### Chapter 4: Under the Cloak of Black Fog (4)
When Feng Yalin once again melded into the darkness, preparing to traverse the black fog, she clearly felt it was much more challenging than the first time.
It was as if the fog was aiming straight for her heart, its surface crawling with wriggling maggots. As she tried to approach, they squirmed frantically, seeming ready to sneak up her fingers and scuttle all over her body if she dared reach out.
She clearly remembered that there had been no such hindrance the first time she entered the black fog.
Could this stuff evolve over time?
That was not good news.
Feng Yalin suppressed her nausea and finally let her fingertips touch the surface of the black fog.
“Whoosh…”
The maggots immediately found their target and lunged at her all at once.
She took a deep breath and resolutely stepped forward.
In just a few seconds, Feng Yalin was completely swaddled in the writhing black maggots. From a distance, she looked like someone who had just emerged from a muddy swamp, covered head to toe in thick, black sludge.
But Feng Yalin didn’t stop her forward momentum.
The darker it got, the sharper her senses became.
After confirming that the maggots only made her feel disgusting and didn’t pose any real threat, she boldly continued her journey deeper.
The moment the cloying, sticky feeling around her dissipated, Feng Yalin knew she had successfully passed through the black fog.
She opened her eyes, and to her horror, the Ground City still appeared eerily quiet.
The only thing breaking the unnerving silence were the distant torches flickering, suggesting some life was stirring around, but not much.
She didn’t want to linger on the Ground any longer.
Spotting a suitable spot near the black fog, she activated her skill “Triangle Jump,” and with her nimble form, she darted through the air like a mischievous monkey, weaving left and right.
After burning through some energy, her feet finally touched down on the edge of the Floating City.
Like the Ground City, this place was also devoid of life. After investigating a few buildings, she found them all empty.
She remembered Tan Ziyan mentioning that the forbidden area in the Floating City was related to the three realms, and the enemy’s goal could very well be that forbidden place.
But what did that have to do with her search for Shiyuan?
She really didn’t want to get caught up in the clash between two factions.
So far, she hadn’t come across any tangible clues concerning Shiyuan, and now she could only take it one step at a time—after all, that little guy was as tough as nails and wouldn’t go down easily.
If the Ji Shen and White Feather City succeeded, their boosted strength would only escalate the difficulty of the main quest.
So, if there was a chance to stop them, it wouldn’t be all bad.
Having managed to convince herself, Feng Yalin decided to waste no more time. Standing atop a height, she surveyed the surroundings. The other side of the Floating City was decked with exquisite pavilions and flowing streams—most likely the location of the Immortal Gate of Thousand Bird City.
Just as Feng Yalin was about to set off,
A thunderous rumble echoed from above, and she looked up to see a gaping hole suddenly torn in the black fog.
Dozens of red sword auras swept down like a hurricane from the outside world, and to Feng Yalin’s astonishment, she glimpsed the long-lost starry sky through the opening.
Who could it be?
Reinforcements from Thousand Bird City?
Figures began to emerge one after another through the hole, and at the forefront, one individual stood proudly atop a mystical beast, slowly descending with an air of authority.
Feng Yalin’s vision didn’t need any extra light; even as the hole in the black fog gradually closed, making the starry sky vanish again, she began to see the man’s face more clearly.
At that moment, she nearly jumped out of her skin, struggling to believe her eyes.
How could it be Li Ying Tian?
He should have reached Thousand Bird City two hours ago; why was he only now showing up?
Moreover, she had been outside the black fog previously—how could this group have come in such a forceful manner without any signs?
Even with so many questions swirling in her mind, Feng Yalin’s immediate reaction was to follow them. This would save her precious time in searching for the forbidden area.
Sure enough, Li Ying Tian and his group hurried toward the area where the Immortal Gate was located.
They halted at an unassuming entrance to a tunnel.
If she were Li Ying Tian, the first thing she’d want to do upon returning to the city would surely be to ensure the forbidden area was secure. It seemed the secret place beneath the tunnel was indeed the forbidden area.
Leaving a portion of their team to guard outside, Li Ying Tian rushed down the tunnel with ten others.
Hidden in the shadows, Feng Yalin carefully slipped past the guards and followed Li Ying Tian down the tunnel.
Inside the darkness, it was an entirely different story:
The tunnel was suffused with a thick smell of bl**d, but Feng Yalin didn’t dare cover her mouth and nose. Even though she could merge with the darkness seamlessly, any unnecessary movements that stirred up a sound would alert Li Ying Tian to her presence in an instant.
As the smell of bl**d intensified, deepening pools of red liquid began to appear on the ground, presenting a serious trial for her stealth skills.
But to uncover what had happened in the forbidden area, she had no choice but to push forward.
If discovered, all she could do was run.
Fortunately, everyone seemed captivated by the incoming tide of bl**d that flooded in.
Eventually, she arrived at the innermost sanctum of the forbidden area. What had once been a space the size of a basketball court was now transformed into a bl**d pool, teeming with all sorts of repulsive entrails, limbs, excrement, and hair floating atop the grimy liquid.
Feng Yalin had never encountered anything this disgusting. The stench up close was enough to drive anyone mad.
What came next from Li Ying Tian and his gang sent her spiraling into a frenzy.
Using several blades of sword energy thrumming with intense heat to vaporize a bl**d pool mixed with a ton of excrement?
What the heck were you guys, pigs?!
In an instant, the entire underground space filled with a nauseating odor.
It was like the exquisite aroma of fresh manure sizzling over an open flame, leading one to teeter on the edge of consciousness.
Please, for the love of all that is sacred, stop roasting poop already…
Feng Yalin fought back tears.
When she got out of here, who knew how many baths she’d need to take to rinse off the stench clinging to her.
Just when she thought she couldn’t handle it any longer,
Li Ying Tian suddenly roared, “Who’s there?!”
Feng Yalin jumped in shock, immediately preparing to flee, thinking she’d been discovered.
But to her surprise, Li Ying Tian and his group didn’t even glance at her hiding place.
After shouting, Li Ying Tian leapt into the bl**d pool, which had become incredibly viscous after losing a lot of liquid.
In front of him were three magical seals shimmering faintly with light.
He pressed his hands on the first seal, his dazzling movements resembling someone trying to crack a twenty-digit combination lock.
Three magical seals, each with a different unlocking code—unlocking them as fast as possible would still take him at least ten minutes.
Once he cracked the final seal, dashing toward the last door, a monstrous head suddenly lunged out above him, biting down on him with a crunch that echoed through the chamber.
The rest of the disciples stood there, dumbfounded.
Before they could react, several nimble beasts appeared, launching themselves at them, mouths wide open.
……
P.S.: Another update coming around eight tonight, don’t go anywhere!
