Chapter 268 - Abyss of the Nether Spirits (2/2)
The Immortal Lingzhi was so frightened that it began struggling against her hold. It glared at her and said indignantly, “Let go! Little girl, how dare you disrespect a Great Immortal like me! Trust me when I say I’ll inflict the Divine Punishment of the Ninth Heaven on you and exterminate your body and soul!”
Ziyun’er clasped a hand over her chest, feigning fear. “Oh my, I’m terrified!”
“Meow! Let go! Hurry up and let go of me!”
Qingluan chimed in, “This isn’t a leopard cat. It’s likely the Spirited Lingzhi mentioned in the legends.”
The Immortal Lingzhi instantly withdrew all of its limbs and pointed to her. In a trembling voice, it said, “I’ll… have you know that legends are all lies. It’s a lie that you can live forever after eating a Spirited Lingzhi! I’m a true immortal that had survived nine cycles of life. If you dare disrespect me…”
Qingluan looked at Xiao Chen. “This Spirited Lingzhi is so noisy. Master, do you need me to kill it?”
The Immortal Lingzhi was so terrified that even its hair stood on its end. Xiao Chen shook his head and approached the Lingzhi. “Speak. Why did you lure us here? Where is this?”
Since the moment his feet touched the ground, his heightened senses alerted him to the oddness of this place. This was no ordinary place, with its thick smell of death. This must be beyond the Grade 6 district. Perhaps they had even gone beyond the districts known to the Daoist League of the Five Continents.
“Meow! I’m the one who should be asking that! Oh, and why are you badgering me?”
Xiao Chen frowned after hearing that the leopard cat didn’t know where this was either. That meant they were in deep trouble. Suddenly, a strange howl erupted from under the ground.
Frightened, the Immortal Lingzhi trembled all over. It threw itself on Ziyun’er and buried itself deep within her chest. She yelped, “Hey, d*mn cat! Where do you think you’re burying yourself in?!”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t do it on purpose…”
“Shh!” Xiao Chen signaled them to keep quiet. “Be quiet. What was that sound earlier?”
The Immortal Lingzhi grabbed tight onto Ziyun’er’s arm as it cautiously scanned its surroundings. “Meow! Did no one tell you not to roam around the Forest of Illusory Moon at night?”
Of course, Xiao Chen knew this. Yu Yifeng had repeatedly warned them to find a cave-like area to hide before nightfall. It was impossible for them to go back now, seeing as they had trouble just determining directions. They must find a cave immediately and try again at dawn.
Suddenly, a low and terrifying voice came from underground. “The living who encroach on the Forbidden Land must leave their soul behind!”
The voice caused their scalp to feel numb. Xiao Chen knew they were in trouble. “We must leave this place immediately!” He was about to unfold his Phoenix’s Wings when he realized that he couldn’t summon the pair of wings.
Qingluan and Ziyun’er were no exception as they realized that they couldn’t control their flying swords. Even the Immortal Lingzhi couldn’t regrow its wings.
“Me-meow! What’s going on?!”
Before its voice faded, the earth began shaking. Xiao Chen yelled, “Watch that leopard cat! Let’s run!” Using his Immortal-override Steps, he took the lead in running back in the direction they had come in.
Qingluan and Ziyun’er swiftly followed suit with their Sky Treader technique. The Immortal Lingzhi held tight onto Ziyun’er’s arm, refusing to let go. “Meow! I’m not some leopard cat…”
The mountains and ground continue to quake. No matter how far they ran, the voice from underground chased them like a shadow. “You won’t be able to outrun me. The living who encroach on the Forbidden Land must leave their soul behind…”
One hour later, the three of them were left gasping for breath. Ziyun’er yelped. “Oh no! It looks like we’re back at where we started!”
The woods around them were filled with black trees that soared high into the sky. This was where the three of them had caught the Immortal Lingzhi earlier. Xiao Chen and Qingluan exchanged glances. “This is the Abyss of the Nether Spirits!”