The terrifying roar echoed from the pitch-black corridor behind them.

It felt like Godzilla was furious.

Eight Pseudo Ancestors—more than enough to annihilate them multiple times over.

As such, they had to come up with every possible way to escape.

The cracks in the stone walls above their heads cascaded with glorious light—this was where the power of the Heavenly Person Realm was most concentrated.

Whatever the case, heading in that direction was the only option.

The denser the Heavenly Person Realm's power, the more harm it would inflict upon the Ancient God Clan.

If they managed to reach the very center of the Heavenly Person Realm, the Pseudo Ancestors would likely collapse outright if they tried using the Ancient God Power.

The underground structure of the bronze palace was an intricate maze, and they could only rely on the golden light spilling from the cracks in the stone walls to find their way forward. The ground, paved with green stone bricks, was scattered with eerie white bones.

It was impossible to tell whether those bones belonged to humans or the Ancient God Clan.

"Run! Those things are catching up!"

Mr. Liu fled desperately, glancing at the terrifying black shadow reflected in the mirror.

He could feel their relentless approach!

In that fleeting instant, dark Qi began to swirl around his forehead.

With a loud thud, he fell flat on his face.

That fat man was a Fourth Rank practitioner of the Ancient Martial Path—there was no way he should make such a clumsy mistake.

"You've been affected by fortune!"

Su Youzhu immediately discerned the situation: "This is the ability of the Divination Master Path!"

Almost simultaneously, she realized something was off, clutching her abdomen, her eyes filled with shame and frustration.

"What's wrong?"

Gu Jianlin instinctively pulled the slender shoulders of the girl close to his side, unaware of what was happening.

"It's my period, at the worst possible time. I must have been affected as well."

Su Youzhu said coldly: "That bastard—Old Master Si!"

The misfortune wasn't limited to them—almost everyone in their group was showing signs of bad luck.

For instance, Yuuki Yocchi stepped on a bone spur while fleeing, piercing her ankle. Initially, it was just a minor injury.

But the bone spur carried spiritual toxin, which even she struggled to purge.

Then there was Da He Wang, who suddenly became nauseous and dizzy, reigniting an old spiritual affliction he had suffered from years ago—one that was incurable.

As for Lu Zijin, who was covering the rear, her eardrums were ruptured by the furious roaring, and blood streamed relentlessly from her ears.

Yet even more horrifying was the fact that the narrow corridor began to tremble violently; cracks spiderwebbed across the walls in all directions, dust crumbled and fell. Clearly, it could no longer bear the weight and was on the verge of total collapse.

If several thousand tons of debris came crashing down, they would all be buried alive.

"This is definitely Old Master Si's ability. He wants to trap us here and take the Heavenly Plain treasures for himself."

Yuuki Yocchi's fair face turned pale with anger, her disdain evident as she clenched her fists.

"That despicable old bastard!"

Da He Wang gritted his teeth and said venomously: "We were the ones who shared the intel with the You Ying Group!"

Gu Jianlin turned abruptly toward them, his voice grave: "What intel? Spill it."

With their lives hanging by a thread, there was no point in keeping secrets now.

Yuuki Yocchi bit her cherry lips and explained softly, "There's a saying going around about how our Ying Province culture originates from the renowned alchemist Xu Fu of the Qin Dynasty. That rumor happens to be true. Over two thousand years ago, our ancestors accidentally discovered the Qilin Immortal Palace beneath the East Sea and became its cheaters, hearing of Penglai Fairy Island."

"We refer to Penglai Fairy Island as the Heavenly Plain. Legend has it that it holds the ultimate mystery of evolution."

Lowering her voice, she added, "The You Ying Group negotiated a deal with the Orochi Shrine this time, trading precious ancestral records from the Qilin Immortal Palace. To avoid tipping anyone off, Old Master Si led the expedition while we infiltrated as candidates."

Da He Wang ground his teeth bitterly and said, "Who could've guessed they'd betray us, aiming to kill us too."

For a fleeting moment, cold fury glimmered in Lu Zijin's eyes. Her voice was like ice: "The Ether Association is an ally of the Orochi Shrine, and yet you secretly collaborated with the You Ying Group? Are you courting death?"

The Orochi Shrine was part of the established order, making such actions betrayals of loyalty.

Yuuki Yocchi's beautiful eyes sank, but she remained silent, offering no defense.

Da He Wang's expression turned awkward, realizing his foolishness, and he muttered sheepishly, "It's because the President purged this generation's heirs of Susa no O. That's why dissatisfaction arose."

Lu Zijin's gaze grew even colder.

"Stop squabbling. Focus on the problem at hand!"

Mr. Liu hurriedly stepped in to mediate, speaking soothingly. "Look, I've heard some rumors myself. My aunt mentioned that the Ether Association has been conducting a groundbreaking experiment recently—one that, if successful, could disrupt the equilibrium of the world. Supposedly, the method originated from the legends surrounding Penglai Fairy Island. That's all I know!"

Su Youzhu narrowed her alluring eyes: "A groundbreaking experiment?"

Gu Jianlin had a vague sense of what was hidden within this place.

"Enough arguing. Find a way to get out of here."

He spoke in a low voice: "We still have a chance."

·

·

The main hall of the bronze palace shimmered with resplendent specks of light. Intersecting roots of immense golden rhizomes snaked throughout the structure, their trunks illusory yet unbearably real, faintly radiating black runes imbued with terrifying energy.

Candles flickered in every direction within the hall, their red wax melting into oil.