The three of them fell silent for a moment, but Zeng Shu was still lively and quick-witted, so she smiled and spoke up first: "Lin Shidi, how did you get here?"

  Lin Jingyu wasn't very familiar with Zeng Shushu, but seeing a fellow disciple in this strange land made him feel somewhat close to her. Moreover, he knew that Zeng Shushu and Zhang Xiaofan had been good friends back then, and for some reason, he felt a bit of goodwill towards her. He nodded and said, "Just now, I got separated from the other senior brothers in the miasma. I rushed out and happened to arrive at a place not far from here. Luckily, I saw the light of the treasure flashing over here, so I came over to take a look."

  Zeng Shu smiled and wiped the rain from his face, saying: "It seems we still have a good fate, in such a dangerous place, it's better to have more people, right? Master Fa Xiang?"

  Fǎ xiāng wēi wēi yī xiào, diǎn tóu dào: "Bù cuò...... è, yǔ tíng le?"

  Translation:

  Fa Xiang smiled slightly and nodded, saying: "Not bad... uh, has the rain stopped?"

  Zeng Shu looked up at the sky with Lin Jingyu, and indeed, the rain that had been pouring down earlier had gradually subsided. The sky was clearing, and even the clouds seemed to have opened up a bit.

  Lin Jingyu took a deep breath, feeling that the air in the forest after the rain was exceptionally fresh and clean, as if it still carried a hint of sweetness that seeped into his heart.

  Fa Xiang turned his head to glance at the strange flower that had already fully closed up, and said: "This place is extremely eerie, this strange flower is not a good omen either. We can't stay here for long, let's leave this place first!"

  Lin Jingyu didn't say a word, Zeng Shu smiled and said: "What Master Fa Xiang said is right, let's go!"

  As he spoke, he turned his head and glanced at Lin Jingyu, who nodded silently.

  The three of them tidied up and then mounted their magical treasures, soaring into the air.

  Zeng Shu hesitated for a moment in mid-air, then loudly said to the two of them: "Fashang Master Brother, Lin Master Younger Brother, this forest is shockingly vast, and there are countless poisonous insects, ferocious beasts, and all sorts of evil things. I'm afraid that the legendary treasure might be hidden deep within the forest. What should we do next?"

  Lin Jingyu exclaimed: "Zeng Shixiong, if you don't enter the tiger's lair, how can you get the tiger's cub?"

  Zeng Shu looked at him and then turned his head to look at Fa Xiang, who was smiling with his hands clasped together, apparently without any objections. He smiled and said, "Well, in that case, let's go and explore this desolate and barren land, and see what kind of treasures we can find."

  The three of them were invigorated, urging on their magical treasures, transforming into three streaks of light that continued to fly deeper into the forest.

  The night fell slowly, and the sky had completely darkened.

  Lin Jingyu and the other two searched for half a day, but they didn't find anything. They didn't even see a shadow of that rumored treasure. This was tolerable, but what was unbearable was that in this strange forest, there were all sorts of ferocious beasts and poisonous insects. They had seen many things that were beyond their comprehension. Sometimes, when they were walking in mid-air, flying past a large tree, a withered branch on the tree would suddenly turn into a gray poisonous insect, opening its mouth to bite them.

  In this way, the three of them continued on, and although they had all cultivated to a high level and were each exceptional talents in their respective fields, they still couldn't help but feel secretly shocked and alarmed as they narrowly escaped disaster.

  At this moment, the night color is getting deeper, and the three of them discussed it for a while. Happened to find a large stone in the forest, looking quite flat, so they stepped on it to rest.

  Zeng Shu carefully walked to one side, concentrated and vigilant, while holding the magic sword Xuan Yuan, emitting a faint light, carefully guarding against any danger, picking and choosing, finally selecting some relatively dry twigs and bringing them back to prepare for starting a fire.

  Lin Jingyu watched from the side, suddenly couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh, Zeng Shu heard it in his ear and exchanged a glance with him, knowing what he meant, and also couldn't help but smile.

  For two thousand years since the founding of Qingyun Gate, if one were to say who is the most meticulous and cautious in picking firewood, it would certainly be Zeng Shu Shu today!

  Turning back, Zeng Shu took out the fire starter from his bosom, but after a heavy rain that day, the wood in this area was somewhat damp. It took more than half a day to ignite, and it finally lit up with a lot of thick smoke.

  He glanced around, seeing the dark forest, and after a moment of contemplation, he nodded to Lin Jingyu and Zeng Shushu, indicating for them to sit closer together. He took a deep breath, and slowly began to chant, as the "Wheel of Rebirth" treasure rose from his hand. A soft golden light flickered and expanded, forming a six-foot radius circle around the three, enveloping them in its warm glow.

  In the dim light, the faces of the three were reflected with a soft golden color under the gentle glow of the wheel-turning pearl. Lin Jingyu and Zeng Shushu were both from noble families, so they naturally saw through the magic technique, Lin Jingyu, although having some resentment towards him, also showed a look of surprise like Zeng Shushu.

  Zeng Shu smiled and said: "Master Fa Xiang's good Dharma power is admirable, admirable!"

  Fasheng smiled slightly and said, "There are too many poisonous insects here. I'm afraid the light from this small fire is not enough to defend against them. With this 'Prajna Heart Circle', we don't have to worry about ordinary poisonous creatures tonight."

  After speaking, he smiled faintly at the two of them, his eyes intentionally or unintentionally gazing towards Lin Jingyu. Lin Jingyu looked at him for a moment, then slowly lowered his head, not saying anything. Fahiang's gaze slowly shifted back, staring at the small fire pit between the three people, the flames reflecting in his eyes, but it was unclear what he was thinking about.

  At this time, the atmosphere in the field gradually calmed down. The three people didn't speak again, and all that could be heard was the wind suddenly rising from the deep night color and the heavy darkness around them.

  The wind sounds like a sob, as if a heartbroken woman is crying alone in the distance, gently drifting through the forest, sweeping over the treetops and brushing against the leaves.

  The entire dark forest, in this pitch-black deep night, suddenly seemed to have come alive, opening its chest and letting its offspring freely thrive and sing in its infinitely vast bosom.

  The night grew darker, and the wind passed through the treetops.

  Flickering flames dance back and forth.

  Fasheng closed his eyes and sat in meditation, having written a book that seemed to have exhausted him. He lay down beside the fire pit, seemingly asleep. Only Lin Jingyu remained sitting on the other side of the fire pit, wide awake with no intention of sleeping, his eyes gleaming as he stared at the burning flames.

  He slowly stretched out his hand, picked up a withered branch, snapped it into two segments with a "crack", and gently threw them into the fire.

  The flames slowly devoured the withered branches, and seemed to grow even more vigorous. Lin Xiangyu suddenly felt a sense of unease, and turned to look at the side, only to see Fa Xiang's eyes open, silently staring at him.

  "Lin Shidi." Fearing that Zeng Shu Shu was still sleeping, Fa Xiang deliberately lowered his voice and said in a low tone: "Why aren't you resting yet?"

  Lin Jingyu withdrew his gaze and looked at the fire pit in front of him again. After a while, he said faintly, "Master, you didn't sleep either?"

  Fang Xiangdao said: "I've always been in the habit of sitting and resting, it's nothing new. But you, Lin Shidi, are still young and should rest more."

  Lin Jingyu was silent for a long time before suddenly saying, "In these ten years, I have rarely slept."

  Fǎ xiāng yī zhòu méi, yǒu xiē qí guài, dào: "wèi shén me?"

  Translation:

  Fa Xiang furrowed his brow, looking somewhat strange, and said: "Why?"

  Lin Jingyu's eyes reflected the flames burning in front of him, flickering slowly as he said: "As long as I close my eyes, I will remember the innocent villagers of Cao Miao Village who died miserably, and think of Xiao Fan brothers who unfortunately sank into the devil's path."

  "Snap!" A crisp sound echoed softly in the deep night. Lin Jingyu broke the withered branch in his hand again and slowly threw it into the fire heap.

  The night was pitch black, and the forest in the darkness seemed to be roaring silently in the distant stillness.

  Fa Xiang gazed silently at Lin Jingyu, the young man beside the faint flame, his figure seeming somewhat lonely yet so stubborn.

  After a while, he withdrew his gaze and looked at the Wheel of Reincarnation floating lightly in front of him. Suddenly, he said, "Do you still remember Zhang Xiaofan, your junior brother?"

  Lin Jingyu didn't respond, but his gaze turned icy as he stared at Fa Xiang.

  In his eyes, there was a faint pain, but his voice was still relatively calm and gentle, saying slowly: "For the past ten years, he has joined the Demon Sect's Ghost King Clan, and now he is already the vice sect master of the Ghost King Clan. Everyone in the world knows that sooner or later, he will be the next Ghost King of the Ghost King Clan."

  As he spoke, he slowly turned his head to meet Lin Jingyu's gaze. The corners of his eyes seemed to twitch for a moment, but he continued speaking: "In the past decade, he has killed countless people, slaughtering with abandon, and even within the demonic sect, they refer to him as the Blood Young Master rather than by name. To all righteous paths, he is considered a great menace..."

  "That's enough!" Lin Jingyu suddenly shouted, his teeth clenched tightly, his fists clenched and his veins bulging.

  Fa Xiang gazed at him, yet continued: "If one day you face him, what will you do?"

  The night grew cooler, as if the entire world was as cold and unfeeling as this.

  Lin Jingyu's handsome face was lightly reflected with golden light from the flames, he slowly closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

  "He is my brother!"

  Fa Xiang looked at him without saying a word.

  Lin Jingyu slowly lowered his head, and his voice also sank a few degrees: "I know, he has now fallen into the devil's path and can't turn back. When we meet again in the future, it will likely be as sworn enemies..."

  "Snap!" He broke off the third branch and slowly put it into the fire, saying quietly: "Whether we are mortal enemies or sworn not to coexist, I don't care what you orthodox predecessors think. In my heart, even if it's a struggle between good and evil, sooner or later there will be a battle. Whether he wants to kill me or I want to kill him, I consider him my brother."

  He smiled faintly, with a hint of bitterness and determination, saying softly: "He is the only brother I have in this lifetime!"

  Nobody spoke anymore.

  In the ancient forest, it became more and more quiet. In the cold wind, as if someone was sighing softly on the treetops, at the distant edge of the sky...

  Zeng Shu suddenly opened his eyes, sat up, and furrowed his brow, as if concentrating on listening to something, which startled both Fa Xiang and Lin Jingyu.

  Lin Jingyu exclaimed: "Zeng Shixiong, what's wrong?"

  Zeng Shu's face turned solemn, and he said, "Something is off, listen!"

  Fa Xiang and Lin Jingyu were both startled, they had been so absorbed in their conversation that they hadn't noticed the commotion around them until now, and they quickly looked around and listened intently.

  In the forest, apart from the wind that was still whistling by, it seemed to be quiet again, with no signs of anything. But a moment later, they both furrowed their brows at the same time, and from afar, there came a faint but dense "rustling" sound, as if it were hundreds of insects marching in the night. Although it was unclear through the darkness, the sound seemed to be very distant, yet this soft sound sent shivers down their spines!

  The three men's faces were filled with shock and uncertainty, Lin Jingyu furrowed his brow and said: "Could it be another poisonous insect?"

  Zeng Shu smiled and said, "I'm afraid there are still many more!"

  The three of them exchanged a glance, and all they saw was the worry in each other's eyes. In this treacherous and unpredictable dead zone infested with poisonous insects, after just one day, they had already developed some apprehension towards the ferocious creatures here, and there were truly too many strange things lurking about, making it impossible to guess what would emerge next.

  Just as the three of them were on high alert, a sudden commotion broke out in the distant forest ahead. A moment later, a loud shout mixed with the chirping of insects came through, and Lin Jingyu and the others were all startled. Zeng Shu was the first to exclaim: "It's Li Xun, the master of Fengxiang Valley!"

  Lin Jingyu's expression changed and he hastily said: "Brother Li may have encountered danger, I'll go out to meet him..."

  He was about to make a move when suddenly a hand stretched out from beside him and pulled him down. It was Fa Xiang, who hastily said, "I'll go, it's extremely dangerous here. You two must not make any rash moves within this Heart Circle."

  As he spoke, without waiting for Lin Jingyu and Zeng Shushu to object or agree, his body floated up, the moon-white monk's robe supporting his body as he flew into the air, and in an instant his figure had disappeared into the darkness ahead.

  Lin Jingyu and Zeng Shushu were stunned for a moment, but only after a short while, the noise in front of them erupted again, with angry shouts and insect chirps filling the air. Amidst the chaos, there were a few cries of surprise, apparently Fa Xiang had already reached Li Xu's side and was engaging those unknown monsters.

  The night grew darker, the forest was filled with a chilly night wind, and suddenly it seemed to have grown louder, the sound of wailing growing more intense. The noise from ahead grew louder and louder, but the darkness stood like an insurmountable high wall, blocking Zeng Shu Shu and Lin Jing Yu's path.

  Like a ghost wailing, like a wolf howling!

  Just as Lin Jingyu and Zeng Shushu were about to rush out, a shrill whistle suddenly sounded from the front, and the insect sounds stopped instantly. In the darkness, human figures flashed, and two figures floated back at the same time. It was Fa Xiang and Li Xu of Fengxiang Valley. Both of them had torn and broken clothes, and Li Xu's body was faintly visible with blood.

  They were seen to be extremely fast, and in the blink of an eye, they floated back into this golden circle. Lin Jingyu and Zeng Shushu hastily went forward to meet them, but saw that both of their faces had a few shades of fatigue.

  Without waiting for Lin Jingyu and others to ask questions, Li Xuan's sword eyebrows moved suddenly, and he shouted: "Be careful!"

  The crowd was shocked again, but they only heard the sound of insects chirping loudly in the dark forest around them, coming from all sides and surrounding them densely, with countless strange and terrifying eyes gleaming faintly in the darkness, staring at them!

  "What's going on?" Zeng Shu Shu opened her eyes wide and looked around, asking Fa Xiang and Li Xuan at the same time.

  Li Xuanhan's face turned cold and he said: "It's a lot of giant ants, everyone be careful!"

  Lin Jingyu and Zeng Shushu were both stunned, and Zeng Shushu asked in surprise: "What is it?"

  At this moment, the Dharma image beside him suddenly whispered: "Be careful, it's coming!"

  Everyone was shocked and hastily concentrated on being vigilant, only to see that under the golden light of the fire and the Wheel of Reincarnation, the dark surroundings of the forest were making a rustling sound, and gradually, black shadows were stirring, surrounding them from all sides.

  As the dark shadow approached, Lin Jingyu and others looked closely, and they all took a breath of cool air. They saw that the surrounding area was constantly crawling out of the darkness with strange creatures, all of which were ant-like monsters. However, each one was about the size of an ordinary person's calf, and the number seemed to be endless. The rustling sound of hair standing on end filled this clearing in the woods.

  Zeng Shu and others were quite high in their cultivation, but at this moment, their faces had also turned pale. The giant ants seemed to be afraid of either the Buddhist halo or the burning flames on the field, although they got closer, they only surrounded them from a distance of about five meters, without getting any closer. However, the giant ants that emerged from the darkness were more and more numerous, at least tens of thousands.

  Dark shadows loomed, and the faces of the four people turned pale. The wind howled mournfully as it swept through the ancient forest, seemingly mocking these foolish humans for disturbing the eternal tranquility that had reigned here.

  In that distant wind sound, as if there is still a faint and melancholic flute sound, drifting with the wind.

  Li Kun's face changed color again and again, suddenly raising his voice to shout: "Which demon cult monster is here pretending to be a god?"

  His drinking was quite a spectacle, and for an instant it seemed as if even the wind had stopped blowing.

  Not only Zeng Shu and Lin Jingyu were shocked, but Fa Xiang was also startled. He had just gone out to meet Li Xun and saw countless giant ants, but did not discover any demonic cultivators. He immediately asked: "What's going on? Are these giant ants the doing of some demonic cult?"

  Li Kun hummed, his eyes gleaming fiercely as he looked around and said, "That's right. At nightfall, I suddenly encountered a strange man in this vicinity. When I questioned him, he immediately turned hostile and used the demonic magic of the Devil Sect. As for these monsters, that scoundrel must have used some sort of wicked sorcery to control such ferocious creatures..."

  Li Kan's words had barely fallen when a faint laugh sounded from the darkness, and someone said: "What this righteous knight says is indeed reasonable, but I seem to recall that it was you who first struck at me?"

  The voice was a male one, seemingly young in years, but it was airy and indistinct, so that for the moment I could not determine where he was.

  Li Kun's face changed, but under this unfavorable situation, he didn't show a hint of fear. He shouted loudly: "Since you are a demon from the demonic sect, I will naturally eliminate the demon and subdue the evil. If you're a man, step out and let's have a one-on-one duel for 300 rounds. What kind of hero uses these ignorant beasts?"

  The man's voice suddenly laughed and said lightly: "Heroes are what you righteous knights should be, it has nothing to do with me."

  As he spoke, the sound of a flute faintly echoed, and the giant ants suddenly parted to make way for him. A young man slowly emerged from the darkness, standing outside the golden halo-like circle with a gentle smile on his face, exuding an elegant demeanor.

  It's indeed Qin Wu Yan of the Ten Thousand Poison Sect!

  His face was stern, and he carefully scrutinized him for a moment before suddenly saying: "At such a young age, your Tao is profound and immeasurable, and you can also control countless poisonous insects. Could it be that you are the so-called Poisonous Young Master of the Wàn Dú Mén, Qin Wu Yan?"

  Qin Wu Yan's eyebrows furrowed, and he turned to look at Fa Xiang carefully. Suddenly, a smile spread across his face: "So you're the great Master Fa Xiang of Tianyin Temple. No wonder your eyes shine like torches. I am Qin Wu Yan." He paused for a moment before continuing in a leisurely tone: "People say that among the young disciples of the three major sects of the righteous path, you, Master Fa Xiang of Tianyin Temple, are widely regarded as the most outstanding. Your wisdom and virtue are renowned, and now that I've met you, your reputation is indeed well-deserved. Qin Wu Yan pays his respects."

  Having said that, she nodded slightly and smiled on her face.

  Fa Xiang's eyebrows furrowed, and almost at the same time, he heard Li Xun humming softly beside him, his heart skipped a beat.

  Qin Wu Yan wore a smile on his face, but in his heart, he was rapidly turning over ideas. Unlike others, he came from the Demon Sect's Wan Du Men and entered this inner swamp with countless ferocious beasts and poisonous insects. To others, it was a daunting path, but to him, it was like suddenly entering a treasure mountain, bringing him immense joy.

  Ordinary things that can be encountered but cannot be sought, at this moment they are all over the place. Among them, there are countless strange and exotic poisonous insects that he had never heard of before. In the eyes of this master of poison, they are ten times more precious than tens of thousands of gold and silver.

  The Wàn Dú Mén has always been a lone wolf in the demonic teachings, although their cultivation methods originated from the "Tian Shu" like other sects. However, they inherited and passed down the mysterious and magical cultivation method, supplemented by various strange poisons for refinement. Therefore, over the centuries, many masters who emerged from this school were often grandmasters of poison.

  But being able to find the most potent and toxic poison is of immeasurable help to the disciples of the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect in their cultivation.

  Qin Wu Yan is the closed-door disciple of the current Poison God, the master of the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect. He has exceptional talent and is a natural-born genius in the art of poisoning. After entering this swamp, he was immediately delighted by the scenery and spent several days collecting many poisonous substances. He even encountered the giant ants that are unique to this deadly swamp. Qin Wu Yan tried using the "Controlling Demonic Flute" of the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect, and perhaps it was due to the magical book's mysterious power that he was able to successfully control these ferocious creatures.

  Qin Wu Yan was overjoyed, but suddenly bumped into Li Xun from Fengxiang Valley nearby. The two didn't get along and started fighting. Qin Wu Yan simply summoned the countless "Deadly Giant Ants". Although Li Xun's skills were high, he was surrounded by the numerous giant ants and could only defend himself. If not for Fa Xiang arriving in time, he would have suffered a great loss.

  At this moment, along with Fa Xiang, Zeng Shu Shu and Lin Jing Yu, Li Xun and others were trapped by Qin Wu Yan, who was young but had a thorough understanding of the situation.