Journey of the Immortal’s Cultivation

06. Forbidden Forest

Forbidden Forest.  

The very name carried weight, whispered with unease in every corner of Hu Nan. It was a place shrouded in mystery, a realm of shadows and secrets where danger lingered in every breath of wind. Even the most seasoned cultivators, those whose qi surged like rivers through their veins, hesitated to cross its threshold.  

Legends spoke of the Witch Beast, a creature said to drain qi until nothing remained, leaving even the strongest cultivators as hollow husks. No one knew when the rumor first took root in Hu Nan, but it had spread like wildfire, seeping into the minds of officials and commoners alike. The fear was so pervasive that city leaders dared not build roads or settlements near the forest’s edge, lest they disturb the beast and invite calamity upon the people.  

Better, they reasoned, to leave the Witch Beast undisturbed. A beast at peace was less dangerous than one provoked.  

Even the Five Great Families, paragons of cultivation, avoided the forest. None dared to test the truth of the legend. They chose caution over glory, believing the Witch Beast could never leave its domain unless threatened.  

Its true form remained a mystery. Some claimed it resembled a colossal dragon, its eyes burning crimson like molten fire, its body armored with jagged spines. Others whispered it was a cursed sorcerer, twisted into monstrous shape yet still capable of speech. Still others believed it was a fallen cultivator from ages past, imprisoned eternally within the forest to prevent his corruption from spreading.  

Whatever the truth, one fact was certain: by day, the forest was breathtaking, its canopy alive with birdsong and shafts of sunlight piercing the mist. But by night, it transformed into something dreadful. The moonlight painted the trees in silver, shadows stretched long and menacing, and the air grew heavy, suffocating. No villager dared approach after sunset. Even those without qi felt the oppressive aura pressing against their lungs, warning them to stay away.  

Tonight, under the full moon, the forest was at its most perilous.  

“Krak!”  

Branches snapped beneath hurried feet. A lone figure sprinted from Hu Nan toward the forest’s looming silhouette. To any who might have seen him, he would have seemed mad.  

Wu Tian.  

Driven by anguish, his heart still raw from his father’s cruel words, he ran headlong into the Forbidden Forest. The moon hung high, casting its pale glow across his determined face. He did not care that this was the night when the Witch Beast was said to reveal its strength. He did not care that countless cultivators had avoided this place for generations.  

He had no qi to lose.  

And so, he pressed forward, his mind consumed by a single thought: perhaps the Witch Beast held the power to restore him. Perhaps within its monstrous qi lay salvation for his broken dantian and shattered meridians.  

“Father,” he muttered between breaths, his voice trembling with rage and resolve, “your cruel insults will be repaid. I will rise again, stronger than any cultivator alive!”  

Rumors had long whispered that the Witch Beast’s energy could heal what was broken, mend what was ruined. Wu Tian clung to that hope. If he could defeat the creature—or even survive its presence—perhaps he could absorb its qi and repair the damage that had cursed him since birth.  

“Let the stories be true,” he whispered fiercely. “Let me rise from the ashes of my family’s scorn.”  

Yet beneath his defiance lay pain. His father’s words echoed relentlessly in his mind, each insult a blade cutting deeper. To be called worthless by the man whose blood ran in his veins was agony beyond measure.  

“It wasn’t my fault, Father!” Wu Tian cried into the night air. “I tried. I tried, but my body betrayed me. I was never lazy, never weak by choice. My qi simply would not flow!”  

At last, he reached the forest’s edge. The trees loomed tall, their branches twisting like skeletal fingers against the moonlit sky. To others, the sight was terrifying. To Wu Tian, it was a challenge.  

The moonlight bathed the clearing in silver, and he felt no fear. Without qi, he believed himself invisible to the beast’s hunger.  

“I must enter,” he told himself. “If I hesitate, I will never avenge myself. What can the Witch Beast do to one who has no qi?”  

His steps carried him forward, steady and resolute.  

“I’ve made it,” he whispered as he crossed into the forest. “Forbidden Forest… let the Witch Beast be real. Let it be my salvation. I have no other path.”  

But as he ventured deeper, the air thickened. A suffocating aura pressed against his chest, each breath harder than the last. His stride faltered, his lungs straining.  

“So this is what they spoke of,” he murmured, his voice hoarse. “The suffocating aura… it’s real. Who is this Witch Beast, to wield such power?”  

He steadied himself, forcing his breath into rhythm. “I must find a way to defeat it. I must.”  

The forest grew darker as he advanced, the canopy swallowing the moonlight. Yet fortune favored him—the full moon’s glow pierced through gaps in the branches, offering faint illumination.  

“Where do I search?” Wu Tian wondered aloud. “They say the Witch Beast hides by day, but under the full moon it reveals itself. Tonight, it must appear.”  

His body ached, fatigue gnawing at his muscles. The aura pressed harder, relentless.  

“If I don’t find it soon, this aura alone will kill me,” he thought grimly. “If only I had qi to resist it.”  

The forest was no myth. Its oppressive power was real, and Wu Tian felt it crushing him. His uncle’s lessons on breathing steadied him for a time, but the pressure mounted, draining his strength.  

“Huff… huff…” His breaths came ragged, his chest heaving.  

“Why is it so hard to breathe? Is the aura sealing my lungs?” His thoughts blurred as dizziness overtook him. His legs weakened, his steps faltered. He staggered, nearly collapsing.  

“Will I die here?” he whispered. “No… I cannot die. Not before proving to the Wu family that I am not trash.”  

He forced himself onward, each step a battle. His vision swam, the forest twisting around him. He could not summon qi to shield himself, could not fight the suffocating weight.  

“Huff… huff…” His breaths grew shallow, his sight dim.  

“I mustn’t give in. I must find the Witch Beast!” His resolve burned even as his body failed.  

But his strength was gone. His legs buckled, his body swayed.  

BUUUK!  

Wu Tian collapsed, his body sprawled upon the forest floor. His chest rose and fell weakly, his eyes fluttering shut. The oppressive aura had claimed him, leaving him helpless.  

He did not know that he was no longer alone.  

From the shadows, unseen yet ever-present, eyes glowed with ancient fire. The Witch Beast had been watching, its gaze fixed upon the fallen boy who had dared to enter its domain.  

“Poor child…” a voice rumbled from the darkness, low and resonant, carrying both pity and menace.