Chapter 1416: Sanglin

"Sanglin? Fenghxi?" Zu'an wondered, thinking if this Sanglin would be as tricky as Ruoshui.

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

Everyone was surprised to hear this: "An entire forest is actually just one tree?"

How big 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 spirit?"

"It's probably not the kind of tree spirit you're thinking of, but given how extraordinary that mulberry tree is, it might have developed some vague consciousness," Yayu analogized. "It's like Ruoshui; to outsiders, it seems inanimate, but only I know it actually has a will, which is why I can connect with it."

Zu'an thought to himself, if Ruoshui really gained sentience, that would be something else entirely.

"Fenghxi's true form is a giant wild boar. Its fur is like steel needles, and its strength rivals all things. You must be careful," Yayu warned.

"A giant wild boar?" Zu'an felt a little dazed, 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, Fenghxi is dealt with, while in Greek mythology, Heracles, as part of his twelve impossible labors, also dealt with a giant wild boar. Was this a coincidence or something more?

"Does Fenghxi have any weaknesses?" Yun Jianyue tentatively asked.

Their encounter with Yayu had been extremely difficult, and they had only managed to resolve it through a stroke of luck. She really didn't want to go through a similar experience 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," Yayu said apologetically.

"I see..."

Just as they were feeling disappointed, they suddenly heard Yayu say, "Oh, right, it seems to be quite lustful. I wonder if that counts as a weakness."

The others thought, what kind of weakness is that? Zu'an is quite lustful himself.

Besides, where would they find a sow now?

"Also, I heard it often stares blankly at the moon at night. There's a rumor it's absorbing moon essence for cultivation, but I don't think that's it, though I'm not sure what it's actually doing," Yayu continued. "I don't know if this can help you."

"That's quite useful, thank you very much," they quickly said, 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 Pigsy?

*Tale of the Immortal Wood*

With Yayu accompanying them, there were no terrifying giant waves like before, and Ruoshui's width returned to normal. They quickly crossed the water.

The group thanked Yayu again, but Yayu replied, "No, I should be thanking you. Because of you, I have been completely freed." As he spoke, Yayu's form began to blur, gradually returning to his original appearance.

However, noticing that Yayu's body was transparent, seeming to become half-transparent and half-solid, Zu'an was startled: "Could it be that you..."

Yayu smiled faintly: "Indeed. Your purification method was truly powerful. I was only able to resist because of the lingering resentment in my heart. Now that the resentment is gone, I will naturally vanish."

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

Yayu interrupted him: "There's nothing to be sorry about. This is transcendence. For me, it's a joyous thing. I've had enough of living neither like a human nor a ghost. Thank you..."

As he spoke, his voice grew fainter and fainter, and his entire form transformed into specks of starlight, disappearing completely.

Witnessing this, everyone fell silent. Just a moment before, they had been bitter enemies, but now, they felt an inexplicable sadness.

After all, once Yayu had regained his consciousness, the group could sense that he was a gentle and kind person, yet he had endured such a tragic existence.

After a long while, they composed themselves and continued on their journey.

Not long after, they saw a vast, lush forest ahead. At the very center of the forest stood a towering tree, its branches and leaves so dense they resembled a magnificent canopy, standing out majestically in the woods.

"This must be the Sanglin Yayu spoke of," Yu Yanluo exclaimed. "That mulberry tree in the middle is truly enormous."

Yan Xuehen also showed surprise: "It appears this tree is a concentration of the essence of heaven and earth. According to Yayu, this Sanglin has existed for a long time. Logically, after such a long period, it should have already cultivated itself into a spirit."

"No spirits allowed after the founding of the nation," Zu'an suddenly recalled a colloquialism from his previous life.

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

Zu'an's face flushed, and he explained, "Most likely, the laws of this world are incomplete, preventing it from achieving its full cultivation."

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

Entering the Sanglin, they became extremely cautious. The branches were so dense that it was hard to see far, making it feel like walking through a maze. Who knew where Fenghxi might be hiding? If it suddenly charged out and ambushed them, they would be in serious trouble.

Fortunately, because the mulberry tree in the very center was so tall, it served as a landmark, preventing them from getting lost.

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

Yun Jianyue immediately shook her head: "Fenghxi is a fierce beast no less powerful than Yayu. It certainly possesses intelligence comparable to a human's. You're not seriously treating it like an ordinary wild boar, are you?"

Yan Xuehen's face flushed slightly, and this time she didn't refute her. Just then, Zu'an's expression suddenly turned grave: "I'm afraid we won't need to find it; it will actively come looking for us."

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

Immediately after, an enormous creature burst out, letting loose a roar similar to a dragon's cry, shaking the leaves of the surrounding trees.

Zu'an recalled that in his previous life, it was said that the sound effects for the 'Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms' in TV shows were imitated from pig grunts. He never expected that after gaining such power, this giant wild boar's roar would genuinely resemble a dragon's.

The colossal beast before them was like a small mountain, its body dark brown and gleaming. Its tusks, like two curved blades, gleamed with a cold light. Its four hooves were like stone pestles, leaving deep pits with every step. Its fur was rough and hard like steel needles. Without any introduction, it was clear this was Fenghxi, their target.

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

However, upon seeing the beauty of Yu, Yan, and Yun, it was momentarily stunned. It stared intently at the three women, its ugly large mouth stretched into a wide grin reaching its ears, and thick, viscous saliva began to drool from its mouth.

Zu'an used to not fully understand the phrase "looking like a pig" to describe a lustful person, but now, witnessing this scene firsthand, he couldn't help but marvel at the experience of those who coined such terms.

The three women, however, couldn't stand it. They felt a wave of nausea and discomfort.

Yun Jianyue snorted coldly, immediately summoning her Crescent Wheel. It traced a graceful arc as she sent it directly towards Fenghxi.

As the leader of the Demonic Cult, she was already ruthless in her actions. Under her current disgust, her attack was even more merciless, aiming directly to sever the beast's head.

At her peak, her Crescent Wheel could level a small mountaintop with a single hit, let alone a mere flesh-and-blood creature?

Just as the crescent blade was about to cleave Fenghxi's head, the monster violently shook its head, and its massive tusks directly collided with the Crescent Wheel.

With a deafening crash, the Crescent Wheel was knocked away, yet not a single mark was left on the beast's huge tusks.

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

Fenghxi, having been attacked, immediately flew into a rage and charged directly towards them.

The term "chototsu" (or "zhutu" in Chinese) exists in both Japanese and Chinese, describing a military charge that is unstoppable and overwhelming in its might.

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