Within the forest that blotted out the sky, many people were in a mad dash.
A sinister aura lingered.
Chen Jiuyang ran for ten minutes. This made him frown. At his speed, ten minutes of running was enough to traverse the Jialing River back and forth dozens of times, yet he still hadn't escaped the forest on this floating island.
This was very strange.
He was certain he wasn't going in circles; he had been moving forward all along.
After a while longer, the view ahead opened up.
An ancient stone tablet was inscribed with the characters 'Xiang Village'. Moss grew thick on the tablet, and behind it flowed a clear stream. Further beyond, a village with neatly arranged houses came into view.
There was even smoke rising from chimneys.
There had to be something peculiar about this place.
Yet, an irresistible sense of opportunity, a feeling of not wanting to miss out, drew him in.
Chen Jiuyang stood still, contemplating his next move. The terrifying presence behind him sent shivers down his spine. Chen Jiuyang turned his head and saw that the colossal trees seemed to be expanding, a boundless, ineffable terror surging into his heart, threatening his very life.
What kind of place was this Sansheng Tomb?
With his thoughts racing, Chen Jiuyang stepped over the stone tablet and the stream, heading towards the village.
Judging by the appearance of things, this forest had likely become a terrifying place that harvested lives.
Upon entering the village, he found it bustling with activity. The people coming and going wore simple cloth clothes, which appeared particularly eerie.
Were ordinary mortals actually living here?
This was highly unusual.
Chen Jiuyang immediately began to observe cautiously. The largest residence in the village was adorned with lanterns and decorations, a hundred-meter red carpet laid out at the entrance. Music could be heard, creating a festive atmosphere.
To first understand the situation here, Chen Jiuyang approached a villager with deep wrinkles etched by labor, who was eating celebratory candy. He asked:
"May I ask, old sir, what place is this?"
The old man, chewing on the candy, looked at Chen Jiuyang, whose appearance was striking, and smiled amiably, "Esteemed young sir, this is Xiang Village. You've arrived at a most opportune time. For the next three days, our village will be celebrating a joyous occasion. Since you have come, you may stay for a drink of celebratory wine and wish for good fortune."
Chen Jiuyang's brows immediately furrowed into a deep crease. The moment the old man finished speaking, he felt as if he had lost some of his memories.
In a daze, he echoed the elder's words: "Since you say so, old sir, I shall stay for a celebratory drink."
...
Before the moss-covered stone tablet stood dozens of people, each with an extraordinary aura, clad in ancient, noble robes.
Among these dozens of people, the Kunlun, one of the Five Great Sacred Lands, took the lead.
Among them, Wang Jiegou, a female cultivator whose cultivation had reached the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, was Qin Rouyu's senior sister.
The Five Great Sacred Lands had always stood united, with other righteous sects aligning their actions with them.
The terrifying, life-devouring giant trees they encountered along the way had caused them to lose some of their personnel.
Led by Wang Jiegou, the cultivators of the righteous path were waiting for others to arrive.
At this moment, two cultivators, covered in blood and in disheveled states, arrived.
Someone remarked, "Now everyone is here."
After reaching this point, the two individuals took some pills to recover briefly, then stated, "The demon Chen Jiuyang of the True Demon Sect has also come here."
Upon hearing this, everyone's expression turned hostile:
"If the demon Chen Jiuyang dares to come here, and we encounter him, we will surely take his life and avenge the blood feud of Kunlun."
Wang Jiegou frowned slightly and simply said, "Since everyone is here, it is time to move forward."
Although the Kunlun Sacred Land had been bloodied, a great humiliation over a long period, and many had perished, Kunlun's long-standing heritage had not been fundamentally crippled.
The dozens of people stepped over the stream by the stone tablet and then saw the village built along the water. The scattered houses and fields were filled with the laughter of children and the cries of the elderly.
It was mealtime, and smoke rose from the village.
From a distance, it appeared that a funeral was being held in the village, with white banners hanging at the entrance.
Wang Jiegou frowned and said:
"Everyone, this is Sansheng Tomb. I need not elaborate on the dangers within. The sudden appearance of a populated village must be peculiar. You must not be careless and must proceed with caution."
"However, the curse behind us is devouring lives, and with our abilities, we cannot break free from it. We have come to this place to seize the 'Ning' Dao opportunity, so we must press forward."
"Once we enter the village, all actions will be under my command."
"Yes, we obey Senior Sister's orders."
Everyone nodded in unison, showing great trust in Wang Jiegou.
Then, Wang Jiegou led the group into this strange village.
Upon entering the village, they found that most of the houses had their doors tightly shut. The large residence with white banners hanging at the entrance had dozens of tables set up for a continuous feast, and most of the villagers were attending it.
An indescribable sense of strangeness and eeriness washed over them.
Wang Jiegou asked a villager who had just finished eating, "Excuse me, please tell me, what place is this?"
"This is Le Village." The villager, despite having just finished eating, had a rope tied around his waist. He said to Wang Jiegou, "You all look unfamiliar. Would you like to stay and participate in tomorrow's funeral before leaving?"
A funeral?
This was Sansheng... San...
Where was this place?
Wang Jiegou seemed to have forgotten something important, with only a trace of vigilance remaining in her heart.
Wang Jiegou surveyed the entire village, which was filled with strangeness, and said, "Thank you for your kindness."
With that, Wang Jiegou turned to her companions and said, "Let's leave this place."
She seemed to have forgotten something, but this place gave her a very dangerous feeling.
The group, led by Wang Jiegou, turned and prepared to leave the village.
After walking for about ten minutes, Wang Jiegou saw a moss-covered stone tablet by the river, inscribed with the characters 'Le Village'.
Looking ahead, it was the same village where the funeral was being held.
Everyone's expression changed slightly, realizing something was amiss.
But they had been heading in the opposite direction of this village earlier, so how had they circled back here?
Wang Jiegou frowned and led the group in another direction.
After walking for another ten minutes, they saw 'Le Village' again.
Everyone's expression grew more grim, and they continued to change direction.
...
On the other side.
Many disciples of the demonic path also crossed the river, including Ming Huatong and true disciples from various demonic sects.
Everyone's expression was grim.
They had visited 'Xiang' Village earlier and felt something was wrong, so they prepared to leave with their retinues.
After going in circles for several rounds, five people had mysteriously disappeared without a trace.
Everyone had noticed the problem with this place.
A sense of restlessness and panic surged into their hearts.
"Fairy Ming, what should we do?" inquired a Nascent Soul prodigy from a clan.
Everyone's faces were grim. They had walked for several hours and still hadn't left the territory of 'Xiang' Village.
Suddenly, a demonic disciple spoke, "Isn't that our True Saint lineage's Qianyang Holy Son?"