He clutched his throat tightly, his mouth wide open, his bloodshot eyes bulging so violently they nearly popped from their sockets.
“Ugh... ah...” The cultivator who had just swallowed the Zongling Grass struggled to stretch out a hand, casting a desperate look for help toward the people around him. Within a few breaths, however, a ghostly white layer seemed to coat his skin like lime. His complexion turned pale and sickly green, his body and expression freezing in place. Then, with a heavy thud, he collapsed onto the ground, completely devoid of life.
Yet this tragic turn of events failed to awaken the other cultivators who were still picking spiritual grass and flowers or digging up natural treasures. Completely unmindful of their surroundings, their faces remained unchanged. They didn't spare even a single glance for the dead cultivator, continuing to frantically pocket one treasure after another in their wild madness.
Ji Yu clicked his tongue. “Good thing we didn't touch any of this. That's way too terrifying.”
Mo Tong glanced at him. “It's actually rare for you to exercise such self-control.”
Ji Yu scratched his head with a sheepish grin. “Treasures are great, but being alive to enjoy them is what really counts.”
Listening to their conversation while watching the scene unfold, Shi Yu grew increasingly vigilant.
Looking back at the cultivator's body, she saw it slowly melting into a pool of thick, foul-smelling liquid that seeped into the cracks of the bridge and vanished without a trace. In contrast, the nearby spiritual plants swaying gently in the breeze seemed to glow even more radiantly.
“...” Shifting her gaze away, she said, “Let's go.”
Stepping forward to continue their path, Shi Yu flicked out a few wisps of icy Yin Qi toward the remaining cultivators who were still engrossed in their illusions of treasure.
Yet it failed to snap them back to sanity. Although two of them briefly showed a glimpse of struggling clarity in their eyes, the moment they looked back at the surrounding treasures, they instantly fell back into their trance.
Seeing this, Shi Yu knew she could not awaken those who lacked willpower and were willing to sink into temptation. Wasting no more time, she led the group around them and continued forward.
They walked for another four to six hours. Along the way, they occasionally encountered one or two other cultivators. Most were like the previous ones, unable to guard their minds, lost in illusions of treasure, raving mad and beyond recovery.
However, a rare few had not succumbed to the illusions. Crossing paths with Shi Yu's group on the bridge, they merely exchanged cautious glances before departing in haste, having no desire to chat.
Shi Yu wished to avoid unnecessary trouble and had no desire to converse either. Both parties maintained a safe distance and went their separate ways.
Another few hours passed.
Inside the secret realm, there was no distinction between day and night; everything remained much as it had been when they first entered. The group could only estimate the passage of time based on intuition.
Seeing that the distant palaces and pavilions seemed no closer despite walking for so long, Ji Yu couldn't help complaining, “How much longer do we have to walk?”
Before his words fully faded, Mo Tong pointed upward in surprise. “What's that?”
Shi Yu followed his gaze toward the peak of the distant tower. The massive pearl, which had been emitting thousands of rainbow rays, was now covered in fine cracks. The fissures expanded rapidly, and in the blink of an eye, the pearl shattered violently into pieces, its fragments exploding outward in every direction.
Within the secret treasure, this pearl was akin to the sun and moon. With its destruction, the surrounding area instantly darkened, and within a few breaths, pitch-black darkness enveloped everything.
Meanwhile, the shattering pearl fragments streaked across the sky like meteors in the night, trailing brilliant arcs of light.
Unsure of what had triggered this sudden change, Shi Yu speculated, “Someone likely tripped a mechanism or triggered a surge of energy.”
Qingzhou narrowed his eyes and spoke slowly, “That pearl seemed to be the core of this entire secret realm. It's clearly no ordinary object.”
Shi Yu knew that Qingzhou possessed spirit beast bloodline and had an extraordinarily sharp perception for treasures. Hearing him say this, she naturally felt a surge of curiosity.
Entering the realm to hunt for treasure had not been her intention—she had merely come in to escape danger. However, now that they were inside, acquiring a few opportunities or treasures would certainly be welcome.
Seeing a pearl fragment speeding in their direction, Shi Yu narrowed her eyes. The Yinhuang Bow manifested from her Purple Mansion, grasped firmly in her hands.
Drawing the bowstring, golden runes rippled as radiant light condensed into a shimmering arrow. After powering up her shot, she released it, piercing through the darkness directly toward the incoming fragment.
With a crisp clink, arrow met fragment. To her surprise, Shi Yu's arrow was effortlessly knocked aside, dissipating into a shower of golden sparks in midair.
A flash of surprise passed through Shi Yu's eyes. Seeing that the fragment's speed had slowed slightly, she drew her bow once more, firing several Yinhuang Arrows in rapid succession.
The pearl fragment seemed to possess a hint of spirituality, shifting directions in midair to evade the arrows. Shi Yu shot three more arrows in swift succession, trapping the fragment in the center.
Unable to dodge in time, the fragment was struck and its momentum slowed. As it fell nearby, Shi Yu executed the Six Transformations of Fire Chanting, her body blurring through the air. Reaching out, she caught the fragment in her tight grip.
An indescribably intense heat radiated into her palm. Shi Yu was inwardly alarmed. Having refined two types of Heavenly Fire, she had long since become immune to extreme temperatures, yet holding this fragment gave her a sensation of being burned.
Landing back on the ground, the other three gathered around her.
Ji Yu asked impatiently, “Sister, quick, what is it?”
A thin layer of flames surged over Shi Yu's palm, lifting the fragment above it to isolate it from her skin. Only then did she cautiously extend her divine sense to inspect the shard.
The instant her divine sense touched the fragment, a torrent of overwhelming information swept over her.
For a moment, countless visions flashed before Shi Yu's eyes.
She saw tens of thousands of miles of yellow sand stretched like an ocean. A stunningly beautiful woman with her long black hair tied high stood amidst the fierce wind, which whipped dark locks across her delicate white skin. Holding a long whip forged from dragon tendon, the woman darted through the siege of countless cultivators, reaping lives at every turn. Blood stained the yellow sand, which was quickly baked into a dark brown hue by the blazing sun.
Shi Yu heard tragic, grief-stricken curses of “Enchantress!” echoing from all directions. The woman merely giggled merrily, her hand movements never slacking for a moment. Severed limbs and mangled corpses flew through the air, and whenever her whip coiled around them, they withered and decayed in an instant.
The ancient desert became a blood-drenched battlefield. Endless resentment and agonizing wails surged toward Shi Yu, startling her into withdrawing her divine sense instantly.
The lingering feelings of hatred, grief, and indignation continued to buffet her mind. Across thousands or even tens of thousands of years, they remained so vivid and distinct that she couldn't help drawing a sharp breath.
“Who was that woman?” Shi Yu mused, staring at the floating fragment in her palm as images of the woman's unrestrained, dazzling, and haughtily demonic face flickered through her memory.
She had a faint inkling—perhaps that woman was the owner of this secret realm.
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