After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Xiao Yifeng rose to his feet, a warm smile on his face as he addressed Mo Shuiyao. "Many thanks, Fairy Mo, for acting as my Dharma Protector."
"Fellow Daoist Wuchen, there is no need for such formality. We are friends, aren't we?" Mo Shuiyao replied with a dazzling smile.
Thus, each harboring their own ulterior motives and watching the other with veiled suspicion, they mounted Little Bing and flew toward the edge of the Wild Ghost Village.
True to Xiao Yifeng’s prediction, shortly after breaking through the village perimeter, the oppressive ghostly fog lifted. They had arrived at a desolate, barren plain. Without pausing, they sped toward the depths of this new region.
Meanwhile, Su Miaoqing led Lin Xiao along the outskirts of the village. She had originally intended to follow Xiao Yifeng’s advice and circle the perimeter until they found an exit.
As they walked, Su Miaoqing suddenly halted, her brow furrowed in deep thought. Lin Xiao, puzzled by her abrupt stop, paused as well.
"Do you see the difference in the fog's density?" Su Miaoqing asked, her voice laced with doubt. "Do you see a golden light piercing through it, pointing toward the depths?"
Lin Xiao looked around, bewildered. "Fairy Su says the fog varies in thickness, but to my eyes, it is all equally dense. As for a golden light... I see nothing of the sort."
Hearing this, Su Miaoqing fell into contemplation. In her eyes, the thick fog was uneven—lighter in some places, heavier in others. Within the thinner mists, a trail of starlight flickered, forming a golden path that extended deep into the forest.
"Since Fairy Su can see a golden light guiding the way, why not follow it to the end? I believe Fairy Su is destined for this Immortal Abode," Lin Xiao said, a gleam of calculation flashing in his eyes.
Su Miaoqing considered it. She had a powerful expert by her side to act as a shield, and if worse came to worst, she still had the Coiling Dragon Jade Pendant.
Making up her mind, Su Miaoqing hesitated no longer and strode toward the golden light beckoning her.
On another front, the duo of Luo Yun and Liu Yue, having suffered through the suppression of their cultivation and countless hardships, finally crossed Golden Rooster Mountain and stepped into the wilderness.
"That Golden Rooster Mountain must have been cleared by others previously; there were no powerful Demon Beasts left. It seems we are lagging behind," Liu Yue said solemnly, though he did not feel overly anxious.
To him, the treasures of the Immortal Abode were secondary. His primary mission was to escort Luo Yun out alive.
"They likely possess those stone tablets, exempting them from the Abode's suppression. That would explain their speed," Luo Yun added softly.
Fortunate enough to avoid any large swarms of ghosts, and unaware of the specific rules of the forest, they headed straight toward the center of the wilderness.
After trekking for a while, they noticed fresh traces of combat and movement.
The two exchanged a glance, seeing the surprise mirrored in each other's eyes. Someone was just ahead.
Concealing their auras, they quietly followed the trail. Soon, the sounds of brutal combat and the rising and falling howls of ghosts reached their ears.
Ahead lay a large clearing where a swarm of evil spirits besieged a single figure. The man wielded a pair of massive hooks. Facing the encirclement, he showed not a hint of panic.
With every sweep of his twin hooks, he harvested the life of a powerful ghost. It was as if he were the true demon reaping souls, not them. His aura was overwhelming, allowing him to carve a path through the wilderness as if entering an uninhabited land.
Luo Yun and Liu Yue froze in shock. The man slaughtering the ghosts with such abandon was none other than Wang Laoxie.
More terrifying was his aura. He was no longer displaying the strength of the Mid-Golden Core stage. He was at Golden Core Grand Perfection—one foot already stepping into the Nascent Soul realm.
The two immediately suppressed their auras even further. They had never imagined that a Golden Core Grand Perfection expert was hiding among their group.
"I didn't expect Wang Laoxie to be concealing his cultivation this deeply. Our group truly is a den of crouching tigers and hidden dragons!" Liu Yue transmitted his voice with a bitter laugh.
A cold light flickered in Luo Yun’s beautiful eyes as she processed this information.
A moment later, she transmitted back, "Fellow Daoist Liu, why don't we quietly tail him? After he clears the path, the ghosts won't be able to reorganize immediately. We can slip through in his wake."
Liu Yue nodded, agreeing with her assessment. They crouched in the shadows, keeping a close watch on the lethal Wang Laoxie.
Xiao Yifeng and Mo Shuiyao sped across the desolate plain, their mutual wariness never fading.
"Is that the Immortal Abode?" Mo Shuiyao suddenly spoke, her eyes sparkling with wonder.
In the distance, a colossal, magnificent palace floated in mid-air, radiating a soft, divine light.
The structure was crowned with a massive, sharp spire, atop which sat a giant sphere emitting a pulsing blue glow. Connecting the floating palace to the ground below were several enormous celestial ladders.
Xiao Yifeng and Mo Shuiyao accelerated. As they drew near, the full scale of the scene revealed itself. The palace floated above a massive, circular abyss.
The abyss was bottomless. Four titanic chains anchored the palace, stretching down into the infinite darkness below.
It looked as though the palace sought to ascend to the heavens but was shackled to the earth by these chains. From the depths of the abyss, countless evil spirits with ferocious, twisted forms wailed as they climbed upward along the chains and the rocky cliff walls.
The myriad ghosts sought to reach the palace or the surface. However, whenever they climbed too high, the blue sphere atop the spire would unleash a bolt of lightning, vaporizing them or knocking them back into the dark void.
The scene suggested that the palace was a seal, a warden suppressing the hell below. The sight of the densely packed, climbing ghosts was enough to make one’s scalp tingle.
There were ten celestial ladders in total, bridging the gap between the floating palace and the rim of the circular abyss. Each ladder consisted of hundreds of steps—Xiao Yifeng, having walked them in his past life, knew there were exactly nine hundred and ninety-nine.
Each ladder led to a massive palace gate. The gate directly facing them bore a plaque inscribed with two characters: Qin Guang.
The palace itself was a monolith of black stone, carved with reliefs of tortured souls and demons. Its base was square, grounding the four chains, while the main body was circular, reflecting the ancient cosmology of "Round Heaven, Square Earth."
Judging by the ladders, there were ten gates. At the very pinnacle stood a giant trident, supporting the blue energy sphere that rained lightning upon the damned.
"Does Fellow Daoist Wuchen know anything about this palace? Could you enlighten Yao'er?" Mo Shuiyao asked, turning her bright, innocent gaze toward Xiao Yifeng.
Xiao Yifeng looked at her with a half-smile. "No. How about we part ways here?"
"Fellow Daoist Wuchen is so heartless! We’ve faced life and death together. You’re truly breaking this slave’s heart," Mo Shuiyao cried, clutching her chest in a performance of utter devastation.
Xiao Yifeng couldn't be bothered with the drama queen. He scanned the perimeter, oriented himself, and without hesitation, soared into the air, flying along the edge of the abyss toward a specific direction.
A brilliant smile instantly replaced Mo Shuiyao’s sorrow. She followed him without a second thought.
They circled half the abyss, wasting precious time, until Xiao Yifeng finally spotted a specific black stone tablet.
The tablet was inscribed with Fengdu Hall. In the lower right corner, a line of small text read: Ten Kings of Hell, Suppressing the Eighteen Layers of Hell. The celestial ladder behind this tablet led to a gate inscribed with the characters Lun Zhuan (Wheel of Reincarnation).
Joy flashed across Xiao Yifeng’s face as he flew toward the tablet. Seeing this, Mo Shuiyao didn't hesitate for a split second. She accelerated, aiming to snatch the tablet before him.
"Is Fairy Mo burning the bridge after crossing the river? The dagger is revealed at last?" Xiao Yifeng sneered.
"Fellow Daoist Wuchen, you wrong this slave! You must have collected plenty of tablets already. Why not let Yao'er have this one?"
Mo Shuiyao’s face wore a mask of aggrieved sadness, but her actions were ruthless. The Moon Blade detached from her side, slashing toward Xiao Yifeng with lethal precision.
Xiao Yifeng cursed inwardly. He spun around, raising his sword horizontally across his chest to block the strike.