Sect Master Wen arrived at the Sixth Elder’s peak.

He saw Lin Mo meditating in the courtyard, his injuries completely healed.

When they brought him back from the forest, his body had seemed frozen and locked, but now he appeared fine.

Sensing a presence, Lin Mo opened his eyes and saw the Sect Master in the courtyard. He rose and bowed in greeting.

“You’re all healed,” the Sect Master remarked.

“Yes,” Lin Mo nodded.

“Do you know what happened in the forest?” the Sect Master asked.

“I only remember a giant chasing us. After that, I can’t recall anything. I seemed to black out in front of the giant,” Lin Mo added.

“Hmm,” the Sect Master murmured.

As he questioned Lin Mo, the door to the building slid open, and the Sixth Elder, wearing a bamboo hat, stepped out.

The Sect Master explained the recent changes in the forest and how the layers seemed to be merging.

“What does the Sixth Elder think would be the best course of action?” Sect Master Wen asked.

After contemplating for a while, the Sixth Elder answered, “Maybe destroy the forest.”

“Destroy an entire forest?” the Sect Master smiled wryly. “Who could accomplish such a feat?”

“Indeed, on second thought, it’s currently impossible for anyone.”

After a brief discussion with the Sixth Elder, the Sect Master left the peak. He didn’t have to stay too long in the courtyard, as talks with the Sixth Elder were always short and direct.

…

On the way down, Sect Master Wen appeared lost in thought. “I guess he doesn’t remember anything. To think that kid did all that unconsciously is still shocking.”

At the beginning of the clash between Lin Mo and the forest tyrant, Sect Master Wen had arrived at the scene, ready to intervene if necessary.

He witnessed the fierce battle and was amazed to see Lin Mo, a junior disciple, gaining the upper hand against such a formidable beast.

He recognized the secret technique Lin Mo used, as he was very familiar with it himself. Their founder, Sage Li, had created this technique—it was her ultimate art.

Later, it was forgotten because only a rare few could fully master it. So far, even his talented daughter, Lina, had only grasped the first few steps.

During the moment when Lin Mo one-sidedly suppressed the tyrant, he seemed to pause, and the giant countered. Sect Master Wen was about to interfere when he suddenly sensed a strong spiritual presence sweep across the forest.

“Who…!”

A while later, after the tyrant’s retreat, a group of Elders arrived on the scene.

They observed the extensive destruction of the forest and were left with their mouths agape.

They found the only witness to this destruction lying unconscious in the rubble.

An elder approached Lin Mo’s unconscious body.

“Stop! It could be a beast taking human form,” an elder in white attire warned.

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Hearing this, the other elders became wary. Given the surroundings, this possibility was not far-fetched.

“Move, that’s a disciple from our sect,” someone came forward.

If Lin Mo saw him, he would recognize this old man—it was the mission hall elder.

The elders surveyed the surrounding destruction carefully, not missing a detail.

“What kind of battle took place here?” they wondered aloud, bewildered.

The surrounding trees were cleanly cut, each slice executed with a single strike. It wasn't just one or two trees—an entire section of this layer had been cut clean.

“Could it be two high-ranked beasts fought a battle here?” an elder speculated.

“How could a high-ranked beast breach the barrier?” another argued.

Their argument grew as more elders joined in with different speculations. Then, a voice interjected, “Maybe there’s something wrong with the barrier.”

It was Sect Master Wen, floating in the air. “We should check it while we are all gathered here.”

“What do you think?” Sect Master Wen asked, looking in a different direction.

Two figures appeared in the air—a man in white attire and a woman in grey.

They were the sect masters from the Sun and Moon Sword Sect. The elders below noticed them and bowed to their respective sect masters.

“Maybe your sect’s disciple knows something of this battle,” stated the Sun Sect Master in white.

“We can ask him after he wakes up,” replied Sect Master Wen.

“He could have been collateral damage in this destruction,” remarked a Sun Sect Elder.

“That’s possible. What could he have done with his meager realm?” said the Moon Sect Master in grey.

“Take him back and mend his injuries,” ordered Sect Master Wen.

With his command, none dared block the mission hall elder from taking Lin Mo and leaving.

“Should we go?” asked Sect Master Wen.

The two sect masters nodded, and the three disappeared from the scene.

As they progressed deeper, the contrasting change in terrain and vegetation compared to the first two layers became more visible. The eeriness of the forest grew, becoming increasingly suffocating and dangerous the further they went. However, the three sect masters remained unaffected.

After countless years of accumulating power, the sages of the past successfully placed a barrier dividing each layer of the forest, restricting the entry of beasts above a certain realm. Now, after generations had passed, it seemed that the barrier around the first two layers was weakening.

As they ventured deeper, they noticed changes in the terrain and the formation of the land. It was evident that the forest itself was undergoing transformations.

To verify their suspicions, the three sect masters continued deeper into the forest. After passing another layer, they found themselves at the boundary between the fifth and sixth layers.

In front of them lay an abyss, shrouded in eternal darkness.

Far ahead, they could see the other side, but none of the sect masters dared to cross this boundary. Even with their considerable strength, they knew their limits.

The place ahead was an absolute danger zone that only an expedition of sages could safely traverse.

“Why does it look like the layers are merging?” wondered the Sun Sect Master.

“This has never happened before,” said Sect Master Wen.

They had ventured this deep in the past, yet the other side of the boundary had never been visible.

This time, it was visible, indicating that the layers were nearing each other. There was no record of such a phenomenon left behind by the sages, as it had never happened before.

“Let’s return. I don’t like this place,” said the woman in grey, eyeing the gloomy surroundings.

The dense forest blocked nearly all light, with tall trees extending to the skies. Some attributed this to the mysterious energy of the forest, while others claimed it was due to a curse. But none could be certain about the cause of this strange nature.

They swiftly returned to the relative safety of the second layer.

The group of elders completed their investigation and identified the culprit behind the havoc.

“A forest tyrant, no wonder,” said the Sun Sect Master.

They had guessed it earlier, seeing the large footprints. There were only a few beasts of such colossal size.

“It must be still hiding in the second layer,” said the Moon Sect Master. “Keep searching.”

“But what was its opponent?” asked the Sun Sect Master.

The elders shook their heads. They had no answer to that. Despite their thorough search, they found no prints or clues indicating the presence of another formidable opponent.

They continued their search, but until further investigation could provide answers, the forest was declared a restricted area.