Dì Xié Liàng has lived a life worse than death.
He has struggled out from the sufferings and despair of the mortal world, fought with humans and cultivators alike, pushed to the precipice of his life in the world of cultivation and finally destroyed under the banner of righteousness and justice by both humans and cultivators.
All he ever wanted was to prove his mother right and make her happy by becoming the most powerful cultivator in the cultivation world. But where ever he goes, whatever he does, no matter how he tries not to be, the world takes him for a monster.
An abomination that shouldn't have existed.
He doesn't know why he was born if all that's ever going to happen was him taken as an evil omen. He tried to forge and create an identity of righteousness and good. To show everyone that he's not what they've mistaken him to be, but nobody ever listens. No one seems to see him for himself. He's just an evil entity made to bring disaster and doom to the world.
So since the world abandoned him, he abandoned the world.
But now he doesn't understand. This cultivator told him the way to escape from this Forest. Even if he doesn't know what the Zǐhuā looks like, he's sure it would not be that hard to recognize.
Plus this cultivator is walking In front of him, leading the way, completely defenseless, doesn't he know that he(DXL) can kill him in a single blow? He can even capture him and force him to bring them out of here, and then kill him.
So why doesn't he?
Dì Xié Liàng doesn't like to be unsure. There are too many variables. He doesn't trust this strange cultivator that appeared out of nowhere, unlike his previous life, and he doesn't trust him to give all the truth.
He's lived for a long time and being cautious and patient has brought him a lot of victories. He'll just bide his time and wait. Eventually, this cultivator will start to show his true colours.
Jìang XiángShèn and Dì Xié Liàng continued to walk in silence. Both are the silent, not talkative, tend to stand out with others surrounding and talking to them without even trying type. So the silence was slightly awkward. Well, for Jìang XiángShèn in this instance. Dì Xié Liàng has been reborn with a hatred for the world and others, so he's perfectly fine with the silence. But Jìang XiángShèn doesn't know this. In his mind, he created a slightly reticent but doesn't ignore and will respond (even if it's short answers) type of character. This completely withdrawn, exceptionally gloomy, seemingly dark and evil character with bloodthirst seeming to be surrounding him but yet not type of character, has left him baffled and unsure.
'Maybe this world is different from my novel?', he thought confused. He wanted to turn and observe Dì Xié Liàng a little more, but just as he was about to turn, he noticed the surrounding area seems to be covered in white fog, and he noticed flashes of gray and purple.
Jìang XiángShèn blinked, stunned, until he realised that they had approached Val da Morte. He stopped at the area where the forest created an opening, waiting for Dì Xié Liàng to catch up.
"This is Val da Morte?", he asked.
"Hm. It's very dangerous here. Not at all like the Lost Forest. The Lost Forest is huge and filled with giant creatures, and whilst Val da Morte is only half the size of this forest, which is practically half a continent, it's filled with known and unknown poisonous beasts, insects and flowers. Worse yet, is the owner of this valley. The reason why it's called 'The Valley of Death'".
"And what's that?"
"A God-tier Snake beast"
"God-tier?"
"Yes. Sounds impossible right?", he asked rhetorically.
'of course it isn't, I wrote it', thought Jìang XiángShèn inwardly.
"It is. No one in this world can become a God". 'I would know. I've tried', Dì Xié Liàng thought resentfully. His eyes darkened slightly at the thought of his last life's failure.
Jìang XiángShèn glanced at Dì Xié Liàng, sensing his foul mood. His eyebrows furrowed slightly, feeling something off but not quite sure what.
"What is it?", Dì Xié Liàng asked in a deep voice. He felt that Jìang XiángShèn knew too many unknown things, and began to re-think his value.
Jìang XiángShèn narrowed his eyes slightly at Dì Xié Liàng's face, feeling like he missed something extremely important. He turned his head away, looking at the narrow path filled with misty gray fog leading into Val da Morte. "It's nothing. Let's go".
They walked cautiously in the fog filled valley. The fog was so thick that they could barely see their fingers in front their faces. Jìang XiángShèn kept seeing flashes of different colours of light within the fog, sometimes mixed together, and his brows furrowed in confusion. 'Huh. I was so absentminded with everything that I overlooked this strangeness. I wonder if this is normal? Can Xié Liàng see these lights as well?'
"So where is this false God snake you mentioned?", Dì Xié Liàng sneered.
"Huh?", Jìang XiángShèn asked absent-minded. Dì Xié Liàng stared at him with deep eyes. Jìang XiángShèn couldn't see it, but he felt Dì Xié Liàng's penetrating gaze on his person, like a scalpel dissecting all his layers. He felt slightly uncomfortable, and hurriedly answered Dì Xié Liàng to take his gaze away from him.
"It's located deep in the valley. At it's center. And it's not a false God"
Dì Xié Liàng raised his eyebrows, still covered in the fog. But Jìang XiángShèn seems to be able to sense his reaction.
"It's really true. Seriously. Whilst no Sapient in this world can become a God, everything else can"
Dì Xié Liàng stood still and turned towards Jìang XiángShèn. Jìang XiángShèn heard his (DXL) footsteps stopped, so he stopped as well, turning towards him confused. Thinking that Dì Xié Liàng still didn't believe him, he continued to pursue with his knowledge of this world.
"I know it probably seems hard to believe, but that's how it is. But it's only rare mystic plants, beasts and creatures with complete pure blood or aura can become God's. So you don't have to worry about every one of them being able to become a God. That'll be disastrous", Jìang XiángShèn said in a joking tone, just for his body to stiffen when he felt a slightly hot breath on his face. He looked up slowly only to be met with Dì Xié Liàng's face a few centimeter's away from his. His breath flowed from his mouth, hot and moist. His body shrouded in dark black light with a little bit of pale purple. His obsidian eyes stared at Jìang XiángShèn, seeming to be looking through to his soul, his handsome face shrouded with gray fog adding a mysterious charm.
Jìang XiángShèn was stunned. His heart started to beat rapidly, and his face turned a deep red. His golden eyes widened slightly, with the light shining threw the fog reflecting Dì Xié Liàng's figure in them. While his face looked surprised at seeing Dì Xié Liàng so close, his mind was facing inner panic at why Dì Xié Liàng was so close, and why was he (JXS) flustered because of it.
Jìang XiángShèn quickly lowered his head, confused as to why he felt shy, and opened his mouth to say something in order to dispel the staggered and awkward (at least on his side) atmosphere, when a rustle and a bang was heard coming from their right.
Jìang XiángShèn and Dì Xié Liàng turned their heads in the direction of the sound, when Jìang XiángShèn's eyes widened in disbelief and fear. He couldn't see the beast that was approaching them, but his instinct was telling him that the colour he was seeing, that dark and sinister colour, was a beast that should not be in this valley.
Without even thinking, Jìang XiángShèn grabbed Dì Xié Liàng's hand, and rushed in the other direction of the dangerous beast approaching them. Before Dì Xié Liàng could even think, he only felt something grab his hand and a panicked voice shout, "RUN!".