Clumps of low hills were scattered everywhere, like pieces on a vast board. Rivers wound around them, nurturing strange flowers and rare grasses that grew upon their slopes. The air was filled with birdsong and the scent of blossoms, while peculiar little beasts nestled quietly at the foot of various hills, showing no fear of strangers.

The sky held neither sun, moon, nor stars, only vast, sweeping banks of white mist, suspended overhead like the finest white silk.

The air was clean and fresh, and all creation vibrated with the energy of vibrant spring. The fragrance of distant blossoms drifted in, refreshing the senses and exhilarating the spirit, causing even the soul to stir with sudden vitality.

Ji Changkong, having just traversed the savage desert, stepped into this exquisite scene, still feeling a profound sense of unreality.

But Hong Mandun had already happily bounded toward a cluster of trees, making no ceremony in plucking several dew-kissed wild fruits. At the base of one low hill lay a slab of silvery-white stone, marked with bizarre, natural striping patterns.

"Star-Vein Gold-Net Stone!" Hong Mandun exclaimed, shooting toward the stones like lightning, hastily gathering them up as if afraid someone might snatch them away.

Huo Feng and Xiao Han, positioned among several distant peaks, paid no mind to the others trailing behind them, instead whispering intensely to each other.

Leo and Tite, too, ignored the profusion of exotic flora and strange stones; everything here held little allure for them, as this was not their primary objective.

When Tite cast a cold gaze upon Hong Mandun, his lip curled in disdain, clearly slighting the man’s obvious excitement.

Ji Changkong hesitated only briefly before joining Hong Mandun’s foray, cautiously gathering some rare flowers and herbs from nearby slopes. Should he spot any precious stones, he too would pocket them without apology.

These exotic plants and rare ores were items he had only read about in ancient texts—prime materials for refining miraculous elixirs and divine weaponry. The Star-Vein Gold-Net Stone Hong Mandun so gleefully collected could multiply the tenacity of a divine weapon several times over if smelted into it!

Furthermore, Star-Vein Gold-Net Stone was the perfect component for crafting flexible swords. When its ground-down stardust was incorporated, these blades could contract and expand at will, offering limitless tactical advantages.

The reason Huo Feng, Xiao Han, Leo, and Tite were so dismissive of the local treasures was clear: they must have visited this place many times before and acquired everything long ago, thus rendering the current offerings beneath their notice.

After their hushed discussion, Huo Feng and Xiao Han seemed to have regained their bearings. Without exchanging word with Ji Changkong or Hong Mandun, they simply walked onward toward the next range of mountains.

Leo and Tite swiftly followed.

Ji Changkong and Hong Mandun immediately halted their collection of nearby flora, pained to abandon even seemingly valuable curios, and quickly caught up to Huo Feng and Xiao Han.

In this picturesque, peculiar realm, there seemed to be an illusory formation at play, and Huo Feng and Xiao Han must have found the key to navigating the enchantment, winding their way past hill after hill.

It was hard to tell how long they traveled, but Huo Feng and Xiao Han finally stopped at the edge of a lake.

Only then did Xiao Han turn with a chilling expression toward Leo and Ji Changkong’s party trailing behind them, speaking with veiled sarcasm, "You certainly keep pace."

Xiao Han let out a cold chuckle, her gaze sweeping past Leo and Tite before settling on Hong Mandun and Ji Changkong. "I advise you two to linger on this level. There are already suitable cultivation materials here for your needs. While the illusions are complex, there are no fatal threats. When the restrictive seals are lifted, you will naturally find the way out. There is no need to risk the next tier."

"Heh heh!" Leo of the Three-Eyed Clan chuckled dryly. "Of course, the higher you go, the greater the rewards, provided you can keep your life."

"Why bother with them? Let’s move!" Huo Feng urged impatiently.

Xiao Han said no more, immediately soaring over the lake surface, her figure vanishing in an instant.

Huo Feng, Leo, and Tite all seemed thoroughly familiar with the route; without hesitation, they too passed over the lake, disappearing from view in a flash.

"Shall we go?" Hong Mandun asked Ji Changkong, idly turning a piece of Star-Vein Gold-Net Stone in his hand.

"We traveled thousands of miles from the Five Elements Continent, arriving physically. If we don't find more means of self-preservation, we will inevitably become Tite’s prey once we leave. On this inescapable star, you and I will be trapped beasts, facing the day Tite corners and eradicates us," Ji Changkong stated grimly. "We must go!"

"Indeed, that is my thought as well," Hong Mandun agreed, then plunged into the lake.

Ji Changkong followed closely behind.

Above them churned thick, impenetrable demonic clouds. Ahead lay an expanse of green swamp, from which green bubbles periodically rose. When these burst, wisps of toxic green vapor dissolved and filled the space just above the mire.

In the center of the swamp, small mounds of earth and stone offered occasional footing. These islets were rarely large enough to accommodate more than two or three people. Around the edges of these mounds lay scattered skeletons, rusted with age, phosphorescent fire flickering within their bone structures.

Every skeleton rested near one of the islets; any person of sound mind could immediately surmise that those who fell from the mounds into the swamp met this fate due to some mishap.

Clearly, the green swamp harbored at least one deadly, corrosive poison.

Huo Feng and Xiao Han stood upon one small islet ahead, while Leo and Tite occupied another, separated by about twenty zhang. Huo Feng and Xiao Han stared fixedly at the successive mounds ahead, deep in thought, paying no attention to those behind them.

Leo and Tite remained motionless, watching their surroundings with utmost caution, as if some terrifying danger lurked beneath the green surface.

Ji Changkong stepped onto the ground and immediately found that he and Hong Mandun stood on yet another islet. Leo and Tite were ahead of them, and further still were Huo Feng and Xiao Han.

He surveyed the area: everywhere was swamp, bordered by strange, drooping old trees. A barrier against flight was active here too; no one could soar, only momentarily hover in the void using momentum gained from a leap.

Huo Feng and Xiao Han were progressing slowly, using this very method to jump from one stone islet to the next.

Leo and Tite maintained solemn expressions, their attention entirely fixed on Huo Feng and Xiao Han, never glancing back at Ji Changkong and Hong Mandun.

Thump, thump! Thump-thump-thump!

Suddenly, solid footfalls sounded beside Ji Changkong. He turned to see Tian Lie, Yin Ji, Tu Can, and Jiu Nan—four masters—appearing out of thin air atop the stone mound, each bringing their respective followers.

Reaching this level, Ji Changkong observed discreetly. Tian Lie had ten people with him; Yin Ji had fifteen, including the youth who had aggressively pushed aside Liu Lan and his two sons. Tu Can had fourteen followers, and Jiu Nan had seventeen.

This was the third layer. It seemed some of Tian Lie’s allies had perished in the two layers below.

As Ji Changkong stealthily counted, he noticed that the opposing groups were observing his side as well. The youth beside Yin Ji, in particular, gave him a chilling, mocking smile.

These newcomers stood on their own islets, cautious and solemn, none daring to move carelessly.

"Stop pushing me!" Suddenly, four men following Tu Can began to quarrel fiercely while crowded onto one small mound. The islet was scarcely large enough for four people. If they could have accommodated each other slightly, it might have been manageable.

However, among the four was a married couple. The wife was shapely, clad in a tight-fitting dress of silk that resembled white mist, revealing every curve.

Due to the confined space, the four naturally huddled close. The husband and wife feared falling and pressed toward the center, inevitably bringing them into tight contact with the beautiful woman.

The woman’s husband took immediate offense at the two men pressing so closely against his wife and instantly shoved them, demanding they move away.

The dispute ignited.

The two men, fighting for survival, could only press further toward the center. The husband, feeling his wife was being infringed upon, insisted they move away. This escalated quickly from verbal sparring to physical shoving. The already narrow islet became precarious as they jostled, everyone swaying, especially the two men, who were perpetually on the verge of tumbling into the swamp.

During a particularly violent shove, one man leaned sharply and nearly fell. His face twisted into a sudden, vicious expression. He grabbed the neck of the beautiful woman’s husband and shouted to the other man, "What are you waiting for!"

"You should go first!" Suddenly, the second man added his force, striking the back of the beautiful woman’s husband.

With a muffled splash, the man tumbled headfirst into the green swamp.

"Xi Ge!" the beautiful woman shrieked, her cry piercing the air.

Gurgle.

The green swamp bubbled a few times. The man’s flesh rapidly dissolved; within mere seconds, all his skin and muscle vanished, leaving only a white skeleton floating on the surface of the marsh.

Even his soul seemed to be imprisoned by some evil entity within the swamp, struggling briefly beneath the surface before slowly sinking until all sign of life vanished.

The woman’s wailing continued, her face contorted with savage fury, resembling a vengeful spirit on the verge of madness as she glared at the two men above.

"If you wish to die, we won't object to helping you," one of the men on the mound snarled cruelly.

After crying for a while, the woman gradually quieted. She lowered her head, sobbing softly, yet daring not to act, clearly waiting for a better opportunity for revenge.

Tu Can, as the leader of that faction, observed the entire incident without uttering a single word, watching with cold detachment.