Chapter 1421: Sanglin

"Sanglin? Fengxi?" Zu An pondered, wondering if this Sanglin would prove to be as troublesome as Ruoshui.

Ya Yu explained, "It's called Sanglin because there's a huge mulberry tree in the center, and the entire forest is formed from its branches."

Everyone was astonished upon hearing this. "An entire forest is actually one tree?"

How enormous must that tree be?

After receiving an affirmative answer, Zu An asked, "Does that tree have a consciousness? Could it be some kind of tree demon?"

"It probably isn't the kind of tree demon you're imagining, but given how extraordinary that mulberry tree is, it might have developed some vague consciousness," Ya Yu explained by analogy. "It's like Ruoshui; outsiders see it as inanimate, but only I know it actually possesses a will, which is why I can be close to it."

Zu An thought, if Ruoshui truly became a spirit, that would be quite something.

"As for Fengxi, its true form is a gigantic wild boar with fur like steel needles and strength to rival an elephant. You must be careful," Ya Yu warned.

"A giant wild boar?" Zu An felt a sense of déjà vu, suddenly realizing that myths from various civilizations in his previous life seemed to share commonalities.

Both Eastern and Western cultures have legends of great floods. Furthermore, in Eastern mythology, there's the task of dealing with Fengxi, while in Greek mythology, one of Hercules' twelve impossible labors also involved a great wild boar. Was this a mere coincidence or something more?

"Does Fengxi have any weaknesses?" Yun Jianyue probed.

Their encounter with Ya Yu had been a grueling experience, and it was only by a stroke of luck that they managed to resolve it. She genuinely did not want to go through a similar ordeal again.

"Our territories don't overlap, and we've never had conflicts, so I don't know any of its weaknesses. I'm afraid I can't help you with that," Ya Yu said apologetically.

"I see..."

Just as they were feeling disappointed, Ya Yu suddenly added, "Oh, by the way, it seems to be quite lustful. I wonder if that counts as a weakness."

The group wondered what kind of weakness that was; Zu An was quite lustful himself.

Besides, where would they even find a sow now?

"Also, I've heard it often stares blankly at the moon at night. There's a rumor it's absorbing the moon's essence to cultivate, but I don't think that's the case. I have no idea what it's truly doing," Ya Yu continued. "I'm not sure if this information will be helpful."

"It's very useful, thank you," the group quickly replied, grateful for any information rather than knowing nothing about the monster.

Zu An, however, had a strange expression. A lustful giant wild boar staring blankly at the moon... could it be Zhu Ganglie?

Accompanied by Ya Yu, there were no more terrifying giant waves, and the width of Ruoshui returned to normal. They quickly crossed the river.

The group thanked Ya Yu again, but he said, "No, it is I who should thank you. Because of you, I have finally found complete liberation." As he spoke, Ya Yu's form began to blur, gradually returning to his original appearance.

However, noticing that his body was transparent and seemed to be semi-ethereal, Zu An was startled. "Are you...?"

Ya Yu smiled faintly. "Indeed. Your purification method was truly powerful. I was only able to resist it because of the lingering resentment in my heart. Now that the resentment has dissolved, I will naturally disappear."

Zu An felt a pang of sadness. "I'm so sorry. I caused you to..."

Ya Yu interrupted him. "There's nothing to be sorry about. This is transcendence, a joyous thing for me. I've had enough of this neither-human-nor-ghost existence. Thank you..."

Towards the end, his voice grew fainter, and his entire form dissolved into specks of starlight, disappearing completely.

Witnessing this, everyone fell silent. Moments before, they had been life-and-death enemies, but now, an inexplicable sadness washed over them.

After all, once Ya Yu regained his consciousness, they could sense he was a kind-hearted and gentle being, despite his tragic past.

It took them a long time to compose themselves before continuing their journey.

Not long after, they saw a vast, lush forest ahead. In the very center of the forest stood a towering tree, its branches dense with foliage, resembling a magnificent canopy, unparalleled in the entire woods.

"This must be the Sanglin Ya Yu spoke of," Yu Yanluo marveled. "That mulberry tree in the middle is truly immense."

Yan Xuehen also looked surprised. "It appears this tree is a concentration of the essence of heaven and earth. According to Ya Yu, this Sanglin has existed for a very long time. Logically, after such an extended period, it should have already cultivated into a spirit."

"No spirits allowed after the founding of the nation," Zu An suddenly recalled a slang phrase from his previous life.

"What?" The three women looked at him, puzzled.

Zu An's face flushed. He explained, "Most likely, the laws of this world are incomplete, preventing it from fully cultivating into a true spirit."

"It seems that's indeed the case," the women agreed with his assessment.

Entering the Sanglin, they became extremely cautious. The branches were so dense that it was difficult to see far, and walking through it felt like navigating a maze. Who knew where Fengxi was hiding? If it suddenly charged out to ambush them, they would be in serious trouble.

Fortunately, the enormous mulberry tree in the very center served as a landmark, preventing them from losing their way.

"How do you think we should find Fengxi? Should we set up a trap in the forest or something? What do wild boars like to eat, by the way?" Yan Xuehen suggested.

Yun Jianyue shook her head directly. "Fengxi is a fierce beast, no less formidable than Ya Yu. It certainly possesses intelligence comparable to a human's. You're not actually treating it like a common wild boar, are you?"

Yan Xuehen's face felt slightly hot, but she didn't retort this time. Just then, Zu An's expression suddenly turned grave. "I'm afraid we won't need to look for him. He'll come to us."

Following his gaze, the three women noticed the distant forest suddenly shaking violently, accompanied by the sound of numerous breaking branches.

Immediately afterward, a colossal creature burst out, letting out a roar that sounded like a dragon's cry, shaking the leaves of the surrounding trees.

Zu An recalled a rumor from his previous life that the sound effects for "Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms" on TV were mimicked using pig grunts. He hadn't expected that after gaining immense power, this giant wild boar's roar would indeed sound like a dragon's.

The enormous creature before them resembled a small mountain, its body a glossy dark brown. Its tusks, like two gleaming scimitars, emitted a cold light. Its four hooves, like stone pestles, dug deep pits with every step. Its fur was rough and stiff like steel needles. Without any introduction, they knew this was Fengxi, their target.

Fengxi clearly had a violent temper. Sensing intruders in its territory, it charged out furiously, breathing hot air from its snout and pawing the ground incessantly, ready to attack at any moment.

However, upon seeing the beauty of Yu, Yan, and Yun, it froze. It stared intently at the three women, its ugly, gaping mouth stretched to its ears, and thick saliva dripped from its mouth.

Zu An had previously not fully understood the expression "to look like a pig" when describing a person. Now, witnessing this scene firsthand, he had to admit that those who coined such phrases were truly perceptive.

The three women, however, couldn't bear it. The sight made them feel nauseous and uncomfortable.

Yun Jianyue let out a cold snort and immediately summoned her Crescent Wheel. It arced through the air in a graceful curve, aiming directly for Fengxi.

As the Demon Sect Leader, she was already known for her ruthless actions. Her disgust fueled her merciless attack; she intended to decapitate the boar immediately.

At her peak, her Crescent Wheel could level a small mountain peak. How much more devastating would it be to a mere flesh-and-blood creature?

Just as the crescent blade was about to sever Fengxi's head, the monster violently shook its head, and its enormous tusks directly clashed with the Crescent Wheel.

With a resounding crash, the Crescent Wheel was actually knocked away, and not even a single mark was left on the thick tusks.

The immense force transmitted back from the Crescent Wheel almost made Yun Jianyue lose control. She hastily warned, "Be careful!"

Attacked, Fengxi immediately flew into a rage and charged straight at them.

Both Chinese and Japanese languages have a term, "Chototsu" (pig charge), used to describe a military charge that is relentless and overwhelmingly powerful.

That term usually describes ordinary wild boars. Now, facing this mountain-like colossal beast, its charge was truly earth-shattering, making it difficult for everyone to even stand steady.