Chapter 72: 72, Phantom

After entering the forest, Ren Xiaoshu deliberately scanned for signs of a struggle, for the mystery of the two private soldiers who had vanished the previous night remained unsolved, and he sought to uncover what misfortune had befallen them.

A heavy rain had washed away their footprints, making it arduous for Ren Xiaoshu to trace any clues.

Without footprints, they turned to observing leaves and branches.

The forest was dense, with towering canopies and thick undergrowth; two people passing through would inevitably snap twigs and leaves, marks the rain could not erase.

Following faintly broken branches, Ren Xiaoshu found the trail vanished after barely ten meters.

Realizing Ren Xiaoshu’s intent, Xu Xianshu asked, “Any discoveries?”

“None,” Ren Xiaoshu shook his head. “The trail ends here. They didn’t proceed further.”

The two must have felt fear, so it was natural they dared not stray far from the rock cave. Yet it puzzled him—if they were only a dozen meters from the cave, how could those inside have failed to hear anything, even with the rain masking sounds?

The most plausible explanation was that the pair had come here for convenience, only to encounter something sudden and unforeseen, leaving no chance to cry out.

Ren Xiaoshu studied the trees; their trunks bore no missing bark, no signs of struggle, no evidence of resistance.

It was the unknown terror that was truly terrifying.

“Let’s go,” Xu Xianshu said. “We need a secure campsite now, even if it means ending the day’s journey early.”

Ren Xiaoshu agreed. “Ideally, like last night’s rock cave. We don’t know what happened, but since we were safe there, we’d best find a similar spot tonight.”

The sky after the rain showed no signs of clearing; another downpour might begin at any moment. The autumn chill brought by the rain temporarily suppressed the heat they’d felt near the volcanic cluster.

The group struggled through the forest. Ren Xiaoshu advised Xu Xianshu to avoid areas with standing water, for these days even ants had grown as large as fingertips, and creatures like the human-faced worm had emerged. Contact with such pests could prove fatal.

Their clothes offered no protection against the mandibles of these insects.

“How do insects grow so large?” Ren Xiaoshu wondered. “What exactly is this human-faced worm?”

Xu Xianshu pondered. “Even if eerie, it remains an insect. Its anatomy prevents it from reaching the size of mammals—the oxygen supply couldn’t keep up. I suspect the air here has an unusually high oxygen concentration, allowing them to grow. Notice how, though weary, our minds feel sharp, our thoughts clear? That’s the effect of excess oxygen.”

Ren Xiaoshu found the reasoning plausible, not just evolutionary but scientific.

“Wait,” Ren Xiaoshu paused. “Is the high oxygen due to mutated plants? The flora near our stronghold has grown more vigorous. Will this lead to infestations beyond the barrier?”

“Possibly,” Xu Xianshu replied.

Their progress revealed stark differences in stamina. Ren Xiaoshu moved effortlessly, his strength unburdened by the forest’s trials.

Though a transcendent, Xu Xianshu’s physical prowess had improved only gradually since awakening, still lagging behind Ren Xiaoshu.

“I’ve noticed,” Xu Xianshu said, “that whenever I push my body to its limits, my physicality grows stronger.”

Ren Xiaoshu mused—perhaps he could try it too, but not here. Testing limits in this place might prove fatal.

Liu Bu, Luo Xinyu, and Wang Lei fared worse. Their clothes were torn, their faces as grimy as Ren Xiaoshu’s, yet they dared not lag behind, fearing abandonment to death.

What stunned Ren Xiaoshu was Yang Xiaojin, who, though tired, seemed far more vigorous than Xu Xianshu.

Suddenly, he saw the gray shadow within Xu Xianshu’s body emerge. Ren Xiaoshu tensed, assuming danger.

Instead, he watched Xu Xianshu calmly mount the shadow, riding it through the trees!

The sight left Ren Xiaoshu gaping—this was cheating!

Since revealing his transcendence, Xu Xianshu had grown bolder in using his powers, having once concealed them so thoroughly he sometimes forgot he possessed them.

The shadow’s strength was twice Xu Xianshu’s; it moved through the forest as if gliding on flat ground. Ren Xiaoshu nearly summoned his own shadow to carry him, but restrained himself to hide his mimicry of Xu Xianshu’s ability.

Liu Bu, Luo Xinyu, and Wang Lei were despondent—why hadn’t they awakened as transcendents?

Without warning, the gray shadow halted. Ren Xiaoshu’s heart raced as he noticed Xu Xianshu’s muscles tensing like a cat’s fur bristling.

Carefully dismounting to avoid slowing the shadow, Xu Xianshu whispered, “Look ahead.”

Ren Xiaoshu peered into the gloom. Among the shifting shadows of dense foliage, something pale seemed to flicker in the distance.

“W-what is that?” Liu Bu stammered, instinctively retreating behind Luo Xinyu and Wang Lei, to the rear of the group.

Xu Xianshu studied it, hesitating. “Do you see that pale shape? Doesn’t it resemble a woman in white, clawing at a tree?”

Ren Xiaoshu’s hair stood on end—the sight was too uncanny.