I am Just a Wild God, Why are You Kneeling Before the Heavenly Dao?

Ancient trees entwined with vines obscured the sky, the ground covered with decaying leaves concealed traps, and the mist carried an unknown low hum, every shadow like a lurking giant beast.

It was as if life and death were intertwined in a paradise, with towering giant trees rising from the ground and humus nourishing the vigorous growth of fungi.

Granny Chen leaned on her walking stick, squinting at the deep forest outside the protective shield: ”The Qi in this forest is not right; there’s a putrid smell.”

”Chunsheng, what is this place outside?”

Liu Chunsheng stared at the eerie, dense forest, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

”Granny Chen, to be honest, people from our village never dared to come this way. The older generation always said this forest is the ’Yin and Yang Boundary’; living people who enter never come out.”

He pointed to a crooked old tree in the distance.

”Look at those trees; five people hugging them would be difficult. I don’t know how long they’ve been growing here.”

Old people become wise, old trees become spirits. These things wouldn’t also develop self-awareness, would they?

With Liu Chunsheng’s words, everyone realized that the trees that five people could barely hug were considered small fry outside the protective shield. Some trees, at a glance, were as wide as a small house.

The group observed every plant and blade of grass outside, separated by the protective shield.

In the past, when they encountered such an old forest, they would definitely turn and run, as far as they could. Now, such a close-up observation opportunity was rare.

It was truly an eye-opener.

Shen Jianhong stood at the very front, his gaze fixed intently on the old forest outside the protective shield, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.

This was a posture ready to launch an attack at any moment.

General Luo was even more direct; he directly drew his sword and held it horizontally in front of him.

”This mist is also not right,”

Shen Jianhong said in a deep voice, ”Ordinary mist disperses with the wind, but the mist in this forest swirls and refuses to dissipate like a living thing.”

General Luo also nodded in agreement.

”This General once campaigned against various demons and monsters for the late Emperor and has seen places filled with miasma, but I have never seen such a bizarre sight.”

”It’s too eerie.”

It was hard to imagine that mist could be described as eerie, but everyone had a feeling that this mist was now showing off its moves right in front of them.

”Don’t focus on this mist. Look at the vines on the ground!”

Liu Chunsheng suddenly exclaimed, pointing at the ground.

Everyone followed the direction of his finger and saw several dark red vines slowly writhing on the ground at the edge of the protective shield, crawling like snakes.

Even more chilling was that the surface of those vines was covered with fine suction cups, and whenever they touched the protective shield, they emitted a ”sizzling” corrosive sound.

”This thing is poisonous.”

”These vines are probing the weak points of the protective shield!”

”Fall back!”

He roared, pulling Granny Chen back, and his longsword unsheathed.

General Luo slashed with his sword, a cold light cutting through the mist: ”All troops, be on alert!”

The vines seemed startled, suddenly growing several feet longer, and more than a dozen more emerged from beneath the decaying leaves, biting at the light curtain like blood-red snakes.

Amidst the sizzling corrosive sounds, the protective shield actually rippled...

”Form a battle array! Protect His Majesty.”

At General Luo’s command, three hundred Imperial Guards moved as one, instantly forming a circular array to protect the Emperor in the center.

The clang of iron shields resounded, echoing through the silent forest.

Li Shun: ”...”

Li Shun suddenly felt that he was losing Face, especially when the villagers all looked at him in unison.

”Cough, cough!”

He pushed aside his personal guards and stepped forward.

”It’s alright, we are inside the protective shield, this thing cannot get in.”

“The relocation of the Old Capital was very rushed, and the current Imperial Palace is merely three five-courtyard complexes merged together.”

“The central courtyard houses the Hall of Supreme Harmony, where Li Shun typically holds discussions with his ministers.”

“Granny Chen’s petition was quickly presented to His Majesty.”

“Inside the Imperial Study, Li Shun unrolled the bamboo slip, his brows slightly furrowed.”

“Candlelight flickered in his deep-set eyes, reflecting a hint of confusion.”