The massive team moved forward swiftly.
"Left."
As they walked, Chen Fan suddenly spoke.
Xi Qiu quickly gestured to his left, signaling those behind him.
The group followed Chen Fan's pace, bypassing a place where danger had not materialized.
Ahead, a lake stretched out.
"Zang Hai."
Xi Qiu quickly explained, "Crossing this lake means entering Zang Shan's territory."
Though not small, the lake's end was visible.
At the lake's far end, the rough shape of an enormous coffin could be faintly seen.
That was Zang Shan.
Behind them, all the people from Tian Dang Mountain breathed a sigh of relief.
They had been on edge the entire journey.
Fortunately, they had succeeded.
Although some had been injured due to accidentally triggering minor dangers,
compared to the ever-present death traps, injuries were... a trivial matter.
Not a matter at all.
As long as they were alive.
And not a single person had died.
"How do we cross?" Chen Fan asked Xi Qiu.
"We just fly over,"
Xi Qiu replied, "This is within Zang Shan's domain, and this lake is the only place without danger."
"Oh?"
Chen Fan's eyebrows rose.
Was it truly like that?
But why did the Dragon-Patterned Compass indicate extreme danger?
According to the Dragon-Patterned Compass, if they were to fly over the lake, they might all be annihilated.
The blood-red 'Death' character on the compass was not there for show.
It indicated that everyone would die here.
The blood character dripped.
"City Lord."
Seeing the City Lord's grave expression, Xi Qiu quickly asked, "Is there a problem?"
"A big one."
Chen Fan continued, "How do you know this lake is entirely without danger?"
"I've crossed it before."
"Personally?"
"Yes."
Xi Qiu explained, "Many years ago, Zang Shan and Tian Dang Mountain were still connected and had engaged in some trade. But as time went by, Tian Dang Mountain weakened, while Zang Shan grew stronger, now even boasting three half-emperors."
"If not for the lack of peak half-emperors, Zang Shan would already be another top force in the Central Domain."
"And how long has it been since you last crossed this lake?" Chen Fan asked again.
"...Probably a few hundred years."
Hundreds of years ago, Tian Dang Mountain and Zang Shan had severed ties.
Mainly because Zang Shan looked down upon a scavenging force like Tian Dang Mountain.
There was no helping it; Tian Dang Mountain was indeed somewhat weak.
Besides snatching items from wanderers, they could only search within ruins.
This was also the reason Tian Dang Mountain was looked down upon.
"Hundreds of years."
Chen Fan rubbed his chin. "In a span of hundreds of years, could a great demon, one capable of killing even you, have appeared here?"
"Impossible."
Xi Qiu was very confident in his own strength.
"Then the problem is even greater."
Chen Fan closed his eyes, attempting to probe the depths of the lake with his divine sense.
However, after descending less than a hundred meters, his divine sense was almost frozen solid.
Before his divine sense shattered, Chen Fan seemed to glimpse an ice layer.
Was there space beneath a hundred meters?
Opening his eyes, he asked Xi Qiu, "Have you ever entered this lake?"
"No."
"Find me someone who has entered it."
Seeing the City Lord's solemn expression, Xi Qiu dared not delay and quickly went to find someone.
The person was quickly brought over, a rather sallow-skinned elder: "Greetings, City Lord."
"Rise."
"Yes."
"I have a question for you."
Cutting to the chase, Chen Fan asked directly: "Have you entered this lake?"
'Yes.'
The elder did not conceal anything. "My current predicament, my cultivation stagnant for years, is due to being injured by the cold poison in the lake, which damaged my foundation. I will remain at the ordinary Emperor Realm for the rest of my life."
There was a hint of regret in his tone.
To be confined to one realm for a lifetime, no one would willingly accept it.
"How deep is the lake?"
"One hundred meters."
The elder confirmed again, "No mistake, it's one hundred meters."
One hundred meters.
His divine sense probe also reached one hundred meters.
Yet Chen Fan was certain there was something beneath.
One hundred meters was already extremely deep, but for cultivators, it was not deep at all.
There was something beneath a hundred meters, even an ice layer.
"I'll go down and take a look."
Chen Fan was not driven by curiosity.
But by the desire not to miss any news of divine artifacts.
If his assumptions were correct, since Huo Xing and the others had found this place, there must be news of divine artifacts here.
Although he hadn't found anything yet, he decided to go down and see.
"City Lord, let me go." Xi Qiu stepped forward.
"No need."
Some tasks could be delegated, but this was not one of them. "Wait for me here. I'll be back soon."
"Yes."
*Plop.*
Water splashed.
As soon as his body entered the water, he felt an indescribable force drilling into him through his pores.
"What is this..."
Now, truly touching the lake water, Chen Fan finally understood what that force was.
Soul.
It was the power of the soul.
Not normal soul power, but a very strange soul energy.
The energy entered his pores, carrying an intensely burning sensation.
"Interesting."
The burning sensation was attempting to incinerate Chen Fan's soul.
Without a doubt, the elder from before had his foundation damaged in this way.
The foundation connected the soul and the physical body.
"Begone."
His physical body trembled, and the soul-burning power was expelled from his body.
The water in this lake seemed entirely composed of soul energy.
Chen Fan descended rapidly, reaching the lakebed.
There was nothing.
No ice layer as his divine sense had perceived.
"No, there must be."
Chen Fan refused to believe it was a coincidence, nor that he had misseen.
He reached out and touched the mud at the lakebed.
Indeed...
Chen Fan's eyes widened. Cold air.
How could mud emit cold air?
Therefore, it was an illusion, or... a formation.
"Come."
With a raise of his hand, Yin Qi gathered.
The immense Yin Qi churned the lake water, and with another move, death energy transformed into a spear-like blade, piercing downwards.
"Boom."
A colossal roar erupted from the lakebed.
The blade of death energy pierced through.
...
At the same time, in Zang Shan.
Deep within Zang Shan, a figure suddenly opened its eyes.
"Boom."
The moment the figure's eyes opened,
an indescribable, heaven-shattering aura spread outwards.
"Presumptuous."
The man's voice boomed with rage. "How dare you touch my spiritual sea, you court death."
The figure vanished from its spot.
...
Meanwhile, beneath the lake.
"Boom."
The ruptured mud layer, carrying frost, spread outwards.
The chill was extreme.
It felt as if it would freeze the soul into a block of ice.
Below...
Chen Fan's pupils contracted as he looked at the figure bathed in myriad fiery lights below.
Earth fire, heavenly fire... endless flames were burning a supremely solid figure.
Vast soul power surged outwards madly.
Chen Fan had never witnessed such immense soul power.
The intensity was beyond imagination.
"Swish."
The figure in the flames opened its eyes.
Its gaze towards Chen Fan was filled with icy killing intent: "You court death."
*Boom.*
The soul killing intent washed over him like a waterfall.