In the white mist.
Next to the white stone steps stood a stone tablet, over ten zhang tall and three zhang wide.
Everyone went to look.
On the stone tablet, two ancient characters, written in a flourishing Dragon and Phoenix style, were clearly visible.
It was precisely the characters for Kunwu!
"It really is Kunwu Mountain!" Chang exclaimed with joy.
Li Feiyu lowered his head, stroking his chin, and began to recall information related to Kunwu Mountain.
He vaguely remembered that there was a crystal tablet within this stone tablet, which was an important item related to the sealing of Kunwu Mountain.
Without another word, Li Feiyu conjured a giant hand and directly pulled the stone tablet out of the ground.
Amidst the five-colored light, the stone tablet began to shrink rapidly.
However, not long after, it suddenly burst forth with ten thousand rays of white light, and its body began to tremble slightly, emitting bursts of buzzing sounds.
Li Feiyu manipulated the five-colored giant hand and squeezed it fiercely.
Large chunks of the stone tablet began to peel off, revealing a several-foot-long blue crystal tablet on its back, which Li Feiyu took into his hand and examined carefully.
The others watched curiously, also surprised that such an ordinary stone tablet would conceal something else.
It even looked somewhat special.
"Fellow Daoist Li, what is this? Could it be a treasure?"
Elder Fu looked at it repeatedly, even using his Divine Sense to investigate, but found nothing special.
Bai Yaoyi mused, "It looks like a Spirit Stone but not quite, it's a bit peculiar."
The small crystal tablet was not light in weight, with runes flowing on it, flashing with a faint blue light. Li Feiyu looked at it a few times, then formed hand seals and pointed at the crystal tablet.
After a slight tremor, the crystal tablet rapidly shrank, transforming in an instant into a half-foot-sized brick-shaped object.
With a "whoosh," it disappeared into Li Feiyu's large sleeve without a trace.
At this moment, a series of rumbling sounds suddenly came from the mountain, and everyone looked up in the direction of the sound.
"Could there be other people here?" Elder Fu muttered to himself, "Or was it the Silver-Winged Yaksha from before?"
"We'll know if we go up and see."
Li Feiyu smiled and immediately flew upward. The others looked at each other and did the same.
At this moment, many high-level Cultivators had arrived at the place in Southern Xinjiang where the astonishing anomaly had erupted.
There were Cultivators from the Poison Saint Sect of Southern Xinjiang, the Grand Elder of the Yin Luo Sect, one of the Ten Great Demonic Sects of the Great Jin, who had come to Southern Xinjiang for business and accidentally discovered the anomaly, as well as the Four Scattered Immortal Masters.
They were wary of each other and were also searching for the source of the anomaly.
After Li Feiyu and his group flew for a while, a giant rock appeared in front. As soon as they stepped onto it, the surrounding scenery suddenly changed.
Each person found themselves alone, with no one else around.
Looking at their surroundings, their expressions all changed slightly.
Clearly, they had stepped into some kind of Restriction.
However, except for Han Li and Li Feiyu, the other three did not realize that this was actually an illusion Formation, and a top-tier one at that.
Therefore, Nascent Soul Cultivators who were not skilled in the Dao of Formations found it difficult to distinguish between reality and illusion.
The blue light in Li Feiyu's spiritual eyes lit up as he looked around.
Five-colored clouds occasionally drifted across the sky, like auspicious clouds, and not far ahead, there was a large amount of white mist, with no end in sight.
On the ground, green grass was like a carpet, and not far away, a Spirit Medicine several feet tall grew, with delicate white flowers blooming at its top, even adorned with dewdrops.
After a careful examination, Li Feiyu's spiritual eyes discerned the flaw in the illusion Formation.
He raised his hand, and a five-colored giant hand condensed out of thin air, grabbing the clouds in the sky.
This type of ancient illusion Formation was recorded in Xin Ruyin's Formation Dao classics, so he knew how to break the Formation.
Han Li discovered the anomaly much later than Li Feiyu.
By the time he was ready to break the Restriction, Li Feiyu had already condensed five Spirit Orbs in front of him, each a different color.
He flicked his fingers repeatedly, and the orbs revolved around him, eventually transforming into a five-colored ring, which moved in a mysterious trajectory.
A moment later.
The five orbs exploded simultaneously, forming five giant light spheres, as if five eerie suns had appeared in the sky.
Five-colored light burst forth, converging and illuminating every corner of the space.
In an instant, the surrounding scenery shifted.
The illusion Formation was broken!
Elder Fu and the others all looked around, their faces brightening with joy as they saw each other again.
"Fellow Daoist Li, Fellow Daoist Han, what was that?"
Li Feiyu said, "We just fell into a top-tier illusion Formation. Fortunately, I had seen a similar Formation in a certain classic and knew how to break it."
Bai Yaoyi and Chang both thanked Li Feiyu.
Han Li didn't feel much about it.
He could also break this Formation; it was just that Li Feiyu's cultivation was higher, and his methods were more profound, allowing him to discover the flaw in the illusion Formation earlier.
Elder Fu said, "If it weren't for Fellow Daoist Li, if this old man had stayed in there any longer, his mind would probably have been damaged."
"It's nothing. Let's continue forward."
Several hours later, the group arrived at a stone pavilion, where there were obvious traces left by humans.
Han Li said, "There really are other people. Looking at these sword marks, it should be a Cultivator, and their cultivation is not weak."
Elder Fu and the others nodded in agreement after seeing it.
Because Li Feiyu broke the Restriction relatively quickly, Han Li and his group did not encounter Gan Old Devil of the Yin Luo Sect and others on this trip, but it was only a matter of time.
Faint purple mist gathered around them.
Li Feiyu looked over, his spiritual eyes open, and saw a fierce demon bird, five or six zhang tall, lurking in the purple mist, its body enveloped in purple light.
It had a lion's head, an eagle's body, and four wings on its back.
"It seems this is the ancient fierce bird, the Lion-Headed Eagle Beast."
"It is indeed not weak."
Li Feiyu looked at Elder Fu and the others. Leaving rashly now seemed inappropriate.
Never mind, there would be a fork in the road later, and they could separate then.
Just then, a series of purple light rings flew out from the purple mist, attacking everyone.
Li Feiyu flicked his sleeve, and countless golden sword lights met them head-on, shattering all the light rings in front of him.
Han Li shot out green Sword Qi, Chang combined three swords into one, forming a ten-foot-tall giant crimson Flying Sword, while Bai Yaoyi condensed countless ice crystals.
They each used their methods.
However, the difference in skill was immediately apparent.
Han Li's green Sword Qi, though barely, also defeated all the light rings.
The other three, however, each had some remaining, and had to dodge.
A violent roar came from the purple mist, the sound echoing all around, seemingly from every direction, making it impossible to pinpoint its source.
Suddenly, a giant demon bird rushed out from Han Li's side, its dark talons grabbing at his head, as if to crush it with one claw.
A small, inch-long green Flying Sword flew out from Han Li's body, rapidly growing against the wind, becoming a several-foot-long Flying Sword that stabbed directly at it.
The Lion-Headed Eagle Beast was powerful, forcing Han Li to retreat continuously, but at this moment, dozens of faint golden lightning arcs erupted from the green Flying Sword.
The Lion-Headed Eagle Beast felt a sharp pain and immediately retreated.
Elder Fu and the others seized the Opportunity and launched attacks, each leaving some shallow marks on its body, not even wounds.
After the Lion-Headed Eagle Beast entered the purple mist, it disappeared again.
"A Lion-Headed Eagle Beast?!" Elder Fu exclaimed in horror, "Besides that Silver-Winged Yaksha, there's actually another fierce demon bird here comparable to a Nascent Soul Cultivator."
"Is this a Heavenly mountain or a cursed land after all?!"
Chang and Bai Yaoyi's faces also turned pale.
Whether it was the Silver-Winged Yaksha or the Lion-Headed Eagle Beast just now, if they encountered them alone, they would have a near-death experience.
Li Feiyu thought for a moment, unwilling to entangle with the Lion-Headed Eagle Beast here, and directly rushed into the purple mist.
The Lion-Headed Eagle Beast's eyes flashed with fierce light, wanting to launch a sneak attack, but it didn't expect Li Feiyu to be able to discover its 蹤跡.
It tried to steal a chicken but lost the rice!
It was burned by Li Feiyu's Sun True Fire and suffered a Divine Sense attack, its head throbbing with pain.
Lightning glowed on its four wings, and after performing a lightning escape, it flew away in the next moment.
After the Lion-Headed Eagle Beast left, the purple mist gradually dispersed, revealing the white stone steps leading up the mountain.
The group continued forward.
Not long after the Lion-Headed Eagle Beast flew away, it encountered the Silver-Winged Yaksha.
The Silver-Winged Yaksha spoke in human tongue, "I told you long ago, that group of people is not simple. Don't look at their numbers and the number of Great Cultivators being fewer than the previous group."
"But in fact, the one who injured you is not a Nascent Soul Middle Stage Cultivator, but a top-tier Late Stage Great Cultivator whose strength is far more terrifying than the two you encountered before."
"His methods are varied and endless, and each one is immensely powerful."
The Lion-Headed Eagle Beast said, "Is that so? I just felt his Divine Sense attack was quite sharp, making my head ache, otherwise it was nothing special."
"Hmph, if you don't believe me, so be it. Don't blame me if you suffer a loss."
"With Kunwu Mountain opening this time, there will probably be many human Cultivators entering here. This is our only chance to break free from control."
"So, let's join forces. This will be good for all of us."
The Lion-Headed Eagle Beast thought for a moment, then nodded its ugly large head, "Gui Ling and the others should also have arrived. Let's go find them first, and then discuss properly."
In terms of intelligence, the Silver-Winged Yaksha seemed much higher than the Lion-Headed Eagle Beast.
A few days later.
Li Feiyu and his group followed the sounds of explosions and rumbling, and after the sounds ceased, they arrived in front of a grand hall.
"Ye Family Cultivators?!" Elder Fu recognized one of the Nascent Soul Cultivators and exclaimed in surprise, "How are you here?"
"Old man Fu of the Nine Serenities Sect!"
Many of the Ye Family Cultivators frowned, seemingly extremely surprised at how quickly they had arrived here.
Finally, their gazes all fell upon Han Li.
Many Core Formation Disciples looked at him, then at Elder Han beside them.
"How can there be two Elder Hans, looking so similar? Are they twins?!"
Han Li and Li Feiyu both stared at "Elder Han," blue light simultaneously lighting up in their eyes.
"It really is you!" Han Li said.
Li Feiyu smiled, looking at the Great Cultivator dressed as a Scholar in the Ye Family's camp, "The dignified number one family of the Great Jin, actually colluding with an Ancient Devil. Are you trying to release the Ancient Devil suppressed in Kunwu Mountain?"
The Scholar frowned, "What are you talking about, Your Excellency? Don't speak nonsense!"
"There are only Elders and Disciples of my Ye Family here, where is an Ancient Devil?!"
Li Feiyu looked at the Ancient Devil, "What, have you recovered your strength now? Such a profound secret art to change one's aura is truly remarkable, even a Late Stage Great Cultivator cannot see through it."
The Ye Family Disciples, Elder Fu, and the others all focused their gaze on "Elder Han."
"What are you saying? I don't understand. However, I, Han, am also curious that there is someone in the world whose aura and appearance are so similar to mine."
Li Feiyu sneered, "You know what the consequences would be if there were an Ancient Devil in your team, right? Perhaps, you are all sacrifices he has chosen."
"If you don't believe me, would you dare let Li try?"
Li Feiyu held up several golden Divine Thunders in his palm. "Elder Han's" eyes revealed a look of disgust, his face changing between green and pale.
Then, he was exceptionally decisive, transforming into a black ray of light and flying towards the mountain in an instant.
"Why did Elder Han run away? Could he really be an Ancient Devil?"
The big-headed 怪人 looked at Li Feiyu a few times, then also flew upward, shouting, "I'll leave this place to you. I'm going after that Devil Head."
"Seventh Uncle, please be careful. If he really is an Ancient Devil, his Divine Ability might not be weak."
"Understood."
Li Feiyu chuckled, putting away his Divine Devilbane Lightning.
The Scholar said, "I know those three, but the two…"
Elder Fu said, "They two are from overseas, Loose Cultivators. This is Fellow Daoist Li, and this is Fellow Daoist Han."
"Actually, he and I are not overseas Loose Cultivators, but from Heavenly South."
Li Feiyu spoke frankly, "That was indeed an Ancient Devil just now, and it escaped from a Forbidden Land in our Heavenly South. I don't know why it came to the Great Jin."
"Now it seems, he has a scheme, and perhaps Kunwu Mountain indeed suppresses his companions."
Bai Yaoyi looked at Han Li curiously, "Are you really from Heavenly South?"
Han Li smiled wryly, "Indeed, that's correct. I apologize for concealing it earlier."
"When traveling outside, changing one's appearance is common, let alone forging an identity. So, Fellow Daoist Han, there's nothing to apologize for."
Elder Fu stroked his beard, chuckling, looking very understanding.
The Scholar said, "Gentlemen, since we've met, how about we proceed together?"
Elder Fu and the others naturally agreed, but they all looked at Han Li and Li Feiyu in unison.
The Scholar was curious and carefully scrutinized the two again.
"It seems these two Cultivators from Heavenly South are extraordinary, having become the backbone of this group."
He also knew about Heavenly South, a remote place, whose Spiritual Qi density was far incomparable to the Great Jin.
And both the Nine Serenities Sect and the Xiaoji Palace were famous Sects in the Great Jin, with strong foundations and power.
This situation made him pay extra attention to Li Feiyu and Han Li.
Along the way, they chatted, and the Scholar also learned that Elder Fu and the others did not come from the same entrance as them.
No wonder they caught up so quickly.
Not long after, they arrived at a white jade plaza.
There was still no sign of the big-headed 怪人 and the Ancient Devil, clearly, they had chosen one of the stone steps extending from the white jade plaza and continued upwards.
Everyone was examining the jade tablets in front of each stone step path.
Each path represented a different location within Kunwu Mountain.
Li Feiyu looked at Elder Fu and the others, saying, "How will you all choose?"
"Each path offers different Opportunities, and choosing well can give you a great advantage."
"I think besides us, people will continue to come in."
Elder Fu's expression was conflicted. Who wouldn't want an Opportunity, but one also needed to be alive to enjoy it.
"Fellow Daoist Li, which one do you plan to choose?"
"I'm a bit materialistic; I lack Materials, so I plan to go to the Jin Shi Pavilion to have a look."
Elder Fu was somewhat disappointed. Li Feiyu looked at Han Li, "Junior Brother Han, what about you?"
"I… haven't decided yet."
Kunwu Mountain had many Opportunities. Elder Fu and Chang exchanged glances, thinking that as long as they didn't choose a main hall like Kunwu Hall, they probably wouldn't encounter too much danger.
Therefore, the two of them joined forces and chose a certain stone step.
Bai Yaoyi also chose one individually.