Golden mist roiled and surged in the air, like swirling snow, occasionally shifting into various forms. In the areas where the golden fog was densest, tiny specks of golden light could be seen drifting within, like a swarm of fireflies.

Light pierced the golden haze, sharp as a blade, stinging the skin on his cheek. Ye Chen squinted one eye, looking wearily up at the blurred light source above. A fuzzy, glowing white object hung in the sky, indistinct, like a crescent moon obscured by haze.

A soft mountain breeze swept past, chafing against the ragged tear in his chest, sending waves of sharp pain mixed with chilling coolness. He offered a quiet, self-deprecating smile in his heart, then turned to look at Bai Yijun beside him.

They were both leaning against the boughs of a dense, ancient tree. Bai Yijun was slumped against a thick branch, her face pale, her lips drained of color. On the silver-white trim of her white robe, several startling crimson droplets stained the fabric, appearing like bizarre, embroidered flowers.

Bai Yijun kept her eyes closed for a moment before opening them. Her breathing eased slightly, and she turned, her gaze filled with concern, “Are you alright?”

A small crack split Ye Chen’s lips, almost a smile, but it immediately pulled at his internal injuries. His brow furrowed deeply, and he coughed lightly, expelling a mouthful of thick, blood-tinged phlegm. His strength seemed instantly drained; he leaned back against the tree trunk, exhaling softly, “I’m fine. This much damage is nothing. That monster is still nearby. Your technique for suppressing our aura worked wonders; otherwise, we’d both be dead by now.”

Bai Yijun gave a wry smile. “We only have this Dragon-Scale Mountain Range to thank. Look at this golden mist suffusing everything; it’s so dense it’s almost condensed into ** divine power. If not for this natural interference, drastically confusing the monster’s senses, we would have died hundreds of times over already.”

Ye Chen fell silent for a beat, then murmured, “I only need one-thousandth of a second to open the Rune Space and retrieve the Heavenly Dao Divine Ark, and get inside. The pity is, the moment the Rune Space opens, the energy fluctuation spreads. The monster would sense it in one-hundredth of a second and instantly teleport here, obliterating us both! With my current condition—all the lifespan compressed from trillions of years burned down into one second—it all exploded out, and I still sustained this level of injury just to escape. Attempting that again is impossible.”

Bai Yijun looked up at the verdant branches. Shards of leaves chopped the sunlight and mist into beams that shone down. In this silent, ancient, dense forest, these beams dappled the ground where small creatures occasionally scurried over dead leaves, vanishing into holes at the base of the colossal trees.

A gentle breeze sighed.

“If…” She turned back to face Ye Chen, her eyes intensely serious. “If we die here together, you must promise to hold my hand. In the next reincarnation, I want to meet you again. Whatever we are in that life—a noble princess or young lady, or a peasant or commoner in a mountain village—I have only one request: to be your wife.”

Ye Chen’s body jolted, a surge of heat rushing up from within. His frame trembled uncontrollably as he looked at Bai Yijun, excitement overcoming him. After a very long moment, a low, husky, and deeply moved sound finally escaped his constricted throat. “I promise!”

“How touching…” A chilling voice suddenly echoed directly above their heads.

Ye Chen and Bai Yijun both started violently, snapping back to awareness and looking up. Light illuminated the thick trunk roughly ten meters above, where a figure cloaked in black robes sat. Encased entirely within the voluminous garment, the hood was pulled so low that only a voice, scornful and indifferent, issued from beneath it: “I will grant your wish.” With that, he sprang down, landing on the branch directly in front of Ye Chen and Bai Yijun.

The black robe billowed and snapped as if in a fierce wind, yet there was no actual breeze; the wind seemed to originate solely from beneath his feet. He slowly raised a hand, the sleeves of the black robe impossibly long, enveloping his grasp. The empty, inky sleeve was aimed at Ye Chen and Bai Yijun.

“Go, Rabbit Devour!”

Black mist swept out from him like a cyclone, bifurcating into two thin, black serpentine wisps that lunged toward Ye Chen and Bai Yijun.

At that precipice of life and death, the shock and terror in Ye Chen and Bai Yijun’s eyes softened into acceptance and a shared smile. They didn't look at the incoming attack, but instead turned toward each other, summoning their last reserves of strength, reaching out their hands, and grasping them tightly together.

Then, they both smiled.

The smile rippled outward, expanding through the air and fading into the gentle breeze.

Pfft…

The sound of the rustling robe accompanied a sudden, violent distortion in the light. In front of Ye Chen and Bai Yijun, who were bracing for death, the light abruptly dimmed, as if abruptly shaded by a vast shadow.

Ye Chen reacted fastest. He whipped his head around, his body stiffening instantly, followed by a flash of pure joy in his eyes. Standing before them, straight and slender like a drawn sword, was the figure of True Man Shi Ge, facing the two incoming black mist snakes. His expression was cold and detached. He merely waved a hand into the air—

Whoosh!

A burst of clean air swept past. The two black mist snakes scattered as if blown away, dissolving like smoke.

The figure in black recoiled violently, tumbling back several yards to stand on the very tip of the branch. His body seemed weightless, balanced perfectly on a branch no thicker than a finger, without bending or breaking it. An enraged shout echoed from beneath his black hood: “Who are you!”

“You should know,” True Man Shi Ge replied coldly, looking directly at him. He raised a hand to his chest and rapidly formed a complex seal with his fingers, intoning deeply, “Life Reversion Array!”

From the dry wood beneath Ye Chen and Bai Yijun, a brilliant green light array instantly illuminated, enveloping both of them. Numerous specks of emerald light drifted out from the formation, penetrating their skin, causing their wounds to heal at a rate visible to the naked eye.

Ye Chen was stunned. He had never imagined True Man Shi Ge’s power to be so terrifying. They had tried treating their own injuries moments before, only to find their efforts thwarted by an unseen, mystical force—they couldn't even staunch the bleeding. Now, under Shi Ge’s casual gesture, they were rapidly recovering.

What shocked him even more was the sheer terror of the black-robed figure’s strength. Ye Chen understood how powerful that entity was, yet True Man Shi Ge had so effortlessly forced him back. And Shi Ge was currently heavily wounded himself; when fully healed, how terrifying would his might be?

“You two leave first,” True Man Shi Ge stated flatly, not turning back.

Ye Chen and Bai Yijun had already recovered seventy or eighty percent of their strength in moments; moving was no issue. They stood up, glancing back at the nearby black-robed figure with lingering dread. Ye Chen tugged Bai Yijun’s hand and bowed his head, “We will take our leave then, Ancestor. Be careful; this person is formidable.” With that, his figure flickered, leaving behind a ripple of distortion, and he vanished, transporting Bai Yijun with him.

In the next instant, Ye Chen and Bai Yijun materialized high above the Dragon-Scale Mountain Range. Ye Chen’s hand snapped out, rapidly opening the Rune Space, retrieving the Heavenly Dao Divine Ark, enlarging it, and then he and Bai Yijun slipped inside, sealing the hatch.

Hoo. Ye Chen sighed in relief, then looked at Bai Yijun with a strained expression, “The strength of this True Man Shi Ge is truly beyond the ordinary. Is this the power of a Void Heaven Realm expert?”

Bai Yijun also let out a helpless sigh.

“I wonder how Pangu and Nuwa are doing,” Bai Yijun worried, her expression troubled. “Let’s return first; they must have been the ones who summoned True Man Shi Ge to rescue us.”

“Yes, which means their injuries are definitely being treated. No need to worry,” Ye Chen looked down toward the forest visible through the viewport. “Let’s watch their battle first.”

Bai Yijun exclaimed in surprise, “Sneak a peek at their fight?”

“Exactly. Witnessing a battle between Void Heaven Realm experts is a rare opportunity. We’ll certainly learn a great deal, and even if we gain nothing else, we’ll know the true scope of their power. Don’t worry; with the Heavenly Dao Divine Ark here, even if we encounter that black-robed figure, he won't be able to break in quickly. We’ll have time to flee.” Ye Chen licked his lips, his eyes shining brilliantly.

Bai Yijun pondered for a moment. “That is a sound strategy.”

Ye Chen smiled and activated the All-Beings-Seeing Satellite imagery, projecting the entirety of the forest onto the external screen.

On the screen, True Man Shi Ge and the black-robed figure stood silently on the tree trunk from before; neither had moved. Only the soft breeze stirred their robes. After a moment, True Man Shi Ge spoke coldly, “Which rank of Ghost Realm thrall are you?”

“Ghost Realm?” Ye Chen and Bai Yijun narrowed their eyes simultaneously.

The black-robed figure on the screen paused, then slowly lifted the hood from his head. Ye Chen and Bai Yijun’s pupils constricted. Beneath the removed hood was only a mass of black mist, shifting into an irregular shape, like boiling water churning within. The wind blew his robes apart, revealing his chest, which was also a swirling vortex of black vapor.

Ye Chen and Bai Yijun felt their scalps prickle. They realized the monster they had just fought was something like this!

True Man Shi Ge’s sharp gaze was fixed on the top of the black-robed figure’s head, where six white halos were arranged in a circle. “So, a Six Path Ghost Thrall. Hmph. Your Ghost Realm is quick to act, sending someone to the Ancient World this early, even occupying one of these Four Great Famous Mountains.”

“That has nothing to do with you!” the black-robed figure said coldly. “You are True Man Shi Ge of the Realm of Truth, aren’t you? I advise you to abandon any notion of claiming this mountain range, or you’ll pay with your life!”