Chapter 332 The Old Road Ended, A New Journey Started
In the Forest of Lost, the highest place in the northwest of Semi-Ancient Martial World.
This day, a handsome young man and two beautiful women showed up in front of the forest. They were Qin Hao, Shi Bingying and Shadow.
There was a stele at the entrance, on which wrote four huge scarlet characters: No Entering Or Die.
“Hao, is the Forest of Lost really that horrible? One has to die for entering it?” asked Shi Bingying.
Qin Hao was struck dumb. It was also his first time to come here. To whom should he ask?
But Shadow knew something. She, after all, had grown up in Semi-Ancient Martial World. She had more or less heard something about the Forest of Lost.
“The Forest of Lost is the barrier leading to the Life-or-Death Array. To enter the Life-or-Death Array, one must enter the Forest of Lost.” Shadow responded to what Shi Bingying had asked, “It’s said that in the past thousands of years, none of those who have entered the Forest of Lost have made it get out.”
Qin Hao frowned, “Is it really that badass? Can’t it be a bluff?”
It was just a forest with nothing special looking from outside. To be honest, Qin Hao didn’t believe it could be that creepy.
“If you think it’s just a bluff, you can go in and have a try.” From behind came an old voice. They turned back immediately looking at the hunchbacked figure.
A grey-haired old man, with his back hunched like a bow, in worn clothes, was staggering to them while carrying a bunch of firewood.
The first impression of him was like an old man having one foot in the grave. But Qin Hao fixed the old man with a sharp stare at his steady steps.
In terms of figure and Qi, the old man had done a great job at hiding. Unfortunately, in front of Qin Hao, these hiding methods were useless. The old man was a Peak of Void Stage master.
Only a few people in Semi-Ancient Martial World were in Peak of Void Stage. Before today, he only knew five out of hundreds of thousands of Martial Cultivators had reached the stage—Du He, Gu Hong and the Sect Leaders of three major sects.
However, who would have known that such a high-level master could hide in such a sparsely populated place.
On the path of martial cultivation, there was always someone stronger than you. People only knew those world-famous masters but those high-level masters hiding deep in the mountains.
Normally, those masters preferred to pursue, obsessively, or almost madly, the Tao of martial cultivation than to be entangled in the earthly life.
But Shi Bingying and Shadow couldn’t see through the old man’s identity. They thought he was just an old man in his last days. Seeing him carrying firewood at such an age, they sympathized with him a lot. As he happened to be crossing a ditch, they went to him immediately, “Old man, be careful. Leave it to me.”
Shadow then took over the firewood while Shi Bingying supported him from beside to cross the ditch.
The old man didn’t refuse. He smiled and thanked, “Thank you, two girls. Ha ha, you’re really kind and beautiful.”
Seeing him hold no evil thoughts, Qin Hao didn’t stop the two from helping.
The two supported the old man to sit on a clean stone slate and rest. Qin Hao then walked over too.
“Senior, you live here alone?”
The old man sat down and took a long breath. He nodded, “Yes. For almost one hundred years. Guys, are you going to enter the Forest of Lost?”
Qin Hao nodded, “We’re going to the Life-or-Death Array. We have to enter the Forest of Lost.”
The old man frowned, “What? You’re going to break the Life-or-Death Array? You alone?”
“What’s wrong?” Qin Hao stared at the old man coldly.
Seeing Qin Hao’s looks, the old man was stunned for a moment. What a sharp boy!
“Ha ha, it’s good for you to have courage. But you have to weigh up the reality when doing something. Leaving aside the danger in the Life-or-Death Array, the Forest of Lost was not a place for human to go.” said the old man while looking in the direction of the forest in dread, “For hundreds of years, I’ve never seen what living things could go in and make it come out, not even an ant. I only saw animals go in but come out.”
“Is it that dreadful?” Qin Hao’s tone contained a little doubt.
“Ha ha, you can have a try if you don’t believe. That’s all that I can tell. It’s your business to listen to or not.” Words done, the old man stood up, “Okay, I have to go. Take care of yourself.”
“Hey, sir, be careful.” said the two girls kindly.
“Rest assured. I’m still more than hale. Thanks for your concern. It’s so kind of you two girls. Hope you won’t be as stubborn as that silly boy. Remember, do not enter the forest, and never ever go to the Life-or-Death Array.”
Words done, the old man carried the firewood and staggered slowly, though seemingly, to another wood, disappearing from where was covered by dense leaves.
“What do we do?” The two girls looked at Qin Hao, waiting for him to decide.
“Are you afraid?” Qin Hao fixed his eyes on the two and asked while smiling.
They shook their heads firmly, “As long as we can stay with you, we’re afraid of nothing.”
“Fine. If so, let’s go in.”
One had to take risks on the path of being masters. It required extraordinary courage and spirit of adventure. The reason the old man couldn’t break through the Peak of Void Stage might be his timidity, being afraid of going in the forest and the Life-or-Death Array. That was why he could only live such a life, waiting here day by day until he was turned into a skeleton.
The two girls walked forward to stand side by side with Qin Hao.
Qin Hao reached to hold the two little soft hands in each of his hands. Boasting the heroic spirit of fearlessness, they walked to the entrance of the Forest of Lost.
“Qin Hao, wait. Don’t leave me.”
Suddenly, a familiar voice of a girl came from behind. It stopped Qin Hao immediately. He turned back in surprise, and then in his pupils a familiar woman in white ran to him.
“Su Xue, how, how is it possible?”
Qin Hao would never have expected that he could meet Su Xue here. As far as he knew, Su Xue was just an ordinary person. She couldn’t even enter the Semi-Ancient Martial World, let alone to come here. But somehow she managed to show up at here.
How come? Who had brought her in and to here?”
Behind Su Xue, Qin Hao found a person and felt a burst of freezing Qi at the same time. The black-suited, cold and handsome young man was releasing freezing Qi from every corner of his body.
Peak of Void Stage?
Qin Hao was shocked again. The man looked not old. But he was in Peak of Void Stage. He had thought only five in the world were in Peak of Void Stage—Gu Hong, Du He and the Sect Leaders of three major sects. He hadn’t expected he could meet another two at here—the old man and this one.
As the old man was that old, it was not surprising for him to be in Peak of Void Stage. But now the man looked to be young. He must be more freaky than freaks.
It turned out that Qin Hao was not the only freak in the martial world. The world was so big that it was never short of freaks. Maybe there were more freaky ones in Ancient Martial Continent.
“Qin Hao, Qin Hao, Qin Hao…” yelled Su Xue. Now she could no longer suppress her emotion. She burst into tears while wailing.
She ran over straightforwardly into Qin Hao’s arms, regardless of Shi Bingying and Shadow beside. She cried miserably while hugging the man whom she had been missing day and night.
“Waaa… Finally, I see you, see you. Waaa…”
At the moment, all her missing, grievance and suffering during these days were turned into relentless tears falling from her face. The wails were loud and moving, each of which was pricking all people’s hearts on the spot.
Seeing the scene, Shi Bingying and Shadow, standing beside, sighed in their hearts. Qin Hao had to carry another woman’s affections.
They really didn’t want to engage another woman. But seeing Su Xue like this, they couldn’t be that cruel to oppose. It was the same for them in the past—loving the man so much that they couldn’t help missing him day and night. Shadow was the one who could feel it the most.
In the urban world, they knew something about Su Xue and Qin Hao. They knew Su Xue was Qin Hao’s teacher and had done as well as suffered a lot for him.
As an ordinary person, she had entered the Semi-Ancient Martial World and chased to here. Leaving aside things else, her loyalty and perseverance of love were enough to not let people refuse her. In another perspective, if Shi Bingying and Shadow were men, they wouldn’t refuse either,
After half an hour, Su Xue stopped crying but sobbing while hugging Qin Hao tightly. She seemed to be afraid that Qin Hao would leave her behind again.
Qin Hao was holding Su Xue’s shoulders. Seeing Su Xue have pined away, his heart ached, “Su Xue, what’s this for? Why did you come all the way to here?”
“Qin Hao, I didn’t want. But I couldn’t control myself. I’ve made my mind to find you, even if I may have to chase to the end of the world. Now that I’ve found you, you can’t leave me behind or death will be my only way out.” Su Xue raised her head. On her beautiful face, tear stains were still hanging around her eyes. From her looks one could read indubitable determination.
She wanted to show Qin Hao, through her looks, that she must go to die if he really left her behind.
Qin Hao wouldn’t doubt that. If he left Su Xue at such a place, leaving aside whether Su Xue would commit suicide or not, the only end for her was still death, unless the one who had brought her here was willing to take her back.
Thinking of the man who had brought Su Xue here, Qin Hao raised his head to look at the cold man, who was standing ten meters away from Qin Hao. He was also looking at Qin Hao.
Seeing Qin Hao’s looks, the man’s face twisted. He said coldly, “Are you Qin Hao?”
“I am. Who are you? Are you Su Xue’s friend?”
“My name is Ice, not Su Xue’s friend. I just happened to come here, so I took her along to find you.”
“Ice?” It was strange that his name had only one character.
“You, you’re the legendary Ice the God of Kill?” cried Shadow from behind in surprise. The legend of Ice the God of Kill was always a mystery in Semi-Ancient Martial World. She didn’t expect to see him here.
“Ice the God of Kill.” Qin Hao had never heard of the name. He didn’t know him. But considering he had brought Su Xue here safe and sound, he felt the need to thank him, “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I just happened to come here.” Ice the God of Kill was poker-faced. His every word carried an aura of coldness, “By the way, are you really Qin Hao?”
“Uh…” Qin Hao felt that the man was really strange. How could he not be Qin Hao?
“Yes, I am.” Qin Hao answered him out of politeness.
“Good. Take my palm!” Words done, a palm shadow went across, which was so cold that it seemed to be able to freeze the air.
“Get away.” Qin Hao shouted while pushing Su Xue aside. At the same time, he launched a palm.
“Bang.” With a huge sound, the two palms hit, forcing both the two to retreat.
Qin Hao retreated for two steps before he kept his feet, with his hands being covered by a layer of frost. Ice the God of Kill backed up for over ten steps. After he stood steady, he looked at Qin Hao in surprise and admiration.
He had lost in the round. He had to admit it. He had attacked so suddenly that Qin Hao had no time to prepare for it. While holding Su Xue, Qin Hao had only retreated for two steps while he had backed up for over ten steps. It was clear to judge who was stronger.
“Hao, are you okay?” Seeing the layer of frost on Qin Hao’s hands, the several women went to him and asked.
“I’m fine.” Words done, Qin Hao started to drive his Spirit Strength. With a shake of his hands, the layer of frost was broken and disappeared.
Seeing Qin Hao’s actions, Ice the God of Kill admired him more.
“Good. You deserve your reputation. You’re powerful. We can break the Life-or-Death Array together. How about it?”
Qin Hao understood after hearing what he said. It turned out that he was also going to break the Life-or-Death Array. No wonder he had brought Su Xue here. Having a master to help was more than better. Of course, Qin Hao wouldn’t refuse.
“Okay, we’ll do it together. We go into the Forest of Lost now. How about it?”
“No problem. But you take care of your women.” After Ice the God of Kill finished his words in a cold tone, he disappeared soon into the forest.
“Let’s go.” Qin Hao followed the Ice the God of Kill. He strode into the Forest of Lost with his three women.
Over the mountain far behind them hanged the fragmentary setting sun. Dim as its light was, it was trying hard to burn and shine, illuminating the way ahead of Qin Hao.
Under the dim light of the setting sun, Qin Hao and the other three were covered by the dense forest. Gradually, even their shadows cast on the ground disappeared deep in the forest.
Their old road ended. A new journey started.