Zhang Yuanqing unconsciously pulled Guan Ya close, his tone serious: "Don't leave me!" The tall, mixed-race woman stumbled slightly under his pull. Through the mist, Guan Ya saw Yuan Shi's face serious and tense—like a child protecting a cherished toy. That tense, careful emotion was clearly written on his features. His reaction was the most genuine instinctive response. He would soon realize that she had a suite of protective gear on. By nature, Yuan Shi would immediately go check on the cause of the young woman's death and shift the conversation away. "Guan Ya, take care of yourself. I'll go find out what's going on," Zhang Yuanqing said firmly. Indeed... Guan Ya thought, I've always known about you. She followed Zhang Yuanqing to the body. At that moment, the team members had already gathered around the girl's body, completing their initial examination, and were solemnly discussing the findings. "She was decapitated by a sharp blade. There was no opportunity for her to react," the Peony Princess said sadly. She seems to know this young girl named "Ai'ai." "I was right beside her just now, and I didn't feel any movement—no sound of the blade being swung, no ripple of mist at all," said the Niulangshan little fairy, her hair tied in a bun, frowning. No movement at all—that’s rather terrifying. The unknown enemy is most frightening. All the spiritual realm travelers tensed quietly, drawing out their personal tools in preparation. But now the body lies supine—this indicates that the throat was attacked, causing an instinctive backward tilt. While the Fire Master nodded in agreement, the other spiritual realm practitioners were all at the captain level, and such straightforward on-site observations required no further explanation. Jiang Jingwei understood, but furrowed her brows slightly: "Everyone was so close—how could someone have come from the front, wielding a blade, and not have killed a large number of people? Yet only she died." Tian Xia Gui exhaled, saying, "This is precisely what I can't understand." Hearing no sound of the enemy, not knowing how the assault occurred, yet being able to instantly eliminate a Level 3 Wood Spirit—this was indeed unsettling. Zhang Yuanqing hesitated, black energy swirling in his eyes. Before everyone's eyes, he summoned the lingering spirit of the deceased and swallowed it whole, intending to directly query it for clues. The official spiritual realm practitioners watched silently, with no one intervening. In this perilous dungeon, survival is the top priority—once a solution works, flexibility in moral standards is acceptable. A few seconds later, Zhang Yuanqing opened his eyes and shook his head. Ai Ai had no idea how she had died—she simply lost consciousness and then her life. "Could no one from the Inquiry team identify the murderer?" Shina Ryō's expression changed. At this moment, the fog was growing increasingly dense, visibility steadily declining, even with torches illuminating the path, people around him began to blur. An intangible fear was building within the group, and arguments among the team members intensified. "Something's unusual about this fog—it grows more dangerous the longer we stay. We must leave quickly and cross it to be safe." "No, we must understand the cause and resolve the issue. The fog covers a wide area, disrupting our exploration of the maze. Moreover, if another person dies on the way, the map will suffer even greater losses." "Each side held firm, and finally shouted, 'Master Yuanshi, where are you located? Speak up—let you decide this matter.' Zhang Yuanqing paused and said, 'First, we don't yet know the frequency of the crises. If the crises occur infrequently but affect a wide area covered by mist, then before we even manage to move forward, half our members will have been lost. The鸵bird's explanation won't resolve the issue. My suggestion is to address the crisis first, then proceed. At this point, the advantage of prestige becomes evident. If someone else says the same thing, the team won't believe them. But when Master Yuanshi himself speaks, they willingly follow. Seeing no opposition, Zhang Yuanqing, relying on his instinct, turned toward the young woman in her twenties with a bun hairstyle, and asked, 'Little Fairy, you've been with Aai since the beginning. Before she passed away, did she do anything unusual or trigger any specific event?'" He wanted to know whether Aai's death was simply a matter of bad luck, or whether it had unintentionally activated some hidden mechanism. The Little Fairy of Niulanshan furrowed her brows, pondered for a moment, then shook her head, saying, "I don't think so. I haven't paid her any special attention." Zhang Yuanqing nodded and then turned to the fire masters, Tianxia Guihuo and Jiang Jingwei, saying, "Let's try to create explosions—see if we can disperse the flames." At this, the fire masters demonstrated strong initiative, each forming a ball of fire in their hands and hurling it toward the distance. "Boom!" Explosions followed one after another, waves of red flame sweeping across the area, violently agitating the thick mist, as if stirring a muddy stream. Yet the view remained hazy—the mist was too dense. The shockwaves from the explosions merely made the slowly drifting mist more chaotic and disordered. To clear the fog, fresh air would need to enter. I remember the Rain Lord has the power to bring wind and rain; if I possess that ability, I can dispel the thick fog—no, if I have the Rain Lord’s power, I won’t need to fear these strange foggy conditions anymore. Zhang Yuanqing then tried several other methods, but none could drive away the mountain mist. "Master Yuan Shi, the fog is growing thicker and thicker—we must move now." Guan Ya glanced around and noticed the mist had become so dense it was nearly impossible to see people nearby. Zhang Yuanqing nodded silently and spoke clearly: "Everyone, hold hands and move forward. Starting now, keep counting continuously to ensure no one gets lost or falls. Anyone behind? Please report the route." The group quickly responded, holding hands and moving forward under Zhang Yuanqing’s leadership. As they advanced along the designated route, they counted aloud. "One, two, three… thirteen, fourteen." After one person had fallen, the total number of the group was now fourteen. The second round of counting began: "1, 2, 3... 12, 13..." The counting stopped abruptly, and the number 14 remained silent. Everyone's hearts sank, and soon a trembling voice came from the end of the line: "I'm number 14. I was attacked..." The speaker was Yu Nü Wu Gua, a young man in his thirties, at level 3 as a water spirit. The group quickly gathered around her, several fire masters lighting torches to gather light and improve visibility. Zhang Yuanqing asked urgently, "What happened?" Yu Nü Wu Gua looked pale and frightened, "Suddenly, I was attacked. Something cut my neck, disrupting my passive ability." Water spirits normally ignore physical attacks. Without that passive, Yu Nü Wu Gua would have been dead. "Did you see the attacker? What was the method of attack?" the group asked quickly. Yu Nü Wu Gu touched her neck, recalling: "I didn't see the attacker at all, nor did I feel any unusual sensation—just a pain in my neck, and then I noticed my passive ability had activated. However, I sensed an intruder entering my body. After my head turned to water, the path of its withdrawal was upward." Upward? The official Rowers instantly lifted their heads, yet all they saw were thick mist. Zhang Yuanqing unfurled his Yin-Yang robe, draped it over his shoulders, and allowed his spirit to detach, drifting toward the tree canopy. As he approached the canopy, he was once again blocked, unable to ascend further. Zhang Yuanqing floated back and forth along the boundary, weaving through the dense foliage, searching for hidden threats concealed among the lush branches. Yu Nü Wu Gu's experience demonstrated that even immaterial spirits could be immune to the attacker's damage. Zhang Yuanqing swiftly surveyed the area and found no anomalies. He then descended his spirit and returned to his physical form. "Nothing found!" His response left everyone deeply disappointed, and soon, they began to collapse. This intangible foe is even more daunting than the Tree King, who at least is visible and tangible, with his danger clearly and plainly before us. "This won't do—we lack the water spirit's passive ability. If we're targeted, we're certain to perish," said Wu Wu Wanai, his brows furrowed. "Guan Yae, once her hair was steamed, furrowed her brows and said, 'Based on his tone, it seems genuine, but I can't see his face clearly to observe any details.' At that moment, the Peony Immortal took a deep breath and said, 'Master Yuanshi, what should we do now? No matter what you say, I will follow your lead.' Everyone remained silent, gazing into the thick mist, where only the outline of the team leader remained. Although the副本 didn't have an officially designated team leader position, Master Yuanshi was universally recognized as such. Was this truly placing his life in my hands? Zhang Yuanqing felt immense pressure. He glanced around and said, 'Keep moving!' 'Keep moving...' everyone sighed inwardly. Moving forward meant doing nothing—seemed like Master Yuanshi had no further options. The team advanced slowly and steadily through the maze-like forest, the dense mist obscuring their vision, making it impossible to see the path or the intersections. To avoid making mistakes, Zhang Yuanqing had the earth monsters walk ahead, who could effectively identify how many pathways branched off. 'Two minutes now.' "Among the team, someone suddenly spoke up. "There's still three minutes..." Zhang Yuanqing murmured to himself, actively thinking through strategies. After Ai'ai's death, Zhang had initially suspected the crisis stemmed from the quest realm. But after several fruitless investigations, he gradually shifted his suspicion toward the double agents among the Night Rose faction. Could the thick fog simply be serving to obscure vision and increase the maze's difficulty? Might the double agents be secretly eliminating people under the guise of the quest? That's why he had proposed holding hands and counting aloud—both measures aimed at restricting the potential movement of any double agents. Yet now it seemed the likelihood of such double agents being responsible appeared low. "Three minutes," someone else added. Zhang Yuanqing rapidly spun his thoughts: "At present, we can only conclude that the attackers strike every five minutes. To uncover more patterns, we must continue observing—each observation costs a life, and we simply cannot afford such sustained effort..." "The danger comes from the canopy, yet I haven't detected any anomalies. Whether the Rain Goddess is lying remains uncertain; the fog is too thick, and Guan Ya cannot see his face clearly..." "How exactly do the attackers conceal themselves? We still lack clarity on their attack patterns, but one thing is certain: it is intimately tied to this unusual fog. The danger emanates from the fog itself..." Then, suddenly, a face flashed into Zhang Yuanqing's mind— Li Xianzong! The current thick fog stirred a vivid, unpleasant memory: once, in his aunt's hospital, he had found himself trapped in a dense fog, suffering significant setbacks, even nearly going into clinical isolation. This was a classic case of acute stress disorder. Wait—! Zhang Yuan had a sudden flash of insight and realized what was happening with the thick fog in the maze forest. The side quest description mentioned that the evil cultivators' power had seeped into the forest, making the paths to the summit hazardous. The mountain deity is the title acquired after a soil monster underwent a job transition—so what is the evil cultivator's profession? It must be the Enchanting Spirit! After their first job transition, reaching the Saint Realm, they are known as the Fog Master! "Four minutes...," the person reporting the time said, his voice growing deeper. The team members grew increasingly serious, their muscles tensed, maintaining a state of alertness and tension. Just one more minute, and the hidden attacker would strike. Yet Zhang Yuan felt energized. Once he understood the nature of the threat, formulating a response became much simpler. I remember when I first fought Li Xianzong in the hospital—he used the movement of the fog to gauge my position. This attacker must be doing the same. So, if I simply remain still, can I avoid the threat entirely? Try it… Zhang Yuanqing stopped and spoke loudly, "Stop! All of you, stop!" The team halted immediately. Zhang Yuanqing didn't give them a chance to ask questions. "From now on, remain still. Slow your breathing—ideally, don't breathe at all. No movements, no sounds. Don't ask why. Just believe me and follow my instructions." If this results in deaths, then the attackers must be either the original five senses or double agents. In that case, we'll use Guan Ya's mask to identify the culprits. The team members indeed remained silent, holding their breath and motionless. They counted the seconds, each passing moment feeling agonizingly long. Finally, five minutes passed. The team stayed perfectly still. Half a minute later, they heard Yuan Shi Tian Zun say, "Begin counting!" "1, 2, 3…13, 14." No one had died in this round. … The orderly faction's spiritual travelers were divided into three groups, each heading down a separate mountain path. The contingent led by Zhao Chenghuang numbered 23, moving silently through the dark, dense forest. The footpath beneath them branched out in countless directions, intersecting and weaving together—any misstep at a turning point could trap this official and independent practitioner-led group deep within the labyrinthine forest. Their method mirrored that of Zhang Yuanqing’s group: each member memorized a segment of the route, with the collective memory of the 23 minds forming a complete mental map of the maze. Thanks to their larger size, some routes were redundantly recorded, ensuring that the loss of any single member due to unforeseen circumstances would not result in a critical gap in the overall route. The scattered footsteps echoed through the quiet forest, while the thick canopy of leaves occasionally rustled softly under the night breeze, adding to the growing sense of stillness and eeriness. Several firemasters carried their torches, selflessly illuminating the path for the group. As they walked on, Sun Miao-miao furrowed her brow and murmured, "The ambient阴 qi has intensified." "Zhao Chenghuang"mhm," said, "It seems there are other dangers within the maze. If these were vengeful spirits, things would be much simpler. There are eight Night-Wanderers here—even a Saint-Realm vengeful spirit would be scattered in spirit. Sun Miaomiao was about to speak when she suddenly noticed a dark silhouette hanging from the tree branches ahead. Focusing her attention, she saw it was a body suspended upright, dressed in a dull gray mountaineering jacket, lifeless and hanging mid-air, having been dead for some time. The face was covered in lividity, the skin a pale gray, eyes closed—extremely eerie. "Hm, there seems to be a corpse over there," the orderly monks behind remarked, catching sight of the hanging figure through the light of their torches. "Looks like a mountaineer—ah, I've seen one in the outer layers. Didn't expect to find one here in the maze." "Be cautious—mountaineers aren't part of our mountain deity faction." The group moved forward slowly and carefully. Suddenly, the body hanging from the tree branches opened its eyes. A pair of pupils the color of blood, etched with twisted, strange runes. Sun Miaomiao felt her mind "boom" as if struck hard on the head, losing all consciousness. In the next instant, her scattered gaze regained clarity, and she broke free from the dizziness. At the crucial moment, she transferred all negative effects to her spiritual servant. Was this the Eye of Enchantment? Had the corpse been influenced by the malevolent forces of a wicked cultivator? As her thoughts raced, she heard heavy breathing coming from beside and behind her. Her heart tightened. She turned to look. There, the orderly travelers behind her all had distorted expressions, breathing heavily, their crimson eyes blazing with the hunger for slaughter. Beside her, apart from the Miao Mountain cultivator, Yuan Ting, and Zhao City God—who had completed their ultimate maneuver (passing the burden to their spiritual servants)—all the night-wanderers had been struck down. "Those people have been enchanted," said Guo Guo Zhu, his face serious, approaching. He was the only one among the group besides Sun Miaomiao who remained conscious. As the master of keen observation, no one could launch a surprise attack under his watch—neither alive nor dead. "What shall we do?" asked the Taoist priest. Zhao Chenghuang spoke with a stern expression: "Try to control them. Avoid killing as much as possible." "Only five of us?" the Taoist priest exclaimed. Zhao Chenghuang looked at him: "You have no choice." ... Fourteen people? Upon hearing the count, the team members nearly couldn't believe it. They had anticipated some casualties, yet here was a calm, uneventful "Night of Peace"? A wave of renewed energy spread through the group, lifting the weight of their earlier anxiety and replacing it with joy. "No one died... not a single casualty," said one member. The Peony Immortal personally counted the numbers, confirming it was fourteen and that everyone was still alive. Shinoya Ryō also double-checked. The Japanese college student and the matronly Peony Immortal, beaming with surprise, asked, "How did you know simply standing still would be enough to avoid attack?" Guan Ya and Tian Xiu, Tian Fu, seemed to be reflecting. The official attendants all turned their gaze toward Yuan Shi Tian Zun, their eyes filled with anticipation. Yuan Shi Tian Zun must have already resolved the fog crisis; then, there would be no more casualties ahead.