Deep within the Wildlands, the gray-white mist interwove with the fractured ground to form a desolate labyrinth. As the four regrouped, the air suddenly grew heavy, as if the Wildlands itself were holding its breath in anticipation. Low, rumbling vibrations arose from beneath the ground, like the earth itself roaring. Ye Chenyu instinctively planted his feet firmly, a crushing sense of pressure rising within him—something in the depths of the Wildlands was watching them.
Suddenly, the wind shifted violently, tearing the gray-white mist apart. A massive shadow, like a mountain, spanned the sky, its wings stretching wide enough to block half the Wildlands. It was a colossal winged beast, its head wolf-like and grotesque, eyes sunken like voids, its form constantly shifting. Every flap of its wings stirred storms of sand and scattered bones. Its presence seemed less that of a creature and more like the Wildlands itself personified into a terrifying will, each breath sending tremors through the air, even shaking the skeletal remains on the ground.
Ye Chenyu felt his blood freezing, his heart hammering heavily in his chest. His limbs felt drained of strength; each step forward felt as though he were treading upon the unknown void. Xing Lan's pupils contracted slightly, and she murmured softly, as if responding to the echoes from the depths of the Wildlands. Her rune shard flickered with a faint blue light, surging like an ancient ocean current, gradually suppressing Qiongqi's oppressive aura.
Qiongqi's roar reverberated across the Wildlands, low and piercing, as though it were devouring the four's very sense of existence. Ye Chenyu suddenly saw his own figure distorted in the storm and sand, seemingly being drawn into the endless depths of the Wildlands. His memories, fears, and desires felt stripped away, leaving only pure survival instinct. The sand and debris whipped around like sharp blades, scraping flesh and even rattling bone. He inhaled deeply, clutching the rune shard, striving to let reason hold back the collapse of his mind.
Liyue Ying stood at his side, her gaze as cold as ice, tracking every movement of Qiongqi. She spoke not a word, but her actions were precise and deliberate; every dodge and strike felt like a duel with the invisible forces of the Wildlands. Xuan Ye, positioned further away, laid out a formation; its faintly glowing rune grid attempted to restrain Qiongqi's movements. Yet even so, the massive shadow still spanned the sky, its pressure pulsing like the heartbeat of the Wildlands itself, nearly suffocating them.
Xing Lan slowly raised her hand, chanting under her breath. Her voice rippled like waves, blending with the wind from the Wildlands' depths. The blood-red mist swirled around her, gradually coalescing into the shapes of ancient symbols, as if communicating with Qiongqi. As the symbols' light spread, Qiongqi's image flickered, its wing-generated storm weakening, the oppressive force slowly receding. Ye Chenyu finally felt his blood flow again, and his thoughts began to regain clarity.
Qiongqi was not entirely repelled, but the oppressive aura—like the will of the Wildlands itself—had been temporarily restrained. The gray-white mist once more blanketed the Wildlands, yet a low, rumbling growl lingered in the wind, like the breathing of the abyss. Ye Chenyu understood deeply: this was merely a test from the Wildlands; the true terror had not yet arrived. He looked toward the distance. The boundless wasteland stretched seemingly to infinity, its shadows and echoes intertwining, as though whispering: the true Wildlands were only just beginning.
The four regrouped once more, exchanging brief glances, all understanding: the Wildlands devoured not only the body but the soul. Qiongqi's residual shadow churned in the distant void, its gaze never leaving them—a signal from the depths of the Wildlands, reminding them: each step forward was a test of their will. Ye Chenyu slowly clenched his fists, silently telling himself: no matter how terrifying what lies ahead, they must press on, for deep within the Wildlands lay the most indescribable truths of the Spirit Domain.