Yang Kai looked around cautiously, his sharp gaze sweeping over the unfamiliar landscape before he finally slowed his steps and came to a halt in a secluded spot. There, away from prying eyes, he let out a quiet breath, took out a restoration pill, and swallowed it without hesitation. Sitting cross-legged on the uneven ground, he closed his eyes and entered meditation, steadily circulating his Qi for nearly two hours. The earlier effort of forcefully channeling so much True Qi into the stone wall had been taxing — more than enough to drain even him — and although his reserves were recovering, the strain still lingered faintly in his meridians.
When his strength had been restored to a satisfactory level, Yang Kai rose once more and pressed forward, traveling for about a day without encountering another soul. As the sun shifted across the sky, the scenery before him changed, revealing a vast, ominous mountain range stretching endlessly toward the horizon. The towering peaks were steep and jagged, shrouded in an oppressive atmosphere that seemed to seep into the very air. A desolate and threatening aura lingered over the land, ancient and heavy, as though at any moment a primordial dragon might tear through the mists to crawl out from its lair, its roar shaking the heavens. The sheer weight of that sensation was enough to make a man's spine tingle.
Upon arriving here, Yang Kai had not yet stepped forward to enter when, from both the left and right, two separate groups appeared almost simultaneously. The first to arrive came from his left — six figures in all — and to Yang Kai's mild surprise, every one of them was a woman.
At their head walked two striking figures: an elderly woman with a dignified bearing despite her age, and beside her, a beautiful young woman whose presence immediately drew the eye. The remaining four were youthful girls who followed closely behind, each moving with a grace that spoke of practiced discipline.
These four girls wore small bells fastened to their wrists and ankles, so that with every step they took, a crisp and pleasant jingling sound filled the air. It was a clear, melodious chime, like the gentle murmur of a mountain spring flowing over smooth stone, a sound refreshing to the ear and oddly soothing to the heart.
The group, without exception, was blessed with beauty. The young woman at the lead was particularly arresting — elegant in posture yet full in figure, her glossy black hair gathered into a stylish bun that revealed the graceful curve of her slender white nape. Every movement she made exuded a mature and confident allure, while her dazzling eyes seemed to carry an unending well of charm. In their depths was a faint, amorous glow, one that seemed capable of stirring the heart and enchanting the soul. To gaze into them for too long made the sky seem a deeper blue, the flowers more fragrant, and the world altogether more vivid and intoxicating.
The four girls behind her, though lacking the same deep, seductive allure of their senior, were no less captivating in their own right. They were like newly blossomed flowers in spring — delicate and graceful, drifting lightly as if carried by a gentle breeze. Their fair, jade-like arms were partially exposed, the pale skin smooth as freshly fallen snow. On their small, exquisitely shaped feet, the delicate curves of their toes could be seen, each step a portrait of dainty beauty. Their waists were slender yet supple, flowing seamlessly into youthful, enticing curves. Each face was adorned with its own charm: one with a sweet and innocent smile, another with a faint shy blush, a third with a playful glimmer in her gaze, and the last with a bright and passionate look. Together, the four of them radiated a youthful allure so pure and vivid that any man might find himself helplessly enthralled.
The only difference was that, compared to the mature beauty of the young woman leading them, these girls' demeanors still carried the lighthearted freshness of youth, lacking the refined seduction and deep, enchanting presence that came only with experience.
As for the old woman, though the passage of countless years had etched deep lines into her face and left the faint stoop of age in her back, there was no mistaking the traces of the extraordinary beauty she must have possessed in her youth. Even now, beneath the weight of time, her bearing retained a quiet dignity, and her eyes held a sharpness that spoke of both wisdom and experience.
This group stopped about three hundred feet away from Yang Kai, the old woman giving him a faint glance and a light snort.
After a short pause, the second group — the one approaching from Yang Kai's right — finally drew close enough for him to see them clearly. Leading them was an old man. His eyes were deep-set and watchful, and though his back was slightly hunched with the weight of years, there was an undeniable sharpness about him, like a blade that had seen countless battles yet had never dulled.
Following behind him were three young figures, two men and one woman, all of them clearly gifted in strength and cultivation. The oppressive pressure they exuded made it plain that each was far from ordinary. Yet what stood out even more than their power was the unmistakable taint clinging to them — an aura that was both sinister and chilling, the kind that seeped into one's bones and set an instinctive alarm ringing in the mind.
The two men among them carried themselves with a swaggering arrogance that bordered on rudeness, their gazes shamelessly glued to the group of female disciples on Yang Kai's left. They drank in every detail with unrestrained hunger, their eyes roaming so boldly it was as if they meant to strip away not only clothing but dignity itself. This brazen behavior caused the girl walking with them to stiffen, her delicate brows knitting together in clear displeasure. A moment later, she let out a cold snort, the sharp sound cutting through the air like the snap of ice, her annoyance plain for all to see.
Yang Kai's sharp eyes drifted downward, and he quickly noticed something unusual about the three disciples' hands. Unlike the hands of ordinary people, theirs were drained of all warmth and color, a ghastly pallor that resembled not living flesh but the cold, stiff hands of the dead. The skin looked smooth yet lifeless, and under the light, it reflected faintly like polished bone.
The old man's gaze locked on Yang Kai, and his lips curled into a sneer not bothering to hide his ill intentions, he openly instructed his three disciples, "Remember this little brat's appearance, once you are inside, be sure to kill him!"
"Yes!" The three disciples said ruthlessly.
Yang Kai's expression became cold, secretly memorizing these three's faces.
The old woman from the Ten Thousand Flower Palace tapped her staff against the ground with a sharp peng, the sound cutting through the growing tension. "If you're not going to fight, then we should discuss how we're going to cooperate to enter Nether Mountain. Hmm?" Her gaze swept over both sides with calm authority.
With the old woman mediating, hostilities were temporarily set aside. After a brief discussion, she began leading the way, her four disciples moving behind her in absolute silence, their enchanted bells not making the slightest sound. The three Ghost King Valley disciples followed next, while Yang Kai walked at the very rear.
The beautiful young woman positioned herself in the middle, with the Ghost King Valley's old man to one side and the Ten Thousand Flower Palace's old woman to the other.
With four Immortal Ascension Boundary masters present, the younger generation disciples were well-protected—at least so long as neither side decided to strike at the other.
Nether Mountain loomed ahead, shrouded in a dark, suffocating aura. Even here on its outermost edge, the danger was palpable; a fifth or sixth-order Monster Beast could appear at any time. The entire group advanced in utter silence, each step measured, each breath controlled, as the ominous shadows seemed to swallow them whole.