Lost Forest.
Lost Forest.
Lost Forest.
These words circled around in Jìang Xiáng Shèn's head like an annoying bee. He's been in such a state ever since Dì Xié Liàng said where they were, both sides walking in a strange silence.
Jìang XiángShèn slowly lifted his head that had been staring at the ground in a daze, and looked at Dì Xié Liàng walking in front with a calm attitude.
As the author of 'Otherworldly', Jìang Xiáng Shèn knew everything that is to know about the Lost Forest. The dangers, the traps and most importantly, how to leave.
The only problem he has is whether or not this Lost Forest is similar to the one in his book.
He's read science books by famous authors about dimensions and interdimensional space when he was younger and had had a strange obsession about other plane's.
Though he never thought he'd actually end up transmigrated to one.
Jìang Xiáng Shèn looked around intently at his surroundings.
He remembered that he had written four chapters about Dì Xié Liàng's struggle to get out of the Lost Forest.
Following the way that they were heading from the stream, they should end up seeing a strangely shaped tree that had massive amounts of dark aura surrounding it. If they detoured that tree and go the other way, it will take them longer to reach the Entrance of the Fallen World. A plain consisting of dark creatures and filled with copious amounts of dark aura. But they need to cross that plane in order to reach Lower Plane, which is where humans and light creatures live.
Jìang Xiáng Shèn contemplated deeply about how to guide Dì Xié Liàng the right way.
Calculating the time that he crossed, Dì Xié Liàng has just been betrayed and abandoned by his friends and classmates of the Hall of Light Academy when he was exposed about having dark energy, by Princess Ròng.
Then he had a reward placed on him and had spent 3 months without rest fighting and running from cultivators, soldiers, and bandits. Not to mention the constant betrayal along the way by anyone once he was found.
'So he should be in a state of mistrust and vigilance against others. I am surprised he even allowed me to follow him so far'.
'Thinking of the plot now, I had received a lot of hatemail when I published this part. Is all this misfortune a result of the fans hatred?'
Jìang Xiáng Shèn sighed deeply. He really regretted writing Dì Xié Liàng as a cautious, vigilant, suspicious and untrusting character.
"Xié Liàng"
Dì Xié Liàng stopped suddenly at Jìang Xiáng Shèn's call, his muscles tense and fingers clenched. Where Jìang Shèn couldn't see, his brows were furrowed, lips stretched taunt and a dark light flashed in his eyes at Jìang Xiáng Shèn's overly familiar tone.
Seeing him on guard, Jìang Xiáng Shèn sighed again. 'Really too untrusting'. Though Jìang Xiáng Shèn didn't blame him considering everything he's had to face, but Jìang Shèn is lazing and don't like what he considers too much work. Just like when he's publishing his works. He only uploads based on his mood and no matter how much the readers beg he won't change his mind.
Now he has to be stepping on pins and needles with his words around Dì Xié Liàng, and he doesn't like that too much.
If Jìang Xiáng Shèn had seen Dì Xié Liàng's face at this moment, he probably would've forcefully swallowed his complaint with his heart shivering in terror. But fortunately of unfortunately, he hadn't.
"Xié Liàng, I know of a way for us for to get out of this forest", said Jiang Xiang Shen. He stared at Dì Xié Liàng's head, waiting for his response. He saw Dì Xié Liàng turned his head slightly, in a way Jìang Xiáng Shèn interpret as he(JXS) should continue.
"I'm sure you've heard a lot of weird stories about the Lost Forest. Like it is a place for dark beasts or anyone who goes here can never leave, but what the lost forest really is, is a divisor between the light plane and the other side. Those who gets trapped here cannot leave because they don't know the way, not because the forest keeps them", Jìang Xiáng Shèn explained.
Dì Xié Liàng continued moving ahead, his brows furrow deeper the more Jìang Xiáng Shèn continued.
"In order to find the way to leave, we have to find the Mystic Dauðans Tré, which means Tree of Death"
"The Tree of Death is exactly as its' name imply. Anyone or anything that approaches it dies in the most horrific way. The tree will release a special hypnosis spell that's stronger than a mid-tier deity's, and once under that spell, the possibility of breaking free is only if your higher than a mid-tier deity", Jìang Xiáng Shèn paused, recalling an important part of the plots development.
Though he really didn't want to go not even a li near this death tree, in order for the protagonist to get more powerful, Dì Xié Liàng has to absorb the dark essence of Dauðans Tré.
Dì Xié Liàng's body is a dark body type. It cannot cultivate light. So far, Dì Xié Liàng had been secretly using the dark arts in order to improve his cultivation, but this art his forbidden for a reason. It terribly damages a cultivator's mind and spirit, prevent a cultivator from gaining a godhood, which makes them unable to become a deity, and can lead the cultivator to madness.
The Tree of Death is a tree full of pure dark essence which can help Dì Xié Liàng to rid his body of impurities from the cultivation of dark arts, and bring his cultivation from the low-level right to the start of the mid-level, which is a whole fifty level leap.
While Jìang Xiáng Shèn was thinking of the plot of the book, Dì Xié Liàng was looking at Jìang Xiáng Shèn from the corner of his eye, contemplatively.
He was reborn. So he knew about the Tree of Death. Out of all living things on this plane, he is the only one who knows about that tree.
And how exactly does he know?
Because in his last life, he had been capture by that very same tree. It had trapped him within a never-ending nightmare, letting him recall his past and see a dark and dreary future. He had used his cultivation of the dark arts to penetrate the tree using his spirit, and he had seen some bits and pieces of the trees life about after it had received enlightenment.
At that time he had been in a state of fury and didn't think the tree was worth absorbing, so he poured it full of his hate and resentment of the world, all his dark and hateful feelings, so much so that the tree had withered at a rapid rate and died. All he had remembered was that the tree was called an ancient name he had never heard of, and had just sneered and left.
Dì Xié Liàng turned towards Jìang Xiáng Shèn, his eyes flashing with an evil glint.
Jìang Xiáng Shèn returned from recalling the plot, and saw Dì Xié Liàng staring at him intently. Thinking that he was interested in his idea, he hurriedly told his thoughts, not wanting the protagonist to change his mind.
"There is a way for us to be able to avoid the Tree of Death's hypnosis and absorb it. A rare God-level spirit plant called Zǐhuā. It is not poisonous or deadly. But it only grows in one place, and that is Val da Morte. Luckily Val da Morte is in the Lost Forest. So we have to go there first".
"Hm", replied Dì Xié Liàng.
Hearing only this response after saying so much for the first time in his life, Jìang Xiáng Shèn's eye twitched, a dissatisfied and hateful feeling of hating iron for not being steel arousing in his heart.
Jìang Xiáng Shèn took a deep breath and coldly said, "this way", veering left without looking anymore at Dì Xié Liàng.
Dì Xié Liàng followed Jìang Xiáng Shèn's lead leisurely.
"How do you know so much about the Lost Forest?", Dì Xié Liàng asked the doubt that has been circling his mind. He has read alot of books about a lot of places on the Low Plane, High Plane and Dark Plane, but has never once seen a book about anything detailing the Lost Forest other than a place of no return.
"I read it in a book", responded Jìang Xiáng Shèn 'Which is basically true if you think about it. Even if I am the one who wrote that book'.
Dì Xié Liàng lifted his head slowly, staring at Jìang Xiáng Shèn with deep eyes.
"If you're wondering why we have to do all this just to get out of the lost Forest. It's because you're not strong enough", said Jìang Xiáng Shèn with slight contempt, ignoring the fact that he's just crossed over to this plane and is a normal human.
"You need to be able to absorb Dauðans Tré and get more powerful so we can open the teleportation array that will transport us to the Entrance of the Fallen World", Jìang Xiáng Shèn said casually, not remembering that no one knows the existence of the Fallen World and only think it a myth.
He continued strolling forward, not looking back at him, so he didn't see Dì Xié Liàng's eyes darkened with murderous intent. His mouth stretched with a menacing and evil smile, causing his face to look evil and bloodthirsty.