Chapter 42 The Terrifying Forbidden Zone for Humans

Su Hao's figure, like a lonely silhouette, quietly appeared at the edge of the terrifying and notorious human forbidden zone.

At this moment, the surroundings seemed to be draped in a thick black gauze by the Grim Reaper, chillingly silent.

The biting night wind howled, weaving through the ancient and gloomy trees. The branches rattled and creaked, as if ghouls in the darkness were baring their fangs and roaring menacingly, or perhaps issuing warnings from this forbidden zone to any intruders.

He raised his head slightly and looked ahead. The forbidden zone before him seemed tightly enveloped by a thick, impenetrable dark fog.

The fog surged and twined, seemingly possessed of a life of its own, constantly shifting shapes. At times it resembled a ferocious giant beast baring sharp fangs, and at times a bizarre ghost drifting and hovering, exuding endless gloom and mystery.

Under the shroud of this fog, the distant mountains and woods were reduced to vague, flickering outlines, resembling a water-ink painting eroded by time, yet carrying an aura that chilled the heart to the core.

A mere glance was enough to rouse a wave of coldness from the depths of one's soul. Like icy tentacles, it crept slowly along the blood vessels throughout the entire body, causing an involuntary shiver.

This chill stemmed not only from the scene before him, but also felt like the aura of death and danger long accumulated by this forbidden zone, quietly seeping into one's bones.

Yet, Su Hao knew clearly in his heart that he no longer had a way back; it was akin to standing on the edge of a cliff, where retreat meant an abyss of no return.

He clenched his jaw fiercely, the muscles on his cheeks bulging slightly, and a flash of absolute determination instantly crossed his eyes. That gaze was like a burning flame, scorching away the fear lurking in the depths of his heart in an instant.

Without the slightest hesitation, he lifted his foot, his steps firm and hurried, and strode directly into the forbidden zone, showing not a shred of pause or indecision.

His posture was as though something vicious and terrifying was closely pursuing him from behind, and the slightest delay would result in being swallowed whole.

The ground beneath his feet was slightly soft, and every step produced a faint rustling sound.

In this deathly quiet environment, it sounded exceptionally clear, as if it were a "sin" of him shattering the stillness, or perhaps the forbidden zone's response to his intrusion.

At this moment, it was the dead of night. The thick, ink-like darkness resembled a gigantic black curtain, enshrouding the entire world with an overwhelming momentum, leaving not a single gap.

In the sky, heavy clouds hung extremely low, almost merging with the distant mountains, as if intent on crushing all living things in this world into the endless darkness.

Occasionally, one or two dim stars struggled to leak a faint light through the gaps in the clouds, only to be swallowed up by the darkness once more. It seemed that under the oppressive might of the forbidden zone, even the stars had lost the courage to shine.

Between heaven and earth, everything seemed to have fallen into a chaotic dark abyss, quiet enough to induce panic.

Only the elusive moonlight, like a frail yet stubborn fairy, tried its utmost to squeeze a few strands of cold light through the dense, impenetrable layers of clouds.

That light was so faint that, after piercing through the crisscrossing tree branches and scattering upon the ground, it barely managed to outline some vague shapes, like sketching an incomplete map for the darkened world.

It brought a meager yet precious radiance to the dark world, resembling specks of hope flickering in the dark, yet appearing so powerless.

The mottled light and shadows, cast upon the withered branches and fallen leaves on the ground, gave these already lifeless remains an even more eerie feel, as though they could morph into spirits at any moment and pounce from the shadows.

As for the ferocious beasts lurking within the forbidden zone, this night-shrouded hour was precisely the moment for their most active and unbridled revelry.

They emerged as the undisputed lords of the night from every hidden corner that resembled a labyrinth.

Some crawled slowly out of moss-covered caves, stretching their powerful bodies, shaking off the mud and gravel, and pacing steadily to forage for food. Their greenish eyes flashed with greedy light, burning like twin ghost fires in the dark, and wherever they passed, even the surrounding air seemed to grow frostier and colder.

Others stood majestically upon towering rocks, overlooking their territory from on high, occasionally letting out low roars. The echoes reverberated through the valleys, shaking the surrounding trees so violently that leaves fluttered down, as if declaring sovereignty over the entire forbidden zone and warning any uninvited guests who dared to trespass.

In an instant, the entire forbidden zone seemed transformed into a playground where they roamed freely and reveled to their hearts' content. Danger permeated the air, lurking within every shadow, ready to erupt at any moment.

Deeply aware of the perils, Su Hao dared not lower his guard in the slightest. Utilizing the hazy, veil-like moonlight, he lowered his posture, blending his entire body into the night and becoming a part of the darkness.

His footsteps were as light as a falling feather, yet executed with lightning speed as he moved rapidly. His agile and flexible form resembled a panther prowling through the night, waiting for the right moment, moving with swift strides through the perilous forbidden zone.

Every step he took was exceedingly cautious, purposely avoiding dry branches and piles of fallen leaves, fearing that the slightest extra sound might disturb the "masters" of this domain.

His gaze, like two exceptionally sharp blades gleaming with cold light, scanned his surroundings vigilantly. Wherever his eyes swept, it seemed as though everything could be seen through and dissected, leaving no potential hiding spot for any beast unexamined.

In the surrounding woods, ancient tree trunks were covered with mottled traces left by time. Some bark had peeled off, exposing grayish-white trunks that looked particularly gloomy in the moonlight.

Even a rock by the roadside with a slightly bizarre shape, casting an unusual shadow under the dim moonlight—a shadow shaped like a crouching giant beast, seemingly waiting for prey to approach—could catch his attention.

Or perhaps a patch of grass swaying gently in the breeze, whose subtle movement contrasted sharply with the surrounding stillness, and whose rustling sound was as piercing as thunder in the quiet night—any of these could instantly tense his nerves like a drawn bowstring. All the muscles in his body immediately entered a tense state of readiness, prepared to deal with any sudden emergency.

It felt as though fierce beasts might pounce from those ordinary-looking spots in the very next second.

Along the way, Su Hao remained utterly focused as he advanced deeper into the human forbidden zone. The howling night wind, like a chilling phantom, brushed gently against his face, bringing a trace of coolness that trickled down his cheeks and neck, seeping bit by bit into his clothes and causing his body to shiver slightly.

The wind was also mingled with a decaying stench, seemingly the scent emitted by creatures that had died in this forbidden zone over many years. It was almost nauseating, yet he had to endure it forcibly.

Even so, it could not relax his tension-strung mind, which was taut like a tightly wound string, by even the slightest degree.

While maintaining his rapid and cautious pace, he narrowed his deep and sharp eyes slightly, his gaze brimming with concentration and alertness, as though capable of piercing through every disguise in the dark night.

The moonlight spilled across his face, revealing his resolute yet slightly nervous expression. Fine beads of sweat glistened on his forehead in the dim light, but he did not dare to reach out and wipe them away, fearing that a careless movement might invite danger.

At the same time, his nostrils flared slightly, like a well-trained and extremely sensitive hound, refusing to let slip the slightest subtle change in the scent of the air, carefully probing for the aura of fierce beasts.

The surrounding air was already mixed with soil, grass, and that illusory smell of rot, forming a complex and oppressive olfactory atmosphere.

Even the faintest trace of a beast's aura—be it ever so weak, or merely flashing past in the wind—could not escape his senses, which were as sensitive as precision instruments.

As long as he captured a hint of abnormal scent, even if it was just a faint fishy odor mixed into the complex nocturnal smells, he could rely on his sharp intuition to roughly judge the beast's location and strength. It was as if a clear distribution map of beasts had already formed in his mind, every subtle clue serving as a crucial key to locating his target.

Not only that, his gaze also acted like two high-powered searchlights, bright and focused, continuously scanning the ground, tree trunks, and surrounding environment back and forth, missing no corner that might harbor a beast's traces.

The ground beneath his feet was littered with various traces of differing depths; some were gullies formed by rainwater erosion, while others were prints left by unknown creatures.

Even a shallow, barely perceptible claw print deeply embedded in the somewhat soft soil, with edges still carrying slightly moist mud as if left behind just moments ago—

Or a patch of flattened grass, with a few strands of a beast's fur still clinging to the blades, gleaming faintly under the moonlight and exuding a wild aura—

All these seemingly insignificant details could become vital clues for tracking beasts, serving as beacons of light in the darkness, guiding him step by step closer to his target within this forbidden zone full of danger and unknowns.

Thus, Su Hao traveled entirely alone, like a fearless warrior relying on his courage and wisdom, marching steadily step by step into the unknown depths of the human forbidden zone, which resembled the maw of a dark behemoth.

Every step was taken with extreme caution, while his perception expanded, sensing everything around him within a radius of hundreds of meters.