Zheng Yi fled far away and saw that one of the demon cultivators was holding a gigantic Six-Tailed Demon Banner, which was covered with eerie, blood-red eyes.
He waved the Six-Tailed Blood-Eyed Demon Banner, emitting beams of blood-red demon light that directly turned anything it touched into powder. The terrifying demonic qi flooded over the area, enveloping a small hill.
Another elder, with a face ashen and shriveled like a zombie, opened his enormous sleeves, from which flew countless terrifying Flying Bats capable of sky and earth escape.
These black, bizarre bats emitted sharp sonic waves, their power so astonishing that it leveled a towering peak into flat ground.
Such a terrifying battle, in his previous life, Zheng Yi had only seen on television, but now he witnessed it firsthand, happening right before his eyes, leaving his mouth dry and his feet cold.
Yet on another hand, he envied such formidable power even more.
With an entire Doomsday World as its backing.
Zheng Yi believed that one day, he too could wield such terrifying power.
And that day would likely not be far away.
Having lived in Great Yi City Immortal Realm for more than a decade, Profound Void City, after all, was a place of reputable sects with strict orders, and the experiences he had were far less than these recent months.
Invisibly, Zheng Yi had gained a deeper awareness of the dangers within the Demon Realm.
He concealed his aura, avoided hazardous areas, and following the map's marks, Zheng Yi spent seven or eight days trekking before finally reaching the marked location on the map.
Standing at the marked point, Zheng Yi looked around, and the surroundings were vast and desolate, without a single prominent mountain. Where could the sect's mountain gate be?
"Could I have been deceived?!"
"Unlikely... "
"A dignified High Tier Qi Cultivator of the Seventh Layer wouldn't deceive me over low-grade spirit stones, would they? "
Though Zheng Yi had some doubts, he did not believe that Outer Sect Steward Chen Jiu of Blood Mist Abyss City had the motive to deceive him.
Given his status, he was entirely mismatched with himself.
Spending such great effort to deceive him merely for the spirit stones he held defied logical reasoning.
"What exactly is happening here?"
Zheng Yi couldn't help but fall into deep silence.
The sinister wind howled, and the barren ground was completely devoid of vegetation, pushing against Zheng Yi's robes. The cold wind seeped into his sleeves and neck, causing him to shiver involuntarily.
The token bestowed to him as an Inner Sect Disciple was crafted from extraordinary material and refined with exquisite techniques, capable of merging with blood and sensing. Zheng Yi did not believe he was being duped.
If deceived, why bother giving him the Inner Sect token and even explaining multiple times?
Could he have gone the wrong way?
Of course, that was impossible; he was always cautious in his actions, and along the journey, he meticulously followed the map's marked directions without deviating in the slightest.
Even the key coordinates and locations marked on the map, he found them all.
If, after all that, he still went wrong, that would indeed be laughable.
Bang...
Bang!
Just as Zheng Yi was somewhat bewildered, his eyes flickering, contemplating the barren landscape, frantically pondering what had gone wrong in between.
Suddenly, the Inner Sect token in his bosom started vibrating intensely.
Zheng Yi was startled, quickly snatching it, observing that the White Jade Token was vigorously flashing white light.
Zheng Yi took it out; the token's flashing white light directly pointed in a direction, unchanging even when he altered his position.
Finally, Zheng Yi felt reassured.
"Seems I've not gone astray after all..."
"And Steward Chen Jiu from Blood Mist Abyss City Soul Catching Sect hasn't deceived me either..."
This Inner Sect token held mysterious attributes beyond mere identification and also guided direction.
Without hesitation, Zheng Yi followed the direction indicated by the token's white light.
Crossing a barren expanse, there was nothing but weeds scattered; no living creatures were seen, only dreary weather, howling cold winds, and dense, sight-obscuring fog.
Yet Zheng Yi remained fearless, with his Lifebound Spiritual Artifact Soul-Catching Banner stored internally, emitting a faint red glow, constantly on guard.
Should any danger arise, the Lifebound Spiritual Artifact Soul-Catching Banner would immediately deploy, releasing its seventy-seven Ghost Soldiers and Fierce Ghosts within.
To Zheng Yi, preserving his life was paramount.
A lost Lifebound Spiritual Artifact could be remade.
If life were lost, everything would be over!
Zheng Yi, having once tasted death, was fortunate to traverse into the Great Yi City Immortal Realm Cultivation World.
And fortuitously seized the Great Dao opportunity amidst the Doomsday World; how could he be willing to perish?
No one cherished life more than he did.
Thus, he proceeded cautiously with every step.
After merely advancing five li, he suddenly felt his body sink, the surrounding air growing viscous.
It was as though pressing through a thick barrier, his whole being squeezed through foam.
In a flash, Zheng Yi entered a mist-veiled space.
The area was completely wrapped in dense fog, containing peculiar substances, even as a cultivator with Spirit Eyes, unable to see beyond two meters.
"It seems I was deceived by my eyes earlier; in front of Soul Catching Sect's mountain gate lies a vast Illusion Array, enveloping the entire sect's residence."
"In hindsight, I was shallow; though Soul Catching Sect has declined, its origins may be far from simple."
"Such grandeur with the Illusion Array doesn't resemble that of a typical small sect at Foundation Establishment Stage; if it's merely part of the sect's Guardian Array, my evaluation of Soul Catching Sect may need reassessment."
Carefully avoiding the fog, Zheng Yi's heart sank, thinking silently.
If not for the Inner Sect token's guidance, with his cultivation level and sensory ability, he wouldn't have found this place.
And certainly wouldn't have traversed the Illusion Realm to reach the mountain gate's precise location.
The barren wilderness seen earlier was not real; covered by the Illusion Array, without a special guide, ordinary cultivators cannot discern the array's entrance.
Upon entry, clearly, only the outermost layer and first gate of the Illusion Array was breached.
This mist likely serves as an identity confirmation method.
Even if someone accidentally stumbled upon this location, without guidance, they'd likely be trapped here indefinitely, let alone find a way out.
Sect residences are always the most tightly guarded places in the Cultivation Realm.
"Seems this time, this sect was well-chosen."
Zheng Yi thought silently.
"Soul Catching Sect may not have an impressive reputation in the surrounding Demon Realm, but looking at the current situation, it's still quite capable and has heritage."