"The uncrossable forest?", Robert jumped out in shock.

"Have you heard about it?", Edward asked.

"Of course I've heard about it. Everyone in the Green Veil Country knows about the uncrossable forest. It is the greatest mystery known in the surrounding hundred countries. Legends say that once, a powerful king tried to venture the forest with his entire army, only to barely return with his life and a few soldiers who survived. The surviving soldiers soon went mad one after another, and the king fell ill. On his deathbed, the king declared the forest uncrossable. From then on, no one dared to try venturing the forest. Are you talking about that forest?"

"Yes. I am indeed talking about that uncrossable forest."

"You were born in the village attached to the uncrossable forest? Unbelievable. Do people still leave there?", Robert was shocked.

"Only a few. There are only around a dozen families who live there, and they only live there because they are too poor to live anywhere else.", Edward said with a sigh.

"What made you think that the uncrossable forest has anything to do with Snow?", Robert asked.

"First of all, she came out of the uncrossable forest when I first saw her. But that wasn't enough to make me relate the place with Snow. What raised my doubts was the fact that when she was about to return the first time, she entered the forest, and she was going deeper. I was even more sure when I saw Snow's fiance, Julian, and his lackey flying out of the forest when they came to find Snow. Finally, when they returned with Snow, they all flew into the forest. All of these events can't be a coincidence. It could only mean..", Edward suddenly became silent.

"Only mean what?", Robert already guessed something, but he wanted to hear from Edward to be sure.

"It could only mean that wherever they came from, that place is on the other side of the uncrossable forest.", Edward said in a serious tone.

"So I guessed it correctly.", Robert said with a sigh.

After a moment of silence, he started to talk again.

"Then do you plan to cross the uncrossable forest?", he asked.

"I am not insane. The legends say that the king who ventured the forest was at the peak of the Seventh Realm, the Dao Vision Realm. If someone like him was turned to that state even after bringing along his entire army with him, then what chance do we have with our current strength?", Edward said in a self-mocking tone.

"You are right. Then why are we going there?", Robert asked

"We are only going there to probe, and understand a bit more about the nature of that place. We will be not going very deep, but with our meager strength, we still might face a life and death crisis. It would be great training for us. We will be killing two birds with one stone."

"So that's how it is.", Robert now understood.

"But then, what will we be going to the Grand Sky Empire for?", he asked again. If they already knew where to go to find Snow, there was no reason for them to go to the Grand Sky Empire. He wondered what Edward had in his mind.

"First of all, we can only cultivate till the Aura Formation realm while being in the Green Veil Country, or the surrounding 100 countries. There is no knowledge of the realms beyond the Aura Formation realm in these countries. So, to cultivate the higher realms, we need to go somewhere where we can learn about those realms. We will also need weapons and technics of high level. There are two places where we can do that, either we go to the Grand Sky Empire, or we go to the place where Snow comes from. But we can't cross the uncrossable forest with only the strength of the Aura Formation realm. So, our only choice is to go to the Grand Sky Empire and cultivate ourselves till the highest realm we can reach there. Also, The king in the legends was someone in the Dao vision realm. The king wanted to know what's on the other side of the forest, so he can't be someone from there. Except for that place, such a powerful person can only come from one of the Four Great Empires. As he was called a 'king', He was most likely the emperor of one of the Four Great Empires. That means if we get to the Grand Sky Empire, we can find more clues about the endless forest. Who knows, someone there might even know about the Twelve Zodiac Clans."

"Hmm. You're right once again. How can you be so smart while being the same age as me? Are you really as young as you look or are you actually an old demon in disguise?", Robert joked.

"I was born smart.", said Edward with a laugh.

"Haha hahaha. Well, I guess it's true.", Robert also laughed hearing Edward. Although, he could not deny that Edward really was smart. Boys their age never think things through properly. They just rush into things hotbloodedly. Edward was different. He seemed more mature compared to his age.

"The Uncrossable Forest, huh? I wonder what kind of clues we will find there.", Edward said taking a deep breath.

"Can't say that I am not scared, but I am even more excited.", Robert declared with a straight face.

Thus, Edward had everything planned. But there is a saying that 'Man proposes, but Heaven disposes'. Little does Edward know that what awaits him in the future is far, far, complicated then what he had just planned. In the vast world of martial arts, very few things go according to one's plan and desire, but let's not talk about that right now, shall we?

For now, we should let the journey continue..........

End of Arc 3: New Beginning in The Southern Academy.

Arc 4:Enigma of the Uncrossable Forest.