That hideous monstrosity seemed able to move freely through the mire, its face covered in dark green scales, looking utterly ferocious and terrifying.

After its roar, the poisonous miasma swirling above several nearby swamps slowly began to drift toward this spot.

The dense poisonous haze suddenly materialized above Shi Yan and his group, constantly condensing until water vapor began to form within the vapor.

"Splash!"

Drops of green venomous water suddenly began to fall from the poisonous haze.

In that instant, a rain of poison began to fall across this section of the swamp.

Chi Xiao’s expression changed drastically, and he shouted, "Zhua Qi! Don't be reckless!"

As he spoke, Chi Xiao suddenly hurled a silver curtain from his robes. As soon as it appeared, the curtain instantly expanded, slamming down to shroud the patch of sky directly above Shi Yan and the others.

The drops of venomous water descended, striking the silver curtain, then trickling down its edges. When the water hit the swamp below, thick, oily green smoke billowed violently up from the mire.

"Silver Gauze Screen!"

The hideous monster’s expression turned sinister. He snarled, "You even brought the Silver Gauze Screen! Chi Xiao, you truly intended to deal with me this time!"

"Stop! Stop!" Seeing Zhua Qi preparing to move again, Chi Xiao urgently called out, "Zhua Qi, you've truly misunderstood this time! I came for the Nine-Headed Heavenly Serpent, absolutely not to give you trouble! I brought the Silver Gauze Screen only to guard against the Nine-Headed Heavenly Serpent’s venom; it has nothing to do with you!"

"I don't believe you!" Zhua Qi sneered. "You alone, trying to deal with the Nine-Headed Heavenly Serpent? Impossible, you say? Hmph, you have no feud with the Nine-Headed Heavenly Serpent either; you must be here to deal with me!"

With a cold snort, Zhua Qi slammed one hand down into the swamp, and strands of strange, faint green light seeped into the mire.

From the swamp, mud-dragons, formed from the congealed silt, suddenly burst forth. Each dragon was as thick as a human waist and about ten meters long, all lunging ferociously to bite at Shi Yan and his party.

Zhua Qi could not only control the poisonous miasma of the Dead Silence Swamp, but apparently, he could also command the mud itself!

Shi Yan’s expression shifted slightly. He hadn't expected to encounter such a troublesome opponent just upon entering the Dead Silence Swamp. He immediately heightened his guard, secretly circulating the essential jingyuan within his body, preparing to deal with the surging mud-dragons.

The mud-dragons flew out of the swamp, their long, thick bodies writhing, surging toward Shi Yan’s group from all directions—a rather spectacular sight.

The dry ground where Shi Yan and the others stood also began to soften gradually. Judging by the trend, it was clearly being affected by Zhua Qi’s power and would soon sink into the swamp.

A cold glint flashed in Xia Xinyan’s eyes; she was already contemplating using her 'Cycle of Reincarnation Martial Soul.'

"Zhua Qi! I truly did not come for you!" Chi Xiao sounded slightly anxious, shouting loudly.

Chi Xiao was confident he could handle Zhua Qi, but looking after the group above the swamp was proving difficult. If everyone fell into the mire with Zhua Qi present, everyone except him and Xia Xinyan would undoubtedly perish!

"Shi Yan, come here. I will ensure your safety!" Xia Xinyan cast a cool glance at Shi Yan, her tone utterly devoid of emotion.

At this critical juncture, Han Feng and Ku Long both looked bewildered, staring at Xia Xinyan with a hint of surprise.

A strange light flickered in Wu Yunlian’s and Zuo Shi’s eyes; they were also full of confusion, unable to understand why Xia Xinyan was protecting Shi Yan, as it clearly defied common sense.

Shi Yan didn't dare pretend to be a hero at this moment. He quickly leaped from one patch of dry ground to another, soon arriving beside Xia Xinyan.

"Zhua Qi!"

Chi Xiao exclaimed in alarm, "There is a 'Heavenly Gate' in the Absolute Yin Valley! I truly came for the Nine-Headed Heavenly Serpent! Stop this at once!"

"What?" Zhua Qi was startled, letting out a strange cry. "Heavenly Gate?"

"Yes, we obtained a treasure map. The location of the Heavenly Gate drawn on the map is precisely within the Absolute Yin Valley!" Chi Xiao sighed, forced to reveal the reason.

Zhua Qi paused only for a moment before suddenly emitting a strange, eerie laugh.

As he laughed, the green miasma in the sky quietly shifted again, moving away from above the group to another location.

With the departure of the green haze, the poisonous rain naturally ceased entirely.

The mud-dragons charging towards the group suddenly dissolved into silt mid-air, tumbling back into the center of the swamp.

Hundreds of Green Loach Beasts, which had also charged forward, saw the mud-dragons vanish and wisely stopped their advance. At a sharp whistle from Zhua Qi, these Green Loach Beasts sank back into the swamp.

Zhua Qi had stopped attacking.

Chi Xiao let out a sigh of relief, reached up, and pulled; the "Silver Gauze Screen" slowly shrank, finally settling back into his palm.

Calm returned to the swamp; even the ‘gurgling’ green bubbles disappeared one by one. The swamp, which moments before had been fraught with peril, suddenly became tranquil.

"I knew you wanted to deal with the Nine-Headed Heavenly Serpent too," Chi Xiao huffed, his anger palpable. "If you had stopped later, I guarantee you would have paid dearly!"

As he spoke, Chi Xiao glanced towards Xia Xinyan.

Chi Xiao alone was no longer afraid of Zhua Qi, but if they added Xia Xinyan, who had reached the Celestial Realm, Zhua Qi would truly be in trouble.

Zhua Qi followed Chi Xiao’s gaze to Xia Xinyan, his brow furrowing slightly.

He sensed a terrifying power slowly receding from Xia Xinyan. With just one look, Zhua Qi realized this woman was not to be trifled with; she must have been using some secret technique just now.

Shi Yan stood beside Xia Xinyan with a grim expression, watching Zhua Qi warily, not daring to relax.

Xia Xinyan didn't even look at Shi Yan beside her. Her expression was serene, and she said lightly, "Mr. Chi Xiao, could you introduce us to the master of this Dead Silence Swamp?"

"He is only half a master."

Chi Xiao shook his head dismissively, casting a disdainful look at the displeased Zhua Qi. "Zhua Qi operates in the outer regions of the Dead Silence Swamp. The areas with the swamp and miasma are his sphere of influence. However, once you enter the Absolute Yin Flatlands in the center of the swamp, that is the Nine-Headed Heavenly Serpent's territory; he has no say there."

"Chi Xiao! The Absolute Yin Flatlands are mine too!" Zhua Qi suddenly yelled. "My father cultivated there back then; I will reclaim it sooner or later!"

"We'll talk when you reclaim it," Chi Xiao scoffed, nodding toward Xia Xinyan. "Miss Xia, you and your group can go ashore first."

"Mm." Xia Xinyan nodded, then frowned slightly as she glanced at Shi Yan, saying indifferently, "You go first."

"Oh."

Shi Yan answered casually and leaped across the dry patches of ground where Chi Xiao had just walked, quickly heading toward a large stretch of mud ahead to reach the shore.

Zhua Qi snorted. His body, covered in silt, also moved rapidly in the swamp, quickly reaching the edge of that mud patch, but half of his body remained submerged, suggesting he still harbored some suspicion regarding Chi Xiao’s words.

"Shi Yan, how is your body? Did the blood of the Green Loach Beasts injure you? Should Zhua Qi help you treat it?" Chi Xiao suddenly remembered something and called out loudly.

Shi Yan stood there, looked down at his palm, and shook his head with a smile. "I'm fine."

The Undying Martial Soul within his body had silently and completely purged all the corrosive poison.

Upon hearing this, both Chi Xiao and Zhua Qi looked at him with a hint of astonishment.

Only the two of them knew that an ordinary martial artist in the Human Realm, once exposed to the blood of the Green Loach Beasts, would be weak and unable to move their limbs for at least a day.

Han Feng's group, unaware of the potency of the Green Loach Beast blood, didn't pay much attention to Shi Yan's words and continued toward the shore.

Soon, Zuo Shi, Han Feng, and the others also gradually reached that muddy area and emerged from the swamp.

"Chi Xiao, you really came for the Nine-Headed Heavenly Serpent?" Zhua Qi asked, half his body retracted into the swamp, tilting his head up.

"Yes. Don't cause trouble for me during the rest of the journey. If you want me to deal with the Nine-Headed Heavenly Serpent, you'd best clear the path ahead for me," Chi Xiao affirmed.

"Fine! If you want to deal with the Nine-Headed Heavenly Serpent, of course, I'm willing to help," Zhua Qi was very cooperative this time. "I will safely escort you to the Absolute Yin Flatlands, but I must go too. The Absolute Yin Flatlands were where my father cultivated; I know that place best. If you want to find the Heavenly Gate, I can certainly be of help."

"You not only want to deal with the Nine-Headed Heavenly Serpent but also want to enter the Heavenly Gate to have a look, don't you?" Chi Xiao snorted.

Zhua Qi didn't deny it, nodding with a sinister chuckle. "You know the ability of the Nine-Headed Heavenly Serpent. Relying on just you guys, defeating it will be somewhat difficult. If I help you, you let me follow you into the Heavenly Gate—it's a win-win situation."

"Miss Xia, what do you think?"

Chi Xiao didn't answer Zhua Qi but looked toward Xia Xinyan, explaining, "Zhua Qi and the Nine-Headed Heavenly Serpent are mortal enemies. The outer regions of the Dead Silence Swamp are his territory. If he leads the way, we won't encounter any trouble next. With him, our chances of defeating the Nine-Headed Heavenly Serpent are also higher."

"Mm." Xia Xinyan pondered for a moment and nodded lightly.

"Very well, you're in," Chi Xiao finally replied.

"Heh heh, you certainly won't regret this decision," Zhua Qi grinned hideously, then suddenly paused, asking, "Chi Xiao, did you arrange to meet someone else too?"

"No," Chi Xiao was taken aback. "Just us."

"Then why is it that seven days ago, another Celestial Realm expert, leading a group of masters, entered the Dead Silence Swamp?" Zhua Qi wondered aloud. "I killed some of his subordinates and even fought him, only then realizing he possessed Celestial Realm cultivation. I've never left the Dead Silence Swamp, so I don't know who he is, but he was very powerful, no weaker than you. He should have reached the Absolute Yin Flatlands by now."

"A Celestial Realm expert!" Chi Xiao’s expression shifted slightly. After pondering for a moment, he murmured, "The experts in the Blazing Fire Empire, the God’s Blessing Empire, and the Merchant Alliance who are in the Celestial Realm are few. Who could that person be? Can you describe his appearance to me?"

"Very thin and tall, his skin very pale, as if he rarely sees sunlight. His eyes are narrow, like willow leaves, and he cultivates some kind of sinister martial technique…" Zhua Qi answered after thinking for a while.

"I don't know who that is either," Chi Xiao shook his head after thinking deeply, finding no one matching the description in his memory. "Forget it. Perhaps he was just passing through the Dead Silence Swamp occasionally, and might have already left. Still, we should be cautious."

"Let's go. I'll lead the way and take you into the Absolute Yin Flatlands."

Zhua Qi finally climbed onto the shore. His two lower legs were also covered in green scales. He seemed awkward walking; his legs moved stiffly, like a duck waddling on land.

However, everyone had witnessed his capabilities within the Dead Silence Swamp. Though his gait was comical, no one dared to show it.

Zhua Qi proved worthy of being the master of the Dead Silence Swamp's outer regions. Wherever he passed, the poisonous miasma dissipated.

Many essential swamp routes suddenly revealed flat, dry ground, allowing the group to pass unobstructed, no longer fearing sinking into the mire.

With Zhua Qi leading, the group saved an enormous amount of trouble. A journey that should have taken a month was completed in only eight days.

Eight days later, the group finally stepped onto the Absolute Yin Flatlands.

……X