CHAPTER 410: CHAPTER 55: GREENLAND BLACK FOREST

Li Rui, as a Five-star Mercenary, is one of the few who have entered the Greenland Black Forest and emerged with only minor injuries—an exemplary mercenary. With him leading the team, the likelihood of safely exiting the Black Forest is quite high.

Although Sha Xi and the others have mediocre Cultivation levels, being a Goddess of the Divine Court, she possesses countless Spiritual Treasures. Each person is equipped with a Teleportation Scroll to say the least, not to mention, she also claims to own a Holy Treasure.

With such equipment, even if they accidentally fall into the encirclement of spirit wood circles within the Greenland Black Forest, they would remain unfazed.

Before leaving, Sha Xi ordered her maid to sprinkle some Holy Powder on the grass and trees along the way, seeing the mercenaries looking puzzled.

Sha Xi was pleased with herself as the maid smiled and said, "This is the Moonlight Powder from our Divine Court. The Divine Son is worried about our Goddess and is already on his way here. Once he sees our communication signal, he will rush to join us."

As Sha Xi and the others departed, a moon-white mantis fluttered its wings, eyeing the group that gradually disappeared into the mountain woods.

Located more than a thousand miles north of Five Saints Town, the vast Greenland Forest lay beneath the shelter of the daunting mountain body of Xuan Beast Ridge. It’s the only place along the entire ridge that remains shrouded in darkness for three seasons a year, hence, mercenaries dub it the Black Forest.

Only from June to September can the Greenland Forest bask in the sunlight for four months. Because of its direct position opposite of Mosai Mountain, the sunlight, refracted through the snow mountain, means that during these four months, Greenland Forest enjoys up to ten hours of sunshine a day.

The moment Yue Jinghua entered the Xuan Beast Ridge happened to be July, precisely when the Greenland Black Forest greets its sunny season, where the grass grows and orioles soar.

For the numerous spirit wood in the forest, these months are the prime time for extensive reproduction. However, for Dark Practitioners, it also means hidden perils and the constant threat of attacks from Dark Beasts and spirit wood.

Compared to other areas of Xuan Beast Ridge, due to the lack of sunlight and harsh living conditions, this place is relatively scarce of Dark Beasts and dominated by carnivorous spirit wood.

During their reproduction, the spirit wood, driven by maternal instincts, exhibit a more ferocious nature than usual. Some carnivorous spirit wood might even devour passing Dark Practitioners and Dark Beasts whole, bones and all.

Even more terrifying is the legend that the Greenland Black Forest is home to a particularly horrifying type of Ogre Grass.

Yue Jinghua has reviewed the data on this Ogre Grass and found that even within the Mercenary Branch, there is no information available about this type of Ogre Grass.

Yue Jinghua suspects that this so-called Demon Grass may actually be a Dark Demon Grass that lies dormant on the Eastern Continent.

It is precisely because of the existence of this Ogre Grass that Yue Jinghua insisted on going to the Greenland Black Forest herself, since she already has experience dealing with Fire Spreading Algae, facing the Demon Grass again should, theoretically, be easier.

After masking her scent with Jiao Breath Grass, Yue Jinghua traveled rapidly, and whenever tired, she would consume Green Liquid and meditate in the Star Sea to recover her Dark Power. The journey that would normally take three days and nights was completed by her in just one day and one night.

Not only did this earn her an extra two days and two nights, but it also allowed her to enter the Greenland Black Forest ahead of Sha Xi and the others.

Yue Jinghua arrived at the Black Forest just as dawn was breaking and the morning mist was gradually dispersing under the sunlight.

The early-rising Greenland Snow Witch Birds were hopping about on the low birch branches, clad in their snow-white feathers. Amidst the forest blanketed with moss and lichens, patches of thriving cloudberry plants could be seen.

Pines and cypresses, commonly found near the Xuan Beast Ridge, were almost extinct in this area.

Yue Jinghua noticed that besides lichen vegetation and some birches, the most common plant in this area was the Sheep’s Beard Grass resembling goat’s beard tufts.

This grass, similar in heartiness to orchid plants, had slender leaves and branches, which varied in height due to the soil and light exposure in the forest; some were only ankle-high, while others reached up to the knee.

At this time of year, it was the blooming season for Sheep’s Beard Grass. Patches that were seven to eight acres in size could be seen everywhere, resembling a reed marsh in full bloom from afar. With the breeze, the white flowers of the Sheep’s Beard Grass swayed, looking like snow fairies dancing among the grass.

Just from appearances, this mist-enshrouded forest seemed much more peaceful than what was recorded by the Mercenary Branch.

Yue Jinghua did not dare to let her guard down; she took out the map and after glancing over it again, she found that the Arctic Sweet Yellow, a type of spirit wood she was there to collect, was photophobic and preferred shade, only emerging from the ground at night to absorb moonlight.

If it was between October and May, she could collect it at any time upon entering the Greenland Black Forest. But now in July, she could only collect it during the two hours of night available in a day.

Looking back over her shoulder, Yue Jinghua sighed, "Come on out, you’ve been following me all the way. To accommodate you, I’ve delayed an entire night."

From the low shrubbery behind her, a series of curses were heard, and Ye Zi leaped out, pulling a face at Yue Jinghua.

Yue Chen lingered for a while before reluctantly showing himself.

Both of them were from the Chi Mei Clan, naturally affiliated with the Wood Attribute, and their tracks were almost untraceable in such a forest environment; they couldn’t understand how Yue Jinghua had detected them.

"You’re bluffing, rushing along as if fiercely on a mission, and you’re saying you slowed down for us?" No wonder Ye Zi was angry. She and Yue Chen came to Five Saints Town to broaden their knowledge, only to find Yue Jinghua solely focused on preparing her "Second Generation Soldier" squad, leaving them behind in the town.

This time, she slipped away on such an interesting adventure without even a word. Fortunately, Ye Zi was clever enough to hear about it in advance from Yun Luo and coaxed Yue Chen to stealthily follow her.

"Please, do use some skill when you tail someone. You bumped into a tree trunk because you were sleepy at midnight, and your stomachs growled from hunger during the day. Anyone could hear that," Yue Jinghua couldn’t help but face-palm, it was also fortunate that her Spiritual Sense was so sharp that she had spotted their identities early on, or they would have been wiped out by her as enemies by now.

"I, I didn’t," Yue Chen said, feeling intimidated under Yue Jinghua’s stare, his eyes darting around. It was only because he was worried about her safety that he had secretly followed her.

"You didn’t, and indeed, you hid yourself better than Ye Zi. But you brought Fire Spreading Algae with you. I’m all too familiar with the scent of this algae; I didn’t need to see it to know it was you following behind. Since you’ve come, so be it; it’s about time you two broadened your horizons," said Yue Jinghua with a softened expression as she looked out at the Greenland Forest, shrouded in the morning twilight, and the mysteriously dangerous depths of the forest, an idea forming in her mind.