Here...
Seemingly within a confined cave, it was spacious and bright.
Above, the ceiling was surprisingly made of precious white marble, embedded with large night-blooming pearls that cast a dazzling glow, illuminating the area brightly.
The cave walls were composed of unknown whole pieces of jade, intricately carved with auspicious mythical beasts—dragons soaring and phoenixes dancing, unicorns wreathed in fire, exuding immense grandeur.
The entire space gave off a feeling of...
Immortal.
So ethereal, so different from the gloom outside.
But that was not the main point.
Bai Zihe merely glanced around, then slowly withdrew his gaze, leading the group deeper into the cave.
In his senses.
At the cave's depths lay the potent essence of Hell's Blood.
The celestial appearance was a facade!
The group walked for a while.
Unsure how far into the cave they had ventured, time seemed to warp as a chilling wind suddenly swept through, causing even Bai Zihe to feel a trace of cold.
"Swish!"
"Swish, swish!"
"Swish, swish, swish!"
Suddenly, the experts from the Bear Kingdom launched an assault on Bai Zihe and his companions.
Whether it was Irina's Dark Empire, Satan and his ilk from the Hand of God, or the formidable warriors brought by Montado, none were spared.
"What are you doing?"
"Damn it, Bai Zihe brought you in, and you're launching a sneak attack?"
"This is so damn unsportsmanlike!"
The experts from Great Xia were instantly enraged, curses flying from their lips.
However, the experts from the Bear Kingdom paid no heed to the shouts, their attacks unwavering.
"This is..."
Bai Zihe froze for a moment, looking at Zhuge Sheng.
A flicker of confusion crossed Zhuge Sheng's eyes; he clearly didn't understand either.
"Boom!"
Without hesitation, Bai Zihe unleashed a palm strike towards one of the attackers.
The expert from the White Death parried briefly, then ferociously attacked again, exhibiting a desperate fighting spirit.
Bai Zihe's brow furrowed.
He could see it.
Although this expert was attacking, his offensive intent seemed peculiar.
Could it be...
The effect of that wisp of wind earlier?
"Don't kill them!"
Bai Zihe quickly instructed, "These people... might have fallen under an illusion."
The assembled experts were taken aback.
Their movements slowed, and they observed the experts from the Bear Kingdom, noticing the anomaly.
The experts from the Bear Kingdom were not attacking with any clear objective!
If they truly intended to kill Bai Zihe and his group, they would have attacked relentlessly. Instead, they attacked anyone who came near.
It was more like a defensive posture!
The initial surprise attack occurred simply because they had gotten too close.
"They have indeed fallen under an illusion."
Zhuge Sheng also detected the abnormality and stated with certainty, "Their eyes are filled with wariness; they are clearly reacting to the phenomena within the illusion."
"Then..."
"Why aren't we affected by the illusion?"
One expert asked, puzzled.
"We grew up in Great Xia..."
Bai Zihe shook his head, "To reach our current level, we must have experienced countless illusions. An illusion of this degree has long since rendered us immune."
Everyone paused, then understood.
Right.
Who in Great Xia hadn't been through a few illusions?
"Or perhaps..."
Bai Zihe added, "This is a consideration by the ancient experts of Dragon Island when they set up the formations. They only wished for those from Great Xia to pass the trial and obtain the ultimate safeguard."
The group nodded in agreement.
Indeed.
No one would want the treasures they left for their descendants to be plundered by outsiders, especially powerful beings. It was not impossible that they would implement a selection process based on race.
Regardless.
Since Bai Zihe had promised to guide these people, he would not abandon them.
"Your Majesty the Son of Heaven, do you have a way to dispel the illusion?"
Bai Zihe looked at Zhuge Sheng, "Originally, the dragon blood within me could dispel illusions, but now it's been overshadowed by the Hell's Blood..."
"I..."
Zhuge Sheng also felt somewhat helpless.
He was the Son of Heaven, possessing dragon blood, but he wasn't ensnared by illusions. However, approaching the Bear Kingdom experts triggered attacks...
He had strength but nowhere to apply it!
"How about this!"
Bai Zihe thought of a plan and said, "Extract a few drops of dragon blood. I will use golden needles to inject them into their bodies, which will break the illusion."
"Good!"
Zhuge Sheng found the idea feasible. He immediately bit his fingertip and gathered some dragon blood.
"Swish!"
Golden light enveloped Bai Zihe's hand as he swiftly moved the seventy-two Yin-Yang Needles, each one dipping into the dragon blood before darting out with astonishing speed.
In the blink of an eye.
Streaks of golden light dazzled the eyes.
"Pfft!"
"Pfft!"
"Pfft..."
They pierced into the bodies of each expert from the Bear Kingdom.
"Splash..."
Like scattered water, the illusions shattered.
All the Bear Kingdom experts slowly awoke, their faces still etched with bewilderment.
"What is this..."
"It felt like..."
"Uh, what just happened?"
A group of burly men were truly at a loss—confused beyond comprehension.
Bai Zihe said speechlessly, "You fell into an illusion, everything you saw was false..."
Before he could finish speaking, a bright light appeared in his starry eyes!
After dispelling the illusion.
A gateway of light appeared ahead!
Flowing with iridescent light, seamlessly integrated, it was evidently the next entrance!
"Let's go!"
Without hesitation.
Unanimously.
The group all moved towards the gateway of light.
Upon reaching it, Bai Zihe sensed it slightly, discovering that it blocked both true energy and divine sense, rendering it impossible to probe within.
So...
He gritted his teeth and stepped directly into it.
As Bai Zihe entered, the other experts naturally followed.
"Splash..."
Heaven and earth rotated, and reality shifted.
Bai Zihe and his companions found themselves in a grand hall.
As he was about to survey his surroundings, he suddenly sensed something and looked in a certain direction.
Good heavens.
It was the False Son of Heaven, the Royal Guardians, and others.
However, they were now in tattered clothes, their expressions listless, each bearing injuries. Even the usually formidable Royal Guardian, Liu Wen, had unhealed crimson blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
Their numbers had also been significantly depleted, to about half of the original count.
Clearly, they had undergone a fierce battle.
As Bai Zihe saw them, they also saw Bai Zihe.
"Bai Zihe!"
"How did you get here?"
The False Son of Heaven's pupils contracted sharply, a look of confusion appearing on his face.
They had endured consecutive battles before finally reaching this hall.
In contrast, Bai Zihe and his group...
Appeared quite relaxed, as if they hadn't experienced anything. This greatly displeased him, as he was the one who possessed the key to the Treasure Rock!
Why Bai Zihe?
"Guess!"
Bai Zihe grinned maliciously, relishing their misfortune.
Earlier, he had been caught in a battle with the masked man and this scoundrel had profited. Finally, the tables had turned, and the False Son of Heaven was facing his comeuppance!
He felt an immense satisfaction.
"Heh..."
The False Son of Heaven chuckled sinisterly and exchanged a glance with Liu Wen.
"Swish!"
"Swish, swish!"
Several streams of light suddenly shot forward.
The two men launched another surprise attack, intending to eliminate Bai Zihe first!
"Good timing!"
Bai Zihe had recovered considerably.
Although not at his peak, he faced the current Liu Wen without fear.
"Swish!"
With a single punch, he unleashed his unparalleled might.
Liu Wen's first sword qi instantly dissipated, posing no threat to Bai Zihe.
In contrast, Bai Zihe's punch...
Broke through like a bamboo stalk, hurtling towards the remaining sword lights from Liu Wen.
"Whoosh..."
In the blink of an eye, all the sword qi was scattered by Bai Zihe's strike. Moreover, the formidable punch's residual force remained, continuing towards the others.
"Swish!"
Liu Wen, with a blank expression, unleashed another sword strike, barely managing to block them both.
This exchange...
Was considered a draw.
However.
This hall was clearly a critical location, potentially hiding treasures. Therefore, only those who survived would be qualified to continue the treasure hunt.
The battle was imminent.
"Swish!"
This time, no order was needed.
The experts from Bai Zihe's side and the experts from the False Son of Heaven's side all engaged.
In an instant.
The hall was filled with the glint of blades and the clash of fists and feet.
The people on the False Son of Heaven's side were deeply displeased that Bai Zihe's group had gained an advantage this round.
The people on Bai Zihe's side were filled with immense anger due to the False Son of Heaven's group having reaped the benefits in the previous round.
Both sides were fighting with genuine fury.
Furthermore.
Both sides had been severely depleted, and for a time, neither could gain the upper hand.
Occasional screams and groans could be heard.
Bai Zihe and Liu Wen, as the trump cards for their respective sides, were locked in combat, exchanging blows, sword qi crisscrossing, fists and feet communicating silently.
Often...
Their individual techniques couldn't defeat the other, but the resulting shockwaves would injure other experts caught in the crossfire.
"Buzz—"
Just as everyone was locked in a fierce struggle.
An invisible wave of energy, like ripples on a lake, but in reality, spatial undulations, swept across everyone.
"Roar—"