The Ghost Mist Bewitching Great Formation was laid out using dense ghost mist in an area saturated with death energy. Within this formation were vengeful spirits, skeletons, and all manner of fierce spectral entities, proving exceptionally difficult to deal with.

However, only ghost cultivators at the Golden Core stage or higher possessed the strength to establish such a formidable array. Naturally, a Golden Core cultivator who had studied this specific formation technique could also set it up, though the prerequisites were exceedingly strict.

Ye Qin recalled that the supplementary texts of the Profound Yin Great Method mentioned that the forbidden grounds of the Yin Xuan Sect’s mountain gate were protected by precisely this “Ghost Mist Bewitching Great Formation.”

The supplementary texts also touched upon the formation’s might but never delved into the detailed principles of its construction. Ye Fen, not cultivating this technique, had no interest in those supplements and had never bothered to study them closely.

Ye Qin wondered what difference there might be between the “Ghost Mist Bewitching Great Formation” surmised by Sun Xing and the one protecting the Yin Xuan Sect. Perhaps they were the same grand formation, or perhaps they merely shared the same name.

Ye Qin mused internally.

He did not voice his thoughts, merely relaying them to Huangfu Bing’er via divine sense while subtly keeping his guard up. Here, within the ruins of the ancient battlefield in this Sea of Blood, a “Ghost Mist Bewitching Great Formation” of this power would likely be even more formidable than the guardian arrays protecting the forbidden areas of a cultivation sect on the Central Continent.

“It seems none of the esteemed Daoist Friends have heard of this formation? I don't know the details either, only that on a very rare occasion, I overheard a Daoist Friend briefly mention the general situation of this array. At that time, the Daoist Friend’s expression was filled with terror, which left a deep impression on me. Alas, since everyone is already here, it would be improper not to venture in and investigate.”

Sun Xing glanced over the assembled cultivators and pondered, “As newcomers unfamiliar with the situation, rushing in carelessly is unwise. Perhaps we should first circle this colossal island, scout the terrain, and see where within this misty formation offers the safest entry point into these ancient ruins. If we encounter danger beyond our ability to handle, retreat will also be easier. What do my esteemed colleagues think?”

“Agreed. Let us survey the surrounding situation first before proceeding inside; it will not be too late then!”

“Daoist Brother Sun is indeed cautious. We shall follow Brother Sun’s suggestion!”

The cultivators nodded in agreement, voicing no objections.

This included Ye Qin, Huangfu Bing’er, and the Wang uncle and nephew duo; none of them opposed the plan.

Ye Qin also had no desire to rush headlong into the Ghost Mist Bewitching Great Formation to court danger.

Seeing that the majority of the cultivators agreed, Sun Xing took the lead, guiding them to fly along the perimeter of the giant island, observing the conditions within and around it.

Pang cultivator’s expression shifted, growing grim, anger flickering in his eyes.

Before they arrived, it had been established that he was the leader of this contingent, and upon reaching the ancient ruins, everyone would follow his arrangements—his course of action was his decision. Yet, the moment they arrived, Sun Xing immediately changed his demeanor, utterly disregarding Pang and acting as if their prior agreement was forgotten, taking command to scout the island himself. Pang cultivator felt rage boiling uncontrollably within. Zhu and Yang cultivators, meanwhile, quickly shook their heads, signaling with their eyes to urge restraint; clearly, they did not wish to challenge Sun Xing’s faction, which boasted sixteen or seventeen Golden Core cultivators. Since opposition was futile, they could only submit for the moment, conceding leadership to Sun Xing. Ultimately, Pang cultivator and the Zhu and Yang trio followed behind the main group, piloting their artifacts. Sun Xing glanced back, saw the Wei cultivators and the others trailing behind, and gave a cold, internal sneer.

In the Eastern Sea cultivation world, whoever held the greatest strength was the leader—it was that simple, with no room for debate. If one disagreed, they were free to leave; no one would stop them.

After circling the island for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, the cultivators in the group were all struck by a change in expression. This ancient ruin had already been discovered by other Golden Core cultivators! And not just a few!

They clearly saw that on the scattered smaller islets and reefs surrounding the giant island, other teams of Golden Core cultivators were already stationed, taking temporary rest. The group inwardly felt a jolt of apprehension.

“What’s so strange about that? The last time I led a group here and discovered this ruin, the mist on the island had only just begun to dissipate, revealing a corner. No other Golden Core cultivators had appeared here yet. However, that was over a month ago. After more than a month, surely many Golden Core cultivators who scour the seas for treasures or hunt beasts would have found this place,” Pang cultivator stated with a cold face. “There are several teams of treasure-seeking Golden Core cultivators over there. Let’s go ask them what new changes, if any, have occurred on this island recently.” Sun Xing, momentarily frustrated, said no more, leading the way toward a large reef in the distance. A small cluster of six or seven Golden Core cultivators seemed to be observing the island from there. The group stopped while still a distance from the giant island, lest their arrival provoke hostility. Sun Xing advanced alone on his sword.

From the large reef, several late-stage Golden Core cultivators flew up on their swords, watching them warily. Only when they saw that the entire group was not approaching did they relax slightly. “Esteemed Daoist Friends, it seems you have been here for some time. May I ask why you all remain on the outermost edge of this island and have not proceeded inside?”

Sun Xing chuckled, cupped his hands in greeting, “I beg Daoist Friend to enlighten us. I offer this exquisite grade spirit stone as thanks!” Without waiting for a reply, Sun Xing produced a top-grade spirit stone of the Metal element and propelled it forward with spiritual power. A top-grade spirit stone was equivalent to ten thousand low-grade stones—his generosity was hard to refuse.

One must remember that Golden Core cultivators in the various Immortal Palaces of the Eastern Sea only received a meager number of top-grade spirit stones monthly, depending on their cultivation level. All other cultivation expenses had to be earned themselves. This earned the admiration of many in the group.

The Wang uncle and nephew, accustomed to the frugal life of a minor cultivation family, were doubly impressed.

The leading Golden Core cultivator hesitated for a moment before accepting the spirit stone.

Why refuse a free gift?

Only then did the cultivator’s expression soften. He returned the salute to Sun Xing, “Daoist Friend is too kind. The situation here is hardly a secret. Since Daoist Friends wish to know, I shall tell you.”

“Our group arrived here about half a month ago. At that time, the mist within the island was bizarrely spreading outward. Several late-stage Golden Core cultivators, relying on their profound cultivation, rushed in to investigate. But after entering that blood-tinged fog, they didn't even manage to utter a sound before seemingly vanishing, never to return. We dared not risk venturing in rashly, so we planned to remain on the periphery, assess the situation, and deliberate on a strategy first.”

“To any Daoist Friends who wish to enter, proceed at your own peril.” After speaking, the cultivator shook his head as if puzzled, then retreated behind the reef with the others. Sun Xing frowned upon hearing this. The information was accurate enough.

But the core information everyone wanted—the detailed circumstances within the ancient ruin—was still largely unstated. Pang cultivator and his two companions said nothing, but they were inwardly sneering.

The last time they came to this ancient ruin, they had entered and located where an artifact was stored. Unfortunately, before they could retrieve it, they were attacked by the spectral entities within, losing two companions, forcing their hasty retreat.

They subsequently recruited the Wang uncle and nephew as cannon fodder at the ancient ship base, alongside the couple Ye Qin and Huangfu Bing’er, whose true strength was unknown, intending to try again and seize the treasure when the opportunity arose.

It was a pity that a moment of greed while hunting two ninth-tier demonic beasts led them to become entangled with Sun Xing’s group of Golden Core cultivators.

The Wang uncle and nephew, whom they had originally viewed as expendable fodder, preferred to align with Sun Xing’s faction. This left Pang’s group extremely passive and created many unforeseen complications. This…

Sun Xing was momentarily undecided—neither advancing nor retreating seemed correct.

This ancient battlefield ruin clearly hadn't been extensively explored or excavated by cultivators yet; it must surely contain ancient treasures left behind ages ago. It would soon attract more and more cultivators. If they didn’t enter now, by the time they returned later, other cultivators might have already claimed all the treasures. But the current situation inside was fraught with unpredictable peril, and they knew nothing of the true state of affairs. Who knew what kind of specters and what level of ferocity lay hidden within this ancient battlefield ruin?

The Sea of Blood was rife with extreme dangers; even Nascent Soul cultivators risked demise if careless, let alone their Golden Core ranks.

Although Pang cultivator’s trio had entered before, they hadn’t gone deep, and the forced retreat after losing two late-stage Golden Core cultivators was proof enough of the location's menace. The group was caught between desire and fear, hesitating. Just as Sun Xing and the others were struggling to decide, several streaks of sword light and rainbows appeared on the edge of the island's horizon.

After spotting Pang cultivator, Ye Qin, and the others from a distance, the newcomers suddenly slowed down, retracted their flying swords, and landed on a small islet near the giant island.

“That Elder from the Purple Sword Palace, the one surnamed Wei, is still here!”

One of the newcomers stared fiercely at the group of Golden Core cultivators hovering in the distant sky, his eyes almost spitting fire, his voice venomous. With him were only Hu cultivator and Li cultivator; they all glared resentfully at the distant location where Cao cultivator’s younger brother, who had been traveling with them, had vanished.

“We were nearly swallowed by the blood tide halfway here! Luckily, we escaped quickly!”

“Boss, Pang cultivator’s group is growing larger; they now have over twenty mid to late-stage Golden Core cultivators, including quite a few eighth and ninth-tier experts. They have superior numbers, and we are down one—Old Second—making us no match for them…”

“!” Li cultivator saw Cao cultivator and quickly intervened.

“That Purple Sword Palace Elder crippled Old Second’s life meridian with a single sword strike, destroying his physical body and ruining his late-stage Golden Core cultivation, nearly rendering him a cripple with no hope of reaching the Nascent Soul realm! This grudge must be repaid!”

Cao cultivator snorted coldly, “This time, I must take his life and make him taste a fate worse than death!” As he spoke, Cao cultivator’s expression became ferocious, terrifying, resentful, and sinister. Hu cultivator and Li cultivator, sensing the bone-chilling cold, couldn't help but shiver. “Boss, how are we to avenge Old Second?” “We three are no match for them now; we must find other cultivators for aid.”

Cao cultivator said coldly, “I have already sent invitations to several extremely powerful treasure-hunting Golden Core factions. They have all agreed and are currently en route. When they arrive, we will join forces. What good are their superior numbers then?” Li and Hu cultivators nodded, expressing their agreement.

Suddenly, Hu cultivator’s brow twitched, and he looked behind him, sounding slightly surprised. “Oh? That group from the Shang Tang Palace has some nerve, still following us this long. Boss, should we eliminate them first, to avoid them becoming an obstruction later?” “Oh? They followed us too?”

Cao cultivator also looked behind, a sharp, malicious glint flashing in his eyes. He smiled coldly, “Good. The Shang Tang Palace group has five mid-stage Golden Core cultivators. Though their cultivation is slightly lower, they still have substantial numbers, which could prove useful against Pang cultivator’s faction. Now is not the time to take their lives; we will utilize them first.” “Let’s go meet up with them briefly.”

With that, Cao cultivator rose on his artifact, suppressing his flight close to the water surface to avoid detection by Ye Qin’s group on the island, flying toward the Shang Tang Palace cultivators in the distance. Hu cultivator and Li cultivator exchanged a look and followed. Pang cultivator’s group was large, so they needed as many allies as possible.

Dozens of miles away, Du Ran and his group of cultivators were startled. “Senior Brother Du Ran, Cao’s treasure-hunting group seems to have noticed we are tracking them and are flying toward us. Should we evade them?” asked one Golden Core cultivator. “No need!”

A hint of smugness flickered beneath Du Ran’s eyelids. “That Cao Old Second is already crippled; they only have three people now, not much stronger than us. Our strength is sufficient for self-preservation; they pose no real threat to us.” “Then we should…?” The cultivator tried to ask further. “Let’s see what they want when they arrive!” Du Ran waved his hand, stopping the cultivator. Cao cultivator’s trio flew over swiftly, several rainbows hovering in the air, stopping in front of Du Ran’s assembled group.

Cao cultivator’s face wore a beaming, affable smile, completely different from his previous cruelty. “Daoist Friend Du, it must have taken quite some effort following us all this way? Were you worried I wouldn’t deal with that fellow surnamed Ye?” Du Ran laughed, “Not at all, we just happened to cross paths. Daoist Brother Cao, please speak your mind.”

“That Elder Ye from the Purple Sword Palace is over on that side of the island. I have already invited some allies, and once they arrive, we will strike! When the time comes, your five cultivators must join us; this time, we will ensure they perish without a trace.” Cao cultivator’s gaze turned fierce, and he stated grimly. Du Ran had been pleased to hear Cao cultivator mention Ye Qin’s presence.

However, when Cao cultivator demanded he join the fight, his expression immediately changed. “Me joining you to deal with that Ye fellow? We had an agreement beforehand: if you killed Ye Qin, all his loot would be yours. Afterward, I would pay you a sum of spirit stones. Never was it mentioned that I would personally participate.” Du Ran narrowed his clever eyes. The reason he hired Cao cultivator’s group to deal with Ye Qin was precisely to avoid implication.

If Cao cultivator succeeded in killing Ye Qin, Du Ran would have eliminated a powerful enemy for the Shang Tang Palace, earning immense merit, which would certainly please the Shang Tang Palace Ancestor and result in large rewards. His standing within the Shang Tang Palace would also greatly improve.

However, the prerequisite for all this was that he himself must not be involved, leaving no evidence linking him to Ye Qin’s demise.

If the matter were exposed, and the Purple Sword Palace found out that a Golden Core cultivator from the Shang Tang Palace had assassinated a Purple Sword Palace Immortal Palace Elder, the higher echelons of the Purple Sword Palace would be deeply shaken and undoubtedly respond with fierce retaliation.

If the incident escalated, it might even alarm the higher echelons of the Heavenly Dao Alliance. The Alliance leadership would never tolerate the murder of an Immortal Palace Elder; the Shang Tang Palace would have to provide an explanation. The Purple Sword Palace would not let him go, and he would find no safe haven within the Heavenly Dao Alliance either.

At that time, the high command of the Shang Tang Palace, for the sake of the greater picture and to avoid direct confrontation with the Purple Sword Palace, would certainly sacrifice a mere mid-stage Golden Core cultivator like him. Du Ran understood this perfectly.

From the start, he approached Cao’s group, offering a massive sum of spirit stones to these rogue cultivators to commit the murder. He even calculated that after the deed was done, he would find an opportunity to eliminate Cao’s group as well—a clean slate, where no one could link the incident to him. “Senior Brother Du Ran, you absolutely must not agree! If this gets out, our association with these evil cultivators from the Sea of Blood will damage the reputation of the Shang Tang Palace.”

Immediately, one of the Shang Tang Palace cultivators whispered quietly. Though hushed, they made no effort to conceal their words from Cao’s group. “That is natural; how could I ally with evil cultivators!”

Du Ran then smiled and rejected Cao cultivator’s proposal.

“Good! Very good!”

Cao cultivator’s pupils suddenly constricted, a vicious glint flashing within. “It seems you Daoist Friends disdain associating with us rogue cultivators! Gentlemen, look out for yourselves. The Sea of Blood is very treacherous…” “Be extremely careful.”

With that, Cao cultivator left a harsh warning, and with the equally indignant Li cultivator and Hu cultivator, they leaped up, transforming into three streaks of rainbow light and speeding away.

“Just you wait!”

Du Ran watched Cao’s group fly off coldly.

“Let’s go! We’ll also tour the vicinity of this giant island! I’ve heard about the ancient ruins in the Sea of Blood for a long time, but this is my first visit.”

Du Ran also led the Shang Tang Palace Golden Core cultivators and sped away.

Sun Xing and his contingent of Golden Core cultivators discussed for a long time but still failed to reach a decision on whether to immediately enter the ancient ruin. “It seems the esteemed Daoist Friends are also undecided for the moment.”

Sun Xing suggested a compromise: “Since we are all here, there is no need to rush to leave. If none of you have urgent matters, why not stay for another couple of days? We can observe the situation here and see if the other cultivator groups venture in before we make our final decision.” “Those treasure-seeking cultivators who arrived earlier have been here for over ten days without leaving. Perhaps they are waiting for an opportunity, or maybe they are devising a way to break the formation.”

“If everyone agrees, let us first find a reef near the island to rest. I will go ask the other groups if any are willing to enter the ancient ruin together. The more people, the safer it will be.” Everyone heartily concurred.

Pang cultivator’s trio had initially hoped that Sun Xing, unwilling to take risks, would leave voluntarily, allowing them to rally the Wang uncle and nephew, Ye Qin, and the others. But hearing that Sun Xing also decided to stay, their expressions shifted slightly, filled with internal resentment, yet they were helpless.

Seeing no objections, Sun Xing led the group to a cluster of reefs, assigning several cultivators to maintain a rotating watch, while the rest chose separate rocks to rest and cultivate.

Ye Qin, Huangfu Bing’er, along with Jiang Ling and Zheng Chenghui, stayed together so they could easily support one another should any unforeseen situation arise.