All sorts of strange and bizarre things were encountered along the way—some maddening and spirit-crushing, others hilariously absurd—countless spectacles that certainly opened the eyes of Lin Luo and Qiqi, newcomers to this place.

Overall, despite the sheer oddity of this realm, it didn't seem to harbor any significant inherent danger. They believed that unless one deliberately courted trouble or stumbled into an accident, even a completely powerless ordinary person could navigate and survive here unscathed.

But if that were the case, why was this place dubbed the Forbidden Zone of Life?

This very question preoccupied Lin Luo and Qiqi for a long time. Eventually, they could only settle on one conclusion: the lethal threat wasn't the terrifying-looking flying beasts or monstrous creatures; it was the land itself.

In truth, both the terms "Perilous Ground" and "Forbidden Zone of Life" clearly indicated a region fraught with danger, a territory where life was prohibited. It was only upon seeing the exotic fauna that their instincts immediately linked the danger to those creatures—a fundamental flaw in their initial assessment.

Since no danger had materialized yet, it meant they hadn't yet stepped into the true Perilous Ground!

With this realization, the pair pressed onward, venturing deeper in.

Initially, nothing seemed to change, but as they walked, both noticed something peculiar: the further they proceeded, the fewer flying beasts and monsters they could see. Eventually, the vista grew utterly barren—not even a fly or a solitary tree remained in sight. The surroundings were starkly empty, consisting only of black stone ground, stagnant yellowish water, and... skeletal remains.

At that moment, both were certain: their prior suspicions were correct. They had entered the genuine Perilous Ground!

Though nothing overtly bizarre had happened up to this point, facing such an uncanny environment demanded absolute vigilance. Even confident in their formidable power, they dared not let down their guard, proceeding with extreme caution every step of the way, maintaining a constant state of combat readiness.

As they advanced once more, the scenery began to dim perceptibly. Even with their night vision abilities, discerning the environment beyond a hundred meters became difficult. Furthermore, the air grew unnervingly quiet; even with their senses strained to the utmost, they couldn't detect the slightest sound—not even the whisper of the wind.

“How far can you see now?” Lin Luo finally broke the silence.

Qiqi blinked in momentary surprise before replying, “Fifty meters.”

“Why the hesitation?” Lin Luo caught the flicker of expression across her face, instantly dreading a bad omen.

“I didn't quite catch that,” Qiqi replied, frowning slightly.

Didn't catch that?

If anyone else had said those words, it wouldn't have been strange. But coming from Qiqi, Lin Luo's expression shifted drastically. Given Qiqi’s power, even if fully engrossed in other matters, she shouldn't miss a sound within a meter of herself, let alone his voice—a sound Qiqi could never ignore.

Yet, she had experienced a momentary lapse in hearing. What did this imply?

Qiqi's hearing was regressing!

No, not just hearing—her vision too.

The reason they couldn't see distant surroundings wasn't due to the environment becoming too dark; it was because the environment was actively stripping away their visual senses, followed by their auditory senses... and terrifyingly, perhaps all their five senses.

What would happen to a person who lost their five senses?

They wouldn't see, hear, smell, taste, or even feel texture.

The loss of the five senses meant the cessation of all physiological perception, equivalent to the annihilation of the physical body. For any individual... any living being, this would be a fatal blow.

“It seems I'm beginning to grasp why this place is called the Forbidden Zone of Life…” Lin Luo frowned, his expression deeply contemplative. He then stated solemnly, “Activate the Eighth Sense... No, the Ninth Sense!”

Beyond the basic five senses, humanity possesses a Sixth Sense, also known as extrasensory perception, which essentially boils down to spiritual awareness. In a way, the Sixth Sense is a basic, innate sense; without it, a person is theoretically dead or non-existent, though ordinary people can only trigger it sporadically, often manifesting as what people call intuition.

Above that, the Seventh Sense is the perception of time. If mastered, it allows for jumps along the timeline—like in many reincarnation novels where protagonists, at the moment of death or under specific circumstances, suddenly find themselves flung back into the past; this is an accidental unlocking of the Seventh Sense.

However, perfect mastery of the Seventh Sense requires comprehension of the Eighth Sense, spatial awareness, also known as the Alaya-vijnana. This is because space and time are indivisible; they influence and connect with each other, and without one, the other loses all meaning.

Knowing that this place strips away the five senses, Lin Luo realized the Sixth and Seventh Senses would likely be unreliable. After all, the Divine Artificers, whose cultivation levels guaranteed at least mastery of the Seventh Sense, had all entered and never returned. How could the Seventh Sense be trusted?

But he quickly reflected that the Eighth Sense might also be useless, as the perfect fusion of the Eighth and Seventh Senses only reached the level of High-Tier Earth Rank. Consider the Divine Artificer who manufactured Kongque and the others—what was his fate? He visited the Forbidden Zone of Life and barely escaped with his life.

Lin Luo even suspected that the reason that seemingly invincible Divine Artificer died was precisely because he had been here; the perfect integration of the Eighth and Seventh Senses couldn't withstand this territory's destructive power.

Therefore, the only option left for him and Qiqi was to activate the Ninth Sense.

“Are you certain?” Qiqi’s tone held a hint of doubt.

Lin Luo smiled calmly. “If I could, I’d open the Tenth Sense right now.”

Seeing his demeanor, Qiqi fell silent, but her eyes sharpened. Instantly, a mist of blood erupted, shattering her physical body in a single moment. Simultaneously, Lin Luo did the exact same thing.

The so-called Ninth Sense, in common parlance, is the realm of a god. Once attained, it signifies that the individual has transcended flesh, existing purely as intent. If a body is needed, it can be conjured from thin air, and they become immune to natural death... Of course, the 'immunity to death' is nonsense; the gaze of a Heaven-Rank expert could still reduce a Ninth Sense user to ashes instantly.

Relatively speaking, however, achieving the Ninth Sense makes one incredibly difficult to kill and immune to natural decay.

In this Forbidden Zone of Life, Lin Luo understood that the physical body was merely a constraint; shedding it made things easier. But at their current stage, activating the Ninth Sense prematurely—though achievable by force—would inflict damage on their future ascension to the Heaven Rank. This was why Qiqi had questioned him.

But beggars couldn't be choosers; in this situation, Lin Luo had no other recourse. Moreover, given their existing foundation, this potential damage was repairable.

Understanding his reasoning, Qiqi executed the command without hesitation.

With their bodies shattered, they existed only as pure consciousness. Yet, the very next instant, their physical forms reappeared, seemingly identical to before... How was this possible!

Their current bodies were merely constructs; their essence remained that of intent. More crucially, they were no longer affected by the environment; all their senses had returned to normal.

Lin Luo looked ahead and saw a human skeleton several hundred meters away. Though long deceased, he could still discern that the skeleton had belonged to a Divine Artificer. Moreover, many more lay scattered nearby.

While Divine Artificers were powerful, they had not reached the realm where they could awaken the Ninth Sense. Thus, as they walked, their senses were systematically stripped away, leading to their demise.

If Lin Luo hadn't preemptively activated the Ninth Sense, they too would have met the same fate.

In summary, this place truly deserved its title as the Forbidden Zone of Life, capable of killing the unwary invisibly and silently.

But now, this immediate threat was neutralized, and the two pressed forward again.

After walking several thousand meters without encountering any danger or feeling that unsettling premonition, the pair finally felt a sense of genuine security. Perhaps, once one reached the Ninth Sense, one could move through this territory at will.

Of course, they hadn't journeyed here merely to experience the Forbidden Zone. They were searching for something specific. Having essentially confirmed their safety, they split up, fully extending their perceptual domains to conduct an all-encompassing search.

While separating in such a location wasn't the wisest course of action, in their current state, immediate rescue was possible even if danger struck. The only entity capable of instantly obliterating them would have to be a Half-Step Heaven Rank expert or higher—and if such a being appeared, even standing together would be futile.

Finally, after some time searching, the two discovered it at the very edge of the Forbidden Zone: the brilliant pearl, half-buried in the soil, emanating an unimaginably wondrous power.

“That’s it, the Fifth Element!” Lin Luo’s eyes lit up instantly, and he rushed forward swiftly.

According to the fundamental worldview of this world, all matter is composed of four elements. Yet, beyond these basics existed the Fifth Element... or, put another way, the Origin of All Things, a living miracle, or something utterly anomalous.

With his level of comprehension, Lin Luo recognized its essence immediately. This was precisely what he needed.

“Is it alright to just take it?” Qiqi inquired.

It was common knowledge that treasures are usually guarded. If someone attempted to seize a valuable artifact, an attack would surely follow. As the ultimate treasure of this world, the Fifth Element would almost certainly have some formidable guardian.

But Lin Luo paid no heed; this item was his objective, and he was determined to claim it.

To his surprise, nothing happened even after he picked up the Fifth Element and tucked it inside his robe.

“I suppose I worried for nothing.”

After waiting patiently for a while longer, the world remained perfectly tranquil, and the pair finally relaxed completely, turning back the way they came.

Shortly after their departure, unseen by anyone, a rabbit’s head emerged from the black mud where the Fifth Element had been buried... RQ