"Brother Wu, are you not seeing this?" Lin Mo asked again, his voice tinged with frustration.

"See what?" Wu Di replied, his confusion evident.

"An old ghost," Lin Mo said, pointing directly at the spectral figure before him.

"Did the owner come for its ring?" Wu Di joked, clearly not taking him seriously.

"I'm being serious, Brother Wu."

"Only you can see me," the old ghost said, floating around Wu Di. It was apparent Wu Di really couldn't see the spectral figure. "And don't call me an old ghost, you brat."

"Have some respect for your elders. I am old enough to be your ancestor's ancestor."

"See, that's why you're an old ghost," Lin Mo remarked.

Wu Di gave him a side-eye as if questioning Lin Mo's sanity for talking to thin air.

"Don't look at me with those eyes," Lin Mo said with a wry look. "I'm really talking to a ghost."

Wu Di looked away, clearly unconvinced.

The old ghost laughed loudly, though only Lin Mo could hear him. "This brat thinks you've become a retard."

Lin Mo's annoyance was evident.

"That look the brat gave was funny," the old ghost continued to laugh. "You can talk to me through telepathy."

"How does that work?" thought Lin Mo.

"See, you're doing it," replied the old ghost.

Relieved that he wouldn't have to appear like he was talking to himself in public, Lin Mo quickly adapted to telepathic communication.

Seeing the two still lingering in the cave, the old ghost asked, "Why are you two still here?"

"We have no choice," sighed Lin Mo. "We may end up being buried here along with you."

"What are you saying?" the old ghost looked bewildered.

Lin Mo pointed towards the cave exit. The old ghost, puzzled, floated away to check.

A colossal figure blocked the exit. When the old ghost saw the giant waiting outside, he felt as if he would depart this realm. He rushed back into the cave.

"What did you two do to anger it?"

"W-We took some of its herbs," Lin Mo replied, avoiding the old ghost's gaze.

"You mean stole," the old ghost corrected.

Lin Mo coughed and changed the subject. "What is that giant beast outside?"

"These beasts are called forest tyrants," the old ghost explained. "Despite their size, they are known for their gentle behavior and won't attack unless provoked. You're still alive because the one outside is still young."

"Young? It's already as big as a small hill!"

"What do you know, brat? If you had met an adult one, this little peak would've been crushed under its feet."

"Have you seen one before?" Lin Mo asked.

"Ahem, no. I've only heard about it from others," the old ghost admitted, clearing his throat awkwardly.

"How strong is it?"

"It's a king-ranked beast. Of course, it's strong."

!!!

Lin Mo then explained everything to Wu Di. Though skeptical, Wu Di listened attentively.

Realizing the giant outside was a king-ranked beast, they understood their chances of fighting their way out were slim. They could only wait for sect reinforcements.

"Brat, what are you two doing in the fourth layer?" the old ghost suddenly asked.

"Fourth layer?"

"Is this not the fourth layer of the Eternal Forest?"

"This is the second layer," Lin Mo replied.

"What? How can that be?" The old ghost looked concerned.

"Is there something wrong?" Lin Mo asked, puzzled.

"These giants belong to the fourth layer. They shouldn't be here in the second layer," the old ghost explained.

"Did something happen to the barrier?" The old ghost floated in contemplation.

Lin Mo didn't fully grasp the implications, but the old ghost's concerned expression told him it was serious.

"You seem to know a lot about the forest. You must have been someone important in your life," Lin Mo said.

The old ghost appeared to reminisce. "I was nobody then. Now I'm just a restless soul."

Seeing the melancholy on the old ghost's face, Lin Mo refrained from asking further questions.

Looking at the ring on his finger, Lin Mo retrieved a scripture from the space within.

[Jade Body Art]

He began flipping through the pages.

"Brother Wu, doesn't this look like Sister Lina's dance?" He showed the scripture to Wu Di.

Wu Di nodded, surprised.

The scripture illustrated a series of movements that, when performed together, resembled a dance. They had watched Sister Lina practice these movements until they flowed naturally, becoming a seamless part of her.

"Are you saying someone out there still practices this technique?" asked the old ghost.

"Yes, we've seen Senior Sister performing these movements," replied Lin Mo.

"How could that be? I'm sure this art was lost back then," the old ghost appeared to contemplate.

"Is this scripture strong?" asked Lin Mo, curious.

"One of the top techniques throughout the world," praised the old ghost

Intrigued, Lin Mo wanted to try them. He mimicked the movements described in the scripture, raising his arms, spinning around, waving, and dashing about. It all looked rather comical.

"Don't bother practicing this, brat," the old ghost suddenly spoke. "I wasted my whole life trying to learn it."

Lin Mo realized the technique was far more difficult than he had anticipated. Each movement caused his body to momentarily freeze, unable to achieve the natural flow Sister Lina displayed.

While practicing the movements, Lin Mo heard splashing sounds. Wu Di and the old ghost noticed it too.

They all turned towards the cave entrance.

"Water?" Wu Di peeked through the narrow path and his eyes widened. He quickly leaned against the wall.

A large amount of water flowed into the cave, slowly rising to their knees. The cave, narrow and small, was filling up. The tyrant intended to flood it entirely.

"Damn, how much water can that giant thing carry? It's never-ending," Lin Mo cursed.

"Enough to flood this cave. It wants to lure you two out," the old ghost laughed aloud. "Isn't this similar to humans flooding a mouse hole?"

"Does it have any weaknesses?" Lin Mo asked urgently.

"Why are you asking? Do you want to fight that thing with your meager strength?"

"Just tell me."

"It doesn't have any, except its limited mobility."

"How about its balls?"

"Balls?" The old ghost looked puzzled.

"The two precious jewels. Can a king-ranked beast survive without them?"

"Huh! What are you talking about? That's a female giant."

"For real?" Lin Mo turned to Wu Di. "Brother Wu, this giant is a female. It doesn't have jewels."

Their only chance to survive, Lin Mo realized, had just vanished.

"Why would you tell me that?" Wu Di looked at him weirdly.

"Well…"

The water blasting inside momentarily stopped, giving them a breather.

"Do we have to run again?"

"Better to die fighting than under rubble." Wu Di stepped out, unnoticed.

Lin Mo followed. Staying inside would likely result in the cave collapsing after a few more blasts of water.

They finally dared to step out.

Of course, the first thing to greet them was the giant. It looked straight at Lin Mo and him alone. Even the king-ranked beast couldn't detect Wu Di.

"Elder giant, can't you let us juniors go this once?" Lin Mo smiled wryly, knowing the giant couldn't understand him.

The giant raised its trunk and emitted a deafening roar. Lin Mo's entire body vibrated from the sheer force of the sound.

"I guess it doesn't want to let it slide," Lin Mo said, dashing into the forest.

In a few swift moves, Lin Mo put a considerable distance between himself and the cave. However, the giant still pursued him. The tall trees did nothing to slow it down; it crushed everything in its path.

"What a tyrant," Lin Mo muttered.

He wasn't far from being caught when suddenly the tyrant halted its steps.

"Did it finally give up?" Lin Mo glanced back while creating more distance.

Its mouth was wide open, and a loud snorting sound echoed through the forest. Suddenly, Lin Mo felt his body lift upwards, a strong suction pulling at his back.

In haste, he grabbed onto a tree, but it didn't take long before the tree was uprooted.

"Are you kidding me?" Lin Mo remembered the last time he lost control of his body, similar to how the elder from the Sun Sword Sect had tried to stop him.

Clutching the tree, Lin Mo was pulled towards the giant.

"Can we even fight this giant? It wouldn't feel a thing," Lin Mo murmured. "I guess I have to use that thing."

"That thing?" the old ghost looked bewildered.

Lin Mo retrieved a palm-sized wooden sword from his pouch. As he floated towards the giant, he pointed the wooden sword at it.

"How do I activate it? Old ghost, do you know anything?"

"…"

"…"

"What's that? A protective charm?"

"I don't know. Master said it would help me when I'm in danger."

"Isn't it just a regular wooden charm?" The old ghost was no help.

His master had never told him how to use this wooden sword. The only thing he could do was try to stab the giant with the tiny sword, smaller than a kitchen knife.

Nearing the giant, one hand clinging to the tree while the other pointed the small sword at it, Lin Mo was close to its grasp.

Just as he neared the giant's trunk, he stepped on the tree and jumped with all his might.

Barely escaping becoming a giant's snack, Lin Mo landed on the giant's head and stabbed behind its head with the wooden sword.

"Ehe?" The wooden sword stopped on the surface, unable to pierce even a layer of skin.

Lin Mo poked the wooden sword at the giant's head a few more times, but nothing miraculous occurred. The giant remained alive and unharmed.

Lamenting his situation, Lin Mo barely dodged a swing from the giant's long trunk and jumped down.

For a while, he seemed to have vanished, but how could he evade the senses of a king-ranked beast? Before long, he was disccovered.

Lin Mo clung to the tail of the giant, but soon after, the tail moved, and he crashed to the ground like a meteor.

The impact created a large crater, scattering dust, and rubble everywhere.

Coughing, Lin Mo stood from the rubble. "I'm now grateful for all those hellish training sessions Master gave me."

Although his body bore a few bruises and cuts, there were no serious injuries.

As Lin Mo rose from the rubble, the giant wasted no time in making its move. Without any tricks, it lunged forward, aiming to slam its massive body into Lin Mo.

Due to the giant's sheer size, Lin Mo found it impossible to dodge the attack. Instead, he focused on minimizing the damage.

Upon impact, the force sent Lin Mo tumbling across the ground, unable to resist the overwhelming strength of the giant.

The giant toyed with him like an indestructible plaything it had just discovered. Rather than crushing him outright, it continued to bat Lin Mo around like a ball.

This continued for a while.

On the other hand, Lin Mo coughed blood repeatedly.

Every time the giant charged towards him, he hurled himself backward with full force to reduce the damage from direct contact.

Although there was no serious harm to his body, it was still a numbing sensation each time he stood from the ground.

A while later, the giant grew bored of toying with Lin Mo and sought to end the encounter.

It raised one foot, resembling a small hill, poised to stomp on Lin Mo's body. However, it was momentarily distracted by a small figure on his right.

Wu Di had appeared before the giant's head and disappeared again. In a blink, he reappeared before the giant's eye.

With a swift stab followed by slashing motions, Wu Di destroyed the giant's right eye.

Blood and white matter spewed out from the ruined eye.

GURRRRRR!