(Beginning of the "Whispering Forest Arc")
The forest stretched endlessly under the fading gold of dusk, each rustle of leaf brushing against another like whispers from unseen spirits. After leaving the safety of the cave, the family of four—Liang Yu, Feng Lian, and the two children—had been venturing deeper into the heart of the Whispering Forest.
Days had blended into one another—filled with battles against minor beasts, the scent of crushed spirit herbs, and the sound of boiling cauldrons. Liang Yu's alchemy had leapt forward with astonishing speed; what once took him a dozen failures now only took a calm flick of his wrist and a soft breath of cyan mana. Pills of healing and vitality rolled out of his furnace like tiny pearls of life. The air around him often shimmered faintly with the aroma of Starleaf Blossoms, Azure Root Dust, and Moonshade Sap—rare ingredients that pulsed with spiritual resonance.
Meanwhile, Feng Lian guided the children through daily meditation. Under his patient instruction, they had begun sensing the faint threads of mana within the world—the "Flicker of Awareness." Though young, their eyes glowed with wonder each time they succeeded in feeling that first soft pulse of energy in the air.
Everything had felt like calm progression—until today.
The deeper they went, the quieter the forest became. No rustle of small beasts. No chirping of spirit birds. Even the usual hum of wind through the Spiritbark Trees was gone. The silence pressed against their chests like invisible chains.
Feng Lian halted mid-step. His thunder-aspect mana rippled faintly, and a stormy glint crossed his eyes.
"Yu," he murmured, his voice low but sharp, "something's wrong."
Liang Yu paused, tightening his grip on his storage pouch. "What is it?"
Lian's gaze swept the vast greenery ahead. "We're inside the layer of a high-grade beast… but that shouldn't be possible. This part of the forest is too thin in mana. Such a creature couldn't survive here."
Confusion flickered through Yu's cyan eyes. "Then…?"
Before either could react, the air grew colder—silvery mist curling between the ancient roots around them. The faint scent of Lunar Dew filled the air, soft and intoxicating. Then, out from the mist, stepped a creature of breathtaking beauty.
A deer-like beast—its entire body shimmering like molten moonlight. Antlers of translucent crystal curved elegantly from its head, each point humming faintly with spiritual power. Its eyes were pools of liquid silver, deep enough to drown a soul. The ground beneath its hooves bloomed with faint light, tiny Silverveil Flowers sprouting where it stepped.
Even the children instinctively fell silent, holding their breath.
Feng Lian's expression hardened. His hand flicked behind him, forming a subtle defensive barrier around the others. His thunder mana crackled faintly, ready to burst into storm at a moment's notice. He glanced at Yu—there was no time for discussion.
If this was a Celestial-tier spirit beast, none of them could hope to win.
He had already decided.
If it attacked, he would fight to buy them time—whatever it cost him.
But before he could release his mana, the creature tilted its head. And then… it spoke.
The voice was unlike anything mortal—soft, melodic, carrying both sweetness and sorrow. It rippled through the air like a song played by the stars themselves.
"Children of wood and thunder… why do you tread upon my veil?"
The words were not shouted, yet they resonated in every heart, each syllable sinking deep into their souls. Liang Yu's breath caught—his cyan mana trembled, responding to something ancient, something familiar.
The beast took another slow, graceful step forward, silver mist curling tighter around them.
"You carry a scent long forgotten by this forest… tell me—"
The light in its eyes deepened, shimmering like moonlight on a blade.
"—from whose inheritance do you descend?"
Liang Yu's pulse thundered in his ears. Feng Lian's fingers tightened, his thunder aura flaring in warning. The forest around them fell utterly still—time itself holding its breath.
And then—
The mist began to twist, forming shapes of glowing sigils and runes in the air, circling the family like a living spell.
The silver deer lowered its head slightly—its gaze ancient, knowing, and terrifyingly kind.
"Answer me… or be tested by the Will of the Forest."
"Wait you were the one I was waiting for.."
The air pulsed once, heavy with mana.
Liang Yu and Feng Lian exchanged a glance—both realizing the same thing.
This was no ordinary encounter.
It was a trial.
And the forest itself was watching.
—To be continued. 🌙
Guardian's pic