From the memories Lin Mu had extracted from the Right Elder of the Ephemera Sect, Lin Mu was confident he could guide them to the Ninefold Crypt, the heart of this corrupted land.
Though to most, the marshes appeared like a chaotic maze of identical landscapes, the Ephemera Sect had left subtle markers throughout for their own use. To the untrained eye, they were nothing more than odd rocks scattered about, half-sunken in mud or resting at strange angles.
But Lin Mu recognized their deliberate placement. Each one contained faint energy signatures that aligned with a pattern only visible to those who were already familiar with it. He followed these invisible trails, leading the army deeper into the unknown.
Kilometer after kilometer passed.
The terrain began to shift subtly; the water grew darker, the air denser, and the faint hum of baleful energy intensified. Occasionally, a distorted shadow would flicker in the mist, but it vanished before anyone could fully see it.
