Strange Fog

First, it could not be about the Red Fire Mine.

Otherwise, with a Cocoon-Breaking Realm Meng Qingshan in tow, there would be no need for forbearance; he would have attacked him the moment they met.

It was likely because Meng Qingshan could not see through his "Divine Strength Realm."

He viewed him as the primary threat to seizing the treasure, which was why he had Yingsha keep a close watch on his every move.

In fact, it wasn't just Meng Qingshan.

Along the way, Yun Tianliu and even Mao Ba would occasionally cast wary, guarded glances at Wu Dao.

When you have too many lice, you stop itching.

Wu Dao stopped caring, though he kept his guard up at all times, wary of these people suddenly launching a sneak attack.

"Swift!"

Before the thick haze, Mao Ba chanted and tried several times, but the Green Crane continued to hover at the edge of the fog, unable to move forward, spinning around like a navigation device that had lost its signal.

"Daoist, this fog..."

Yun Tianliu's sword-like eyes stared at the dense fog that obscured the sky and moon; he had noticed something amiss but could not discern the mystery, so he asked uncertainly.

"Places where demons and evil spirits breed are often shrouded in gloomy and treacherous phenomena; this fog is indeed problematic."

Mao Ba put away the Green Crane and turned back, saying earnestly, "Everyone, this fog is bizarre. It blots out the sky and moon and possesses a strange power that shields the five senses.

My skills are insufficient, and I can no longer drive the Green Crane to track our target. I can only barely determine that the Flesh Tai Sui is hidden in the mid-section of Canyun Mountain.

However, I must offer a warning.

Any demon or spirit that has gained sentience has the ability to command 'Chang Ghosts' as soldiers. A Chang Ghost can be any living creature; the Green-Clad Ghost in Panshui Town will not be the only one.

Therefore...

Be careful on the road ahead."

With that said.

Mao Ba took a deep breath, removed the Tianpeng Ruler from his waist, and using the dim yellow light emitted by the talismans wrapped around the ruler, he took the lead and stepped into the thick fog.

The others, having received Mao Ba's warning.

Naturally, they did not dare to be careless, focusing their attention to the utmost as they followed closely behind.

Whoosh~

The fog churned, thick and unmoving.

The moment he broke through, Wu Dao felt as if he had fallen into the deep sea; the oppressive, deathly silent, and dark atmosphere made him frown involuntarily.

Most importantly.

His keen perception, which stood at the pinnacle of the natural world, felt as if it were wrapped in a cocoon. Outside, he could barely see things a hundred meters away.

Once he entered the sea of fog.

Everything beyond ten meters became hazy, and his sense of direction turned chaotic; he could not distinguish north, south, east, or west, feeling extremely stifled.

The supernatural world is truly filled with profound wonders; what is before me is but the tip of the iceberg...

Wu Dao marveled to himself, his gaze fixed tightly on the faint yellow light emitted by the Tianpeng Ruler in Mao Ba's hand to avoid losing them.

With such Strange Fog and deep, hidden dangers lurking in the dark.

Once he went too deep.

If he lost his guide, he could not guarantee he would walk out safely before dawn tomorrow.

The mountain was steep, with twisted trees reaching toward the sky.

The ground was damp and muddy.

The group did not dare to run recklessly in the Strange Fog, moving forward in the dark like ordinary people, stepping unsteadily. The fog flowed like silk and water, bringing with it wisps of icy cold.

The further they climbed.

The environment became increasingly quiet, to the point where even the chirping of insects and the sound of the wind could no longer be heard.

The people present felt increasingly oppressed and stifled, feeling as if their scorching blood energy had a tendency to cool down and circulate poorly.

The three Internal Strength Martial Artists at the very back even began to shiver, suspicious and filled with unease.

"Vile creature, how dare you!!"

Clang!

Suddenly!

From the very front came an angry shout from Mao Ba, accompanied by the sound of metal colliding and a flash of sparks that erupted and vanished in an instant.

In a fleeting glimpse.

Wu Dao only saw a dark shadow the size of a human head collide with the Tianpeng Ruler in Mao Ba's hand before separating; realizing the attempt had failed, it fled rapidly back into the dark fog.

"Where do you think you're going!"

Mao Ba seemed enraged, shouting a command as he chased after it like a thunderbolt, disappearing from everyone's sight in the blink of an eye.

"Chase!!"

The group reacted, their expressions turning sour as they assumed Mao Ba was intentionally trying to shake them off by exploiting the terrain.

"Damn Taoist priest, Brother Wu..."

Zhao Wei cursed loudly, and just as he was about to signal Wu Dao, he discovered that Wu Dao, who had been not far to his left, had already vanished.

Along with him, the three martial artists at the very back had also disappeared as if they had evaporated from the face of the earth.

The vast sea of fog was silent and still.

It seemed as though Zhao Wei was the only person left in the world.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~

Strong winds tore through the thick fog, only for it to fill back in an instant.

Wu Dao took long strides, sprinting wildly, his gaze locked firmly onto the hazy yellow light flickering in the thick fog ahead.

The moment Mao Ba disappeared.

He had been the first to give chase, sprinting the entire way and managing to stay on his tail without losing him.

But...

Something was wrong!

Bang!

At a certain moment.

Wu Dao shattered the rock beneath his feet and came to a sudden halt, his expression fluctuating between uncertainty and gloom.

He had been tricked...

Hoo—

Haa—

The Stealing Heavenly Secrets Breathing Technique circulated, breaking the limit shackles of his brain domain. His mental consciousness became highly condensed and focused, and Wu Dao entered a state of absolute calm and clarity.

Crack...

On the level of consciousness, it felt as if invisible layers of ice had shattered. In an instant, his mind was refreshed and peaceful, everything became clear, and his perception more than doubled.

Looking up again at this moment.

There was nothing but rolling fog ahead; where had the yellow ball of light gone?

This fog...

Wu Dao's mental consciousness was now like a god, incomparably clear and agile, and in an instant, he analyzed the mystery within.

Mao Ba had not told the truth!

Or at least, he hadn't told the whole truth!

Beyond shielding and obstructing perception, this fog.

Also had the effect of creating mental illusions!

And these illusions were incredibly powerful; not even those in the Divine Strength Realm, or even Yingsha in the Cocoon-Breaking Realm, could detect even the slightest anomaly!

From the moment they entered the sea of fog.

Everyone had been tricked and had entered an "illusion."

The direction everyone "saw" Mao Ba leave in after his clash with the unknown creature was different for each person!

In fact.

Whether that event even happened was an unknown variable.

But one thing was certain.

Their group had been completely scattered; at this moment, it could be said that they were each fighting for themselves, left to their own fates.

And as for what dangers were hidden within this vast sea of fog, no one knew.

"Damn information asymmetry!"

Wu Dao cursed in a low voice. He swore that once he was settled, he would definitely gather and cram knowledge about the extraordinary legends of this world.

Unequal information.

It was too easy to be led astray without even knowing it.

"You want to hog the benefits? I won't let you have your way!"

Wu Dao let out a cold snort, suppressing his anger toward Mao Ba. He looked around and selected the thickest giant tree he could find.

Rip—

His sharp claws dug into the trunk, and like a leopard, he scrambled fifty or sixty meters up in just a few breaths.

Hoo~

A cool breeze swept by under the faint light of the stars and moon.

Wu Dao stood atop a tree trunk as light as a feather, peering into the distance, only to find that although the mist thinned slightly at fifty or sixty meters above the ground, it was still difficult to make out the direction.

But this could not stump him.

Creak—

He bent his knees slightly, pressing a massive force onto the treetop until the trunk bent to the point of nearly snapping.

Whoosh!

The next moment, aided by this kick and the trunk's elasticity, Wu Dao launched himself upward like an arrow fired from a crossbow, shooting up nearly twenty meters.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—

The night wind blew, and the stars and moon became clear.

This time, Wu Dao could clearly see the main peak of Canyun Mountain under the starry sky in the distance.

Only then did he realize that his sprint earlier had been completely off-course, heading in the exact opposite direction.

Just another mile or two.

He would have reached the edge of the mist, and if he had continued, he would have left the territory of Canyun Mountain.

Even if he had entered again.

He would only have been trapped in a Ghost Wall within the mist.

But.

You have your stratagem, and I have my wall-scaling ladder.

As long as one doesn't get stuck in a rut, there are plenty of solutions.

Although this mist was eerie, it was nowhere near the level of "blocking the sky and the moon" that Mao Ba had described; this was the key to breaking the deadlock.

However.

Wu Dao was quite impressed by Mao Ba.

From the moment they left the city until they entered the mist, he had taken the lead, constantly giving the group psychological suggestions—

Everything he said and did was correct!

Coupled with his special status, which naturally gave people a sense of authority, the others had fallen for his trap, choosing to descend and walk on foot, stepping into the illusory sea of mist.

If not for having Stealing Heaven's Secret to rely on.

Wu Dao would likely have been misled by the illusions the entire time, spinning in circles within the sea of mist.

Whoosh—

His figure plummeted rapidly. Wu Dao adjusted his posture in mid-air, landing along the wind onto a thick branch at the top of the canopy, shaking loose thousands of withered leaves.

Now that he had a way to break the deadlock.

Things would be easy.

He transformed once again into an ape, constantly using the towering ancient trees to leap and launch himself through the air, dashing toward the main peak of Canyun Mountain.