Within the forest choked with toxic mist, the piercing, desperate cries still echoed from afar, casting the entire area into an atmosphere of profound gloom. "Shh!" Suddenly, a gust of wind broke through the thick mist, and patches of fiery light began to emerge. Remarkably, as the flames appeared, the surrounding toxic haze seemed startled and spontaneously receded, clearing a wide, unobstructed path. "It seems these toxic insects are quite afraid of the unusual fire," said Xiao Yi, smiling gently at the path that had naturally parted before them. "Most of these insects thrive in cold, damp conditions, while the unusual fire is intensely warm and vibrant—naturally, they fear it," smiled Xiao Yan, turning back to gaze at the vast procession behind. True to the strange and eerie nature of the toxic mist, only a fraction—perhaps less than one-tenth—of the thousands in the rear had managed to make it through. "The Primeval Ancient Domain truly lives up to its reputation..." Xiang Yan sighed once more, knowing that this was merely the outer reaches—there was no telling what kind of obstacles lay ahead deep within. "The toxic mist is gradually thinning; it seems we're nearing the exit of this region." Cai Lin glanced at the clearer views around them. "Agreed. We should move faster. Our extended period of meditation has delayed us significantly. I suspect that representatives from the major powers of the Central Plains have already reached the central areas of the Primeval Ancient Domain." Xiang Yan nodded, then stepped forward with a flick of his foot, launching himself forward like an arrow released from a bow. Several figures behind him followed swiftly, in a flash. Cai Lin's perception had not been mistaken—as the group pressed deeper, the toxic mist grew progressively thinner, until it finally vanished entirely. Breaking through the toxic mist, Xiao Yan and his companions leapt onto a nearby massive boulder. As they scanned ahead, a vast celestial gully, stretching hundreds of li in length, came into view. The gully was incredibly deep, with a thick haze of poison vapor swirling throughout, obscuring its far end. Raising their gaze beyond the gully, they saw an endless range of towering mountains, soaring high and majestic, like colossal dragons coiled and resting. An ancient, wild aura emanated from these mountains, spreading and rippling throughout the realm. That, indeed, was the true heart of the Primeval Wilderness. "Hmm..." Xiao Yan exhaled softly, his eyes filled with a sense of gravity. He could faintly sense an array of fierce, potent energies hidden within the ancient mountain range stretching into the horizon—energies so powerful that even he felt a tangible sense of danger. "The fierce beasts here have remained isolated since ancient times, passing down their lineage with formidable strength. Though their fierce nature has somewhat diminished their intelligence compared to other beasts of similar rank, their explosive power surpasses even that of the finest beasts." A young senior elder from the Star-Fallen Pavilion, standing beside Xiao Yan, murmured softly. Xiao Yan nodded, then grasped his palm—there, in his hand, appeared a pearl tinged with a hint of emerald, the very lotus seed that had settled from the essence of Bodhi's body transformation. This wild, ancient realm is vast, making it difficult to locate the exact position of the ancient Bodhi tree. Moreover, countless such beasts dwell within. Should they venture haphazardly, even with their current strength and formation, they would likely face grave peril. In his hand was the bodhi seed. Xiao Yan closed his eyes, carefully sensing the subtle movements within the seed. After a while, he gradually opened them, his gaze fixed on the northwest direction, and softly said, "This location might be too distant from the ancient bodhi tree to clearly pinpoint its exact position. However, based on the information received from the seed, it's roughly in this direction." "Let's go." After securing the bodhi seed, Xiao Yan made no further停留, lightly stepping on a massive stone and rising like a great phoenix, then gliding through the void toward the other side of Tianjian. Behind him, Cai Lin and Xiao Yi followed closely. Hundreds of zhang of distance may seem wide, yet with the speed of Xiao Yin and his companions, they were already at the other side in the blink of an eye. However, as soon as they stepped into the sky, sudden roars erupted from the ground, and then several dark figures, carrying a thick, nauseating scent of blood, surged through the air, striking Xiao Yin in a lightning-fast assault. "Hmm." Xiao Yan also nodded. The beasts here weren't particularly strong yet, but once they delved deeper, things would become much more challenging. Thus, he didn't object and simply descended to the ground. "Whoosh!" As Xiao Yan's group landed, several rushing wind sounds came from behind, followed by several figures approaching and halting in mid-air, their eyes alert and focused on Xiao Yan and his companions. Xiao Yan glanced at these figures. Clearly, they were all powerful beings at the Du Zun level. What surprised him, however, was that they had managed to penetrate the toxic mist. "Let's go." Xiao Yan didn't devote much thought to these people, nor did he intend to converse with them as they moved along. Everyone here had their sights set on the Bodhi Ancient Tree—no matter how they cooperated, true unity was impossible. A team built on mutual suspicion wasn't what Xiao Yan sought. With a simple wave of his hand, he lightly pointed his foot to the ground, and with a fluid motion, he drifted toward the distance. Cai Lin and the others swiftly followed. A powerful surge of combat qi suddenly burst forth from the forest, sweeping across the terrain and striking with tremendous force against the massive, fierce beast. The potent toxins carried within the qi wave instantly severed the creature's vital life force, and before it could even begin to roar, its cry cut off abruptly. The beast's immense body collapsed, sending tremors through the ground. As the great creature fell, several figures emerged slowly from the forest—exactly the group of travelers who had entered the Primordial Ancient Domain. "The allure of the Bodhi ancient tree is simply too strong—even the ancient races would hardly hesitate to part with it, let alone the other major powers. Yet, as we've journeyed along, we haven't encountered any of those major forces' contingents..." Xiao Yixian sat cross-legged on a nearby stone, saying, "Given their strength and pace, I suspect they're far ahead of us in progress at this point." Xiao Yan nodded slightly, but remained calm. After all, a treasure of the Bodhi ancient tree's stature wouldn't be so easily obtained if it were that simple. Though numerous forces had launched their efforts this time, reaching the tree itself wouldn't be something accomplished in mere days or weeks. "There weren't any particularly dangerous spots ahead, but I encountered a group—upon closer observation, they appeared to be from the Tianming Sect." Qingcheng Elder said. "The Tianming Sect?" Lin Xiang's brow furrowed. He hadn't expected the first faction he'd met within the Ancient Domain to be one he'd always been lukewarm about—the Tianming Sect. Their relationship had been strained, and if they met face to face, there would likely be quite a bit of friction. "I picked up some of their conversations while observing from the shadows." "Ah?" Lin Xiang raised an eyebrow, his gaze shifting to Qingcheng Elder. "Near their front, there seems to be another group preparing to strike and secretly eliminate them." Qingcheng Elder smiled. "Never mind, dogs bite dogs—just a bit of fur here and there. We'll keep moving on our own..." Xiao Yan shook his head. These people were truly restless, even now, thinking of ways to harm others. But just as he was about to stand up, he suddenly asked, "Which faction is that one ahead of us?" "It seems to be from the Huazong." The Qingcheng elder paused and said. "Huazong?" Xiao Yan's body froze instantly, his expression growing steadily more somber. If the Huazong had come, then perhaps Yunyun was among them. If so, this time, they could no longer remain passive. "What a bunch of fools..." "Master Xiao, what are your plans?" Seeing Xiao Yan's sudden serious demeanor, the Qingcheng elder hesitated before speaking. "Get moving—kill the Tianming Sect..." Xiao Yan slowly stood up, his voice calm yet carrying a subtle cold intensity. The incident from their last ambush still hadn't been settled, and now here they were, facing it again. He simply couldn't afford to let it pass easily!