"What should we do next?" I asked.
"They sent you here because they value your abilities. It's up to you now," Xue Gucheng threw the question back at me.
I was somewhat at a loss, but if I couldn't find a way, then no one could. With that thought, I calmed myself and began to analyze:
The dense fog shrouded everything, obscuring the sky above and the ground below. The river flowed erratically, the trees seemed to possess spirits, and there was no sign of stars.
Xue Gucheng offered a hint. "I can sense that you are different from us. Therefore, this environment only affects us. What we see and hear is merely an illusion."
His words brought much clarity to my mind. I closed my eyes and listened intently. Unconsciously, I recalled a childhood memory of our livestock getting lost. My grandmother said to follow the footprints; fresh tracks would reveal the animals' direction.
"I understand! We can follow the footprints!" Just as I was about to ask if they knew the characteristics of the local footprints, Xue Gucheng, enlightened by my words, interrupted. "I know. Follow me."
We re-entered the forest. He extended his hand, sensing the surrounding demonic energy. Finally, he found a clue amidst a patch of weeds. Following this faint aura, we ran for a long time, finally stopping before a large tree. He drew his snow blade and struck the tree several times. After a burst of energy, the original appearance of a cave was revealed before us.
As we excitedly wondered what awaited us, a black mist suddenly emerged from the cave, lunging towards everyone. Xue Gucheng hastily spread his white cloak, shielding Yan Wushuang. Ali also produced leaves, conjuring an oil-paper umbrella, and pulled me behind it.
In an instant, the surroundings turned pitch black, making it impossible to see anything. I frantically clutched Ali, relieved that he was still there. Worried about Xue Gucheng and Yan Wushuang, I called out, "Brother Xue! Sister Yan! Are you there?"
After a long silence with no reply, I anxiously scanned the darkness. Nothing but blackness met my gaze. "Ali, they seem to be gone," I told him. However, Ali did not respond. I looked at him in surprise. In the utter darkness, I couldn't see anything and could only grope for him with my hands and feet. He suddenly began to move, pulling me forward. "Ali, where are we going?" This scene felt eerily familiar. He still didn't reply, just kept moving forward. Sensing something was wrong, I wrenched myself free and ran back. However, the person didn't pursue me. After running a few steps, I slowly stopped, unsure where to go.
Suddenly, a hand reached out from behind and grabbed me. Startled, I cried out in fear, "Ah!!!" I hastily shook him off, only to hear a gentle voice say, "Mu Ye, it's me." It was Ali's voice. I cautiously reached out. Still somewhat suspicious, I asked him softly, "Ali, is that you?"
"It is."
"I think I just grabbed a strange person."
"What strange person?"
"I don't know, he just kept running."
"Oh, did you get a good look at him?"
"No, it was too dark."
"Oh, well, take a look and see if it's like this."
I was filled with confusion. He suddenly lowered his head, leaning closer to me. My vision suddenly brightened. I clearly saw a large face, completely black, like a smooth piece of black stone. "Ah!!!" I screamed in terror and turned to flee. He chuckled sinisterly and began to chase me. The sound of his eerie laughter echoed in my ears. Terrifying memories resurfaced, recalling a moonless, dark night when a similar sinister laughter pursued me. A cold sweat instantly drenched me, and past fears sent me into a panic. My hands and feet fumbled, and I ran wildly.
Suddenly, with a "whoosh," the black stone ghost was split in two. A white light spilled in. With a "bang," it exploded. I turned back in terror, only to see two white figures standing before me. "Brother Xue, Sister Yan." I called out naturally.
Seeing only me, Xue Gucheng asked, "Where is the young brother who was with you?"
"Ali, he... I don't know where he went."
Yan Wushuang said, "For now, let's dispel this black mist and then search for him."
"Alright." With that, Xue Gucheng placed his hands forward, drawing a diagram of the cosmos, and pushed it forward. Instantly, a chilling aura emanated from within him. The cold energy formed a powerful gust that blew away the surrounding black mist, revealing the hazy gray fog.
The black mist dissipated, but Ali was still nowhere to be seen. I called out his name loudly, filled with worry, "Ali! Ali!" However, there was no response. He had vanished as if he had never been there. "What do we do?" I asked in a panic. Now that even Ali was gone, I truly didn't know what to do. Yan Wushuang comforted me. "Don't worry, he'll be fine."
Xue Gucheng gazed at the vast gray mist before them. His usual proud demeanor had to yield to the might of the Myriad Ghost Forest. "I didn't expect the Myriad Ghost Forest to be so powerful. I had only heard of its reputation before. I never imagined it would be as formidable as the legends say."
"What should we do now?" I sighed softly, completely out of ideas. Xue Gucheng pondered for a moment and said, "Miss Mu Ye, it's up to you again. You are the only one unaffected by this place." I was slightly stunned, unsure of what to do. I sighed softly and then rallied my spirits. I slowly looked around, trying to calm myself. Then, I thought about what other methods I could use to find him. Using sound to find someone wouldn't work; the Myriad Ghost Forest also utilized sound. What about scent? I wondered if Xue Gucheng could smell Ali's scent. That also seemed unreliable. I thought further. Ah, yes, the footprint tracking method! Ali's footprints should still be around here. "Brother Xue, see if you can use the footprint tracking method again. Ali probably hasn't gone far, and his footprints should still be here."
Upon hearing my suggestion, Xue Gucheng decided to try. He slowly crouched down and carefully examined the ground. Amidst the scattered footprints, he found a pair of relatively small ones. He extended his hand, placed it lightly on the footprints, and then exerted force. A cold energy fell upon the tracks, emitting a light. Immediately, this light rapidly moved forward, revealing a trail of similar footprints leading ahead. "It's Ali's footprints!" I exclaimed with great joy, surprised that the method actually worked. "Let's follow them quickly," Xue Gucheng said.
Thus, the three of us followed the footprints, running for a long time. The tracks suddenly stopped beneath a tall maple tree. I curiously looked up, trying to see if Ali was on the tree. However, the hazy gray fog still obscured my vision, making it impossible to see clearly. "Ali! Are you up there?" I shouted towards the tree, but there was no response. I called out again, "Ali! Are you up there?" Still no response. Confusion arose, and I wondered if we had fallen for the Myriad Ghost Forest's trick again.
"I'm here." A clear and bright voice replied. It sounded like Ali's voice. The three of us looked around but couldn't see him. I scratched my head, puzzled. "What's going on? I clearly heard Ali call out just now, but I can't see him?" Xue Gucheng also expressed his suspicion. "That voice just now was indeed from young brother Ali. He should be nearby." We searched all around but still couldn't find him. "Ali! Where are you? Speak up." With no other option, I called out to him again. "I'm here." Again, the familiar voice. The three of us looked around suspiciously, still unable to see him. Yan Wushuang seemed to have an idea and quietly moved to the side, focusing on the large maple tree before them.
Seeing her thoughtful expression, Xue Gucheng guessed, "Shuang'er, are you thinking that this large tree might be young brother Ali?" Yan Wushuang nodded slightly and analyzed, "Those echoing replies were clearly from not far away, yet we can't find anyone. And all we see is this large maple tree before us, so I suspect..." Hearing her words, I also became suspicious, and together we looked at the maple tree. Xue Gucheng stepped forward slightly, touched the trunk, and asked the tree, "Young brother Ali, is that you?"
"It is." The voice clearly came from within the tree. To think that our suspicions were correct! Xue Gucheng immediately said, "Young brother Ali, don't be afraid. I'll save you now." As he spoke, he extended two fingers and pushed towards the tree, chanting a mantra. "Heaven's decree is set, the arts have their order, break!" Instantly, a surge of true energy flowed into the tree. The tree shuddered and slowly transformed into Ali's likeness. Ali had been standing for a long time, his body weak. As he reverted to human form, he leaned forward slightly. I rushed forward to support him. Ali wiped the sweat from his brow and thanked Xue Gucheng gratefully. "Thank you, Brother Xue." He also naturally began calling him Brother Xue.
Xue Gucheng asked, "Young brother Ali, why did you come here alone and turn into this tree?" Ali explained, "When that black mist attacked, a figure suddenly appeared before me. It looked like Mu Ye. That figure ran forward, and I chased after her, calling out to her. After finally catching up, I reached out to touch her, and my whole body suddenly became immobile. Before long, I slowly turned into this tree."
"I didn't expect the Myriad Ghost Forest to have this ability." Xue Gucheng had initially believed that what they knew was the extent of the Myriad Ghost Forest's capabilities. He hadn't expected it to be just the tip of the iceberg. "Could the Heavenly Masters have also turned into trees?" Seeing Ali's predicament, I began to worry about the Heavenly Masters' fate. Xue Gucheng shook his head. "No, the Heavenly Masters' strength is not inferior to mine. And I can resolve this illusionary tree phenomenon, so they surely can as well. Therefore, they should still be somewhere."
Yan Wushuang said, "It's just that we've lost our lead now, and I don't know how to find them." Ali suddenly spoke up. "When I was groggy, I heard a faint voice calling. It sounded like the Heavenly Master's voice."
"Did you hear it clearly?" Xue Gucheng asked eagerly.
"There's no mistake. Mu Ye and I have met the Heavenly Master many times. I would never mistake his unrestrained and casual voice."
"If that's the case, then that's great. It means the Heavenly Masters are not far from us." Yan Wushuang asked Ali, "Brother Ali, did you hear where that voice came from?" Ali thought back carefully. "It seemed to come from that direction." He pointed to the left. "Alright, let's head in this direction," Xue Gucheng said.
Thus, the few of us headed towards the left. To ensure we could find them, Xue Gucheng suggested I offer a drop of blood to guide the way. I agreed, and he made a small cut on my hand. A trickle of crimson blood slowly dripped down, landing on his snow blade. He held up the snow blade and swung it forward. The snow blade acted like a cleaving axe, carving a path for us. We followed the snow blade and arrived beside a massive boulder. Xue Gucheng retrieved his snow blade, slowly gathering energy in his hand. Suddenly, he leaped up and cleaved the boulder with a single strike. The boulder exploded, kicking up a thousand feet of dust. Amidst the dust, a blurry figure suddenly appeared. As the figure slowly emerged and came closer, we finally saw that it was the long-lost "Master Zhang," whom we had been searching for so diligently.
"Heavenly Master!" I exclaimed in surprise, unable to believe it was true. Following him, a group of people poured out of the cave. Seeing us, they cried out in joy, "That's great, you're finally here, that's great." The Heavenly Master walked forward with deep gratitude, cupping his hands towards Xue Gucheng and Yan Wushuang. "You two are the renowned Twin Fiends of the Snow Blade, aren't you? Thank you both for coming to our rescue."
"We were merely entrusted by others. As for rescuing people, it's all thanks to this young lady. This young lady seems destined to resolve this matter," Yan Wushuang subtly praised me. The Heavenly Master smiled as he looked at Ali and me, surprised by our presence. "You've come too. Are you both alright?"
"We're fine. Along with Ali and me came Liu Shinian, Fei Xiong, and Dao Lang. Unfortunately, we got separated, and I don't know where they've gone." Speaking of this, I was filled with worry again. I wondered if Liu Shinian and the others had encountered any danger. "My magical powers are affected by this Myriad Ghost Forest, making it impossible to determine direction. Perhaps, it truly is up to you." The Heavenly Master patted my shoulder, placing his hope in me. Instantly, the pressure doubled. Suddenly receiving the trust and expectations of so many people reignited my long-dormant sense of justice. I resolved to find a way to lead them out of this predicament.
After leaving the cave, we began searching for Liu Shinian and the other two. However, the footprint tracking method was no longer effective. The Heavenly Master tried using spirit butterflies to scout the way, but it was also futile. Fang Yiyong, a righteous warrior from Beishen, used flying paper to scout, but it also never returned. Everyone was disheartened. Seeing the Heavenly Master's hopeful gaze, everyone turned their expectant eyes towards me.
Ali suddenly remembered something and said to me, "Mu Ye, do you remember? Before we entered the Myriad Ghost Forest, Liu Shinian gave you a wooden whistle. He told you to blow it if you needed help. You should try it." Ali's words reminded me of the wooden whistle hanging around my neck, long forgotten. I took it down and blew a long, clear note that echoed through the sky, but there was no reaction. I thought perhaps it was also affected by this place. "It seems it's still not working. We need to find another way." I felt a bit dejected, unsure of what to do. "It's alright, we'll find a way," the Heavenly Master comforted me.
Suddenly, a sharp sword flew out from the gray mist. Xue Gucheng drew his blade and deflected it. The sword then flew back into the dense fog. At that moment, in the hazy distance ahead, three figures could be vaguely seen. One stout and two thin, one tall, one short, and one thin. The three figures slowly emerged from the gray fog. As they came closer, we saw clearly that they were Liu Shinian, Dao Lang, and Fei Xiong.