ISWI Chapter 158-159

Chapter 158: Bewildering Forest

The Bewildering Forest was indeed perilous. The illusions it conjured were drawn from the deepest desires within a cultivator's mind. Anyone with less-than-steadfast will who lingered on these visions would soon become muddled and utterly immersed in them.

Initially aware that these were just illusions, one could quickly become addicted, losing control over their body. At that moment, the blood-colored vines would entwine around the victim, draining them dry. Moreover, these vines were extremely tough, not so easily dealt with.

However, Ye Chen, with his Heavy Pupils, was immune to these effects. He stood in place, watching the illusions unfold, only occasionally clearing away the encroaching vines.

After observing the illusion of his master, Ye Chen moved on and then encountered an illusion of Elder An Miaoli from the Divine Will Sect. Dressed in flowing white robes and seated atop a lotus flower, a red mole between her brows twinkled with light. She appeared ethereal, far surpassing An Yuyi in demeanor.

After critiquing this illusion for a while, Ye Chen changed locations again. This time, the illusion depicted Su Yuxuan, the little witch, her tiny feet twinkling with luminescence.

Following Su Yuxuan, the illusion didn't switch to his senior sister Yao Xi but to the head of the External Affairs Hall, a mature and beautiful woman already bonded to a Dao companion...

Ye Chen immediately felt displeased. Was he this sort of person? Devoted to the path of cultivation, how could he possibly covet another's Dao companion? He wasn't inclined towards such desires at all. These illusions were truly unreliable.

After glaring at the scene for a while, Ye Chen, annoyed, chopped down the surrounding vines completely, venting his dissatisfaction. Then he moved to another spot...

...

The exit of the Bewildering Forest was a sight of relief and desperation.

Pei Ling emerged disheveled and wounded, a testament to the malevolent nature of the Boundless Demon Sect's forest. Despite knowing the visions were illusions, a mere prolonged gaze could slow one's brain response and stiffen their body, making escape challenging without prior preparation.

Pei Ling, spotting the unharmed An Yuyi who had exited early, praised her preparedness.

An Yuyi nodded, her brow furrowing slightly, "Brother Fang is the strongest among us; logically, he should have been the first to emerge. Why hasn't he arrived yet?"

"It's already been four hours," she added. The forest was expansive, but four hours should have been more than sufficient.

Pei Ling, popping a healing pill, suggested with a chuckle, "Perhaps that Ye Chen is too weak, holding Brother Fang back."

An Yuyi frowned, dissatisfied with Ye Chen's capabilities. If it weren't for the necessity of his skills later, she would have preferred not to wait at all.

Time passed, and two more hours slipped by. The forest quaked slightly.

Then, Fang Xi stumbled out, bloodier and more disheveled than Pei Ling, which widened their eyes in shock. Notably, Ye Chen was not behind him.

An Yuyi's frown deepened, "Brother Fang, where is Ye Chen?"

Fang Xi's face was grim. He had initially left Ye Chen behind, thinking to scare him a bit before returning to coerce him into alchemy. But when he went back, Ye Chen was nowhere to be found.

Ye Chen's importance was clear; they had to find him.

Wandering aimlessly in the Bewildering Forest was especially dangerous, and the longer one stayed, the more susceptible they were to its corrupting influence, which explained Fang Xi's significant injuries.

"I told him to hold onto the rope, but not long after, I realized he had let go of it," Fang Xi explained, his face darkening. "I tried to go back for him, but he was already lost."

"People from lower sects really lack resolve," he commented, somewhat dismissively. "But he is at least at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment; he should be able to find his way out on his own."

An Miaoli was visibly upset, but what could be done? Ye Chen had let go of the rope himself; it wasn't Fang Xi's fault. They could only wait. But as another two hours passed without any sign of Ye Chen emerging, An Miaoli became restless.

"If we can't find Ye Chen, we might have to retreat," she declared, agitation clear in her voice. "The entrance to the Lotus Pond has been opened. It could be discovered at any moment. Everyone understands the importance of the Blood Sea Lotus Seeds. If someone else gets there first, all our efforts will be for naught! So, we need to go back and search for him immediately."

Having spoken, An Yuyi's form once again radiated a soft luminescence as she re-entered the Bewildering Forest.

Fang Xi and Pei Ling exchanged glances, their reluctance palpable. To traverse the Bewildering Forest in reverse posed even greater dangers. Yet, the allure of the Blood Sea Lotus Seeds was too strong to forsake, compelling them to turn back in search...

...

"Wow..." Ye Chen murmured as he wandered through the forest.

This time, he envisioned himself as an Immortal Emperor, founding the heavenly court. The entire court was populated by female cultivators.

The Western Mother of the Immortals stood at his right, gazing at him with eyes brimming with affection, as they all unanimously hailed him as Emperor Ye.

Just as he was about to scrutinize the appearances of the fairies and ascertain his master's position, "Ye Chen, wake up!" a loud shout jolted him.

Turning, he saw An Yuyi approaching with a troubled expression. That An Yuyi could find him in the midst of the Bewildering Forest was no small feat.

However, now was not the time for such considerations. Ye Chen merely wished to inquire how one might shut down the illusion. The illusions of the Bewildering Forest were not mere mental images but were crafted by a peculiar force that materialized them right before the cultivators' eyes.

In the illusion, he was caught in a hearty laugh, his presence so formidable it could shatter stars—a sight he found quite exhilarating. Yet, being observed in such a moment could prove rather embarrassing.

An Yuyi had already rushed over, initially fearing that Ye Chen had been drained by the blood vines. To her surprise, she found Ye Chen completely unscathed, which left her slightly taken aback. Now was not the moment to focus on that, however. The artifact her aunt had given her was nearly depleted.

"Let's go quickly..."

An Yuyi grasped Ye Chen's hand and began to lead him out. This was precisely what Ye Chen desired.

"Quickly, let's hurry..."

But before they left, An Yuyi glanced at the illusion Ye Chen had been viewing. The scene within the illusion had shifted again.

A figure, resembling Ye Chen, was holding a grand assembly with countless indistinguishable celestial maidens above the Milky Way...

An Yuyi instantly looked at Ye Chen with a mix of shock and disdain.

"Is this what you've been watching all this time?"

Initially, An Yuyi had been holding Ye Chen's hand to lead him out urgently, but now she abruptly switched to tugging at his sleeve.

Ye Chen offered no resistance, his expression one of resigned despair. Did the Bewildering Forest have no sense of privacy? Damn it, he would just set fire to it all on the way back.

Forcing An Yuyi and the others to come find him had been quite satisfying until it spectacularly backfired on him. But really, letting An Yuyi see that illusion wasn't much of an issue. After all, it wasn't the segment about her aunt. No major harm done.

Most importantly, this scene reminded Ye Chen of a lingering concern from when he first crossed over. Before his transmigration, he hadn't erased his browser history, media player records, or that 12TB hard drive... If his parents, police, colleagues, or boss ever found out... Damn...

Ye Chen had once thought about returning to Earth after reaching the pinnacle of the cultivation world. How could he possibly go back now?

Feeling somewhat introverted, Ye Chen allowed himself to be dragged out of the Bewildering Forest...

Chapter 159: Blood Sea Lotus

Having dragged Ye Chen from the clutches of the Bewildering Forest, An Yuyi let out a deep sigh of relief. Traversing the forest in reverse had provoked even more violent assaults from the blood-red vines. Despite the protective artifact her aunt had given her, she was not without injury; her sleeve was torn, revealing a slender, alabaster arm marred by several bloody marks.

Casting a glance at Ye Chen, An Yuyi shook her head internally. The Bewildering Forest had the power to dredge up the deepest desires of cultivators, crafting illusions from them. She could have understood if Ye Chen's greatest wish was to ascend to immortality or to become an ancestor of a cultivation line. But his deepest desire was to frolic shamelessly with a host of celestial maidens in the Milky Way?

Truly, he lacked any grand ambition.

Disinclined to interact further with Ye Chen, An Yuyi seated herself to begin healing her wounds.

At that moment, Fang Xi and Pei Ling emerged from the forest, covered in dirt and grime. Seeing Ye Chen, their eyes lit up. Pei Ling, with a look of disdain, addressed him: "Even as a mere member of the Green Cloud Sect at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, to get lost is quite the embarrassment, isn't it?"

Ye Chen shook his head, clearing his mind of any negative emotions. He then looked at Fang Xi and knowingly asked, "Fellow Daoist Fang, was it because I refused to concoct pills for you that you intentionally tied the rope to a tree?"

Fang Xi's eyes narrowed, and a cold smile curled his lips. "Fellow Daoist Ye, please be careful with your words. Slandering a direct disciple of the Divine Will Sect is no trivial matter."

Pei Ling chimed in righteously, "It seems you've confused your illusions with reality."

Both Fang Xi and Pei Ling clearly did not take Ye Chen seriously. Their status as direct disciples of the Divine Will Sect, coupled with their own capabilities, filled them with an inherent arrogance towards Ye Chen.

After all, even if you know the truth, what can you do about it?

Ye Chen smiled after a brief glance at them. Their attitudes were clear, and so was his next move.

By then, An Yuyi had finished her healing and stood up, casting a look at Fang Xi and Pei Ling. The environment of the Bewildering Forest was designed to reveal a cultivator's deepest desires. Therefore, the nature of Ye Chen's entrapment in the forest was crystal clear to her.

However, An Yuyi had no intention of championing justice for Ye Chen. Ye Chen was merely a passerby, while Fang Xi and Pei Ling were direct disciples. The choice was obvious and required little deliberation.

An Yuyi spoke calmly, "In half an hour, the poison fog will begin to change. I ask that Fellow Daoist Ye sense the upcoming alterations and prepare the corresponding antidote pills."

Ye Chen glanced at An Yuyi and nodded. Without a word, he began to prepare his alchemy furnace for concocting the pills.

Fang Xi and Pei Ling exchanged looks, their faces breaking into satisfied smiles.

Fang Xi, in particular, had already resolved to coerce Ye Chen into concocting pills for him once they left the Lotus Pond. If Ye Chen refused, he would face dire consequences.

A mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator from a lower sect was expendable, and Fang Xi did not believe the Green Cloud Sect would dare confront the Divine Will Sect over such a matter.

...

Ye Chen, with a placid expression, successfully concocted the new batch of antidote pills. He consumed one immediately. The others then hesitantly followed suit.

However, as he handed an antidote pill to An Yuyi, Ye Chen also casually offered her a bottle of top-grade True Intent Pills.

Although this woman lacked a sense of gratitude, the potential for a hundredfold return on his investment was here, and it wasn't worth holding a grudge over personal likes and dislikes.

Of course, it was just the pills he was offering. Any genuine treasures were out of the question for An Yuyi.

Looking ahead at the small mountain, Ye Chen's eyes held a glimmer of anticipation. He hoped the treasures that had drawn the direct disciples of the Divine Will Sect here would not disappoint.

...

"Up ahead lies the Blood River; ascending it will lead us to the Lotus Pond. The Blood River is extremely perilous in itself, filled with ferocious blood beasts! However, the river has dried up over the millennia, and those beasts have long since perished! Still, let's remain vigilant."

Having traversed the Bewildering Forest, a small mountain now lay before them. The path up the mountain had once been fraught with dangers, but due to the passage of time, those perils had vanished. They ascended the mountain without incident. With the garden now in sight, anticipation filled their eyes. They had traveled great distances to this place for this very purpose.

"Our records state that within the Lotus Pond of the Boundless Demon Sect, there are precisely three Blood Sea Lotus plants," Pei Ling began, unable to contain his excitement as the treasures drew near.

"The Blood Sea Lotus fruits every fifty years, and its seeds can elevate the quality of one's spiritual roots. Though the blood pond has long dried up, if the Blood Sea Lotus was not destroyed when the Boundless Demon Sect was annihilated, there should still be three seeds available."

The potential of the Blood Sea Lotus Seeds was extraordinary. They could elevate an ordinary spiritual root to a rare one, a single rare root to a dual rare root, and enhance dual rare roots to more closely align and increase their quality.

This was precisely why An Yuyi had come. She possessed both the Star and Thunder spiritual roots, which clashed during energy conversion, making her cultivation of the Star Thunder Technique somewhat cumbersome. These Blood Sea Lotus Seeds were essential for her.

Trying to contain her excitement, she asked Pei Ling, "Are we certain the golden core-level guard beasts within have perished?"

Pei Ling, manipulating his array disk, nodded seriously. "I detect no movement. The guardian beast of this pond was supposed to be a Howling Moon Demon Wolf. Even with their lengthy lifespan, a golden core phase demon wolf only lives for three thousand years. The Boundless Demon Sect has been extinct for five thousand years. The Howling Moon Demon Wolf is undoubtedly dead."

Upon hearing this, the excitement among the trio surged. They were about to enter the Lotus Pond when Fang Xi turned back, intending to warn Ye Chen to keep his distance. Instead, he saw Ye Chen standing far off, an understanding seemingly reached.

Fang Xi sneered, "It's good you know your place. Some treasures aren't meant for you. Just stand guard at the entrance, and don't dare step inside, or I'll flay you!"

Once they obtained the seeds, they could easily leave within twelve hours. Ye Chen was now irrelevant to them.

An Yuyi frowned slightly at this but was too eager to secure the Blood Sea Lotus Seeds to say more.

Thus, the three quickly stepped into the garden.

...

Ye Chen stood alone at a distance, his demeanor calm.

Why waste energy on the dead?

Instead, he felt a thrill of excitement! The only drawback he faced now was his spiritual root, and he had been pondering how to enhance it. And now, the solution was literally before his eyes. He even felt grateful to them.

Ye Chen had already begun to consider how to distribute the seeds. If the effects could be stacked, perhaps all could go to his master.

But if not, then one for his master, one for Yao Xi, and one for the little witch Su Yuxuan. Despite her flaws, gifting her could yield significant returns.

With his plan set, Ye Chen remained where he was, in no rush to enter. His Heavy Pupils allowed him to see clearly. There was still something in the garden. And it seemed rather formidable. That was why Ye Chen stood so far away…