"That's Nengu?"韩立 gazed at the scene before him, murmuring to himself. Just十余 feet behind him, a mountain cliff rose over a thousand paces high, with a modest entrance at its base.韩立 had only just stepped out of this entrance, not yet a moment ago. Nanlong Marquis and the elderly Lu were standing side by side, watching the scene with expressions of astonishment. Before them lay a vast mountain range, stretching endlessly, dotted with countless hills and ridges. Yet it was also a world of vibrant colors—patches of soft, ethereal glows drifted everywhere, both in the sky and on the ground. These glows varied in hue and size: some spanned several miles, resembling the evening twilight in the sky, while others were only a few feet long, like delicate, translucent veils, each one resplendent. What amazed韩立 and his companions most was not the glows themselves, but the profound disorder of the natural qi in this land. Regardless of their inherent properties, the qi streams are now intertwined and chaotic, creating a restless, agitated sensation—as if a mere touch could provoke them. "Indeed, this place has long been a battleground among ancient cultivators. It's astonishing that even the very foundation of the celestial and terrestrial qi here has been completely destroyed. Under such circumstances, no matter who casts a spell here, we're likely to experience some adverse effects," said Nan Long Hou after a moment of deep contemplation, finally exhaling in relief. "These are merely secondary concerns," said Han Li suddenly, raising his hand and pointing toward a specific spot in the sky, with a wry smile. "The real issue lies with those things—those are truly a major headache." High above, hundreds of feet away, several slender streaks of light—each about a foot long and resembling shimmering white halos—were drifting slowly. Upon seeing these formations clearly, Nan Long Hou and the elderly Lu named Lu Wei Ying were both stunned. "How could there be so many spatial rifts? And not only that—they're moving on their own!" cried Lu Wei Ying, voice rising in astonishment. At this moment, Nanlong Hou's face was also grim. "This is entirely normal. Since this place is an ancient battlefield, it's natural that there are more spatial fissures here than outside. Otherwise, how could so many astonishing, world-class Yuan婴 cultivators vanish completely upon entering—without a trace? To prevent any unforeseen incidents, we must now strictly follow Master Angkun's route from this point forward. Otherwise, heh... " Han Li glanced at Nanlong Hou and smiled lightly. "You're absolutely right, Brother Han. We mustn't take any risks and deviate from our course. Who knows where these invisible spatial fissures might appear. However, though these wandering fissures sound terrifying, as long as we remain vigilant, they pose no real threat given their speed." Nanlong Hou paused and composed himself. "Still, the density of spatial fissures here is at least ten times greater than outside." Moreover, the method Nan Long mentioned is only reliable if the invisible spatial fissures remain stationary, just like the ones in the hidden space. Should they behave like the visible fissures—constantly shifting and wandering—then the route map left by Cang Kun Master may no longer be safe. Lu Weiying furrowed her brows, gazing at a cluster of densely packed spatial fissures elsewhere, and thoughtfully added, "Indeed." Upon hearing this, Han Li was momentarily startled. He slightly tilted his head, his blue glow intensifying, and instantly spotted a faint arc of light hovering motionless at a distance of over a hundred paces. After observing the invisible spatial fissure for a while, Han Li grew confident. However, as he paused to consider whether to share this information with the two and how to convey it, Nan Long, noticing Han Li's contemplative expression, misunderstood the moment and hesitated before speaking something that completely surprised Han Li: "My esteemed friends, there is no need to worry. These invisible fissures do not move." "The Master Chengkun has confirmed this in his will." "Can you be certain about this, Brother Nanlong? How did Master Chengkun know?" Lu Weiying perked up, yet still harbored some doubt. "Lu brother, do you think that, when Master Chengkun suffered such a severe depletion of vital energy, he could have safely emerged from the Valley of Devastation? That was all due to a special ability he cultivated—his capacity to sense the presence of spatial fissures. Only with this ability could he have exited the valley. Otherwise, even in his peak condition, he could not have done so, let alone after his severe injury." Nanlong侯 spoke calmly to the two of them. Hearing this explanation, the elder relaxed visibly and felt much more at ease. "Indeed, such a secret technique exists! Then, Master Chengkun's successful exit from the Valley of Devastation was no mere coincidence." Han Li also seemed stirred, as if he had finally exhaled a deep breath of relief. Seeing this, Nanlong侯 felt reassured. He had once feared that Han Li and his companions might hesitate or retreat. Above all, Han Li—whom he now simply could not penetrate—was absolutely the key force in confronting the Fire Tortoise Beast, and he had to bring him along. "Alright! It's time we set off," said Nan Long Hou, his expression serious. "According to the will, when the Fire Tortoise Beast cannot move swiftly, its lair lies a full day's journey from here. Be cautious throughout the way, both of you." "Rest assured, Nan Long brother," replied Han Li, a slight upward curve forming at the corner of his mouth as he smiled. "Our own lives—we will treasure them most." The elder named Lu nodded in agreement. "Then we're all set. We've already wasted considerable time. Let's go," said Nan Long Hou, satisfied. Then, after determining the direction, a flash of golden light emanated from him, and he floated into the air, enveloped in a golden glow, drifting steadily toward a certain direction. Han Li and the elder exchanged glances, their protective light shimmering in unison, and they rose into the air, closely following Nan Long Hou's path, never straying a step. At this point, even a slight deviation of several dozen paces could trigger a spatial fissure or awaken some ancient seal. Both Han Li and the elder were naturally extremely cautious. Throughout the journey, the Marquis of Nanlong's flight path was unusually strange—sometimes direct and straight, at other times winding in large circles. However, regardless of the route taken, he always paused after every hour to reorient himself and reconfirm his position before resuming. He never drew out any jade scrolls to consult. Clearly, he had memorized the route so thoroughly that he no longer needed to refer to them. Han Li maintained his composed demeanor, yet silently forced himself to memorize each segment of the route. Should anything unexpected occur, this would serve as a vital safety measure. He suspected that Lu Weiying was doing the same. After all, as cultivators, they had all mastered the fundamental Wuxing techniques, which granted them the ability to retain information effortlessly. Remembering these routes was therefore a matter of course. Thus, they flew for half a day, exactly as the Nán Lǒng Count had described, encountering no hazards at all. Han Li gradually felt truly at ease. It seemed that the Nán Lǒng Count had indeed inherited the route map from the old master, Cāng Kūn. At this point, trailing behind the Nán Lǒng Count, Han Li not only recorded the flight path but also simultaneously used his divine awareness to sense everything around him. He estimated that along the way, there were at least three or four spots with strong fluctuations in the sealing forces, while several others were faint and indistinct—either subtle or ambiguous—making it difficult for Han Li to determine whether these were actual array seals or merely anomalies caused by disturbances in the ambient qi. Han Li naturally found these locations particularly interesting and knew that they likely contained ancient treasures left behind by early cultivators; a visit to such places might yield significant rewards. Yet, despite his initial enthusiasm, Han Li quickly suppressed his eager intentions and completely extinguished his desire to explore them. For, the more he studied ancient marvels and arrays, the more he came to dread ancient seals. Having gained a deep understanding of certain ancient magical arrays, he knew well that some of the ancient seals were particularly formidable—not in the space rifts above, but rather beneath them. Even with his spiritual vision enabling him to avoid all spatial fissures, attempting to interact with those ancient seals whose depth and strength he could not gauge would be akin to risking his life. With his current discernment, ordinary ancient artifacts no longer held much appeal for him. As for this current journey into the valley, if he could secure the fire-toad spirit pill, the relics of ancient cultivators, the spirit candle fruits, and the numerous罡silver sands at the valley entrance, he would already be considered highly successful. Thus, after carefully weighing the pros and cons, he decisively abandoned any sense of adventure. Yet, upon a quick glance, he noticed an elderly man of the Lu surname whose expression was somber, frequently glancing toward the distance. Frictioned by this, Han Li sighed inwardly. It seemed that if this individual failed to find what he sought among the ancient cultivator remains, he would likely explore further within the inner valley. This was not necessarily an indication of excessive ambition on his part. Han Li reflected upon it: if his own lifespan were also short and his fate approaching, he would surely seize this opportunity and venture forth. After all, success would greatly extend his life or dramatically advance his cultivation. Considering this, he felt a subtle sense of sorrow. Yet at that moment, the southern prince who had been leading them suddenly halted their flight, gazing straight ahead with a face that shifted between clouded and composed. Han Li frowned, sensing an unwelcome foreboding. He glanced around the immediate area, then immediately fixed his eyes on the back of the southern prince, remaining silent. Below them stood a modest hill, over a hundred paces high, ordinary and unremarkable. In the distance, however, to the left and right, two towering mountain ranges rose prominently, standing out strikingly. Though they had previously stated that their destination was only one day's journey away—the fire-toad's lair—now, after barely half a day's travel, they had not yet reached their destination. Lu Weiying, who had been somewhat distracted earlier, now looked utterly astonished. "Nanlong Brother, what is it? Why haven't you moved forward?" The elder named Lu, his eyes showing cautious concern, asked in bewilderment.