Beyond the veil of mist, the green haze was full of vitality. It was the blessing bestowed by the Dao Bell during its manifestation. Gu Han found it irksome. Even the grass received fortune!

However, he wasn’t in the right mind to complain at the moment. Ah Sha’s reminder made him realize that what lay beyond the light mist was entirely opposite to the world outside. The earth was sparse, with withered grass mixed in among the cracks. As the light mist swirled, it slowly carried patches of grass, reducing them into dust.

Zuo Yang sighed. “I can’t even say what this power is. I’m afraid even if I went in, my fate wouldn’t be much better than this grass.”

Gu Han was somewhat unwilling to accept it. “Let me try again!”

He was already convinced that the pills in this secret realm were his compensation for making the Dao Bell ring ten times. How could he give up so easily?

Casually sweeping up a clump of earth, he tossed it into the light mist. A sudden change occurred the instant they made contact. The earth grew greener, then rapidly expanded, growing into patches of wild grass. In the next moment, they turned yellow again, withering and disintegrating. The entire process took less than half a minute.

The group inhaled sharply. What kind of power is this?!

Shen Xuan smiled bitterly. “What are we going to do?”

He had witnessed the terror of the light mist clearly.

Murong Yan said, “Does this mean the blessing is only for looking, completely impossible to obtain? Aren’t they just toying with us? We came all this way, and there’s not a shred of blessing! Now, all we can do is go back—”

Shen Xuan’s expression changed slightly. “Junior Sister, that’s enough!”

Ahead, Gu Han’s face had already darkened.

Murong Yan appeared sheepish, trying to console him. “Brother Gu, it can’t be helped. Let’s just go back. We can’t obtain it, but neither can anyone else. All things considered, we haven’t lost anything.”

Gu Han was speechless. Her way of consoling someone was rather unique.

Zuo Yang suddenly said again, “Not necessarily. The light mist seems to have weakened slightly.”

Since he had been carefully observing it all along, of course he would notice some things.

Gu Han was taken aback. “Is that so? Let me try again.”

Although the outcome was the same, the grass disintegrated slightly slower than before. The nearly imperceptible difference didn’t escape the group’s notice.

Zuo Yang calculated. “At this rate, the light mist will probably be gone in half a day.”

Gu Han furrowed his brow, somewhat joyful. “Half a day? That’s a bit long.”

Murong Yan was taken aback. “Really? Half a day is long? If it meant getting the blessing inside, I’d wait half a month! It’s not like it takes any real effort.”

Yang Ying, meticulous in thought, understood Gu Han’s worry. “It’s not that simple. The secret place has become much bigger, becoming far too conspicuous. Although the Border Wasteland usually has few people, still...”

Murong Yan scratched her head. “We probably won’t be that lucky, right?”

As if on cue, Zuo Yang and Gu Tian simultaneously gazed into the distance.

Zuo Yang sighed. “Indeed. They’re coming already. And not just ordinary people.”

As his words fell, a clear, melodious cry also reached everyone’s ears. Moments later, a prismatic trace gradually appeared on the distant horizon. As it drew closer, everyone realized it was actually a luan bird, over ten zhang in length.

It was an extraordinarily divine and beautiful bird, with a single plume of fiery red feathers on top of its head. Eyes akin to two brown immortal crystals, and long beak akin to a sword. Tail feathers fanned from its sleek, powerful frame, shimmering in seven colors. They sliced through seven strands of profound qi as the bird drew the white jade carriage.

Spirit light rippled faintly above the carriage as four men and four women stood to its left and right. Four more followed behind, consisting of two middle-aged men and two elders with deep, profound aura. All of them were at the Transcendent realm.

At the center of the carriage sat a crystalline, snow-white curtain, woven of unknown material. As it fluttered in the wind, a graceful silhouette was faintly visible within.

Murong Yan was dumbfounded. “What...? It’s an even bigger spectacle than the Holy Emissary’s, You Fang!”

How would she know that ten or even a hundred You Fangs could not compare to the one within the curtain?

Everyone’s hearts sank. Judging by this display, they must have come from a Holy Land or some reclusive major power—both of which are hardly inclined to reason.

Even Ah Sha felt something was wrong. “Senior Brother, can you beat them?”

“I cannot.”

“Then... what do we do?”

Gu Han patted her head. “It’s fine. If they refuse to be reasonable, remember, the Fengwu Court’s backing is still here!”

He wasn’t panicking either. After the last incident, the Myriad Transformations Holy Land hadn’t come to retaliate. That already spoke volumes. At worst, he would just take out the Nine-Chi Coiled Dragon Seal again.

Zuo Yang smiled. “Indeed. In truth, these Holy Sons and Holy Maidens and the like are all just bluff. There’s no need to fear them. That’s been the consistent tradition of the Fengwu Court!”

As a former Holy Son himself, he had the confidence to say such things.

Suddenly, another clear cry rang out. The luan bird pulled the carriage to a gradual stop not far away. Its two eyes swept a glance over the crowd, filled entirely with coldness and arrogance.

Despite maintaining his smile, Zuo Yang subconsciously reached for his boning knife. Baptizing his newly born divine blade with this bird as a sacrifice wouldn’t be a bad idea, he thought.

Seeing the scene before them, the few people behind the carriage scoffed.

“What is that light mist?”

“Don’t approach it. This thing seems terrifying!”

“Strange, why has the Profound Pill Pavilion become so huge? Before, it was only a tenth of its current size!”

Amid the clamor of discussion, the several individuals were completely baffled. They had seen the Profound Pill Pavilion many times before, but it had never appeared this massive or mysterious.

At that moment, a clear, melodious voice came from within the curtain. “It doesn’t matter. Send a word to Master. Let him decide.”

Her voice was akin to an exceedingly moving chime of a jade. It added to her enigma, compelling one to guess just how beautiful the owner of this voice truly was.

Among the four, an elder bowed respectfully. “Understood! I will send word to the pavilion master immediately.”

Even though his cultivation level was considerably higher than that woman’s, he dared not show the slightest disrespect.

A middle-aged man glanced at Gu Han and his group, his brow slightly furrowed. “Divine Maiden, should these irrelevant people be expelled first?”

In his impression, not only did Gu Han’s group seem unaffiliated with any major power, they also looked like a bunch of small fry. He concluded they were ordinary rogue cultivators who had stumbled here by chance.

However, the woman seemed unconcerned. “No. Let them be.”

Casting a haughty glance at the group, the man said arrogantly, “Understood. Why aren’t you thanking the Divine Maiden for her grace? Normally, you won’t obtain such a great fortune even if you begged for it!”

Murong Yan’s temper flared up instantly, but Shen Xuan held her back firmly. “Junior Sister, don’t cause trouble for Brother Gu!”

Gu Han sneered coldly. “It’s no trouble. Aren’t the Holy Land people always like this? Get used to it.”

The man’s eyes narrowed. “Brat, say that again?!”

His tone already carried a trace of displeasure and killing intent.

Suddenly, a towering demonic qi erupted.

“You dare harm my son! Die!”

Gu Tian was the most sensitive to killing intent and hostility, particularly when it was aimed at Gu Han, with Gu Han coming in a close second. In Gu Tian’s limited understanding, anyone who dared harm his son must die. He didn’t care if they were Holy Sons, Holy Maidens, or Holy Masters. Even if it were the Great Dao, he would still confront it head-on.

The Divine Maiden suddenly exclaimed in displeasure, “Nonsense!”

It was unknown whom she was referring to. Flanking the carriage, the four men and four women also wore looks of cold disdain.

The man’s eyes blazed with a chilling light. “You’re just an insignificant Heavenly Tribulation realm demonic cultivator! How dare you act so presumptuously?! I shall slay this demon!”

He also surged with a terrifying momentum to meet Gu Tian’s assault.

Zuo Yang’s boning knife instantly left its sheath. A trace of profoundly obscure Dao pattern flickered across it, immeasurably more divine than before. Meanwhile, a cold light flashed in Gu Han’s eyes as he prepared to take out the Nine-Chi Coiled Dragon Seal.

Suddenly, someone anxiously called out, “Stop!”

It was the elder who had been sending the message. Earlier, when the man had moved to attack, he had felt some slight displeasure but hadn’t wanted to meddle. He only decided to intervene after realizing something.

“This is a misunderstanding!” 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

The elder instantly placed himself between Gu Tian and that man.