Of course, if the creator of this formation world was still around and harbored ill intentions toward Chu Feng and Zi Ling, they would have no chance of escape even if they wanted to.
Anyone capable of laying down such a formation would have an overview of the entire domain and would have discovered Chu Feng and the others long ago.
Since they were already here, they might as well press on. Chu Feng and Zi Ling did not retreat but continued forward.
The scenery behind them grew ever more breathtaking, and the Fierce Beasts grew ever more powerful.
They had expected this to continue until they either could not go any further or encountered the strongest being in this place.
But the appearance of mist shattered that expectation.
It was no ordinary mist — it was a sea of fog.
The vast, blinding white mist blotted out the sky and sun, forming a pale white horizon that seemed to swallow the rest of the world whole.
Chu Feng formed hand seals and laid down a barrier formation that covered both himself and Zi Ling before stepping into the sea of fog.
The mist was boundless. No living Fierce Beasts could be seen within it — only their remains were scattered everywhere.
It seemed that so much time had passed their flesh had rotted and dried away, leaving only bone.
And the deeper they ventured, the fewer the remains became.
Eventually, not only could they no longer spot any trace of living Fierce Beasts, but even the skeletal remnants disappeared entirely.
"Brother Chu Feng, this mist — it's part of the formation, isn't it?" Zi Ling asked.
"Mm. But it's nothing to worry about. I can still find the correct path for now," Chu Feng replied.
The mist was indeed a formation, something akin to a labyrinth.
Finding a way out of it required sharp observation skills.
Moreover, the mist was toxic.
A short exposure was harmless, but if one remained trapped within it for too long without finding the exit, it would claim their life.
That was precisely why no living Fierce Beasts could be found inside the mist.
Every Fierce Beast that had entered had perished within.
Over time, even the beasts themselves learned to avoid setting foot in it.
Suddenly, Chu Feng halted, his gaze fixed on what lay ahead.
Through the haze, he could faintly make out a ten-meter-tall barrier gate emerging from the thick fog.
"Brother Chu Feng, is that the exit?" Zi Ling asked.
"I can't tell, but something feels off about it," Chu Feng said.
That was exactly why he had stopped to observe rather than approach it directly.
He needed to determine whether that barrier gate posed any danger.
Since he could not see through it, he could not rule out the possibility of a threat.
"What feels off about it?" Zi Ling asked, confused.
"That barrier gate looks like it was just opened."
"But we haven't activated any formations," Chu Feng said.
"Which means someone else opened it. Is there someone else here?"
Zi Ling caught on, and unease immediately clouded her delicate features.
Rumble— At that moment, the earth shuddered violently.
But after that violent tremor, nothing else seemed to happen.
Yet Chu Feng promptly clasped his fists in a respectful salute and called out in a loud voice: "Senior, this junior once obtained certain opportunities at the Yuan Sea Divine Mountain."
"But my cultivation was limited at the time, and I did not dare venture deeper."
"Having returned to this place now, I wish only to make up for the regrets I left behind — to see what secrets this legendary divine land truly holds. This junior has no intention of causing offense."
"If it displeases the senior, this junior can leave at once."
But after Chu Feng finished speaking, there was no response whatsoever.
It was Zi Ling's voice transmission that reached his ears instead. "Did you sense someone?"
"No. But we've been trapped."
"That tremor just now — it was caused by a powerful sealing formation that has locked us in."
Chu Feng replied through voice transmission as well.
"As I thought. There are cultivators here besides the Fierce Beasts."
"Could it be some ancient existence?" Zi Ling asked.
"I don't know, but we can't rule it out," Chu Feng said.
After that, Chu Feng continued to make polite inquiries, and even Zi Ling joined in. But still, there was no response.
At the same time, no punishment came either. They were simply trapped here.
So Chu Feng turned his attention back to the barrier gate.
He could confirm that the formation sealing them was no ordinary array — it was a formation condensed from some powerful treasure.
This was not something he could break through.
Not in his current state, and not even an ordinary True God realm cultivator could manage it either.
Of course, if Chu Feng were to draw upon the power of the Divine Deer, he would be able to leave.
But seeing that their captor had not harmed either him or Zi Ling, Chu Feng suspected there was some other agenda at play.
What kind of agenda?
It had to be connected to that barrier gate.