Xiaoxiao.

A chilling and dangerous aura permeated the canyon, as if countless unknown crises and perils were lurking within.

Unfortunately, this seemingly perilous canyon turned out to be the safest path to continue.

The reason is simple: on both sides of the canyon are two vast, boundless lakes, as boundless as the sea.

The three of them struggled along the way, expending a great deal of time and energy, but they were still unable to reach the end of the lake shore.

This lake is far more vast than imagined. At a glance, the horizon is blurred and indistinct, making it impossible to estimate where its boundary lies.

Moreover, during this long journey, they encountered several exceptionally powerful auras.

These auras, like a surging torrent, rushed towards them, bringing a heavy sense of oppression.

As they ventured deeper into the canyon, the frequency of those powerful auras increased.

Each time they sensed that aura approaching, the three of them would involuntarily tense up, and their steps would become increasingly cautious.

Because they knew that the slightest carelessness could very well awaken those powerful beings hiding in the shadows.

And if these terrifying beings were awakened, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Faced with this situation, they no longer dared to venture further along the lake shore.

After all, there had been several close calls before, almost disturbing those powerful, sleeping creatures.

If they remain stubborn and insist on bypassing the lake to find another way out, they might stumble into the territory of a powerful beast before they even find the right direction.

At that time, a catastrophe will surely befall them, and the mess they have made will be so big that it will be impossible to clean up.

Another method was to cross the lake by small boat, but this idea was immediately and firmly opposed by all three.

The reason is simple: they knew absolutely nothing about the extent of these two mysterious lakes.

If you rashly tie a simple bamboo raft to the lake and get lost, the consequences would be unimaginable, and there would be no fun at all!

In addition, what is even more worrying is that even without wind, the lake surface can still be whipped up with surging waves as high as three feet.

Such a harsh and dangerous environment is clearly not an ideal choice.

Although no trace of any ferocious beasts can be found on the surface, who can confidently say that the calm lake is also safe and without danger?

After all, this is a vast and boundless wilderness, and wild beasts are as numerous as hairs on a cow.

If you encounter a powerful beast on solid ground, you might still have a chance to run away and escape danger, and you might even be lucky enough to save your life.

However, if you were to encounter a powerful beast while standing on that vast and magnificent expanse of water, you would truly be trapped with nowhere to go!

At that point, even crying out to heaven and earth or begging for mercy will probably be of no use. They can only watch helplessly as death comes, with no other options.

That's why, as soon as the proposal to "advance by water" surfaced, it undoubtedly received three unanimous votes against it.

Therefore, out of concern for their own safety, the group had no choice but to return the way they came.

After several days of travel and wandering, they finally set foot on this terrifying and pitch-black canyon land again.

This canyon is an astonishing 100 kilometers wide!

When people look into the distance, all they see is an endless expanse of black, as if the whole world has been swallowed up by darkness.

Here, each giant tree requires ten adults holding hands to encircle it. They stand like towering green fortresses, densely packed in the canyon.

Scattered throughout the canyon are all sorts of massive animal bones, the remains of once-powerful creatures bearing witness to the vicissitudes of time.

Some animal bones are buried deep underground, with only a few glimpses of white bone showing through the surface;

On some of the skeletons, trees of similar thickness, requiring several people to encircle, grew, intertwining and creating a strange and terrifying scene.

Some of the giant bones have turned completely black, as if they have undergone erosion and weathering over a long period of time.

However, many of the giant bones still look very fresh, as if death had just occurred not long ago.

Even on some bones, there are still strands of flesh that have not yet dried, emitting a pungent, bloody smell that sends chills down one's spine.

Among these giant beasts, one stood out in particular.

Its fur remained intact, but what was most shocking were the four black holes located in the beast's throat.

Each of these black holes is only the size of a finger, yet they seem to be entrances to an endless abyss of darkness.

Around the black hole, there was a large amount of blood and some pieces of flesh scattered around.

Judging from the situation at the scene, these tiny and deep blood holes were drilled out by some kind of tiny creature!

This behemoth was not unfamiliar to the people present; they had encountered it not long ago.

At that time, just sensing the aura emanating from this giant beast made them wary, and they chose to deliberately avoid it without hesitation.

Because that powerful aura is something that ordinary beasts cannot possess; only a powerful expert with a cultivation level of at least the mid-stage of the Enlightenment Realm could release such terrifying pressure.

However, when he faced the giant beast again, he was now a cold corpse.

Apart from the strange wounds on its throat, the beast showed no other obvious abnormalities on its body.

There wasn't even the slightest trace of a fight left on the ground around it. All signs indicated that the giant beast was killed in one fell swoop by its opponent without any warning!

Although their strength has improved since their first encounter, if they were to encounter this ferocious beast again, they might not be as desperate to escape and avoid it as they were back then.

However, completely subduing and killing it is by no means an easy task.

The ability to so cleanly and efficiently eliminate such a powerful behemoth must indicate unfathomable strength.

However, when they witnessed this once majestic beast being attacked without any chance to struggle or resist, and dying so easily, how could they not be extremely shocked?

This shock stemmed not only from the fear of the mysterious assassin's strength, but also from a re-examination and reflection on the limits of one's own abilities.

Seeing this, the three felt a strange heaviness in their hearts; for the first time, they truly experienced the mystery and fear of the wilderness...