Chapter 26

The whistling sound of the wind filled his ears, and Lin Yibai felt like a dead leaf torn by the wind, rolling and falling in the endless darkness.

Thick, inky black fog enveloped her, a biting chill seeping through the crevices of her clothing, causing her to shudder violently. She forced her eyes open, but her vision was completely obscured by the bottomless black mist. Even Xiao Mi's figure beside her was reduced to a blurry outline. The original novel clearly stated that the first layer of mist where the evil-eating demon resided should be as red as blood, filled with an indissoluble bloody odor; but the mist here was as black as night, pure and without a trace of other colors. Every breath carried a decaying chill that froze her to the bone.

"It's not the first level..." She murmured between her teeth. Although she judged that this was not the place where her original body died, she did not feel happy at all.

If it's not the first level, what's the point? I think she will just die a little slower.

In the original novel, the three layers of mist on Yunshan Mountain were more dangerous than the last. Even a gifted child like Yan Bujian was trapped in the third layer for a full ten years. The original person had perished in the first layer, so how could she, an outsider who had never practiced magic for even a single day, survive this even more terrifying predicament?

The speed of his descent increased, the shrill roar of the wind nearly piercing his eardrums. Lin Yibai simply closed his eyes, his thoughts of self-destruction growing like wild weeds: Since I was going to die anyway, I might as well save my energy and not struggle in vain…

Unexpectedly, the moment her thought arose, she heard a soft "puff" sound, and the two of them suddenly fell into a soft mist. The mist was like a solid cloud, holding their bodies firmly, without causing any pain from the impact.

Xiao Mi first climbed up in a daze, her body covered in mud, but she seemed unaware of anything, only looking at Lin Yibai with her clear eyes. Seeing that she was still lying motionless in the fog, he bit his lower lip, then stretched out his thin arm and struggled to pull her wrist, trying to pull her up.

Lin Yibai staggered as he was dragged by him, and he sat up weakly, glancing blankly ahead: he saw pure black fog slowly flowing around him, and in the distance he could vaguely see some twisted black shadows, like monsters condensed from fog, or dead trees growing suddenly, exuding an indescribable weirdness.

“Ugh—!”

Unexpectedly, the next second, Xiao Mi let out a short scream, her face instantly turning pale. He suddenly rushed over, grabbed Lin Yibai's arm tightly, and tried to pull her to the side. The look in his eyes when he looked behind Lin Yibai was full of fear, as if there was something extremely terrifying behind her.

Seeing this, Lin Yibai's heart skipped a beat. He tried to turn his head to look, but found that his neck seemed to be pinched by an invisible hand and he couldn't turn it at all.

At the same time, a voice as gentle as a venomous snake, with a hint of playful coolness, sounded behind her ear:

"Tsk tsk... You're not from this world."

*

On the other side, the outskirts of Yunshan.

Thick, leaden clouds hung low over the dense forest, sluggish and threatening a downpour at any moment. Li Jue leaned against a jagged black rock, his dark purple robe lifted by the chilling wind that blew through the forest, revealing the ornate belt inlaid with the Heavenly Demon pattern. He lowered his gaze to the forest below, impatience etched in his molten-gold eyes, his fingertips unconsciously tracing the intricate patterns on his waist buckle.

In the clearing below, a number of people lay sprawled. There were disciples wearing the dark attire of the Bodeng Sect, as well as cultivators from other sects—the black robes of the Myriad Gods Mountain, the gray robes of the Netherworld Cave, the white robes of the Fountain of Youth. There were even a few ragged, wandering cultivators huddled in a corner, clearly trying their luck.

These uninvited guests were like grains of sand falling into Li Jue's eyes, causing him to feel unhappy.

"What on earth is this useless Lin Wuya doing?" Li Jue snorted coldly, his voice filled with suppressed anger. "He can't even guard the entrance to the secret realm, letting so many scum sneak in."

Several Wangjiang Tower cultivators stood silently with their heads bowed behind them, no one responding. They knew full well that the young master wasn't afraid of these people's strength—the twelve accompanying them were all at the Jindan stage or above, two of whom had even reached the peak of the Jindan stage. And among the group below, aside from the Bodeng Sect's leader, Su Ling and Su Ruo, who were at the Jindan stage, the rest were at most at the late Foundation Establishment stage. The difference in strength was vast and far between, and there was no need to worry.

The young master was unhappy because Lin Wuya couldn't even handle a trivial matter like "clearing the area" properly, allowing these scumbags to disturb the peace.

Li Jue's eyes darkened, and he suddenly pursed his lips and let out a sharp whistle. The sound waves pierced the thick mist and carried far away. Within a few breaths, several figures emerged from the dense forest like ghosts, swiftly and silently converging behind him. Each of them was tall and straight, with a deep and profound aura. The corners of their robes were embroidered with the flowing cloud pattern of Wangjiang Tower, and the swords at their waists shone with a cold light. It was obvious at a glance that they were all elite warriors who had experienced many battles.

"Let's go." Seeing that everyone was gathered, Li Jue stood up lazily, and the soles of his black boots made a light sound as they stepped on the rocks.

But just as he turned around and prepared to leave, a powerful voice suddenly rang out from the crowd below: "Young Master Li, please stay!"

Li Jue paused, grimly turning his head. He saw a man stepping out of the crowd, his Bodeng Sect uniform stained with mud, his expression grim. It was Su Ling of the Bodeng Sect. He forced a smile and bowed, saying, "The Yunshan Secret Realm is fraught with danger, and a single sect alone may struggle to cope. Could your sect join forces with us? We can both look out for each other."

Li Jue raised his eyebrows upon hearing this, then slowly spoke, "—You, are you worthy?" He sneered, his disdain undisguised in his tone, "With the strength of the Bo Deng Sect, you still want to join forces with my Wangjiang Tower? A bunch of scum who don't know their own weight."

"You--!" Su Ling's face turned red instantly, and the veins on his hand holding the hilt of the sword bulged. He was about to open his mouth to scold, but was gently pulled back by the person next to him.

The pretty woman beside him stepped forward at this moment. She was wearing the pale pink dress of a female disciple of the Bodeng Sect, with delicate patterns embroidered on the hem of her skirt. She knelt and bowed to Li Jue, with a perfectly apologetic smile on her face. "Young Master, please calm down. My brother has a quick temper and his words were not appropriate. I hope you can forgive me."

It was Su Ruo.

"We, the Bodeng Sect, know we're not as strong as Wangjiang Tower. Judging solely by combat power, we can't offer much help." Before she finished speaking, she raised her head, her gaze sweeping across the twelve Wangjiang Tower cultivators behind Li Jue. Then, a sharp glint flashed in her eyes, and she changed the subject: "But what if I say—we have a map of the Yunshan Secret Realm?"

When Li Jue heard the voice, his eyes suddenly fixed.

"This map was left by our sect's ancestors. It marks the approximate location of the secret treasures, as well as several shortcuts to avoid the dangers of the mountain. Without this map, even someone as powerful as Wangjiang Tower would inevitably suffer a setback in this mountain..."

Before she could finish her words, Li Jue's eyes changed instantly - a sharp murderous intent suddenly flashed in his molten golden pupils, and then a majestic palm shadow appeared in the air and struck Su Ruo fiercely!

The mist along the path was stirred violently by the palm, its momentum was powerful and as fast as thunder, as if it would kill Su Ruo in the next second. But she was not panicked at all, instead, she still wore that strange smile. Only when the spiritual power was about to touch her forehead did she speak slowly and calmly, "Young Master, please don't act rashly. I have stored this map in my sea of ​​consciousness using the sect's secret method. No one except me can read it. If you kill me, this map will disappear forever. At that time, searching for the hidden treasure will be extremely difficult."

Li Jue's movements suddenly stopped, and the palm stopped just an inch in front of Su Ruo.

He stared at Su Ruo, as if trying to judge the truthfulness of her words - he saw that the woman's eyes were calm, without any panic in them, and she didn't seem to be lying.

"How can I know if what you said is true?" After a long moment, he slowly withdrew his spiritual power. His voice was as cold as ice. "Who in this mountain would be so kind as to proactively share your knowledge of the map with your opponent? I'm afraid this alliance is just a sham. While the mantis stalks the cicada, the oriole is waiting behind. Your true intention is to reap the benefits."

"The Bodeng Sect is short of talent and knows it is weak. Even if we enter this mountain, we will only occupy a treasure mountain without being able to use it. Asking for help from your sect..." Su Ruo stood up, his smile still calm, "It is just a wise move after weighing the pros and cons."

"If you are worried, just follow me."

After she finished speaking, she glanced at Su Ling beside her, then turned and walked towards the depths of the dense forest. Her graceful steps revealed a sense of self-confidence, as if she was not worried at all that the people behind her would not keep up.

The mist in the forest seemed to grow thicker at this moment, staining the skirt of the woman before him, leaving a few wet marks. A Jindan cultivator behind Li Jue stepped forward and said in a low voice, "Young Master, we should be cautious in this mountain. In case of a trick..."

Li Jue stared at Su Ruo's back as she gradually walked into the thick fog. His golden pupils narrowed slightly, and his fingertips tapped lightly on his belt.

Seeing his hesitation, the Jindan cultivator beside him whispered again, "Young Master, this woman has cunning thoughts. She offered the map voluntarily. I'm afraid..."

"What are you afraid of?" Li Jue interrupted him, his voice tinged with a hint of disdainful mockery. "She's just a woman in the early stage of the Golden Core stage, and she's got a bunch of rabble-rousers. Even if she really has evil intentions, what kind of trouble can she cause in front of me?"

He was incredibly talented. Though only in his early twenties, he had already reached the late Jindan stage, just one step away from the Nascent Soul stage. He was backed by an elite force of twelve Jindan cultivators. This sheer strength gave him near-blind confidence. He simply didn't believe Su Ruo could set any traps capable of threatening him.

In his eyes, people like the Bo Deng Sect were no different from ants.

No matter how clever the ants' calculations are, they can be crushed with one foot.

"If she leads the way obediently, we'll let her die a quick death after we find the treasure. If she dares to play tricks..." Li Jue snorted coldly, the murderous intent in his unfinished words chilling the air around them. "That would just add some fun to this treasure hunt."

After he finished speaking, he no longer hesitated, crushed the dead branches on the ground with his black boots, and followed.

At the moment when he moved, the hand that had just been withdrawn and stopped in front of Su Ruo, just casually flicked its sleeve to the side and back -

There was no earth-shaking sound, only an extremely condensed, bone-chilling dark energy that surged out like an invisible tide, accurately sweeping through the group of monks and independent cultivators from other sects who were still staying where they were, in shock and confusion.

"Ugh!"

They were unable to even utter a proper scream. Those cultivators, whose highest cultivation level was no more than the Foundation Establishment stage, were like straws cut in half by an invisible scythe. The protective spiritual light of their bodies shattered in an instant, and their bodies twisted and collapsed strangely. The blood that spurted out of their mouths was frozen into dark red ice crystals by the cold force before it even hit the ground. Then they fell silently, and their breath was annihilated in an instant.

Li Jue didn't even look back at the Shura field, as if his previous move was just a casual brushing off of the dust on the corner of his clothes.

The twelve monks from Wangjiang Tower behind him watched him leave. Although they felt something was wrong, no one dared to disobey the young master's decision. They immediately lined up silently and followed him. Their auras merged into one, like a sharp sword drawn from its sheath, cutting into the thick fog.

Up ahead, Su Ruo seemed to have eyes behind her, clearly hearing the steady and arrogant footsteps coming from behind her, step by step, hitting the rhythm she had anticipated. The thick fog obscured her view, and the perfectly placed smile that had always lingered on her lips suddenly changed.

The corners of her rosy mouth couldn't help but curl upwards, slowly outlining a hidden arc.