This mountain range stretches all the way to that mist-shrouded peak. I remember there was a path leading to the back of Limbo. Back then, John Chou was the one who helped me escape from there, crossing Mount Shade before returning to the Underworld Path.
The forest here is filled with plants I've never seen before—strange shapes, some resembling human limbs, some like animals, and some like human cheeks. But the colors are monotonous, all gray or black.
There are also plenty of Stone Wraiths in the woods, but they're all dormant for now. I drifted for a while and landed next to a tree that looked almost human. Some Stone Wraiths lay on the ground, their eyes closed. I glanced around—Lord Shenyan never told me what the Heartfruit looked like, only that it was unique.
All around me were unusual plants. Not far away, I saw a tree covered in fruit that looked like teeth. As I walked over and reached out to touch one, I stopped abruptly—my fingertip was cut. Staring at the blood, I lowered my hand.
These fruits look a bit like the fangs of some wild beast. I released a bit of Deathbane Aura, and sure enough, before my aura could even get close, it was sliced apart by the fruit.
This phenomenon is truly strange. I couldn't sense anything special about the fruit, so I intensified the quality of my Deathbane Aura. It started to emit a series of sharp squeaks, and my aura kept getting sliced away bit by bit.
Such a bizarre plant. I didn't try again. Just as I was about to withdraw my Deathbane Aura, the tooth-like fruit suddenly exploded with a powerful force, scattering my aura.
"What a strange thing."
I muttered to myself, then heard a rustling sound from beneath my feet. I quickly floated upward. Black soil sprouted strange vines—something felt off. Just as I tried to rise, the vines shot out from the ground, blocking my escape and wrapping me up tight.
The vines started absorbing my Ghost Aura. Their hollow centers gurgled and squirmed. Though it was only a small amount, I was very curious about what lay beneath these vines.
A few Stone Wraiths beside me began to stir. The human faces on their stone bodies opened their eyes, making a creaking noise as each one rolled toward me.
The faces on the stones opened their mouths and let out a whimpering sound. I bared my teeth as they clamped onto my thigh, gnawing away and swallowing my flesh.
I shouted, and Ghost Aura burst from my body in an instant. With a series of explosive cracks, the vines binding me couldn't withstand the surge and shattered, while the Stone Wraiths biting me disintegrated to ash. I floated upward, the sound of rushing wind all around as my Ghost Souls emerged.
"Thank you, Ethan Zhang. I'll do my best to help you."
Thought Ghost muttered, and I shot a glance at Curse Ghost.
"Ethan Zhang, you still don't trust me?"
My Ghost Souls scattered, each searching for the Heartfruit, while I decided to keep exploring the strange plants in this forest.
Floating in the air, I scanned the surrounding woods. Suddenly, I spotted a patch of color in the distance—a hint of purple—and immediately drifted over.
"Beautiful."
The flower before me was enormous, at least half a meter across. It had three petals, each a blend of purple, blue, white, and pink. Around the petals floated countless glowing particles. The blossom seemed to be breathing, pulsing gently, while the particles flickered all around. I approached, full of curiosity.
Suddenly, a swirl of pink energy spilled out from my hand, and Lady Cecilia's voice echoed in my mind.
"Don't go any closer, Ethan Zhang. It's dangerous."
I stopped. The beauty was already in my grasp.
A rumbling started beneath my feet, and the earth all around flipped over. Petals with sharp fangs, taller than a person, snapped shut around me with a bang, swallowing me whole.
With a boom, Deathbane Aura shot out, followed by a violent explosion. Everything went pitch black. I raised my Deathbane Shotgun and stared silently at the ruined flower before me.
The jagged petals that had erupted from the ground quickly retracted underground. I saw many more plants—every one in this forest was different, but they all had one thing in common: they were aggressive and extremely sensitive to Ghost Aura.
I floated up, my Ghost Souls searching in every direction, but most of the fruits they found were strange-looking. None could be identified as the Heartfruit.
Suddenly, I sensed a piercing Ghost Aura behind me—it was Lord Shenyan. I immediately recalled my Ghost Souls, turning into a stream of black energy and flying toward him.
With a whoosh, I stopped and stared blankly at the tree before me. Its branches were covered with pulsing fruit, each thudding rhythmically as their surfaces rose and fell.
The bright red fruit shocked me—they were clearly beating hearts, hanging from the branches, looking utterly terrifying.
"Is this the Heartfruit?"
Just as I asked, the Heartfruit began to shriek in unison.
"We're not letting you eat us! You want to pick us, don't you? No picking allowed!"
I swallowed hard. Every fruit on the tree made a different sound—old, young, male, female, all kinds of voices. Without a word, Lord Shenyan walked over, and the hearts on the tree all started to pulse wildly, leaping off the branches, dropping to the ground, and burrowing into the soil.
"If you don't want to die now, get back up there."
Lord Shenyan threatened, and panic-stricken cries erupted. The hearts that had burrowed into the dirt quickly returned to the branches. Lord Shenyan nodded.
(This chapter isn't finished yet~.~. Please click 'Next Page' to continue reading!)
"Open your Shadow Realm, Ethan. Just take the whole tree inside."
I responded and reached out a hand. With a crack, the entrance to my Shadow Realm opened. I saw Lord Shenyan roughly uproot the entire tree, roots and all.
The roots looked bizarre and sharp, almost like needles. We entered my Shadow Realm, where Lord Shenyan planted the whole tree in front of the little pavilion.
Suddenly, I felt the tree sucking my Ghost Aura, while the Heartfruit laughed joyfully.
"Let's go, Ethan Zhang."
Lord Shenyan didn't explain anything. We left the Shadow Realm and began drifting down the mountain.
"What's up with the plants here?"
I asked, and Lord Shenyan stopped, pointing below.
"Where do the Human Passions and Desires go after ghosts die?"
"Isn't it the Forest of Desire?"
I muttered, and Lord Shenyan smiled.
"How do you get there?"
I thought for a moment—actually, the entrance to the Forest of Desire only exists on Lady Meng's side. I had no idea how Lord Shenyan could enter.
"These things are formed from the Human Passions and Desires that have nowhere to go after a ghost dies."
As Lord Shenyan spoke, I immediately thought of the world on the other side—the Emperor God's laboratory there is similar to this place, filled with strange plants. Maybe there's a connection between the two.
Especially the Human Passions and Desires—they're the main focus of their research.
Lord Shenyan and I returned to the wasteland. Little Xi was still waiting for us, sniffing the air to find our direction before dashing off. Now that we had the Heartfruit, I planned to go to Mount Shade with Lord Shenyan.
"Ethan Zhang, when we reach Styx Gate, you go back with Lucas Dao. I'll head to Mount Shade alone."
I responded, but for some reason, I wanted to follow him and see for myself.
"Can I go with you?"
I asked tentatively, and Lord Shenyan floated upward with a whoosh.
"Suit yourself."
After a while, we saw a fog-shrouded hillside. I was surprised, and Lord Shenyan stopped too. At the bottom of the hill sat a man, smiling as he watched us.
"When did you realize it, Victor Wei?"
Lord Shenyan asked, and Victor Wei slowly rose to his feet.
"I've been waiting for you a long time, Lord Shenyan. That one over there must be Ethan Zhang, right?"
I nodded. Victor Wei began to float, drifting until he faced us directly.
"Lucas Dao never lies. For centuries, he never once visited Mount Shade, but today he made an exception. Sure, the things in Mount Shade are perfect for forging Ghost Martial weapons, but their quality can't compare to those from the Infernal Hell. So I started thinking: years ago, Lord Shenyan, after you fought Quentin Kue in the Ghost Realm, Nathan Chung disappeared, and you led a host of followers to Mount Shade."
"And now? What do you plan to do?"
Scarlet flames burst from Lord Shenyan's body as Victor Wei strode through the air, each step unleashing a wave of ghostly force that nearly crushed me.
"Everyone does their part."
Before Victor Wei finished speaking, he was already in front of Lord Shenyan, thrusting a long spike at him. With a whoosh, Lord Shenyan dodged, tilting his head aside, and raised his legs to block Victor Wei's other hand.
"Stay back, Ethan Zhang!"
Lord Shenyan roared. I quickly retreated; if I rushed in now, I'd be more a burden than help. No matter how weakened Lord Shenyan was, his power in battle was still overwhelming, and his combat experience far surpassed mine. I hadn't even noticed how Victor Wei moved so swiftly.
"So that's it. Nathan Chung is here, isn't he?"
A sickening rip sounded. Blood sprayed as Lord Shenyan staggered toward me, his upper garments torn apart, revealing the Ghost Vanquisher Effigy tattoo of Quentin Kue on his chest, wrapped in black chains.