"If you can read it, take it," Old Liu tossed the scroll casually before the Birdman, seemingly quite interested in his kind. "Can your Sunblind clan recognize this ancient script?"

The Birdman accepted the scroll, unrolled it, and studied it intently. His head bobbed rapidly; in a short time, he folded the scroll and threw it back to Xiu-Lao Liu. He chuckled, "So this is an Image Regression Scroll. No one will ever know the secret of longevity until the final step."

"Image Regression Scroll?" Xiu-Lao Liu hoped to glean more information from the Birdman.

He glanced at Xiu-Lao Liu and explained, "An Image Regression Scroll has its original, complete content erased by spellwork. Only after the scroll has experienced events related to what it originally recorded can the content reappear. It seems someone intends to draw you into a scheme."

Xiu-Lao Liu kept his head low, contemplating everything about the Nine Poisonous Fierce Formations. He had initially thought he was here to steal treasure, dispel the resentment of the poisonous array, or perhaps even do something for the good of the nation and its people. But the truth was, they had been guided here by someone from the very beginning—a person very likely to be Mèishū.

"Let me see this thing!" Hong Ling also possessed some understanding of ancient characters. She took the scroll and savored its contents carefully. "This is a love story. Empress Mèishū is truly a passionate soul. I wonder if we'll catch a glimpse of her in this Eternal Lotus Dream Palace."

Saying this, Old Liu once again unbuckled his satchel and tossed an ice crystal toward the Earth Worms, allowing them to continue resting. Having done this, he turned and pointed toward the outer wall beyond the bamboo grove. "This second wall looks impossibly high. There shouldn't be another barrier, but we need a way to get up."

The Birdman had no concern for heights and clearly intended to accompany Xiu-Lao Liu and the others. "Since we’ve come this far, I’m also curious to see what results this scroll will yield. Allow me to travel with you."

"Don't joke! You absolutely cannot follow us!" Hong Ling was filled with hostility toward the Birdman; having this natural enemy nearby made her uneasy.

The Birdman looked at Xiu-Lao Liu and smiled faintly, "Rest assured, little girl. I am only interested in the secret of eternal life. As for the clan conflict between the Bone Gatherers and the Sunblind, I don't care in the slightest."

Unsure what strange entities lay ahead, Xiu-Lao Liu remained silent, implicitly agreeing to let the Birdman follow. Another reason was that this second wall was too high; they needed someone who could fly.

After traveling not far, the four arrived at the base of the wall. Xiu-Lao Liu looked up at the sheer cliff face. "Climbing this seems out of the question. Do any of you have a better method?"

"Methods? Perhaps you lot need to look hard for a method!" the Birdman said, effortlessly spreading his wings and soaring upward. He glided leisurely in the air and soon vanished from the sight of the other three.

Hong Ling exchanged a glance with Xiu-Lao Liu and then smiled as she placed Little Sand onto the wall. At that moment, her magic solidified, and Little Sand instantly grew larger, beginning to snake its way up the wall. Without a second thought, Hong Ling clung to Little Sand. "I'll go ahead of you two. Little Sand doesn't like others on its back, so apologies."

"This..." Xiu-Lao Liu looked helplessly at Old Liu, knowing that this old fellow didn't have many tricks for dealing with this wall. Xiu-Lao Liu teased, "Tell me, that ancient wonder-beast of yours, can it transform into a giant bird or something to ferry me up as well?"

"That thing isn't for casual use; it drains a considerable amount of my energy. I won't use it unless absolutely necessary." Old Liu stared at the wall, pacing anxiously. Finally, a plan struck him, and he smiled. "It seems we'll have to assist each other again, just like crossing a sea of fire."

Xiu-Lao Liu naturally understood what he meant. At that moment, he channeled his Violet Flame, propelling his body halfway up the wall. Once at a certain height, he unleashed his scythe, driving it deep into the masonry to secure his footing. Just then, Old Liu's Thin Face Blade struck and wrapped around his arm. Together, they exerted force, hoisting him to a higher level. He turned, pulled, and with the aid of the Violet Flame, propelled Xiu-Lao Liu up once more. They repeated the process.

"Do you think that Birdman might turn hostile toward us?" Old Liu was meticulous and didn't easily trust others. He walked past Xiu-Lao Liu and whispered quietly, "If he tries to snatch something from us, that would be troublesome."

Xiu-Lao Liu analyzed the situation calmly and considered the possibility. "The things the Birdman set up inside the Mirror Palace suggest that the Sunblind clan possesses another mysterious ability: the power to materialize human thoughts, or perhaps control certain objects. In the duel just now, he didn't use any spell related to that power. We certainly need to be cautious."

"In any case, we must be careful. Anyone who appears alone in these Nine Poisonous Fierce Formations is certainly no saint," Old Liu gritted his teeth and sprang away, leaping to the top of the wall.

Xiu-Lao Liu ascended using the pull from Old Liu and landed on the summit. Standing high up, the air suddenly felt refreshing. Simultaneously, a vast, open area appeared before their eyes—a fragrant lake stretched out before the group.

"That's the scent of wine," Old Liu's nose was keen, and he judged the nature of the lake water with certainty.

Xiu-Lao Liu looked closely. The lake was clearly man-made, shaped into a simple rectangle. The retaining walls around it were primarily pure jade. At one end of the lake stood two massive bronze pillars; one of them bore a scorch mark, contrasting with the deep yellow water, appearing remote, tall, and imposing.

"The lotus leaves in this lake are huge! They're so beautiful," Hong Ling couldn't help but walk to the edge of the lake first. She pointed to a massive lotus leaf and then took a sip of the pool water to quench her thirst. "What potent liquor! And these lotus leaves are several times larger than a person. I bet one person could stand on one without it sinking."

The Birdman remained silent, floating in the sky, his eyes fixed only on Old Liu's satchel. He sought all the answers from the scroll.

Xiu-Lao Liu walked to the edge of the lake and crouched down. The pure jade basin reflected his image almost perfectly; Xiu-Lao Liu had never seen purity like this in his life. He reached out and touched the water’s surface; a slight ripple spread out, and the entire lake seemed to come alive.

"Damn it, this is clearly a lake of yellow wine!" Old Liu made a strained expression. He had already brought some lake water to his mouth, and the potency was beyond his imagination. "It is indeed fine wine; this isn't lake water at all—it's clearly a pool of liquor!"

"A wine pool?" Xiu-Lao Liu couldn't resist taking a small sip. This was aged vintage liquor; just one mouthful burned his throat fiercely. He desperately wanted water to treat the burning but found none, so he could only gasp repeatedly, trying to catch his breath.