The First Steps in the Spirit Void 22. The Rise of Thorns

Mo Dao gently rubbed his slightly swollen eyes with his hand before slowly opening them. The blazing sun hung high in the sky, and its silent rays stung his still-drowsy eyes.

“Am I dead?” Mo Dao asked himself. But could one see the sun after death? Yet the pain coursing through his entire body quietly told him he was still very much alive.

He called out loudly for his senior sister, but after a long moment, realized he was completely alone—there was not a soul in sight. He rose, surveying his surroundings.

All around, thorns grew in wild profusion, with only a single towering tree standing solitary amid the brambles. As Mo Dao stood dazed, a woman’s exquisite voice, as enchanting as celestial music, drifted to his ears, impossible to resist.

“You’re awake?” The voice bewitched Mo Dao, who nodded blankly. He hurriedly looked around, seeking the source, but no matter where he searched, he saw no one.

“I am the Spirit of the Thorns, once the guardian of the Maze Forest. Alas, invaders sealed me in this land of thorns. Now, the Three Lights of the Maze Forest have aligned, strange phenomena have arisen, and part of the seal has been broken.” The voice came again, sudden as before.

“Since you have come here, please help me break the seal.” Mo Dao nodded numbly at the request, but then he shivered, becoming wary. “Are you enchanting me with your voice?”

“No, it’s not enchantment. My voice is naturally like this—irresistible. That’s why I was mistaken for a fierce beast and sealed away,” the Spirit of the Thorns replied, her tone anxious.

“Then how did I get here? Do you know?” “As I said, the Three Lights have aligned. You were probably transported here at random.” “How can I break your seal?” Mo Dao decided to trust the Spirit of the Thorns for now.

“This seal was originally beyond my power to break. But now, with the Three Lights aligned, its strength has waned. If you destroy the Spider Tree over there, which competes with me for the world’s spiritual energy, I’ll have the power to shatter the seal myself,” the spirit said, her voice trembling with excitement.

Mo Dao glanced at the great tree, his face clouded. “How am I supposed to destroy that?” The Spider Tree was impossibly tall, its trunk as thick as ten men could embrace. He sent out a probing wave of spiritual energy, but it only knocked loose a few leaves.

The Spirit of the Thorns asked, “Are you a spirit practitioner?” “How did you know?” Mo Dao was surprised. “I’ve lived tens of thousands of years and seen many spirit practitioners, but never one as weak as you,” the spirit replied slowly.

Mo Dao felt awkward—after all, he’d only just begun to study spiritual arts, and most importantly, no one had ever taught him properly. It was no wonder his progress had been so difficult.

“How about this: I’ll give you something to help you advance your cultivation. Once you’re strong enough to destroy the Spider Tree, you can break my seal.” The spirit sighed.

As soon as she finished speaking, a flash of golden light appeared before Mo Dao, and a small, green fruit, about the size of a chestnut, slowly settled into his palm.

“Eat it.” Without hesitation, Mo Dao placed the fruit in his mouth. It melted instantly, cool and refreshing, with a peculiar fragrance unlike any he’d known.

Mo Dao felt an indescribable sensation sweeping through him. His spirit became utterly tranquil, all distracting thoughts vanishing as though he’d glimpsed the mysteries of the universe.

Unconsciously, he moved through a series of forms, his body guided by some deep instinct. Suddenly, halos of light, barely visible to the naked eye, shimmered around him.

He didn’t know how much time had passed before he slowly opened his eyes again. He felt as if he’d been enlightened, comprehending spiritual techniques he’d never understood before. His eyes sparkled with new vitality.

The aura radiating from Mo Dao was no longer that of an ignorant novice. His spiritual cultivation had reached the Primordial Stage, the fourth level of the first phase—his reserves of spiritual energy now far beyond what they’d once been.

Astonished by these changes, Mo Dao was left speechless. Such rapid advancement was uncanny, almost unsettling to him.

“What you just ate was a Linglong Seven Aperture Fruit. It took me nearly ten thousand years to nurture seven of them, each containing a part of my essence. You should be able to destroy the Spider Tree now, shouldn’t you?” The Spirit of the Thorns sounded excited.

Mo Dao nodded. “I feel completely different now—like I have inexhaustible strength. Let me try.” With that, he crossed his hands, and two streams of spiritual energy howled toward the Spider Tree.

The force struck the Spider Tree with the fury of a storm, thunderous and relentless. The Spirit of the Thorns watched with anticipation. Yet the Spider Tree was not as fragile as they’d hoped—it merely trembled, losing some leaves, but suffering no real harm.

The spirit was deeply disappointed, and Mo Dao too was dejected. The Spider Tree swayed, as if mocking their naivete. Unwilling to give up, Mo Dao unleashed a dozen more blasts, venting his frustration.

At last, the Spider Tree was cracked by his assault. Mo Dao smiled with satisfaction, ignoring the sweat running down his face as he launched another frenzied attack. Only when his spiritual energy was utterly spent did he collapse and fall asleep on the ground.

By then, the Spider Tree was riddled with cracks. Mo Dao dreamed—he saw his master, stern-faced, scolding him for neglecting his practice.

Suddenly, the scene shifted. He saw Zhang Meiling’s smiling face, though both appeared as they had ten years ago. The little girl before him bit into a candied hawthorn from a bucket, then carefully saved all the seeds she spat out.

But dreams must end. When Mo Dao opened his eyes again, it was a new day. He found a sleeping beauty before him. Looking closely, she bore a striking resemblance to Zhang Meiling, rendering his mind a blank.

Mo Dao reached out to touch her, but before his hand could make contact, a thorny vine lashed his hand sharply. He recoiled in pain. “Ow! Where did that come from?”

The woman beside him rubbed her eyes and smiled. “You’re awake?” Once again, that voice, as enchanting as a fairy’s song. “Are you the Spirit of the Thorns?” Mo Dao asked tentatively.

She nodded, smiling sweetly. “But I prefer to be called Zyra.” Mo Dao couldn’t help but marvel. “I never imagined you’d be so beautiful. Truly an eye-opener.”

Zyra’s voice was irresistibly enticing as she asked, “What brought you to the Maze Forest?”

“I'm here to capture a spirit beast for Jade Void Palace and claim a bounty,” Mo Dao replied, almost without thinking.

“A spirit beast? Interesting. Maze Forest is full of such creatures. Do you know which one you're after?” Zyra coaxed with her soft, alluring voice. This time, Mo Dao simply shook his head in silence.

After a moment, Zyra gently tapped his shoulder. “What just happened to me?” Mo Dao snapped back to himself, feeling as if he’d been in a daze. “You’re fine; I just asked you a few questions,” Zyra replied with a charming smile.

“So what exactly is this Maze Forest?” Mo Dao rubbed his head, finally voicing the question that had been on his mind. And what did you mean by ‘transported’? What are the Three Lights?

Zyra gazed into his eyes and answered slowly, “Maze Forest is the name of these woods, home to many spirit beasts: Ghost Fiends, Greenbacks, even Dream Eaters. I don’t know which you’re after.”

“I’ve never heard of any of those. The only one I saw was that Ghost Fiend,” Mo Dao said, bewildered.

“You saw a Ghost Fiend?” Zyra was surprised.

“Yes—and a five-zhang-tall one called the Fiend Lord,” Mo Dao added, scratching his head.

“To have escaped from a Fiend Lord, your luck is remarkable,” Zyra observed.

“I don’t even know how I got away. The Fiend Lord was about to kill me, and suddenly I was here. By the way, what did you mean by the Three Lights?”

“It’s a phenomenon—Heaven’s Light, Earth’s Light, and Sunlight appearing together in Maze Forest. That makes the original seals unstable, and everyone here can be randomly transported at any time. Where you end up, no one can say.” Zyra shrugged as she finished.

“So it’s because of this that I survived?” Mo Dao could hardly believe it.

Zyra nodded. “That’s likely the case. Your luck really isn’t bad.”

“I need to go find someone, so I’ll be on my way,” Mo Dao said, preparing to leave.

“Do you really think you can survive here alone?” Zyra’s voice was once more hypnotic.

“What else can I do?” Mo Dao replied helplessly. If he couldn’t find Bai Jie, he was as good as dead anyway.

“What’s your name?” Zyra asked with a seductive smile.

“Mo Dao,” he replied.

“A name is just a name—why hesitate?” Zyra asked, puzzled.

“I mean, my name is Mo Dao,” he answered, exasperated, casting a weary glance at Zyra.