The elder Pang gasped, his face stricken with terror. A frigid aura emanated from behind him, so intense he dared not even extend his spiritual sense. Yet, he knew this wood, and the chilling air it held, with a sickening familiarity.

He could never forget their second foray into this Seven-Colored Realm. It was here they had encountered this… thing. Half their comrades were spirited away, vanishing before its presence as if they were mere mortals, defenseless against an ancient god.

Save for Wang Lin, whose position afforded him a clear view, the others could not perceive the horrors creeping up behind them. “Remember, do not extend your spiritual sense!” Cang Songzi rasped, his face ashen, uttering his last coherent thought before falling silent, his body rigid as stone. Even his eyes remained tightly shut. In Wang Lin’s gaze, a figure materialized behind the group.

It was a being clad in grey raiment, yet beneath the cloth, its flesh was visible, a semi-transparent tapestry of sinew and blood. It possessed no hair, and its eyes held not a spark of life, each step taken slowly from a distance.

With deliberate pace, it approached the corpse of the serpentine dragon. Without apparent effort, the carcass began to putrefy, collapsing into a pool of gore in mere moments. Then, in a grotesque spectacle, this viscous fluid surged into the grey-clad figure.

The being, still bearing its lifeless eyes, continued its slow march.

Trailing at the rear, the boy of the Duanmu clan stood motionless, though his brow was furrowed. He felt the chilling aura grow denser behind him, catching sight of the grey figure in the corner of his eye. A glint of cold light flashed within the boy’s gaze.

At that instant, the grey figure paused, turning its gaze upon the Duanmu child.

Their eyes met, and the boy’s soul recoiled. His mind went blank, his eyes unfocused, adrift. Above his brow, an illusory vision of sun and moon arose, spinning like a vortex of celestial bodies, a cycle of cosmic ages.

This phantasmal solar-lunar wheel was the very essence of the Duanmu child’s reversed destiny, a vessel brimming with countless sigils of his spirit’s power.

But what chilled Wang Lin to the core was the sight of that ethereal wheel, separating from the child’s brow, drawn inexorably towards the grey figure, merging within its form. The boy’s vacant gaze now reflected only death, devoid of any vitality. The grey figure turned and resumed its march.

The Duanmu child followed, his steps mirroring the grey figure’s, a silent procession into the unknown.

The others were transfixed, their hearts hammering. The old crone in azure robes remained still as a statue, her unblinking eyes fixated ahead. Chen Tianjun, positioned before her, held just as rigidly.

The grey figure continued its silent march, the boy a mere shadow behind it. As they walked, wisps of hair detached from the boy’s head, falling to the earth.

The flesh beneath his robes grew more transparent.

Soon, the grey figure stood before Wang Lin, who stood motionless, his breath held fast. The grey figure passed without pause. The boy followed in tow, the two fading into the distance.

The frigid aura receded, vanishing completely.

Cang Songzi trembled, exhaling deeply, his brow slick with cold sweat, wiped away with a shaking hand. The others behind him released pent-up breaths, their eyes wide with dread. “Who… who was that?” Chen Tianjun whispered, his voice trembling. “A Lost One,” Cang Songzi replied, his voice ragged, his eyes still haunted by the vision.

“Cang Songzi, what is this place?” The crone demanded, her face stormy. She had stood just ahead of the Duanmu boy, and the strange event was indelibly etched into her memory. “Duanmu did not heed the warnings,” the elder Pang said, shaking his head, his face still pale from the encounter. “I know not what this place truly is. I call it the Seven-Colored Realm, as I have said before! And that being was a Lost One. That much I am certain.”

“Within this realm, the Lost Ones are few. If they appear, so long as your spirit and body remain still, there is no danger. But if you move, you meet the fate of the Duanmu boy!” Cang Songzi said, his voice grim. “The Lost Ones were few here, until you arrived, Cang Songzi,” Wang Lin said, rising to his feet, his voice calm. The crone scoffed but remained silent.

Chen Tianjun fixed a dark gaze upon Cang Songzi. “You have been here twice before, have you not? And each time, you have left some of your companions behind, to become new Lost Ones?”

Cang Songzi’s face fell, and after a long pause, he nodded, his voice bitter. “That grey figure… it was a companion from my first journey here. He was taken by the Lost Ones.”

Chen Tianjun scoffed. “This journey was a mistake. I am leaving!” He turned, vanishing in a blur, returning from where they came. Cang Songzi did not try to stop him. After he had gone, he spoke, “Without my guidance, he will not find his way back. And I never imagined we would encounter a Lost One so soon. Lu Daoyou, Zhao Daoyou, I know of a hidden refuge that lies at the junction of this realm’s outer and inner reaches.”

“You will surely know the name of its master: Sima Mo, eldest disciple of the Shattered Sky Sect, eighteen thousand years past!” The crone did not react, as though she had not even heard. Wang Lin frowned, looking to Cang Songzi, waiting for more.

“Sima Mo was not only powerful, but also a master alchemist. He fled with a dangerous recipe that could cause disaster. I know not why that recipe has emerged recently in the Fifth Rank Starfield, but it’s certain that Sima Mo’s refuge exists.”

Cang Songzi withdrew a jade slip, offering it to Wang Lin. Wang Lin took it, examined it with his spiritual sense, then passed it to the crone.

“I found this slip here, which is why I am so certain,” Cang Songzi said, his face smooth. Seeing that neither Wang Lin nor the crone showed any willingness to continue the search, Cang Songzi’s brow furrowed.

“Lu Daoyou, I will give you my share, and the share of Pang Daoyou, of all the beasts we slay henceforth. Furthermore, when we enter the place I mentioned when I invited you to the Seven-Colored Realm, I will allow you to choose ten treasures.”

“What chance do you give us, of entering that place?” The crone asked after a moment’s hesitation. “With your aid, and the aid of Lu Daoyou, I would say we have six chances in ten,” Cang Songzi said. “Very well!” The crone said, closing her eyes and nodding.

Cang Songzi looked to Wang Lin. “The place I mentioned to Zhao Daoyou is within the inner reaches of the Seven-Colored Realm. The dangers are great, but the rewards greater. According to the clues I possess, it is a place where the souls of numerous ferocious beasts are sealed, from the eighth rank up to the thirteenth. I have prepared enough ingredients to brew a great number of pills. If Lu Daoyou agrees to go, you may also choose ten items.”

Wang Lin did not show his thoughts, pondering in silence. He believed Cang Songzi was not showing all his cards. He would not reveal his true goals so easily.

“Lu Daoyou, I can first take you to several safe locations to harvest Fog Beasts, and you may keep all the Yuan Crystals. Also, I will not take any of the treasures from Sima Mo’s refuge.” Cang Songzi said. “First, we take the Yuan Crystals,” Wang Lin said, looking at Cang Songzi. “Agreed!” Cang Songzi said, not wasting any more time. He looked around, then changed directions away from the narrow path, leading the three towards the distance.

Cang Songzi knew this place well. After an hour, they arrived at another area filled with fog, a deep chasm swirling with mist.

Stepping within, Cang Songzi was cautious, advancing slowly. When they were a hundred feet from the fog, he stopped, summoning a large amount of immortal jade from his storage, which circled him. He waved his right hand, and with a series of pops, the jade turned to dust. He took a breath, carefully casting the dust into the fog.

From within the mist came a low growl. A turtle-like beast poked its head out, and with a swift motion, inhaled the jade dust. “Pang Daoyou,” Cang Songzi said, bringing out more immortal jade, crushing it to dust, and scattering it.

Pang obviously knew the drill, and with a practiced movement, darted into the fog. The turtle-like beast glanced back, hesitated, then swallowed the jade dust.

Wang Lin watched this scene, his eyes gleaming. He remained silent. Soon, the elder Pang returned. Cang Songzi again scattered jade dust, slowly backing away. When they were a thousand feet away, they stopped. “How many?” Cang Songzi asked. “Less than three thousand,” Pang replied, taking out a storage bag and giving it to Wang Lin.

“Some of the twelfth-rank Fog Beasts enjoy eating immortal jade. By using it as bait, we can collect some Yuan Crystals,” Cang Songzi said, leading the group in another direction, travelling to many other Fog Beast areas.

By the same method, after consuming a good amount of immortal jade, they harvested nearly twenty thousand Yuan Crystals. Then, Cang Songzi stopped, and the returned to the narrow path. “When we return, there is another route where I can gather some more for you, about six or seven thousand, going by the previous numbers.”

*”Engrave your will, trap the way of heavens, all must cross countless tribulations, leave the deep prison and hold one single thought, to follow the path of cultivation…” *Wang Lin remembered the words of the jade slip beside the skeleton, gazing upon the colored world, nodding in silence.