"But no matter what, one thing is for sure: this big guy isn't an enemy we can easily fight. So, everyone needs to be fully prepared."

Wang Zhan squinted, his gaze falling on those behind him.

"Also, if any of you want to leave, now's the time. Once we get deeper in, if we disturb that big guy, getting out will be tough."

Wang Zhan wasn't just guessing. Although everyone said Extinct Ridge was terrifying, he had never been worried. He trusted his abilities and had absolute self-confidence. However, when he got near Extinct Ridge, he discovered a problem: everything here was indeed eerily strange, and that unknown big guy was present. He didn't know what the big guy was or its level, but one thing was certain—it was possibly far stronger than he was, as he could already feel a crushing pressure.

Since these people had chosen to follow him, he felt he had to consider their safety. After all, he couldn't just let everyone risk their lives here. Even if problems arose, it would be a decision made collectively by the group. This thought alleviated some of Wang Zhan's potential guilt.

Han Junxiong looked back at everyone, a hint of hesitation in his gaze. Ideally, they would want more people with them for support. But he hadn't expected Wang Zhan to seemingly push them away. Perhaps this is part of Wang Zhan's charm.

The group glanced at each other. Then, one person stepped forward, clasped his fist respectfully, and said directly to Wang Zhan, "Mr. Wang, please rest assured. Considering you're trying to find a way for us to survive, we believe that even if we encounter some extremely powerful demonic beasts, you wouldn't abandon us. Therefore, we've decided to follow you. No matter what obstacles lie ahead, we will always stay by your side and face them together."

Hearing this, Wang Zhan was deeply moved. They hadn't known each other for long, and they had all initially been brought together by self-interest. He hadn't expected them to suddenly unite so strongly. The feeling was incredibly satisfying.

Wang Zhan clapped everyone on the shoulder, a determined smile on his face. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Everyone, just trust me. As long as I'm here, you'll be here. If I genuinely run into problems, I might not be able to protect you anymore. Of course, at that point, it would be up to you whether you wished to leave."

Their eyes were filled with emotion.

Han Junxiong slowly walked over to Wang Zhan and threw an arm around his shoulder. He grinned and said, "We're all brothers here. Even if we face a desperate situation, I'll always stick by your side. Whether these guys stay or go, you can be sure I won't abandon you easily. Besides, I believe that with your means, dealing with those creatures won't be a difficult task. I firmly believe that no demonic beast in this world capable of defeating you has even appeared yet." 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Hearing this, Wang Zhan could only shake his head helplessly, wondering, Where does Han Junxiong get such confidence? When Wang Zhan had first entered this mountain range, he'd already sensed something peculiar. He was even quite certain about the nature of the big guy here and that it was fundamentally something he could handle. But with things having progressed this far, he naturally didn't say much more. If he voiced any discouraging thoughts now, it would only make everyone more uneasy.

He knew he now had to help everyone muster their courage. Only then could they exert their full strength to face the big guy in there. And although they were all Martial Saints, they were also a considerable asset; after all, having assistance was always better than fighting alone. Indeed, these people could all be of great use.

Time passed, second by second, as the group ventured deeper into Extinct Ridge. But no matter how far they walked, the surroundings seemed to remain unchanged. Wang Zhan sensed they had been walking for at least an hour, yet they seemed to be stuck in the same area; even the trees around them looked identical.

Even though we're in a forest, how can there be identical forests in this world?

At this thought, Wang Zhan's expression suddenly turned grim. He clenched his fists, scanned the trees around him, then drew his Deep Fire Blade and swung it fiercely at the nearby trees.

With a brilliant burst of Fire Light, all eyes focused on Wang Zhan, filled with shock and confusion. They clearly didn't understand why he was attacking the trees.

"Mr. Wang, why did you suddenly attack the trees around us?"

"Could it be that Mr. Wang got frustrated from all the walking?"

"Stop with the useless jokes! What kind of person is Mr. Wang? He wouldn't pick a fight with these trees for no reason. He must have noticed something odd."

The group quickly fell silent, waiting for Wang Zhan to explain.

Wang Zhan tightened his grip on the Deep Fire Blade and looked at the spot he had struck. To his utter surprise, the trees remained completely unscathed, as if an unusual barrier stood before them, deflecting his blade.

Seeing this, everyone's expression turned grim. They quickly gathered around Wang Zhan, chattering amongst themselves.

"Mr. Wang, what's going on? Why can't these trees be cut?"

"Yeah, this lousy place is too strange! No wonder they say no living person can be found in Extinct Ridge. I never thought the legends were actually true."

"But brothers, there's nothing to fear! As long as we're with Mr. Wang, I'm sure he'll find a way, even if the sky is falling down!"

Han Junxiong waved his hand, and the crowd quieted down.

Han Junxiong walked over to Wang Zhan. After glancing at the trees, he asked with a puzzled look, "Do you know what these things around us are?"

Wang Zhan frowned slightly, shook his head, and then said, "I can't tell for sure yet, but I can sense that this place seems to be under some kind of barrier. That's why it won't be easy to leave. It also explains why we've been walking in circles."

Apparently, everything was becoming clearer, but this realization made everyone's expressions darken considerably once more.

"So, we're trapped in some bizarre formation?"

"What should we do? If we stay trapped like this, I'm afraid not even gods could save us, right?"

"Could it be there are demonic beasts here that can create Illusions? After all, those beasts have all sorts of strange abilities; who knows what types of demonic beasts there are?"

Everyone looked at Wang Zhan again, clearly waiting for him to speak, as he was the group's pillar of support.

Han Junxiong, standing to the side, also looked bewildered. He had never heard of such a strange phenomenon. Even if they were within a boundary, it couldn't possibly be this vast. They had been walking for hours but were still trapped inside this boundary—how was that possible?

Wang Zhan squinted. He reached out to feel the space in front of him and found his hand could penetrate it. But when he tried to move his whole body through, an invisible level barrier immediately blocked him.

Now Wang Zhan understood. He turned to the others beside him and explained, "It's highly probable that the area we're in has indeed been set up with a barrier by someone, so getting out won't be easy. I've also discovered that the barrier here is made to look extremely real, enough to fool our senses, which is why we only realized it now."

"So, what comes next will be a test for us. We must exert all our strength and focus it on one specific point. If we can break this level barrier, we should be able to leave here safely. However, if the level barrier doesn't break, we'll likely be stuck in an endless loop."

Wang Zhan had already attempted to strike the barrier before him, but the result was far from ideal.

Therefore, it seemed he would need this group's help.

Han Junxiong, beside him, clenched his fists. After a grim look at the strange light screen before them, he managed a slight smile and said to Wang Zhan, cupping his fist, "Rest assured, Mr. Wang. Just tell me what needs to be done, and I'll take the lead to test the waters."

Everyone else also gathered around Wang Zhan, clearly having made their decision and ready to join forces with Han Junxiong.

Wang Zhan nodded. He glanced at everyone around him, then pointed to a specific spot and said, "Let's try to break through from this point first and see if we can open a passage."