Lan waved his hand, and the transparent air in front of the group began to twist and churn. The sight was uncommon, making both Mo Lian and the branch leader feel anticipation rushing through their veins.
With another move, a strange energy erupted from Lan's body and wrapped itself around the three other figures before he stepped into the distorted space he had created, bringing the others with him.
The energy that had covered Xue Wei, Mo Lian, and the branch leader was gentle, but it also prevented them from moving. While Lan still had to unravel the whole seal, his strength was currently enough to handle their return to the world of the living.
When they felt that they could not move, Mo Lian and the branch leader felt somewhat nervous, but they soon found that even the strongest ghost, Mo Lian, was unable to move even the slightest, as the energy had wrapped them tightly.
The moment Lan passed through the hole in the wall of their worlds, everything plunged into darkness. Unlike the previous world where light shone, this place between the worlds was so dark that nothing could be seen.
The air was also so cold that Xue Wei felt how the vapor that left him as he breathed would freeze in less than a second.
The feeling of coldness began to invade their bodies, and the darkness made them feel drowsy. Although they were expected to show a great amount of interest in this unknown area, all three began to doze off as if they were in a daze.
Unlike the time where the judges took Lan and Xue Wei to the Ghost Realm, the return trip was much longer. Xue Wei and the two ghosts had lost their sense of time and surroundings only moments after arriving in this strange area, but Lan had full control over the direction and the speed with which they were moving.
If he had the ability to use his full strength, then they would not have noticed this area, as he would be able to bring them through it in less than a second, but due to the current limitation, he had to slowly advance.
While the area was uncomfortable to traverse for those below the rank of a deity, it was a safe place without any dangers. The coldness was able to make them feel chilled, and the confusion was also troublesome, but for Lan, it was not a problem.
By the time Xue Wei regained his senses, he found that he was in the depths of a forest. Although the lush and green trees were covering the sky with a dense roof of leaves, the light was already much stronger than what he had encountered in the Ghost Realm, and he found that he had missed the sunlight.
Although he was not one to care much about his surroundings, he found that after experiencing a barren and deserted world as the Ghost Realm, he found the scenery with abundant life pleasant. Even his mind seemed to be much more comfortable as he breathed in the fresh air.
By his side was Lan sitting on a tree stump. He had his eyes closed as his head rested against a log behind him. While he was clearly not sleeping, he, too, seemed to be enjoying the breath of life that was surrounding him.
Mo Lian and the branch leader were both lying on the ground. Their consciousness was clearly lost. Their bodies were made from energy, but their previous dim aura seemed to become more and more energized.
It was clear that their bodies were being constantly nourished by the life energy, and Xue Wei could not help but look at the process with a bit of admiration. The swift adaptation that their bodies were going through was beyond his expectations.
After witnessing their bodies' rapid changes for a while, Xue Wei finally collected his mind and looked towards Lan.
"You should be able to locate Hei Gou and the others, right?"
Lan lazily opened his eyes and straightened his back. He nodded his head, and looked to the right.
"I picked this location as your friends will arrive here within a day or two. They are currently moving this way, so, depending on their speed, we will soon reunite with them."
Xue Wei nodded his head. He was not certain whether the time flowed at the same speed in this world as it did in the Ghost Realm, and thus he did not know how long they had been gone.
However, he was completely certain that his friends would have been waiting for his return, and he was eager to see them again.
"Mo Lian and that other ghost are in the middle of becoming spirits." Lan suddenly explained the reason for the changes Xue Wei had seen in the two ghosts previously.
"A ghost is made from a different type of energy than the spirits in this world, but in theory they are pretty much the same. However, they lacked life force in the other world, so they could never sustain their bodies with cultivation alone. They were in need of something to keep them alive, and that was why they were absorbing each other.
"Now that they are here, they will have access to both spiritual energy, but also life force. It is going to be easy for them to live in this world. I will follow you, since the one behind the scenes is still in the dark, and if Mo Lian wishes to follow us, then she is welcome; otherwise, she can chase her own dreams for some time."