Passage Closed

"From the moment we stepped into the Black Mist Wasteland, there's no turning back."

Nangong Ruyan put away her crystal ball, a purple ribbon fluttering gently in the mist. "From now on, we can only press forward."

After speaking, her gaze fell upon Wei Qing.

Everyone around also turned their attention to him in unison.

Wei Qing's powerful display just now had earned him the trust of nearly everyone.

"We truly have no retreat," Wei Qing's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears. "But the path ahead isn't necessarily a dead end."

"Just because no one has ever walked out of the Black Mist Wasteland before doesn't mean we can't."

Wei Qing's words were like a powerful tonic, dispelling the gloom that had settled over everyone's hearts.

"That's right, we'll listen to Lord Wei."

Song Yuanming was the first to respond.

"My Mystic Maiden Palace will also listen to Lord Wei."

"Tianhai Gate as well."

"We will too..."

Even Liu Yulong, who found Wei Qing disagreeable, had to agree.

"Very good." Wei Qing's gaze swept over every face. "From this moment on, we are one."

"I will do my best to lead all of you out of the Black Mist Wasteland."

With that, Wei Qing stepped forward to lead the group.

Jun Wushang was the first to follow.

Tantai Yue, Song Yuanming, Qin Shuang, and others followed closely, continuing along the main road into the Black Mist Wasteland.

Meanwhile.

The outside world was in an uproar.

News of the Black Mist Wasteland passage being sealed spread throughout Jizhou Prefecture in an instant.

Numerous factions dispatched their strongest disciples to the Black Mist Wasteland.

"Zhidong, what are we going to do?"

Shen Yan had lost her composure from before. Her daughter being trapped in the Black Mist Wasteland had left her distraught.

It had been three hundred years since the Black Mist Wasteland appeared along with the arrival of demons and monsters.

No one who had entered had ever come out.

She had opposed her daughter entering in the first place.

But she couldn't resist her daughter's pleas.

She had relented out of kindness.

Zhang Zhidong gently patted Shen Yan's hand to comfort her. "Don't worry. Since the Black Mist Wasteland has changed now, it means there must be a way out."

In truth, he was also very panicked.

However, he had to pull himself together now. Otherwise, he couldn't imagine what his wife would become after losing their daughter.

Cai Yang chimed in, "Yes, Sister Yan. Xue'er and Wei Qing will surely be blessed. Let's wait a bit longer. The misty passage appeared once, and it will surely appear again."

"Yes, Sister Yan."

The other Wardens nodded in agreement.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

As they spoke, A series of hurried footsteps accompanied by the sound of wind rang out.

Immediately after, a large group of figures appeared before them abruptly, like ghosts.

The first to arrive was a man in green, his eyes icy and a powerful aura surrounding him that could not be ignored.

"Third-Rank Heavenly Gang Realm?"

Cai Yang couldn't help but exclaim.

The newcomer's strength was on par with the Pacification Commissioners of their Heavenly Realm Division.

Before this, Cai Yang had never heard of another Third-Rank Heavenly Gang Realm expert hidden within Jizhou Prefecture.

Speaking of martial artist realms.

Ninth-Rank to Seventh-Rank were collectively known as the lower three ranks, or the Qi Cultivation Realm.

In this realm, martial artists needed to cultivate a vortex within their bodies, forging their bodies with Qi and refining their foundation.

When the Qi vortex condenses to its peak and transforms into pure True Essence, one steps into the True Essence Realm, part of the Middle Three Ranks, and their strength advances by leaps and bounds.

Within this realm, the secret lies in the gradual unblocking of the twelve meridians within the body.

These meridians are nourished one by one by the True Essence, transitioning from blocked to smooth. Each time one is opened, it represents a transcendence of one's own limits.

When all twelve meridians are unblocked and a Great Circulation of True Essence is completed.

The True Essence within the martial artist's body will then, like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon, achieve a qualitative leap—it can be projected outwards!

This projected True Qi will condense around the martial artist, forming an invisible Gang Qi armor that is indestructible.

The Gang Qi armor signifies that the martial artist has officially entered the ranks of the Third-Rank Heavenly Gang Realm powerhouses.

"I didn't expect Feng Wuyai to have broken through."

As the intelligence leader of the Night Owl Guard in Qingcheng, Zhang Zhidong was already intimately familiar with the powerhouses within Jizhou Prefecture.

Liu Xinghe, the Sect Master of the Blazing Sun Sect, Xuan Yue Li, the Palace Master of the Mystic Moon Palace, and the Sect Masters and elders of other sects and forces all cast sideways glances, their gazes focusing on Feng Wuyai.

They were also very shocked by Feng Wuyai's breakthrough.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the situation in Jizhou Prefecture would change drastically because of this.

Feng Wuyai seemed oblivious to this and quickly walked up to Zhang Zhidong, "Commander Zhang, have you obtained any other information regarding the sealing of the Black Mist Wasteland passage?"

The others from the various sects and forces immediately withdrew their gazes and focused on Zhang Zhidong.

Feng Wuyai's matter could be set aside for now.

At this moment, what they were most concerned about was the safety of their disciples.

If anything were to happen to them, it would undoubtedly be a devastating blow to the major sects.

"I apologize, everyone. The Night Owl Guard has not found any information regarding the reason for the disappearance of the Black Mist Wasteland entrance."

Zhang Zhidong shook his head slightly.

Everyone's hearts sank.

If one were to speak solely of intelligence capabilities, no force within Great Zhou could compare to the Night Owl Guard of the Heavenly Realm Division.

They were all-pervasive; there was almost nothing they couldn't find out.

Now, even the Night Owl Guard had not found anything.

"No, I must go in myself to investigate."

Zhao Santong, the Sect Master of Qingshan Sect, stepped forward, intending to enter the Black Mist Wasteland.

"Sect Master Zhao, wait!"

Zhang Zhidong raised his hand to stop him.

"Commander Zhang, what do you mean by this?" Zhao Santong's expression darkened, a hint of anger flashing in his eyes.

Seeing that the other party had misunderstood, Zhang Zhidong explained, "When we arrived, we already tried. There is an invisible barrier around the dense fog, and no one can enter right now."

"Oh."

Zhao Santong's brows showed a hint of disbelief as he walked towards the Black Mist Wasteland.

The gazes of the others were fixed on Zhao Santong's retreating back, wanting to verify the truth of Zhang Zhidong's words.

As expected.

The moment Zhao Santong was about to touch the edge of the black mist, his body suddenly stopped, unable to take another step forward.

Boom...

Seeing this, Zhao Santong was unwilling. True Essence gathered in his palm, and he struck out fiercely.

However, his attack seemed to vanish into thin air, merging into the mist without causing the slightest ripple.

"Let me."

Feng Wuyai raised his arm lightly. The surrounding Yuan Qi seemed to respond to his call, gathering rapidly.

A colossal Yuan Qi palm, a full ten zhang tall, carrying a rumbling sound, suddenly slammed down towards the swirling dense fog.

Everyone present held their breath, watching intently.

Only Zhou Xing, the Sect Master of the Blood Robe Gate, dressed in black robes, curved his lips into a playful smile, seemingly unsurprised by this scene.