Chapter 1845: The True Meaning of Being Lost

“Well, maybe I’m overthinking it.”

Xu Yang’s reasoning was simple: if this place was called a forbidden zone, it must possess dangers not found elsewhere.

Yet, after several days of travel, there was no sign of the supposed danger, not even a hint. This in itself was abnormal, a potential crisis.

Xu Yang possessed this subconscious judgment because he had encountered too many perilous regions. Only this ‘Lost Mountain Range’ had failed to exhibit its unique characteristics, which was the fundamental reason for the unease stirring within him. And events would prove his uneasy premonition entirely correct.

Three more days passed in the blink of an eye, yet their pace and surroundings remained unchanged. It was still the same gentle, dense jungle, and the path ahead seemed endless. During this time, Xu Yang had pulled out the map of the Lost Mountain Range, gifted to him by the Emperor, more than once.

However, based on the terrain shown on the map, the three were indeed making progress. But for some reason, they were gradually losing their innate ability to reconcile map coordinates with their actual surroundings.

“I understand.”

Xu Yang suddenly stopped, his gaze sweeping over Long Kun and Po Xiao. “Perhaps we took a wrong turn from the very beginning.”

Upon hearing Xu Yang’s suggestion, Long Kun and Po Xiao immediately spoke up, without hesitation, to dissuade him.

“Haha, boss, what are you talking about? We’ve followed the map all the way; there’s no way we could have made a mistake. Trust me, if we keep going down this path, we’ll soon see a different space.”

Xu Yang’s sharp gaze suddenly fixed on the Long Kun in front of him. Xu Yang had already begun to suspect his motives when he heard those words.

“Heh. Since you’re so confident in your judgment, why don’t you go ahead? Po Xiao and I will wait for you here.”

As Xu Yang finished speaking, Long Kun, surprisingly, no longer insisted on his previous statement. Instead, he dutifully returned to Xu Yang’s side. But this time, Xu Yang offered no courtesies to the figure who looked exactly like his brother, Long Kun.

“Stop pretending. You’re not Long Kun!”

Hearing Xu Yang say this, the most shocked individual was naturally the Long Kun standing before them. At least superficially, this figure was indistinguishable from the real Long Kun; even his mannerisms and personality showed no abnormalities.

Yet, even this nearly flawless deception was seen through by Xu Yang.

“Don’t think you can imitate Long Kun’s every move, even his language and personality. But the unspoken understanding between Long Kun and me is something no power can perfectly replicate. You ultimately revealed a flaw. That kid Long Kun, while sometimes vain and a bit arrogant, never blindly offers his opinions to interfere with or mislead the team’s judgment when it comes to crucial decisions. Just now, you were far too eager.

“Let me guess: the true entrance to the so-called Lost Mountain Range was actually that huge creature who, despite the risk to its life, tried to forcibly interfere with the three of us. It was his bizarre and strange plant-based power, manifested as enormous tentacles, that initially obstructed our vision. And it was during that very period that our spatial positions were forcibly altered. Therefore, when I used my power to dismantle that creature’s sealing technique, it offered no further resistance and chose to leave immediately. Because it had no motive to fight us three to the death; its objective was already accomplished. Although our spatial vision was only briefly obscured, it was enough time for that creature to leverage the opening and thoroughly shift our spatial coordinates.

“So, I make this bold conjecture: for these past five days, the three of us have actually been walking our own separate lost paths. Following this line of reasoning, not only is this Long Kun fake, but you, Po Xiao, are also fake. The real Long Kun and Po Xiao must also have a fake me and another companion by their side right now. In reality, the three of us have been heading in three different directions for over five days, which is the true danger of the so-called Lost Mountain Range. It can use spatial manipulation and dream-weaving techniques to completely separate every martial artist who enters this area from their team. Lost and disoriented, they become bewildered and compliant. The strong desire to resist and conquer that was once deep within them quickly diminishes in this confused state. They lose the support of their companions, their spirits gradually weaken, and their strength rapidly wanes in a very short time. This is the true meaning of the word ‘Lost’ in this place.”

As Xu Yang articulated his complete deduction, at that very moment, the Long Kun and Po Xiao before him revealed entirely different countenances, their faces now bearing a hint of playful mockery as they began to clap their hands.

“Truly, you are worthy of being called Sir Xu Yang. Your true strength lies not merely in your astonishing cultivation, but more importantly, in your powerful cognitive abilities, which others do not possess. I can tell you with certainty that countless top-tier martial artists have entered our Lost Mountain Range over tens of thousands of years, but fewer than five individuals, combined, have ever managed to discern all of this before death arrived. However, every one of those previous individuals, without exception, ultimately met their demise. This is the truly despair-inducing aspect of the Lost Mountain Range: even if you see through the truth of your fate, you still lack the ability to change it. Every martial artist who enters the Lost Mountain Range will ultimately succumb to this feeling of despair and perish.”

As the false Long Kun finished speaking, a distinct reaction first appeared in his pupils: a deep brown light gradually emanated from them, and then he revealed his true form.

Swiftly, he took root in place, expanding at a visible rate into a towering giant tree. The false Po Xiao standing beside him also rapidly shrank, eventually transforming into a colorful mushroom about one meter tall.

It shared a striking similarity with the Illusionary Spirit Sand Xu Yang had obtained previously.

This colorful mushroom, though incredibly vivid, still possessed its own vitality. It hopped over to the towering tree and attached itself to its bark.