The Immortal’s "White Moonlight" Reborn - Chapter 48

“Does Fellow Daoist Yu have an inner demon too?”

As they ventured deeper into the Boundless Sea of Trees, the forest became choked with a heavy, miasma-like fog. It swallowed the sunlight and rendered directional spiritual tools useless; even an Immortal’s divine sense struggled to pierce the gloom.

Yu Hengwei walked ahead of Wen Qiwu, telling her to follow closely.

Wen Qiwu had passed through this area when she first left the Sea of Trees. She had nearly lost her way then, plagued by ambushes from beasts and shadow-monsters hiding in the thick mist.

“Fellow Daoist Yu, be careful. There are many monsters here that thrive in the fog. They are experts at hiding their presence.”

“I know. I’ll be careful,” Yu Hengwei nodded. She reached back and quietly took hold of Wen Qiwu’s sleeve. “The mist is blinding; let’s make sure we don’t get separated.”

Wen Qiwu’s visibility was indeed limited, so she didn’t reject the gesture. She glanced around, noting that the area felt eerily quiet compared to her last visit. What she didn’t see, just beyond her line of sight, were the piles of corpses, monsters pierced by ice blades or, like the bear from before, killed by a single needle-thin puncture to the skull. No blood flowed from these wounds, which was why Wen Qiwu couldn’t smell the slaughter.

The person leading her by the sleeve had a faint, crimson glint in her eyes, a look more ominous than any of the monsters they bypassed.

Yu Hengwei had killed so many that the corpses formed literal mounds. The surviving monsters had begun to retreat in terror, hesitating to strike. Wen Qiwu could smell a heavy, rank stench in the air, yet she didn’t see a single creature show its face.

Strange, she thought. Since when did the monsters here become so patient?

The mist belt sat on the boundary between the forest’s outer rim and its center. Once they crossed it, they would enter the most dangerous region of the Sea of Trees.

“To the north is the territory of a Great Roc,” Wen Qiwu suggested. “If there’s a path to the Phoenix Lord’s Tomb from there, we should take it. I have a bit of a history with that Roc.” The bird had shown her kindness; going that way would save them a lot of trouble.

As her gentle voice drifted through the mist, the bloodlust in the eyes of the person ahead of her miraculously receded.

“Alright,” Yu Hengwei agreed. She had already arranged things; their current path led directly into the Roc’s territory. There was no need to turn back.

Yu Hengwei’s decisive response made Wen Qiwu realize her guide was far more familiar with this place than she’d let on. “Fellow Daoist Yu, A-Fu said you once accidentally entered the tomb. Did you see what it looked like inside?”

Yu Hengwei stiffened. Memories of a heartbreaking past flooded back, and her fingers tightened on Wen Qiwu’s sleeve.

“The place refused me entry. I only caught a fleeting glimpse… Inside the tomb is an endless sea of fire. Nothing else.” The tomb rejected all outsiders; her “accidental entry” had been nothing more than a desperate, forced intrusion.

Strong as she was, there was still a gap between her and the Divine Realm power that had created that place ten thousand years ago.

“A sea of fire that’s still burning…” That sounded like a headache. Wen Qiwu wondered where she would even begin looking for the immortal artifact as they emerged from the mist.

Squinting against the return of the sun, Wen Qiwu saw a shimmering, beautiful lake ahead. The area was profoundly peaceful, the only sound being the wind rustling through the leaves.

Wen Qiwu recognized this place. This lake was where the Great Roc hunted and drank. Back when she was just a hatchling, the Roc had caught a massive, succulent fish and tried to feed it to her. When she politely declined, the giant bird had been dejected for ages, only cheering up once she “accepted” the fish into her storage ring.

However, despite standing there for a few minutes, the Roc hadn’t appeared. When she had first broken out of her shell, the Roc had been the first of the powerful avian race to arrive, snatching her away before the others could claim her. Given its bold personality, it should have been here by now. Had it moved its territory because of the recent disturbances?

“The water has been compromised.” Yu Hengwei knelt by the lake and cupped some water in her hand. She used her immortal essence to extract the impurities; despite the lake’s clarity, a shocking amount of black demonic energy swirled in her palm.

Wen Qiwu hurried to her side. “Demonic qi?”

“Yes,” Yu Hengwei said. “And it’s not ordinary. It’s highly invasive and excels at concealment.”

“No wonder the Roc isn’t here.” If its water source was poisoned, it would have been forced to relocate.

SPLASH!

Without warning, a creature—half-fish, half-monster, leaped from the water. Its ability to hide its presence was top-tier; Wen Qiwu hadn’t sensed it at all until it revealed itself.

The monster’s face was twisted in a predatory grin, its sharp claws inches from Yu Hengwei’s eyes. Yu Hengwei remained expressionless. The monster thought its prey was paralyzed with fear, but in the next heartbeat, its smile froze. It found it couldn’t move forward a single inch.

From Yu Hengwei’s cold eyes, the monster saw its own body shatter and dissolve into ash under an invisible flame.

Wen Qiwu exhaled in relief, her hand clutching her bow so tightly her palm was damp with sweat.

“Fellow Daoist Yu, are you alright?” Wen Qiwu pulled out a handkerchief and wiped a stray drop of monster blood from the other woman’s cheek.

“I’m fine. But trouble has arrived.” Yu Hengwei moved, shielding Wen Qiwu behind her.

The monster that had attacked was merely a scout. Upon its death, the peace was shattered. Yu Hengwei felt a surge of dark undercurrents in the fabric of space.

The air rippled, revealing hundreds of monsters that had been perfectly camouflaged. Simultaneously, countless heads broke the surface of the lake, all of them the same half-fish monstrosities. The paradise-like lake was instantly swallowed by surging demonic energy. This was the true face of the forest.

Wen Qiwu drew her Nine Tribulations Bow. Now that she wasn’t weighed down by a fractured soul, her strength had reached the Earth Immortal realm, allowing her to exert far more power.

She didn’t notice that when she drew the bow and summoned the thunder, Yu Hengwei’s pupils constricted. Her face went pale as if she had seen a ghost. She averted her eyes, taking a long moment to regain her composure.

The monsters were numerous. These were creatures originally suppressed by the Phoenix Lord. Peace had reigned for ten thousand years, but the recent tremors must have broken the seals, allowing them to escape.

Seeing the monsters amidst the crashing thunder and heavenly fire, Yu Hengwei’s mind flickered back to her worst nightmare. For a moment, she thought she was back in that hell, and a red, sorrowful light bled into her eyes.

The sun was soon blotted out by dark clouds. A chilling, crimson rain began to fall, freezing everything it touched into blocks of solid ice. The camouflaged monsters had nowhere to hide; they were frozen solid and shattered into icy shards as they hit the ground.

While Wen Qiwu’s lightning was powerful, it was easy to miss the creatures hiding in the spatial gaps. This crimson rain, however, left them no escape.

Is it just me, Wen Qiwu wondered, or does this spell feel a bit… sinister?

“The monsters should be cleared out now. Fellow Daoist Yu!” Wen Qiwu’s face turned pale as she turned around. She rushed forward to catch the woman, who was swaying as if about to collapse. When Yu Hengwei looked up, the crimson glow in her eyes felt hauntingly familiar to Wen Qiwu.

Is she falling into a demonic state? Does she… have an inner demon too?

Looking into those eyes, Wen Qiwu couldn’t help but think of a certain person.

Yu Hengwei stared at Wen Qiwu blankly for a long time. She raised a trembling hand as if to touch her, but as the red glow faded and her sanity returned, she immediately dropped her hand and looked away. She was terrified of scaring Wen Qiwu.

“Fellow Daoist Yu, are you okay? If you’re unwell, we can rest before moving on.” Wen Qiwu’s face was full of genuine concern.

“It’s nothing.” Despite her words, Wen Qiwu insisted on finding a clean spot for her to rest.

“Fellow Daoist Yu, I know a bit of medicine. Why don’t you let me check your pulse?” Wen Qiwu patted her shoulder.

She felt the woman beneath her hand give a slight shiver.

“I appreciate the kindness, but I have already seen a famous doctor and have my own medicine,” Yu Hengwei said, her face taut.

“Then make sure you take it. I’ll scout the path ahead while you rest.” Wen Qiwu didn’t push.

“I’ll go with you.” This place was too dangerous; Yu Hengwei couldn’t bear to let her out of her sight.

“Don’t worry. I’ll stay within your line of vision. I won’t go far.”

Only then did Yu Hengwei agree.

As Wen Qiwu walked a short distance away, she could feel the other woman’s gaze fixed on her. It wasn’t an invasive feeling; rather, it felt oddly grounding and safe.

Wen Qiwu pulled out a communication stone—her link to the Medical Immortal. She wanted to keep tabs on her Senior Sister and ensure that if the patient did anything reckless, the doctor could report it immediately.

[Medical Immortal Senior, has my Senior Sister been taking her medicine on time?]

A reply came shortly after.

[She’s taking everything on time and following orders perfectly. In all my years, I’ve never seen her so obedient. It’s about time someone was able to manage her!] The Medical Immortal seemed almost giddy; Yun Heng had spent the last century being such a nightmare of a patient that her simply following instructions was cause for celebration.

Wen Qiwu stared at the message, a flicker of doubt crossing her mind. Was I really overthinking things? Is she truly being that well-behaved?

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