Chapter 418: The Green Sea Ruins (Part 11)

Only now did Wu Qingsong realize there was actually a way he might be able to lead them out.

His direct control over the undead extended roughly two kilometers. However, for undead born from fragments of his own soul, he could maintain a faint connection across ten, even twenty kilometers.

He couldn’t communicate with them mentally at such distances, but at the very least, he could sense their general location.

With that, he could leave an undead behind in these ruins, using this weak link to constantly judge the distance between them. By observing whether the distance increased or decreased, he could navigate toward the forest’s edge.

He couldn’t guarantee this method would be foolproof, but it was certainly better than letting the houndfolk stumble blindly through the woods, hoping for a lucky break.

Once he got everyone to safety, he could return alone—or bring more undead with him—to thoroughly investigate that lake. Without having to worry about others’ safety, he had plenty of methods he could employ.

Everyone agreed to his proposal. With no other options left, they didn’t have much choice.

Wu Qingsong quietly turned the houndfolk who had just died into an undead, ordering it to stay hidden in the ruins, avoid the lake, and preserve itself. Then, he climbed to the highest point of the ruins, used the surrounding mountain ranges to roughly gauge direction, and led the others, weapons in hand, into the forest.

But after just a few steps, the light dimmed completely, and the disorienting sense of directionlessness returned in full force.

“Don’t rush. Take it slow. Stay alert,” Wu Qingsong instructed, leading them forward.

However, only a dozen steps later, he sensed something was wrong.

The distance between him and the undead had suddenly expanded drastically—as if, in that very instant, they’d been transported to a completely different part of the forest.

“Turn back,” he told the houndfolk.

They were startled. Charlotte gave a nod of affirmation. “Do as Lord Tagreadi says.”

Though confused, the houndfolk obeyed. Yet when they expected to see the ruins again, they were shocked to find themselves in an entirely unfamiliar place.

“Left!” Wu Qingsong called out once more.

He didn’t know exactly where this path would lead, but he was determined to keep moving away from the ruins, adjusting their course as needed.

In this monotonous, unchanging forest, fatigue quickly set in. Worse than the physical exhaustion was the gnawing doubt. None of them, not even Wu Qingsong, knew if this endless walking would ever lead them out.

A suffocating mix of anxiety and despair began to spread through the group. Charlotte kept trying to encourage them, but as time dragged on, even her words lost their effect.

“It’s getting dark,” a houndfolk muttered uneasily.

“Trust me. We’re getting farther from the ruins,” Wu Qingsong reassured them.

But he’d said that so many times now. With no way to verify his words, their faith in them weakened with each repetition.

The only consolation was the few insects they managed to catch along the way. Though far from their usual diet, forcing themselves to eat those wriggling things restored a bit of their strength.

“Wait!” Wu Qingsong suddenly sensed a powerful fluctuation from the undead that had long been out of his direct control. Its position had shifted slightly.

“What is it?” Tension filled the group.

But then the disturbance ceased as abruptly as it had appeared.

“Maybe Maylen attacked Dak,” Wu Qingsong explained. “It was only for a moment. It’s over now.”

“Will he come after us?” Charlotte asked.

“Maybe. But I doubt he can accurately track us in a place like this,” Wu Qingsong comforted her.

Though the incident wasn’t good news, it did stir some hope among the group, reigniting their will to press on. Under Wu Qingsong’s guidance, they continued forward, even if it still felt like they were just circling within the same small patch of woods.

“Hold up!” a houndfolk suddenly shouted, having spotted something in the bushes. Everyone rushed over, only to find the body of a fellow houndfolk.

“Ned…” They called his name, voices heavy.

He was one of the houndfolk left behind to guard the horses near the boulders. Judging by his condition, he hadn’t died long ago. Likely, after waiting days without seeing any signal or supplies retrieved, he realized something had gone wrong and ventured into the forest to help them.

There were no external wounds, but nearly every bone in his body was shattered. He’d probably been entangled by vines while cutting through them, crushed to death in the struggle.

“He came to save us,” one of the houndfolk said, voice low and pained.

In his backpack were ample rations, finally allowing them to have a proper meal. But instead of joy, this only deepened their sorrow.

“If he’s here, then Hal is likely…” someone murmured.

“Keep moving,” Wu Qingsong said firmly. “At the very least, this proves we’re not going in circles. We will get out of here.”

Buoyed by his words, they pulled themselves together. After burying Ned beneath dirt and fallen leaves, they set off once more.

Wu Qingsong decided they would march through the night. He wasn’t relying on his eyes for navigation anyway, and every hour they lingered here meant more potential danger.

So they trudged on in the darkness, stumbling, falling, but never stopping. Every hour, they rested for ten minutes. The further they went, the less frequently Wu Qingsong needed to adjust their direction. He was certain now they were nearing the forest’s edge. The force keeping them trapped was weakening.

The others sensed it too. The hope of escape brought excitement that dulled their exhaustion.

“Listen!” Charlotte suddenly called out.

Everyone froze. Amid the eternal rustling of leaves, they could faintly hear the sound of flowing water.

“We’re almost out!” a houndfolk exclaimed in delight.

But in that instant, a sudden rustling from the nearby bushes cut through their joy. A shadow pounced from behind, slamming hard into the back of a houndfolk.

“Watch out!” Wu Qingsong shouted, unleashing his full spiritual power at the assailant, forcing it to retreat.

“Are you okay?” Charlotte hurried to help the fallen houndfolk.

“I’m fine, Lady Red Moon.” The houndfolk gritted his teeth through the pain, quickly grabbing his machete.

His back had been viciously clawed, blood flowing freely, but he could still move. His life wasn’t in danger.

“He’s still here!” Wu Qingsong warned.

The houndfolk growled in fury, but the possessed wolfman darted through the forest with terrifying speed, constantly shifting positions, looking for another chance to strike.

‘Damn it! If Nina or Xeila were here, or even just Liuli, this bastard wouldn’t have stood a chance.’

Wu Qingsong struggled to keep up with the shadow’s movements. But he could tell this opponent wasn’t actually that strong. He was relying purely on speed and the forest’s complexity to survive. Any one of his wives, except perhaps Ram, could have easily subdued him.

His spiritual power was devastating against mentally weaker foes, like warriors or magic users such as Mystic Moon and Charlotte. But against an enemy with equally potent spiritual strength, his methods were utterly ineffective. The humiliation of it grated on him.

“Don’t get bogged down fighting here!” he ordered. “Follow my instructions. Maintain formation. We keep moving toward the forest’s edge!”

Suddenly, Maylen’s figure came to a halt. Then, in a blur of movement, he dashed away—not to attack, but to violently tear through the trees around them, retreating to a safer distance as he did so.

The forest erupted.

Countless vines, enraged by the destruction, surged toward their position. In the darkness, there was no way to avoid such relentless, omnipresent attacks. Within moments, a houndfolk was ensnared, the vines wrapping around him like a net, squeezing tighter and tighter as his desperate screams echoed through the night.