Chapter 31 A Fortuitous Moment

In the following period, Lu Yun instructed Yun Feng and Liu Xinghun to continue investigating the situation at the Soul-Transforming Pool, while he and the others secretly rushed to the outskirts of the Shura Forest, preparing to wait for the right opportunity.

Looking at the Shura Forest, both Lu Yun and the accompanying people felt a strange sensation. Because this was the only forest they had encountered since entering the Ghost Domain. Unlike forests in the mortal realm, this forest was entirely black, and each tree's branches and leaves were interconnected, giving it a hazy feeling. From a distance, as Yun Feng had described, it didn't seem large. Wisps of black clouds emerged above it, gently dancing in the eerie wind.

After searching for a while, the group found a relatively low and sheltered spot. Lu Yun glanced at the others and spoke, "Bi Tian and Du Li are weak, so they should start cultivating and recuperating their strength as soon as possible. The rest of you should carefully observe the surroundings, paying attention to any differences compared to other places. Since we are close to the Soul-Transforming Pool, the atmosphere here might be different from elsewhere. If we can deduce something from the surroundings, it might help us analyze the Soul-Transforming Pool."

Nodding slightly, everyone followed his instructions, diligently observing the surroundings. As they shifted their gazes, Lu Yun looked towards the sky, lost in thought. At that moment, his eyes seemed peculiar, hinting at hidden thoughts. A faint fragrance drifted by, subtly entering his senses. Turning around, he looked at the beautiful face before him and smiled gently, "Remember to practice when you have the time. The environment here is peculiar and can greatly enhance cultivation. Your cultivation has already reached the upper level of the 'Immortal' realm. With effort, you can enter the realm of Immortal Return."

Gazing softly at Lu Yun, Aoxue replied calmly, "I know. What's there to think about so deeply alone? The sky here is dark, devoid of light, and the night is eerie without stars. What is there to gaze at here?"

Looking into her bright eyes, her jade-like features, and the flickering charm, Lu Yun felt a sense of joy in his heart, wanting to gaze upon that beauty forever. His thoughts wandered, recalling past moments, and a hint of infatuation appeared in his eyes. With a silly smile, Lu Yun revealed his truest self in that moment.

As a faint breeze brushed by, a soft laughter reached Lu Yun's ears. Startled, he suddenly came back to his senses, looking at Aoxue's elegant smile. In that moment, a strange brilliance gleamed in his eyes, and he joyfully whispered, "Aoxue, you're so beautiful. With you here, there are memories! Although the sky here lacks light, your laughter illuminates it. Though the night here lacks stars, your smile, your glance, they are the stars that forever shine in my heart. In the starless night, lonely is the wind, but with your beauty, the heavens and earth are reflected. If asked when this heart will cease, even if the seven realms perish, my heart will remain steadfast!"

A glint of excitement sparkled in Aoxue's eyes. Watching the young man before her, full of determination and sincerity, her elegant face revealed a smile from the depths of her heart. Gazing deeply into Lu Yun's eyes, Aoxue remained silent, simply looking at him, as both were immersed in their own world. In that moment, words were unnecessary. Their souls connected, and their feelings conveyed through their eyes.

In the gentle breeze, all other sounds faded away, leaving only the sound of two hearts beating. With a serene smile, the two exchanged glances, their eyes filled with joy, before gently diverting their gazes. Glancing at the nearby Jue Wu Chen and Cang Yue, who were both watching them, Lu Yun suddenly felt a surge of pride in his heart. Regardless of how fate might punish him, at least he had Aoxue, and the deep affection of Cang Yue. Even if failure or departure awaited in the future, there were still many memorable moments in this life.

With a slight nod and a smile at Cang Yue, Lu Yun shifted his gaze away. "Rest well here, everyone. I'll scout the surroundings and see if I can gather any useful information." With a flicker, a faint light flashed, and Lu Yun's figure mysteriously disappeared.

Watching Lu Yun depart, Zi Yang withdrew his gaze, glanced at Aoxue and Cang Yue, then at Jue Wu Chen, and sighed softly. In this life, Lu Yun and Jue Wu Chen were destined to be at odds, whether in competition for fame or for love. Perhaps, this was fate. As Zi Yang, he, as their master, had sensed many things about Lu Yun since entering the Ghost Domain. Although he hadn't inquired, he knew deep down that everything would eventually come to light. Some things could only be concealed temporarily, not forever. Regarding Lu Yun, his predominant feeling was worry, as he feared his suspicions were true.

Leaving the others, Lu Yun hovered in mid-air and activated his mysterious invisible cloak, concealing all his aura. Surveying the surroundings, under the dark sky, apart from the Shura Forest, there was only barren soil without any signs of life. As Lu Yun observed the relatively small Shura Forest, he emitted seven waves of mental waves, each at a different frequency, analyzing the movements within the forest.

Soon, the results emerged. The Shura Forest had several notable characteristics. Firstly, the trees, although resembling mortal trees, were actually formed from a mysterious sinister energy, manifesting as physical entities. Secondly, the distribution of trees in the forest formed a massive array, capable of misleading one's consciousness. Thirdly, there was a powerful barrier surrounding the forest, integrated with the entire forest. This barrier possessed strong rebounding force and binding power, firmly concealing the aura of the Soul-Transforming Pool, making it undetectable from outside.

With a slight sinking feeling in his heart, Lu Yun pondered how to infiltrate without alerting the others. Suddenly, he looked down and noticed the invisible cloak he wore, and a smile crept onto his face. He had forgotten about this miraculous treasure. It was understandable, considering he had only recently obtained it, and it hadn't fully registered in his mind. 

Descending to the ground, Lu Yun activated his mental waves to explore the surroundings while venturing into the forest towards the Soul-Transforming Pool. As he delved deeper, he utilized his mental waves to analyze the mysterious array. In a flash, Lu Yun's eyes widened with surprise, and he withdrew his mental waves abruptly.

Lifting his gaze to the five dark figures by the pool, Lu Yun carefully explored their aura. Among these five shadows, the sinister one that seemed to be the ghost marshal was absent, indicating that it might have left for some urgent matter. Among the five shadows present, one was a dark green figure, enveloped in a green aura, completely concealing its features. Of the remaining four shadows, the one that caught Lu Yun's attention the most was a very small figure. It shimmered with a faint ghostly light, seemingly ordinary on the surface, but Lu Yun's mental waves sensed a terrifying presence emanating from it, deeply concealed.

With a swift movement, Lu Yun concealed his entire body within his magical cloak, silently appearing next to these five shadows. Standing quietly for a moment, Lu Yun waited to see if these experts would react. Soon, he noticed a slight change in the green-glowing creature, constantly scanning its surroundings, as if sensing something. However, after a while of observation, it found nothing and eventually calmed down. Apart from this creature, the tiny shadow also showed a slight movement, but unfortunately, it also didn't detect anything.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Lu Yun secretly rejoiced. Now, he could closely investigate the secret of the Soul Transformation Pool. Passing by one of the shadowy figures, Lu Yun approached closer, carefully studying the mysterious patterns surrounding the Soul Transformation Pool. These patterns formed peculiar designs, surprisingly resembling a map of the Milky Way galaxy. Lu Yun looked at these mysterious patterns, puzzled about their purpose in surrounding the Soul Transformation Pool. After circling around the pool, Lu Yun finally noticed that the water in the Soul Transformation Pool was not black but rather a dark green color, appearing black under the dim light.

With a thought, Lu Yun continued to explore the secrets of the pool with his mental waves. However, as his mental waves approached the vicinity of the Soul Transformation Pool, they were abruptly diverted by a powerful force and drawn into the black cloud hovering above, swallowing them up. Startled, Lu Yun inwardly found it strange and quickly retracted his mental waves. Glancing at the five experts, Lu Yun's mind pondered whether he could glean any insights from them to decipher the secret of the Soul Transformation Pool.

As Lu Yun contemplated, a very subtle aura suddenly appeared and swiftly approached the edge of the Soul Transformation Pool. Watching the sudden appearance of the sinister ghost marshal, Lu Yun's eyes flashed with curiosity as he carefully concealed his own aura and attentively observed its movements.

Glancing around, the ghost marshal surveyed the surroundings and asked, "How's it going? Any disturbances?" Without a response, the five dark shadows simply nodded lightly, quietly observing the Soul Transformation Pool.

Seeming to understand their nature, the ghost marshal didn't press further and, after circling the pool, continued, "Aside from checking the changes here, there's another matter this time that requires your assistance. The Ghost King ingeniously lured the high-level experts from the mortal realm into the Soulless Realm, causing them to clash with those beings from the Soulless Realm. Originally intended to weaken the Soulless Realm's power, unexpectedly, those mortal realm experts managed to kill the Soulless Ghost King. As a result, the Soulless Realm has become leaderless and descended into chaos. In response, the Ghost King has decided to launch a surprise attack, aiming to seize control of the Soulless Realm before the Black River Interval. To ensure success, the Ghost King specifically sent me to invite five of you to help."

Upon hearing this, the five shadows looked at the ghost marshal, their eyes darkening. After a moment of silence, the green-glowing creature spoke up, "At this moment, launching a sudden attack seems too impulsive. Our main focus should be to wait for the seven days to pass, so that when the Soul-sealing Talisman is destroyed, we can enter the mortal realm. By diverting manpower now, any unexpected events could lead to irreversible consequences."

With a faint smile, the ghost marshal said, "You can rest assured about that, the King did not intend to withdraw all of your assistance. The King hopes that two or three of you can be spared to assist. Due to the rare opportunity this presents, missing it would only complicate matters for the Ghost King's ambition to unify the Ghost Domain. Therefore, the urgency of the situation compelled the King to dispatch me for this negotiation. I wonder what your thoughts are?"

Upon hearing this, the elder among them exchanged a glance with the others. Then, addressing the ghost marshal, he said, "Under these circumstances, we can consider it. After all, our cooperation is mutually beneficial for the Ghost King's ambition to unify the Ghost Domain. We will discuss and give you our answer later."

Gathering the four ghostly creatures together, the elder and the others exchanged whispers and quickly reached a decision. Then, the elder said, "To show respect for the Ghost King and our commitment to cooperation, we have decided to send three experts with you, while I and the Ghost Elder will stay behind to ensure the safety of this place. Furthermore, it would be best for you to urge the two experts from the Black River Interval to hurry here after you leave, to ensure stability."

With a pleased expression, the ghost marshal said, "In that case, allow me to express the King's gratitude here. As for the other two, I have already sent someone to urge them, and I believe they will arrive soon. Please keep this matter confidential for now, to avoid any disturbance from the Black River Interval that could affect my actions. Now, I will take three experts with me, leaving you two here." With that, the ghost marshal departed with three shadows, leaving the elder and the Ghost Elder behind. At the edge of the pool, the elder and the thin figure of the Ghost Elder exchanged a mysterious glance as they watched them leave.

At the edge of the pool, Lu Yun, along with Yun Feng and Liu Xinghun hiding in the woods, listened intently. When the elder and the others saw the departure of the ghost marshal and his entourage, they exchanged surprised glances, then carefully observed the pool, before leaving.

Once they were gone, Lu Yun noticed Yun Feng and Liu Xinghun quietly departing. Looking at the pool, Lu Yun suddenly unleashed a powerful mental wave attack against it. The high-speed vibrations of his mental wave struck the pool, only to be deflected by a powerful force and redirected to the black cloud in the sky, causing it to ripple and swirl.

"Who's there? Show yourself!" Two different voices rang out simultaneously as the elder and the Ghost Elder's figures blurred, covering the entire area around the pool. However, Lu Yun paid them no heed, casting a strange look at the pool before leaving.

As Lu Yun contemplated, a very subtle aura suddenly appeared and swiftly approached the edge of the Soul Transformation Pool. Watching the sudden appearance of the sinister ghost marshal, Lu Yun's eyes flashed with curiosity as he carefully concealed his own aura and attentively observed its movements.

Glancing around, the ghost marshal surveyed the surroundings and asked, "How's it going? Any disturbances?" Without a response, the five dark shadows simply nodded lightly, quietly observing the Soul Transformation Pool.

Seeming to understand their nature, the ghost marshal didn't press further and, after circling the pool, continued, "Aside from checking the changes here, there's another matter this time that requires

 your assistance. The Ghost King ingeniously lured the high-level experts from the mortal realm into the Soulless Realm, causing them to clash with those beings from the Soulless Realm. Originally intended to weaken the Soulless Realm's power, unexpectedly, those mortal realm experts managed to kill the Soulless Ghost King. As a result, the Soulless Realm has become leaderless and descended into chaos. In response, the Ghost King has decided to launch a surprise attack, aiming to seize control of the Soulless Realm before the Black River Interval. To ensure success, the Ghost King specifically sent me to invite five of you to help."

Upon hearing this, the five shadows looked at the ghost marshal, their eyes darkening. After a moment of silence, the green-glowing creature spoke up, "At this moment, launching a sudden attack seems too impulsive. Our main focus should be to wait for the seven days to pass, so that when the Soul-sealing Talisman is destroyed, we can enter the mortal realm. By diverting manpower now, any unexpected events could lead to irreversible consequences."

With a faint smile, the ghost marshal said, "You can rest assured about that, the King did not intend to withdraw all of your assistance. The King hopes that two or three of you can be spared to assist. Due to the rare opportunity this presents, missing it would only complicate matters for the Ghost King's ambition to unify the Ghost Domain. Therefore, the urgency of the situation compelled the King to dispatch me for this negotiation. I wonder what your thoughts are?"

Upon hearing this, the elder among them exchanged a glance with the others. Then, addressing the ghost marshal, he said, "Under these circumstances, we can consider it. After all, our cooperation is mutually beneficial for the Ghost King's ambition to unify the Ghost Domain. We will discuss and give you our answer later."

Gathering the four ghostly creatures together, the elder and the others exchanged whispers and quickly reached a decision. Then, the elder said, "To show respect for the Ghost King and our commitment to cooperation, we have decided to send three experts with you, while I and the Ghost Elder will stay behind to ensure the safety of this place. Furthermore, it would be best for you to urge the two experts from the Black River Interval to hurry here after you leave, to ensure stability."

With a pleased expression, the ghost marshal said, "In that case, allow me to express the King's gratitude here. As for the other two, I have already sent someone to urge them, and I believe they will arrive soon. Please keep this matter confidential for now, to avoid any disturbance from the Black River Interval that could affect my actions. Now, I will take three experts with me, leaving you two here." With that, the ghost marshal departed with three shadows, leaving the elder and the Ghost Elder behind. At the edge of the pool, the elder and the thin figure of the Ghost Elder exchanged a mysterious glance as they watched them leave.

At the edge of the pool, Lu Yun, along with Yun Feng and Liu Xinghun hiding in the woods, listened intently. When the elder and the others saw the departure of the ghost marshal and his entourage, they exchanged surprised glances, then carefully observed the pool, before leaving.

Once they were gone, Lu Yun noticed Yun Feng and Liu Xinghun quietly departing. Looking at the pool, Lu Yun suddenly unleashed a powerful mental wave attack against it. The high-speed vibrations of his mental wave struck the pool, only to be deflected by a powerful force and redirected to the black cloud in the sky, causing it to ripple and swirl.

"Who's there? Show yourself!" Two different voices rang out simultaneously as the elder and the Ghost Elder's figures blurred, covering the entire area around the pool. However, Lu Yun paid them no heed, casting a strange look at the pool before leaving.

Returning to the others, Lu Yun found Yun Feng and Liu Xinghun excitedly conversing with the group, obviously discussing the golden opportunity they had just heard about. Approaching them, Lu Yun asked, "What's going on? You all seem very happy. Is there some good news?"

Excitedly, Yun Feng pulled Lu Yun aside and said, "We've learned some good news. Currently, there are only two experts guarding the pool, the weakest they've been. If we launch an attack now, we can seize the Soul Transformation Pool and retrieve the Soul-sealing Talisman. How about that? Isn't it great news?"

Shaking his head with a smile, Lu Yun asked, "But if there's no one guarding the pool now, can you enter it? Just taking a quick look won't reveal much. So even if we seize the pool now, there are still more important things waiting for us to do. Regarding the timing, I must admit it's a good opportunity, but it's come too suddenly."

After listening, the excitement in the crowd diminished considerably. Lu Yun's words were right - the opportunity was rare, but its sudden arrival left them feeling caught off guard. Looking at Lu Yun, Zi Yang asked, "Now, at this critical moment, what do you think we should do? Should we give up, or take a risk?"

Looking at everyone, Lu Yun spoke solemnly, "This matter is of great importance, so I'd like to hear everyone's opinions. After all, we're here for the sake of peace in the mortal realm, so we must seize every opportunity. Regarding this matter, it's not just my decision alone. We need to discuss it together, and the result we reach will be our collective decision. Only with everyone's unanimous agreement can we cooperate better and complete the task together. Now, please share your thoughts, and let's discuss this together."

In the following time, Lu Yun discussed the matter with everyone, focusing on the debate between giving up and taking a risk. Among the eleven people, seven supported taking a risk, while only Lu Yun, Aoxue, Cang Yue, and Yun Feng supported giving up. In the end, with seven votes to four, they decided to take the risk.

Watching the assembled group, Lu Yun's gaze swept over each person before finally turning to the sky. Quietly staring at the sky for a moment, Lu Yun spoke softly, "This battle affects our individual destinies and the safety of the mortal realm, so everyone must give it their all and take this matter seriously. I hope for success on our first attempt, without needing a second or third chance, because some prices are too high for us to pay. Now, let's depart."

With a swift motion, Lu Yun's figure moved like the wind, leading the group into the Shura Forest towards the Soul-Transforming Pool.