Five minutes later.

The villagers are still the same villagers, they simply won’t die.

Chuzheng: "..."

Stay calm.

I can do this!

There must be a way to break this.

Just as Chuzheng was thinking, the villagers’ chorus sounded again.

"Those who offend the deity, die!"

"Those who offend the deity, die!"

"..."

Light beams descended from the sky again, shining coldly, with powerful pressure coming down. Chuzheng’s mind tightened, and she had a plan.

She turned her wrist, quickly laying a layer of protective barrier around with Yin Xian.

The light beams fell onto the barrier, not dispersed, but trapped by Yin Xian and quickly confined.

The beam, as if tangible, began to struggle and collide against the barrier.

Chuzheng, expressionless, clenched her fist, and the beam abruptly extinguished within the Yin Xian woven barrier.

Almost simultaneously, the surroundings changed.

She and Xin Zhu stood in a vast Space, with a glowing tree in the center.

The tree was just over two meters tall, and the light emitted from the leaves.

Is this rechargeable?

"How do you feel?" Chuzheng supported Xin Zhu and asked softly.

"Much better." Xin Zhu was still holding his forehead; although the pulling pain from before was gone, there was still some dull ache.

"Do you remember this place?"

Xin Zhu shook his head.

Chuzheng exhaled heavily and looked around.

This place didn’t have just one entrance; there were several, indicating many ways to get here.

"There’s light!"

Li Tian’s voice came from the left entrance, followed by her and Lan Chen appearing at the entrance.

The moment they stepped in, it was as if they were frozen, standing motionlessly with blank expressions.

Chuzheng: "..."

So, they looked like this just now?

Chuzheng’s eyes darted: "Can you stand?"

"Mm... yes." As long as that sound didn’t ring out, he felt much better.

Chuzheng had Xin Zhu stand in a safe spot and went to tie up Lan Chen and Li Tian.

She also searched Lan Chen and found the ’Grandfather’s Notebook’.

Lan Chen had taken out only one book himself, but Chuzheng found two on him.

The first book had nothing useful; all the useful things were in the second one.

It recorded the rise and fall of the Xia Yi Clan, as well as the deities, miracles, and other terms Xin Zhu mentioned.

Back then, those people also came here and saw this tree. Their first reaction was amazement, then immediately began exploring and experimenting.

Lan Chen’s grandfather was in charge of logistics, but he had a good relationship with another key figure, so he knew the progress well.

They believed all the miracles of the Xia Yi Clan came from this still-glowing tree.

The light tree was heavily protected.

The ordinary people in the team were deeply suspicious of the light tree.

Until one day, someone, unnoticed, picked a leaf from the tree.

Just as they picked the leaf, someone entered. In a panic, they stuffed the leaf into their mouth and passed undetected.

But once they got out, they found the leaf missing.

Initially, nothing strange happened, but soon they realized they had gained strength, better vision, and even grew taller.

They immediately told someone close.

A few secretly picked and ate some leaves.

Soon enough, they gained unique abilities, just like the Xia Yi Clan records they’d heard.

The Xia Yi Clan members all had extraordinary abilities.

However, the event was soon discovered, and all involved were captured. Before a decision was made, those few acted out.

Those few had bodies unlike normal people, and ordinary people stood little chance against them.

This group broke out but felt unsatisfied, driven by desire and greed, returning to claim the whole tree.

...

Two pages were missing from the middle, with unknown content.

Flipping to the back, it was already outside again.

Brother Gao mentioned before that five people left alive... they must be these few.

Two died shortly after leaving, leaving three.

The notebook’s owner later recorded in confusion, as if in a daze.

He never mentioned the powers he once gained again.

Chuzheng flipped further, finding only scribbles on the next page.

——Those who offend the deity, die!

——Those who offend the deity, die!

The rest was all this sentence.

It got sloppier toward the end, showing the owner’s anxiety and fear.

In the end, only the word ’die’ was left, filling the page, giving a very oppressive feeling.

Chuzheng: "..."

Chuzheng closed the notebook, glanced at the still unresponsive Li Tian and Lan Chen, wondering if hitting them would wake them up...

Chuzheng secretly wanted to try, but after looking at her Good Person Card, she resisted the urge.

The Good Person Card was already a bit afraid of her; if she stayed disharmonious, it would surely reject her even more.

Chuzheng stood up with the notebook, figures appearing in the opposite passage.

Chuzheng immediately recognized Uncle Min, Brother Gao, and Yao Qing, just like Li Tian and Lan Chen, they froze upon entering.

No...

One person didn’t...

Chuzheng’s eyes narrowed, watching Yao Qing, nervously looking around with hands tightly clasped.

When their eyes met, Yao Qing’s gaze lightened up, recognizing someone familiar, her guard lowering.

"Brother Gao..."

Yao Qing noticed Brother Gao was unresponsive, anxiously calling out.

"Uncle Min?"

Yao Qing’s several calls went unanswered, her anxiety mounting: "Brother Gao, Uncle Min, what’s wrong with you?"

Seeing Yao Qing about to shout, Chuzheng immediately cut her off: "They’re not dead, don’t shout."

"What... what’s wrong with them?"

"Probably trapped in an Illusion Realm." It could also be called an Illusion Realm.

Chuzheng made no effort to hide her scrutiny of Yao Qing: "Why are you fine?"

She had experienced it herself when she came in, so why was Yao Qing unharmed?

"I... I don’t know..."

Yao Qing’s face was pale, shaking her head cluelessly.

Chuzheng glanced at Brother Gao, whose eyes were vacant, lifted her brow, and asked Yao Qing: "Why did he bring you here?"

"I..."

Yao Qing’s fingers were reddened from pinching herself, tears welling up in her eyes.

Chuzheng coldly threatened: "You don’t have anyone to protect you now, you’d better answer my question."

Yao Qing looked at Chuzheng in shock.

She... didn’t she... help her before?

Though she seemed fierce, she was kind.

Chuzheng wasn’t just seemingly fierce, but genuinely fierce. Under Yao Qing’s panicked gaze, she swiftly tied up Brother Gao and Uncle Min as well.

Then she turned to Yao Qing: "Spill it."

"..."