Ghost Mist Forest

Biodata

Environment and Hazards

Ghost Mist Forest is a fog-shrouded wilderness southwest of Yunyang Marketplace. Its grayish-white mist forms a low, dense wall around the forest; visibility inside can fall below five zhang, while spiritual-sense and malice-detection ranges are severely suppressed. 189 190

• Distance — About eighty miles southwest of Yunyang Marketplace by the main road. 189
• Terrain — Rotting leaf-covered ground, withered trees, jagged rocks, black soil in the deeper layers, and increasingly dense fog. 189 224 249
• Spiritual environment — Spirit energy is nearly twice as concentrated as outside the forest, but is heavily mixed with Sha Qi. 189
• Deep layers — The fog shifts toward dark purple, visibility falls below five zhang, and Sha Qi becomes strong enough that most Foundation Establishment cultivators must actively resist its erosion. 249
• Lawlessness — The forest lies outside Yuanyang Sect jurisdiction; murder and robbery are common around its paths and perimeter. 200
• Corpse-draining phenomenon — Corpses left within the forest can rapidly shrivel while their spirits vanish far faster than normal, suggesting an unidentified influence within the region. 190

Inhabitants and Resources

• Yin Ghosts — First-rank low-grade Yin Ghosts are common in the outer areas; stronger Yin Ghosts appear deeper within the mist. 189 191
• Demonic beasts — The forest supports Sha-type and ordinary demonic beasts, including Sha-Armor Savage Badgers, Black Mist Bats, Venom Fang Snakes, Flood Dragon Scale Lizards, Green-Scaled Leopards, Frost Jade Toads, and Poison Mist Spiders. 200 215 344 346 387
• Sha Qi — Widely distributed throughout the forest and particularly dense in its mine caves and southern lowlands. 189 214 253
• Sha Stones — A mine vein contains low-grade Sha Stones in its shallow end and larger, higher-grade reserves in the deep end. 213
• Gathering materials — Rogue cultivators and hunting squads enter to collect spirit herbs, hunt demonic beasts, mine, and gather Sha Qi. 189 227

History

Chen Yi states that surviving clues suggest the forest was once the base of a sect overseen by a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator. The secret realm connected to the region is believed to have originated from that same sect, though the existence of further remnants in the forest's depths was initially uncertain. 213

A mineral vein was discovered in the forest, prompting the Yuanyang Sect to occupy the surrounding area, clear demonic beasts, and use formations to partially suppress the fog. This made entry safer and drew rogue cultivators and monster-hunting squads to the area. 186 189

After reaching Foundation Establishment, Li Yuan used the forest extensively for Sha Qi cultivation and mining. The Yuanyang Sect later assigned him to supervise deep-mine excavation and requested that he remain stationed in the region to clear demonic beasts and protect local cultivators. 214 219 227

Abnormal spiritual and demonic-energy fluctuations in the western deep forest led the Yuanyang Sect to investigate ancient ruins. The expedition found a massive pit and evidence that Dark Abyss Society demonic cultivators had already entered the site. 249

Li Yuan subsequently discovered the hidden Mysterious Nether Branch Hall beneath a cliff in the forest’s depths. At its center was a vast operating array that continuously produced the forest’s fog, powered by a fading jade bead and connected to the Large Spirit Vein beneath Wulin Marketplace. 359

The ruins attracted the Yuanyang Sect, Sha Demon Sect, Dark Abyss Society, and Tianyue Sect, escalating the region into a Golden Core-level conflict zone. 374 382 400 Li Yuan later removed the jade bead from the Branch Hall without triggering its alarms, temporarily sustaining the mist array with Spirit Vein energy instead. 404

The Yuanyang Sect eventually began dismantling its Ghost Mist Forest outpost after disturbances in the region subsided. 498

Notable Locations

Factions and Associations

• Mysterious Nether Sect — The ancient sect connected to the Branch Hall, its mist array, sealed systems, and other ruins around the forest. 359 394 419
• Yuanyang Sect — Cleared areas around the mine vein, established an outpost, organized deep-forest expeditions, and later took control of the ruins after the Sha Demon Sect withdrew. 186 254 262
• Dark Abyss Society — Operated strongholds, infiltrators, logistics lines, and ruin-excavation activities throughout the forest. 249 358 393
• Sha Demon Sect — Supported the Dark Abyss Society and contested control over the forest’s ruins and Sha-related resources. 262 374
• Tianyue Sect — Entered the region openly during the dispute over the deep-forest secret, stationing disciples at the Yuanyang Sect outpost. 382
• Rogue cultivators and monster-hunting squads — Regularly enter the outer and middle layers for cultivation resources, hunting, mining, and herb gathering. 189 246