After making their preparations, the group set out quietly. Since their relationship with the Jade Seal Family was merely one of cooperation,
The entrance to the first level of the Ninefold Death Ground was a winding path that stretched deep into the mist.
Everything in the distance was shrouded in layers of fog, making it impossible to see clearly.
Along this path, groups of people passed by from time to time, all heading deeper into the mist.
Within the fog, Nie Li could feel waves of deathly aura sweeping toward them.
He glanced at the ground — bones and corpses lay everywhere, along with broken weapons. Many of the weapons had corroded severely, crumbling into ash at the slightest touch.
Sensing that dreadful deathly aura, a chill ran through everyone's bodies.
"Good thing there are so many people here,"
Groups of people kept passing along the way, so they didn't feel particularly nervous.
Everyone who came was an ordinary strong practitioner from one of the Nether Domain's various families — mostly at the Black Gold level, with a few at the Legendary level. But Demigod-level powerhouses wouldn't deign to come to the first level of the Ninefold Death Ground.
Once they entered the mist, the surrounding environment shifted instantly. The various family strong practitioners who had been steadily making their way forward all around them suddenly vanished.
"What's going on? Where did they all disappear to?"
Even
Nie Li frowned and quickly said, "Stay close to me. Someone has set up the Mist of Lost Traces here — it's very easy to get separated. The Mist of Lost Traces usually lasts an entire day before dissipating, and it stays clear for about an hour after that. If we get separated, gather at the entrance once the mist clears."
The moment Nie Li finished speaking, he looked around. Lu Piao and
Then Du Ze vanished, followed by
People around them vanished one after another. Nie Li quickly grabbed Ye Ziyun's hand and reached for Ning'er — but Ning'er's figure had already faded into the mist. The surrounding fog shifted rapidly, and the Feather Flame Goddess seemed to have noticed something and flown off to who-knows-where.
"Ning'er…" Nie Li called out, but she was already gone.
"Where did Ning'er and the others go?" Ye Ziyun's voice carried a trace of tension and worry.
"It's fine. Even though we've been separated from them, our Soul Seas are linked in a Soul Formation — we can still sense their presence." Nie Li probed for a moment. "They won't get lost!"
With Nie Li holding her hand, Ye Ziyun felt her cheeks flush slightly. But she didn't dare pull away — the Mist of Lost Traces was thick here, and one wrong step meant getting lost. She still felt somewhat awkward about the fact that she had somehow become Nie Li's fiancée.
Nie Li led Ye Ziyun toward the edge of the fog.
They wove through the dense mist for several hours before finally emerging. Though they could sense that the others weren't far from their position, finding them wouldn't be easy.
Once they cleared the fog, Nie Li spotted numerous figures in the distance, darting through the air. Beams of crimson light shot skyward, and a mysterious aura rippled outward in every direction. He could feel the vast, pure energy contained within.
Nie Li's heart stirred. Was this the sign of some treasure revealing itself?
"Follow me," he said to Ye Ziyun, then leaped forward.
Ye Ziyun followed close behind as the two of them streaked toward the distant light.
Before them lay a vast lake, its waters murky and turbid. But something was hidden beneath the surface — beams of crimson light pierced up through the cloudy water, radiating outward. Simply sensing the aura from within was enough to make one feel refreshed and invigorated.
Whatever was in the lake had clearly attracted the greed of countless people.
Strong practitioners from various families had gathered along the shore, all vying for the treasure within — yet none dared descend into the water. Many of them had been here before. Although the first level of the Ninefold Death Ground was relatively safe, plenty of places still harbored hidden dangers. Especially in certain lakes and deep chasms — no one knew what might be lurking at the bottom.
The treasure in the lake had sparked lively discussion among the crowd.
"Who would've thought the first level of the Ninefold Death Ground hid such a treasure! That pure aura — it has to be something truly extraordinary!"
Several hundred strong practitioners had already gathered at the lakeside, hailing from various families, all eyeing each other warily.
The moment the treasure appeared, a fierce scramble was certain to follow.
"Who's going to dive in and fish it out?" One of the young nobles, dressed in lavish robes, frowned. Just standing here staring wasn't going to accomplish anything.
"My lord, I just remembered — there have been rumors for years that this lake hides a treasure. A few years ago, an unusual crimson light bloomed from it but faded quickly. Later, several Demigod-level powerhouses came to investigate but couldn't find where it was, and the matter was eventually dropped!" a household servant in silver armor reported respectfully from beside him.