Zhang Yuanqing, viewing the scene from the perspective of the shadowy corpse, scanned his surroundings and found himself enveloped in a vast expanse of dark smoke, obscuring his vision and reducing visibility to less than five meters. Unlike the black smoke that periodically blanketed the area every ten minutes, as seen between the Yao Guang Hall and the surrounding regions, here the smoke was constant—always present, unceasing. What exactly had the Master of the Shu Mountain brought out from the ancient ruins? Even this southern garden already felt as if immersed in the realm of the Underworld, with an overwhelming and vast presence of negative energy. The negative energy in the main hall must have reached an even more extraordinary level, likely giving rise to numerous high-ranking, sovereign-level entities. Zhang Yuanqing remembered Jiang Ju once mentioning that when a peak-level sovereign resided in a particular location for a long time, their aura would transform the local environment—such as the Master of the Hundred Flowers Sect, who had retired deep in the mountains, causing a continuous stretch of forest for dozens of miles, with wild animals evolving into extraordinary, transcendent creatures. Take his semi-divine father, for instance—his retirement had directly transformed the mountain into a living volcano, with mol The items brought out from the ancient ruins by the Master of the Shu Mountain have transformed this immortal gate into a realm resembling the Underworld. Therefore, it's highly likely that the main hall of Shu Mountain is a Level 9 dungeon, and even at best, one would need to reach the peak of Level 8 to enter. As for the White Emperor's Crown, which is currently located in the Nan Yuan—should it be in the main hall, I won't be able to retrieve it in the near term... Zhang Yuanqing silently prayed to himself. Zhang Yuanqing shook his head: "No, it hasn't been attacked. My spiritual essence hasn't returned, and my soul hasn't been torn like in the Yao Guang Pavilion. This means the shadow corpse hasn't been damaged nor sealed. It's been separated by some kind of force—like... it's gone to another world." The Mage-Eyed Emperor mused, "It's not the black smoke's fault. Before you lost contact, what were you doing with the shadow corpse? Or did you see anything?" Zhang Yuanqing sighed, "I was just moving forward blindly—nothing seen, nothing encountered." That was strange! Fu Qingyang and the others exchanged puzzled glances, completely at a loss. Lady Yin Yao tapped her sash, and the cat king speaker hummed softly, delivering a vibrant, resonant male voice: "Don't be afraid—just go ahead!" Lady Yin Yao nodded slightly, indicating that was her recommendation. Though she was naturally timid and fearful, her judgment was quite accurate! Zhang Yuanqing looked at his teammates and shrugged, "It seems we have no other choice. "The second zone is shrouded in black smoke and also enhanced by magical illusions—both are within my domain. Once we enter, everyone must stay close to me." The Master of Zhishi furrowed her brows. "The black smoke will obscure our vision, making it easy to lose track of one another. If monsters strike while we're scattered, we'll be vulnerable to concentrated attacks." "I can activate the Day-Rising and the War God of Blaze to dispel the smoke, but then you'll all become useless..." Zhang Yuanqing stroked his chin, eyes brightening. "I'll try the Sky-Devouring Beast." Originally, he had intended to use it during the time at Yao Guang Hall, but since the female statues could perform teleportation within the smoke, the Sky-Devouring Beast's effectiveness was limited, so he had set it aside. Moreover, the black smoke will last only one minute and thirty seconds. If the Sky-Devouring Beast isn't adequately nourished during that time, it will suffer a reversal of effects. Though powerful, this item comes with a cost that's equally troublesome. Under Zhang Yuanqing's guidance, the group ascended the stone steps, passed through the intangible membrane, and soon found the view dimming rapidly, black smoke filling the area—far from the pleasant appearance they had seen outside. "Nothing visible; all our senses are being obscured," remarked the King of the Mysterious Eye, rubbing his forehead where the sports headband rested. "If we're targeted simultaneously, we'd indeed be in serious danger." "Let me try the Tian-Shou Beast," said Zhang Yuanqing, pulling out the black jade pheasant and placing it atop his head to activate its consumption ability. The beast's abdomen contracted, its mouth opening wide, drawing in the surrounding yin energy like a black hole. With yin energy constantly present throughout the area, the consumption process continued steadily, much like a water pump. The black smoke around them quickly lightened, visibility rising from five meters to ten, then twenty meters, and then stabilizing. "Visibility is sufficient—let's move now. There's too much yin energy here; the Tian-Shou Beast won't last long," Zhang Yuanqing said. Won't last long—will be full soon! Everyone quickly moved toward the dwellings, their footsteps echoing on the cracked stone bricks, barren and lifeless. Aside from their voices, there was no other sound. The dwellings were vast, and the search took considerable time—thankfully, the name "Sky-Eating Beast" was no empty boast, as they held on until the entire area had been thoroughly searched. Yet, nothing was found! No bodies, no valuable items, no useful information. "Nothing at all. A waste of time," said the King of Magical Eyes, glancing at the black jade pheasant atop Yuan-Shi's head. "Good thing this thing still holds strong." "No discovery is the greatest discovery," Fu Qingyang said calmly. "Everything here has vanished, and even Yuan-Shi's shadow-body remains unlocated. Everyone should stay together—don't scatter, or we might vanish without a trace." "A bit eerie," murmured Xia Hou Ao Tian. At that moment, Zhang Yuanqing sensed that the black jade pheasant was nearing its limit and immediately said, "Let's leave now and return to the Yao-Guang Hall. My equipment is running out. We'll come back once the skills recharge." Everyone nodded and stepped out of the pavilion, retracing their path. As soon as they reached the square, a sudden, vivid green light flashed ahead, spreading out in broad sheets toward them. Zhang Yuanqing stopped instantly, adopting a defensive stance. His teammates did the same. Only when the green light drew closer did they realize it was a wedding procession—each glowing lantern was white, carried by red-clad paper figures. These figures had bright rouge painted on their cheeks, their eyes—formed by ink spots—empty and lifeless, their mouths curved like those of a clown, eerie and haunting. At the center of the procession was a red sedan chair, floating mid-air without any bearers. It was a funeral wedding procession. Combined with the pervasive, dim, melancholy atmosphere surrounding them, it became even more chilling and terrifying. At that moment, an eerie song rose: "Her gaze, her gaze, like stars shining... She sees, she sees, she sees—her heart grows frantic. The bright moon sheds light, the cold wind stirs the willows in the alley— It's a ghost seeking a lover. Who would dare to love a sorrowful ghost bride, To stay by her side through the long, quiet nights, whispering to the moon?" Lady Yin Yao slapped the Cat King speaker and raised her small microphone, "If you don't shut up, I'll have to save you myself." The Cat King speaker promptly paused the song. As the wedding procession drew nearer, Zhang Yuanqing gave a light sigh, black, viscous energy forming in his eyes—be it ghosts, spirits, or ghouls, he would suppress them all. Yet, despite activating his spirit-consuming power, he remained unaware of the presence of any spirits around him. Indeed, there were no spirits at all. "Not spirits!" Zhang Yuanqing declared firmly. At that moment, the wedding procession passed by the group, drifting gracefully toward the distance, the mournful green lanterns growing farther and farther away. Though puzzled, Zhang Yuanqing felt reassured that everything was peaceful and safe. As he watched the procession fade into the distance, he turned and said, "If it's not spirits, then perhaps it's a spell—just a minor scare after all." But upon turning, Zhang Yuanqing's eyes widened in shock. Where was Lord Xia Hou Ao Tian? The four members of Fu Qingyang immediately noticed that Lord Xia Hou Ao Tian had vanished without a trace, while they themselves had not sensed anything unusual. A sovereign, carried away without a single protest or sound—indeed, that was quite terrifying. "Xia Hou Ao Tian has been taken by the wedding procession just now," Zhang Yuanqing said solemnly. "You all stay here and don't move. I'll go and rescue him." With that, he pursued the retreating wedding procession. Soon, he spotted a pale green glow ahead—the wedding procession drifting gently, the paper figures swaying back and forth, appearing remarkably festive. Without hesitation, Zhang Yuanqing activated his combination of the Day-Rising and the Fiery-Sun War Gods. The clear, bright sunlight dispelled darkness and purified the negative energies. Under the radiance of the Fiery-Sun, the wedding procession rapidly dissolved, melting away without resistance. Yet, even as the procession vanished into nothing, Zhang Yuanqing did not see Xia Hou Ao Tian. It seemed as though the protagonist had been purified along with the procession. Had he not been carried away by the procession? Zhang Yuanqing's heart sank, realizing the situation was far from ordinary. He immediately turned back, resolved to reunite with his teammates and plan their next move. But when he returned to the same spot, he found the Master of Zhishika, Fu Qingyang, the King of the Magician's Eye, and Lady Yin Yao all gone—completely vanished. What? Zhang Yuanqing immediately rose into the air, reactivating his combined technique of "Sunrise" and "War God of the Scorching Sun," illuminating the area. From above, he surveyed the scene—besides the cracked stone slabs, nothing remained. His teammates had simply evaporated out of existence.