Otherworldly Desert Dust

Chapter 31 - 28 Soul Nesting Wood, Something’s Wrong

...

Wu Hen conducted several inspections and confirmed that there were no unstable factors around the Tropical Pavilion.

Being with his family, Wu Hen deeply felt how precious this tranquility was.

Honestly, Wu Hen hoped that everything before was just a nightmare, that everything could return to the way it was, the family eating together, teasing his sister every now and then, and the housekeeper laying his bed in the middle of the night.

"Brother, aren’t you sleepy?" Yu Yu lay on a simple bed, tilting her small head, her hair tied into cute twin tails.

"You go to sleep, I will watch over you," Wu Hen said.

Drowsiness had long since swept over him, but Wu Hen had a premonition.

Once he fell asleep, he would very likely wake up in that Otherworldly Dust. He was really reluctant.

"Tap, tap, tap~"

Yu Yu, barefoot, finally squeezed onto Wu Hen’s narrow simple bed, her small, delicate body curled up in Wu Hen’s arms.

"I’ll watch over you too, until you wake up," Yu Yu told Wu Hen.

Wu Hen laughed and patted her head, comforting, "Actually, I was most worried about you back then, but after seeing you complete that archery, I felt much more at ease... It made me believe that even without me by your side, you can still protect yourself."

"I’ll also work hard not to cause trouble for everyone," Yu Yu said sensibly.

Wu Hen hugged her, listening to her gradually calming breath.

Soon, the sound of her breathing like a little cat’s snoring came. His sister had fallen asleep.

Wu Hen decisively got up and lay down on Yu Yu’s simple bed.

The drowsiness was actually very strong, but Wu Hen still held on.

And at this moment, Wu Hen suddenly felt a slight discomfort in his eyes, followed by a line of text appearing before him.

What’s going on?

Did he eat too many mushrooms?

Why is there a message appearing out of thin air?

"Wu Hen, I’ve received news that you’ve once again awakened from the Desert Dust."

Wu Hen quickly realized he was still wearing the virtual iris.

After it merged into his eyeball, there was no discomfort, and in the tension and busyness, Wu Hen almost forgot about it.

He didn’t expect that this virtual iris could also be used as a communication device.

Wu Hen blinked twice and then spoke softly.

Sure enough, his words turned into text, transmitted in a way he didn’t understand.

"Is it the beauty?"

"Just call me Mingyi, is the environment you’re in now safe?"

"It’s relatively safe."

"Are you in Li City Fan Mountain District?" Mingyi asked.

"Yes," Wu Hen responded.

"Where are you in the Desert Dust?" Mingyi continued to ask.

"In a soul flower of a Soul Nesting Wood," Wu Hen replied.

"So, you also returned through the Soul Nesting Wood?" Mingyi said.

"Is there a problem?" Wu Hen asked, puzzled.

Yuan You was obviously not something found everywhere in the Desert Dust.

"Your Listening Sense is very powerful. When I walk in the Desert Dust, I will release a green cicada. If you hear the sound of the green cicada in the Desert Dust, please follow it. This way you can find our team. We need your listening sense ability," Mingyi said.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"I should be some distance away from the Nuwa God End..." Wu Hen said.

"If you are in the Soul Nesting Wood, then you are not far from us. It seems we can meet earlier in the Desert Dust," Mingyi sent a playful smiley face.

"Actually, I would prefer to meet you here," Wu Hen said.

"There will be opportunities."

Wu Hen looked up to see that the soul flower above had completely withered, and Yang Qin was still mumbling frantically, refusing to get up, as if as long as she didn’t open her eyes, she would still be at home.

No choice, Wu Hen climbed up and gave her a few slaps to wake her up.

"Ah... who are... big brother!" Yang Qin was startled but found some familiarity in the devilishly charming face.

"It’s me, take your stuff, it’s time to go," Wu Hen said lightly.

"Big brother, how did you mutate? Are you still human?" Yang Qin didn’t understand why this mysterious big brother now had a very mysterious face decoration.

"Just a decoration, don’t waste time, I have important work," Wu Hen said.

"But..."

"Don’t waste time. I tried, a Soul Nesting Wood can only be used once. Don’t expect to return to home by going to other blossoming soul flowers."

"Oh, oh, wait for me." Recognizing the reality, Yang Qin quickly packed her bags and followed the increasingly mysterious man.

...

Following the sound of cicadas, Wu Hen entered a forest.

The vegetation in the forest had strange colors, like a kaleidoscope, and wasn’t even static.

Wu Hen believed the forest flowed like a river. Entering here an hour before and an hour later might be completely different!

Luckily, the cicada calls were very clear with strong penetration. Wu Hen just had to follow them to avoid getting lost.

Along the way, Wu Hen saw many bizarre creatures, each with their own survival laws. They were not weak nor terrifying, but humans were not their prey...

"Is it that stone valley ahead?" Yang Qin asked.

They had walked a long, long way.

Yang Qin was exhausted.

Wu Hen hadn’t expected that although he could hear the cicada call clearly, the distance was very far, almost feeling they had walked for days and nights in the forest...

Fortunately, his soul had been cleansed in the Soul Nesting Wood, and nearing the Nuwa God End, the contamination lessened. Otherwise, Wu Hen might have found Yang Qin charming, too!

"It’s here."

Wu Hen finally found the green cicada on the trunk of a strange tree.

Others might find the cicada call ordinary, but to Wu Hen, it was like a locator.

Wu Hen tried to catch it, finding it was not a creature but a sophisticated mechanistic insect.

Wow, Mingyi the beauty was using high-tech!

"Big brother, big brother, look at the stone valley. There’s a Soul Nesting Wood!" Yang Qin suddenly exclaimed in excitement.

Wu Hen moved to a clear view and looked into the stone valley, seeing indeed a Soul Nesting Wood.

However, this Soul Nesting Wood looked close to withering, its vitality far less robust than the previous one.

"Don’t shout; there are others below," Wu Hen glared at Yang Qin.

"They should be our countrymen. After I woke up in the homeland, I informed the higher-ups about the Soul Nesting Wood’s ability to bring us back. They took it very seriously and said they’d take special care of me..." Yang Qin said.

"So these people are here particularly because of that news, looking for the Soul Nesting Wood," Wu Hen stroked his chin.

"Yes, yes, we can go back home again!" Yang Qin was still excited, not expecting it to be so smooth to find another Soul Nesting Wood.

"I have a mission," Wu Hen said.

He needed to meet up with Mingyi.

Though this brief return to the homeland provided some solace, Wu Hen looked further ahead.

"I can’t go on, need to hurry, or there won’t be space in the soul flower..." Yang Qin said.

"Wait!"

Suddenly, Wu Hen saw something incredible.

At the base of the soul flower on that Soul Nesting Wood, there were numerous white fungal filaments, wriggling like seagrass worms. As someone entered the soul flower to sleep, the white filaments inserted into the flower body like tubes...

This soul flower didn’t seem to be nurturing human life but rather a parasitic container for white worms!

Wu Hen gasped in shock!

There was something wrong with this Soul Nesting Wood!

Suddenly, Wu Hen thought of the parasitic Insect Eyes Half-man infiltrating the homeland!