Qi Yu understood her mistake at once. Her face turned red, and embarrassment spread through her so quickly that even her ears seemed to burn.She apologized repeatedly to the eight Taoist cultivators. Even after they had already walked away, she remained bent forward in a deep bow far longer than necessary, and when she finally straightened, no one nearby could see the expression hidden behind her veil.“Stupid boy,” she muttered as she merged into another group of cultivators who had just descended from a Spirit Ship. “Just wait until I find you.”Rong Tian had not become lost, and he had not taken the wrong path. From the moment they left Qingyun Mountain, his attention had remained fixed on Mo Zhengsheng.The man had gradually lowered his guard after convincing himself that seeing Rong Tian at the sect gathering had been nothing more than an illusion. That false sense of safety gave Rong Tian the opening he had been waiting for.Only moments earlier, Qi Yu had been enjoying the pra

While the dispute over the maps continued, no one noticed Mo Zhengsheng’s movements. He had already formed a secret agreement with several important figures from the Pure Sky Sect, including core disciples and experienced elders. There were twenty people in the group. Long before the expedition entered the Hadarac Desert, Mo Zhengsheng had approached them with promises delivered in a confident voice. Before speaking, however, he had stood before twenty skeptical faces and questioned whether he truly knew as much as he claimed. The doubt lasted only a moment, and he forced it down before anyone could see it. “There is no need to depend on those maps,” Mo Zhengsheng told them. “I know exactly where the Black Bat King’s inheritance is hidden.” The meeting had taken place inside a secluded restaurant in Biratama City. The room was small, the lamps were dim, and the doo

Driven by the greed that had taken root from the moment they accepted Mo Zhengsheng’s proposal, the nineteen figures from the Pure Sky Sect decided to descend into the Abyss of Suffering. Several of them exchanged brief glances at the edge, and a few drew long breaths as if trying to convince themselves that they would not regret the decision. No one spoke openly about turning back. To speak would have given hesitation a chance to spread, and none of them wanted to become the only person who appeared unwilling to pursue the inheritance. One core disciple swallowed hard and looked into the darkness for too long. The person behind him nudged his shoulder with an elbow, forcing him to move closer to the rope. None of them was truly ready. The pressure of the group had already taken control of the decision before any individual courage could be tested. The atmosphere around them was tense and fille

All the cultivators looked upward with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion. The height of the abyss prevented them from seeing anything beyond darkness and the blurred light of the crescent moon. “What was that?” one of them asked. His right hand had already moved halfway toward the hilt of his sword. “Who is still above us?” another demanded. Concern entered his voice despite his attempt to sound firm. “Did we not all descend into the abyss?” No answer came from above. The silence only deepened their unease. One cultivator suddenly cried out when something struck his head. The object fell beside him, causing him to step back in alarm. “Why are you shouting?” another man asked. “What happened?” Several cultivators quickly ignited the special firewood they carried. Bright flames flickered to life and

The sight before them made every cultivator recoil in horror. Dozens of zombies had already surrounded the group, forming a tightening circle that left less space with every step. “We are finished. We are going to die here,” one cultivator shouted, his voice filled with fear and despair. Another man looked rapidly from side to side, trying to count the figures approaching from every direction. “One zombie alone possesses strength equal to the fifth level,” he muttered. “How are we supposed to defeat so many of them?” The panic did not last long once they saw Fan Liu begin to act. He drew talismans from inside his robe and threw them one after another with efficient movements, never hesitating as the undead closed in. Each talisman struck its target and erupted into spiritual fire. The flames spread quickly across the rotten bodies, and within the time needed for on