"ah?"

Many people behind were frightened by this scene.

However, some independent cultivators who had visited more than once ignored this scene and continued to enter the sect.

"There are always one or two reckless idiots who try to take advantage of the chaos..."

They walked past the dead man with indifferent expressions.

Chen Yi was somewhat unsettled upon seeing this scene.

After all, someone died, and they died right in front of him.

But thanks to the "calm mind" entry, his emotions quickly calmed down.

During the monthly practical exam, he severed the puppet's head. Blood gushed out, but he remained calm despite it being his first time doing something like this, partly due to the entry.

"Let's go in too," Yu Qian said.

Although neither she nor Wu Lingyao had ever killed anyone, they were still late-stage Qi Refining cultivators. Given their strong Dao hearts, they could quickly calm down after such a bloody scene.

"Chen Yi, your cultivation level is relatively low, so stay close to us."

As soon as Wu Lingyao finished speaking, she suddenly realized that Chen Yi had already reached the seventh level of Qi Refining.

"You, you've already reached the seventh level of Qi Refining?" She was once again shocked by Chen Yi.

"I was lucky to break through last night!" Chen Yi smiled.

"......"

The three followed the crowd through the stone gate.

Although there were nearly two hundred people holding the tokens, the stone gate was so huge that even ten cars parked side by side could pass through easily.

Upon entering, the scene before me changed, completely different from what I had seen from the outside.

The once lush and vibrant forest has now become desolate and eerie.

The trees were bare, the soil was barren, and the ground was covered with rotten and withered leaves.

Throughout the entire secret realm, fog filled the air, reducing visibility to only fifty meters.

The temperature here is quite cold; although it's not the dead of winter, a strange chill permeates the air...

Fortunately, Chen Yi's body was like a furnace, and the pure yang energy prevented the cold from invading his body.

"Coo coo coo~"

Strange bird calls could be heard from time to time in the mountains.

Chen Yi took out his phone and glanced at it. Sure enough, there was no signal at all, and even the screen was flickering, as if he had seen a ghost.

He murmured to himself, "The energy field in Yinshan will affect all technological products, but it will not affect communication talismans."

"good."

Yu Qian nodded, then took out a map.

"This is a map of the Yinshan Secret Realm. There are three major dangerous areas, one village, one pond, and one temple within the secret realm. The production of rare and precious materials mainly comes from these three dangerous areas."

Chen Yi asked, "So, where are we going now?"

"Let's go check out Yinshan Village at the foot of the mountain first. It's relatively less dangerous there, and it's also the only way up the mountain."

Yu Qian took out a bronze ritual object that resembled an ancient compass.

The bronze plate is square on the outside and round on the inside, with the four cardinal directions of the Chinese sexagenary cycle engraved around it, forming twenty-four directions. The contact point between the magnetic spoon and the plate surface is extremely smooth.

However, Chen Yi guessed that this was probably not a compass, because the magnetic field in Yinshan was chaotic, and compasses would not be able to function.

"This is the Yin-Yang Instrument." Wu Lingyao noticed Chen Yi's curious gaze and kindly explained.

"It can sense places with heavy yin energy, and the yin energy is most concentrated in those three dangerous places, so it can guide the way."

Chen Yi sighed inwardly: I still have to follow Yu Qian, that darling of a girl.

Otherwise, shrouded in this fog, even if he were given a map, he would have difficulty finding the correct location.

"This place is shrouded in thick fog; who knows what might be lurking in the shadows? Let's walk there," Yu Qian said.

Although she possessed a flying artifact, she worried that it would be too conspicuous and might attract the attention of monsters in the secret realm.

The three of them quickly walked several kilometers.

Given the sheer size of Yinshan Mountain, the one or two hundred people who entered the secret realm quickly dispersed.

For a long time, Chen Yi didn't see many other teams.

After walking for several hours, Yu Qian and Wu Lingyao stopped.

They were breathing heavily, their faces pale.

Yu Qian took out a small porcelain bottle, poured out a few small pills, gave some to Wu Lingyao, and planned to give some to Chen Yi.

But they found Chen Yi acting as if nothing had happened.

She asked in surprise, "You, how come you seem completely unharmed?"

Chen Yi was taken aback: "Huh? What could possibly be wrong with me?"

"The fog here contains trace amounts of toxins. Staying in this environment for a long time can cause itchy skin, and in severe cases, skin erosion. So you have to take some antidote every now and then," Yu Qian explained.

Chen Yi suddenly realized that the "Secret Method of Qi and Blood Furnace" he had cultivated had extremely strong resistance to poisonous miasma and evil qi.

The toxins in the fog had no effect on him whatsoever...

He said calmly, "I don't need it, you can keep it yourselves."

"According to the information I found, most people only develop obvious symptoms of poisoning after three to five days. Why are they showing symptoms so early now?" Wu Lingyao asked with some doubt after taking the pill.

Just then, a voice came from within the mist: "That's because you've been tricked!"

Wu Lingyao's expression hardened, and she immediately gripped her sword, looking in the direction from which the sound came.

Three figures, their eyes gleaming with greed, approached; they were several middle-aged men.

One had a goatee, one had a full beard, and one had a mustache; they all looked incredibly sleazy.

"An idle cultivator?" Chen Yi murmured.

“You’re the rogue cultivator! Kid, listen up, we’re from the Three Mysteries Sect!” the man with the mustache said in a deep voice.

Wu Lingyao looked at Yu Qian, who shook her head: "Never heard of it. It's probably some unknown little sect that just gives itself a fancy name to scare young people like us."

Upon hearing this, the three men's faces turned a deep, liver-colored red.

"You ignorant little brat! We'll show you the power of the Three Mysteries Sect in a moment!" They raised their broadswords and threatened fiercely.

"I get it now. What kind of bullshit Three Mysteries Sect is this? They're just a bunch of scoundrels who specialize in robbery!" Chen Yi said with a look of sudden realization.

These three obtained the tokens, but instead of searching for rare and precious treasures, they knew they might not be able to outmaneuver the powerful individuals. So, they resorted to this dirty trick.

Yu Qian, who possesses both magical artifacts and elixirs, must be quite wealthy. If they can secure this deal, they'll recoup their ticket costs.

Yu Qian said decisively, "There are three Qi Refining Stage 7 cultivators, let's each take one!"

"A swift and decisive victory!"

Wu Lingyao slashed at one of the three people with her sword.

The flying sword emitted a sharp sword light, and the goatee-bearded man did not dodge at all, directly delivering the sword strike.

"ha!"

He cried out in pain, but was not injured.

But soon, Wu Lingyao realized something was wrong.

With his swordsmanship, even someone at the eighth level of Qi Refining would have to temporarily avoid the sharpness of this sword.

But this person took it head-on, only letting out a cry of pain, without even bleeding...

"Hahaha! You've noticed?" the goatee-bearded man chuckled wickedly.

Wu Lingyao asked with a look of surprise and doubt, "Strange, my magic power dissipates automatically as soon as it is gathered, and I can only exert the level of about the sixth level of Qi Refining. Did you tamper with it?"

"That's right! The three of us have been preparing here for a long time. The poison you've been afflicted with cannot be cured by ordinary pills that dispel fog barriers. The more you expend your magic power, the more it dissolves, and the weaker you become!"

The man with the mustache held a small green bottle in his hand, from which white smoke continued to rise and blend into the surrounding mist.

"Just surrender obediently and become our slaves! Maybe you can save your life!" the goatee said with a lewd grin.

"And what about me?" Chen Yi pointed to himself.

The bearded man shuddered, looked at Chen Yi's face, and said shyly, "Of course you're mine!"

Chen Yi's eyelids twitched wildly. "Dude, are you from Chengdu?"