On a small hill within Demon Loong Island, a four-person team, part of the dozen or so who had split from the main group and bypassed the Quicksand Pits, was currently active. The team consisted of two late Golden Core and two mid Golden Core cultivators, clearly a seasoned party accustomed to working together. They cooperated seamlessly and dispatched a Grade 3 Tier 8 Inkvine Venombeast inhabiting the area without much difficulty.
The strongest among them, a middle-aged male cultivator at the 9th layer of Golden Core, stored the beast's corpse away. He glanced southwards towards the direction of the Quicksand Pits before gesturing to the other three.
"Let's go. We continue towards Ginseng Mountain."
Ginseng Mountain was another significant location on Demon Loong Island, renowned for producing Blood Ginseng Spirit Grass, an extremely precious spiritual herb. Depending on its age, it could be Grade 3, 4, or even 5. The priceless Grade 5 Blood Ginseng aside, even Grade 4 specimens were incredibly rare and valuable.
As the four turned to leave, the leader suddenly stiffened. He whirled around sharply towards the thicket on their left, his voice harsh and demanding.
"Who goes there?!"
The other three jolted in surprise, their gazes snapping towards the indicated spot. There, standing silently like a statue within the shadows of trees about ten meters away, was a figure clad in black. It had appeared utterly without sound, completely escaping their notice until that moment!
Was it another cultivator from the ship who happened upon this place? Or did someone else already inhabit the island? Shock and suspicion filled them. The leader's expression turned wary, his voice low and threatening.
"Since you've come, friend, why lurk in the shadows? State your business clearly, or don't blame the four of us for being discourteous!"
Even as he spoke, he pushed his spiritual sense outward with full force. Yet, he couldn't discern the other's cultivation level at all. This sent a chill down his spine. Either this person possesses a profound technique to conceal their cultivation... or their power far surpasses mine!
Two seconds passed without a response. Frowns creased the brows of all four. They exchanged uneasy glances, circulating their true energy within, ready to strike at any moment.
"Just who are you?! If you don't speak now, don't blame me for—"
"Whoosh!!"
The leader had already summoned his flying sword, issuing his final 'warning.' But before he could finish his sentence, the shadowy figure exploded into motion!
It lunged forward with a speed that defied comprehension!
The four cultivators reacted instantly, their expressions tightening, but they didn't panic. The leader was the fastest. As the black shadow surged towards them, a cold glint flashed in his eyes. He didn't hesitate, sending his flying sword streaking towards the attacker like a bolt of lightning. Simultaneously, he barked a command.
"Atta—"
The word "ack" died in his throat. A sharp, metallic clang rang out. All four watched in utter disbelief as the charging figure made no attempt to dodge the flying sword. It struck the attacker squarely in the chest! Yet, with a sound like metal striking metal, the sword was violently deflected, sent spinning away! The figure didn't even flinch, its charge unbroken, closing the distance to the group instantly!
This outcome was utterly beyond the four cultivators' expectations. The leader's pupils contracted violently. Bad! He instinctively tried to dodge backwards. But the distance was simply too short. He had barely managed to activate his protective spiritual light barrier when the enemy was upon him—face to face.
The barrier shimmering to life offered the leader a sliver of relief. He thought he might buy himself a fraction of a second to retreat further. At the same moment, he lifted his eyes and finally saw the attacker's face clearly. The sight made his eyes bulge wide open, his expression twisting into one of profound horror.
Staring back at him was a face deathly pale, utterly devoid of life. It held not a trace of expression. The eyes were empty sockets, yet within them flickered an eerie, ghostly light, like two spectral flames dancing within the hollows...
"It's a...!" "Thwack!!"
Recognition dawned amidst his terror, and he instinctively tried to scream the name. But his mouth had only just opened when a sickening sound of penetration echoed. His three companions saw it clearly: the figure opposite him thrust out its hand like lightning. That arm pierced forward like an indestructible magic treasure, shattering the spiritual light barrier as if it were paper, then driving straight through the leader's throat!
From the moment the enemy burst from the shadows to the leader's death, barely two breaths had passed. As the corpse, its head nearly severed, collapsed heavily to the ground, the other three finally snapped out of their stunned horror. Shouts of alarm tore from their throats as they desperately summoned their own magic treasures or frantically pulled out talismans, unleashing a barrage of frenzied attacks.
"Whoosh!!" "Boom! Boom! Boom!!" "Be careful!!" "Aaaahhh!!!"
For a moment, the mountain forest echoed with chaotic sounds – the shriek of flying weapons, the detonation of spells, desperate warnings, and finally, a scream of pure despair. Then, abruptly, all sound ceased. The world plunged back into a deathly silence.
High atop the mountain, standing on the very tip of a tree jutting precariously from a cliff edge, another figure had silently observed the entire massacre below. As silence reclaimed the scene below, a disdainful murmur escaped its lips.
"Hmph! Pathetically weak."
...
Meanwhile, elsewhere on the island, Lin Feng followed the large contingent. After marching through the night and crossing a barren, lifeless mountain range, a vast expanse of yellow sand unfolded before them.
From their vantage point, they looked down into a colossal basin. Barren mountains, similar to the ones they stood upon, encircled a depression that stretched easily a hundred li across. The basin floor was covered entirely in shifting yellow sand, devoid of any other feature. In the distance, the sand itself seemed to flow slowly, forming countless swirling vortices of varying sizes.
This was their destination: the Quicksand Pits.
At first glance, it appeared to be nothing but sand. But danger lurked beneath the surface. Countless formidable beasts inhabited the sands, and the pits themselves exerted a strange, sucking force. Any cultivator pulled under, even a Golden Core cultivator, faced almost certain doom. Were it not for the rumored Primordial Essence Crystal, most cultivators would avoid this place entirely.
Wu Luosen, leading the group, surveyed the Quicksand Pits ahead. He turned to address the mass of cultivators behind him.
"Alright, we've arrived. You may proceed on your own now. As a reminder, the location where Primordial Essence Crystal was reportedly found last time is in the southeast corner. You might want to start your search there."
"Many thanks, Elder Wu!" "Thank you for the guidance, Elder Wu!" "We are indebted to you both, Esteemed Elders!"
A chorus of gratitude rose from the Golden Core cultivators. Without further delay, they surged down the mountainside towards the sandy expanse. Some, too impatient to walk, immediately summoned their flying swords and soared out over the basin. Within moments, only Wu Luosen and Yu Ping remained on the mountaintop.
Wu Luosen watched the mass of cultivators enter the Quicksand Pits, his eyes narrowing slightly, a faint, inscrutable smile playing on his lips.
Yu Ping scanned their surroundings before turning to Wu Luosen. "Elder Wu, you mentioned the location of the Spirit Crossing Fruit. Where exactly is it? Can we head there now?"
Wu Luosen withdrew his gaze from the distant figures and smiled at Yu Ping. "Heh, of course, Elder Yu. Rest assured, it's not far from here. However... a Grade 4 Tier 9 Unihorn Flamescale Beast guards the fruit. It might prove... somewhat troublesome to deal with."
Yu Ping responded confidently, "With the two of us joining forces, subduing the beast shouldn't be overly difficult. When the time comes, we—"
"Aaaahhh!!!"
A piercing scream suddenly tore through the air from far below, cutting Yu Ping off mid-sentence. His eyes instantly sharpened as he snapped his gaze towards the source. Deep within the Quicksand Pits, the large group had already spread out. Now, a wall of intense black light erupted violently from the sand at the crowd's periphery, blocking their path like an ominous barrier. Near this barrier, on the group's left flank, a cluster of cultivators found themselves perilously close to the point of eruption. From that exact spot, a mass of writhing black shadows surged upwards like a monstrous net, engulfing over a dozen cultivators instantly. Chaos erupted amidst the trapped group, and the agonized scream they had heard clearly came from within that shadowy prison.
Yu Ping's face paled slightly at the sudden, bizarre scene. "What's happening?! What is that—"
Before he could finish, Yu Ping's pupils contracted to pinpoints. He sensed something – something terrifyingly close. His body tensed instantly. True energy surged within him in a frantic burst. A golden light flared around him as he pushed off with his foot. He didn't turn around. Instead, he threw himself violently to the right with desperate speed.
His reaction was blindingly fast. Yet, in the next instant, a searing pain exploded in his back. A colossal force slammed into him, forcing a choked grunt from his lips. He was hurled forward like a cannonball!
"Pfft!!!"
A spray of crimson blood erupted from Yu Ping's mouth. He twisted his body mid-air with immense effort, managing to face the direction of the attack as he crashed down. His eyes locked onto the figure still standing calmly on the mountaintop where he had just been. Disbelief warred with towering rage as he roared, his voice raw with pain and fury.
"Wu Luosen!! You dare ambush me?!"
As he roared, his right hand shot up, summoning a gleaming golden flying sword. He prepared to counterattack. But the instant he tried to channel his true energy, an icy, malevolent force erupted violently within his core. His face instantly drained of color. Another gush of blood sprayed uncontrollably from his mouth!
Yu Ping landed heavily at that very moment. Staggering backward, wracked with agony, he nearly collapsed, his legs buckling beneath him...
...only to be caught and steadied at the last possible second by a pair of supporting hands.
And the one who caught the severely injured Yu Ping... was none other than Lin Feng!