Possessed by my father, I was reborn and became the supreme ruler.

He took Lingxi's hand and said, "Let's go."

The three of them quickly ran away from the direction of the bell's sound, their figures gradually disappearing into the night, leaving only the melodious bell tolling in the air...

Gu Ying suddenly stopped, glanced back in the direction from which the bell tolled, a strange smile appearing on her lips, and muttered to herself, "They've arrived..."

The heavy tolling of the bell struck everyone's hearts, like a call from the underworld, carrying a suffocating sense of oppression.

Ye Yunjian stared in the direction from which the bell tolled, his eyes sharp as a hawk's, revealing determination and fearlessness.

He raised his hand to straighten his slightly disheveled clothes, took a deep breath, and took the first step forward.

As their robes fluttered, an invisible pressure spread out, dispelling the fear that permeated the surroundings.

Lingxi and Guying followed closely behind, maintaining a subtle distance between the three.

Lingxi glanced at Ye Yunjian from time to time, her eyes filled with worry and trust, while Gu Ying kept his head down, making it impossible to see his expression.

The atmosphere was heavy and oppressive, and the air seemed to be filled with the smell of blood.

The rugged mountain path wound its way upwards, overgrown with thorns, like menacing monsters constantly blocking their path.

Ye Yunjian swung his sword, cutting through the thorns blocking his path. The sharp blade sliced ​​through the air, emitting a piercing whistling sound.

Every step he takes requires tremendous effort.

His clothes were torn, revealing several small wounds from which bright red blood seeped out.

A bloody gash appeared on his face from the thorns, and the burning pain constantly stimulated his nerves.

The surrounding trees twisted and groaned as if in pain, their leaves rustling like countless whispering ghosts.

The sky grew darker and darker, so gloomy it seemed as if it were about to drip water.

The oppressive atmosphere grew increasingly intense, and Ye Yunjian gradually felt a sense of unease and restlessness.

What does this bell ringing, this eerie environment, signify?

He sensed a powerful force awakening, a force capable of destroying everything.

“This place… is really eerie.” Lingxi’s voice trembled slightly as she gripped Ye Yunjian’s sleeve tightly, as if only in this way could she gain a sense of security.

Gu Ying remained silent, simply focusing on her journey.

His face was pale, and his forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat, as if he were under tremendous pressure.

Suddenly, Gu Ying stopped in his tracks. He took a deep breath, slowly turned around, looked at Ye Yunjian, and a meaningful smile appeared on his lips...

“Perhaps,” he paused, then pulled an old sheepskin map from his pocket, “I have a way.”

Gu Ying actually took out his map, which was marked with skull symbols and strange symbols in cinnabar, seemingly indicating potentially dangerous places.

He handed the map to Ye Yunjian, a stark contrast to his previous selfish and greedy image. Ye Yunjian took the map with some surprise, his brows furrowing slightly as he scrutinized Gu Ying, trying to discern something from his ambiguous smile.

The tense atmosphere eased slightly, and the smell of gunpowder in the air faded a bit.

The sheepskin map felt slightly cold to the touch and had an old, musty smell. Ye Yunjian unfolded the map, ran his fingertips across its rough surface, and carefully examined the markings on it.

The mountains and landforms drawn on the map roughly matched the area where they were, except for many markings he had never seen before.

His gaze fell on a skull marker, where the words "Bone-Eating Swamp" were written in delicate small print.

The words "corroding to the bone" sent a chill down Ye Yunjian's spine, sending a shiver up from the soles of his feet to his heart.

"This Bone-Corroding Swamp is extremely poisonous. Even birds and beasts will turn to bones upon touching it." Gu Ying's voice was low and hoarse, like the cry of a night owl, sending chills down one's spine.

Ye Yunjian looked in the direction Gu Ying was pointing and found that they were heading in the direction that led to the Bone-Eating Swamp.

He secretly felt lucky; if it weren't for Gu Ying's map, they probably would have already stepped into this land of death.

He put the map away and nodded slightly to Gu Ying as a way of expressing his gratitude.

With the map's guidance, Ye Yunjian successfully avoided a hidden trap.

It was a seemingly flat meadow, but underneath lay a bottomless pit filled with sharp bamboo skewers, emitting a nauseating stench of decay.

If Ye Yunjian hadn't taken the detour based on the map's directions, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

His cautious actions saved them from disaster. Lingxi looked at him with admiration in her eyes, and excitement spread through the oppressive atmosphere.

She couldn't help but tug at Ye Yunjian's sleeve, her cheeks slightly flushed, and whispered, "Brother Ye, you're amazing!"

As night fell, the shadows of the surrounding trees swayed in the night wind, appearing as menacing as ghosts.

The chirping of unknown insects rose and fell, adding to the eeriness of the place.

They found a cave and decided to rest there for the time being.

The cave was damp and cold, and the air was filled with the pungent smell of earth.

Ye Yunjian sat cross-legged, closed his eyes to rest, and tried to dispel the unease in his heart.

Lingxi started a fire nearby, and the flickering flames illuminated her beautiful face, adding a touch of warmth to the cold cave.

Gu Ying leaned against the cave wall, her eyes slightly closed, lost in thought.

The fire crackled, casting its flickering light onto the cave walls, creating distorted, swaying shadows that resembled phantoms lurking in the darkness.

Lingxi quietly approached Ye Yunjian, her eyes filled with burning love and allure, as dazzling as stars twinkling in the night sky.

She stretched out her slender hand, her fingertips gently tracing Ye Yunjian's angular face, feeling the warmth of his skin.

The touch of his fingertips, as light as a feather, stirred Ye Yunjian's heartstrings.

He felt Lingxi's enthusiasm, and a flame ignited in his heart, warm and burning.

An ambiguous atmosphere permeated the cave, like intoxicating wine, making one feel lost and intoxicated.

Suddenly, a cold wind rushed in from the cave entrance, extinguishing the torches beside the fire, plunging the cave into darkness.

Immediately afterwards, a chilling roar shattered the silence, and a horde of shadowy creatures surged into the cave like a tide.

They are ghostly in appearance, their bodies are elusive, and they emit sharp, piercing cries that send chills down your spine.

Ye Yunjian reacted quickly, drawing his longsword from his waist. The sword emitted a clear dragon's roar, its cold light gleaming.

He moved like lightning, his sword clashing with the shadow creatures' attacks, producing a piercing metallic clang.

The sword flashed, like a silver snake dancing wildly, slaying the approaching shadow creatures one by one.

Gu Ying and Ling Xi also joined the battle.

Gu Ying wielded a short dagger, her movements agile as she weaved among the shadowy creatures, appearing and disappearing like a ghost.

Lingxi wielded a short sword, her swordsmanship light and graceful, like a butterfly in flight. Although her attack power was not as strong as Ye Yunjian and Gu Ying, she was still able to effectively restrain some of the shadow creatures.

The tension of the battle instantly surged, filling the cave with the clanging of weapons, the roars of shadowy creatures, and the rapid breathing of the three.

While fighting, Ye Yunjian protected Lingxi, preventing her from getting hurt.

His bravery and care touched Lingxi even more.

Taking advantage of Ye Yunjian's unpreparedness, a shadowy creature launched a sneak attack on Lingxi from the side.

Ye Yunjian reacted swiftly, slashing the shadow creature in two with a backhand strike. Black liquid splattered all over him, emitting a nauseating stench.

"Watch out!" Ye Yunjian roared, shielding Lingxi behind him.

Just then, Ye Yunjian sensed a powerful aura approaching...

Gu Ying's expression changed, and he whispered, "Not good, it's an even more powerful shadow creature!" Ye Yunjian's wounds began to throb, and a burning sensation surged from his dantian throughout his body.

He clenched his teeth, formed seals with his hands quickly, and muttered something.

The surrounding air seemed to freeze, and a powerful energy wave spread outwards from him.

"Mysterious Fire Burns the Heavens!" Ye Yunjian roared, and a ball of crimson flames erupted from his body, instantly illuminating the cave.

The flames roared and pounced on the shadow creature like a wildly dancing fire dragon.

The shadow creatures let out shrill screams as their bodies rapidly melted in the flames, turning into wisps of black smoke that emitted a nauseating, burnt smell.

Wherever the flames passed, the shadow creatures turned to ashes, leaving only black powder on the ground.

In the blink of an eye, most of the shadow creatures were wiped out.

Gu Ying stared in disbelief at the scene, her heart filled with shock.

He had never seen such powerful magic, nor had he ever seen such a powerful Ye Yun Sword.

He originally thought Ye Yunjian was just an ordinary cultivator, but he never expected that Ye Yunjian would hide such powerful strength.

An excitement surged through his body like an electric current; the secret behind the bell's sound might be even more astonishing than he imagined.

The remaining shadow creatures seemed to sense Ye Yunjian's power; they let out terrified roars and fled towards the cave entrance.

Ye Yunjian did not pursue. He withdrew his magic and let out a long breath.

The battle just now had depleted a lot of his true energy, leaving him feeling weak.

Lingxi quickly stepped forward to support Ye Yunjian and asked with concern, "Brother Ye, are you alright?"

Ye Yunjian shook his head, indicating that he was fine.

He glanced at Gu Ying and noticed that Gu Ying also had an excited expression on her face.

"It seems we're getting closer to the truth," Gu Ying said, her voice tinged with excitement.

Ye Yunjian nodded, then turned his gaze toward the cave entrance, a faint sense of unease creeping into his heart.

He always felt that a greater crisis was hidden behind the sound of the bell.

The three of them continued onward, climbing up the rugged mountain path.

The surrounding trees became sparser, and the view became more and more open.

Suddenly, a huge screen of light appeared in front of them.

The light screen flickered with strange runes, emitting a soft glow.

Behind the light screen, another world seems to be hidden.

Ye Yunjian reached out his hand, wanting to touch the light screen, but was bounced back by an invisible force.

His brows were furrowed, and his mind was filled with doubt.

What exactly is this light screen?

What secrets are hidden behind it?

"What...what is this?" Lingxi's voice was tinged with fear.

Gu Ying was also stunned; he had never seen such a sight before.

He carefully observed the runes on the light screen, trying to find some clues.

"These runes... I feel like I've seen them somewhere before..." Gu Ying murmured to himself.

Ye Yunjian stared at the light screen in front of him, his eyes slightly narrowed, revealing his caution.

“Be careful,” he whispered. “It’s probably not that simple here.”

Ye Yunjian stared at the light screen before him. The strange runes flowed like living things, emitting a soft yet unsettling light.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, the illusory light and shadow of the light screen reflected in his deep pupils, making him appear exceptionally calm and cautious.

An unnamed sense of oppression surged from the depths of the light screen, as if some lurking beast was about to break free from its cocoon, causing the blood in his body to involuntarily begin to flow faster.

Without flinching, he reached out, his fingertips slowly approaching the seemingly soft light barrier. He wanted to touch it, to sense the source of that power, to uncover the secrets behind it. This was his instinct as a strongman, and also the adventurous spirit in his bones.

Lingxi and Guying watched Ye Yunjian's every move with bated breath.

Lingxi bit her lip tightly, her delicate brows furrowed. She could feel the suffocating tension in the air, as if time had stood still.

Gu Ying narrowed his cunning eyes, greedily examining the light screen before him, his gaze filled with a desire for exploration and something unknown to others.

He had a vague feeling that behind this light screen lay an unimaginable treasure.

Everything around was eerily quiet; even the wind seemed to have stopped, as if waiting for what was about to happen.

The moment Ye Yunjian's finger finally touched the light screen, a powerful force surged forth like a raging wave, instantly numbing his arm and causing his muscles to twitch slightly.

He suppressed his discomfort and mobilized his spiritual power to resist the invasion of this force.

However, the power of the light barrier was exceptionally strong, like an unshakeable mountain, which violently repelled him.

He tried again and again, unwilling to give up, once, twice, three times, but each time his touch was relentlessly repelled by that invisible force.

Each failure intensified the oppressive atmosphere around them, making Lingxi's heart leap into her throat, while the light in Guying's eyes grew increasingly greedy.

Ye Yunjian's face gradually looked tired, fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and his breathing became rapid. A hint of helplessness appeared on his originally resolute face.

Just when everyone was at a loss, Lingxi suddenly seemed to have thought of something. Her eyes lit up, and she turned around and carefully took out an ancient jade pendant from her bosom.

The jade pendant was pale blue, emitting a soft glow, and was engraved with some strange patterns, making it look very mysterious. Just as Lingxi was about to say something, Ye Yunjian suddenly looked at Gu Ying and said calmly, "Do you know something?"

Lingxi carefully walked to Ye Yunjian's side, holding the jade pendant, and said softly, "Brother Ye, this is the Moon Spirit Pendant passed down through generations of my clan. Perhaps it can help you." The jade pendant emitted a soft blue light, and the patterns on it were like flowing moonlight, mysterious and beautiful.

Seeing this, Gu Ying handed the jade pendant to Ye Yunjian, her gaze firm and trusting.