This scene unfolding in the primeval forest also drew the attention of many powerful cultivators in the Southern Region.
Countless cultivators gazed at the overwhelming gray mist, sensing the monstrous aura of the Ghost Emperor, and couldn't help but gasp.
With the appearance of a Ghost Emperor, the Southern Region was likely to be plunged into another bloodbath.
Those who knew the secrets of the past were even more shocked, their faces filled with dread.
The Nine Nether Ancestor, sealed by the White Emperor, had reappeared in the human world after ten thousand years. This was a grave matter!
Yet, even knowing that disaster was imminent, the vast majority of cultivators made no move, choosing to observe.
The ghost race was not easy to deal with, let alone a terrifying existence that even the White Emperor could not kill.
Moreover, the ghost race was known for its vindictiveness. If they were not completely eradicated, they would incur endless retaliation.
Therefore, these people, despite knowing that this was the best opportunity to deal with the Nine Nether Ancestor, turned a blind eye, ignored the situation, and chose to wait and see, allowing the Nine Nether Ancestor to unscrupulously devour life essence and recover from his injuries.
After all, if the sky were to fall, there would always be taller individuals to bear the brunt. Surely someone would act, so why should they be the first to stick their neck out?
With such thoughts, almost all the major powers in the Southern Region chose to remain inactive.
Only a small number of cultivators, filled with righteous fervor and the resolve to die, set off towards the Black Forest.
In the blink of an eye.
Four days passed, and the Black Forest had already expanded to a radius of a thousand miles.
There, vegetation withered, all living things decayed, and an eerie silence prevailed.
"Alas, it seems that after the White Emperor, humanity has no successors. To not act when the Nine Nether Ancestor had just broken free from his seal and was still weak, allowing him to recover his strength, is truly foolish beyond measure."
The Desolate Ancient Soul Devouring Toad had been secretly observing and found no Spirit Emperor-level powerhouses appearing. It couldn't help but feel contempt for humanity.
Hmph, humans.
When it came to internal strife, they were scheming and calculating, but when facing foreign races, they were cowardly. They were truly strong at home and weak abroad.
The White Emperor had sacrificed himself to bring ten thousand years of peace to humanity. It was a pity, however, that humans had not changed their ways, seemingly forgetting the terror of being dominated by the ghost race.
It was just that the Nine Nether Ancestor was also an idiot. He was not low-key at all. If you broke free from your seal and simply sought to survive, why make such a commotion? Wasn't this courting death?
In the past, the Desolate Ancient Soul Devouring Toad would have definitely gone to remind him. However, in the ruins, the two had already fallen out, their superficial brotherhood completely shattered.
"Old ghost, you're in trouble."
The Desolate Ancient Soul Devouring Toad looked at Ji Mo, who was preparing to depart, and silently mourned the Nine Nether Ancestor in advance.
With Mr. Ji taking action, the Nine Nether Ancestor wouldn't last more than a few days.
Ji Mo had not been idle these past few days, making some small contraptions in preparation for entering the primeval forest.
He had originally thought that with such an event occurring, those powerful cultivators would surely step forward to quell the monsters and protect the land.
Now, it seemed that the esteemed cultivators were aloof and likely indifferent to the lives and deaths of ordinary people like them. The Black Forest was spreading faster and faster, and would soon encroach upon areas where humans lived.
Since the cultivators could not be relied upon, they could only rely on themselves.
With his wood-chopping knife tucked at his waist and a bamboo basket on his back, Ji Mo decided to make the trip himself.
"Take good care of A'Li, and don't let her starve."
Ji Mo instructed the Ginseng King with some unease.
Although he knew that the Ginseng King doted on A'Li and would take good care of her, he still felt it was not entirely reliable to have a ginseng plant look after a child.
The Ginseng King rolled its eyes, telling Ji Mo not to worry unnecessarily.
Would A'Li starve?
What a joke.
It would be more likely for her to be overfed!
This little glutton ate non-stop all day long. If anyone were to starve, it wouldn't be her.
Besides, she had plenty of ninth-grade spirit pills in her pocket. Eating one would allow her to go without food for ten days to half a month.
Afterward, Ji Mo instructed Tian Peng to look after the house before he set out.
After Ji Mo left, the Desolate Ancient Soul Devouring Toad also departed.
It traveled north, heading towards the Gate of the Demon Realm.
The Desolate Ancient Soul Devouring Toad's purpose was to check if the demon realm teleportation channel, destroyed by the White Emperor, had been repaired, as it wished to return home.
After so many years, it missed its home.
Ji Mo entered the primeval forest, heading towards the Black Forest region.
The air was filled with the scent of blood.
Along the way, Ji Mo saw many dead wild beasts. Their deaths were peculiar; they had no obvious wounds, but all the blood within their bodies had vanished.
"It truly is haunted."
Ji Mo had never encountered such a strange situation.
These wild beasts had no fatal injuries, yet they had died unnaturally, their blood vanishing into thin air.
The only commonality was the presence of two insignificant small wounds on their corpses.
He passed through a patch of dense bushes.
Suddenly, his vision went dark, and a shadowy mass appeared, lunging at him.
What kind of ghost was this?
Ji Mo sidestepped, dodging the incoming attack, and frowned as he looked at the humanoid monster before him.
"A zombie?"
What appeared before him was a desiccated corpse, covered in black fur. Due to the loss of flesh and blood, its skin clung to its bones, making it unspeakably hideous and terrifying.
What made it worse for Ji Mo was the nauseating stench emanating from the zombie, making it suffocating.
Ugh...
Ji Mo almost vomited his dinner.
He quickly took out a specially made pill and popped it into his mouth.
Instantly, a refreshing aroma surged from his nose and mouth, and the foul smell disappeared.
"Roar!"
The zombie let out a cry, baring its sharp fangs, and lunged at Ji Mo.
A flash of cold light.
A head flew into the air, the zombie's head separated from its body, and it collapsed onto the ground.
Ji Mo sheathed his cleaver at his waist and clapped his hands.
Killing this zombie with a single strike seemed like a piece of cake, effortless for him.
He bent down and carefully examined the zombie's body.
The sleeves of its clothes were embroidered with a wolf's head, which was the uniform of the Heavenly Wolf Gang.
The corpse was one of the Heavenly Wolf Gang members taken away by Ma Peng, whose vital essence had been completely drained by the Nine Nether Ancestor, and who was eventually refined into a zombie to be controlled by him.
These zombies, like worker bees, hunted creatures everywhere, absorbed their blood, and then returned to the nest to nourish the Nine Nether Ancestor.
Ji Mo continued forward, encountering several more zombies along the way, all of whom he dealt with one by one.
The green scenery gradually disappeared, and a deathly aura washed over him. He had finally entered the Black Forest region.
"That Ji fellow has arrived. I smell a sweet and delicious scent on him, truly irresistible."
From the ancient tomb at the center of the Black Forest, the excited voice of the Nine Nether Ancestor echoed.
The scent emanating from Ji Mo seemed to possess a magical quality, making him unable to resist, his blood boiling, and his desire to devour him piece by piece.
"Ma Peng, go and capture that Ji Mo for me."
The Nine Nether Ancestor issued his command.
As his words fell, a nearby mound of earth exploded.
A man covered in blood revealed himself, his pupils blood-red, exuding an aura of cruelty and bloodlust, emitting beast-like roars.