At two thirty in the morning, the teams on both sides of the riverbank had already rested, leaving only the night watchers awake.

Gu Jianlin was in charge of the first half of the night, while Mountain Ghost took over the second half.

Both of them followed the Divine Path and had the versatile passive skill, Life Perception. On top of that, they possessed strong combat abilities, enabling them to respond quickly to danger and avoid instant defeat.

"I still think we should kill that group of people on the other side. You're the deputy leader, and Thunder is the leader. The two of you must ensure the safety of the entire group. Though you're talented, you're both very young."

Mountain Ghost frowned and said coldly, "This isn't the time for your Holy Mother ideals."

Gu Jianlin dismissed him with a wave of his hand. "I have my reasons."

Mountain Ghost took a deep breath, kept quiet, and positioned himself under a tree to stand watch.

Gu Jianlin headed to the riverbank, splashed water on his face, and glanced toward the other camp.

The other side had left only the youngest, delicate-looking boy as the night watcher. The boy squatted alone by the river, seemingly unafraid, his gaze hollow and blank.

The boy's name was Jing Shangsenmu, the old man's grandson.

The two twins, the old man's nieces, were also Ying Province natives.

Gu Jianlin didn't say much, turning to enter the tent and beginning his breathing practice.

"There's a traitor within the Ether Association. That much is certain. Sea Demon is well-hidden, though her situation is precarious. However, the mysterious organization—its rank is undoubtedly higher. They're operating on at least a Sixth Rank level. How are they achieving this?"

"Fine, let's set that question aside for now. What's clear is that the Living Burial Area has problems. More than likely, it's related to the presence of the Wedge. Even Omega's top ten have disappeared here."

"The Ether Association wouldn't be so careless. No matter who the opposing forces are, it's easy to anticipate that rescue teams will eventually arrive here. They're bound to set up an ambush. Which means, the Ether Association's senior officials—their cunning—must be hiding behind the scenes. As for Instructor Wan, while it seems he's acting, who knows what he's truly up to."

"So, this is once again a trial. But I refuse to follow their set rhythm. If the Wedge exists, I must see it for myself. And also, the Youying Association… Master."

His eyes flashed with cold determination, and he took a deep breath.

About half an hour later, a sudden gust of wind began whipping around the tent.

Gu Jianlin opened his eyes to see thick fog blanketing the camp, completely smothering the bonfires.

Mountain Ghost immediately roused everyone: "Something's wrong!"

From within the fog, a terrified scream pierced the air, cracking from sheer horror.

The group awoke, grabbing flashlights as they rushed out of their tents.

The scream had come from the Poison Master, who had stepped outside in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, only to witness the horrific scene.

The river had turned crimson with blood.

The opposite camp was strewn with corpses, arranged into a grotesque Hexagram—like a sinister and bloody masterpiece painted by a devil, saturated in madness and despair.

The bodies of ten mercenaries hung from trees, fresh blood dripping incessantly.

At the center of the Hexagram lay a pale young boy. His throat had been slashed open, yet somehow he wasn't dead. Instead, he faced the crowd with an eerie smile.

This unsettling Sacrificial Array was newly made.

Well, "new" might be an odd choice of word, but it truly had just been set up.

With a loud whoosh, flames erupted, consuming the eerie sacrificial array.

Gu Jianlin noticed the boy's chilling smile and felt as though it was meant for him.

He also clearly saw that the boy was clutching several strands of hair.

The imagined Old Gu blinked at the sight, clearly startled.

This was because certain features of the scene matched details referenced in a particular file.

Which confirmed—Old Gu was also investigating these matters!

"Did you doze off? Didn't Life Perception alert you?"

Tang Ling, carrying an oversized guitar case, approached him and squinted her stunning eyes: "That's not supposed to happen."

Mountain Ghost spoke solemnly from nearby: "The fog earlier was abnormal—it can block our perception. Jing Shangxiu, that old man, and those twins have disappeared. I've been saying all along we should've killed them! Now look where we are—the ritual's been carried out, and no one knows what will happen next!"

His gaze turned sinister: "The decision-making was flawed. Everyone's at risk because of it!"

Blue Whale and Demon Blade furrowed their brows, uneasy about the situation's bizarre nature.

"Making a move earlier wouldn't necessarily have prevented this,"

Nightmare said grimly, his face dark as he continued, "Poison Master, Dawn, you two take a look. I suspect Jing Shangxiu might also follow the Spirit Medium Path, and his rank wouldn't be lower than mine."

"I can only identify a few materials used for the ritual, nothing else."

Poison Master shook her head.

Dawn, as someone on the Priest Path, hurriedly summoned Holy Light to purify everything.

But it was unclear if it had any effect.

"With my understanding of Eastern and Western folklore, I still can't make out what kind of array this is."

He muttered, "Absolutely cursed."

"What's going on? What happened?"

Ji Xiaoyu staggered out of her tent, bleary-eyed—the little rascal had slept the soundest of them all.

Just then, the group suddenly heard a sound—low growls coming from within the mist.