Mist Mountains

"It is finished."

Black Emperor grinned, the power within his body erupting. The runes coalescing on his dog paw were incomparably brilliant, resembling a scorching sun.

The golden light barrier dissolved continuously under that radiant glow.

The middle-aged man's expression shifted in shock. This seemingly unremarkable black dog before him was actually a terrifying ferocious beast, but it was too late for him to react now.

"Splat."

Black Emperor's paw descended, killing the middle-aged man instantly. He turned his gaze toward the gaudily dressed youth, who was paralyzed with fright, and grinned, "Who were you planning to kill?"

"I..."

The gaudily dressed youth's legs trembled, his face filled with terror. His lips quivered incessantly as he said, "M-my lord, I had eyes but failed to recognize a superior. I beg you to spare this lowly one; I am a disciple of the Rain Clan."

"Rain Clan?"

Black Emperor paused, a thought occurring to him, and asked, "Is that the family of that Double-Pupil's mother?"

The Double-Pupil was currently the most dazzling prodigy in the Desolate Region. Since ancient times, the Double-Pupil had carried a legend of invincibility. Even if the contemporary Double-Pupil had not yet fully matured, he was still enough to command the awe of countless living beings.

"Yes."

The gaudily dressed youth nodded hurriedly, the fear on his face vanishing. Since the other party knew of his cousin Shi Yi, they surely wouldn't kill him.

"Splat."

But before he could even rejoice, a black paw descended, crushing his skull directly.

"The Rain Clan? Perfect. Having offended the Rain Clan, they will inevitably send experts, and I can take advantage of the chaos to escape."

A sinister smile appeared on Black Emperor's face. I am truly so talented. How am I so talented? Heh heh...

"Stupid dog, what are you giggling about?"

Su Ye reached out and slapped Black Emperor on his large dog head, sending the beast reeling. "Stop with the 'heh heh' laughing. People who laugh like that usually don't live long. Besides, I only told you to retrieve my things; who told you to kill anyone?"

He knew exactly what this silly dog was thinking, but he didn't mind. However, he hadn't expected that gaudily dressed youth to be a disciple of the Rain Clan.

He held no fondness for the Rain Clan; the clan was too greedy and fanatical, one could say they were devoid of humanity. Originally, this clan had a brilliant future—after all, Shi Yi's mother was born into the Rain Clan, and as Shi Yi grew, the clan would surely rise with him. Yet, this clan greedily sought to seize Shi Hao's Supreme Bone, forcing brothers into opposition and ultimately leading to their own annihilation.

Truly, one cannot die if one does not seek it.

"They wanted to kill us. Are we supposed to just stand here and let them?"

Black Emperor said aggrievedly. As a wild ferocious beast, he was full of savagery and could not tolerate others offending his dignity. He continued, "Besides, this guy was always talking about killing people. If I let him go, who knows how many people would die at his hands in the future? One must eradicate evil completely. By killing him, I've indirectly saved many lives."

"Is it eradicating evil, or using a borrowed knife to kill?"

Su Ye said with a smile.

Hearing this, Black Emperor's body trembled. The other party had seen through him! What should he do now? The other party wouldn't kill him, would they?

Su Ye continued, "Fine, what's done is done. If they really come looking... well, I didn't kill him. Every debt has its debtor, every grievance its author. I imagine if I hand you over, it shouldn't have anything to do with me."

"Ah?"

Black Emperor's mouth hung open, his expression stunned. He felt he had made a very wrong decision and hurriedly said, "Boss, I'm your little brother! You can't treat me like this. You have to help me. If they really kill me, that's a slap to your face. To beat a dog, one must look at the master..."

Mist Mountains.

Although called a mountain range, it was not truly a single range, but a vast region perpetually shrouded in mist.

Furthermore, looking up, one could see peaks standing amidst the sea of clouds. Each of those peaks was like a pillar supporting the heavens.

"Those mountains, they don't seem to be in this world?"

Su Ye's gaze turned toward the mountains in the distant sea of clouds. They appeared to be only a few hundred miles away from where he stood, but he could sense that the mountains were illusory, much like the sun and moon in the sky—seemingly close, yet infinitely far away.

"Those are illusions, the phantoms of Kyōka Suigetsu."

At this moment, a figure walked over and spoke, "Great figures have tried to ascend those mountains hidden within the mist, but they simply passed right through them."

"Fake?"

Black Emperor turned his dog head to look at the speaker. The man looked quite extraordinary, dressed in luxurious robes with a refined air, and a sharp, domineering aura between his brows.

"One cannot call them fake."

The youth in the ornate robe shook his head, his gaze fixed on the immortal mountains standing in the sea of clouds. "It involves space. The image we see now is merely a spatial projection, not reality. Just like the moon in the water—the moon in the water is fake, but the moon itself truly exists."

"A reflection, a projection."

Su Ye realized, looking at the youth in the ornate robe, "My thanks."

Although they had learned some things about the Mist Mountains while in Heaven-Sealing City, their understanding was not comprehensive. Many of the secrets within were held by major powers and were not easily leaked.

"No need. This isn't much of a secret. If you enter the Mist Mountains, be careful. There are many illusions and spatial turbulence inside, especially the spatial turbulence. As far as I know, few ordinary cultivators who get caught in it ever come out.

Of course, that is not the most dangerous thing. The most dangerous are those eerie Evil Spirits. Your strength is weak, so it is best not to venture too deep. Just wander around the outskirts."

The youth in the ornate robe said, then left, looking quite carefree. To him, this was merely a minor interlude, and he didn't pay it much mind.

The dangers within the Mist Mountains primarily stemmed from three aspects. The first was the ferocious beasts living within. These beasts were different from those in the outside world because the Mist Mountains were once an ancient battlefield, and this territory was permeated with dense baleful energy, causing the beasts living here to have mental issues.

The second aspect was the spatial turbulence. Because it was an ancient battlefield where ancient gods fought, tearing the heavens and earth asunder, even after endless ages, the divine arts and techniques released by the gods had not fully dissipated, preventing the space here from healing completely.

The third aspect involves certain bizarre Evil Spirits. These Evil Spirits are not living beings, but rather eerie existences formed from the lingering obsessions of ancient gods who met tragic ends.

To put it simply, they are ghosts.

"Danger and opportunity coexist. Danger is a good thing; only then can valuable treasures remain behind. Otherwise, this place would have been picked clean long ago."

Black Emperor spoke, his gaze burning as he looked toward the world of mist before them. He felt that he would successfully undergo a transformation here, shedding his current state, and when that time came... "Heh heh," he coughed once and said, "Let us head in as well."

"Let's go."

Su Ye naturally had no reservations.

Danger?

This world is filled with danger everywhere. Even if one were to stay honestly at home, someone would eventually come knocking at the door. Perhaps only in death is there no danger.

Man and dog walked into the mist, their figures quickly vanishing within the fog.