In the distance, the outline of a forest was faintly visible.

Underfoot stretched lush grass, undulating along with the terrain. A gentle breeze swept across, stirring up waves of green.

The air here carried the scent of grass, exceptionally fresh, instantly invigorating.

Mu Qingge took a deep breath and sighed inwardly: ’Is this the world of the Trial Space?’

Footsteps approached from behind.

Mu Qingge turned around and saw Jiang Li’s figure.

"I saw someone standing here from afar, and guessed it must be you," Jiang Li said with a smile as she came up to Mu Qingge.

A hint of doubt flashed in Mu Qingge’s clear eyes. "We entered one after the other, how are we so far apart?"

Jiang Li seemed unperturbed, saying, "It’s quite normal. During the space distortion, the position might shift."

Mu Qingge pursed her lips and thought for a moment, scanning the surroundings to find that none of the people who entered with them could be seen, except for her and Jiang Li. Not to mention those who entered earlier.

"The landing space should be random; those who enter close in time should land somewhat nearer to each other. Let’s go find them and regroup," Mu Qingge said to Jiang Li.

"Shouldn’t we look for the Token first?" Jiang Li asked.

Mu Qingge slowly shook her head, "Only a few leaders have the map of the Trial Space. I saw it before entering. The entire Trial Space is safe only in the center; the surrounding areas are marked as forbidden zones. If we don’t find them in time, I’m worried they might accidentally enter the forbidden area."

Jiang Li nodded, "Then let’s walk around a bit."

Jiang Li cast her gaze around, and the scenery made her feel comfortable, her tense nerves relaxing. "The scenery is really nice here. I really want to lie down here and take a beautiful nap."

"This is not a vacation spot," Mu Qingge coldly reminded.

Earlier, she too had felt completely relaxed, but when Jiang Li appeared, she snapped back to alertness.

Jiang Li looked at her in confusion.

"Just when you came over, it was only when you were close that I noticed," Mu Qingge said.

A glint flashed in Jiang Li’s eyes, and the leisurely smile instantly disappeared. She wasn’t stupid; Mu Qingge’s words made her realize. In such a place, if one’s perception and reaction are unknowingly slowed, then relative dangers would be magnified.

Imagine if it wasn’t her but a ferocious Spirit Beast approaching Mu Qingge just now. It might have succeeded in a stealth attack before being noticed.

She and Mu Qingge’s wills were such; if it were someone else...

Jiang Li suddenly felt a chill on her spine, fear crept in!

"Let’s move ahead." She said seriously to Mu Qingge.

It seemed she was somewhat afraid to continue staying in this picturesque place, fearing that she might unknowingly relax her guard.

Mu Qingge nodded, walking shoulder to shoulder toward the grassland’s edge.

Due to the previous encounter, both became extraordinarily vigilant.

Whenever they felt slightly relaxed, they would remind themselves to wake up promptly, not to indulge in this comfortable environment.

When they reached the edge of the grassland, the relaxing feeling gradually faded, Jiang Li exhaled and glanced back at the stretching grassland, sighing, "I can’t believe beneath such a beautiful facade lurks danger."

Mu Qingge reminisced about the earlier sensation and said blandly, "Perhaps this place tests one’s mind. If the heart isn’t strong, one might continue to sink into it unknowingly for an indefinite time, unaware of what could happen."

"This place is bizarre; even such beautiful places hide danger. We must proceed cautiously," Jiang Li said with lingering anxiety.

Earlier she almost stumbled here!

"Let me check the map," Mu Qingge said, taking out the map to confirm her position.

While she was looking at the map, Jiang Li automatically took on the duty of guarding, watching the surroundings for any activity.

After a while, Mu Qingge folded the map and looked at her silently.

Being stared at made Jiang Li a bit uneasy, she couldn’t help but ask, "What’s wrong?"

Mu Qingge didn’t reply but suddenly attacked.

Dark purple spiritual power condensed into a Light Blade, slashing directly at Jiang Li.

Mu Qingge’s sudden move made Jiang Li’s golden pupils constrict sharply, trying to dodge, but her speed couldn’t match Mu Qingge’s, getting cut in half by the purple Light Blade.

Struck Jiang Li’s face showed astonishment, as her body fragmented.

Just like a shattered mirror.

At the same time, not far from Mu Qingge’s left side, there was a crisp sound.

She turned towards the sound to see another Jiang Li, with similarly shattered mirror-like crystals scattered before her.

As Mu Qingge spotted Jiang Li, Jiang Li noticed her too.

However, both had vigilance and scrutiny in their eyes.

After standing silently for a while, Jiang Li approached and asked, "Are you real or fake?"

This question made Mu Qingge narrow her eyes and retorted, "Are you real or fake?"

Jiang Li paused, her lips curling slightly, "It seems our experiences are the same."

Then, she quickly walked towards Mu Qingge, lowering her guard in her eyes.

"The fake Mu Qingge doesn’t have the purple earring marking altered identity on the left ear," Jiang Li said, standing before Mu Qingge.

Mu Qingge also smiled, "The real Jiang Li, deep in her golden pupils, there is a hint of black. Not emerald green."

Jiang Li laughed, her eyes curving like crescent moons. "Did you notice such a subtle difference?"

Mu Qingge nodded.

With a few exchanges, they understood what had just happened.

Jiang Li stuck close to Mu Qingge, the smile faded from her face, she asked quietly, "What just happened? I was right next to you, how did a fake suddenly appear?"

Mu Qingge pursed her lips and said, "After looking at the map, this grassland is called Mirror Image Grassland. There are real ones and fake ones, difficult to distinguish. It’s near a forbidden area. Even a place marked as safe here hides many traps. Its safety is relative to the forbidden zone. We seem to have walked out of the grassland, but actually, we are still inside."

Jiang Li forced a smile, "Just entered, yet fell into a trap, are we too lucky?"

Mu Qingge raised her hand to touch the earring on her left ear, "Now that we know the difference between real and fake, we won’t be deceived again; the traps here hold no significance to us anymore." The Illusionary Artifact her mother gave her still surprised her, unable to be mirrored!

Jiang Li nodded, "How do we leave now?"

"Continue moving forward. Just now in the map, the place connected to Mirror Image Grassland is called Blood Demon Valley. Let’s see if any of ours are there, also it hides five Tokens," Mu Qingge said.

"What are we waiting for?" Jiang Li’s eyes lit up.

The recent ordeal had scared her a bit. Staying longer in this strange place, she didn’t know if the Mu Qingge beside her would silently turn fake.

The duo followed the map’s guidance, moving ahead.

The scenery seemed to change, yet remained unchanged. Luckily, having encountered it once, they wouldn’t be easily fooled again; the remaining path was relatively safe.

...

The scenery before them was entirely different from the Mirror Image Grassland.

However, it wasn’t like a valley.

"Have we managed to get out?" Jiang Li asked Mu Qingge, unsure.

Mu Qingge frowned, the sight before caused her uncertainty as well.

Thinking it over, she decided, "Let’s move forward a bit more."

Jiang Li agreed without objection.

Simultaneously, they took a step forward, and instantly, their surroundings transformed. The Mirror Image Grassland faded away like water waves, disappearing.

Replaced by a steep cliff, sharp as a knife valley.

"This is..." Jiang Li looked in shock at everything before her.

The sky turned murky, replacing the pure blue. Grayish, making the view fuzzy.

The two stood on a rocky ground, flanked by sharp cliffs. Jagged stones hung like sword blades, perilous and horrifying. Ahead, there was just one path.

This path appeared narrow, only allowing one person at a time, both sides covered by black mist, obscured.

"Such a strong scent of blood," Mu Qingge frowned.

Jiang Li’s nose twitched, she nodded, "Indeed, it’s the scent of blood. The source seems to be up ahead." She pointed towards the dark corridor.

"It appears this is the Blood Demon Valley," Mu Qingge remarked her judgment.

"How did we suddenly arrive here?" Jiang Li raised her head, gazing at the mist-covered sky. The cliffs rising towards the sky seemed endless, as if breaking through the heavens.

The two of them stood underground, appearing exceptionally small.

"Perhaps, it’s some kind of forbidden technique. Or maybe, it’s a means we don’t know about." Mu Qingge answered vaguely.

Her clear eyes also brimmed with confusion.

This Trial Space seemed not to be as simple as she initially imagined. At first, upon knowing the existence of this place, she had suspected whether this space, like Mengmeng’s, was a fragment of a small world’s space, or perhaps a space artifact. However, after entering and encountering various strange occurrences, she began to doubt her initial assumptions.

At the very least, the space represented by Mengmeng wasn’t this bizarre. It gave a feeling of one step to paradise and the next to hell.

Jiang Li complained to her, "When you get out and see the Holy King, ask His Majesty to help me solve this mystery." After speaking, her golden eyes flickered with a spark of excitement, "This place really makes one’s blood boil!"

This restless expression made Mu Qingge shake her head and laugh.

She looked at the only way out ahead and said to Jiang Li, "Since there is only one path, let’s move forward."

After saying this, she had already stepped forward.

Jiang Li followed closely, and as the two moved, the scenery in front of them subtly changed.

The black mist blocking the path receded to both sides, exposing the real road ahead of them.

Upon seeing everything in front of them clearly, the pupils of Mu Qingge and Jiang Li contracted simultaneously.

In front of them, the road was so narrow that only one person could pass through, and it was actually a stone bridge floating in endless darkness. On both sides of the stone bridge, it was pitch black, like an abyss with no bottom in sight.

After the initial shock, Mu Qingge and Jiang Li instinctively lowered their heads to look down the bridge’s abyss.

In the darkness, there seemed to be blood-red eyes flashing, constantly watching them.

"What do you think will happen if one falls down?" Jiang Li squinted and said.

"Try it, and you’ll know." Mu Qingge waved her hand, and a beast’s hind leg meat appeared out of thin air, falling into the abyss. This was the food prepared for Yin Chen, now used for an emergency.

Jiang Li’s golden eyes fixed on that piece of hind leg meat.

As the hind leg meat spun and descended, when it became as small as a fist in their view, suddenly two blood-red shadows darted out like lightning, snatched the hind leg meat, and sank down with it.

"..." Mu Qingge.

"..." Jiang Li.

In the darkness, the shadow of the hind leg meat had disappeared. Those red eyes remained hidden at the bottom of the abyss, flickering.

"What is that?" Jiang Li asked.

She wasn’t asking Mu Qingge but rather making an exclamation.

The two red shadows came and disappeared too quickly, completely obscuring their appearances. The only certainty was that the creatures interested in such food as hind leg meat must also be some kind of living entities.

"This place is called Blood Demon Valley. What do you think those things are?" Mu Qingge said with calm eyes, looking around.

"Blood Demon? Never heard of it." Jiang Li frowned.

After saying this, she instinctively turned her eyes, only to suddenly widen them.

"Mu Qingge." Jiang Li called.

Mu Qingge followed her gaze back. When their eyes met, her pupils similarly contracted.

The road they had walked before was gone!

Behind them, there was only endless darkness, seemingly ready to swallow everything at any moment. Amidst that darkness, those blood-red eyes kept flickering.

Retracting her gaze, Mu Qingge calmly said, "It seems we have no choice but to move forward."

"We’ve been standing here for so long, and those blood demons hidden in the dark haven’t attacked. Can it be understood that as long as we don’t fall, nothing will happen?" Jiang Li said.

Mu Qingge nodded, "Based on the information we have, your reasoning seems theoretically correct."

Without further delay, the two continued moving forward.

Indeed, those unknown creatures hidden in the dark did not launch any attack on them.

And once they moved forward, the road behind them disappeared, leaving them no opportunity to turn back. The stone bridge beneath their feet became narrower and narrower.

The gravel covering the bridge was very slippery, providing little grip. A slight slip could cause them to fall into the dark abyss and become food for those unknown creatures.

The two walked on the stone bridge one behind the other, each step was taken with extreme caution.

The silence amplified the fear, as though surrounded by countless watchful eyes. The look from those eyes felt like they regarded them as delicious food.

The stone bridge beneath their feet seemed to have no end.

They could only infer the stone bridge would get narrower as they approached the exit.

After all, this was a Trial Space, and since it wasn’t marked as a forbidden area on the map, it couldn’t be a dead-end.

"If the Mirror Image Grassland tests one’s mind, then what about this Blood Demon Valley? A test of courage?" Jiang Li spoke, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"I agree with what you said." Mu Qingge moved forward while conversing with Jiang Li.

In such a scenario, lacking courage or composure could cause someone to fall after only a few steps.

"Aren’t there supposed to be five tokens here? How are we supposed to find them?" Jiang Li glanced around, frowning.

In response, Mu Qingge was quite calm. "Since they can place the tokens here, we can find and take them."

Jiang Li nodded, "Besides watching our steps, we should keep an eye on the surroundings."

Mu Qingge gave a slight hum and continued forward.

After walking for a while, the two seemed to gradually adapt to the oppressive environment. Aside from the stone bridge beneath them narrowing to the thickness of an adult man’s arm, nothing else could affect them.

"The smell of blood is getting stronger." Jiang Li sniffed and frowned.

Suddenly, Mu Qingge stopped and frowned, asking, "Do you hear any sounds?"

"Are there sounds?" Jiang Li held her breath, listening closely.

Mu Qingge remained silent too. Her body, modified by the Genetic Transformation Agent, had senses much sharper than an ordinary person’s. She was sure her ears were not mistaken; there indeed were sounds of fighting ahead.

"It seems... someone is fighting?" After a while, Jiang Li spoke uncertainly.

With Jiang Li’s words, Mu Qingge became more certain she hadn’t misheard.

She quickened her pace, gravel constantly sliding down into the abyss beneath her feet. "Since there’s fighting, there are people. Let’s go take a look."

Jiang Li naturally had no objections.

The two accelerated their pace, heading toward the fighting sounds coming from ahead.

Chirp chirp—!

Chirp—! Chirp chirp—! Chirp chirp—!

The closer they got, the more sounds they heard.

Mu Qingge and Jiang Li exchanged a glance, clearly understanding the information in each other’s eyes.

Besides the sounds of weapon clashes, there was another type of sound.

"Yufei, be careful—!" A tense voice suddenly sounded.

Mu Qingge and Jiang Li’s eyes sharpened, immediately identifying the voice as Zhao Nanxing’s.

"They’re ahead!" Mu Qingge said in a deep voice. With a leap, she vanished from Jiang Li’s view.

Jiang Li quickly followed, and when she caught up to Mu Qingge, she found her standing at the end of the stone bridge.

"Whoa! This is a trap!" the two of them swayed unsteadily.

The end of the stone bridge was as thin as a finger.

In front of them, it was like stepping into a vast, deep, dark abyss. Suspended stones of varying sizes floated in the darkness, as if extended from the stone bridge.

And at this moment, a battle occurred. Those red-eyed creatures, unmistakably blood-colored, clashed fiercely with humans.

The creatures were shrieking from their mouths.

Mu Qingge and Jiang Li are not unfamiliar with the humans fighting against them. Besides Zhao Nanxing and Feng Yufei, they recognize part of the Dragon Tooth Guards and the elite from Li Country.

There were about one hundred and fifty of them.

Apparently, they must have fallen directly into the Blood Demon Valley!

Nobody could have imagined that the end of the stone bridge would lead to such a place!

Meanwhile, Mu Qingge’s figure flickered and disappeared from Jiang Li’s sight, reappearing on the floating stones ahead. Likewise, she vanished again and reappeared a bit closer to the others.

Jiang Li wasted no time and followed suit, leaping onto the stone slabs, continuously jumping closer to the crowd.

"Qingge!" Zhao Nanxing, engaged in battle, caught a glimpse of Mu Qingge in the corner of his eye and exclaimed with delight.

However, this momentary distraction allowed the clawed hands of the crimson creature against him to aim for his eyes.

Mu Qingge pointed and sent a burst of purple spiritual light, striking the creature’s neck and ending its life instantly. It howled and fell from the sky, landing at Zhao Nanxing’s feet.

Mu Qingge also landed on the same slab as Zhao Nanxing, finally seeing the grotesque appearance of the crimson creature.

It was hideous, the size of a monkey. With a human face, pointed ears, eyes like infant’s fists bulging in a ghastly manner. Its lips revealed two sharp fangs, with limbs gaunt and a belly rounded like a ball, ribs clearly visible. Flesh wings grew from its back, the joints sharp as bone knives. Its nails were dagger-like, sharp and solid.

Moreover, its body was blood-red, yet the place where Mu Qingge struck it bled a green, foul-smelling liquid.

"Qingge, it’s great you’re here!" Zhao Nanxing exclaimed joyfully.

Mu Qingge glanced at him, ensuring he wasn’t injured, then asked, "Why are these monsters attacking you?"

Before Zhao Nanxing could respond, another Blood Demon lunged at them, interrupting their conversation.

Mu Qingge pulled out her self-designed otherworldly modified Beast Core Gun, aimed at the Blood Demons, and blasted one’s head.

Bam!

The sudden gunshot startled the surrounding people, who were fiercely resisting.

The headshot Blood Demon fell directly into the abyss in everyone’s sight.

While they were still in shock, Mu Qingge’s cold voice rang out, "Were the grenade guns I equipped you with meant just as decorations?"

Eighty to ninety Dragon Tooth Guards snapped out of their daze. They immediately pulled out their grenade guns, targeting the Blood Demons charging at them and fired.

The sound of gunfire echoed continuously in the darkness.

Mu Qingge never missed a shot, each one was a headshot.

Instantly, the Blood Demons were enraged and charged at her relentlessly.

Jiang Li, after killing the Blood Demon beside her, grabbed Feng Yufei by the clothes and flew towards Mu Qingge, landing on her slab.

With the inclusion of the grenade guns, the pressure on the humans lessened significantly.

The elites from Li Country and Yu Country watched enviously as the mighty Dragon Tooth Guards handled weapons they had never seen before, harvesting the lives of the Blood Demons.

Even Jiang Li was mesmerized, staring at Mu Qingge’s handgun with curious eyes, "What’s this treasure?"

Mu Qingge continued fighting the Blood Demons while replying, "Want one?"

"Who wouldn’t want such a good thing?" Jiang Li responded bluntly.

"Once we leave here, I’ll get you one." Mu Qingge finished and saw the expectant looks on Zhao Nanxing and Feng Yufei’s faces, quickly adding, "Everyone will get one."

This answer satisfied everyone.

With such rewards, people killed Blood Demons with fervor.

Gradually, everyone woke up from the grotesque horror of the Blood Demons’ appearances. These things, besides looking scary and being fast, weren’t particularly hard to kill.

Those with sufficient ability could handle them alone. Those slightly weaker could pair up to protect themselves.

Cooperation results in seamless combat.

"Killing like this won’t work. The Blood Demons seem endless, and we might exhaust ourselves. We have to find a way to leave!" Zhao Nanxing said to Mu Qingge.

Mu Qingge naturally understood this.

She instructed, "Senior Brother Zhao, distribute some elixirs to replenish strength and spiritual power. We’ll move forward. The exit should be ahead."

This was the advantage of being a Medicine Tower disciple; they carried more elixirs than usual, without worrying about exhaustion or spiritual power depletion during battle.

Zhao Nanxing promptly moved to distribute the elixirs he had.

The Dragon Tooth Guards, of course, didn’t require his concern, as they were regularly supplied with elixirs by Mu Qingge. Besides, their bodies had been enhanced, allowing for faster recovery, and with their cultivation, they consumed less than others.

"My Lord, I found a Token!" suddenly, an elated voice rang out.

Mu Qingge looked up and saw one of her Dragon Tooth Guards, holding a Token with hands covered in green blood.

The green slime dripped from his hand, truly disgusting.

Mu Qingge followed his hand downward to see a Blood Demon’s corpse. Its abdomen had been blown open by the grenade gun, revealing the Token at the wound.

The Dragon Tooth Guard, probably due to excitement, ignored the disgust and directly reached in to retrieve the Token.

"Why is the Token inside a Blood Demon’s stomach? Would that mean we have to kill all the Blood Demons, open them up one by one to find all five Tokens?" Zhao Nanxing frowned and said.

Both he and Feng Yufei held maps, and naturally knew that five Tokens were hidden here.

Zhao Nanxing finished speaking, and Feng Yufei also frowned, "Who came up with such a thankless task?"

"We find it hard to understand this. The person hiding the Tokens surely wouldn’t do that," Mu Qingge replied. Then she ordered the Dragon Tooth Guard to stow the Token safely.

Jiang Li then said, "I guess the Tokens might be placed on these floating stones, and the one just now was perhaps accidentally swallowed by that Blood Demon."

Her speculation seemed more reliable.

"So what do we do now?" Feng Yufei looked at Mu Qingge.

Mu Qingge made a quick decision, "Continue to find the way out. Collect Tokens if encountered, but if not, we don’t really lack them."

Indeed, it wasn’t yet the final time for the Token competition.

If at the end they hadn’t found enough Tokens, they could seize them from elsewhere!

The rule that Tokens could be taken from each other was part of the game.

Hence, she saw no reason to waste all their time on these five Tokens.

With the goal set, the Dragon Tooth Guards spread out to cover the area with grenade guns, while the rest continued along the floating stones.

No idea how long they traveled, they finally emerged from a concealed cave entrance.

"Where is this place now?"

The new surroundings made many look up inquisitively.

This was a dense old-growth forest. The trees were gigantic, as if they had grown for millennia. Even the thinnest required three people to join hands just to encircle them once.

Strangely, these trees were quite special.

Their trunks were straight as arrows, with no excess branches except for the lush crowns at the top.

The smooth trunks were near impossible to climb.

Yet at the base, where the roots met the ground, they were abundant and interwoven.

The forest seemed endless, with no apparent boundaries.

The people thrown into the Blood Demon Valley were still crawling out of the mountain cave.

Mu Qingge stood outside, once again spreading the map, carefully comparing it with their surroundings to determine their location.

Her fingers moved lightly across the map, and she murmured, "From what’s shown on the map, we’ve emerged from the Blood Demon Valley into what should be the Phoenix Tree Forest. There are supposedly twenty Tokens here."

"So many Tokens? Could it be because they’re easier to find here?" Feng Yufei exclaimed in wonder.

"Wrong!" Jiang Li interjected, "It’s because this Phoenix Tree Forest is extremely large, so naturally, there are more Tokens to be found."

Feng Yufei looked down at his map and saw that the Phoenix Tree Forest was indeed vast. It was nearly ten times the size of the Blood Demon Valley.

"How many Tokens have we found?" Mu Qingge asked Zhao Nanxing.

Zhao Nanxing replied, "In Blood Demon Valley, there were five Tokens, and we’ve found four in total." Besides the first Token that the Dragon Tooth Guard retrieved from the Blood Demon’s stomach, the rest were found on the floating stones.

Thanks to so many people, or they might have missed these floating stones and ended up with fewer Tokens.

"I suddenly understand why the third stage of the competition imposes no limit on participants," Jiang Li said abruptly.

Sometimes, having more people really decides everything!

"Since there are twenty Tokens here, we should spend some time lingering," Mu Qingge said, putting away the map and addressing everyone.

Jiang Li nodded.

Zhao Nanxing and Feng Yufei also nodded in agreement.

"Everyone take a rest first," Mu Qingge commanded, and around a hundred people immediately sat down around the area to rest.

This environment was much better than the Blood Demon Valley, letting them briefly relax.

After sitting down, Mu Qingge finally had the chance to ask Zhao Nanxing about their situation.

"As soon as we entered the Trial Space, we fell into the Blood Demon Valley. Before we could even react, the Blood Demons attacked us. The others probably landed somewhere else," Zhao Nanxing explained to Mu Qingge with a wry smile.

"Hmm." Mu Qingge nodded. "Jiang Li and I analyzed that the place where we fell is related to the time of entry. The remaining people should be in this Phoenix Tree Forest."

"It’s really strange, these aren’t phoenix trees, so why is it called Phoenix Tree Forest?" Jiang Li looked up at the ancient trees, her tone filled with doubt.

No one could answer this question.

What Mu Qingge was curious about was, "Jiang Li and I walked from the Mirror Image Grassland and entered the Blood Demon Valley without being attacked. Why did the blood demons specifically target you?"

"I don’t know. However, what I can confirm is that we definitely didn’t do anything, and those blood demons became restless and pounced on us." Zhao Nanxing spread his hands and said.

"Could it be because there were too many of us gathered together, the blood aura was too strong, which attracted the blood demons’ attention? Since those creatures are called blood demons, they should be sensitive to such things, right?" Feng Yufei offered her guess.

It was just a casual remark, but it made Mu Qingge and the others focus their attention on her.

"What’s wrong?" Feng Yufei was startled.

Jiang Li looked at her seriously, "I think what you said makes a lot of sense!"

Anyway, without an official answer, Feng Yufei’s guess was quite reliable.

The movement and blood aura of just her and Mu Qingge were naturally not as much as that of hundreds of people. The fact that the blood demons didn’t attack them seemed reasonable.

"Time seems to flow very slowly here." Mu Qingge looked up at the sky through the gaps in the tree canopy, suddenly saying.

Her words caught the attention of the others.

Jiang Li added, "When we entered from the Imperial Palace Forbidden Area, it was morning. After that, Qingge and I fell into the Mirror Image Grassland and walked for a long time to get out, and by that time it should have been noon. Then, we ventured into the Blood Demon Valley, walked on the stone bridge for a long time, and met you, then walked a long way together. By our pace, it should be nighttime now..."

But—

Everyone looked at the sky through the gaps in the lush tree canopy; the fragmented sky was still a pure blue, as if time had stopped.

"Either the flow of time is off, or we’ve been in Blood Demon Valley all day?" Feng Yufei offered her thought.

However, this time, she clearly couldn’t convince everyone.

"Blood Demon Valley... Blood Demon Valley..." Mu Qingge repeated the name, pondering.

"What’s the matter?" Jiang Li asked, puzzled.

Mu Qingge frowned, "We entered the Blood Demon Valley, not a cave. Why are we surrounded by endless darkness, and why did we emerge from a cave? If the Blood Demon Valley is a huge cave, wouldn’t it be better to directly call it Blood Demon Cave? And why is it called a valley?"

Mu Qingge’s words seemed as though she was quibbling over the name of the Trial Space.

But in reality, if you carefully chew over her words, you can hear her underlying meaning. She was concerned not with the name of the Trial Space, but with its essence.

The connections between different regions of this Trial Space seemed too bizarre.

Very abrupt, without any continuity.

Zhao Nanxing was silent for a moment and then said, "Thinking too much now is useless. Since there’s something strange everywhere here, this Phoenix Tree Forest definitely isn’t a safe place. It’s just that we don’t know what traps and dangers are hidden within these ancient trees."

Mu Qingge took a deep breath and squinted, "This is just the safe area. Those forbidden areas, which we’re not allowed to approach lightly, must be even more treacherous."

"You don’t plan to break through, do you?" Jiang Li’s eyes brightened, gazing at her.

Mu Qingge looked at her and laughed, "Your expression doesn’t look like you’re trying to dissuade me from taking risks."

"Ah—!"

Suddenly, a scream echoed.

The voice was filled with fear, piercing the air.

The group resting on the ground stood up immediately, instantly on alert.

The four of Mu Qingge also stood up from the ground, looking up in the direction the sound came from.

Suddenly, the previously calm tree crowns began to stir violently. Through the gaps in the dense canopy, large patches of dark clouds appeared, obscuring the sky.

"What’s happening over there?" Zhao Nanxing asked aloud.

As soon as he finished speaking, they saw figures appear amidst the ancient trees.

Dozens of people emerged all at once, running desperately toward them. The look of terror on their faces was as if demons were chasing them.

"Those look like members of the Jing Family!" Jiang Li, with her sharp eyes, identified the clothes of the people who suddenly appeared.

"And our people too!" Feng Yufei quickly added.

Indeed, the clothes of those rushing over were not uniform, as if they were from different forces. A significant portion of them wore the attire of the Jing Family.

Among them was Jing Tian, with whom Mu Qingge had past dealings.

A smaller portion wore the clothes of the Dragon Tooth Guards, and elites from Li Country and Yu Country.

In this group, there were also seven or eight young girls, wearing the uniforms of the Hua Family.

At this moment, the people from the Jing Family and Hua Family looked panicked and terrified. The people from Yu Country and Li Country were also pale-faced, fleeing while glancing back nervously.

Mu Qingge’s eyes focused, noting that the ones covering the rear were her Dragon Tooth Guards!

Beyond the Dragon Tooth Guards, like a gale passing through, the pursuers’ shadowy figures finally revealed themselves.

"What are those monsters!"

Seeing the pursuers clearly, Zhao Nanxing couldn’t help but exclaim.

Mu Qingge, however, was glaring at the Dragon Tooth Guards, her eyes nearly aflame with anger!

...

Inside the Holy Yuan Empire Palace, Emperor Yuan Huangfu Haotian stood in his hall, restless.

The entrance to the Trial Space had been closed for more than half a day, and since no one had come out, no one knew what was happening inside.

If there was a plot targeting Mu Qingge by a master of the Spiritual Movement Stage, and if Mu Qingge suffered harm, or even perished, then he...

The mere thought of this possibility caused Haoftian’s hand hidden in his sleeve to tremble, his complexion paling.

He couldn’t bear the wrath of the Holy King, and the Huangfu Family might also be doomed!

This possibility made him deeply resent the ones plotting against Mu Qingge.

"Someone!" he suddenly shouted.

Soon, the commander of the Forbidden Guard appeared before him.

"Immediately lead the troops to surround the Post Houses of the Myriad Beasts Sect and the Refining Tower, and capture Taishi Gao, Hei Mu, and Lou Xuantie for me!" Huangfu Haotian issued the Emperor’s Order.

The Forbidden Guard commander promptly left to carry out the order.

Huangfu Haotian continued, "Where is the Sixth Eunuch?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a shadow gradually emerged from the corner of the hall.

Upon seeing him, Huangfu Haotian’s expression grew more respectful. He said to the Sixth Eunuch, "Sixth Eunuch, the Lan Family is daring and presumptuous. They may anger the Holy King. I ask you and the other Tribunors to put pressure on them for me."

He then recounted the events roughly.

After listening, the Sixth Eunuch frowned, "Is it really worth going through all this trouble for a child from a Third-class Country?"

Huangfu Haotian smiled wryly, "Sixth Eunuch, this young Lord Mu has an extraordinary relationship with the Holy King. The Holy King himself asked my Huangfu Family to take care of him secretly. If he dies in the Trial Space, our entire Huangfu Family might suffer."

"Has Seventh Tributor sent any news from the Li Palace?" the Sixth Eunuch asked lightly.

Huangfu Haotian sighed, "The Li Palace is difficult to reach, and the Seventh Tributor has not yet reported. But in any case, to avoid the Holy King’s wrath later, our Huangfu Family must maintain a certain posture."

The Sixth Eunuch was silent for a while before saying, "I understand." With that, he vanished into thin air.

Once everything was arranged, Huangfu Haotian felt a bit more relieved.

However, he still worried about the situation in the Trial Space.

Half an hour later, Huangfu Huan was brought back to the Imperial Palace by the Seventh Tributor.

Huangfu Haotian’s eyes lit up, and he eagerly asked, "What did the Holy King say?"

But the Seventh Tributor, looking grim, said, "We haven’t seen the Holy King at all."

"What!" Huangfu Haotian was shocked.

Huangfu Huan thought for a moment, and with deep worry in his eyes, he said to his father, "Father, I suspect the Holy King is not in Linchuan at all."

Huangfu Haotian’s eyes narrowed sharply, looking at Huangfu Huan in disbelief.

Huangfu Huan continued, "Think about it, if he were in Linchuan, in Tiandu, in the Li Palace, why would he have the Huangfu Family secretly take care of the young Lord Mu himself? Wouldn’t it be better for him to oversee things personally? Moreover, when the Seventh Tributor and I went to the Upper Li Palace, we didn’t even see the Black Servant."

Each of his words seemed to confirm the absence of the Holy King.

However, this fact was the last thing they wanted to be true...