461: Bald Peak

Although Xu Sanyan sensed danger, he still decided to investigate, as the crisis was not severe and didn't alarm him.

Moreover, greater risks often lead to greater opportunities; the ruins of the Four Venerables Seeking Immortality Sect might hide secrets related to becoming a Saint or even Immortal Ascension, which held an unparalleled attraction for Xu Sanyan.

The Yue Family Old Ancestor still led the way, with Xu Sanyan following behind the crowd.

As they went deeper, the sky grew darker, and the sun overhead seemed very distant, appearing only as a faint golden halo.

After walking for a while longer, the Yue Family Old Ancestor stopped.

Xu Sanyan compared their location and estimated this was roughly where Yue Chonghai had disappeared earlier.

The Yue Family Old Ancestor looked into the darkness ahead, where the sunlight was completely swallowed.

That spot was like a loophole in this world, carrying a strong sense of incongruity, seemingly out of place with its surroundings.

This feeling made Xu Sanyan slightly uncomfortable.

"The rift is here; it cannot be seen or touched, but one will disappear upon stepping into it."

Xu Sanyan extended his Divine Sense to perceive his surroundings, vaguely detecting a familiar aura.

A thin barrier seemed to lie between the Void Realm and reality, invisible and intangible, yet truly present.

"Soul-Gathering Life-Preserving Grand Formation..."

Xu Sanyan murmured to himself, he could not be mistaken about this aura; this Formation was undoubtedly the Soul-Gathering Life-Preserving Grand Formation!

Although this Formation was ever-changing, its foundation remained the same, and Xu Sanyan was incredibly familiar with its flowing, intertwined array patterns.

The methods of this Formation were far superior to Xu Sanyan's, almost making him feel out of reach.

The spirit energy flowing through the array patterns was imperishable for tens of thousands of years, capable of inscribing patterns directly into the Void Realm without a physical medium; such methods were truly astonishing.

Having recognized this Formation, Xu Sanyan felt more confident.

This set of Formations could be said to be the most familiar Grand Array to him; even if trapped inside, he would have a way out.

Xu Sanyan turned to the crowd with a smile, "Everyone, please."

The others were extremely reluctant but had no choice but to obey under his oppressive might.

"Alas... I'll go first," the Yue Family Old Ancestor sighed, taking a step forward.

Suddenly, the air ahead rippled, like waves on water.

The Yue Family Old Ancestor and a few others walking at the very front vanished abruptly, without a trace, as if disappearing into thin air.

The crowd entered one by one.

Xu Sanyan treated everyone equally; regardless of gender, age, height, or appearance, all had to go in.

He was the last to step through.

His mind was momentarily dazed, and the scene before his eyes blurred.

When Xu Sanyan regained his senses, he was in a different world.

Gasps of surprise came from around him, and Princess Lu WanZhe nervously clutched Lu Wang's sleeve, her face filled with panic and unease.

Xu Sanyan's gaze swept around, only to see demonic clouds covering the sky above, pressing down and refusing to disperse.

Faint light from an unknown source pierced through the clouds, illuminating the mountain peaks, adding to the strangeness.

The barren mountaintops were like the bald crowns of vultures, smooth and gleaming.

Yin Qi winds sweeping through the mountains emitted sharp screams, much like the roars of ghosts.

The dark ground beneath their feet was devoid of life, not even a single weed grew, like a land of death.

Something seemed to be hidden in the shadows, silently observing their group.

Xu Sanyan looked back but found nothing.

If one were to describe this place, only two words would be most fitting:

—Ghost Domain!

"Is this the Underworld...?" someone asked, their voice filled with despair.

"Grandson!"

The Yue Family Old Ancestor suddenly shouted.

Xu Sanyan followed the sound but did not see Yue Chonghai, only a shriveled corpse draped in a wide robe.

The corpse seemed to have been dead for a long time; its flesh had long since weathered away, leaving only a layer of skin tightly adhering to the bones, with deeply sunken cheeks, like a malevolent ghost.

Strangely, the clothes remained clean; the bright white robe, in this setting, appeared strikingly conspicuous.

The crowd stirred.

Xu Sanyan approached Yue Chonghai's corpse and examined it carefully, but he couldn't determine the cause of death; it seemed as if his essence had been drained in an instant.

Xu Sanyan immediately became alert; there was something here!

And its strength was not weak.

Yue Chonghai was, after all, a Mystic Path Realm Cultivator, yet there was no trace of struggle, which proved that whatever it was, it was not simple.

"Whoosh~~~"

A Yin Qi wind swept through the crowd, carrying dust from the ground and swirling it towards the mountaintop.

The accumulated clouds in the sky surged with the wind, as if an invisible giant hand was wantonly manipulating them.

Xu Sanyan expanded his perception, but apart from the drifting Yin Qi, there was nothing else.

Vast sky and wide earth, towering barren peaks, howling Yin Qi winds, unyielding demonic clouds—what a truly ancient Sect ruin.

Xu Sanyan surveyed his surroundings, and only that barren peak was worth exploring.

He pointed a finger, "Let's go take a look there."

No one spoke further; they all followed behind.

The Yue Family Old Ancestor collected Yue Chonghai's corpse, but he wasn't given time to grieve.

Today's joyous feast had turned into a funeral feast, the good news being that the main character remained Yue Chonghai.

Yue Shanhe looked at his brother's corpse, a complex emotion in his heart—a mix of worry for his own safety, sorrow for his brother's passing, and a hint of joy, so deep that he himself hadn't noticed it.

Lu Wang held a large spear; its vibrant red tassel stood out in this black and white ghost domain like a splash of crimson in an ink painting, appearing starkly out of place.

"Aow~"

Suddenly, a piercing shriek rang out from an unknown place, sharp and ear-splitting, like the cry of a night owl, chilling one to the bone.

Princess Lu WanZhe clutched her brother's sleeve tightly, no longer her usual playful and lively self.

She trembled like a frightened quail.

Xu Sanyan's eyes narrowed, and his gaze suddenly fixed on the ground, "There's something down there!"

"Ah!!"

Before his words finished, a scream rang out.

A withered hand suddenly shot out from the ground, grabbing a person's ankle and dragging them underground.

The dark earth split open like a monster's gaping maw, instantly swallowing the person before closing back up.

Xu Sanyan saw clearly that the hand was covered in extremely dense Yin Qi; it was undoubtedly a ghost!

The crowd was terrified, soaring into the air one after another, fearing they would be dragged underground by that ghostly thing again.

The Lu Family Elder's eyes darted about, remaining silent, his presence so minimal that Xu Sanyan sometimes overlooked him.

Song Zhizhi and the other Wanhua Sword Sect women followed behind a plainly dressed woman.

This was their Sect Master, and at this moment, only by staying with their Sect Master could they feel a modicum of safety.

"Go!"

Xu Sanyan didn't want to delay any longer.

This place was too bizarre; it truly lived up to the reputation of the Four Venerables Seeking Immortality Sect; even after tens of thousands of years of disappearance, it remained so perilous.

The closer he got to the barren peak, the more Xu Sanyan realized its grandeur, almost as imposing as Red Dragon Mountain, though it appeared somewhat sparse due to its barrenness.

"What is that?!"

As they drew closer, a startled cry suddenly erupted from the crowd.

Everyone looked and was instantly horrified.

The barren peak was covered in a dense, layered stack of ghostly faces.

Countless ghosts' limbs were intertwined and wrapped around each other, their dark bodies forming the bald mountain itself!