The gray mist in the forest obviously became thicker, and Mu didn't have long to escape from the clouds, but because the aura in the forest was getting thinner and thinner, he had to stop.

Fortunately, no one was chasing behind him, so he reined in his breath and looked up at the top of his head.

When you enter, you can glimpse the dark sky, but now you can only see a thick lead color, and the gray haze is obscuring the sky and the sun, enveloping the whole old forest.

The fog lamp on his waist had begun to flicker to warn him, reminding him that the eroded fog in the forest was starting to become dangerous.

Mu Congyun had to use his spiritual power around his body, forming a shallow layer of spiritual energy cover to isolate the erosion of the eclipse mist.

These gray eclipse fog seeped in from the border at the time of the turmoil of the Ten Directions Barrier, and they originated from the Sea of Eclipse Mist blocked by the Ten Directions Barrier, and it was a kind of filthy power that could block, devour the aura, and even cause the aura to mutate. If a living thing stays in the fog above a certain concentration for a long time, it will be eroded and unpredictably mutate.

Cultivators lose their minds and become bloodthirsty and cruel monsters. If it is light, it will also stagnate in cultivation, and it will be difficult to be promoted.

Ordinary people are weaker than cultivators, and they are also more likely to be eroded by the eroded mist, and it only takes a short time for them to be completely eroded by the eroded mist, resulting in abnormal changes and turning into living corpse monsters without sanity.

It is said that more than 2,000 years ago, before the outbreak of the "Eclipse Fog Disaster", this land was once very prosperous, and there was also the eastern border in addition to the western border, and the two together were a complete territory. At that time, cultivators in the cultivation realm soared almost every hundred years. And above the "Feather Wonderland", there are still real land immortals and Da Luo Heavenly Immortals.

However, since the eclipse fog suddenly appeared, enveloping the earth and blocking the aura, forming a huge sea of eclipse fog and constantly encroaching on this land, the cultivation realm began to decline.

In order to prevent this disaster, the Tianjiao and the great powers of the past either fought with monsters in the eclipse fog and killed their souls, or sacrificed their bodies to the Ten Great Arrays. It is said that in the five life and death gates of the Ten Directions Enchantment, in addition to the watchtowers on duty, there is a forest of steles densely packed together. Each stone tablet represents a human life that has died to protect this land.

Over the years, there has been the protection of the ten-party enchantment, and the western border is still stable. However, because the aura is getting thinner and thinner, and cultivation is becoming more and more difficult, no one in the cultivation realm has soared for more than 2,000 years, and even because the major sects often need to send disciples to deal with changes, there are many losses, and there is already a state of green and yellow.

Even Xuanling is the same, otherwise the master would not have sent him to deal with it this time.

Thinking of the heavy history he had seen in the Western Realm, Mu Congyun sighed faintly and continued to move forward.

At this moment, there was a sudden change in the forest-

Obviously there was no wind, but the trees in all directions began to shake violently, the branches shook and twisted into strange shapes, and the sound of the branches and leaves rubbing was replaced by noisy human voices, like people planted in the field suddenly woke up, struggling and writhing in the imprisoned cage, and let out painful moans. Moaning.

And this groan. The groans grew louder and clearer. It was like a stream converging into a river, and for a time the sound was like a rushing stream, echoing endlessly throughout the woods.

The twisted body of the tree highlights a strange human figure, the human figure is constantly struggling outward, the facial features protruding from the surface of the bark are clearly visible, the wide open mouth is constantly calling out one name after another, the expression and tone are pleading or resentful, the scene is strange and hideous.

Rao is Mu Congyun was fully prepared, and when he suddenly faced this scene, his scalp couldn't help tingling.

He took a deep breath, carefully avoiding the writhing branches, and observed the human faces jutting out of the strange tree.

Most of these people are very strange, ranging in age from young to old. He carefully identified the past one by one, and saw a familiar face in it—it was a middle-aged man he had seen on the first day he arrived in Nanhuai Town. Triangle-eyed and hooked nose have been sneaking behind windows to observe them as they look for a place to stay.

The vague guess in his heart came true, and Mu Congyun had some bad premonitions.

- The trees in this forest are not all townspeople in Nanhuai Town.

The middle-aged man was still struggling, scratching and tearing at the part of his hand, as if he wanted to tear through the confinement.

Mu Congyun only hesitated for a moment, then overcame the discomfort of physical contact with people and stretched out his hand.

The palm of the hand is sharpened, cutting through the rough and cracked bark. He tried to take the other person's hand, but found that it was not a human limb sticking out of it, but a new branch. The branch wrapped around Mu Congyun's arm, and suddenly dragged him into the tree—

At the same time, the distorted human face on the trunk also looked at Mu Congyun, showed an almost smiling expression at him, and opened his mouth to call out his name.

"Mu Congyun."

After this sound, as if a switch had been turned on, all the painful □□ looked at Mu Congyun in unison, and shouted his name in unison:

"Mu Congyun." , "Mu Congyun", "Mu Congyun", ......

Countless different voices converged into one, calling Mu Congyun's name in unison.

It's like going back to that weird dream from last night.

Mu Congyun's mind was in a trance for a moment, and he almost indulged in this cold and strange vortex, but the force of dragging on his hand made him immediately regain his clarity.

"Sad!" He let out a low cry, and in an instant he burst out of his sheath, cutting off the branches that had imprisoned him.

Mu Congyun immediately withdrew and retreated, and at this time, he didn't care about saving spiritual power, and he dodged through the gaps in the branches that formed a tree web, and rushed towards the periphery of the woods.

The farther you go, the more distinct the human figures on these strange trees become, and some can even see limbs and skin exposed beyond the bark.

In the gap of dodging the pursuit, Mu Congyun's gaze quickly wandered down, and sure enough, he found many familiar faces, all of whom were Xuanling disciples who had disappeared in Nanhuai Town. It was probably not a long time, and these disciples had not yet fully merged with the strange tree, but only part of their bodies were embedded in the tree, wrapped in branches.

The trees near the periphery were not as thick as those on the inner perimeter, and at this time these strange trees, which were relatively weak, were twisting their branches closer, intertwining and twisting into a ball with each other.

Thinking of the middle-aged man's strange appearance, Mu Congyun did not act rashly this time. While dodging the waving branches, he searched for a way to save him.

When he was anxious, in a uniform and strange call, suddenly a scream like a choking of the neck came-

"Big brother, help!!"

Mu Congyun followed the prestige, and saw Jin Yi looking at him with tears in his eyes not far away, and his voice was so excited that his voice broke: "Senior brother, save me!" ”

Half of his body was embedded in the tree, entangled and imprisoned by several branches. Above the chest, it was exposed, and only one pair of hands could move, and he was desperately trying to cling to the two strange trees that wanted to become one with him, not letting them get closer.

Mu Congyun snorted: "Breathe." ”

When the words fell, the sad sky in his hand had turned into a silver light phantom, avoided Jin Qi, and slashed at the strange tree that bound Jin Qi without any difference.

The strange tree was divided into two, and Jin Li, who had broken free from the confinement, mobilized his spiritual power and jumped upward with all his strength - the two strange trees were free of Jin Li's obstruction, and quickly approached and twisted into a ball. And Mu Congyun caught the person with the sword, and rushed out of the forest without a pause.

Thick enough to be seen in the fog ahead, countless branches twisted like ghosts chased after them.

But Mu Congyun's sword was faster, and he rushed out of the dense forest with all his strength according to the direction in his memory-

In an instant, the sky broke through.

The incessant cries in my ears suddenly subsided, and the chasing branches stopped behind the eclipse fog, and the world became extremely quiet.

Mu Congyun squinted uncomfortably, looked back at the old forest, and found that the strange forest was no longer anything abnormal except that it was shrouded in eroded mist.

He looked down at Jin Qi again, his eyes fixed on his hand holding his waist, and his brow was already furrowed uncontrollably.

Let it go.

But Jin Yi apparently didn't receive his signal and still held him tightly. Looking at the expression, I can't wait to grow on him.

Mu Congyun finally couldn't bear it anymore and said: "Let go." ”

Jin Yi let go of the sneer, and then rubbed his hands happily. Thinking that when he returned to Xuanling, he would have to show off with the second senior sister and the little junior sister, and he hugged the waist of the senior brother!

He has measured it, and the thief is fine, at most one foot nine!

The second senior sister and the little junior sister didn't guess correctly.

Mu Congyun didn't know that his thoughts had diverged to his waistline, so he organized his language and asked in the most concise words: "What's the matter?" ”

Speaking of business, Jin Yi put away the joy of escaping death, shook his head and said solemnly: "I don't know." I just slept and when I opened my eyes, I was already in the tree. ”

He recalled in detail before the accident: "I went to bed early that night, and after I went to bed, I seemed to hear Grandma Zhao calling me, and I was a little anxious when I heard the voice. I thought something was wrong, so I got up and went to see ...... After that, there is no memory at all. ”

When he regained consciousness, the man and the strange tree were growing together.

I was called by my name again.

Mu Congyun remembered the dream where people kept calling him, and he had some guesses in his heart. At the same time, it was determined that there was indeed something wrong with the old woman who had welcomed them warmly.

Judging by her performance, she must know something.

The strange trees in the forest are probably the people of the town, and if you want to find out the cause and effect and rescue people, you have to figure out the cause first.

"Let's go back to town first."

Mu Congyun had a plan in his heart, so he prepared to go back to Nanhuai Town first.

It's just that before he could make the sword, the hem of his clothes was ripped off, and when Mu Congyun turned around, he saw Jin Yi sitting on the ground without any scruples, looking at him with a bitter face: "My spiritual power is exhausted." ”

Jin Qi is only out of the mortal shell realm, and his spiritual power cannot support long-term wear and tear.

Mu Congyun sighed silently and handed him the scabbard.

Jin Yi immediately grasped the scabbard knowingly, and Xi Zizi followed behind him, carefully keeping his distance.

Outsiders always say that the chief disciple of the Heavenly Machine Palace has an indifferent temperament and is unapproachable, colder than the ice and snow in the extreme north. But only their closest junior brothers and sisters know that in fact, the senior brothers are the most soft-hearted and easy to speak, but they are a little silent and clean!

*

The two of them returned to Nanhuai Town.

It's just that when I was about to enter Nanhuai Town, I saw that on the streets that were silent and uninhabited before, there were now many people dragging their footsteps towards the outside of the town. One by one, their bodies were shaking, their limbs were stiff, and they seemed to be heading for the strange old forest in the back mountain.

Mu Congyun immediately put away his sword and went down to check, and found that these people had lost their minds. They seem to be immersed in some kind of imaginary scene, with different expressions on their faces, joy, sorrow and anger. But no matter how much you scream, you can't wake up.

We have to try to stop them, we can't let these people die again.

Mu Congyun glanced at Jin Yi, and Jin Yi immediately understood: "Okay! ”

As he spoke, he knocked out the nearest person with a knife.

"......" Mu Congyun looked at him, and the corners of his mouth twitched.

Jin Yi looked back blankly, obviously he also had a very handsome face, but because of the mud and green sap on his cheeks, he looked a little not very smart: "What's wrong?" ”

"Good." Mu Congyun looked expressionless.

Knocks people unconscious, rough, but effective.

Mu Congyun also raised his sword scabbard.

……

The two of them walked all the way, knocking out more than a dozen unconscious people.

After Jin Yi dragged the dozen or so people to a nearby tea shed and settled them, the two went to Grandma Zhao's residence to find them.

Grandma Zhao's house is at the end of the alley, and Mu Congyun went to look for Jin Qi once in the morning, when the door was closed, and the other party was willing to open the door after knocking for a long time.

But when they went again this time, the two found that the door of Grandma Zhao's house was wide open, and there was still movement in the courtyard.

Glancing at Jin Yi, Mu Congyun held down the hilt of his sword, walked in front of him, and quietly approached the gate.

The cultivator's footsteps were silent, and the people in the courtyard didn't notice that someone was coming at all, and while straining to restrain Grandma Zhao and tie her up with a rope, he chattered and said, "I didn't expect to hide for so long, but I still haven't escaped." I'm doing this for your own good, and you can't blame me when you wake up. ”

The person who spoke was also a familiar face, and it was the owner of the family where Mu Congyun was borrowed.

The owner is an old man in his sixties, also surnamed Zhao, with gray hair and beard, a rich body, a round face, and a kind eyebrow.

After he firmly tied Grandma Zhao to the beams, he hammered his waist and legs hard, wiped his sweat, and then picked up the back basket that was placed aside and prepared to leave.

It looks like it's to save Grandma Zhao.

Mu Congyun looked at Jin Qi, and the experienced Jin Qi immediately understood, and stepped forward to block the other party's way.

He was born handsome, and when he laughed, he had two pleasing dimples, which he always liked his elders: "Uncle Zhao, what are you doing here?" ”

Uncle Zhao, who turned around unguardedly, suddenly met the smiling face he approached, and was so shocked that he took two steps back, and only after seeing the person clearly did he breathe a sigh of relief, and then showed a little unnatural crampedness: "The two immortal masters are back?" ”

Jin Yi was unaware of his crampedness, and diligently helped the person to the side and sat down, and said with concern: "On the way back just now, we saw many people in the town who seemed to have lost their souls, leaving their homes and going to the back mountain. I can't stop screaming no matter how I call it. As he spoke, his gaze naturally turned to Grandma Zhao, who was tied up: "Grandma Zhao looks the same as those people." The people who disappeared in the town before were actually old woods in the back mountains after losing their souls, right? ”

"I, I don't ......" Uncle Zhao's hand on his knee trembled, and his face hesitated and struggled.

This is obviously knowing something.

Seeing this, Jin Yi became more and more determined, and persuaded again: "Senior brother and I just came back from the old forest, and we have all seen the situation in the forest. If you know anything, please tell us the truth, and it will be convenient for us to save people. ”

Uncle Zhao seemed to be moved by him, his lips squirmed slightly, and he said astringently after a while: "Actually, I don't know much, I only know that the old forest in the back mountain was a mass grave a long time ago." It is said that because there are too many dead people, the yin qi is heavy, and it has not been peaceful, and the living cannot get out when they go in, so it is called the 'man-eating forest'. Later, when it grew up, I probably thought that this name was not good, and the people in the town only called Lao Linzi. Usually, everyone thinks that the old forest is unlucky, and it is easy not to approach. Only the town's hunters or small traders who dig mountain goods occasionally come and go, but I haven't heard of anything in recent years. ”

Speaking of this, he rubbed his hands vigorously, and his eyes unconsciously fell on the back basket on the side: "But just half a month ago, a few hunters who entered the old forest never came out. At first, it was Orion's family who mobilized the people of the town to go into the forest to look for them, but none of the people who went to find people came out. Everyone was scared, saying that Lao Linzi had started eating people again. But those who have missing families refuse to believe it, and there is a wealthy hunter who spends a lot of money to hire people into the mountains to look for them......"

"When my son and daughter-in-law saw that they were giving a lot of money, they went with them." Referring to the missing son and daughter-in-law, Uncle Zhao couldn't help wiping away his old tears, patted his back basket and choked up: "As a result, I didn't come back, leaving the little old man and a baby grandson to rely on each other." ”

It was also after this time that everyone was frightened, saying that there was an evil thing in the old forest, and they were going to set fire to the forest so as not to harm anyone again. However, the mayor said that the weather was hot in June and July, and he was afraid of causing wildfires, so he changed the burning of the mountain to cutting down trees. About half a month ago, the mayor of the town summoned the young people in the town and picked the noon time to go to the back mountain to cut down trees. ”

The old man's dry eyes could no longer shed tears, and his voice became heavier and heavier: "There are many people who go, and on the first day, I cut down the trees on the periphery, but it went well." But from the very next day, people began to go missing in the town. At first, it was just one or two people, and then it became three or five missing. Just a moment of sleep, and people disappear out of thin air. Everyone was very scared, saying that Lao Linzi was angry, and everyone was so frightened that they didn't dare to sleep at night. But that's it, people are still going missing. ”

"How many people have gone missing so far?" Jin Yi asked.

"Most of the town is empty." Uncle Zhao sighed dejectedly: "Everyone is also afraid, and they hide at home and dare not go out during the day." Not long ago, two groups of immortal masters came to investigate, but they never came out after entering the old forest. No one dares to count on it anymore. ”

The old man looked up at the dark sky overhead, and persuaded them in turn: "When I was very young, I heard the old people in the town say that there are too many people buried in the old forest in the back mountain, and every tree is a soul. The townspeople cut down the trees, which angered the old woods. As many trees are cut down, as many people have to be used to make up for them. There is no way for us people to escape, and it is a day to go through it. If the two immortal masters can go, let's leave quickly. Don't stay here. ”

The other party's expression was too sad, and Jin Yi, who was still smiling, also became heavy, he helped Uncle Zhao up, and said solemnly: "Since we have been ordered to solve the abnormal changes in Nanhuai Town, we will not run away." ”

Uncle Zhao only shook his head when he heard this, carefully picked up the back basket and patted it, and did not continue to persuade.

The two sent Uncle Zhao back home.

When Jin Yi came out, his eyes were red, and he was a little hateful: "There are nearly three hundred families in Nanhuai Town, and there are thousands of people. But a mutation, most of it is empty. ”

Mu Congyun raised his head and stared at the leafy trees in Uncle Zhao's courtyard, but he didn't see any sad emotions, but his voice was a little cold: "He's lying." ”

Jin Yi was stunned for a moment, and his eyes widened: "Can't you?" ”

"In the whole town, only here are trees planted."

He had noticed before that in the entire Nanhuai Town, except for Uncle Zhao's house, there was not a single tree in the rest of the place. Even the trees that had been planted were now only stumps, apparently deliberately cut down.

Uncle Zhao said that the people in the town were afraid of the old forest and wanted to burn the mountain and cut down the trees, which may be true. But the rest is not necessarily true.

If it is really like what he said, his son and daughter-in-law have accidents in the old forest, and he is not afraid when he sees the trees in the yard, and he does not complain?

This doesn't make sense.

And Mu Congyun has always been very sensitive to the emotions of others. When Uncle Zhao talked about his son and daughter-in-law, his words and expressions were sad, but he didn't feel so sad.

He's acting.

Jin Yi's expression was suddenly indescribable, and he felt that his tears were flowing in vain.

"So what do we do now? Go in and pull people out and re-interrogate? ”

Mu Congyun shook his head: "You are staring here, and I will go to the old forest to take a look." ”

Uncle Zhao's words are half true, but the sentence he mentioned is worth considering - he said that every tree is a soul. The townspeople cut down the trees, which angered the old woods. As many trees are cut down, as many people have to be used to make up for them.

And the people in Nanhuai Town have indeed become trees in the old forest.

Everything has a cause and effect, and it has been nearly a month since the eclipse fog spread to Nanhuai Town, but a large number of people in the town began to disappear, but it only started half a month ago. Something must have happened in the middle of this, causing the mutation of the old forest to intensify and become more dangerous.

And the so-called cause is not as simple as cutting down trees.

Handed over all the thunder charms he carried to Jin Yi for self-defense, and Mu Congyun went to Lao Linzi with his sword again.

It was nearly dusk, and it was getting darker. The eclipse fog that shrouded the old forest surged silently, like a huge shadow lurking between heaven and earth.

However, Mu Congyun was keenly aware that the eclipse fog seemed to have faded.

In order to verify his guess, he did not immediately set up the aura cover, but walked directly into the eclipse mist. There was some discomfort in the body as it passed through the thick gray mist, but it was only discomfort. The waist fog lights don't even warn.

The mutation in the forest has subsided, the trees have visibly thinned to the naked eye, and the ground is bare with deep pits and dirt splattered everywhere.

What happened?

Seeing that the sky was getting darker and darker, Mu Congyun didn't dare to delay time, and Edgeworth went deep into the forest.

After going deeper, the trees become dense again.

The trees did not regenerate, but they were thicker than the outer ones, two or three or even four or five trees intertwined into one, all branches stretching in the same direction, as if to worship something.

Mu Congyun avoided these strange branches, and restrained his breath and walked cautiously.

The deeper you go, the more obvious the worship posture of these strange trees becomes, and even the main trunk begins to bend and crawl. The eroded fog in the forest also became thicker, and the gray mist swirled, as if stirred by the invisible, converging in the same direction.

Mu looked at the clouds and could see that in the surging gray mist, there was a faint red.

It should have been close to the core of the old forest.

Mu Congyun is becoming more and more cautious. After walking another hundred meters, he stopped, his pupils dilated slightly from shock, and he looked at the scene in front of him in shock-

Where the branches of all the strange trees pointed, there was a huge tree with a canopy that covered the sky. But what really shocked people was not the giant tree, but the dragons who wrapped around the giant tree and raised their heads to absorb the eroded mist.

Golden pupils, red jade scales.

The huge dragon's body curved and swirled, and its hideous, sharp claws were deeply embedded in the trunk of the tree, making it more powerful than the legend suggests.

Mu Congyun, who had never seen a dragon, was thrilled and dizzy for a moment.

However, when he looked more closely, he found that the dragon was not the same as in the record.

It has only one horn, and the other corner has only a bulging cross-sectional protrusion. If you look closely at the hideous and beautiful dragon head, you will find that in addition to the ruby-like scales, there are also many golden or emerald green scales, which seem to be made of gold and gemstones.

As for the dragon body, it is impossible to look closely. The scales are mottled and the surface is uneven. As a result of forcibly absorbing the eroded mist, the power of filth returned, and the epidermis where it was not covered by scales cracked, and golden-red blood flowed out.

The golden-red blood seemed corrosive, dripping in its meanders, corroding holes into the roots of the giant tree protruding from the ground.

It was a dragon with severed horns and scales.