Chapter 56: Terror

As the treasury doors swung open, a surge of black smoke swept out in an instant!

“Not good!”

A cry of alarm rippled through the group, fear clutching at their hearts. The black smoke carried a sense of ill omen. They had all felt an inexplicable unease from the moment they descended here, but having encountered no danger thus far, could it be that fate had saved its hand for this moment?

But it was already too late. The black smoke ignored all defensive shields, invading their bodies directly.

Liu Ping felt his mind reel, his vision blurring. When sight slowly returned, he found himself in a strange, unfamiliar place.

Rubbing his eyes and looking around, he was momentarily stunned. “Where am I?”

All about him stretched a desolate expanse—a primordial forest. From the distance came the occasional roar of waves, and the air was tinged with a faint briny scent, indicating an isolated island.

Above hung a russet-red full moon, surrounded by a sea of stars, dense and dazzling, painting a beautiful yet alien sky. Silvery moonlight cascaded down like a sheer veil, blanketing the earth. The forest rang with the incessant chirr and buzz of countless insects, a cacophony that set one’s nerves on edge and fostered a deep sense of unease.

“How could I suddenly be here? And the Azure Sword is gone…”

Liu Ping was utterly baffled. He had only taken a few steps when he suddenly felt a chilling sensation at his neck.

It felt as though a slick, wet tongue was licking the back of his neck!

“Who’s there!?” Liu Ping shouted, spinning around abruptly—only to find nothing behind him.

“A hallucination?... No, it can’t be. But why was there no warning at all?”

He frowned deeply, suspicion and dread warring in his heart—a primal fear of the unknown. He scoured his surroundings with care, but found nothing amiss.

He took two more steps—again, that icy, crawling sensation swept over his neck.

In that instant, cold shot up his spine, his scalp prickling and hair standing on end. His eyes widened as his hands flashed behind him, snatching at the air.

But he grasped nothing—like striking empty air, the sensation was deeply unsettling.

“Tch!” Liu Ping spat out, suddenly leaping away to a safe distance. He formed seals with his hands, his lips moving swiftly in incantation.

“Celestial Lord of Spiritual Treasures, steady my form. Disciples’ souls, five organs in mysterious darkness. Azure Dragon and White Tiger, arrayed in force. Vermillion Bird and Black Tortoise, standing guard at my side!

“Purifying Body Incantation!”

A glow of spiritual light enveloped him, instantly quelling the intense unease. Without pause, he raised his right hand and chanted on, “Through the vast Netherworld, layer upon layer of Vajra Mountains, boundless light of the Spirit Treasure. Illuminating the blazing pool of grievances, the souls of all the damned in the Nine Hells, bodies drifting on clouds of incense. With the lotus of wisdom and serenity, ascend to eternal peace!”

“Break the Hell!”

His raised right hand fell sharply. Spiritual energy surged forth, mighty as a rainbow, piercing through the world with a resonance of the Great Dao.

A muffled sound—something had been struck.

A towering tree, so thick that five men could barely encircle it, split open, and crimson blood welled from the gash.

The ancient tree’s bark twisted, morphing into a hideous human face, its maw yawning wide and grotesque. Liu Ping tensed, preparing to defend himself.

But instead, the tree erupted in furious curses, “Damn you! So what if I licked you twice? Did you have to attack me for that, you lunatic? I haven’t seen a living soul in who knows how many years—what’s the big deal if I snuck a lick or two? Did you have to get violent? Miserable bastard, picking on me because I can’t move! Bah! To hell with your Confucian virtue, may a bird’s droppings smother you!”

Liu Ping was so taken aback by the tree’s tirade that his anger was momentarily forgotten, stunned by the abrupt shift.

“This thing…” he muttered, then barked, “Shut up!”

The tree spirit fell silent, glaring at Liu Ping for a moment.

As Liu Ping opened his mouth to speak, the tree spirit shouted back, “You shut up! You half-witted idiot!”

Liu Ping threatened, “Insult me again and I’ll burn you.”

At this, the tree spirit clamped its mouth shut.

Rubbing his temples, Liu Ping said, “Answer my questions, or I’ll set you alight.”

Without waiting for a response, he asked, “First, where is this place?”

The tree spirit burst into a shrill, grating laughter that set Liu Ping’s nerves further on edge.

“You… really want to know?” The laughter ceased, the ugly eyes narrowed in a mockingly sweet expression. “Do you really want to know?”

“Are you going to answer or not?” Liu Ping demanded coldly.

“Yes, yes, of course. This place is…” The tree spirit spoke slowly, then stuck out its tongue and roared with laughter, “I have no idea where this is either! Hahahahaha!”

“Are you toying with me?!” Rage flared in Liu Ping, but before he could strike, the tree spirit was abruptly severed at the trunk.

The wild laughter cut off instantly.

Crack—crack—crack! Boom!

The colossal tree toppled over. Liu Ping leapt aside just in time to avoid being crushed.

“What in the world?” he muttered, frowning. Just then, he heard something strange.

“Poor little scarecrow, stabbed all over, it hurts so much. Heartless you, unjust him, the world is full of evil men.”

Amid the insect song, a clear child’s voice suddenly rang out—a haunting nursery rhyme.

The sound sent waves of terror through Liu Ping’s heart. He sensed that remaining here would bring grave danger.

But he did not flee in panic—strange as it was, he was not so cowardly. He steadied himself and looked for the source of the voice.

Emerging from behind the fallen tree spirit came a procession of scarecrows, each pierced by thick, crude needles, blood oozing from their wounds.

“Poor little scarecrow, stabbed all over, it hurts so much. Heartless you, unjust him, the world is full of evil men.”

The scarecrows sang as they advanced, holding hands as if intimately close. Their clear, childish voices, melodious and sweet, rang through the forest—but from these scarecrows, the song became unspeakably eerie and horrifying.

More and more scarecrows appeared, forming a dense, unending throng.

Liu Ping’s scalp prickled with dread. Without hesitation, he turned and fled.

Yet the scarecrows multiplied, emerging from every direction in endless waves.

No matter which way he turned, more scarecrows barred his path.

Fleeing desperately, he accidentally stepped on one. The scarecrow shrieked, “Aaaah! You stepped on me! You stepped on me! Damn you! Damn you!”

Instantly, the countless scarecrows, still singing their eerie rhyme, joined in a chorus of shrill screams: “Aaaah! You stepped on me! You stepped on me! Damn you! Damn you!”

The piercing wails rent the air.

In a flash, the scarecrows swelled from barely a foot tall to half a man’s height, then accelerated, surging toward Liu Ping.

The world was filled with nothing but scarecrows—there was nowhere to escape.

A crushing sense of peril closed in; his mouth went dry, breath caught in his chest, heart thundering to a halt. Waves of despair threatened to swallow him whole.