The foremost warrior, gazing at the picturesque scenery that unfolded before him—trees laden with multicolored spiritual fruits—could not help but feel a surge of greed welling up within.
Despite his limited experience, it was clear to him that such fruits, growing in the innermost depths of the Ha Yue Mountain, thrived in a place where spiritual energy was abundant—several times more potent than that of Feng Kingdom's regions! These must be rare and precious treasures. If he could manage to extract them and present them to those in the know, surely he would make a fortune!
With this thought, the man reached for a small iron pick from his storage belt and walked towards the nearest spiritual fruit tree.
Just as he was about to begin digging, however, he found that the tree seemed to be protected by an invisible barrier. His iron pick barely scratched its surface, no matter how hard he tried.
Stuck, his forehead soon broke into a sheen of sweat. His energy, already scarce, began to drain away rapidly. He attempted to retract his hand, but it felt as if it were embedded in the pick itself. Despite his strength, he could not pull it back.
If this continued, the precious little martial energy he had cultivated would soon be devoured by the tree!
Meanwhile, many of the other warriors who had entered with him were still admiring the scenery, unaware of the predicament unfolding under the tree laden with vibrant fruits.
A strange red glow once again emanated from the depths of the inner circle, bringing with it an overwhelming aura of pressure, like waves rippling through the lush landscape.
The leaves of the spiritual trees danced on their own, eerily graceful, yet the people immersed in the beauty of this place did not take notice.
The warriors within the inner circle remained oblivious to the impending danger, still lost in the beauty of their surroundings and the rich spiritual energy that filled the air.
It wasn't until a small rabbit, for no apparent reason, suddenly dropped dead, and the brightly blooming flowers at their feet began wilting at an alarming rate, their roots decaying before their eyes, that anyone began to notice.
It was a young warrior, no more than seven or eight years old, who first spotted the flowers withering. His bright eyes fixed on the direction of the decaying plants, which, to his horror, was aimed right at their group of cultivators.
The decay was swift.
"Dad! Let's leave here, quickly!" The boy ran to a middle-aged man, tugging at his sleeve.
"Jing'er, what's wrong?" The man furrowed his brow, puzzled. His son had been fine moments ago—why the sudden urge to leave? He had yet to gather any of the precious treasures.
"Father... please, let's go outside! This place is too terrifying!" Tears glistened in the boy's eyes, his voice filled with urgency and pleading.
Touched by the child's fear, and driven by his love for him, the father sighed and, though reluctant to abandon the opportunity to secure fortune, he agreed to his son's request.
"Uncle Ke, my son is frightened. I will take him out of here." The middle-aged man approached a nearby elder, bowing respectfully.
"Go on, then," the elder replied with a narrowed gaze, "But hurry back! Jing'er's father, make sure you return quickly!" A sense of foreboding stirred in his heart, though he couldn't quite place the source of his unease.
The red glow was intensifying, and the plants on the ground withered at an even faster rate.
Wherever the red light touched, no grass grew, no leaves clung. It seemed to strip the land to its primal form—bare earth.
By the time everyone realized what was happening, it was already too late.
The red light had swept through, leaving a barren landscape where no life could remain.
Then, terrible screams echoed from within the inner circle.
As the father and son reached the middle circle, the red light from the inner circle faded, leaving a haunting silence behind.