To be honest, I hadn’t anticipated the Demon Dragon Giant Moth would be so tenacious, but the terrifying power of its Wanli Zhuihun when it went into its berserk state far exceeded my expectations!

Even now, the whole experience felt unreal.

I instinctively glanced at the Dragon Shadow Sword in my hand; its blade remained a deep azure, as if the radiant, shimmering blade of light from moments before had just been an illusion. Yet, the scattered remnants littering the area, the numerous shocking gashes and craters scarring the ground, and the greenish blood mist hanging in the air all confirmed that everything that had just transpired was brutally real.

This Kuanghua (Berserk State) is truly monstrous. No wonder Jidu once insisted that the Demon Dragon Royal Family’s Sky Demon Warriors were the strongest.

The strike I unleashed just now—I doubt even a peak Chiyue (Crimson Moon) warrior, at full strength, could replicate it. Based on the sheer force, it was at least five times the energy intensity of my normal state!

If that scaling applied to the Sky Demon Warriors during their Kuanghua, I dared not imagine the level of power they would achieve. The thought alone sent a shiver of fear down my spine.

Of course, I knew this wasn't the time to zone out. After settling the shock in my heart, I began to mull over the problems facing me.

Undeniably, the Demon Dragon Giant Moth was the strongest Demon Dragon creature I had encountered thus far; just one forced me into a desperate, life-threatening situation.

Though I had relied on Kuanghua to boost my power and successfully slain it, I was fully aware that luck played a significant role in that victory.

If I had faced two Demon Dragon Giant Moths simultaneously, I was certain I would have stood no chance against them. Furthermore, this Juqi Kuanghua (Gathering Energy Berserk State) easily risked descending into a runaway state, which was something I absolutely did not wish to experience. I wouldn't risk using it unless it was an absolute last resort.

With that realization, I decided to retreat back into the passage first, planning to formulate a better strategy before proceeding.

Upon returning to the passage, night had already fallen. The already dim corridor quickly became pitch black, visibility reduced to where one couldn't see their own outstretched hand. The images of my battle with the Demon Dragon Giant Moth flashed through my mind again.

My ingrained habits of analysis kicked back in. I now had data on the Demon Dragon Giant Moth. Its speed, power, and technique could all be described with words like "monstrous" and "terrifying." Breaking through the West Demon Dragon Pass, guarded by a host of such behemoths, seemed unimaginable.

Heavens! Just one nearly cost me my life; I couldn't bear to think what would happen if several more appeared.

With a helpless sigh, it seemed I needed a completely different approach to clear this stage. But no matter what, survival came first; I couldn't think clearly on an empty stomach anyway. Since no immediate brilliant solution presented itself, I decided to solve the hunger issue first.

With that in mind, I pulled out the Phoenix Bright Pearl from my spatial pouch!

Under the gentle glow of the Phoenix Bright Pearl, the surroundings were instantly illuminated.

Although I had long mastered Tingfeng Bianqi (Listening to the Wind to Discern Objects) and the Eye of Death's Desire, allowing me to accurately perceive changes around me even without sight, I still preferred to be surrounded by light. Perhaps this was simply human nature—a reverence for light and a fear of the dark!

Next, I retrieved a flask of fruit wine and jerky, along with some bread—that would be my dinner.

If I were in the wilderness, I would typically just chew on the jerky and bread mixed with the fruit juice, hastily satisfying my stomach. However, being inside this passage, with no immediate threat of Demon Dragons appearing, I decided to relax. I emptied my spatial pouch, taking out pots, pans, bowls, and the Magic Charcoal Stone (a special fuel in the Mafa World; once lit, it provides immense thermal energy, essential for camping and traveling, though quite expensive). I planned to heat up the jerky, bread, and the Yulong Diao (Jade Dragon Sculpture) before enjoying them. I had learned this trick from Jin Hong back in Centipede Cave; since I had nothing else to do, might as well utilize the time.

Finding a corner sheltered from the wind, I lit the Magic Charcoal Stone and set up the pot stand. In a basin nearby, I had the fruit juice wine (essential for Rangers to substitute water; it preserves indefinitely, whereas water easily evaporates or spoils, but fruit wine remains stable and tastes decent), soaking the jerky and hard bread.

Soon, the once rock-hard jerky and bread plumped up!

I quickly tossed the beef into the steaming pot. In no time, a delicious dinner would be ready. All that remained was patience.

..................................

Staring absently at the fiercely burning Magic Charcoal Stone, the memory of the day’s battle with the Demon Dragon Giant Moth resurfaced.

Jidu had explicitly warned me: Never try to confront a Demon Dragon Giant Moth head-on! In other stages, Jidu offered few specific tips, but his direct caution regarding the West Demon Dragon Pass suggested he must have suffered greatly here himself!

He also told me the key to this pass was Yinni Cangxing (Concealment and Hiding)—how to skillfully conceal myself, avoid detection by the Demon Dragon Giant Moths, and quietly reach the northernmost point. He hadn't, however, shared the specific methods.

Of course, I understood Jidu’s intentions. If he revealed the exact method, it would defeat the purpose of coming here to cultivate and test my adaptability. Warning me that concealment was the key to passing was likely the most he could offer without spoiling the test. Clearly, he feared I might become careless and get targeted by the Moths, perhaps facing mortal danger.

Indeed, I had come perilously close to being annihilated! Jidu’s worries were not unfounded.

But how exactly does one achieve this Yinni Cangxing?

In this perpetual mist, it seemed that the Demon Dragon Giant Moths, Demon Dragon Blade Soldiers, and even the Demon Dragon Blood Frogs could easily detect me!

It was only now that I started questioning this seemingly abnormal phenomenon. Clearly, if it relied solely on sight, they shouldn't be succeeding!

The Demon Dragon World is constantly shrouded in mist, limiting visibility to about thirty meters. Yet, the Demon Dragon Evil Eyes, Blood Frogs, and Blade Soldiers could easily spot me from far greater distances.

As for the Demon Dragon Archers and the Giant Moths, they were even more perverse; they could detect my presence and launch attacks from over three hundred meters away.

What sense were they using?

Besides sight, the remaining options were hearing, smell, and touch.

Could it be hearing? If so, that seemed excessively monstrous! I was extremely cautious during the day; I believed that under those conditions, relying purely on hearing should not have been enough to detect me. Of course, I couldn't completely rule it out—perhaps their auditory senses were just profoundly developed.

Then there was smell. However, no matter how strong my scent, it couldn't possibly drift several hundred meters into the sky to be detected by a Giant Moth! Still, I couldn't discard this possibility either!

Frankly, despite three years in the Mafa World, I still understood too little about it. Things that seemed inexplicable kept happening. The prime example was the Eye of Death's Desire. Though I had mastered it, I still hadn't grasped its underlying mechanism. The sense of killing intent and the vivid 3D images that materialized in my mind surpassed my comprehension. In terms of modern physics, they were unexplainable, but right now, I had no mood to research them.

As for touch, which I assumed only functioned at close range, I couldn't be 100% certain it wasn't involved.

I recalled our middle school biology class where the teacher explained that many creatures rely on touch to sense environmental changes. Snakes were one example.

Snakes have dull hearing because they lack outer and middle ears, possessing only the columella bone; they have no eardrums, tympanic cavities, or Eustachian tubes, meaning they cannot receive airborne sound waves.

However, they possess an incredibly fine sensitivity to ground vibrations. This is why when people work or walk in desolate grasslands, striking the ground with a stick or deliberately heavy-footing can scare snakes away—the principle behind "startling snakes by striking the grass." I suppose this perception falls under the category of touch.

Which of these five senses was it? Or did these species possess such highly developed senses that they could perceive the environment to the maximum degree?

Just as my head felt ready to split from overthinking, an alluring aroma drifted into my nostrils.

Hah! It was done! I lifted the lid of the pot, and a rush of hot steam immediately enveloped my face, leaving a damp patch on my cheeks. Bubbles churned in the pot as if surfacing snow.

I quickly poured the prepared seasonings into the pot and stirred a few times! Then, I extinguished the fire beneath the stone.

I served myself a bowl of beef soup and settled down to savor the meal.

Cultivation is grueling work, so every mealtime is a rare moment of relaxation, especially when such delicacies are at hand. Sipping the Yulong Diao while taking spoonfuls of soup—the feeling was utterly blissful! Honestly, this was the first hot meal I’d had since entering the Demon Dragon World, and I certainly wasn't going to cheat myself. Previously, gnawing on jerky and bread had nearly ground my teeth down.

Right, I’ll figure out the solution later; first, I need to fill my stomach. But the soup was scalding hot; I burned the skin off my lips. It needed to cool down first. I quickly placed the hot soup on my travel table.

Gazing at the steaming beef soup, a flash of inspiration suddenly struck my mind!

Steam! Wait, heat! In my previous analysis of the five senses, I seemed to have overlooked something. In that instant, I suddenly recalled rattlesnakes from biology class! I remembered reading that rattlesnakes possess a remarkable sensory ability: thermal detection!

Below and in front of each of a rattlesnake’s eyes is a small, recessed pit—a specialized organ known as a heat-sensing pit. It receives infrared radiation emitted by animals. This pit is extremely sensitive; it can detect temperature differences as small as one degree Celsius. Thus, whenever a small animal passes by, the rattlesnake immediately notices, silently slithers over, accurately judges the prey’s direction and distance, and strikes to bite it.

That's it—thermal detection! Damn it, how could I forget that biology had such a peculiar sensory capability! If vision, hearing, smell, and taste all proved insufficient, then thermal detection was the only logical explanation remaining.

If the Demon Dragon creatures could sense their surroundings using thermal detection like rattlesnakes, then no matter how carefully I concealed my aura or how lightly I trod, it would be useless. I generate body heat! This exposed my hiding spot.

While thermal sensing across three or four hundred meters seemed excessive, I reminded myself that the Mafa World was the homeland of monsters, and I was currently facing the monsters among monsters. Such an ability shouldn't be surprising here.

The more I thought about it, the more sense it made.

At this point, I could no longer focus on sipping the soup. I frantically rummaged through my spatial pouch for the wooden crates containing preserved meat. The inner lining of these crates was inlaid with a thin film of Ice Stone. This was intended to keep the jerky from spoiling!

The Ice Stone film was a special magical artifact refined using ice magic, acting like a hard leather layer that exerted a cooling effect. It functioned much like modern ice, except it never melted, maintaining a constant low temperature indefinitely.

If my hypothesis was correct, then I had found a way to conceal my presence! My idea was simple: use the Ice Stone film to craft an outer garment, encasing myself to neutralize my body heat.

Of course, the temperature couldn't be too low, as that would also create a thermal differential, which is precisely what the rattlesnake uses to sense heat. Therefore, the temperature couldn't be too high or too low; maintaining equilibrium with the ambient environment would be ideal. This, however, wasn't an insurmountable problem.

I used the Dragon Shadow Sword to shave the Ice Stone film down considerably! Two hours later, a coat made of the Ice Stone film, resembling a raincoat, was finally complete. Looking closely, its appearance was somewhat dreadful—but I hadn't studied tailoring; managing to create this much felt like a stroke of genius on my part.

After carefully examining it and patching up the edges, I hastily slipped the coat on, fastened the ties, and checked around to ensure everything seemed fine.

Okay, that should do it! But just to be safe, I decided to return to Demon Dragon Ridge first to test it on a Demon Dragon Archer. If the Archers reacted to nothing, my theory would be proven correct.

I quickly packed up; I certainly didn't dare waste that delicious soup, drinking every last drop. Well-fed and content, I gripped the Phoenix Bright Pearl and headed toward the other end of the passage!

Even without the Phoenix Bright Pearl, I could use the Eye of Death's Desire to see my surroundings, but the strange visual distortion inherent in that ability made me uneasy. Unless I was in combat, I preferred not to use it.

Four hours later, I finally reached the far end of the passage.

It was deep into the night now. The already murky, gray-mist world was little different from the pitch-black confines of the tunnel. I retracted the Phoenix Bright Pearl and simultaneously activated the Eye of Death's Desire, probing the surroundings.

Half an hour later! I finally sensed a faint ripple emanating from my front-left side. A blurry figure materialized in the 3D image in my mind. Yes, it was a Demon Dragon Archer.

I cautiously approached the Demon Dragon Archer.

But the Archer seemed completely unaware of my approach, standing stiffly like a wooden statue. A wave of joy washed over me. I carefully gauged the distance between us—about two hundred meters. Previously, a Demon Dragon Archer could spot me instantly from three hundred meters away, yet now, I had crept within two hundred meters with no reaction. This could only mean one thing!

It seemed my guess was correct: clad in the Ice Stone film coat, the Demon Dragon Archer could not detect my presence. I stifled the surge of excitement and continued moving stealthily closer to the Archer.

One hundred fifty meters, one hundred, eighty, sixty, forty, twenty, ten meters!

Damn it, even this close, the Demon Dragon Archer showed no reaction, which greatly boosted my confidence. I swung my hand, launching a Wanli Zhuihun straight toward its throat.

Thwack! A crisp sound! The Demon Dragon Archer collapsed without even a chance to scream.

I never expected that the Demon Dragon World—which countless heroes across the continent regarded as the ultimate trial for peak Crimson Rangers—harbored such a fundamental flaw. I was certain that by wearing this Ice Stone film coat, one could pass these stages with ease.

Suppressing my intense excitement, I hurried back into the passage.

This round trip occupied the entire night. My magic clock showed it was already four in the morning!

I decided to get some proper rest first!

The next morning, I once again stepped into the territory of the West Demon Dragon Pass.

Even though I wore the Ice Stone film coat, I subconsciously lightened my footsteps as I walked. For added security, I kept the Eye of Death's Desire active, carefully monitoring the changing environment.

Soon, the 3D image in my mind revealed two massive shapes hovering approximately three hundred meters directly ahead and above me. They seemed utterly oblivious to my presence, circling freely, occasionally emitting indistinct cries!

As I advanced, more Demon Dragon Giant Moths appeared in the sky, but they all hovered at heights above a hundred meters, impossible to spot the moving figure on the ground.

The situation was bizarre and marvelous. To be honest, moving among such a swarm of terrifying giants still made the hair on my scalp stand on end, and my chest pounded rhythmically.

That was the sound of my heart beating rapidly from sheer tension.

Occasionally, a few Moths that enjoyed performing low-altitude swooping stunts would skim the ground, terrifying me into nearly shouting out loud. Their distance sometimes brought them within forty meters. If they got any closer, even without thermal sensing, they could spot me with the naked eye, and then I would truly be in trouble.

Therefore, for safety, I tried to stick to areas where the density of the Demon Dragon Giant Moths was lower.

However, as time passed, the number of Giant Moths encountered only increased. It seemed useless to try moving in any direction; moreover, not all of them were airborne. Many lay sprawled on the ground, moving with clumsy steps, seemingly searching for something.

Sky, ground—Giant Moth silhouettes were everywhere. The sight was absolutely staggering.

I thought, if the filmmakers of Starship Troopers could find this location for their alien insectoid scenes, it would have been far more visually impactful. But this was no time for contemplation, as I was completely surrounded by Giant Moths.

I was done for! No matter which direction I turned, it felt like I would collide with them. In desperation, I moved towards a nearby mountain wall, leaning against a corner, and sat down. For concealment, I forcibly used the Dragon Shadow Sword to carve out a two-cubic-meter hollow in the rock face, crawled inside, and sealed the entrance with a large stone. This way, even if a Giant Moth passed within thirty meters, it wouldn't detect me.

Actually, I had used this trick before in Centipede Cave, in the underground palace of the Earth Dragon God. At that time, Jin Bo and I were in one of the palace tunnels when we encountered the passing Earth Dragon God. If we hadn't hidden ourselves inside that alcove, we wouldn't be alive now.

It was pitch black inside the wall cavity, but I finally felt a sense of relief.

It was a miscalculation; I hadn't expected the closer I got to the central zone, the more numerous the Giant Moths became. It seemed I could only make plans once night fell. At least I was certain that under the cover of darkness, even approaching them within a few meters wouldn't betray my presence.

I truly wondered how Jidu and Master Jianli managed to pass this stage!