A rather peculiar sensation began to spread through the hearts of He Yiming and Mou Zilong. The moment that strange wave of power reached them, both felt as if they were enveloped by something unseen. However, this sensation brought no sense of threat to their minds, so they offered no resistance to it.

He Yiming shook his head slightly. Though it wasn't the first time he had used this Divine Dao Artifact, at this moment, he felt a sensation entirely different from any previous occasion.

With a slight shift of thought, he immediately understood. When he had previously attempted to use this item, his Martial Dao cultivation had not yet reached the Divine Dao realm. But now, things were different; he had ascended to the Divine Dao. Thus, when the full measure of his divine power entered the artifact, it unleashed two completely distinct effects compared to before.

In his sight, Mou Zilong and the Divine Dao Puppet had vanished. Yet, between the three of them, there existed a subtle, almost imperceptible connection. This feeling was strangely akin to the direct mental link he shared with the Divine Dao Puppet, an astonishing revelation.

Suddenly, a thought pierced his mind: "Brother He, where did you acquire this Divine Dao Artifact?"

He Yiming’s eyes lit up. Though he hadn't heard any sound with his ears, he clearly heard Mou Zilong’s voice within his mind, and he was certain this wasn't auditory perception, but a direct transmission to his thoughts.

After a moment of hesitation, He Yiming experimented by projecting his own thoughts toward Mou Zilong.

"Brother Mou, can you hear me?"

"I can, Brother He. Where did you obtain this treasure?" Mou Zilong asked again, his mental voice tinged with a hint of anticipation.

He Yiming vaguely sensed that the origin of this object might be far more complex than he had imagined.

"Little brother acquired it from the Samsara of Life and Death within the Boundary of Life and Death," He Yiming stated, offering a partial truth.

In reality, only half of it was obtained in the Samsara of Life and Death; the other half was taken from Franklin. However, there was no need to widely publicize that latter detail.

"The Samsara of Life and Death? How could such a thing exist there?" Mou Zilong exclaimed in surprise.

He Yiming selectively recounted his experiences within the Samsara of Life and Death. When Mou Zilong learned that over a hundred powerful Venerables had fallen there, he couldn't help but sigh mournfully.

Especially since several of those Venerables possessed immense power, having reached the Ninth Heaven of the Apex of the Human Dao. Had the lack of elemental Heaven and Earth power not been so absolute, they might have broken through to the Divine Dao right there and escaped.

"Brother Mou, what exactly is this item?" He Yiming asked in a deep tone.

"This is a famous Divine Dao Artifact legendary in the Western World. While it is not a Divine Artifact, its reputation and miraculous effects are such that it rivals even a Divine Artifact," Mou Zilong admitted with envy. "This object is called the Eye of Light and Darkness. When wielded by a Divine Dao expert, it not only conceals one's presence but also allows surveillance of every ripple within a hundred-mile radius. In terms of pure martial power, it might not match a Pseudo-God realm technique, but in terms of investigative prowess, it is superior."

He Yiming nodded slightly, his heart swelling with intense joy. He had never expected to obtain such a treasure.

"Brother He, no wonder you were so confident earlier; you had this ultimate treasure on you." Mou Zilong’s earlier apprehension had completely vanished. With this item providing protection, they should at least be able to retreat unharmed.

He Yiming inwardly cursed himself with shame. During his previous tests, the artifact indeed possessed abilities of invisibility and concealment, but never with this level of exaggeration. Moreover, when in use, the two of them could even communicate telepathically—a detail that was truly unbelievable.

The difference in the artifact's efficacy between the Human Dao and the Divine Dao realms was so vast; it truly exceeded his expectations.

The two proceeded slowly forward. The passages inside were indeed as Mou Zilong had described: an intricate, interconnected web, branching out like a spider’s net.

However, they found no trace of Ma Yu or the others, leaving them clueless as to their whereabouts.

This was entirely normal, given the Martial Dao cultivation and experience of Ma Yu and his group; they were incapable of making such a rudimentary mistake. If they had actually left any markers, He Yiming would have suspected their motives for doing so.

As He Yiming moved forward, he tried to memorize the path mentally. But after only a moment, Mou Zilong spoke up, dispelling his effort.

"Brother He, these passages are not static. We only need to travel within them, and when we wish to ascend, we can simply blast a new path open with our martial power."

"The passages here change?" He Yiming asked, utterly astonished.

"Of course, they change," Mou Zilong replied with a wry smile. "Every ten days or so, the layout of these tunnels shifts. Although you can't notice any difference from the entrance, some internal sections will relocate. If this weren't the case, despite the complexity, we would have mapped out these passages completely over the last five hundred years."

He Yiming nodded. If these tunnels didn't change, how could they possibly deter so many Divine Dao experts from completely searching the area over five centuries?

Knowing that memorizing the paths was futile, He Yiming stopped wasting his effort. They moved through the tunnels at will, but there were simply too many. This aimless wandering led them to encounter very few death creatures. Even when they occasionally spotted some, they were invariably low-ranking ones.

He Yiming finally couldn't bear it and struck out once. But the moment his divine power began to fluctuate, he discovered something bizarre: his cloaking ability vanished instantly. This meant that as soon as he channeled his divine power to a certain degree, any action, whether offensive or defensive, would immediately expose their location.

This realization vexed him greatly. If any Divine Dao expert sensed the slightest disturbance and attacked the surroundings with divine force, wouldn't their presence be instantly revealed?

As if sensing He Yiming’s troubled thoughts, Mou Zilong, who had also lost his invisibility by association, chuckled. "Brother He, the might of this Divine Dao Artifact is already remarkable enough. If it could still attack and defend against enemy blows while cloaked, it wouldn't be a Divine Dao Artifact; it would be the number one Divine Artifact in the world."

He Yiming paused for a moment, then let out a self-deprecating laugh; he had indeed been too greedy.

However, after this lesson, He Yiming and the others ceased making rash moves after re-concealing themselves. Even when several silvery-white monsters appeared right before their eyes, they had no inclination to attack.

They were saving their effort to test the effectiveness of the Thunderbolt Spear, and these silvery-white monsters simply weren't worthy opponents for that purpose.

Perhaps persistence paid off, for after three hours, they finally found a suitable cluster of monsters.

This group was not overly powerful: two Golden Monsters, four Silvery-White Monsters, and over twenty Red and Blue Armored Monsters. They seemed fatigued, lying still on the ground, resting.

He Yiming’s heart leaped with joy. He looked toward Mou Zilong, who, enveloped in a glowing sphere of light, waved a hand at him.

It was evident that Mou Zilong was equally eager to see the performance of the mutated Thunderbolt Spear He Yiming had refined. He was impatient to witness the effect of this projectile-type Divine Weapon.

He Yiming slowly raised the Thunderbolt Spear in his hand, feeling a touch of trepidation. Although the artifact was forged from the mouths of the nine great fire dragons within the Nine Dragon Furnace, the power sealed within it was not the Power of Light, but the combined force of Light and Darkness.

Heaven only knew what lethality this power would have against these monsters. If the effect proved weak, he would certainly lose face.

Mou Zilong waved his hand again and retreated several steps backward, completely sealing off the passage entrance ahead.

He Yiming calmed his mind. He first commanded the Divine Dao Puppet to fly over the tunnel above, securing the exit on the other side as well.

This way, even if the mutated Thunderbolt Spear failed to achieve the desired effect, he could still wipe out the entire group.

He tightened his grip on the spear, fixing his aim on one of the Golden Monsters. Pouring in his potent Gold-elemental divine power, he hurled the Thunderbolt Spear outward.

He Yiming had not researched projectile techniques extensively, but under the guidance of his intent, the mutated spear shot out like lightning, reaching the monster in an instant.

The moment He Yiming began channeling his divine power, his location was undeniably exposed.

But before the creatures on the ground could react, He Yiming’s Thunderbolt Spear slammed brutally into the body of one Golden Monster.

The surface of the Golden Monster was incredibly tough; even a Divine Dao expert might struggle to break through it easily.

However, the Thunderbolt Spear had been forged from the mouthparts of a Golden Monster itself, making the tip far harder than their bodies. Thus, in a mere instant, as if slicing through thin paper, the spear pierced deep into its flesh.

All movement in the Golden Monster immediately froze, as if paralyzed by a spell, unable to shift even slightly.

Immediately following, a streak of black and white light flashed across its body, and a profoundly eerie power radiated from within.

The other monsters seemed to sense extreme danger and scrambled away in all directions, ignoring everything else.

But they were too slow. The body of the first Golden Monster exploded before them.

With a deafening sound like crashing thunder and lightning, the monster was annihilated, its flesh and blood scattering like meteorites in every direction. Every death creature caught in the spray of the greenish gore—including the other Golden Monster—let out a piercing shriek, their bodies riddled with holes, some even torn into several sections.

In an instant, the entire space fell silent, not a single sound remaining.

The power displayed by the mutated Thunderbolt Spear appeared to have far surpassed the performance level of the original!

Ps: Apologies, Bai He must first offer an apology...

While typing today, I have to leave the computer and walk around every half hour. Although my head no longer hurts, my eyes still cause pain and occasionally produce tears. Yet, strangely, they feel very dry. Sweat...

It will only be two chapters today. It's not that I don't want to write more, but I genuinely cannot stare at the screen for long periods.

I ask my brothers for a two-day break—tomorrow and the day after. Bai He guarantees at least two chapters during that time, and I will return to normal as soon as I recover.

Apologies again; I am truly sorry.

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