The two stood before the stone forest.

"This is it! Once we cross the stone forest, we’ll reach the Dark Valley," Ning Wuhui said after observing for a while. He then stepped forward into the forest, gesturing for Qin Sang to follow.

A yin wind howled through the petrified trees. Though the gusts could not move the stone trunks, they produced an eerie wailing sound as they swept through, sometimes sharp, sometimes mournful and grating.

"There are ferocious beasts in the forest. Be careful, Daoist Qin. The trees are too dense, our evasion techniques will be restricted," Ning Wuhui warned through sound transmission.

Qin Sang nodded, quietly awakening the Sky-Eyed Butterfly for vigilance. They slowed their pace, gliding soundlessly between the stone trunks. Fortunately, even after reaching the deeper part of the forest, they encountered no danger.

Gradually, the petrified trees grew sparser. After walking for some time, Qin Sang suddenly heard a strange, sobbing sound ahead, like someone crying in pain.

At first, the sound was faint. Having traveled through the forest for so long, they thought little of it, assuming it was merely the wind whistling through the stone crowns.

But the further they went, the louder the sobbing became, until it resembled the wailing of ghosts. The sound sent chills up their spines.

They exchanged a glance, realizing something was terribly wrong. The sound came from directly ahead, yet the forest was too thick and dark to see anything. Neither dared to release their spiritual consciousness rashly.

"Could there be ghostly creatures of the ghost king level within the inner hall?" Qin Sang’s heart tightened.

Ning Wuhui shook his head. "I’ve never heard of such a thing. Many Spiritual Infant cultivators have fallen here, but none turned into ghosts that lived on. The only living things in the inner hall are ferocious beasts. At most, when certain hidden realms are opened, one might find guardian puppets or the like. Let’s go around!"

He made his decision instantly, unwilling to take the risk. But before they could change course, the ghostly wailing grew louder and began moving toward them.

Their expressions shifted drastically. They immediately turned to flee in another direction to avoid the unknown creature.

Rumble! A thunderous crash erupted ahead as stone trees shattered apart. Whatever it was had already detected them and was now charging closer, tearing through the forest in a frenzy.

Stone trunks collapsed in succession, filling the air with dust and chaos. They finally sensed its aura.

"A top-tier ferocious beast!" Qin Sang exclaimed in alarm.

Through the eyes of the Sky-Eyed Butterfly, he saw a black shadow emerge from the dust. It was an enormous beast shaped like a night owl. Its massive body radiated a terrifying aura, and its feral eyes gleamed with bloodthirsty cruelty.

"This kind of ferocious beast should only appear deep within Dark Valley. Why is it here?" Ning Wuhui blurted out in shock.

The Sky-Eyed Butterfly quickly noticed something unusual. "Look at its wounds! This night owl was gravely injured by someone and must have fled here."

Though its body looked mostly intact, the feathers on its chest were broken, and a clean sword wound pierced straight through it.

"To pierce a top-tier ferocious beast’s body with a single sword strike... Whoever did that cannot be an ordinary Spiritual Infant grandmaster!"

Ning Wuhui said grimly, "Something must have happened in Dark Valley. Daoist Qin, go first. I’ll draw it away. We’ll regroup once you’ve left the forest."

The night owl crashed through more trees, rapidly closing the distance. Its shrieking cry grew sharper, as if drilling into their minds, disturbing their primordial spirits.

The situation turned critical. Ning Wuhui quickly made his decision, preparing to lure the beast away himself so Qin Sang could escape.

Qin Sang was taken aback. Even though the night owl was injured, it was still a being of the Spiritual Infant Realm. Fighting it together would already be perilous, how could Ning Wuhui handle it alone? Did he have some hidden trump card?

They were so close to their destination that Qin Sang didn’t want anything to happen to him now.

The Lightning Control Technique could threaten a Spiritual Infant opponent. To ensure safety, he had also lent the star turban to Bai beforehand.

Bai lacked a proper defensive astra, and Qin Sang, who possessed the devilish banners, sword wheel, and Lightning Control Technique, could hardly use them all in a single fight since each demanded immense energy. Lending the star turban to Bai served as a precaution.

With Bai’s higher cultivation, the star turban’s power in his hands would surpass Qin Sang’s own.

When used together with the Lightning Control Technique, its burst of strength would be formidable. This was Qin Sang’s greatest trump card for this journey.

However, the star turban could only be used once, and Bai had refrained from activating it back in the Soul-Enchanting Cavern, where his focus had been on seizing the Soul-Cleansing Liquid.

Qin Sang opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, Ning Wuhui suddenly raised a hand to his crown.

A tiny figure, about the size of a fist, leapt out from his head. Its features mirrored Ning Wuhui’s exactly—vivid, lifelike, like a miniature version of him.

"A Spiritual Infant!" Qin Sang froze, utterly stunned. No wonder I felt such pressure from Ning Wuhui earlier.

It felt surreal. He could scarcely believe that Ning Wuhui had actually broken through to the Spiritual Infant Realm within the trial realm.

The difficulty of forming a Spiritual Infant was well known. It came with the terrifying heavenly tribulations that few survived.

Even with the protection of the Jade Buddha, Qin Sang himself wouldn’t dare be careless, always preparing with utmost caution.

Yet Ning Wuhui had merely ventured through the trial realm, found a single spiritual herb, and had so easily achieved the Spiritual Infant Realm. There was no sign of hardship, not even a trace of tribulation.

At this point, stabilizing one’s new realm alone should have taken far longer, and yet Ning Wuhui didn’t look the least bit weakened.

When did forming a Spiritual Infant become so easy? Qin Sang thought.

What was even stranger was that Ning Wuhui had chosen the most taboo method, allowing his Spiritual Infant to leave the body, while his physical form still carried the aura of a late-stage Core Formation cultivator.

Ning Wuhui’s Spiritual Infant looked small and refined, but its expression mirrored his, solemn and calm, radiating an imposing presence as it faced the night owl head-on. The beast locked eyes on the Spiritual Infant, its feral pupils gleaming with greed.

"Daoist Qin, go quickly. This is an External Spiritual Infant I refined using a secret art. It has many limitations. I can retreat safely, but during battle I won’t be able to protect you."

Qin Sang gazed deeply at Ning Wuhui. This man actually possessed such a secret technique. An External Spiritual Infant was still a Spiritual Infant, which explained why Ning Wuhui dared to face the night owl alone.

Although Qin Sang was filled with questions, he knew now was not the time to ask. Once the battle began, it could draw more ferocious beasts to them. The best course was to obey Ning Wuhui’s instructions and avoid becoming a burden.

"Be careful, Daoist Ning! Whatever happens, don’t get drawn into a prolonged fight!" Qin Sang said.

Qin Sang decisively activated his evasion technique, his body flaring with evasion light as he shot toward another direction, disappearing into the depths of the stone forest in the blink of an eye.

The night owl’s attention was entirely fixed on Ning Wuhui. It had no intention of pursuing Qin Sang. At the last moment, Qin Sang caught a glimpse of Ning Wuhui making his move.

Ning Wuhui’s Spiritual Infant opened its tiny mouth and spat out a delicate spiritual sword. It was the same crimson-gold sword he had used earlier to slay the strange bird.

It was the same sword, the same master, yet this time the aura it released was completely different.

The crimson-gold spiritual sword expanded as it met the wind, its sword light illuminating the entire stone forest. The blade shot forth like a falling star.

An instant later, a shrill, ghostly screech rang out, carrying both pain and rage.

The ground trembled. The stone forest collapsed. Qin Sang’s figure flickered rapidly as he withdrew far from the battlefield.