Wang Ya held the Hand Ghost Bell in her hand and slowly stepped forward along the plank road, one step at a time.
Zhang Qingshui and Huang Qi pinched their noses and followed closely behind Wang Ya. After just a few meters, Zhang Qingshui couldn’t stand the corpse stench from Wang Ya anymore. She summoned the Azure Vine, which encircled her and Huang Qi, isolating them from Wang Ya’s odor.
The sudden bright green light from the Azure Vine naturally caught Wang Ya’s eye. She turned back to glance at the embarrassed Huang Qi and the expressionless Zhang Qingshui, letting out two heavy cold snorts. “Stinky? Next time you encounter one of these Mutated Corpse Ghosts, you go fight it!” Just as her words fell, she heard Wang Cheng’an’s voice: “Yaya!” The sudden sound of her father’s voice made Wang Ya’s ears perk up in shock as she strained to listen.
“Yaya!” The voice was distant; Wang Ya couldn’t make it out clearly and wasn’t sure if it was really her father. She didn’t dare respond casually.
Huang Qi called out, “Wang Ya, your dad.”
Wang Ya asked, “Where?”
Huang Qi replied, “Ahead!” She said, “I’ll lead the way.” She stepped forward to walk in front of Wang Ya. They were moving with the wind now, so the corpse stench wouldn’t be as strong up ahead.
Zhang Qingshui grabbed Huang Qi and said, “This place is eerie. Don’t rush.”
Wang Ya understood Zhang Qingshui’s implication perfectly: This place is dangerous and strange; Huang Qi, don’t eagerly run ahead. Let Wang Ya take the risky front position! Wang Ya didn’t bother arguing with Zhang Qingshui and said, “Huang Qi, you guide.” With that, she turned and walked forward faster. The calls of “Yaya” grew closer; Wang Ya was now certain it was her father’s voice. Her steps quickened, but suddenly her father’s voice vanished, replaced by a gust of wind blowing head-on. The wind wasn’t strong, but compared to the previous breeze, this sudden gust felt oddly strange to Wang Ya.
Huang Qi whispered, “I feel something’s off, but I can’t pinpoint it. Your dad disappeared too, like he hid.”
The Green Vine shielding Zhang Qingshui and Huang Qi suddenly flared with intense green light, illuminating the surroundings brightly.
Wang Ya clearly saw a green shadow materialize out of thin air on the plank road four or five meters ahead. The shadow was a hazy green, like a humanoid form composed of countless green fluorescent lights. Its figure was quite alluring at first glance, resembling a woman in a long skirt with a graceful posture. In this haunted place, no one would believe such a Green Shadow was human—it had to be either a demon or a ghost!
Zhang Qingshui vigilantly scanned the surroundings, her gaze sweeping over the plank road, and asked, “Is there anything on the plank road?”
For some inexplicable reason, two words popped into Wang Ya’s mind: “Ye Zi?”
As soon as she said it, Zhang Qingshui and Huang Qi looked at her with surprise and bewilderment.
Wang Ya stared unblinkingly at the Green Shadow standing in the middle of the plank road. She just felt that this woman’s name was “Ye Zi.”
Zhang Qingshui whispered to Huang Qi, “Little Qi, what do you see?”
Huang Qi lowered her voice: “It’s five meters directly ahead.”
Wang Ya said softly, “You two watch yourselves.” She slowly walked toward the Green Shadow. What had to come couldn’t be avoided. She figured the gaze she felt while climbing over the roots earlier was this Green Shadow watching her. Since it had locked onto her in this root-infested place, fleeing wasn’t wise.
She slowly approached the Green Shadow, gradually seeing it more clearly as the distance closed.
It was a woman with a hazy figure, like a projection from a projector—somewhat illusory, semi-transparent, and faintly glowing. Wang Ya could even see the plank road behind her through her form. Wang Ya stopped two meters away, unable to take another half-step. She stared intently at the Green Shadow before her. From afar, it looked like she wore a skirt, but up close, the “skirt” was merely glowing green biological light, like spiritual luminescence condensed from countless green fireflies. Within the green light was a semi-transparent green—beautiful woman. She had a pair of impressive breasts; Wang Ya estimated at least a C cup. She subtly glanced at her own B cups, despising the demon for a tenth of a second, then shifted her gaze to the woman’s face. This time, its face wasn’t woven of green, but an exquisitely crafted woman’s face with perfectly proportioned features. It resembled the one she had seen on the stone pillar by seventy percent, but even more beautiful, which made it seem all the more demonic. Her eyes still glowed green. Wang Ya felt chilled all over under that icy gaze. Seeing this woman felt like reuniting with a long-lost acquaintance, accompanied by an indescribable emotion. This feeling made Wang Ya uncomfortable, like someone owed her millions and refused to pay—a sense of melancholy welled up again.
Huang Qi’s low voice drifted from behind Wang Ya: “It’s a Spirit Body. It carries Demonic Aura and Yin Qi, emitting green light all over. Its aura shares the same origin as these roots.”
Wang Ya heard Huang Qi’s voice drop even lower, but her keen ears caught it clearly. Huang Qi said, “Qing Jie, faint red light is emerging from Wang Ya again.” Wang Ya inwardly cursed, “Damn it! I haven’t even used the Yellow Springs Other Shore Art this time!” But she already felt that foreign emotion spreading in her heart. Wang Ya felt like crying without tears—would she lose control and kill and devour this demon later? Heaven knew if this demon, seemingly rooted from the Other Shore Demon Flower, had grown so robust by eating corpses and absorbing Yin Qi!
Despite the tears streaming in her heart, Wang Ya’s expression remained coldly serene. A hint of daze entered her bright eyes as myriad fragmented memories surfaced in her mind, flashing by like phantoms.
Wang Ya and the green-shadowed woman stared silently at each other. Neither moved, nor spoke.
Zhang Qingshui pulled Huang Qi and slowly retreated, putting distance between them.
Huang Qi clearly “saw” the red light on Wang Ya intensifying, with soaring red spiritual Demonic Aura and oppressive Yin Qi. Even with the Green Vine’s protection, it forced her to quickly pull Zhang Qingshui back.
