1245 A Calamity Began (2/2)
All the dominant forces in Qing-Yun Realm had been working together on the event, but still, even with such a powerful intelligence jointed-network, no useful information was found. The enemy must be marvelous in hiding traces!
Knowing that the enemy was strong and not knowing how powerful the enemy could be, aroused the fear for this mysterious force from the bottom of everybody's heart in Qing-Yun Realm!
Because of the fear, when everybody noticed how dangerous the current situation could be, each of them couldn't help imagining the worst case that could happen. All men shared the same thought.
All the cultivators were terrified, waiting for the arrival of the calamity!
Maybe there would be a sudden thunderclap that stroke the entire martial world and brought the world into endless storms of blood.
However, all they could do was waiting…
…
Yue Gongxue and the others in this group had just walked out a huge mountain.
They were currently four thousand and eight hundred miles away from Qiong-Hua Palace.
What lay ahead of them was a peculiar place of Qing-Yun Realm—the Dark Forest. The forest was thousands of miles wide, covered in shadows and darkness. It was the fairyland of the spiritual beasts of Qing-Yun Realm. In the forest, there were lots of powerful spiritual creatures, and that was why ordinary cultivators didn't dare to enter this place recklessly. However, it was where the great sect would send their young disciples to be trained.
A few years earlier, in the war between Xiao Monarch and the Three Factions, they happened to have a battle in this forest. Those who were qualified to join the group to fight Xiao Monarch must be pretty good. When they fought against Xiao Monarch and moved past the woods, over half of the wood was ruined by their destroying power. They had collapsed several mountains in that battle. After that, the Dark Forest became a little bit brighter.
The forest was still full of big trees with big leaves covering the sky, but some places in the forest finally got the sunshine. It made the forest eventually not so creepy.
”After the Dark Forest, we will walk two more days to approach Oracle District.” Yue Gongxue was excited at the moment. She couldn't wait to see her beloved son.
”When we are back to Ye Clan, we won't leave our home if nothing went wrong.” Ye Nantian put his hand on Yue Gongxue's waist, holding her, speaking with hope, ”We have been parted for eighteen years. It is time to enjoy some peaceful days…”
Yue Gongxue softly leaned on his chest and nodded. ”Yes.”
They slowly walked over to the Dark Forest.
Yue Shuang and Yue Han suddenly stopped.
They stared at the forest which was covering the sky, and then they were alarmed. They had an uncomfortable feeling of danger about what lay ahead of them.
The dark woods seemed to be full of… killing intents! It was like the entrance to hell.
They felt like they would put their lives in great danger if they entered the forest!
They weren't familiar with such kind of feelings, because it hadn't been there for a long time. Powerful cultivators as they were, there were very few people in the world could cause such feeling in their hearts!
They had passed the Dark Forest many times, but never had such undesirable feelings before, even though they did hate the sunless and dark environment!
”It doesn't feel right here.” Yue Shuang was murmuring, exchanged looks with Yue Han.
”Maybe you are just over thinking about it…” Yue Han blandly said, ”Things changed fast in martial world… Hidden flows are everywhere… Many people are missing. There must be something big happening… But we don't have to be overcautious. This Dark Forest is full of negative power. It is reasonable that we will have some negative feelings about it…”
”At the very least… Even if there is some deadly danger hidden in the forest, how bad could it be? You and me, we are powerful enough to handle anything. Cultivators should confront all difficulties with confidence and never fear to move on. We shouldn't be frightened.” Yue Han was confident, ”As long as it is not Zong Yuankai, Xuan Bing, or Wu Fa… I don't see the reason we should be scared!”
The two ladies were born with a strange condition, who had suffered significant damage when they were babies. Gradually, with their efforts, they got rid of the sickness and became two of the most influential figures in the world. However, after cultivating for all those years, they had hidden wounds indie them too.
When they went to Ye Clan and met their brother Ye Xiao, he gave them lots of supreme dan beads which were enough to purify all hidden sickness inside them. He even shared what he had learned from his martial arts to them so that they could be better improved. At the moment, the two ladies were in their most potent status both physically and mentally!
That was why they were pretty confident. In fact, the two of them didn't care about a possible ambush ahead of them—they might intentionally go somewhere there was an ambush to sweep off the enemies!
Not that they were arrogant, they did have their own point…
The martial world was in disturbance… Dangers were hidden under the table… If there were enemies ahead of them, they would love to catch a few and ask some questions to figure out the truth.
They thought they could probably get to know something about what was really happening.
Anything was better than nothing.
The two ladies had a short conversation discussing the next step, and finally decided to stick to the old plan to get past the Dark Forest!
They would love to figure out how dangerous it could be!
Yue Gongxue and Ye Nantian were both in low levels of Dao Origin Stage. That meant they could protect themselves in most circumstances… After all, if Yue Shuang and Yue Han couldn't preserve the couple in the Dark Forest, they wouldn't do any better in other places.
”There might be dangers in the forest ahead of us.” Yue Shuang talked to Yue Gongxue and Ye Nantian.
”Dangers?” The couple was much weaker than Yue Shuang and Yue Han in cultivation. Besides, they had been soaked in their own romance all the way along, so they were much less alert. As they heard what Yue Shuang said, both of them were shocked.
”That's right.” Yue Han frowned, ”Something doesn't feel right in there.”
”To keep away from entering a forest is always a safe solution. Maybe we should go around the forest to the other side…” Ye Nantian said after thinking for a while, ”We can walk along the edge of the Dark Forest… take a turn near the three forbidden areas and then come back to the route… It will take longer time, but also get us out of many dangers…”
He was an expert in battle strategy, who knew that the dangers in Qing-Yun Realm were much more dangerous than those in the Land of Han-Yang. Even though Yue Shuang and Yue Han, the two domineering cultivators would protect them, he still suggested a safer solution.
”If we go around the forest like that, we will have to walk nearly thirty thousand miles more!” Yue Gongxue was anxious. She couldn't wait to see her son and hold him tight in the arms, so she wouldn't agree to waste time to wait. ”Doesn't it mean we have to walk for one month more? Besides, it is a long and difficult way to go… Do we really have to?”
Ye Nantian understood the feeling of his wife, but for safety, he still insisted they should choose the longer path even after thinking for a while.
”Nantian, Qing-Yun Realm is different from Land of Han-Yang. Cultivators here are mostly beyond your imagination. If they can set up an ambush here, they can do it anywhere else… No matter where we go, they will set up traps ahead of us. If we spend more time on the way, they have more time to prepare the ambush. It seems safer to choose the other route, but it may not be really as safe as you think.” Yue Gongxue used to be the Saintess of Qiong-Hua Palace after all. She was well informed.
”If they decided to come against us, no matter where we go, we will have to confront the battle!”
Yue Gongxue continued, ”Since we know that there is an ambush in the forest ahead of us… we should think of some ways to defeat the enemies once and for all. It should be more efficient than going a long way and staying in a negative position all the time.”
”We sisters have the same thought. To face the enemies, we may have the chance to figure out what they have been hiding.” Yue Shuang and Yue Han exchanged looks and spoke proudly, ”The battle is ahead of us. No matter what it is ahead of us, we should confront it with confidence. No matter how difficult it may be, we will go through it with courage!”
”We go ahead to solve the dangers, not to avoid them!”
”Ladies, you have a strong point. I won't deny it. Maybe I have been fighting in the Land of Han-Yang for too long and couldn't get rid of the influence of the old days. Anyway, I was wrong. However, battle strategy plays the same role no matter what war we are fighting. Since we are going to go through the danger bravely, we have to do our best in preparation before we confront it.” Ye Nantian said, ”We must think of some schemes that could increase the chance to win the battle.”
”Alright, Commander Ye. You know it. The schemes in the land of Han-Yang are not useful in here. I don't think we should waste time on thinking.” Yue Gongxue smiled warmly. ”I know you are a general, an expert in martial strategy and battle schemes, but the problem is we are a six people team including two maids of mine, Qingxue and Wuxue. No matter how good you are at fighting a battle, your strategy is limited.”
Ye Nantian smiled and said, ”All that matters in martial strategy is what we keep in mind. There are schemes that could be proceeded by only a few people. My strategy will still work. Sometimes, fewer people may make a better opportunity…”
Aside from Ye Nantian, Yue Gongxue, Yue Shuang, and Yue Han, there were two maids in the group, one was Qingxue, while the other was Wuxue.
”Qingxue and Wuxue were only level nine of Dream Origin Stage. Wuxue was a little better, but still only in the top of Dream Origin Stage. They are my maids, as people know, but in fact, are like my sisters…”
Yue Gongxue knew that Ye Nantian would want to know the real power of the six of them to make a plan of battle strategy, so she started to introduce the others. ”Yue Shuang and Yue Han are honorable elders of Qiong-Hua Palace, who are two of the most powerful figures in Qing-Yun Realm. I don't think I need to say more about them, do I?”
Ye Nantian nodded and said, ”Ok. I now know about our force here… There are a few things we can do afterward.”
He thought for a while and continued, ”Since the enemy chose to set up the ambush here, they must know well about us. We don't know who they are yet, but I am sure they must be powerful. They know that we have Elder Shuang and Elder Han on our side, yet still dared to set up the battle. They may have lots of superior cultivators this time. At least they believe their people together can defeat the two ladies. They may even have some equally powerful figures to rival Elder Shuang and Elder Han. We must be cautious.”
”Maybe they are from that secret organization which Xiao Xiao told me before…” Ye Nantian frowned and said, ”This is unavoidable. Xue-er is right. No matter where we go, we will have to confront the same danger.
”According to what we can see right now, I think they have at least thirty level nine Dao Origin Stage cultivators. Otherwise, they won't be able to rival the two elders.
”Besides, they must have been arranged to stay in certain spots. Over thirty persons fighting together in the forest, they have to wait in certain positions… Only when they cooperate well with each other, they could do the best they could in the battle, to fight against the two ladies.
”However, that means they have a fatal weakness. No matter how well they prepared for this attack, as long as any of them makes one tiny mistake, we will have the chance to destroy them all. In front of powerful cultivators like Elder Shuang and Elder Han, a tiny mistake of the enemies is enough for them to win the battle.
”Environments in the forests are always the same, no matter in Land of Han-Yang or Qing-Yun Realm. They just have different plants. In fact, what matters in the forest while there is a battle are the trees, grasses, and shadows.”
Ye Nantian found a quiet place and told everybody to sit down. He said, ”Listen. Let me talk about the situation inside the forest before we enter it. Let's assume I am the one who has arranged this ambush… If I were the enemy, I would do this…”
…