Chen Zhou followed closely behind the dark figure. At this moment, Chen Zhou landed steadily on a tall tree, looking down at everything below.

The dark figure carried Ji Lanying slowly into the classical castle, disappearing from Chen Zhou's sight.

Chen Zhou is now increasingly convinced that his choice was a good one. If they hadn't chosen to do it this way, they probably wouldn't have found this place even by tomorrow night.

This place is also located in the Black Mist Swamp, but it is in the northern part of the Black Mist Swamp. Chen Zhou followed the dark figure for a long time before arriving here, so the two places must be quite far apart.

If Chen Zhou hadn't been so fast, he probably would have been left behind by that dark figure long ago. Now, looking at the castle, Chen Zhou was at a loss for what to do.

Just barge in like that?

That would be incredibly stupid, and Chen Zhou was unwilling to do it; it would be tantamount to walking into a trap.

"Old Ren, what do you think is inside this castle?" Chen Zhou squatted down and leaned on a tree branch, asking.

The castle looked like it was inhabited, because the walls originally had the kind of green moss that grows on swamps, and Chen Zhou could clearly see signs of cleaning.

This is clearly the result of deliberate scraping.

"This style of architecture looks very familiar..." Old Ren said slowly.

Hearing that Elder Ren said he was familiar with it, Chen Zhou felt a little relieved, fearing that Elder Ren might say he didn't know.

"Elder Ren, you'd better think this through carefully. My life is in your hands," Chen Zhou said excitedly.

"This... I can't think of anything right now. Personally, I think you can sneak in first. With your strength, no one without the strength of a Golden Core cultivator will be able to find you," Elder Ren said helplessly, scratching the back of his head.

Hearing what Elder Ren said, doesn't that mean he didn't know anything?

It seemed he still had to rely on himself. Chen Zhou had no choice but to wrap himself in his true energy and then dive into the swamp, slowly approaching the castle.

The castle itself didn't seem strange at all. The only strange thing was that black gas was billowing out of every window. This gas seemed to be flowing, and instead of rising to a higher place, it would return to the castle.

Then it flows out again, and the cycle repeats itself.

This is only a small part, because the black aura is very little and very faint. If Chen Zhou hadn't had the strength of the late Foundation Establishment stage and the modification of his pupil technique, he probably wouldn't have been able to see the black aura.

"Crawl in from the side," Elder Ren said at this moment.

Chen Zhou nodded, concealing his entire body within golden-white true energy, and stealthily climbed up to a window on the first floor before entering the castle.

The castle was not as luxurious as Chen Zhou had imagined; on the contrary, it was unusually dirty and messy.

When Chen Zhou jumped down from the window, although he didn't make any sound because he was enveloped in true energy, he still stirred up a layer of dust.

As it landed, the first thing that caught my eye was the broken pieces on the ground, followed by the cabinet that had fallen to the ground, covered with a thick layer of dust.

This is completely different from the cleaned wall surface that Chen Zhou had just seen.

Why are the walls outside the castle cleaned, but the inside of the castle is not? It's so dirty; it's obviously a place that has been uninhabited for a long time.

Chen Zhou's question remained unanswered, so he continued to tiptoe towards the next level. Just then, he saw a black hand appear before his eyes.

Chen Zhou immediately rolled over and hid under the stairs. The dark figure gradually emerged, and it turned out to be a human-shaped shadow made entirely of shadows!

This shadowy figure was different from any shadowy figure Chen Zhou had seen before. This shadowy figure was entirely composed of tight black shadows, without any gaps or openings. Moreover, the shadowy figure's human form was clearly very upright. If it were not composed of shadows, it would be a completely human being.

"Da da da... da da da... da da da..."

After the dark figure passed by, a group of people carrying the dark figure's weapons appeared behind him. They slowly walked up the stairs above where Chen Zhou was hiding, making a series of orderly sounds.

"This dark figure isn't wearing shoes, so how can it make such a loud thud?" Chen Zhou asked, puzzled.

"I've never seen this thing before. Isn't it normal for it to have such strange behavior?" Elder Ren said.

When the sound completely disappeared, Chen Zhou peeked out to look above him, and the dark figures had vanished.

"Follow them!" Elder Ren said.

Chen Zhou immediately came out from under the stairs and stepped onto the stairs. As soon as Chen Zhou stepped onto the stairs, he made a piercing sound.

"clatter!"

The sound immediately resounded throughout the entire castle.

The once tranquil castle suddenly seemed to emit a series of sounds.

"Oops!"

Chen Zhou yelled inwardly and immediately turned to run, but it was too late. As soon as he turned around, he saw a series of dark figures appearing behind him.

These dark figures were the same ones Chen Zhou had seen earlier going up the stairs. They were all holding black weapons and pointing them at Chen Zhou.

Who are you?

Chen Zhou froze on the spot, not moving at all, only to hear an angry voice coming from the upper level of the castle.

There really are people here!

Chen Zhou sighed inwardly. He had initially thought that the chaotic interior of the castle was inhabited by these shadowy figures and that there was no one inside. But now it seemed that things were not so simple.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!