and Ping'an reached Zhao Renshu and Xiong Grandma. Xiong Grandma opened her eyes a little bit.
Xiong Grandma murmured, "Ping'an..." Her voices was so weak that she sound like she was whispering.
Ping'an went behind Xiong Grandma and held her.
Xiong Grandma reached both hands out. Guo Baiyu held her left hand while Zhao Renshu held her right hand.
Xiong Grandma, "Ping'an ... Don't worry about not having anyone to love you."
Ping'an burst into tears, "Grandmother, please don't says that. I need you to love me. Please stay with me. I haven't given you enough." She sobbed.
Zhao Renshu looked at Guo Baiyu, "How is she?" Zhao Renshu was going to transfer Xiong Grandma more spiritual energy, but Gou Baiyu shook his head.
Xiong Grandma held the two men's hands tightly and said weakly, "Thank You." Her weak hands squeezed the two men's hand one last time. Then her hands drop down.
Ping'an bursts out crying, "Grandma! No! Please come back!"
Xiong Grandma died in Ping'an's arms. She held her grandmother tightly. She had never felt this much pain before. Her mind is blank as she drowned in grief. Everyone whom loved her died. She held her grandmother and her heart shattered into million of pieces.
Zhao Renshu exhaled and stood up, "I need a favor?"
Guo Baiyu, "What it is?" He looked at Zhao Renshu. "I also need a favor too."
Zhao Renshu confused, "What?"
Guo Baiyu, "Next time, if you going to do something like this again, please inform us first."
Zhao Renshu, "Fine. About my favor?"
Guo Baiyu stood up, "What?"
Zhao Renshu, "I am going to seal the portal. The problem is, I don't know where the portal is. I must release this worm."
Guo Baiyu, "How can I help you?"
Zhao Renshu explained, "Sealing portal gateway requires a lot of spiritual energy and human blood. The blood will continues to drip into the portal until the portal is completely close. Human blood will keep the spirits and souls fighting and not approach the portal." He continued, "You might have to carry me back." He untied the sword leather belt on his chest, and then he handed his sword to Gou Baiyu.
Guo Baiyu, "Okay." He took Zhao Renshu's sword and carried Zhao Renshu's sword on his back.
Zhao Renshu conjured a talisman and sent the talisman directly to the worm. The talisman turned into thirty small icicles breaking the fire magic binding circle. Many of the icicles hits the worm. The defeated worm circling back to a small pond not far from its current location. The two men chased after the worm to the pond. Zhao Renshu hands-seals together and began to cast a spell. A yellow clear bright color magic circle covering the dark pond.
Zhan Renshu turned to Guo Baiyu, "Now."
Guo Baiyu unsheathed the sword and cut open his left forearm. The blood stretched from his arm to his hand, and then the blood dripped into the black pond. The entire pond immediately turned red. The water in the pond began to boil. The smell of human blood makes creatures, souls and demons screams from the blood pond fight each other, but the magic circles keeps suppressing them down. The portal pond became smaller and smaller.
After the portal gateway was sealed, Zhao Renshu fell on both knees. Guo Baiyu sheathed Zhao Renshu's sword, and quickly went to help his fallen friend. He helped Zhao Renshu's up, and then they walked to Ping'an who still holding her dead grandmother.
Zhao Renshu said weakly, "Let's get out of here."
Ping'an looked at the two men. One is bleeding from his forearm. The other is very weak and about to faint.
Guo Baiyu, "Ping'an. Help Renshu and I will carry your grandmother out of here."
Guo Baiyu picked up Xiong Grandma, Zhao Renshu put his arm on Ping'an's shoulder. The three friends and the deceased Xiong Grandma walked out of the forbidden forest.