226: Three dangerous locations and unusual activity in the "Misty Ghost Realm"

The three potential regions calculated by the model weighed on the hearts of the core members of "Spark" like three heavy boulders.

The Eternal Silence Snowfield, the Misty Ghost Domain, and the Earth Fiend Rift—just hearing their names was enough to know they were not benign places.

However, the clues to "Return to Ruins" pointed here, so no matter how difficult, they had to investigate.

Wen Youyi designated the intelligence gathering mission for these three regions as the highest priority for the Liaison Group, second only to the screening list.

Mo Chen, Wang Wu, and Chen Yuanshan immediately took action, mobilizing all available and highly covert peripheral informants to begin gathering any clues about these three dangerous areas.

The Eternal Silence Snowfield was located at the northernmost end of the Qinglan Mountain Range, an almost inaccessible wasteland where people rarely set foot.

The reports that came back were fragmented and vague: the bitter cold was enough to freeze Qi, eerie white shadows appeared from time to time, and Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivators who had ventured deep inside had never been heard from again.

Apart from the extremely harsh environment, no special clues related to "Return to Ruins" had been found for the time being.

The Earth Fiend Rift was located deep in the western Gobi Desert, and there was slightly more intelligence on it.

The Earth Fiend Qi there erupted unpredictably, forming a natural zone of energy chaos that could indeed interfere with the "spirit net".

Several Loose Cultivators and small Schools that practiced unorthodox Cultivation Techniques had attempted to establish strongholds there, but all had perished due to their inability to withstand the long-term erosion of the Earth Fiend or internal strife.

There seemed to be no unusual activity recently.

As for the intelligence regarding the "Misty Ghost Domain," it was the most bizarre and caused Wen Youyi the most concern.

Several reports from different channels mentioned that in the past few months, the range of the mist on the outskirts of the "Misty Ghost Domain" seemed to be... slowly expanding!

Furthermore, the color of the mist had become deeper, shifting from its original gray-white to faintly reveal an ominous dark purple.

Even more unsettling, bold herb gatherers and adventurers claimed that at the edge of the mist, they could occasionally hear low, guttural roars that did not sound human, and see huge, twisted shadows flashing through the mist.

Some villages near the mist even reported inexplicable disappearances of livestock and villagers suffering from lethargy and hallucinations.

"The mist is expanding? And there are strange noises and shadows?" Wen Youyi looked at the compiled intelligence, his brows locked in a frown. "This doesn't sound good at all."

Chen Yuanshan stroked his goatee, his expression grave. "The 'Misty Ghost Domain' has existed for a long time, but its range has always been stable. A sudden expansion must have a reason."

"According to some ancient miscellaneous notes, the mist is not naturally formed; it is more like a... huge Seal or barrier. Now that the barrier is fluctuating, either something has happened inside, or... something is about to come out."

"A Seal? A barrier?" Wen Youyi's heart stirred; this actually fit the potential state of "Return to Ruins" as an ancient ruin.

If it really was a resistance ruin that had been sealed or hidden by some power, the loosening of the Seal now could indeed cause such anomalies.

"Is there any news about spatial fluctuations?" Wen Youyi pressed.

Wang Wu shook his head. "There is no definite news at the moment. The mist there interferes too much with Divine Sense and most detection methods; it is very difficult to perceive the specific situation inside."

"However... there are rumors that when the mist was briefly thin, someone saw the outlines of mountains inside that defied common sense, but this cannot be confirmed."

Outlines of mountains that defied common sense? This further increased the suspicion surrounding the "Misty Ghost Domain"!

"It seems that the 'Misty Ghost Domain' is the most likely of the three," Wen Youyi mused. "But it may also be the most dangerous."

The unknown expanding mist, the eerie roars and shadows, the mental erosion... all of this heralded immense risk.

"Then what do we do next?" Zhao Iron Pillar asked in a muffled voice. "Just charge in and take a look?"

"Nonsense!" Mu Wanqing immediately vetoed. "The situation is unclear; how is rushing in blindly any different from seeking death?"

Wen Youyi nodded in agreement. "Senior Sister Mu is right. We need more detailed intelligence; at the very least, we need to know the speed and range of the mist's expansion, as well as the intensity and scope of that mental influence."

He looked at Senior Brother Li and Ying. "Senior Brother Li, Ying, can you design a small Magical Artifact that can resist mental interference and maintain communication and reconnaissance in the mist for a relatively long time? It doesn't need to go deep, just operate on the periphery to collect data."

Senior Brother Li and Ying exchanged glances and nodded. "We can try! Combining the principle of the spirit purifying pill for calming the mind with the signal enhancement technology we researched previously, we should be able to create a more interference-resistant 'hummingbird' scout and short-range communication talismans."

"Good! Get it done as soon as possible!" Wen Youyi said again to Mo Chen and Wang Wu. "The Liaison Group will continue to gather intelligence, focusing on the 'Misty Ghost Domain'! At the same time, the other two locations cannot be completely neglected."

He stood up and walked to the base's star map, his gaze seemingly piercing through the metal barriers and landing on the region marked as the "Misty Ghost Domain."

"If this is truly the entrance to 'Return to Ruins,' then the current anomaly is both a danger and... an opportunity for us." Wen Youyi's eyes were deep. "An opportunity to potentially get there first and enter the ruins!"

He had a premonition that the preparation time left for them might not be much. They had to figure out what was happening in the "Misty Ghost Domain" as soon as possible!

The base's resources and manpower began to lean towards reconnaissance and preparation work targeting the "Misty Ghost Domain." The technical team worked day and night to improve reconnaissance Magical Artifacts; the combat team intensified their drills to adapt to potential combat in harsh environments and under mental interference; the Alchemy Workshop accelerated the production of various Medicinal Pills for detoxification, warding off evil, and calming the mind.

A sense of an impending storm quietly permeated the base.

Everyone knew that the next operation would likely mean facing unprecedented unknown and danger. But no one retreated; the "Spark" members who had undergone internal purification and re-Cultivation had only determination and eagerness in their eyes.

The path to freedom is always full of thorns. And they were ready to hack through them!