Yu Quanzhen, controlling the time hourglass, slowly advanced forward. Long Zhe followed on his left, Chi Hongyi on his right, and Madam Rose followed behind. The other cultivators, each in their own small group, entered the Magic Forest.
Ming Qi, along with a few others and Da Bai, who had also used illusions, followed behind the main group, entering the Magic Forest from a distance.
Thanks to Yu Quanzhen's protection, many cultivators felt less threatened. Even within the deadly Origin Formation, many remained relaxed and engaged in conversation.
However, Ming Qi disagreed. Although he had never entered the Magic Forest, he didn't believe that a single Origin Formation existed within it.
The previous exploratory attack by Long Zhe, Chi Hongyi, and Lady Rose on the Magic Forest had already demonstrated that the demonic beasts within the Magic Forest, possessed by the demonic bloodline, were equally formidable. If they were disturbed, even with Yu Quanzhen's time hourglass protecting them from the effects of the Origin Formation, they would likely be killed by the demonic beasts.
"Everyone, stay back and proceed with caution. This Magic Forest is not a simple place to be in."
Ming Qi instructed as they walked.
The girls knew Ming Qi had a reason for saying so, so they walked cautiously, keeping a steady pace behind the large group of cultivators ahead, not approaching them.
Ming Qi and his companions had a clear purpose: to use Yu Quanzhen's aid to pass through the Magic Forest. They did not want to encounter any other cultivators. After all, once they crossed the Magic Forest, they would likely engage in battle. Faced with the allure of treasure, everything else was irrelevant.
When they first entered the Magic Forest, the surroundings were relatively quiet. Aside from the unusually dark sheen of the vegetation, the surroundings were eerily peaceful. Not even the chirping of insects could be heard, nor could any demonic beasts be heard. It was as if the entire Magic Forest were a place devoid of life.
It was already night, but these people, all of whom possessed profound cultivation, weren't hampered by the light. However, in the pitch-black forest, a creepy aura lingered.
"It's so eerie here!"
After walking for a while, Mo Changli couldn't help but exclaim.
"This place must be something special. The entire Magic Forest stretches nearly a hundred miles, and we've only just entered. Who knows what kind of demonic beasts might appear in its depths."
Ming Qi spoke, constantly diversifying his consciousness, closely monitoring the surroundings.
At the same time, Ming Qi instructed Da Bai to monitor any changes in the surroundings.
Dabai's transformed form was quite impressive, even the knowledgeable Chi Hongyi was stunned when it first appeared.
The ancient Ascension Tiger, a legendary species, was said to be capable of achieving godhood, yet few in the world knew of it. Furthermore, most information about the Ascension Tiger had been lost, leaving only a handful of people still aware of it.
At this moment, Dabai, the imposter, had become a protective shield for Ming Qi and the others.
"Someone!"
As Ming Qi walked quietly, Dabai's voice echoed in his mind.
"Someone? Why didn't I sense it?"
Ming Qi was stunned. His aura had always been present, and thanks to the Supreme Diagram's amplification, his perception was extremely strong, yet he hadn't sensed anyone's presence.
"It's a very strange walking path. I only sensed it faintly, but it's definitely there."
Monster beasts have far stronger perception than humans, and their methods of perception are also different. So, after hearing Dabai's suggestion, he didn't dare to be careless. If that was indeed the case, then this person must be extremely powerful.
Furthermore, the fact that this person could navigate the Magic Forest with ease indicated a close connection to it.
Ming Qi's thoughts raced. If, as previously inferred, Meng Ling had appeared here before, then the person who had used the Origin Formation to achieve a rebirth against all odds in Mount Osho must be Young Master Wushuang, the young master of the Divine Weapon Sect from the end of ancient times.
Since Young Master Wushuang's rebirth against all odds was not complete, the person who appeared at this time could not be him.
Besides Meng Ling, Young Master Wushuang also had a great general under his command, the Nine-Nine God-Slayer Banner, also known as the Demonic Soldier God-Slayer.
However, Ming Qi was puzzled as to who the mysterious sword-bearing figure he had seen once before was. He had inquired about the location of the Divine Realm and was clearly a highly skilled figure. He had appeared in the Imperial Mountains and was clearly interested in Mount Osho, yet he hadn't appeared yet. This gave Ming Qi a somewhat ominous feeling.
The treasure of Mount Osho had surfaced, but the powerful individual behind it remained hidden. Even the person behind the scenes, who had been manipulating the situation and issuing fictitious bounties to lure numerous mercenary groups to the Imperial Mountains, hadn't appeared. What was the secret?
A barrage of questions immediately filled Ming Qi's mind, but he didn't have time to analyze them.
Because shortly after Dabai's warning, all the monks who had entered the Magic Forest heard a terrifying, teeth-chattering sound.
Hehe, hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
The first sound was a series of teeth-gritting, trembling laughter, filled with gloom and terror, seemingly capable of completely unleashing the deepest fears in one's heart.
Hehe, hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
The laughter rose and fell, its direction shifting erratically, making it impossible to discern any trace.
The repetitive laughter instantly drew the attention of all the cultivators back, and even those who had been somewhat inattentive began to feel their hearts pounding.
Yue Quanzhen, walking in the middle, continued to control the time hourglass to maintain his aura, but otherwise made no other movement.
By this point, all the cultivators understood that Yu Quanzhen was indeed a Martial King, but he had only agreed to use his magic weapon to resist the Origin Formation. As for any threats other than the Origin Formation encountered in the Magic Forest, he had no reason to intervene.
After figuring this out, many small groups began to gather together and become alert, closely observing their surroundings.
"They've arrived."
Ming Qi was naturally extremely cautious at this point. Judging from the current situation, even though they were still in the Magic Forest, they were essentially acting independently. It seemed that Yu Quanzhen's talk of unity was just a slogan.
"Everyone, be careful. Pay close attention to your surroundings. Use your spiritual senses, especially to any fluctuations in air currents."
Ming Qi suddenly and quickly warned, summoning the Supreme Mountain and Sea Map and calling out to the Wuxiang Boy.
A moment later, the Wuxiang Boy's lazy voice rang out.
"What's wrong? I was sleeping soundly."
In the Supreme Map, the Wuxiang Boy poked his head out to take a look, then retreated with a mutter.
"They're just some ghostly creatures, no big deal. Just follow the method I gave you and devour them."
"Ghostly creatures?"
Ming Qi was startled. Apparently, his judgment had been correct again. There were indeed invisible creatures around.
"Yes, they are, but they haven't come close yet. They're just wandering around in the distance," Wu Xiang Tongzi replied.
After all, Ming Qi was Wu Xiang Tongzi's actual master, and he couldn't disobey Ming Qi's wishes.
"So, you mean to use the formula for collecting the Origin Formation to collect these ghostly creatures?"
Ming Qi was still unsure. He hadn't expected Wu Xiang Tongzi's formula for collecting the Origin Formation to be so effective, like a panacea.
"Yeah, that's right."
He didn't ask any further questions. Since the so-called ghostly creatures hadn't come close yet, Ming Qi wasn't too worried. He simply told everyone to be cautious, pay attention to the surrounding air currents, and stay close together and don't spread out too much.
The eerie, sinister laughter continued to echo throughout the Magic Forest, lingering for a long time, rising and falling.
Finally, the sound morphed into a hollow, lifeless voice, devoid of any trace of humanity.
"Hehehe, this forest has been silent for tens of thousands of years. I never thought someone would finally arrive. Since you've arrived, I'll give you a taste of the devil, hehehe..."
Finally, someone spoke, a chilling, eerie voice that made all the monks unconsciously slow their pace.
"Humanity's blood will be the source of your abyss, and souls filled with lust will once again come to enrich my brutality and power..."
The hidden voice was like a floodgate, a series of meaningless flowery phrases drifting out from all directions, reaching everyone's ears.
As the sound continued, everyone realized that the once deadly quiet Magic Forest had undergone a transformation!
The surroundings, where even the sound of the wind could be heard, suddenly became noisy, like the roar of thousands of beasts, or the awe-inspiring roar of waves. But shockingly, no matter how hard they searched, they could not detect anything!
After just a short while, some of the guards began to lose their composure.
"The ghostly creatures are starting to move. Hmm, their movements are very rhythmic and methodical. It seems someone is directing these ghostly creatures."
The formless boy, hiding in the Supreme Diagram, continuously reported a wealth of information to Ming Qi, as if explaining it.
Ming Qi had already quietly activated the key techniques of the Origin Gathering Array. Invisible energy currents silently extended around him, enveloping everyone else.
"Here they come!"
A moment later, Ming Qi felt a sudden surge of wind around him, causing his clothes to flutter. Although he still couldn't see anything, Ming Qi knew the so-called ghostly creatures were close at hand!