Chapter 559: Manipulating Emotions

Lan and Xue Wei exchanged glances yet again. Although Lan had returned to being a deity once more, he was still a foreigner within this realm, and he did not understand much of what was going on around them.

Even so, it seemed that most of the ghosts they encountered were caught in some sort of illusion, and only the one they had been followed seemed to be sober.

"Let's guard him?" Xue Wei was naturally a little confused as to why this ghost would trust them enough to let the two of them guard him while digesting the overflowing essence, but based on their current situation; this guy seemed to be their best chance to understand the circumstances of the area.

"For now, we should stay. It all depends on how long it will take for him to cultivate. If it is less than a day or two, then I don't really mind staying around to guard him, but if it takes longer than that, then we can begin to discuss if it is worth the time wasted."

Xue Wei contemplated for some time. He was not against guarding this person, but if it took too much time, it might not be worth their effort.

The entire Ghost Realm was a desolate and barren land, but this area was like a desert. As far as one could see, dunes would rise into the distance, but no wind would appear, which could have caused these dunes to form.

The whole area contained a great feeling of uncertainty. Even Xue Wei and Lan felt uncomfortable being here, though they could not put their finger on exactly where this unexplainable emotion came from.

The air felt stagnant and heavy. It was dry and uncomfortable to breathe, and although there was no strong sunlight, it still felt unpleasant to stay within the desert.

Although they had decided to take a break, neither Xue Wei nor Lan was exhausted. They had merely walked around in the sand for some time and witnessed the battle of a few ghosts.

As experts of a high rank, this was not enough to cause them any strain, but they still felt as if someone was grasping their heart, ready to squeeze it at any time, which was causing their minds to be overly active and vigilant.

Their minds were never able to calm down, and the strain of their minds was much more intense than that on their bodies.

It was clear that there was something very wrong with this area. Could this sense of discomfort have anything to do with the ghosts losing their minds or falling into a hallucination?

Even the heaven and earth essence within this area was much lesser than that of other places within the Ghost Realm, so even though Xue Wei was also cultivating, his speed was much slower than before.

Even so, since they had decided to wait for some time, he still felt the need to enhance his strength rather than waste the moment.

Lan was also seated cross-legged by his side. His seal had become increasingly hard to unravel as the upper layers were much more thoroughly sealed than the lower ones.

To him, the sealing process felt a bit as if he was an ant trying to push away a boulder. Every push seemed useless, but slowly another ant would help. The push would still seem hopeless until enough time had passed and a whole tribe of ants succeeded in pushing one boulder away.

Unfortunately, the tribe would vanish. A new and bigger boulder would appear, and he would have to start all over.

The process was tedious but necessary, so he patiently continued to work hard.

Time flowed like water, but no matter how much time had passed, it was impossible to tell in the desert. There was no moon, no change in the position of the light. Everything seemed the exact same as before, and the eerie feeling was starting to cause both Lan and Xue Wei a certain strain on their mental abilities.

Lan stopped trying to unseal his strength while Xue Wei stopped cultivating. Both looked at one another and noticed the worry within the other.

This area was able to mess with their minds in a way they had not experienced before. Usually, there should not be anything in such a forsaken place that could cause them to be so alert, but the feeling was impossible to control.

Clearly, something within the area was controlling their emotions!

Xue Wei stood up unhurriedly. He dusted the sand off his clothes before he glanced at the ghost that was still cultivating.

"I don't think we should keep waiting. I would like to know who is trying to influence my emotions like this."

Lan nodded his head with a sneer on his lips. "I have never before experienced the feeling of having my emotions controlled like this. I am quite curious as to what can influence us to this extent."

Both Xue Wei and Lan had initially intended to protect the ghost, but for now, the strange phenomenon was much more critical.

"Do you think we should wait and guard this guy before we go?" Lan looked at Xue Wei's face as he asked. He was, personally, not interested in doing so, but he had found that Xue Wei's personality was rather complex. The mixture of human and beast could make his personality alternate depending on the situation.

"We never agreed to guard him. Also, he has not actually assisted us throughout the time we followed, so it should be fine for us to leave. If he does get attacked, then that would just be his own bad luck."

Although Xue Wei was willing to return any favor he received, this ghost had not actually helped them. At most, he had refrained from trying to escape their vision, but they had also guarded him up until now. They could be considered even.