One Step, One Kill

Chapter 4: Misty Forest

The fog in the Misty Forest wasn't thick, but because so many trees blocked the sunlight, visibility was low. Lin Yisheng had to strain his eyes to barely see anything beyond five zhang (approximately 10 meters).

I didn't encounter a single wild animal; there were only trees, and more trees.

What's more troublesome is that as soon as Lin Yisheng entered the forest, he found himself losing his sense of direction and completely unable to distinguish east from west. He ran for a full hour, but the scenery in front of him didn't change at all.

He recklessly ventured into this misty forest not only to escape the Holy Spirit Cult's pursuit but also in hopes of surviving. But if this misty forest lacked even wild animals, how could he possibly survive? He couldn't very well eat trees or grass, could he?

After walking for about an hour, seeing that the scene before him remained unchanged, Lin Yisheng's mood gradually calmed down.

Just then, he heard a voice.

The sound was intermittent, like that of a critically injured, dying person.

Is anyone there?

Could it be that the four bronze warriors have caught up with us?

No, even if they chased me into the Misty Forest, why would they make sounds of being seriously injured and dying? Would they kill each other?

Curious, Lin Yisheng gripped the Shadowless Blade tightly and cautiously made his way towards the direction of the sound, step by step.

After walking about a hundred feet, Lin Yisheng finally saw the critically injured and dying man.

Not a Bronze Warrior of the Holy Spirit Cult.

This is a middle-aged man wearing a white robe.

He appeared to be around forty or fifty years old, with an ordinary appearance, but his hair and beard were clean, and his white robe, apart from a few specks of dirt, wasn't particularly dirty. He seemed to have entered the Misty Forest not long ago.

Although there were no visible wounds on his body, his face was as white as paper and his breath was barely perceptible, clearly indicating that he was on the verge of death.

Perhaps hearing Lin Yisheng's footsteps, the man in white robes suddenly opened his eyes as if experiencing a final burst of energy before death, looking at Lin Yisheng who appeared before him with a joyful expression.

"This...young...young brother, have you also gotten lost in this forest?"

They were speaking the common language of the Eastern Spirit Continent, which Lin Yisheng could understand.

"Yes, who is this senior, and how did you get in?"

"I am Yin Chengdao, a spiritual cultivator. Have you heard of me, young brother?"

Spiritual practitioner?

Lin Yisheng was shocked upon hearing this. He looked at the legendary spiritual cultivator and asked curiously, "Who injured you like this?"

Yin Chengdao sighed deeply and said, "It was Mo Wentian, the Golden Venerable of the Holy Spirit Sect. Just because I refused to join the Holy Spirit Sect, he ambushed me. If I hadn't used the teleportation talisman at all costs, I probably wouldn't have escaped. It's a pity that I don't understand the function of that teleportation talisman. I was mistakenly teleported into this forest... By the way, young brother, do you know what kind of forest this is?"

Victims of the Holy Spirit Cult?

Upon hearing the first sentence, Lin Yisheng felt a sense of shared misfortune. When asked the following question, he immediately replied, "This is the Misty Forest!"

"The Misty Forest?"

Yin Chengdao was clearly unaware that he had been teleported to the Misty Forest, and his expression changed drastically upon hearing this.

After a long while, Yin Chengdao sighed again and said, "It's fate, it really is fate. I never thought that the first time I used a teleportation talisman, I would be teleported to this forbidden place with no way out. It seems that the heavens are determined to destroy me, Yin Chengdao... By the way, young brother, how did you get in?"

Lin Yisheng said, "Like you, senior, I am also a victim of the Holy Spirit Cult. I was being hunted down by the Holy Spirit Cult and entered this forest in a panic!"

"Oh, really!" Yin Chengdao's eyes lit up again. He looked Lin Yisheng up and down for a while and asked, "Young brother, are you a martial arts practitioner?"

"Yes."

"You have the cultivation level of the fifth stage of Body Tempering?"

"You have such a good eye!"

"At your current age, you've only reached the fifth level of Body Tempering. It's either because you have low talent or you haven't had a master to guide you. Which one are you?"

"I don't know how talented I am, but I've only practiced the Mountain-Opening Fist."

"Mountain-Splitting Fist, the most basic martial art. Not bad, not bad. To have reached the fifth level of Body Tempering just by practicing Mountain-Splitting Fist shows that you have excellent talent!"

Yin Chengdao laughed and asked again, "Young brother, do you want revenge?"

"Of course I want to!"

"Unfortunately, with your strength, you probably can't even defeat the lowest-ranking Black Armor Soldier of the Holy Spirit Cult. Above the Black Armor Soldier are Bronze Warriors, Silver Knights, and Gold Venerables, not to mention the Holy Spirit Cult's Four High Priests and the Cult Leader. Your desire for revenge is a long way off!"

"Senior, do you perhaps... have a good idea?"

"Yes, as you can see, I am about to die. I am a spiritual cultivator, and spiritual cultivators have a method of inheritance called 'soul inheritance.' It can directly pass on a spiritual cultivator's cultivation and memories to the successor in a unique way, but the price is the spiritual cultivator's life. Therefore, spiritual cultivators will not easily use this method of inheritance unless they know they are going to die. But I am about to die. I have always been a loner and have never taken on any disciples. The mantle of my sect has not been passed on, and I have no face to face my late master after my death. Fortunately, I met you before I died, young brother... Young brother, are you willing to inherit my mantle and accept my soul inheritance?"

"Ah...this...is this even possible?"

Hearing about this unprecedented method of inheritance, Lin Yisheng was a little surprised, and then a little overjoyed. He was truly both surprised and delighted.

"Of course it's possible!"

"But...but I'm a martial arts practitioner?"

"It's alright. You're only at the fifth level of Body Tempering, which doesn't conflict with spiritual cultivation. Besides, I'm using the method of soul inheritance, which will directly make you a spiritual cultivator. Even if you have the cultivation of a martial artist at the Divine Transformation Realm, it won't matter!"

"Then... what should I do?"

"Give me your hand!"

Yin Chengdao slowly extended his right hand toward Lin Yisheng.

What are you doing?

Want to shake my hand?

Although Lin Yisheng had some doubts about Yin Chengdao's statement, he did not believe that Yin Chengdao, who looked like he was on his deathbed, was capable of harming him. Therefore, after only a moment's hesitation, he extended his right hand and shook hands with Yin Chengdao's right hand.

Lin Yisheng regretted it the moment he touched her hand.

The moment Yin Chengdao's hand touched Lin Yisheng, his whole body shone with a strange light, which flowed along his right arm and instantly into Lin Yisheng's body.

It felt as if he had been struck by a tremendous energy, and a series of memories and images flooded into Lin Yisheng's mind.

Memories and images are piling up, accompanied by a gentle yet substantial spiritual energy flowing into my body and permeating my entire being.

Lin Yisheng found himself unable to move, and could only passively allow Yin Chengdao's spiritual energy and memories to flood into his body and brain.

As the memories accumulated, Lin Yisheng gradually felt a splitting headache, as if his head was about to explode.

When the transmission stopped, Yin Chengdao's eyes dimmed, and his right hand fell down; he was already dead.

However, even though Yin Chengdao was dead, Lin Yisheng found that he was still unable to move.

What terrified Lin Yisheng even more was that he felt as if there was another soul inside him, a soul that was like a piranha, devouring his own soul.

This...this isn't soul inheritance, this is possession!