Xiao Fei followed the green-eyed man into the darkness. It was a darkness so profound that he couldn't see his own hand in front of his face. His divine sense was also compressed within his body, unable to extend outwards at all. Even sound could only travel a short distance before becoming inaudible. No matter how immense one's divine abilities, entering this darkness rendered them blind and deaf.
Despite this, Xiao Fei didn't forget to take out several prepared Bursting Spirit Fruits and casually placed them behind him. If anyone accidentally touched them, the fruits would explode. In this world of darkness, everyone was blind. The moment they accidentally touched a Bursting Spirit Fruit, they would inevitably be doused in its red juice.
The green-eyed man led the way, feeling his way forward with his hands and feet, occasionally comparing his surroundings with a jade slip map. He moved with extreme caution; in a place where one couldn't see their hand in front of their face, a slight misstep could mean failing to reach their destination.
As Xiao Fei and his group of four cautiously advanced, several groups of people began to track them from behind. The followers dared not wander aimlessly in this sunless place and could only follow Xiao Fei's group's tracks. When sight failed, other methods were employed.
A black-faced demon with a single horn held a small beast in his arms. This beast had a pointed, elongated nose, capable of distinguishing extremely subtle scents, and was often trained for tracking. Guided by the beast, the black-faced demon quickly pursued them, occasionally turning back to call out to his companions. "Everyone, be careful and follow my steps."
Just then, the small beast in his arms extended its nose and probed a dark shadow on the ground. The moment this unseen shadow on the ground was touched, it suddenly burst, splattering countless viscous fluids. The black-faced cultivator, being the closest, was instantly drenched. "Ah! Ahhhh..." The juice of the Bursting Spirit Fruit, with its potent corrosive properties, instantly ate away at the black-faced demon's face, leaving it riddled with holes. Fortunately, he was a Nascent Soul cultivator and quickly mobilized his internal spiritual energy to resist. He then drew a sharp knife and began to slice at his own face. The black-faced demon carved off a large portion of his face, leaving it bloody and mangled, but managed to save his life.
The demons behind him, unaware of what had happened and unable to flee, could only erect layers of defense. They couldn't see what was happening ahead, only hearing a series of screams that started loud and ended as faint whispers. "Fifth brother! How are you?" "I encountered an unknown attack and was severely injured. My tracking spirit beast is also dead. I can't go on, you guys take over!" The black-faced cultivator at the front—or rather, the cultivator who now had no face—responded with difficulty. He had not only carved off his face but also several layers of flesh from other parts of his body, making him significantly thinner.
"This place is indeed extremely dangerous!" "Fourth brother! You take the lead, be careful!" The group of five could only continue to move forward cautiously, their experience filling them with awe for this small island.
...
Ahead, Xiao Fei continued to throw out Bursting Spirit Fruits, setting traps behind him. He had already sensed people following him but didn't know their exact numbers, so he pretended not to notice. In the present darkness, it was the perfect opportunity to use the Bursting Spirit Fruits to ambush these people, preferably killing them all.
"Father! How much longer do we have to walk?" In this endless darkness, even Nascent Soul cultivators would find it hard to endure for long. The green-eyed man and Xiao Fei, one scouting ahead and the other setting traps behind, both had tasks to occupy them and thus managed their attention better.
The Golden Fur Rat and the Female Lizard, walking in the middle, were not so fortunate. They followed the green-eyed man, stumbling over uneven ground. The surrounding darkness was silent and still, making it impossible to tell how much time had passed or how far they had traveled. Both felt that a long time had passed and they had walked a great distance. Their hearts grew increasingly anxious.
"Almost there!" The green-eyed man answered this tedious question for the tenth time. Just then, his hand touched a large rock blocking the way ahead. This rock was as tall and wide as a stone wall. The green-eyed man fumbled with it and quickly took out his map jade slip to compare. "Are we almost there? Turn right ahead!" As the green-eyed man turned right, he reminded the three behind him to avoid hitting the wall. The three cautiously felt their way to the stone wall and turned right as instructed, continuing along it.
Xiao Fei counted his steps. After walking about a mile, a faint, almost imperceptible glimmer of light appeared to his right. "Ah! There's light ahead!" "Have we arrived?" The Golden Fur Rat and the Female Lizard couldn't help but ask loudly. After prolonged darkness, even a tiny spark of light was enough to cause uncontrollable excitement.
"Don't approach that point of light!" The green-eyed man could only warn them. He didn't know what this light point represented, but his map indicated it as such. Before finding the actual ruins, it was best not to stir up trouble. The four continued along the stone wall, discovering that every mile or so, there was a point emitting a faint light. After passing nine such points, a larger and more obvious cluster of light appeared ahead.
"We've finally arrived. Ahead is a light gate. Once we pass through it, we will be inside the ancient ruins," the green-eyed man said excitedly, pointing to the light gate ahead. Through the faint light emanating from ahead, the silhouette of the green-eyed man could be vaguely discerned. A light gate stood a few dozen feet in front of the green-eyed man, towering in the endless darkness.
"Ah... Ahhhh! Little Lizard, what are you doing?" Just then, the Golden Fur Rat let out a scream. When the green-eyed man looked back, he saw that the Female Lizard had cut the rope tied to her waist and her body had suddenly grown to twenty to thirty feet long. The Golden Fur Rat, who had always been inseparable from her, was now in the large lizard's mouth.
"Little Lizard, what are you doing? Now is not the time for jokes, let me down quickly!" "Heh... Didn't you often ask me to bite you? Why don't you like it now?" The Female Lizard, holding the Golden Fur Rat in her mouth, also intended to take him hostage. She looked at the green-eyed man triumphantly. "Let me go in first, and I'll spare your son's life, otherwise, don't blame me for swallowing him whole." The Female Lizard, carrying the Golden Fur Rat, quickly moved towards the light gate. As she passed the green-eyed man, he did not stop her. The Female Lizard, holding the Golden Fur Rat, rushed towards the light gate.
At that moment, five colors of light simultaneously shot out from within the light gate, all striking the Female Lizard.