They ran along the path Yao Xueyue had forged for an unknown amount of time before a surge of Nether Breath, thick with violence and chaos, became palpable.
The surrounding mist grew denser, turning a dark, murky black.
This sight solidified the trio’s belief that they were closing in on the Guiyi that had created this Inner World.
“Hey! Look at that!”
Yao Xueyue, possessing the sharpest perception, shouted while pointing ahead.
Isana and Mo Ling focused their vision, barely making out a massive structure at the end of the road. It looked like a high platform.
As they drew closer, the full scale of the building emerged.
It was a giant Bone-white Altar, square-shaped and imposing, standing at least 15 meters tall. A set of stone steps led toward the very top.
Four massive white stone pillars stood at the Periphery. Their surfaces were carved with twisted script that stood out vividly against the white background.
Neither Yao Xueyue nor Mo Ling recognized the writing, but Isana identified its origin the moment she approached.
“That script…”
Isana murmured, her fingers brushing against the surface of a pillar.
“Isana, do you recognize it?”
“Not exactly, but I’ve seen something similar before. Cardinal No. 1263—that Guiyi had carved a large amount of this text in its Containment Room.”
“Does that mean… this incident is related to it?”
“I am not sure, but there seems to be a connection.”
The three did a quick sweep around the base of the altar. Finding nothing of value besides the script, they began their ascent up the steps.
When they reached the top, they were greeted by a blooming, blood-red giant flower that radiated an intense, ominous aura.
It resembled the legendary Equinox Flower, boasting numerous slender, blood-colored petals. Upon closer inspection, however, those petals were actually human arms with the skin peeled away.
Bright red blood flowed, and the flesh pulsed, looking as if the arms had just been severed from living people.
The trio also noticed a crystal nestled in the palm of every hand. If they guessed correctly, these were the Wart Crystals from the Guiyi they had seen earlier.
Such an ominous thing… If left to exist, nothing good would come of it.
With a thought from Yao Xueyue, one of her Ring Blades transformed into a silver arc, lashing out at the Thousand Hand Flower.
In that instant, the black mist swirling around them seemed to come alive. It coalesced into a massive, hideous head that let out a roar before crashing into the flying blade.
The two collided, sending out a shockwave. Although the head was ultimately sliced apart, the impact diverted the Ring Blade. It merely grazed the Thousand Hand Flower, leaving a single scratch.
“What was that?”
“There is a powerful source of Nether Breath within the mist. Be careful.”
Isana warned calmly as several Purple Light Butterflies materialized around her.
Mo Ling followed suit, manifesting several heavy firearms identical to those used by the Youxun, which floated around her to aim at the darkness.
As they stood on guard, a column of black mist descended from the sky, landing right in front of the Thousand Hand Flower. The mist solidified into a faceless Guiyi clad in a Black Religious Robe.
Its face and the hands emerging from its sleeves were voids of bottomless darkness, capable of swallowing even the faint light remaining in the area.
The moment Isana saw it, she was reminded of the Cardinal. She became certain that this incident was tied to that specific Cardinal.
After appearing, the black-robed Abnormality glanced back at the Thousand Hand Flower as if checking its condition.
Yao Xueyue did not miss the opening. With a mental command, several Ring Blades flew out simultaneously, the sharp whistle of wind following them as they tore through the creature’s body.
“Was that a one-shot? No… wait…”
Mo Ling was about to praise Yao Xueyue’s growth, but she quickly noticed something wrong.
The body of the black-robed Abnormality was composed of mist. Even after being shredded, it took only seconds for the form to reform and solidify once more.
“Tch… this is why I hate regenerative Guiyi…”
Yao Xueyue clicked her tongue in annoyance. She decided to bypass the creature and strike the Thousand Hand Flower directly.
However, as long as the black-robed Abnormality stood there, the surrounding mist countered every angle of Yao Xueyue’s attack.
Yao Xueyue could have used her own Nether Breath to force the mist aside as she did before, but this creature was the master of this Inner World. It could easily use its own power to suppress hers.
“Then try this!”
The heavy firearms hovering around Mo Ling fired simultaneously, unleashing several beams of pale blue energy.
Faced with this barrage, the Guiyi did not rely on its regeneration. Instead, it used the black mist to form a heavy curtain, forcibly blocking Mo Ling’s attack.
‘Wait.’
Isana, who had been waiting for the right moment, caught this discrepancy. The creature wasn’t afraid of Yao Xueyue’s blades, so why was it so intent on blocking Mo Ling?
At the same time, a central pillar formed from four joined arms began to rise from the middle of the Thousand Hand Flower.
As if receiving an offering, the Wart Crystals in the other palms began to dissolve into crimson particles, flowing toward that central four-armed column.
The embryonic form of another Wart Crystal was slowly taking shape within that column.
“Is it… manufacturing a Wart Crystal? What is its goal…”
“We have to find a way to cut that flower down… Yao Xueyue, can you get close?”
“Get close?”
Yao Xueyue looked back instinctively, only to see Isana sending one of her butterflies to perch on her shoulder.
Yao Xueyue immediately understood Isana’s intent. She took a deep breath and tossed her slightly cumbersome fur coat aside, revealing her pale, slender arms.
“Tch, to be honest, I don’t usually like touching these disgusting things with my own hands… but I guess there’s no other choice.”
Yao Xueyue dropped into a low stance, coiling her strength into her legs like a drawn bow.
The next second, with a thunderous BOOM, her figure blurred.
She smashed through the body of the black-robed Abnormality and appeared directly in front of the Thousand Hand Flower, launching several Ring Blades at the core.
Just like before, various shapes condensed from the black mist to intercept her. However, as they lunged at Yao Xueyue and her blades, they passed right through them as if hitting a phantom.
The black-robed Abnormality seemed momentarily stunned.
The “Yao Xueyue” that had been pierced by a mist-scythe vanished instantly.
The real Yao Xueyue was positioned about 2 or 3 meters to the left of that illusion.
It hadn’t noticed that the moment she charged through, the butterfly on her shoulder had detached and scattered hallucinogenic phosphorus powder all around it.
In a clash between experts, a single oversight often leads to total defeat.
By the time the black-robed Abnormality realized its mistake, Yao Xueyue’s Ring Blade had already sliced through the central pillar.
She watched as the top half of the arm-column slid off the clean cut and tumbled into the center of the Thousand Hand Flower.