CHAPTER 29: CHAPTER 29: SHEN

EDITOR: DRAGON BOAT TRANSLATION

Under Gu Qingqing’s gaze, Nan Hua used their sect’s unique method to send messages to others. After trying one by one, he found he couldn’t send any. He finally couldn’t help but frown, putting away his usual smile.

[Senior Brother, what’s wrong?] Gu Qingqing looked at Nan Hua and asked using hand gestures.

"Nothing." Nan Hua shook his head, not wanting to worry Gu Qingqing.

Gu Qingqing tilted his head to glance at Nan Hua, his hands behind his head moved a bit, but he didn’t reach out, instead, he turned to look around.

It seemed like one couldn’t feel the passage of time in the Mist Forest. At least, Gu Qingqing had now completely ignored the passage of time. Moreover, after staying in such an oppressive environment for a long time, even people’s moods became oppressive.

Nan Hua, after Gu Qingqing turned his head, slightly frowned and looked at the surrounding white mist, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes.

After a while, everything around was still silent, and the white mist hadn’t changed. Nan Hua’s worry deepened, and Gu Qingqing’s complexion also became a bit pale.

[Senior Brother, I’m a bit hungry.] Gu Qingqing touched his stomach and gestured to Nan Hua.

Upon hearing this, Nan Hua was shocked and remembered that Gu Qingqing was not like them and couldn’t fast. He immediately took out the food he had specially prepared for Gu Qingqing from the Qiankun Ring and handed it to him.

Since it was inconvenient to eat while in Nan Hua’s arms, Gu Qingqing asked Nan Hua to place him on the ground.

Just as he stood on the ground and was about to reach for Nan Hua’s hand, Nan Hua’s figure disappeared.

Gu Qingqing looked in confusion at the surrounding whiteness, waved his hand around, realizing there was nothing, a hint of fear flashed in his eyes.

The hunger in his belly became more apparent. He thought for a moment and decided to fill his stomach first. Fortunately, his storage ring contained some Spirit Fruit and Spiritual Dew prepared by Mu Chen, which could satiate him.

After the feeling of hunger in his stomach subsided, he put away the remaining fruit and Spiritual Dew, thought for a moment, and tried to walk forward. He found that no matter how far he walked, the surroundings were the same as when he was with Nan Hua, all blanketed white.

To conserve energy, he decisively stopped, stood still for a while, felt a bit tired, and simply sat cross-legged on the ground, thinking that Nan Hua and the others were so powerful that they should find a way out and come to find him. He sat in place; there was no spiritual power here, so he couldn’t cultivate, just blankly looking at the surrounding white mist, and unexpectedly fell asleep.

...

At the moment Gu Qingqing disappeared, Nan Hua immediately reached out to grab, but caught nothing, just watching helplessly as Gu Qingqing disappeared!

Unwillingly, he reached out to grab the side, but still, it was the same, nothing.

Clearly, just a moment ago, Gu Qingqing was standing in front of him, yet in the blink of an eye, he was gone.

Worried that Gu Qingqing would be in danger alone, Nan Hua couldn’t care less anymore.

"Glazed Frost Flower Fan!" He shouted lowly, reaching out, and a dazzling Jade Fan appeared in his hand.

"Swish!"

Opening in his hand, the Glazed Frost Flower Fan flew out from his hand with a fierce wind, circled around, and returned to his hand.

The surroundings remained quiet, the white mist as thick as ever, his previous actions didn’t affect the environment at all.

Nan Hua frowned, feeling for the first time that it was troublesome.

...

Rong Ye, accompanied by Jun Wu, entered the Mist Forest, only to find Nan Hua and Gu Qingqing missing. If not for Jun Wu holding Rong Ye’s sleeve, they might have also been separated.

The two exchanged a glance, their expressions instantly turning unpleasant.

"Kid, stay close to me, let’s not get separated, and try to find Little Qingqing first." Rong Ye said, looking at Jun Wu, unceremoniously.

Jun Wu glanced at Rong Ye, didn’t retort, but also didn’t hold Rong Ye’s hand, continuing to hold onto Rong Ye’s sleeve.

The surroundings were all white mist, indistinguishable, with the two cautiously moving forward, calling out Nan Hua and Gu Qingqing’s names.

After walking for about half an hour, the surroundings remained an unchanged white mist, with no other sounds besides their voices, their expressions becoming grave.

"Hold tight to my clothes, stand behind me." Rong Ye instructed without caring about Jun Wu’s reaction.

Jun Wu was very dissatisfied with Rong Ye’s attitude, but now wasn’t the time for anger, glaring at Rong Ye as he grabbed the hem of his garment, standing behind him.

"Heavenly Awakening Record, Open!"

Rong Ye uttered in a low voice, the Heavenly Awakening Record floating in front of him.

"Heavenly Awakening Talisman·Open!"

He swiftly moved his hands, then shouted lowly, the Heavenly Awakening Record suddenly enlarged, pages flipping open, Sea of Talismans flying out and into the white mist.

As the talismans disappeared, Rong Ye’s face grew more somber, his brows furrowing tighter.

"Collect!"

Pressing his hands together, the Heavenly Awakening Record closed, floating again in front of him.

"No use. I don’t know where this white mist is from. My attack could even kill a seventh-tier demon beast but had no effect on the mist, and the spiritual power here depletes faster than outside. We still need to find another way!" Rong Ye turned, seeing Jun Wu looking at him doubtfully, explained in a poor tone.

Hearing this, Jun Wu frowned, looked at the surrounding white mist, lost in thought.

...

Gu Qingqing felt he was dreaming, but in the dream, he was still in a place full of white mist, with no one around. Just when he felt a bit scared, a red light orb suddenly appeared not far away, seemingly attracting him to approach.

He hesitated, thinking it was just a dream, nothing could happen. Besides, the orb’s pull was strong, hard to resist not looking, so he set foot towards it.

As he got closer, the pull grew stronger, the orb bigger, even trembling lightly, making Gu Qingqing more curious.

Finally reaching the orb, he discovered it was no orb at all, but a gigantic heart-like object, beating slightly.

Looking at the fresh red heart, his mind instinctively recalled what it was.

Legend spoke of a creature called Shen, living in the sea, skilled at projecting illusions, luring ships to it, and devouring those aboard.

The place they were was not the Mist Forest, but inside the Shen, with the white mist so thick. Once hands were released, people vanished.

To escape the illusion realm of the Shen, one must find and destroy the heart of the Shen!