The powers involved were about to see a major reshuffle; who knew how many lives would be lost in the coming moments.

"From this moment forward, except for myself, Huo Feng, Xiao Han, Tian Lie, Tu Tie, and Jiu Nan, everyone else will take turns attempting to move forward one by one. We will handle the Green Eunuch Water Ghosts; your task is to clear the path for us in rotation," Yin Ji chuckled sinisterly.

The mission of scouting ahead was fraught with peril; one misstep could mean instant death. Yin Ji was handing off this deadly task to others while he and the Huo Feng group focused solely on the Green Eunuch Water Ghosts, clearly safeguarding themselves. "Why aren't you participating? That's unfair!" a young woman from Jiu Nan's contingent suddenly shouted. " Crack!"

No sooner had she spoken than Yin Ji pointed a finger, and a colossal skull materialized out of thin air, snatching the young woman's head in its jaws and chewing powerfully in the void. Jiu Nan frowned but remained silent. "If you weren't available to act as cannon fodder at a crucial moment, why would we have brought you in?" Yin Ji grinned maliciously and then asked, "Does anyone else have an objection?" Silence reigned!

The crowd exchanged nervous glances, each choosing submission at this moment. The young woman's severed head was still being gnawed upon in the skull’s gaping maw, and her headless body lay limp on the ground, blood splashing everywhere. With her fate so starkly displayed, who dared voice dissent?

It was evident this was the conclusion reached after discussions between Yin Ji, Huo Feng, Tian Lie, and their inner circle. Since the young woman was under Jiu Nan's command, the fact that even Jiu Nan offered no retort confirmed that these absolute masters had already reached an accord.

Under these circumstances, unless someone could prove they possessed enough power to directly oppose them, the only option was obediently following orders. Ji Changkong also chose submission. The situation favored the stronger; one had no choice but to bow. Attempting heroism now would lead to a gruesome end. He exchanged a glance with Hong Mandun, both seeing only helplessness in the other's eyes.

Setting aside the chaotic thoughts, Ji Changkong secretly circulated the Tai Xu Secret Record, settling his mind into a state of absolute calm, attempting to meld his soul with the surrounding environment.

Since resistance was futile, he could only act according to the will of the stronger individuals. If he could discern which of the small mounds of earth and stone ahead were stable enough to stand on, he could ensure his survival.

His consciousness expanded, ignoring the immediate drama around him, focusing his burning gaze only on the distant mounds of earth and stone, subtly feeling for the reality beneath their surfaces. Only a light mist...

Every mound of earth and stone that appeared within his sight felt exactly the same to his soul; there seemed to be no discernible difference, not the slightest variation.

Even characters like Huo Feng and Yin Ji could not discern the true nature of those mounds, indicating that probing their reality must be exceedingly difficult. If his life hadn't depended on it, he might never have gone to the trouble of focusing his attention on those small earthen heaps.

However, now he was compelled to focus his energy there. Even knowing the chances were slim, he had to try and feel for stability, for his very life depended on this critical plan.

As he focused on sensing changes in the mounds ahead, a person from Tian Lie’s group, at Tian Lie’s gesture, had already stepped forward to scout.

It was a small, thin old man, his face etched with caution, possessing the cultivation of the Nine Palaces Heaven Realm. His eyes glittered as he stared forward, seemingly using his divine sense to perceive something, yet he remained motionless for a long moment.

"Stop wasting your effort. If even we Shi cannot discern the reality, what can a mere Nine Palaces Heaven Scholar like you possibly see?" Tian Lie snorted impatiently. "Don't waste time. At this moment, we can only rely on fate. It's all up to luck—hurry up and cross!"

Although the thin old man followed Tian Lie, Tian Lie clearly did not regard him as one of his own; in Tian Lie's eyes, the old man was merely a disposable pawn! "Alas..." The scouting old man sighed helplessly, then chose the nearest earthen mound and leaped toward it. " Thud, thud!"

His feet landed on the mound, and a look of sudden joy appeared on his face. "Ha, it's fine here! Haha, I'm fine!"

The old man was full of excitement and shouted loudly towards the group, laughing, "Now it should be someone else's turn, right? I’ve taken one step already."

Suddenly, the old man noticed the looks directed at him—full of mockery, as if ridiculing his ignorance.

The old man was confused and asked, "What's wrong? Why are you all looking at me like that?" "Didn't you notice the mound beneath you slowly sinking?" A middle-aged beautiful woman shook her head, sighing, "Elder Sun, it seems you might have to go first."

The old man's face changed drastically. He looked down and saw that the earthen mound was slowly submerging into the swamp. Panic seized him. He stared at the closest mound and prepared to leap away with force. "Splash!"

With the exertion of his leap, the mound instantly sank into the green swamp, and his body was immediately engulfed by the strange green waters. Amidst his piercing scream, a wispy thread of smoke drifted out, transforming into a pile of bare white bones. "Next!" Tian Lie commanded without a trace of humanity, his eyes locking onto the beautiful woman, his expressionless face demanding, "It’s your turn." The woman looked terrified, her expression tragic and pitiable.

Unfortunately, not a single person showed even a flicker of sympathy; they all stared coldly. Yin Ji, from the side, merely let out a sinister chuckle, saying dryly, "Don't even think about escaping. If we hadn't reached this place, maybe we wouldn't care about you, but now that we've come this far, you must continue walking for us. Heh heh, perhaps your luck won't be so terrible."

As Yin Ji spoke, the giant skull materialized beside the woman. If she showed any sign of retreating, the skull would surely bite down without hesitation. "I'll go!" the woman shrieked, frantically choosing an earthen mound and leaping onto it.

Standing on the mound, she was still utterly panicked, hurriedly checking beneath her feet, trying to determine if this mound was also slowly sinking. She was lucky; the mound bore her weight and remained firm. "One foothold," Tian Lie said with a slight joy, then notified another person, "Zhu Lie, it's your turn!"

This Zhu Lie was actually an alien being, lacking ears or a nose, possessing only a large mouth and eerie green eyes, looking like a ten-thousand-year-old corpse recently pulled from a coffin.

At Tian Lie's sharp command, this Zhu Lie hesitated not at all and immediately C