With Hu Zhongyuan and Chai Zhou taking the lead, those around them no longer hesitated and leaped down from the cliff one after another.

However, those with profound attainments in spiritual arts, like Shi Danlingxuan, felt no fear. They each displayed their Daoist magic, floating in the void as they descended into the thick fog below the mountain.

In just a moment, only Zong Shou remained on the mountain peak.

Zong Shou did not immediately follow, but instead walked to the other side, repeating his earlier words: "Will you jump on your own, or shall I kick you down?"

The empty space suddenly flickered with light and shadow, and a massive, pitch-black lion materialized. It was Zong Shou's own companion, the Shadow Projection Lion named Xiao Zhi.

It lay by the edge of the cliff, looking back with eyes full of pitiable innocence.

Receiving another sensation in his mind, Zong Shou immediately pressed a hand to his forehead, feeling a strong headache.

This lion was actually afraid of heights!

No longer wishing to waste words, Zong Shou delivered a direct kick, sending the Shadow Projection Lion tumbling off the deep cliff.

Then, the Lei Yi Sword suddenly flew up, hovering beneath his feet and carrying his body downward.

His descent was wobbly and somewhat unstable. Zong Shou felt a touch of novelty; utilizing the means of a Spiritual Master to fly while controlling an artifact was a first for him.

It was just a pity that his command over spiritual arts was so clumsy. Lacking delicate control, he dared not make any large movements, forced only to sink honestly into the fog.

At about one hundred and twenty zhang, Zong Shou landed firmly on the ground, vaguely hearing the sounds of battle emanating from within the dense fog.

In the next instant, Zong Shou felt someone employing a spiritual technique, immediately summoning a gust of fierce wind that blew away all the swirling white mist.

Then he saw Yi Ren and the others gathered together. Only Hu Zhongyuan seemed unlucky, entangled fiercely by a fifth-rank exotic beast with a rather strange appearance; his situation looked quite grim.

Around the exotic beast, the dense fog remained stubbornly condensed, refusing to disperse even when buffeted by the strong winds. It materialized and vanished within the mist, and even though Hu Zhongyuan now possessed the cultivation of the Xuanwu Sect, he was being pushed into a state of extreme disarray.

"It's a Fog Wolf!"

Shi Dan's delicate eyebrows furrowed. She bowed to Zong Shou, who was now strolling over, and said, "My Lord, this Fog Wolf seems peculiar. It is somewhat different from those I have encountered before."

Xuan Yuan Yi Ren was also performing an action, but the spiritual formula she used was somewhat unique. She was subtly drawing in the surrounding water vapor, bit by bit. Then, she suspended it before her, continuously shifting its color. Only when Zong Shou drew near did she finally relax, dissipating the spiritual technique, saying, "I have tested it; this water vapor is poisonous. However, the concentration is extremely low; those above the Innate realm need not worry. Only Ruolan needs to be careful not to stay in the mist for too long. But she is under my care, so it should be fine."

Relief washed over the others. Previously, they had all been holding their breath, sealing their pores, and severing their connection to the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Ruoshui had even split off some true energy to protect Ruolan, maintaining her breathing through sympathetic exchange. Only now did they dare to relax and release their defenses.

Zong Shou had known this all along, his gaze fixed steadily on the patch of dense fog beside Hu Zhongyuan.

It was indeed different from ordinary fifth-rank Fog Wolves; this exotic beast was more than a single step stronger than its peers. Its entire body was covered in peculiar scales, impervious to blades and swords. Hu Zhongyuan had struck it several times with his Tiger Tyrant Blade, only managing to elicit faint sparks, leaving the Fog Wolf's body completely unharmed.

Yet, it was entirely consistent with his memories.

At this moment, Zong Shou fell into deep contemplation, recalling the game Shen Huang.

Everything in the game differed in many ways, yet coincided in some aspects, with the appearance of the Cloud Realm from ten thousand years ago.

What was most astonishing was the surprising alignment in some of the most hidden details.

Zong Shou had held little hope for this secret place. After all, no surviving texts passed down through the ages contained detailed records of it.

The only vague connection was a single line: 'Ling Yuan could not defeat Xi Zi, escaping by severing its tail, which fell into the Land of Buried Sages.' This seemed somewhat related to his Martial Uncle, the Patriarch Cang Sheng Dao.

The so-called Land of Buried Sages referred to this vicinity. Legend claimed that during the Cloud Wasteland Era, as many as twelve Sages had perished in one place overnight for unknown reasons. Thus, that location was named the Land of Buried Sages.

Zong Shou had specifically researched this later and found that there was a seventy percent probability that the area south of Xiping Province was the site where the multitude of Sages had fallen.

However, since it was unconfirmed speculation, the secret land his friend had found was most likely a fabrication by the game development company.

Zong Shou had only kept a sliver of hope, coming here to take a look. His true intention was to see if he could find clues nearby to locate the true whereabouts of the Ling Yuan's tail.

But the current situation could not help but startle him.

Why did the developers of the game Shen Huang know even such a hidden matter? And why was it reproduced perfectly in a virtual game?

Was that game truly developed by this game company, which boasted such profound lore?

Coupling this with the Tun Tian Yuan Hua Sutra and the Zhou Ji Ming Shi Shu, more questions swirled into his mind.

He couldn't help but drift off for a moment, but the next instant, his thoughts were interrupted.

He heard Hu Zhongyuan suddenly shout in anger, "Three more have arrived! This is infuriating! Why aren't you acting faster?"

Zong Shou's focus snapped back, and indeed, three more fifth-rank Fog Wolves lunged out from the cloud mist.

Chai Zhou shook his head with a faint, amused smile, "Who was it earlier that insisted on personally slaying the Fog Wolves for revenge?"

Zong Shou then noticed the bite marks on Hu Zhongyuan's posterior. Fortunately, he was wearing a layer of iron armor, so the injury was not severe. Zong Shou couldn't help but chuckle inwardly.

He had been lost in thought regarding this place, but now, snapping back to the present, he immediately suppressed all his questions, pushing them aside.

After all, he was now in the time span of ten thousand years prior. Even if he harbored doubts about that game development company, he could not possibly run back to ten thousand years in the future to investigate; this matter was fated to remain unresolved.

Waving his hand, he signaled Chai Zhou and Ling Xuan, who were preparing to intervene and assist, to halt. Zong Shou brought his two fingers together before his chest, and the Lei Yi Sword once again soared into the air, slicing into the dense fog.

Initially, he employed the Jing Yun Shen Mie Sword Art, also remaining hidden within the cloud mist, stealthily gliding forward. Only when he was close did the purple sword light suddenly accelerate, exploding in a burst of lightning. The sword's speed and might instantly surged to their peak. It plunged straight in, instantly killing one of the fifth-rank Fog Wolves with a single strike!

With another great gesture, he captured the massive exotic beast, drawing it toward him. Up close, it became apparent that this Fog Wolf was not merely covered in scales all over its body. Its entire form was riddled with grotesque, lumpy growths, some of which were pustules seeping with pus—a sight that made one's scalp tingle.

Zong Shou paid it no mind. He used the sword to slice open its chest and abdomen, then carefully cut into its heart.

Hu Zhongyuan, standing nearby, grew frantic, wailing loudly, "My Lord, you cannot ignore this! Can you bear to watch Zhongyuan die here?"

The Fog Wolf's strength already surpassed that of same-ranked exotic beasts, and its elusive form allowed it to fully utilize its powers within this dense mist.

Hu Zhongyuan had just entered the Xuanwu realm and had not yet integrated his seventh spiritual meridian. Dealing with one was already taxing; facing three attacking him simultaneously left him scrambling to defend, completely overwhelmed.

Zong Shou remained unmoved, intentionally allowing the man to suffer a little. He concentrated entirely on extracting several drops of silvery-white blood from within the Fog Wolf's body.

Xuan Yuan Yi Ren, watching from the side, was immediately moved. The aura of this blood was strikingly similar to the juice extracted from the Qing Shi Grass earlier, yet far more concentrated and pure. With another glance, Xuan Yuan Yi Ren instantly understood.

"I see! These Fog Wolves remain in this dense mist year-round, becoming steeped in the mist's effluvium. Over time, although their strength increases rapidly, their bodies become profoundly infected by the toxins. This blood must be the essence produced after being purified and filtered through these beasts' bodies, correct?"

As she spoke, Xuan Yuan Yi Ren's pupils began to glow. Whether for human martial artists, spiritual masters, or these exotic beasts, when the physical vitality reached a certain level, they developed the inherent ability to detoxify. This silver blood was effectively the product of filtering and refining the water vapor—not only non-toxic but incomparably pure. If used in alchemy, this substance would surely yield miraculous results!

Zong Shou had already sensed Xiao Jin on his arm growing restless. He did not stop it, allowing it to swallow the silvery essence blood.

Then, in the next instant, fine, almost invisible filaments appeared on Xiao Jin’s jelly-like body, making the esoteric patterns on its outer skin even more perfect.

The group present rejoiced instantly. This silver blood was indeed effective, and judging by Xiao Jin’s reaction, it was apparently harmless.

"This substance is most effective for my demon kin and exotic beasts, capable of improving bloodlines. Ordinary people can also consume it, but unless they possess an anomalous bloodline, it will only strengthen the body and increase true energy. Furthermore, it contains a trace of the blood of an ancient divine beast. Once a certain concentration is reached, it carries the power of Wisdom Comprehension, aiding one in grasping martial arts and the ultimate principles of heaven and earth; it is equally beneficial for Spiritual Masters," Zong Shou explained, secretly regretting that Yin Yang was absent and his whereabouts unknown. Otherwise, this water vapor, which was essentially the essence of the Spirit Source, might have even more remarkable effects on the Spirit Race. He added, "In truth, this essence blood is not entirely non-toxic. After accumulating about a hundred drops, the toxicity could endanger a Martial Ancestor expert's life. One should not consume too much; depending on one's aptitude, about one hundred and twenty drops is the limit. Also, when killing these exotic beasts, it is best to strike a fatal blow with a sword when the beast's vital energy is boiling hot!"

Hearing this, the others no longer needed Zong Shou to elaborate; they understood his meaning. The quality of the silver essence blood would be better when the vital energy was most vigorous, and excessive injury would lower the purity of this essence blood.

Hu Zhongyuan, having already exerted himself to the utmost to suppress the three Fog Wolves, was about to strike one to injure it when he heard Zong Shou’s words. He immediately withdrew his hand and began to defend frantically, his eyes shining with avarice as he stared at the three beasts.