Chapter 1253: Guiding Light

Those who had made it this far were, for the most part, not weak. Each possessed extensive experience, so as soon as they saw the mist, many became cautious, leaving special marks along the way.

Upon hearing that they needed to leave first, these individuals felt a surge of smugness, secretly planning to keep quiet and let others perish in the mist.

To their dismay, they searched for a long time but couldn't find any of their marks. Panic set in, and they abandoned all thoughts of trapping others, instead crying out in alarm.

Fear is contagious, and more and more people began to shout. Even Lion Spirit, Princess Sorena, and Jin Shi felt a chill of dread, as they too had left marks that were now nowhere to be found.

From a distance, Yan Xuehen commented, "These mists are peculiar. They seem to be connected to the power of the earth, causing the entire grand formation to shift constantly. Naturally, any marks left would be undetectable."

"This formation is constantly changing? But then why haven't we noticed the trees around us moving at all while we've been walking?" Yu Yanluo asked, surprised.

"That's the sophistication of advanced formations; they can make those within completely unaware of any shifts," Yan Xuehen said with admiration. "I wonder which master created this grand formation; their talent is truly extraordinary."

Yun Jianyue grumbled, "Stop praising them. I know your White Jade Capital is skilled in formations, and as an Abbot, you're certainly no slouch. Hurry up and figure out how to break this one."

Normally, when uninjured, she wouldn't bother with such complexities; she'd simply overpower any obstacle. But now, she had no choice but to concede to reality.

Yan Xuehen's face flushed slightly. "I need more time," she said.

She then squatted down and began drawing on the ground with a twig. The lines appeared to be routes they had just traveled, as well as a full depiction of the forest they'd initially seen across the swamp. Clearly, she was performing complex calculations.

Observing her perfect profile as she concentrated, her skin subtly gleaming, Yun Jianyue, despite their frequent disagreements, had to admit that this "Ice Maiden" was truly beautiful. It was no wonder that everywhere she went, people treated her like a goddess.

Meanwhile, on the other side, the demon cultivators were also investigating. Princess Changning of the Peacock Clan and Jin Shi of the Great Peng Clan attempted to fly high above the mist to get a full view. However, as soon as they ascended a little over three feet, both plummeted back down.

Both wore expressions of terror. "We can't fly anymore!" they exclaimed.

Other powerful individuals also attempted to fly. Although not Grandmasters, some were Ninth-Grade cultivators who could usually manage short flights. Yet, everyone discovered they were grounded, causing an immediate uproar.

From afar, Yun Jianyue rolled her eyes. "Are these demon cultivators living in a dream? Only now realizing they can't fly? Truly, each generation is worse than the last."

Yu Yanluo, beside her, quietly interjected, "I'm also a demon cultivator."

Yun Jianyue instantly offered a small smile. "I wasn't talking about you," she clarified.

Witnessing this exchange, Zu An couldn't help but smile. They had discovered upon entering that flight was impossible, a clear indication that this unique place suppressed everyone's ability to fly.

To create a formation of this caliber, one could only imagine the immense power required.

He wondered if his Fire-Wind Wheels would still work, but with so many watchful eyes around, revealing them would be too conspicuous. He decided against it for now.

Just then, a shout suddenly came from the other side: "Who are you?"

A tall, dark figure then flashed past,

disappearing quickly into the dense fog.

"What's going on?" Lion Spirit demanded, annoyed. They were in the middle of a crucial discussion, and his subordinates' sudden shouts made him look like he couldn't control his people.

"Reporting, Young Prince," replied the Lion Clan member who had shouted, his face ashen and voice trembling. "I suddenly turned around and saw... it looked like there was an extra person beside me, someone I didn't recognize, so I yelled."

Although everyone had initially formed groups to stick together after entering the misty forest, they weren't truly as close as brothers.

To guard against unknown dangers, members of the same clan stuck together, which was why seeing an unfamiliar person appear beside them was akin to seeing a ghost.

"Just one extra person, and you're panicking like this?" Lion Spirit snorted, utterly disgusted. "What a disgrace to the Lion Clan! When we get back, I'll send this one to the front lines to fight the Hyena Clan."

"Young Prince, he... he..." The subordinate stammered, pointing at another companion beside him, his teeth audibly chattering.

The other princes and princesses looked over and their expressions immediately changed.

The Lion Clan expert appeared perfectly fine from the front, but a large gash marred his back, and his internal organs had been completely devoured. Strangely, he remained standing upright, frozen in his last posture, with a mysterious smile on his face, as if he felt no pain whatsoever.

"What in the world is happening?!" Even the usually unflappable Xiong Da and Xiong Er felt their throats go dry.

"Could it be some kind of fierce beast hiding in here?" Princess Changning of the Peacock Clan asked, her small face pale. She was clearly terrified, imagining herself gutted and devoured from behind was a horrifying thought.

"No, it seemed to be a humanoid figure," Jin Shi of the Great Peng Clan said, shaking his head. Their clan was renowned for its sharp vision, but the mist here was too bizarre. He couldn't make out the assailant's features, but he was certain it was humanoid.

The Lion Clan subordinate confirmed, "Yes, it was definitely a person. But they were too fast; I couldn't get a clear look at their face. I just remember they were entirely grayish-blue, with an unnatural skin tone."

"Useless! You couldn't see them even from that close?" Lion Spirit cursed angrily. He then raised his head and scanned the surroundings, but saw nothing unusual.

From afar, Yun Jianyue sneered, "This young lion is quite tyrannical. He's not old, but his temper is certainly ferocious."

Yu Yanluo explained, "Among the demon cultivators, bloodline and strength are paramount. They don't value gentle tactics, so as long as he's powerful enough, no subordinate would dare to rebel, no matter how bad his attitude is."

"Truly a land of beasts," Yun Jianyue said coldly, then quickly added, "Oh, I wasn't referring to you."

Yu Yanluo was speechless.

Zu An was somewhat curious. Given Yun Jianyue's obvious disdain and contempt for demon cultivators, could it be that she truly had no demon bloodline herself?

But then, what was the nature of her relationship with Yun Yuqing?

"Could it be someone who entered with us, attacking in secret?" Qiao Heng said from the other side, looking towards Duan Tiande, who stood in the shadow of a large tree.

Duan Tiande sneered, "You don't need to settle personal grudges here. We Night Elves don't have a habit of gutting people like that."

Ma Huang, standing nearby, quickly distanced himself. "This isn't a Blood Clan tactic either," he added.

Just then, a small, chubby boy timidly suggested, "It's dangerous to stay here. Why don't we keep moving?"

"Go? Do you even know which direction to go?" others scoffed disdainfully. Many wondered whose subordinate this was, so clueless about proper etiquette.

"What if we try heading southwest?" the chubby boy suggested, pointing towards one side of the forest.

"You know the way?" Princess Sorena asked, studying him with curiosity.

The chubby boy shook his head. "No, I don't," he admitted. "I just had a dream last night that there was a bun shop to the southwest, so I thought, 'Why not try going that way?'"

The surrounding crowd, who had expected profound insight, broke into curses upon hearing his reasoning:

"Get lost! What right do you have to speak here?"

"Whose subordinate is this? Take him away, he's an embarrassment!"

From a distance, Zu An looked at the chubby boy with a puzzled expression. He'd never seen him before, yet he felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

Almost simultaneously, Yan Xuehen softly stated, "I've found a rough clue. Let's head southwest first."

Yun Jianyue scoffed, "Oh, Ice Maiden, you're not doing so well. Even a common chubby boy figured it out a bit faster than you."

"Oh, really? I didn't notice," Yan Xuehen replied, looking towards the area in surprise. Unfortunately, the chubby boy had already vanished.

Zu An couldn't help but defend Yan Xuehen. "Sister Yan clearly figured it out at the exact same time!" he protested.

Yun Jianyue showed no intention of admitting she was wrong. "Considering her status," she retorted, "isn't it still embarrassing to calculate it at the *same time* as someone else?"

Wisely, Zu An closed his mouth, deciding it was best to explore the southwest direction first.

Seeing the activity, Lion Spirit let out a surprised sound. "They're actually believing what a fool said?" he muttered.

He was unaware that Yan Xuehen had calculated it herself, assuming they were merely following the chubby boy's suggestion.

At this point, Qiao Heng of the Elf Clan spoke in a deep voice, "We have no idea what to do right now anyway. Why don't we follow them and see?"

Having just been saved by Zu An, he felt a subconscious sense of affinity towards them.

Lion Spirit declared arrogantly, "It would be unwise to venture forth impulsively based on such a bizarre reason. Let them scout ahead and see what happens."

Princess Sorena frowned slightly. "This dense mist is truly odd," she said. "If we spread out too much, we'll lose sight of each other. Even if they discover something, we might not know."

Having said that, she actively moved to follow them.

Prince Silver Shark, who had been constantly attending to her, naturally stuck close behind.

With someone taking the lead, everyone else soon began to follow Zu An and his party.

Lion Spirit and his subordinates were left behind, appearing conspicuously isolated.

"Young Prince, are we staying here?" a subordinate tentatively asked.

"Stay for what?! The main group has left! Are we supposed to stay here and wait for that unknown monster to attack us?" Lion Spirit snapped, slapping the subordinate. He then followed the others with a disgruntled expression.