Dali Realm, Cang Jue Tomb.

This place was heavily laden with yin energy; even under a bright sun, it remained cloaked in a harrowing, desolate gloom.

「On the third day after departing the city.」

Ning Xuan and his group of four appeared within the boundaries of the Cang Jue Tomb.

"Brother Ning, this place is full of strange occurrences, and many people say it’s haunted. We must be extra cautious." Seeing Ning Xuan charging ahead recklessly, Leng Yi hurriedly matched his pace to warn him.

"Brother Leng, you’re being overly cautious. Sometimes, I think humans are far more frightening than ghosts."

Upon hearing Ning Xuan’s words, Leng Yi was at a loss for what to say. He’d been completely exhausted these past few days. The day before yesterday was slightly better, though. After Ning Xuan’s banter with Zhang Hu and Zhao Long, Zhao Long had stormed off in a huff and left the team for half the day. His ears had finally gotten some peace.

Sure enough, the moment Ning Xuan spoke, Zhao Long immediately chimed in with a sardonic tone, "That’s not wrong. You’d better be careful, Brother Ning. What if someone ambushes you here and steals your Token? You’ll be finished then!"

Leng Yi was already numb to this, as Zhao Long had said such things more than once.

Ning Xuan’s heart, however, stirred. Although Zhao Long has said this many times before, this time, he’s serious.

Ning Xuan was so certain because he smelled a familiar scent—the same one he had detected on Zhao Long when he returned after leaving the group that day. Clearly, that scoundrel had come to this very place on the day he disappeared.

However, Ning Xuan kept his composure and instead asked, "Brother Leng, why is this place called the Cang Jue Tomb?"

Leng Yi, ever the nice guy, immediately answered, "Because it is rumored that the last Azure Dragon in the world was buried here!"

Ning Xuan’s eyes lit up. "If that’s true, doesn’t that mean this place is filled with treasure?"

"Yes, the rumors did say that. That’s why many experts came here seeking treasure. Unfortunately, not only did they fail to find anything, but they also lost their lives in the process! Still, that didn’t stop the tide of treasure hunters. More and more people perished here, and eventually, the entire area was shrouded in perpetual darkness!"

"Could it be the Azure Dragon’s soul is immortal, seeking to revive itself with the Essence Blood of powerful cultivators?!" Ning Xuan’s eyes gleamed as he gazed into the depths of the tomb.

Startled, Leng Yi immediately warned, "You mustn’t act recklessly! We need to leave this place quickly! Even though we are on the outermost edge, this place is extremely sinister. It’s best not to linger!"

But who could have known? The moment Leng Yi finished speaking, a thick fog suddenly rose around them. By the time it cleared, Ning Xuan was the only one missing from their group of four.

Zhao Long and Zhang Hu exchanged a glance, a smile touching both their lips.

Leng Yi immediately shouted Ning Xuan’s name, only for his voice to echo from all directions, sounding utterly sinister and terrifying.

Zhao Long and Zhang Hu’s expressions changed dramatically. "Leng... Brother Leng," they stammered, "something’s not right here. We better leave quickly!"

Leng Yi’s face was pale, but he steeled himself and immediately questioned Zhao Long, "Are you behind this?!"

"Brother Leng, you think too highly of me. If I had that kind of ability, why would I still be stuck in little Shackles City?" Zhao Long immediately retorted with a well-rehearsed excuse to silence him.

Leng Yi thought about it but could find no immediate rebuttal. After a moment’s hesitation, he gritted his teeth and said, "You two go on ahead. I’ll go look for him!"

The two of them were visibly surprised, clearly not expecting Leng Yi to react this way. However, they quickly recovered.

Zhao Long even shouted, "Brother Leng, you mustn’t! You’re a favorite of the Judge. If something happens to you, we won’t be able to answer to him!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a ghastly shriek tore through the air.

BANG!

At the same time, thick smoke instantly enveloped Leng Yi. Before he could even react, his head swam with dizziness, and he fainted. Zhao Long immediately took him and Zhang Hu and fled the area.

「A quarter of an hour later.」

The two stood on a high perch, overlooking the Cang Jue Tomb.

Zhang Hu said, "Brother Zhao, that little bastard shouldn’t be able to get out this time, right?!"

Zhao Long answered with a question of his own. "Have you ever heard of anyone escaping from the Cang Jue Tomb?"

Zhang Hu immediately flattered him with a laugh, "Hahaha, you always have a plan, Brother Zhao! But I’m curious, what did you tell them to make them take this so seriously?"

Zhao Long smirked. "I told them Ning Xuan has Dragon Blood in him!"

Zhang Hu was stunned for a moment before giving a thumbs-up. He had many questions, like why they would believe such a thing, but he was afraid Zhao Long would call him stupid, so he could only suppress his doubts. He decided he would find a better time to ask later.

"Let’s go. That bastard Ning Xuan has been dealt with, and Leng will be waking up soon. We need to get back on the road!"

"Alright!"

The two quickly turned and left the high ground.

Unfortunately, they left too quickly. Had they lingered for a few more breaths or glanced back as they departed, their jaws would have dropped in shock. Right after they turned away, the dense fog that perpetually shrouded the Cang Jue Tomb began to dissipate at a rate visible to the naked eye, as if an ancient gluttonous beast had crossed the river of time to devour it in a single gulp.

Of course, the one responsible was no gluttonous beast. It was Ning Xuan, the very person they thought was as good as dead.

The moment the thick fog appeared, Ning Xuan sensed something was wrong. Instead of waiting to be a sitting duck, his figure flashed as he flew deeper into the Cang Jue Tomb. By chance, he brushed past a giant skeletal hand hidden in the fog.

Before he even landed, Ning Xuan spotted flickering, ghostly figures. Though they vanished in an instant, he had already noticed something strange: one of the ’ghosts’ was wearing a pair of high-quality Flowing Cloud Boots, their heels caked with fresh mud.

This definitely isn’t a ghost! Someone is just putting on a supernatural act!

At this realization, Ning Xuan’s interest was piqued. I’d like to see who’s being so foolish.

After he dodged several more of their attacks, they seemed to give up on direct assaults. Instead, they began using the thick fog to conjure illusions of monsters and ghouls.

Ning Xuan snorted coldly, deciding he was done playing their game. He channeled his Divine Vein Power and devoured the thick fog in a single breath.

The next moment, Ning Xuan found himself staring at several figures in Daoist Robes holding Peach Wood Swords, who stared back at him in equal surprise.

Realizing what had happened, they threw down a Talisman and tried to flee. With lightning-fast reflexes, Ning Xuan managed to grab one of them.

"Who are you people? Why are you putting on a supernatural act here?!"

Ning Xuan found it rather amusing as he looked at the captured Daoist apprentice. The boy was barely a teenager, with fair features that were now twisted in terror. His expression makes it seem like I’m the monster. How funny—a ghost hunter who’s afraid of ghosts.

"Speak!" Ning Xuan feigned anger as he threatened the boy. "If you don’t, I’ll cut out your tongue to fry and eat! I’ll gouge out your eyes to soak in wine!"