"Why... was the hall on the fourth floor completely empty?"
Upon reaching the fourth floor, Xu Taiping suddenly discovered that the hall before him had neither a guard nor any treasures.
Xu Taiping did not think the guard Xiye would deceive him, so after only a moment's hesitation, he strode forward again.
Boom...!
Unexpectedly, the moment he took a step forward, the scenery around him abruptly transformed into a boundless grassland.
Although Xu Taiping knew perfectly well that this was an illusion, both the fragrance of the grass and the breeze that swept past from time to time made him feel as though he were standing on a real grassland.
Though full of questions, Xu Taiping turned to look around before calling out:
"Your Majesty the Flame Emperor, are you here?"
The instant he spoke, the entire world abruptly fell silent.
Even the green grass that had been swaying in the wind went completely still.
Then an invisible pressure suddenly descended upon Xu Taiping, pressing down on him little by little like the sky itself falling.
Crack, crack, crack...
Under normal circumstances, given Xu Taiping's current cultivation and combat strength, even a Half-Immortal Realm expert would not have been able to injure him with pressure alone.
Yet now, Xu Taiping could clearly sense his flesh and bones tightening little by little beneath that invisible pressure.
Thud! Thud, thud...!
Just as Xu Taiping felt his flesh and bones tightening almost to their limit, a series of immensely heavy footsteps suddenly came from behind him.
Resisting the pressure, Xu Taiping turned his head back with great difficulty.
He saw a gaunt man herding a flock of sheep toward him.
Thud! Thud...!
This time, Xu Taiping clearly saw that the heavy footfalls coincided with the man's steps landing on the ground.
He drew