“This time, I don’t know whether to call you unlucky or fortunate, but you’ve encountered the once-in-a-century eruption of the Spirit-Sealing Mist! The spatial rift torn open this time is far larger than usual. Anyone caught in it, no matter how powerful, has no chance of escape. However, because of this, most of the Shadow Beasts that usually dwell within the mountain have left the area. Otherwise, the moment you fell in, you’d have been devoured clean.” The lean man glanced back at the two of them and spoke indifferently.
Han Li’s heart sank slightly upon hearing this, but his expression remained unchanged as he asked, “Forgive my bluntness! Could you tell us where exactly this place is? From your tone, it seems quite dangerous here.”
“Dangerous? Heh! That’s an understatement. I don’t care who you two were outside or what lofty status you held among mortals, but in this Shadow Realm, there’s no room for freeloaders. Anyone who can move must pull their weight, or they’ll end up as food for the Shadow Beasts.” The man scrutinized their attire, seemingly recognizing that they weren’t ordinary people, and let out a cold laugh.
Han Li frowned and was about to ask more when the man impatiently waved his hand. “This is a critical time. I don’t have the leisure to explain things to outsiders like you. We’ll talk once we reach the village. Soon, the Shadow Beasts will return to their lairs. Hurry and seal this hidden exit for future use.” The last sentence was barked as an order to the others nearby.
Immediately, the men and women began gathering stones, hastily blocking the exit until it was completely sealed.
“Let’s go. If all goes well, Ah Hu and the others should meet us halfway. If we delay any longer and the Shadow Wind rises, we won’t make it back.” The lean man looked up at the dark clouds overhead, his expression grim.
With that, he turned and strode off, the others following in silence without so much as a glance at Han Li and the woman.
Han Li’s eyes flickered with a strange light as he fell into thought.
“Should we follow them?” The graceful woman beside Han Li, seeing the group gradually disappear into the distance while Han Li remained deep in thought, couldn’t help but ask uneasily.
Without her cultivation, she was nothing more than a helpless, fragile woman. Naturally, she saw the ever-composed Han Li as someone she could rely on.
“Yes, why not? Let’s see what this so-called village is like. Maybe we can find a way to restore our cultivation there.” Han Li raised his head and replied calmly before striding forward without hesitation, keeping his eyes on the retreating figures.
The woman relaxed slightly and hurried after him.
“By the way, I don’t believe I’ve asked for your name. I’m Han Li, a rogue cultivator,” Han Li said casually as they walked.
“I’m Mei Ning. I came here with my elder brother. We were both sucked into the Ghost Mist together, but he’s not here now.” The graceful woman was none other than the gentle sister of the Mei siblings. Mentioning her brother, her face clouded with worry.
“That’s normal. Those black lightning bolts clearly have random teleportation properties. We were sent into the mountain’s interior, while your brother might have been sent elsewhere. Otherwise, with so many cultivators present, it’s unlikely only the two of us would have ended up here. We’ll find him eventually.” Han Li replied impassively.
Hearing this, Mei Ning felt somewhat reassured, but her curiosity about Han Li grew. His face was ordinary and unfamiliar—she was certain she’d never seen him before. Could he be a cultivator who entered the island from another direction? She puzzled over this silently.
Though brimming with questions, she hesitated, feeling it improper to pry further into the affairs of someone she barely knew.
As she wrestled with her thoughts, the two caught up to the group ahead. Despite their lost cultivation, the physical refinement of cultivators far surpassed that of ordinary mortals.
The lean man, noticing the two keeping pace effortlessly, flashed a look of surprise but said nothing, merely quickening his steps. The others followed suit.
Han Li was slightly taken aback.
These people moved with far greater agility than ordinary folk. Though they didn’t seem to possess profound internal energy, they clearly had some training in basic martial arts. It appeared that in this place, only physical techniques were of any use.
That said, Han Li had harbored doubts about this Ghost Mist from the start.
According to the texts he’d read, while the Ghost Mist was fearsome, it shouldn’t have been this overwhelming—stripping them of their cultivation before they’d even made contact, leaving no chance of escape. It was unnaturally potent.
If the Ghost Mist had always been this deadly, even Nascent Soul cultivators wouldn’t have survived it. Yet there were numerous accounts of people, including low-level cultivators, witnessing the mist and managing to evade it.
The lean man’s mention of the “Spirit-Sealing Mist” eruption had shed some light on the matter. Just the name suggested their loss of cultivation and spiritual sense was directly tied to it.
It seemed they’d simply had the misfortune of encountering an unusually powerful Ghost Mist, resulting in their capture and teleportation here. Likely, any surviving cultivators were scattered in other corners of this place.
As Han Li pondered, the lean man ahead suddenly halted and sharply turned his head to one side. The others stopped as well, following his gaze.
From the desert to their side, a yellow dust cloud surged toward them like a dragon.
“It’s Ah Hu and the others!” A young, boyish-faced man exclaimed excitedly. The others stirred with anticipation.
The lean man nodded, a hint of relief crossing his face—until sharp, piercing shrieks erupted from within the dust cloud.
“Everyone, hurry and assist! They’re being pursued by Shadow Beasts!” the man roared, his expression darkening as he drew a white longsword from his waist and charged forward.
The others, realizing the urgency, unsheathed their weapons and rushed to join the fray.
Han Li remained where he was, watching the distant dust cloud with a peculiar expression.
The group vanished into the yellow haze, where beastly roars erupted. The dust cloud halted, dispersing into swirling fog.
Amid the thick dust, shouts, battle cries, and unidentifiable screeches clashed. The cacophony lasted for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before gradually fading into silence.
Soon, cheers rang out, and the group emerged from the dust, their clothes splattered with crimson beast blood. It was unclear if anyone was injured, but they all wore expressions of unexpected delight.
They quickly rejoined the original path, now accompanied by several burly men Han Li had seen earlier in the mountain, still carrying their massive leather sacks.
These newcomers eyed Han Li and Mei Ning with surprise, but after a few whispered words from the lean man, their expressions cleared, and they paid the duo no further mind.
With the additional members, the group moved even faster. After traveling for an hour, they finally left the desert behind, arriving at a sprawling field of jagged black rocks.
Like the desert, Han Li couldn’t gauge the expanse of this rocky terrain, but the twisted, pitch-black stones exuded an eerie, oppressive aura that unsettled him.
Yet the sight of it visibly relaxed the others, their faces easing with relief.
Just then, the dark clouds above began churning violently, and blue lightning strikes grew frequent, occasionally striking the ground nearby and leaving craters of varying sizes.
Han Li and Mei Ning were startled, but the others paid no heed, striding confidently into the area.
The lean man called out, “Move faster! The village is about to seal its gates. We can’t afford to be locked out!” At his command, the group broke into a sprint.
Exchanging a glance, Han Li and Mei Ning quickened their pace, sticking close despite their uncertainty.
Guided by the group, Han Li navigated the maze of rocks until, after several twists and turns, a towering black stone wall loomed before them.
The wall, constructed from massive boulders each over ten feet tall, stood nearly a hundred feet high. It stretched over a thousand feet wide, with sharpened wooden spikes protruding at regular intervals, lending it a fearsome appearance. Directly ahead, a massive raised wooden gate stood imposingly, flanked by over a dozen men armed with white spears, their expressions vigilant.
Spotting the lean man’s group, the guards cheered in relief.
With a thunderous rumble, the gate lowered, and they were ushered inside.
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