Two points were misunderstood: first, the monster formed by the union of the evil cultivator's body and their attachments is not allied with the Shangui faction. Second, the Shangui faction's objective does not necessarily have to be to prevent the Shangshen faction from obtaining the "Heart of the Forest." The second point was inferred from the first. Considering balance of difficulty, the Lost City is the Shangui faction's territory, giving them a clear advantage. Therefore, the monster and the Shangui faction must be allied. However, as it now appears that "Justice lies in the blade" was clearly slain by the monster, it suggests that the Shangui faction also has a similar objective—to obtain something from the monster! Zhang Yuanqing shared his inference with his companions. Guo Huo Zhu, with two fingers resting on his chin, analyzed: "Could it be that the Shangui faction's mission is also to secure the Heart of the Forest, with both factions competing to be the first to defeat the evil cultivator?" Zhao Chenghuang shook his head: "It's not that simple. If both factions are competing for the Heart of the Forest, the mission description wouldn't need to be so elaborate." "The whole world is turning to fire—what do you think?" Tianxia Guihuo's face grew serious. "Our mission is to obtain the Heart of the Forest and strengthen the seal. So, since we're on opposite sides, let's think boldly: what might be the mountain spirits' objective? Could it be to complete the ritual of sacrifice and summon the supreme being dwelling in the blood pool? And given that monsters have attacked the mountain spirits' camp, we can reasonably infer that the mountain spirits also need to extract something from the monsters—something that, in contrast to the Heart of the Forest, enables the ritual of sacrifice." The boy selling matches was startled and loudly countered: "Impossible! If that being from the mural descends, we will surely perish—this is something we simply cannot withstand." Tianxia Guihuo chuckled scornfully. "It sounds as though once we secure the Heart of the Forest and strengthen the seal, the mountain spirits will automatically survive. But what about the City of the Lost? That's the final challenge—the most difficult one. After we fulfill our mission of strengthening the seal, do we really expect any reward at all?" "The reward must match whatever's in the blood pool—perhaps even the Mountain God's Staff. How many survivors do you think the Shangui faction has?" The little boy selling matches suddenly fell silent. The Miao Mountain sorcerer couldn’t miss her sarcasm; he merely huffed, said nothing, and turned to Zhao Chenghuang, asking, “Then what shall we do now?” As soon as he finished speaking, a clear, resonant “thud” answered his question. Turning to where the sound came from, they saw a tall, well-proportioned mixed-race woman lifting her spear and shooting down a wild deer some fifteen meters away. Bai Wu Jian Bi shook his head repeatedly: "No, we're already marked by that creature. The mark of the seductive spirit is hard to remove, and we simply don't have the means to do so. As soon as you remove the item, it will immediately sense us." Not long ago, they had been attacked by the monster, and Gong Li fell to his sword right there, without even getting a chance to resist. The members of the Shan Gui faction were terrified and hastily retreated, yet the monster locked onto them and pursued relentlessly. Eventually, Jiu Lou Yu retrieved an item known as the "Night-Wanderer Robe," which enveloped the group and allowed them to escape the monster's pursuit. This item originates from the Night-Wanderer class, granting the ability to conceal one's presence—equivalent to the Night-Wanderer's Night-Wander skill. However, the trade-off is that movement becomes impossible. Kou Bei Yue expressed her dissatisfaction: "Are we supposed to wear this robe for the rest of our lives? We must find a way, surely." Her companion beside her smiled calmly: "Don't worry. As long as we stay hidden, that means victory." "The monster can't find us—it will naturally turn to the mountain deity's faction. Then we'll just sit back and watch the battle unfold. Now, keep an eye on the leaderboard and wait for the slaughter to begin." Hong Wei said with a sigh. "Though this is a solid strategy, I still feel uneasy. The mountain deity's faction has talents like Yuan Shishen and Zhao Chenghuang." "Typical," Tianxia Jie said, rolling her eyes. "You're just afraid of Yuan Shishen." ... "What are you doing?" the Mountain Sect master snapped at Guan Ya, scolding her. "Are you complaining that we're too safe? What if the monster arrives?" The Mountain Spirit faction has just lost one of its members nearby—the monster is likely close by. The tall, steady driver smiled gently. "What am I doing? Of course, I'm going to give this five-centimeter, three-second young man a good head start and a solid boost." What a female rogue! The hermit from Maoshan grew flushed, momentarily at a loss for words. As a rising star of the Taiguan Sect, he was unwilling to face the female "ruffian" in public and exchange coarse remarks with her. Zhang Yuanqing suddenly understood the old Lady's intention: "Would you like to summon the monster and observe it from a distance, gathering intelligence?" Guan Ya nodded slightly: "The monster is a spirit of seduction, and such spirits are bloodthirsty. The scent of blood can draw it forth. Rather than wandering aimlessly through the ruins and being ambushed unexpectedly, it's better to proactively summon the enemy, observe its behavior, and gain insights. Moreover, if the monster is indeed attracted by the blood scent, it would prove that the Mountain Ghost forces have broken free from its influence." As she spoke, she fired another shot, killing the black-backed dog that had been feeding on the wild deer. Immediately, Zhang Yuanqing left behind the stunningly beautiful corpse of the Yin-Shi Blood Rose, instructing her to remain in the nearby grassy area for observation, while he led his team away from the scene at a distance. The night wanderer of Tàiyīmén followed suit, leaving behind shadowy corpses to serve as surveillance probes. After walking several hundred meters, the group paused, sat down on the winding path of overgrown grass, and waited for developments. Within a few minutes, Zhang Yuanqing, whose consciousness had been touched by the will of the blood rose, saw a thick, pale mist surge forth from deep within the city—moving swiftly, spreading over the wild grass, seeping through the ruined buildings, and flowing over the abandoned vehicles—until it finally engulfed the bodies of three animals. The mist then solidified, hovering motionless. Suddenly, from afar, the blood rose (Zhang Yuanqing) heard the sounds of bones being crushed and flesh being chewed within the mist. Indeed, it was a mist sovereign, possessing a strong bloodthirsty instinct. Yet, why had it not consumed the body of "Justice in the Blade"? Was it due to the poison carried by the witch-guisher? Zhang Yuanqing felt a subtle chill. A level-4 spirit of persuasion—this creature's combat prowess was no match for the Tree King or Monkey King; it was truly a major threat, capable of dispatching extraordinary beings as easily as Unfortunately, the thick fog obscured the monster's form, making it impossible to determine whether it was a low-intelligence corpse wandering aimlessly or a more intelligent spectral entity. If the latter, the threat level would rise significantly. Soon, the chewing sounds within the fog faded, and the pale, dense mist receded like a tide. Zhang Yuanqing waited a moment until the fog had withdrawn deep into the city and vanished from sight, then he guided the Blood Rose to rise and walk toward the bodies of the three animals. There remained only a trail of blood, and the scattered fragments of flesh and bones, chewed into pulp. Even the dog heads and deer heads had been reduced to fine crumbs. The eight spectral corpses from Tai Men soon gathered around, inspecting the scene. "Truly repulsive—eaten so thoroughly," said Sun Miao Miao's spectral form. "You too want to join in and have a bite?" the Blood Rose scoffed. Zhao Chenghuang’s 4th-level yin corpse spoke calmly: “Just as Guan Ya predicted, the creature is level 4, and appears to have retained some of its pre-death abilities. Unfortunately, its appearance remains unclear, making it difficult to assess its intelligence.” Zhang Yuanqing listened silently, then said, “Return.” On the way back, the group had already begun discussing their strategy. “The current intelligence we’ve gathered indicates: level 4, capable of wielding some of its pre-death skills—specifically, the fog master’s signature technique (tentatively named); possesses an intense bloodthirst, having consumed all the animals shot by Guan Ya; it arrives accompanied by a thick fog, obscuring its form and making it hard to gauge its intelligence…” After presenting the information, Zhang Yuanqing added, “I propose we refrain from engaging it for now, and instead focus on exploring the lost city, locating the positions of the four array formations. The mountain spirits will be watching patiently, biding their time—our goal must be to prevent them from achieving their desired outcome.” "Right now, we're in a very frustrating situation—without fighting the boss, we can't gather the required items, yet no matter which side pushes the boss, the other side always ends up picking off the leftovers. Yuan Ting also proposed a suggestion: 'If all else fails, we can go ahead and fight the mountain spirits' faction directly. In any case, we must remain steadfast in our decision not to push the boss.' 'Once your yin corpses return, immediately set out,' said the Little Fairy of Niulangshan. Upon hearing this, everyone instinctively lifted their heads, turning toward the direction they had come from, toward the steadily approaching nine yin corpses. Suddenly, at that very moment, everyone's pupils slightly widened. Behind the returning nine yin corpses, a pale, thick mist quietly trailed along, drifting slowly and gently—like a stealthy pursuit. Not merely like that, the pale mist itself seemed to be following the yin corpses. Impossible. When exactly did this start? I've been paying close attention to what's behind me… it must have spotted the yin corpses long before I realized it." Instead of launching an attack, it merely follows—has it realized the shadow corpse is merely a puppet? This creature possesses exceptional intelligence... Zhang Yuanqing felt a slight tingling in his scalp, a cold rush rising up his spine. As he maneuvered the shadow corpse into a frantic sprint, he shouted, "Run! Run quickly!" Before he finished speaking, everyone had leapt into action, scattering in all directions. Upon sensing itself discovered, the slow-drifting mist at a distance suddenly accelerated, surging like a snowslide or a tidal wave, sweeping over the fleeing group with overwhelming force. A night-wanderer from the Tàimén Sect couldn't keep up and was instantly engulfed by the mist. Immediately thereafter, piercing cries of agony emerged from within the mist. These cries stirred the survivors ahead, prompting each of them to draw upon their unique abilities and tools, and to flee with renewed determination. The wood spirit, adept at climbing, moved the fastest and led the first wave; next came the fire masters, their movements swift and fiery, forming the second wave. The earth monsters, scouts, water spirits, and night-wanderers, less agile, fell into a more scattered third wave. A thick fog surged forward with great speed, making the spiritual practitioners of the Mountain God's camp feel like ordinary people desperately running from death in a disaster film. Behind them loomed a massive snowslide or a tidal wave that would engulf everything. Guan, peering through the mist, his face now grim, roared, "We can't keep up! We simply can't! Yuanshǐ Tianzun, Zhao Chenghuang, let's fight it then!" His composure had begun to falter, as the fog had now closed in just ten meters behind him. The fog's "heavy" nature inherently made earth-based monsters the least adept at running, despite their famed endurance and stamina. Zhao Chenghuang, his expression tense, didn't display any pride or aloofness in his frantic retreat, firmly rejecting the idea: "Fighting the Fog Sovereign within this mist—let alone our peers among the Night-Wanderers—we have little chance of victory." Even with his confidence, he didn't believe he could defeat a fourth-tier Fog Sovereign within the dense fog. Meanwhile, Zhang Yuanqing was thinking: if they had chosen to fight it head-on from the very beginning, the team might have rallied their courage and spirit. But now, with morale crumbling—this was the classic case of a battlefield collapse, where the army falls like a mountain collapsing—there would be no way to muster any effective resistance. "Ah…" Another earth monster was caught by the thick mist and swallowed whole, its cries piercing through the pale fog and reaching the ears of the others. Guan Zhongkui’s face grew even more fierce—the mist was now less than five meters away. He could hear the breath of death itself. Zhang Yuanqing glanced back at Guan Zhongkui’s side. There were still two earth monsters, one scout, and then, a few meters ahead, Shallowo Reiko, pale-faced with fear. In front of Reiko stood Sun Miaomiao. And in front of Sun Miaomiao stood Guan Ya. It wasn’t possible—this way, they would inevitably be caught up, and at least one-third of their team would perish here. How had the members of the Shang Gui faction managed to escape? Zhang Yuanqing’s thoughts raced as he quickly considered what to do. Soon, one of the Fog Lord's action principles came back to him. The Fog Lord could lock onto enemies hidden within the thick fog by sensing vibrations in the mist—much like a spider detects the position of its prey through the tremors of its web. If someone could enter the fog actively and survive without being instantly killed, then the monsters within the fog would surely pursue them, and thus, everyone would have a chance. With this thought, he immediately slowed his pace and called out, "Boat, do you have any defensive items?" "I'm called 'Glimpse the Oyster in the Pipe,' not 'Boat!' I certainly have defensive gear—what do you want with it?" Glimpse the Oyster in the Pipe ran with a fierce expression, veins bulging. Zhang Yuan spoke confidently, "Hand me over your items—I have a plan to draw it away." Glimpse the Oyster in the Pipe's eyes lit up, like a drowning man grasping at a lifeline—yet he hesitated, for this was also his lifeline. Though the defensive items might not be effective, knowing that he was about to be swallowed by the fog, having one at hand was better than having none. Their conversation was clearly heard by the surrounding spiritual travelers, who silently diverted a portion of their attention to this scene. "Obedience!" Zhang Yuanqing shouted. "Damn it!" Guan Zhongkui cursed, saying, "I believe you this time—don't let me down!" With that, he grabbed a tattered coat from his inventory and threw it forcefully toward the front.