The Art of Chaotic Divinity

Chapter 164: A Hidden Paradise?

"What!?"

The third elder's brow furrowed in surprise. Ling Feng's resilience was unexpected; despite taking a blow from him, Ling Feng hadn't succumbed immediately!

Just ahead, within a hundred feet, lay the range of the Misty Ghost Forest. The third elder clenched his fists, standing rooted to the spot, no longer daring to take a step forward.

One breath!

Two breaths!

Three breaths!

The third elder's eyes bulged with fury, his gaze turning bloodshot as he let out a thunderous roar, "You! Little! Beast!"

Ling Feng's declaration before plunging into the Misty Ghost Forest left the third elder uneasy.

The curse, sparing neither man nor beast from the Jia Family, was especially malevolent!

Clenching his fists, the third elder smirked coldly. "You little beast, do you truly believe you can survive venturing into the Misty Ghost Forest? And to speak of wiping out my entire Jia Family, how ludicrous!"

Nevertheless, he harbored some apprehension. With a determined grit, he sat down cross-legged on the spot.

"Hmph, I'll wait right here. If you don't come out within ten days, it's certain death for you!"

...

Let's recount how Ling Feng took a blow from the third elder, leaving his muscles and veins seemingly severed in half. If not for his resilient willpower and Zifeng's Vitality Fusion, he might have fallen unconscious on the spot.

Propelled forward several hundred meters by the force of the third elder's palm, Ling Feng had initially prepared to open the Eye of the Asura and engage in a desperate struggle with the third elder. However, he was suddenly ensnared by a terrifying suction force, pulling him helplessly forward.

It was only then that he realized why the third elder of the Jia Family had become so agitated; it turned out that what lay in front of them was such an eerie place.

Gritting his teeth, Ling Feng remained uncertain whether this was a stroke of luck or a disaster.

With his vision engulfed in a white haze, weakness, exhaustion, and intense pain all erupted simultaneously, overwhelming Ling Feng. Unable to withstand it any longer, he finally closed his eyes and lost consciousness...

An unknown time had passed until Ling Feng finally opened his eyes.

Struggling, he lifted his hand and rubbed his eyes.

His arm felt as heavy as lead, burdened by an oppressive weight. Even the slightest movement seemed to strain multiple tendons, prompting a low groan from Ling Feng.

Grimacing, he drew in a deep breath before beginning to survey his surroundings.

Is this the "Misty Ghost Forest" mentioned by the third elder of the Jia Family?

Indeed, he remembered being pulled into the Misty Ghost Forest by a terrifying suction force before losing consciousness. The area was shrouded in a dense white mist, resembling a desolate expanse.

However, instead of a scene of hellish torment, what greeted his eyes was a picturesque landscape of peach blossoms and flowing water, with petals drifting through the air in a riot of colors.

Ling Feng found it hard to believe his eyes as he observed the colorful petals floating through the sky, seemingly descending from the heavens, their fragrance so intoxicating it left one spellbound.

Where was the feared wasteland? This forest resembled nothing less than a paradise on earth!

The ground was strewn with spiritual flowers and herbs, and in the distance, one could discern a field of medicinal plants along with a row of thatched cottages.

With lotus ponds and willow trees, everything appeared so serene and natural.

Ling Feng swallowed hard, murmuring incredulously, "This... am I still dreaming?"

"No, Master, you're not dreaming," echoed Zifeng's voice in his mind. "I sense a very, very, very dangerous presence here. From its aura, it seems to be a demonic beast."

"A demonic beast?" Ling Feng's eyes twitched slightly. Zifeng had never been this serious before. With three "very"s in a row, it was evident how formidable that demon beast must be.

It was definitely a beast that could easily outmatch that third elder!

"Well, my instincts have never been wrong."

With a flicker of firelight, Zifeng reverted to its small stone figure form and hopped onto Ling Feng's shoulder.

"Anyway, caution is paramount."

Recalling the third elder's apprehension towards this place, Ling Feng realized that it wouldn't be as tranquil and serene as it seemed on the surface.

Seating himself in a cross-legged position, Ling Feng activated the True Art of Xuanyuan, focusing on gathering his true qi to mend his injuries.

At present, with most of his meridians shattered, Ling Feng could only begin by utilizing his true qi to guide the meridians in his right arm. Once his right hand regained some mobility, he could then apply the Profound Art of Acupuncture and Moxibustion to self-treat.

...

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, three days had passed.

Thanks to his mastery of the Profound Art of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Ling Feng's wounds hadn't completely healed, but he could finally move with freedom.

Throughout these three days, Ling Feng had solely been engaged in meditation and self-healing within the Misty Ghost Forest. Remarkably, the menacing creature Zifeng had mentioned had not sought him out, nor had he encountered any other peril.

Ling Feng began to question whether the Misty Ghost Forest truly harbored any danger.

The landscape before him was nothing short of picturesque, with peach and willow trees casting graceful shadows and vibrant flowers blooming everywhere.

Ling Feng rose to his feet slowly, giving little heed to his surroundings. He activated his true qi and swiftly executed the Boundless Sword Steps, launching himself into the air.

However, before he could ascend half a zhang, Ling Feng found himself forcefully pulled back to the ground by an unseen force.

"Hmm?" Ling Feng paused, momentarily taken aback. Refusing to accept the situation, he immediately activated his Clear Spirit Wings. Despite their usual ability to soar into the sky, he couldn't rise more than seven feet before being drawn back down by the same force.

"I understand now!" Ling Feng's eyes narrowed in realization. The strange attraction indicated that while all living beings could enter the Misty Ghost Forest, none could leave.

"Am I to be trapped here for a lifetime?" Ling Feng furrowed his brows in concern. Being confined to this place indefinitely was scarcely different from death.

"Well, that's not necessarily the case. It depends on whether you have enough guts or not, master," Zifeng suddenly chimed in.

"Oh?" Ling Feng's heart skipped a beat, excitement bubbling within him. "Zifeng, do you have a plan?"

"Well, you see..." Zifeng chuckled mischievously. "Besides us, there's a pretty powerful demonic beast around here. Why don't we just ask it?"

Ling Feng's mouth twitched a few times. Wasn't this just sending himself to his death?

In Ling Feng's mind, demonic beasts always preyed on humans.

If it hadn't come looking for him, why should he go looking for trouble?

With a sigh, Ling Feng's face betrayed a hint of resignation.

Surrounded only by petals and wild grass, was he going to spend every day here eating petals?

After much hesitation, Ling Feng finally stood up again and brushed off the petals clinging to his body. He looked towards the row of bamboo houses not far away and spoke in a deep voice, "Those buildings are obviously not naturally formed. Perhaps some unlucky fellows like me have fallen into this place and built those bamboo houses."

Ling Feng walked towards the row of bamboo houses, sighing bitterly as he said, "Let's go take a look. Maybe there are still some survivors."

"Master, you're overthinking it. Besides you and that monster, there are no survivors here," Zifeng remarked lightly, seated on Ling Feng's shoulder. "Don't blame me for not telling you. The direction you're heading in is where that demonic beast is."

Though Ling Feng's footsteps hesitated briefly, he soon continued forward.

"I once encountered a demonic dragon prince from the demon race, a creature with high intelligence. This demonic beast should also be communicable," Ling Feng said as he walked. "If it wanted to eat me, it would have done so long ago. Why wait until now?"

"Maybe it just happens to not be hungry," Zifeng chuckled.

"You talk too much!" Ling Feng felt a strong urge to throw Zifeng to the ground and give him a good stomping.

After taking a deep breath, Ling Feng finally arrived at the row of bamboo houses after about the time it took to drink a cup of tea.

Before him stood four or five bamboo houses, forming a spacious courtyard. Inside the courtyard, there was a well and a rocking chair.

...

Ling Feng was taken aback to see that atop the rocking chair was not a person as he initially thought.

Instead it was a...

Donkey!

That donkey was lounging on the rocking chair with its front legs crossed and its chin resting on its right hoof as it dozed off!

Ling Feng was utterly bewildered by the scene. What in the world? What sort of demon was this?

No, scratch that. He should be asking, "what kind of demonic donkey was this!?"