Chapter 44: The Ethereal Illusion and the Celestial Maiden

“There might be a formidable beast lurking in these woods!” Ling Yan analyzed earnestly, “Just now, when I leaped into the western forest, I vaguely saw a huge body gliding along the ground. It moved incredibly fast, vanishing from beneath my very eyes in the blink of an eye!”

Gliding?

Bai Mu’s heart skipped a beat; the image of a primordial serpent surfaced in his mind. In his understanding, on land, anything that glides in such a manner could only be a snake—what else could it possibly be?

“You guessed it.” Ling Yan nodded knowingly. “It should be a primordial serpent, and I suspect the white mist in this Bewitching Fog Forest is emitted from its mouth!”

“It’s really that fierce?” Bai Mu glanced warily at the surrounding mist, his heart pounding with anxiety. “So, should we try to deal with this serpent, or should we leave the forest first?”

Ling Yan shook her jade flute with a sigh, her expression helpless. “Were this anywhere else, I would certainly slay the primordial serpent. But this is the foot of the Sanctuary of the Return to the Void, and the Bewitching Fog Forest is their first natural barrier. I imagine the serpent is kept by the Sanctuary itself. We’d better not touch it for now. Let’s leave the forest first.”

After glancing sidelong at the beast that had been beaten back into its true form, she strode quickly into the depths of the woods.

After the trouble with the beast, they encountered no further dangers. The so-called ancient serpent, sensing the powerful aura from the two of them, seemed unwilling to court death by emerging to block their path.

About fifteen minutes later, they had reached the edge of the Bewitching Fog Forest. The thick, putrid stench had finally faded somewhat. Gazing out at the open plain beyond the trees, Bai Mu could not help but complain, “We finally made it out of that accursed forest unscathed. Can we head straight to the Sanctuary now?”

“Don’t be so quick to rejoice.” Ling Yan pointed ahead with an inscrutable expression, slowly shaking her head. “Look carefully at what lies ahead. I doubt you’ll be smiling in a moment.”

“What’s up ahead?” Bai Mu leapt from the woods, curiosity piqued. As he looked more closely, he was instantly greeted by a scene as beautiful as a painting in ink and wash.

In the distance, the mountain peaks were as dark as indigo, their foothills mirrored in clear water. Green willows stood gracefully by the lakeshore, forming a landscape as enchanting as any depicted in art.

“This is incredible!” Bai Mu exclaimed in delight, rushing forward, eager to immerse himself in this ethereal scene.

Wait!

Seeing this, Ling Yan hurried forward in an attempt to stop him. But just as her hand was about to touch his shoulder, the air seemed to twist. Bai Mu’s tall figure vanished without a trace!

The mountains, the water, the willows—all remained unchanged, swaying gently in the breeze, the tranquil scene undisturbed. Yet Bai Mu was nowhere to be found, not on the shore nor in the water. The peaceful landscape remained, as if it had never been broken by a visitor’s presence.

Damn.

Ling Yan stamped her foot in frustration, muttering to herself, “I was too careless and forgot to remind Bai Mu about the ethereal illusion. Now that he’s entered the formation alone, he can only rely on his own luck.”

With that, she too leapt toward the lakeshore like a startled swan. As soon as her feet touched the ground, the space twisted, and she too vanished as Bai Mu had.

The lake was still eerily calm, the willows moved in a wind that did not exist, and the distant peaks were a feast for the eyes—a perfect ink-and-wash landscape, tranquil as if no one had ever set foot here.

To those unfamiliar with the Sanctuary of the Return to the Void, it would be unthinkable that such a beautiful place could be a deadly illusion that swallows people whole.

When Bai Mu had leapt from the woods to the lakeshore, he had wanted to turn and call for Ling Yan at once. But as soon as his feet hit the ground, the air around him twisted, nearly suffocating him on the spot.

This sensation lasted three or five seconds before he suddenly felt his body lighten, a cool breeze wafting past his ears, refreshing both body and spirit.

When he opened his eyes, Ling Yan was already gone. The scene was unchanged, but he was alone.

“Where’s Ling Yan?” Bai Mu looked around carefully, but she was nowhere to be seen. Apart from his own tense breathing, the world was silent—even the lake behind him showed no sign of life, not a single fish disturbing the surface. Truly a strange and uncanny place.

Suddenly, a desolate, far-off melody rose from the tranquil lakeshore—a tune full of sorrow and longing, evoking the melancholy of exile and the forgetting of both honor and disgrace. In its rises and falls, it seemed to lament the endless journey of life, and the loneliness of having no true companion.

As the music drifted to Bai Mu’s ears, it resonated deep within him. Images from his childhood days on Eastern Hope Mountain flickered through his mind like a phantom lantern.

But what saddened him most was that, from as far back as he could remember, he had never seen his parents or any kin…

As the melody progressed, Bai Mu’s emotions surged. At the height of his feelings, he closed his eyes and began to recite ancient poetry aloud:

“How gentle was my lover, trading cloth for silk,
Not to bargain for silk, but to seek my counsel.
Long ago I left, the willows swaying,
Now I return, snow falls thick and fast…”

Just as Bai Mu reached the impromptu lines, the melody suddenly stopped, and the space fell silent as death.

“Why did it stop?” Bai Mu muttered in confusion, then opened his eyes and looked around.

In the southeast corner of the lake, beneath the pale green willows, he suddenly noticed a young woman in white, her robes whiter than snow. He hadn’t seen her arrive.

At the moment, the woman had her back to Bai Mu, so he could not yet see her face. But judging by her slender, graceful figure and her snowy robes, she must be a rare beauty, likely not yet twenty.

“Fairy?” Bai Mu called softly, stepping toward her.

As he called, her delicate shoulders trembled for a moment, then she quickly turned around without delay.