flstandardbreds Chapter 288 The Forest of Illusions, The Golden Cicada's Metamorphosis
Chapter 288 The Forest of Illusions, The Golden Cicada's Metamorphosis
Because the Hallucination Forest is far from the company headquarters.
They will approach the target by helicopter and then hike into the bamboo forest.
Before setting off, Jiang Mo instructed the special forces to make preparations for the rendezvous, especially to be on the lookout for possible disciples of the Heavenly Gu Sect.
"If you spot any suspicious individuals, do not alert them. Quietly mark their locations and wait for my orders before taking action."
Early the next morning, Jiang Mo and his group boarded the helicopter on time and flew towards the Qinling Mountains.
During the flight, Jiang Mo noticed that at least two unidentified flying objects were tracking him from a distance.
But he didn't say it out loud; he just secretly made preparations.
Two hours later, the helicopter arrived at a platform in the Qinling Mountains, which was the closest landing point to the Illusion Forest.
"Mr. Jiang, the Hallucination Forest is just five kilometers ahead," the pilot said, pointing to a lush, green forest.
"We can only take you this far. Any further and you'll be within the influence of the Illusion Forest; the plane will lose control."
Jiang Mo nodded in understanding and led Feng Baobao and the other two women off the plane, walking towards the Illusion Forest.
Jiang Mo had walked less than a kilometer when he realized someone was secretly following him.
"Five people have arrived," Jiang Mo whispered to the three women, "all disciples of the Heavenly Gu Sect, and their strength is considerable."
We pretended not to notice and led them into the Hallucination Forest.
The three women nodded and continued walking, pretending not to notice anything amiss.
Before they knew it, the trees ahead became denser and denser, and bamboo began to appear.
A fresh yet slightly eerie atmosphere filled the air.
"We've arrived; the Illusion Forest is just ahead."
Jiang Mo stopped and reminded everyone, "Put the earplugs in your ears and don't take them out."
Each of the four people placed a small golden bead into their ear.
Jiang Mo also specially cast a protective shield of the Golden Gu Divine Power, enveloping the four of them within it.
"Upon entering the Hallucination Forest, we will hear various voices attempting to confuse us."
"But with the protection of the listening beads, these sounds will become weak and insufficient to interfere with our judgment."
"However, we still need to be careful. The power of the Illusion Forest is unique; even the Listening-Avoiding Bead cannot completely block it."
"If you feel unwell, tell me immediately."
After explaining the precautions, Jiang Mo took the lead and stepped into the Hallucination Forest.
The ordinary bamboo suddenly became crystal clear, with each stalk emitting a faint golden light.
A gentle breeze blows, and the sound of bamboo leaves rubbing together seems to be telling a story.
"So beautiful..." Feng Baobao couldn't help but exclaim.
Jiang Mo's eyes flashed with golden light: "Don't be fooled by appearances. These bamboos have been modified by a special Gu energy, capable of amplifying and transmitting sound."
"The core ability of the Hallucination Forest is to spread auditory hallucinations through these bamboos."
As you move forward, the bamboo forest grows denser and the light dims, as if you've entered an isolated space cut off from the outside world.
But we still don't know what happened.
Then a voice was heard.
It sounded like countless people were whispering, but the content was indistinct.
&34;开始了，&34;姜墨警惕地说道，&34;幻听的第一个阶段——&39;窃窃私语&39;。”
"It can create the illusion of being monitored, causing inner anxiety and unease."
"Everyone, stay close to me and don't let the noise distract you."
With the protection of the listening bead, the four of them could still hear the whispers.
However, I did not feel particularly uncomfortable and was still able to maintain a clear judgment.
As they continued deeper, the whispers gradually turned into clear calls, as if someone were calling each of their names.
"Jiang Mo... Jiang Mo..." A familiar voice rang in Jiang Mo's ears, sounding surprisingly like his mother from his previous life.
"This is the second stage—'The Call of Loved Ones'—which uses the voices of our closest loved ones to lure us off the right path."
Jiang Mo explained, his tone remaining calm.
Despite the protection of the hearing-avoiding beads, these sounds were still unsettling.
Especially when it imitates the person closest to it, that sense of familiarity can almost break through the barrier of reason.
"The Golden Gu's divine power has stabilized my mind!" A golden light flashed in Jiang Mo's palm.
A calming power enveloped the four of them, eliminating the effects of the sounds.
The deeper one goes into the bamboo forest, the stronger and more realistic the auditory hallucinations become.
The third stage is "Whispers of Fear," which reads the deepest fears in a person's heart and amplifies them into sounds that stimulate the mind.
The fourth stage is "crazy chorus", where countless voices rise at the same time.
It felt like being in a stadium filled with the deafening roar of thousands of people.
However, with Jiang Mo's Golden Gu Divine Power protecting them, the four of them resolutely continued towards the center of the bamboo forest, undeterred by the auditory hallucinations.
"Strange," Jiang Mo suddenly stopped. "Where are the people who were following us?"
His Golden Gu perception ability could no longer detect the auras of those five Heavenly Gu Sect disciples.
"Could it be that they've been misled by auditory hallucinations and lost in the bamboo forest?" Wei Duoduo guessed.
Jiang Mo frowned: "It's possible, but it's also possible they're deliberately concealing their presence, preparing to ambush us."
"Everyone, stay alert and keep moving forward."
After walking for about half an hour, the auditory hallucinations in the bamboo forest suddenly disappeared.
"We've arrived," Jiang Mo whispered after a while. "The central area of the Illusionary Forest is just ahead; the Golden Cicada Envoy should be there."
After passing through the last bamboo grove, the view suddenly opened up before us.
A circular open space with a diameter of about 100 meters appeared before us.
In the center of the open space stood a magnificent hexagonal pavilion, and there seemed to be a figure inside.
"Is that the Golden Cicada Envoy?" Feng Baobao asked in a low voice.
Jiang Mo nodded: "That's right, its aura feels very special, completely different from the Ice Gu King and the Black Serpent Cult Master."
"Although it also possesses dark blood within its body."
"But it seems to have been neutralized by some golden power, presenting a strange state of balance."
After carefully observing his surroundings and confirming that there was no danger, Jiang Mo slowly walked towards the golden pavilion.
Upon closer inspection, they finally saw the pavilion clearly.
It was a creature that resembled a human but was covered in golden armor.
It has a pair of wings as thin as cicada wings on its back, and its head is in the typical shape of a cicada.
It sat quietly in the center of the pavilion, its hands clasped together, as if meditating.
"Jiang Mo, the successor of the Gu God," the Golden Cicada Envoy suddenly spoke, his voice clear and melodious, like the sound of metal clashing, "I've been waiting for you for a long time."
A flicker of wariness flashed in Jiang Mo's golden eyes: "You knew I was coming?"
The Golden Cicada slowly rose to its feet, and the golden light in the pavilion flowed with its movements.
"Of course, from the moment you purified Black Impermanence, I sensed the awakening of the Gu God's bloodline."
"Unlike other carriers of dark bloodlines, I am not a puppet of the Heavenly Gu Sect Master, but an existence with independent will."
"I know you've come here to find the truth—the truth about the Gu God and the Heavenly Gu Sect Master."