The Lord of Void and Real
Chapter 1127

Chapter 1127: Chapter 1124: Entering the Forest (Sixth Release, Seeking Monthly Passes) Chapter 1127: Chapter 1124: Entering the Forest (Sixth Release, Seeking Monthly Passes) (Chapter 6)

When Wu Man'er and the middle-aged man approached, the old woman bowed to the latter first, and said,

“Clan Leader, Man'er has really been too willful this time. Not only did she leave the clan without permission, she even dared to bring outsiders back. If we do not severely punish her, it will surely lead to more clanspeople following suit, with unimaginable consequences.”

As she spoke, she also glanced at Man Tianxing and Yun Xiaonu.

It was clear that the phrase “more clanspeople” definitely included these two fervent participants.

The Clan Leader? The middle-aged man was actually the Clan Leader of the Divine Wood Forest, Wu Kuihu, which both Shen Luo and Jiang Shentian found quite surprising.

“Elder Yun, regardless, let's first release those two. Our Divine Wood Clan may not have had much contact with the outside world for a long time, but we still have some manner of courtesy due to guests. Moreover, they have not truly entered the Divine Wood Clan's territory and should not be treated this way,” said the middle-aged man, his voice unexpectedly gentle.

The old woman did not hesitate at all upon hearing the Clan Leader's words, immediately waving her hand to withdraw the vines and freeing the two companions.

Shen Luo flexed his wrists and, together with Jiang Shentian, gave thanks with a clasped fist bow.

“Granny, what about us?” Yun Xiaonu quickly cried out when she saw this.

Instead, she was met with the Green Vine wrapping around and gagging her mouth.

“Clan Leader, we can set aside the matter of these two for now, but how should we deal with Man'er leaving the clan without permission, which has already caused quite a stir among our people?” asked Elder Yun.

“Ever since Man'er left, our Divine Wood Clan hasn't been as peaceful as it used to be. More and more clanspeople, especially the younger ones, are also entertaining the idea of leaving. So I have been pondering, perhaps…”

“Clan Leader, are you actually considering that notion? Please do not forget why our clan chose to settle here, why we decided to isolate ourselves, why we severed all ties with the outside world,” Elder Yun interrupted Wu Kuihu before he could finish.

“Granny, our Divine Wood Clan has been in self-imposed isolation for far too long. The demonic affliction has been quelled in the outside world, and humans, demons, and immortals now coexist. The Three Realms have stabilized considerably. We should not be so rigid in following old rules; it is time to reopen our clan's doors and strengthen communications with the outside world,” Wu Man'er couldn't help but advise earnestly.

“What did you say? The demonic affliction has been quelled?” Elder Yun suddenly let out a cold laugh upon hearing this.

The Clan Leader beside her also showed a strange expression.

“Granny… What do you mean? Chiyou has been re-sealed, and the radical faction in the Demon Clan advocating the release has been suppressed. The outside world is indeed at peace from the Demonic Qi,” Wu Man'er said.

“Man'er, I'm afraid things are not as simple as you say,” Wu Kuihu sighed and continued.

“Master, what is going on?” Wu Man'er asked with a frown.

Only then did Shen Luo and the others realize that Wu Man'er was actually the beloved disciple of the Clan Leader of the Divine Wood Clan.

“Never mind, you'll understand once we go back and look at the Divine Tree,” Wu Kuihu shook his head and spoke slowly.

Listening to their conversation, Shen Luo sensed that the situation seemed quite complicated.

“Master, what about these two friends of mine?” Wu Man'er inquired with a frown.

“Outsiders are not allowed to step foot in our Divine Wood Clan territory,” Elder Yun said coldly.

Wu Kuihu frowned deeply, sizing up Shen Luo and his companion, seemingly hesitant.

“Wu Clan Leader, Elder Yun, we truly have no ill intentions in coming here. We only wish to borrow some of Earth Mother's Original Liquid to revive the Ginseng fruit tree in Wuzhuang View,” Jiang Shentian said earnestly.

“Ginseng fruit tree?” Elder Yun asked with a furrowed brow.

It wasn't that she hadn't heard of the Ginseng fruit tree; on the contrary, she knew that, like the Divine Tree of their Divine Wood Clan and the Fusu Ancient Tree in Yunmeng Marsh, the Ginseng fruit tree was also one of the Heavenly and Earthly Spirit Woods.

She was puzzled as to what problem had befallen the Ginseng fruit tree and why it required the Earth Mother's Essence.

Wu Man'er immediately recounted her observations in Wuzhuang View and her speculation about the Ginseng fruit tree being contaminated by Demonic Qi.

“Elder Yun, I believe this matter might be related to the Divine Tree. Perhaps we should make an exception to let them enter our clan this time; it may even be of help to us,” Wu Kuihu inquired.

“Clan Leader, I secretly observed earlier and discovered that this person harbors Demonic Qi within him. If we allow him into our clan, it could lead to trouble. After all, it pertains to the guarding of the Martial God Altar; we must not be careless,” Elder Yun said, looking towards Shen Luo.

Upon hearing this, Wu Kuihu scrutinized Shen Luo, his face reflecting deep contemplation.

“May I ask, Elder, when you detected the Demonic Qi on junior just now, did you see what junior was doing?” Shen Luo suddenly spoke up.

“You were trying to suppress the Demonic Qi, but it seemed quite difficult,” Elder Yun stated.

“Indeed, junior was strenuously suppressing the Demonic Qi, not to hide anything, but to preserve my life. Previously, junior participated in a trial and accidentally became infected with Demonic Qi in a secret realm; I have absolutely no connection to the Demon Clan,” Shen Luo defended himself.

“Of course, I know you are not from the Demon Clan; otherwise, you wouldn't be alive till now,” Elder Yun snorted coldly.

“Since that's the case, let Brother Shen come back with us to the clan,” Wu Man'er proposed.

“He carries Demonic Qi upon him. Entering our clan might lead it to the Martial God Altar. If that happens, we…” Elder Yun only got halfway through her sentence before stopping, but the implication in her words was quite clear.

She disagreed with the risk of letting Shen Luo enter the Divine Wood Clan.

As they discussed, Wu Kuihu kept his gaze on Shen Luo until everyone had expressed their opinions, at which point he finally settled the debate and made a decision.

“A mere Great Mahayana Stage Cultivator, even if burdened with Demonic Qi, won't be able to cause much trouble. If our Divine Wood Clan cannot even handle him, then we might as well give up guarding the Martial God Altar, as we would inevitably fail to protect it sooner or later.”

Upon hearing this declaration, Elder Yun finally agreed.

After releasing Man Tianxing and Yun Xiaonu, the group began their return to the Divine Wood Clan.

A moment later, Wu Kuihu suddenly swept them up with a large sweep of his sleeve, ensconcing Shen Luo and Jiang Shentian within. Both of them felt the world spinning before suddenly being ejected from the sleeve.

After steadying himself, Shen Luo surprisingly discovered that he was no longer in the dense mountain forest, but had appeared in an odd world bathed entirely in green.

Beneath his feet lay an extraordinarily thick vine, its body snaking and interlacing, reaching out in all directions, everywhere covered with vibrant green leaves, teeming with vitality.

In different directions from the extending vines, one could glimpse treehouse dwellings through the concealment of the leaves.

The treehouses seemed small, some with slanting roofs like four-sided cottages, others shaped like round houses with lampshade-like tops. Roofs were overgrown with green moss, and walls were entwined with fresh flowers, a truly beautiful sight.

Shen Luo had seen houses built on trees before, but such a large-scale construction was a first for him, which piqued his curiosity.

“Follow me,” Wu Kuihu said in a low voice.

Having said that, he proceeded to climb up the robust vine.

Shen Luo followed, looking around as he went, finding everything more and more fascinating. The crisscrossing vines seemed endless, just as one reached its end, another connected to a different vine.

In some areas, hundreds or thousands of vines intertwined with each other, forming a flat plane amidst the dense thicket that resembled a square.

Walking amongst them, Shen Luo felt as though he was in the midst of a vine forest, the area infused with the rich Heavenly and Earthly Spiritual Qi.

(Six-chapter release for monthly votes!)