Six Land Ashore

The six of them had gone through great trouble to steal a plane, only to crash beside their destination.

Xie Xie felt like he was about to shed half his skin. "I'm exhausted... It would've been great if Boss were here."

Yuanen glanced at him. "The captain wanted you to get rid of that mentality. That's why he had us act separately."

Yue Zhengyu helped Xu Xiaoyan up. After mediation from both sides, Xu Xiaoyan decided to give Yue Zhengyu another chance.

Xu Xiaoyan said, "The captain said he'd come too. Maybe he's already here, secretly stirring up trouble."

Ye Xinglan said, "Stop chatting for now. We need to figure out exactly what's going on around here first."

Yuanen said, "Let's rest up first. Xie Xie, recover your soul power."

As the one mainly responsible for stealing and flying the plane, Xie Xie had suffered the greatest depletion of both soul power and stamina. Faced with an unknown environment, they naturally had to get themselves into peak condition to better handle unexpected situations.

But the moment Xie Xie entered meditation, he opened his eyes in shock. "There isn't a trace of life aura here!"

Yue Zhengyu frowned. "A forbidden land? That can't be right. If it were a forbidden land, there couldn't be any plants."

Forbidden lands were also known as lands of divine punishment, where all things perished and the gods had cast everything aside.

Yet that clearly did not match the situation here. If nothing else, there was an entire forest growing on this island.

Yuanen stepped forward. "I'll scout the area."

Xu Lizhi silently recited a soul incantation, and a Sturdy Crystal Bun instantly appeared in his hand. He made several more in succession and placed them in Yuanen's hand. "Be careful."

Xie Xie added, "Come back immediately if anything's wrong."

Yuanen nodded. Her defense was the highest among the six of them, making her the most suitable person to take on the task of scouting ahead.

Before long, Yuanen flew backward like a cannonball. Xie Xie's expression changed, and he flashed forward to catch her. Light flickered around his body, slowing the impact.

The two landed on the ground. Yuanen's expression was grave. "One side of this island borders a normal sea, while the other borders a black sea. There are extremely powerful sea soul beasts in the normal waters. Without the ability to fly at high speed for a long time, we can't possibly cross it. As for the Black Sea... there's an incredibly terrifying aura there, and it forbids flight!"

Ye Xinglan raised her head. "Then... we only have one path left."

Yue Zhengyu narrowed his eyes. "Enter the forest and see what medicine the academy is selling in its gourd."

In the shadows, the old demon observing them commented while munching on illusory melon seeds. "That little fallen angel girl is pretty good. Tough enough."

"Her brain works well too. Unlike the previous batch, she isn't rash." Destruction shook his head.

"Let's give them a few tricks."

"Hehe..."

The increasingly tyrannical pressure and aura of destruction immediately made them realize something was wrong.

Yuanen said, "You all retreat! Xinglan and I will keep going forward!"

The others immediately turned and left. Ye Xinglan took a few steps forward and stood shoulder to shoulder with her.

The battle armor on their bodies even let out teeth-grinding creaks beneath the terrifying pressure, while their protective soul power was on the verge of collapse.

Yuanen released her spiritual power and could vaguely sense a different kind of field ahead.

Naturally, Ye Xinglan sensed it as well.

She gritted her teeth. "Let's push through in one go!"

Yuanen nodded. The two immediately drove their soul power to the limit. The Titan Giant Ape possessed Yuanen as it let out a furious roar, while the Star God Sword blazed with dazzling starlight—both of them seemed to break through their restraints in an instant. The pressure around them abruptly vanished, and dense life energy enveloped them. After continuously absorbing that life energy, their depleted soul power began recovering at rapid speed.

"Looks like our guess was right," Yuanen said.

Ye Xinglan nodded. "The important thing is figuring out how to help them get in here."

Yuanen said, "Xie Xie and Yue Zhengyu shouldn't have much trouble. Xiaoyan and Xu Lizhi will have a harder time. If they can't withstand it, they'll be sent flying straight out."

"Little girls, are you talking about the four little ones outside the Valley of Life?" An elderly woman approached them with a kind smile and gentle eyes.

Yuanen and Ye Xinglan immediately became alert.

With their cultivation, they had not even noticed this person approaching!

The elderly woman chuckled. "Don't be so nervous. Shrek sent you here, right? I'm your military training instructor. I can help you bring those four people outside in here."

Ye Xinglan and Yuanen exchanged glances before saying to the elderly woman, "Then we'll have to trouble you."

Looking at the six young people lying on the ground in agony, the previously benevolent elderly woman revealed an amused smile. "Oh my, these little newcomers really are more interesting. Those two who came before were practically inhuman!"

Ye Xinglan held Xu Lizhi down as he tried to knock himself unconscious. She trembled, but her mind continued analyzing the situation.

If this person said one of them, then it was very likely Tang Wulin. But she said there were two, making things more complicated. Could Gu Yue have come as well?

Yuanen was in slightly better condition. She could still speak relatively calmly with the elderly woman. "What exactly are you trying to do?!"

The elderly woman gave a cold laugh. "What am I trying to do? Never ask your enemy that question. It only makes you look stupid."

She raised a hand. Their vision blurred, and their bodies all went limp as they collapsed.

The old demon Desire beckoned. "Take them away."

When Xie Xie opened his eyes again, he found himself in an isolated space.

An old man dressed in black stood before him, an eerie smile on his face.

Xie Xie roared, "If you've got the guts, fight me! What kind of tactic is poisoning us!"

The black-clothed elder sneered. "Why can't poisoning be considered a tactic? That little bit just now was only an appetizer. If you can't fulfill my demands, I wonder whether you'll be able to stomach the main course that follows?"

As he spoke, he stepped aside, revealing a cage behind him.

Inside the cage, Yuanen and Yue Zhengyu lay unconscious in opposite corners. Between them floated a pink sphere.

Nightmare chuckled darkly. "See that ball? If it breaks, those two unconscious people will instantly be controlled by lust and do some unspeakable things..."

Xie Xie's eyes nearly split with fury. "You dare!? If you dare, I'll fucking blow myself up with you even if it kills me!"

Nightmare restrained his movements with one hand and shook his head. "Too naive, child. Of course, I'm not such a heartless person. As long as you fulfill my demands, letting them go is nothing more than a gesture for me."

Xie Xie struggled, his eyes bloodshot. "Fine! Tell me!"

And so, Xie Xie was dragged onto a fighter jet by the old demon Nightmare and began painfully learning fighter jet techniques.

What Xie Xie did not know was that the same scene was playing out for the other five as well.

In the Valley of Life, Gu Yue looked at Tang Wulin curiously. "This was where you trained back then? What happened to you here?"

Tang Wulin's expression stiffened. He lowered his head and sighed. "Don't bring it up."

Gu Yue smiled. "For it to leave you with such a shadow, it seems it wasn't very pleasant."

Tang Wulin's thoughts involuntarily returned to the Red Dust Refining the Heart of his previous life. Yet now, the lover who had once appeared only in his dreams stood beside him, looking at him with a smiling gaze.

He suddenly wrapped an arm around her waist and hugged her.

Gu Yue froze for a moment, but still allowed him to hold her.

"What's wrong?" she asked gently.

"...Nothing." Tang Wulin took a deep breath. "We should go."

Gu Yue took his hand and nodded.