Within the Dead Silence Swamp, the outer regions were choked with countless marshes, mud and mire stretching as far as the eye could see, leaving hardly a patch of dry land anywhere.
However, the Jueyin Flatlands, the center of the Dead Silence Swamp, was a stark exception.
There were no swamps here, no omnipresent sludge. Here, the ground was mostly flat, not exactly dry, but certainly not as sodden as the swamp’s periphery.
The Jueyin Flatlands was a peculiar place. Above it, a perpetual, murky grey cloud cover swirled, obscuring the sun, moon, and stars throughout the year.
Perhaps because of this, the Yin energy here was intensely heavy. Anyone stepping into this area immediately felt deeply uncomfortable.
It wasn't particularly cold, yet the pervasive Yin energy chilled one to the very core, creating the sensation of being trapped in a spectral realm infested with malevolent spirits—a truly unnerving experience.
As Shi Yan first set foot on the Jueyin Flatlands, he frowned slightly and took a deep breath. Deep down, he felt a profound sense of unease. Though not cold, the atmosphere made his entire body feel wrong.
Standing on the somewhat shaded earth, Shi Yan looked out and saw that the ground was carpeted with bizarre and peculiar flora.
These plants were not particularly tall, the highest reaching only five or six meters, but they were grotesquely shaped. Many of the flowers they bore were sickly pale, devoid of vibrant color.
Worse still, some plants sprouted blossoms that resembled ghastly visages, appearing utterly horrifying.
Surrounded by these eerie specimens, Shi Yan felt deeply uncomfortable, constantly sensing that they might suddenly lunge out and bite him.
“The Yin energy here is heavy, and the plants growing are extremely strange. Some can actually absorb Yin and corpse energy. Others, upon detecting the scent of the living, will attack and entangle, refusing to stop until the person is choked to death,” Zhaoji said, his face dark as he surveyed the plant life in the Jueyin Flatlands. He continued, “Besides the flora, we must also beware of the monstrous beasts here. They intensely detest living humans, and once they detect intruders, they will attack relentlessly. Most martial artists passing through the Dead Silence Swamp would rather risk the outer marshes than set foot here.”
Hiss hiss hiss!
Sleek, silver-white serpents suddenly emerged from the dense thicket of plants ahead.
The snakes were about three meters long, tapered to a conical head, their tails continually carving circles on the ground. Their tiny, soybean-sized eyes held a piercing, chilling glint.
Dozens of these serpents swam out from the foliage, intelligently dispersing to surround Shi Yan and his party from all directions.
“Second-tier demonic beasts, Corpse-Earthworms,” Zhaoji spat out coldly, then abruptly stomped the ground with tremendous force.
A ripple of peculiar wave energy spread out from beneath his feet! Centered on him, the waves expanded in concentric circles, instantly blasting outward in all directions.
Crack crack crack! Crack crack crack!
Wherever the shockwaves passed, the dozens of Second-tier Corpse-Earthworms exploded, spraying the ground with pools of brownish snake blood.
“I despise snakes the most!” Zhaoji snorted, a look of utter disgust on his face. He turned back to Chi Xiao and declared, “Until we meet the Nine-Headed Celestial Serpent, I will handle the obstacles on our path. Consider it my contribution toward securing a place in the Heavenly Gate.”
Chi Xiao nodded faintly. “You’re familiar with this place; just lead the way.”
Zhaoji made no excuses and stepped out in front. Subtle wisps of strange, verdant toxic miasma began to diffuse from his body.
The plants of the Jueyin Flatlands seemed to sense the poison miasma emanating from him and immediately recoiled as if in fear.
Many plants that had stood three meters tall instantly shrunk down to one meter after Zhaoji passed, clearly diminished in stature.
Shi Yan watched in astonishment, his eyes sharp with interest. Every time he walked past the vegetation, he paid close attention. He noticed that wherever Zhaoji trod, the various plants remained completely docile.
However, if he lagged behind Zhaoji, choosing to veer off in another direction by just a few meters, the same types of plants would actually raise their limbs and coil aggressively toward him, displaying the exact posture of refusing to stop until he was strangled to death.
“Kid, if you don’t want to throw your life away needlessly, you’d better stick close to me,” Zhaoji called back from the front of the group, throwing a cold glance at Shi Yan. He muttered under his breath, “I don’t get it; knowing they were coming to the Jueyin Flatlands, why bring two burdens along? Are they planning to sacrifice them at a critical moment?”
The burdens Zhaoji referred to were clearly Shi Yan and Zuo Shi, as they were the weakest in cultivation, both residing only in the Human Rank Realm.
Shi Yan remained composed, utterly unbothered by Zhaoji’s muttering.
But Zuo Shi was having none of it. Pouting, she retorted, “What are you muttering about, you great loach? Who are you calling a burden? Hmph! If you don’t want to travel with us, you should have left earlier. We don’t need you anyway.”
“Girl, who are you calling a loach?” Zhaoji’s ferocious face, covered in dark green scales, twitched slightly. He glared fiercely at Zuo Shi. “Say that again, try it!”
“Enough,” Chi Xiao frowned and chided Zuo Shi. “Zhaoji is an elder; don't be so disrespectful. If Zhaoji hadn't guided us, this journey wouldn't have gone so smoothly.”
Chi Xiao then turned to Zhaoji. “You! Why can’t you ever fix that foul mouth of yours? If your mouth hadn't been so foul back then, I wouldn't have ended up fighting you tooth and nail. Is your old habit flaring up again?”
Zhaoji snorted, glaring fiercely at Zuo Shi. The scales on his face shuddered slightly, but he did not speak again.
Zuo Shi wanted to snap back a few more sarcastic remarks, but a single glare from Chi Xiao silenced her, forcing her to stick out her lower lip and remain quiet.
Xia Xinyan and the two towering, powerfully built men walked to Chi Xiao and the others' left. She remained silent, her expression cool, ignoring Zhaoji and showing no intent to converse with Chi Xiao either.
Only occasionally would her gaze drift toward Shi Yan, her eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions, making it impossible to decipher her true thoughts.
Since emerging from the swamp that day, she hadn't exchanged another word with Shi Yan.
Shi Yan was equally prudent, making no move to approach her either.
The situation between her and Shi Yan remained an enigma to Chi Xiao, Zuo Shi, and the rest of the group, though everyone pretended not to notice, with no one tactlessly probing the two of them.
“Stick close and behave yourselves if you want to stay alive!” Zhaoji grumbled, deliberately glancing at Shi Yan.
Shi Yan maintained his casual demeanor, paying him no mind whatsoever.
Just then, Chi Xiao suddenly knitted his brow, a flicker of confusion crossing his eyes.
“What is it?” Xia Xinyan’s expression shifted, having keenly sensed Chi Xiao’s unusual reaction.
“Nothing,” Chi Xiao shook his head faintly. “I just felt a strange aura for a fleeting moment. I’m not sure if it was my imagination.”
At these words, everyone tensed slightly. Zhaoji asked, “Could it be that Celestial Rank expert?”
“I don’t know,” Chi Xiao replied again, shaking his head.
Chi Xiao’s reaction cast a shadow of apprehension over the group, prompting everyone to become silently more cautious.
...
Within a dense cluster of foliage on the Jueyin Flatlands.
A middle-aged scholar, pale-faced and gaunt, stood quietly.
Beside him were thirty-five other martial artists, equally pale and expressionless. Among them was a young man in his early twenties, possessing long hair that reached his waist, handsome features, and an air of sinister charm.
“Master, did you discover something?” the youth asked curiously.
“The target has likely entered the Jueyin Flatlands. I probed with my spiritual sense just now, and another spiritual sense immediately pursued the detection,” the pale scholar said.
“Is it someone from the Beiming family?”
“No, Beiming Shang arrived earlier.”
“Why hasn’t he sought us out yet?”
“The target has appeared; Beiming Shang should find us soon.”
...
One day later.
In the area where this group was stationed, Beiming Shang appeared alone, enveloped in an aura of cold energy.
“The Lord of the Dark Nether?” Upon arriving, Beiming Shang cupped his hands toward the middle-aged scholar. “May I ask how to address you?”
“Zou Zihe,” the Lord of the Dark Nether replied calmly. “I have long heard of the Great Patriarch of the Beiming family. Meeting you today, your reputation is indeed well-deserved.”
Beiming Shang’s lips curled slightly, his expression blank. “Brother Zou is the one whose renown echoes far. The fact that the Dark Nether can dominate the Blazing Fire Empire alone proves you are a prodigious talent of this era. I hope this collaboration for the Heavenly Gate expedition ends pleasantly for all.”
“What about that girl from the Mu family?” the Nether Lord frowned.
“After this Heavenly Gate exploration concludes, I will personally bring her to you,” Beiming Shang glanced over the Dark Nether members. “Brother Zou, why bring so many people? Aren’t you afraid of being discovered?”
“My Dark Nether excels at concealing our tracks; Brother Beiming need not concern himself with that.”
“Very well,” Beiming Shang nodded. “The target has appeared and is likely heading for the Jueyin Valley within the Jueyin Flatlands. Should anything unexpected occur then, I hope Brother Zou will step forward. However, I prefer you not reveal your identity too soon, or Mu Yudie will surely become resistant.”
“She is merely a little girl whose family was ruined; does Brother Beiming need to worry about her?”
“I don’t care much about Mu Yudie, but there is another girl beside her. That girl’s Martial Soul is of some use to my Beiming family. I don't want that girl to know I handed Mu Yudie over to you, or it will interfere with my future plans.”
“Agreed. I did not wear a mask today precisely to cooperate with Brother Beiming. As the Lord of the Dark Nether, I rarely show my true face. The Mu family girl has never seen me and will certainly not know who I am; Brother Beiming can rest assured on that point.”
“Very good then. We shall meet at the Jueyin Valley. I will contact you via spiritual sense then. I hope Brother Zou does not disappoint me.”
With that, Beiming Shang slowly retreated. His form dissolved into a wisp of cold energy amidst a patch of foliage, gradually dissipating.
“Master, Beiming Shang is scheming and sinister. We must be extremely careful during this Heavenly Gate exploration; this man is definitely not benevolent.”
“It’s fine. Your Mistress is also hidden nearby. If a true treasure appears inside the Heavenly Gate this time, it will undoubtedly belong to our Dark Nether!”
“Mistress is here too?” The youth with the strange, seductive aura exclaimed in shock.
“Yes. She arrived at the Jueyin Valley long ago. With your Mistress’s mastery of concealing her aura, as long as she doesn’t voluntarily reveal herself, no one in the Jueyin Flatlands can sense her presence!”
“Ha! It seems this Heavenly Gate exploration is already ours to win.”
“Indeed.”