"Tell me about that interlayer."
A wind flowed silently through the void, sweeping up fine ruin dust and slowly circling the five stone pillars of confinement.
Qin He stood outside the formation, his aura so faint that he nearly blended into the dim void.
He waited quietly without pressing them, leaving the five enough room to weigh their options.
They were all old foxes and saw the situation clearly. He held the knife and chopping board; they were the fish awaiting slaughter. An escape route and a face-saving way out had already been offered, and they might even obtain rare pills.
All that remained was to overcome that tiny barrier in their minds.
A moment later, the shrill voice rang out again. Its earlier defiance had faded, leaving only a measure of helpless caution.
"That Void-Domain Interlayer is a forbidden zone wedged between the Return to Ruins Realm and the Divine Court's territory. No one knows its exact form."
"All we know is that the entire forbidden zone reeks of something eerie. Any camp cultivator who approaches the boundary of its depths without protective measures can easily become tainted by an ominous power."
"Some quickly lose their minds. We've even heard of people sprouting long hair all over their bodies and turning into fiends on the spot."
A faint gleam flickered in Qin He's eyes, and he asked again, "Has anything unusual happened inside the interlayer lately?"
This time, a deep male voice spoke, heavy with weary gloom. Seven days of confinement had clearly worn away all his pride.
"It's unstable. Things have been unusual lately."
"Before, everything remained peaceful, and disturbances rarely emerged. But over the past fortnight, more and more reports have circulated through the camp. Many high-ranking cultivators on watch have been discussing it privately, saying that