Transmigrating Into a Fantasy World: Signing in During Pregnancy, Reaching the Summit with My Childhood Sweetheart

181: Chapter 181: A Lifeline and a Deadly Trap, and the Wood Spirit SealingInside the grotto, a brief, deathly silence fell due to Lin Mo’s faint but clear warning.

“Lin... danger...” Su Muxue subconsciously repeated those two words, her arms tightening slightly around the star Core. The color drained from her face as her heart, which had just settled, leaped into her throat. A warning from the child, no matter how faint, was enough for her to take it with the utmost seriousness.

Nangong Xuan’s gaze was as sharp as a sword as he once again sank his Divine Thought into the phantom star key, sensing the ancient forest representing the location of the “key of living beings” more carefully.

Vitality was boundless, vast as the sea—this was the initial and strongest sensation. The wood-attribute spiritual energy there was so abundant it surpassed the imagination, far exceeding any grotto-heaven or blessed land in the outside world. Just sensing it through the star key made one feel refreshed in mind and body.

However, when he calmed his mind and concentrated, attempting to penetrate the surface of that boundless vitality, an extremely obscure sense of coldness and rigidity—completely out of place with this vitality—quietly surfaced like a venomous snake.

The feeling was incredibly faint, almost entirely masked by the surging vitality, yet it truly existed. It wasn’t the tyrannical desolation of the sword grudge domain, nor the pure nothingness of the Nirvana True Seal; it was more like... a stiff vitality that had been meticulously disguised, bound, and manipulated? It was as if that vast sea of forest was not naturally nurtured, but was instead a massive, living cage.

Furthermore, at the location where the “key of living beings” had been activated, besides Zi Linger’s relatively pure life energy, there were several powerful energy fluctuations surrounding the area! They carried a thick scent of vegetation but were cold and ruthless, forming an encirclement around Zi Linger at the center like guards.

“Moer’s Perception was correct.” Nangong Xuan slowly opened his eyes, his tone heavy. “That ancient forest is indeed strange. The boundless vitality is just a facade; there is a hidden killing intent within. Zi Linger isn’t safely using the star key; she is likely... trapped, and is being forced to resist or attempt to break through a Seal!”

Su Muxue’s heart instantly constricted. “Trapped? Then we must go save her!”

But at the thought of the “danger” warning Lin Mo had sent, she couldn’t help but hesitate. Even a sleeping child could sense and issue a warning; the level of danger was likely far beyond imagination. Although the couple’s condition had improved, one was still recovering from injuries while the other had to divide his attention to suppress a mark and protect his wife and child. Their strength was not at its Peak.

Nangong Xuan pondered for a moment, a look of determination flashing in his eyes. “We go. We must go. But we cannot barge in recklessly.”

He looked at the fragment of the Nirvana True Seal in his hand, and an idea gradually became clear.

“Annihilation Power represents the ultimate ’nothingness’. It might be able to ’neutralize’ or even ’shield’ the Perception of that eerie vitality to some extent.” He raised his hand, and the greyish fragment floated up. Wisps of extreme nothingness radiated out, slowly enveloping him and Su Muxue.

Something miraculous happened. Under the shroud of that annihilation aura, the life fluctuations and energy signatures of the two seemed to be wrapped in an invisible membrane of ’void’, greatly restraining them and even creating a strange sense of ’isolation’ from the surrounding environment.

“Restrain all your aura and follow me closely,” Nangong Xuan whispered. “We will sneak over, clarify the situation first, and then decide how to act.”

Su Muxue nodded immediately, fully circulating the Lunar Breath-Concealing Technique to reduce her fluctuations to the minimum.

Like two phantoms merging into the shadows, the two quietly left the grotto and sped off in the direction guided by the phantom star key.

The closer they got to that ancient forest, the richer the vitality in the air became, almost condensing into a physical green spiritual mist. A single breath was enough to invigorate the spirit and faintly increase one’s cultivation. However, the vigilance in Nangong Xuan and Su Muxue’s hearts rose to its Peak. Beneath this intoxicating vitality, that hidden sense of coldness and rigidity became increasingly clear.

Finally, a vast, ancient forest that had never been marked on any map appeared before their eyes.

Towering ancient trees stood in rows, each one incredibly thick. Their branches and leaves blotted out the sun, and vines hung down like dragons. The dense life energy was almost liquid, flowing through the woods. Exotic flowers and rare herbs were everywhere, emitting an alluring fragrance. Everything looked like a paradise on earth, a celestial wonderland.

However, Nangong Xuan and Su Muxue stopped outside the forest, their expressions solemn.

They saw that at the edge of the forest, some seemingly withered tree roots were actually writhing slowly like living creatures, burrowing into the ground as if on patrol. On some colorful vines, crystalline dewdrops were secreted, emitting an even stronger aura of vitality. But Nangong Xuan’s annihilation Perception told him that those dewdrops contained a terrifying toxin capable of paralyzing the Divine Soul.

The entire forest appeared vibrant with life, but in reality, every corner was filled with eerie ’surveillance’ and ’defense’!

“This is definitely not a naturally formed forest...” Su Muxue’s voice was tight. “It’s more like a... living Formation, or rather, a massive trap with its own consciousness?”

Nangong Xuan’s gaze was like lightning, piercing through layers of branches and leaves to look deep into the forest. “They are Wood Spirits, and they are Wood Spirits that have been artificially modified and controlled. Their power has been forcibly elevated, but their intelligence has been erased or twisted, turning them into Puppets that only know how to guard this place.”

His gaze finally locked onto an ancient divine tree in the far distance, the largest of them all. Its entire body was emerald green like jade, but its canopy faintly emitted a white halo. The phantom star key’s sensing told him that the “key of living beings” and Zi Linger were near that divine tree!

He also clearly felt that the strongest and coldest sealing forces were deployed around that divine tree! Several powerful Wood Spirit auras, equivalent to the Late Golden Core Stage or even the Peak, were like the most loyal guards, firmly locking onto a faint but resisting aura beneath the divine tree—that was Zi Linger!

“She is sealed beneath the divine tree,” Nangong Xuan concluded. “We must find a way to bypass this peripheral surveillance and approach the Core.”

He fully activated the Nirvana True Seal fragment, making that layer of ’void’ membrane even more solid. Like two transparent bubbles, the two carefully blended into this vitality death trap.

Wherever they passed, the restless vines around them paused slightly, appearing somewhat confused. It was as if something was ’missing’ from their Perception, but that aura of nothingness made them instinctively unwilling to approach. The dewdrops filled with paralyzing toxins scattered across the ground were also unable to stain the annihilation membrane in the slightest.

Annihilation Power had become the most unexpected ’pass’ within this vitality-filled forbidden land.

The two moved silently through the forest, avoiding hidden spiritual traps and patrolling activated roots, constantly approaching the central divine tree.

The deeper they went, the greater the pressure. The Wood Spirit guards in the Core area were denser and more powerful, and invisible vitality fields even began to ripple, specifically designed to detect hidden individuals. Although the Nirvana True Seal fragment could shield them, its consumption also began to accelerate.

Finally, they sneaked to the vicinity of the divine tree. Using a cluster of massive, strange mushrooms to hide their figures, they saw the scene ahead.

At the base of that towering divine tree, a massive cave entrance had been carved out with great magical power. However, the entrance was currently completely sealed by countless tough vines flashing with green runes. Sitting atop the vines were three Cultivators clad in armor woven from leaves and vines. Their expressions were cold and their eyes hollow. They radiated the powerful fluctuations of the Late Golden Core Stage, yet they possessed no life or emotion, as if they were merely humanoid Wood Spirit Puppets.

From within the cave, faint bursts of green light could be seen, along with Zi Linger’s familiar but anxious and exhausted shouts. She seemed to be doing her best to activate something to resist the Seal from the outside.

“The power of the key of living beings... She’s inside trying to use the star key to break the Seal, but it’s having little effect,” Su Muxue whispered, her eyes full of worry.

Nangong Xuan’s gaze swept over the three Puppet Cultivators and the powerful vine Seal, and he also sensed the even more obscure and terrifying Formation fluctuations permeating around the divine tree. His brow furrowed deeply.

A forced Breakthrough would inevitably awaken the entire forest’s defense mechanisms instantly, and the consequences would be unimaginable.

He had to find a way to silently open a gap, or at least establish contact with Zi Linger first!

His gaze fell once more upon that greyish fragment of the Nirvana True Seal.

Nirvana... could it devour this vitality Seal?