You, a living person, are telling me I've served in the underworld for ten years?

A sudden burst of light!

The damp, dark cave scene vanished instantly. A fresh, warm breeze, carrying the rich scent of grass and trees, swept over everyone, enveloping them in a pure spiritual energy capable of cleansing the soul!

Beneath my feet, soft, brocade-like spiritual grasses carpeted the ground, radiating a gentle glow; a winding spiritual spring meandered, its melodious tinkling echoing in the air; all around, vibrant, colorful spiritual plants and herbs swayed gracefully; in the distance, undulating mountains shrouded in celestial mist echoed with the faint cries of mythical birds and beasts; higher still, the sky was clear and blue, with drifting clouds swirling around…

A vast world, more real than the fake, murderous "fairyland" outside, brimming with infinite possibilities and life energy, unfolded before my eyes!
As if frozen in place, everyone stood dumbfounded in this paradise, a fraction of its true size, beyond description. The bewilderment of surviving a calamity, the astonishment of being transported by space, and the pure, abundant vitality and wonder before them, far exceeding their imagination, intertwined to create a powerful and irresistible shockwave that crashed against their very souls!
"Oh my god..."

Su Meng covered her mouth, tears uncontrollably welling up in her eyes. This warm sense of life made her vulnerability, which had just escaped death, completely erupt.

"This... Brother Chen..." Jiang He, who was usually calm and experienced, was completely out of control at this moment. He looked at the glowing spiritual grass under his feet and felt the comfortable feeling of being cleansed by the pure primordial energy. It was as if he had stepped from hell into a fairyland.

"Where...is this?"

Qiuniu's eyes widened as he surveyed the seemingly endless sea of ​​spiritual plants and trees around him, and he spoke in a gruff voice.

"Old Jiang, didn't you mention array formations and mechanisms? The sheer volume of energy in this place is probably more than several major sects' spiritual root mountain ranges combined! This is truly... eye-opening!"

Even the usually silent Xing San showed unparalleled shock on his face, like a bewildered child who had just stumbled into a scene depicted in a myth or legend.

Liu Piaopiao's beautiful eyes sparkled as she felt the abundant vitality of this place soothing her depleted essence. Although she had guessed it beforehand, the shock she felt upon actually setting foot here was still indescribable. She looked at Chen Yang with a complex and unfathomable expression.

Just then, a violent force, completely different from the peaceful atmosphere of the entire blessed land, suddenly erupted hundreds of feet in front of everyone!

Boom! ...
A blinding silver spatial storm suddenly exploded! Like a boulder thrown into a calm lake! The violent tearing force frantically ripped apart the stable spatial framework of the blessed land, producing a teeth-grinding "ripping" sound!
A "portal" with extremely unstable edges, constantly flickering and shaking, and filled with violent and raging spatial fragments and chaotic light, was struggled to open!

The scene was like a huge, ugly tear being forcibly ripped open in a perfect painting!
"The passage is open! Retreat immediately!"

It won't last long!

Li Rou's urgent and noticeably weak voice seemed to explode directly in everyone's ears!

Chen Yang's eyes suddenly sharpened like lightning!

Without hesitation, he pointed to the violent teleportation portal that Li Rou had forcibly opened not far away and shouted loudly.

"Look!"
That's the only exit! The space is shaking and unstable right now—this is the moment! Charge out! Otherwise, if the passage collapses, there will be no escape!

The sudden, horrific sight and the deafening tearing sound perfectly replaced his inexplicable lie! A tremendous sense of crisis instantly overwhelmed all shock and doubt! The exit! This seemingly violent and terrifying crack before them was the only way out!
"The exit is ahead! Let's go!"

Qiuniu was the first to react, letting out a roar!
"Seize the opportunity!"

Jiang He suddenly grabbed Su Meng, who was still in shock!
"Follow!"

Xing San decisively shouted in a low voice!

There was no need for further hesitation! All doubts and shocks were thrown to the back of their minds at this moment! No one even noticed why the so-called "opened exit" would suddenly erupt without warning in this enchanting immortal abode; the instinct for survival overwhelmed all thought!
"rush!"

Chen Yang took the lead, his crimson flames protecting his body, and unleashed a whirlwind that shot straight towards the constantly twisting and shattering spatial portal! Liu Piaopiao, surrounded by an aura of ice and snow, followed closely behind!

Qiu Niu, Jiang He, Su Meng, Xing San and the others gritted their teeth and unleashed their last bit of strength, transforming into several streaks of light that followed closely behind, crashing headlong into the raging spatial turbulence that seemed to be shattering everything into chaos!
Excruciating pain! Dizziness! Chaos! The tearing sensation in space was a thousand times stronger than ever before! It felt as if my body was being ripped apart inch by inch and then reassembled!
The light flashed wildly, and the scenery was blurred and distorted to the extreme!
In just a moment!

Pfft!Pfft!
The sound of heavy objects hitting the ground rang out one after another.

The air, a mixture of the scent of grass and the fragrance of earth, rushed into my lungs! The sky was no longer a clear, azure blue, but a bright one, bearing the familiar traces of mist! The silhouettes of massive, solid, and steady mountains stretched out in the distance!

They're back! It's the same mountain range where they entered the Trial Grounds for the Inheritance of the Realm Lord!

The group tumbled onto the soft grass, looking up blankly at the ground.

A gentle mountain breeze rustled through the trees, birds chirped merrily, and everything felt almost dreamlike. The jungles, hills, blood swamps, and ferocious beasts of yesterday seemed like nothing more than an incredibly long and terrifying nightmare.

"We...we're out?"

Su Meng stroked the real soil and grass beneath her, and tears welled up in her eyes again, this time purely out of relief.

“I’m out…” Qiu Niu touched the wounds on his body that had been corroded by the venom. They had mostly healed in the cave, and now only a slight tingling sensation remained. He clenched his fists tightly, still feeling a mixture of shock and bewilderment.

"That place...that door..."

Jiang He stood up, his expression extremely complicated. He looked around and carefully sensed the familiar spiritual energy of heaven and earth, his voice hoarse.

"It is indeed from the outside world."

That place…that final teleportation portal…what exactly happened? Why was that door in that…blessed land?

He couldn't find an accurate adjective to describe that Sumeru Grotto-heaven, so he could only use the word "blessed land" instead.

Xing San also stood up, silently straightening his robes, his brows furrowed.

"Brother Chen sensed the anomaly deep within, and then that violent teleportation occurred... This... is too much of a coincidence?"

His gaze fell on Chen Yang, who was slowly getting up.

Chen Yang brushed the grass clippings off his body, his expression calm as if everything he had just experienced was perfectly normal. He met the gazes of the crowd, which were filled with inquiry, shock, and an overwhelming sense of doubt, and spoke in a steady voice.

"The laws governing this place are peculiar and extraordinary, containing many strange aspects that defy common sense and are beyond my full comprehension. Perhaps it's a special escape restriction set up by the realm lord, or perhaps it's just a spatial node on the verge of collapse that we accidentally activated... In any case—"

His piercing gaze swept over everyone, carrying an undeniable sense of finality.

"The important thing is that we made it out alive!"
That's enough!

He stretched out his hand and pointed to the faint outline of the city that could be seen beyond the distant mountains.

"Your respective sects' headquarters are not far ahead! This trial has been far more dangerous than expected. Although the gains are meager, it is fortunate that we are alive! The most urgent task is to return to your sects to rest and heal your injuries, and report the strangeness of this place to your sects! Given the unusual circumstances, gathering here to discuss them will only increase the danger. It is best to separate for now!"

Chen Yang's words were like a stabilizing force, instantly fixing everyone's complex thoughts on the fundamental fact of "leaving alive."

Yes, no matter how unbelievable the events were, the most important thing is that we survived and got away from that dangerous place! All other doubts and shocks were temporarily suppressed in the face of the urgent desire to return home and seek safety.

“Brother Chen is right! Jiang He will remember your life-saving grace! He will repay you handsomely in the future! Junior Sister Su Meng needs to rest and recuperate, so we will take our leave now!” Jiang He clasped his hands in a fist salute first and said solemnly. Then, without further hesitation, he helped Su Meng up.

"I can't thank you enough! Brother Chen, you saved my life! From now on, no matter what, just say the word!"

Qiuniu pounded his chest hard, his voice booming, his eyes filled with sincerity and gratitude.

"Thank you very much, Senior Brother Chen/Brother Yang!"

Su Meng and Xing San also sincerely bowed and said goodbye. Liu Piaopiao nodded slightly to Chen Yang, her cold gaze sweeping over everyone. Her figure floated away, transforming into an ice-blue streak of light and soaring into the distant horizon. She needed to find a place to heal her injuries as soon as possible.

Soon, Chen Yang was the only one left on the mountain meadow.

The calm on his face quickly faded, revealing a deep weariness.

Forcibly guiding everyone into the cave for protection, and then using Li Rou's power to open the door and escape, had a huge drain on his mind and spiritual energy.

More importantly, the secret of the cave has finally been exposed to several trustworthy informants, and whether this will bring good or bad fortune remains to be seen.

He didn't linger for long. After getting his bearings, his figure transformed into a blurry crimson shadow and silently disappeared into the forest.

a few days later.

Xuanxian Mountain, Qingwei School.

A ripple spread through the protective cloud formation that shrouded the mountain gate, and a travel-worn figure landed before it. It was Chen Yang.

He kept a low profile and avoided several groups of people who were clearly from various sects gathering information.

"Yang-ge'er is back!"

The outer disciples guarding the mountain gate recognized the person and exclaimed in surprise. The news quickly spread inside.

Chen Yang had no time to spare and rushed straight to the inner courtyard.

"Yang-ge'er!"

A voice filled with excitement and concern rang out.

Master Huang's familiar figure had already rushed out of the Pill Pavilion, followed by the beautiful Liu Yu.

"It's good that you're back! It's good that you're back!"

Master Huang carefully examined Chen Yang from head to toe. Seeing that he seemed to be fine except for being a little tired, he finally felt a little relieved.

"This Five Elements Trial has caused a huge uproar! All the sects are in chaos, and the rumors are all over the place. Some say they've obtained tremendous fortune, while others say they've been wiped out and become nourishment for the forbidden zone..."

Chen Yang waved his hand to set up a soundproof spell, and with a solemn expression, he briefly recounted his experience of entering that "fairyland" after separating from the others, encountering the terrifying jungle, the resurrection hills, the desolate swamp, and finally escaping by using a spatial node on the verge of collapse.

Of course, the crucial details about the Sumeru Space and the Li Rou were omitted, with the explanation of the final escape being the ingenious cooperation of spatial nodes. Even so, the sheer danger and perilous situation caused Huang Zhenren and Liu Yu's expressions to change several times, their palms filled with cold sweat.

"So that's how it is... That place has become a flesh-and-blood millstone that devours life!"

Master Huang's face was pale, still shaken. Liu Yu also gently patted her chest, her eyes filled with lingering fear.

Chen Yang then changed the subject.

"Let's put the trial aside for now. Old Huang, how's the herb cultivation site in Qingxi Village doing while I was away?"

Upon hearing this, Master Huang's face instantly fell, his earlier shock replaced by intense resentment and anxiety.

"Oh! Don't even mention it! Yang-ge'er, while you were gone, something terrible almost happened!"

He explained very quickly.

“Qingxi Village was originally a remote mountain village, but the spiritual energy there was still decent. Following the method you left behind, we set up a ‘spiritual plant garden’ as a cover, but in reality, it was a fire chamber for researching and improving pill formulas and spiritual arrays. At first, the villagers were relatively well-behaved because they received some small favors from us for ‘hiring’ them to grow spiritual rice.”

"But just a few days ago, for some reason, that 'local thug' Wang Ergou suddenly incited a large group of people to rush into the Spirit Plant Garden! They shouted that we had taken over the 'dragon head' energy vein of the village and ruined the 'dragon energy' that their village had inherited for generations! They said that the poor growth of the crops this year was all because of us! What's even more hateful is that some people shouted that we were using living people to test medicine and such!"

Master Huang was so angry that his beard trembled.

"Those peasants are ignorant and cunning, they can't reason with us at all! They almost stormed and destroyed our underground alchemy chamber and several key array bases!"

"Although Junior Sister Liu Yu and I have some cultivation, we can't really start a fight with ordinary villagers. We can only barely hold them off and maintain a standoff. The situation has been deadlocked for several days!"

They've blocked the mountain pass! If this isn't resolved, news of it might spread and attract the attention of the government or some ill-intentioned 'cultivators,' which would be even more troublesome!

Master Huang's eyes were filled with helplessness and anger. He was clearly overwhelmed by this chaotic "troublemaking by the common people," which was far more frustrating and troublesome than facing a powerful enemy.

"The dragon's head energy vein? Damaging the earth's energy?"

Chen Yang narrowed his eyes, a cold glint flashing in them. Was this clumsy yet easily inflammatory excuse really just a display of ignorance?

He paused for a moment, quickly filtering through candidates in his mind. Liu Yu was gentle, Master Huang was skilled in alchemy but not good at arguing, and Master Li was the core of the formation and it was inconvenient for him to leave... In the end, he turned to the old man who had been silently following him, wearing a clean gray cloth jacket, not tall but exceptionally wiry, with an air of the mountains between his brows—it was none other than Uncle Li, who had initially followed him!
"Uncle Li."

Chen Yang spoke, his gaze sharp.

“I remember you were the reincarnation of the previous earth god of this Suspended Immortal Mountain. The wind and earth energy of the mountain should be your most familiar duty?”

Upon hearing this, a barely perceptible glint appeared deep within Uncle Li's calm eyes.

He bowed in response.

"Although I am not what I used to be, thanks to your help, young master, I have been able to gather some of the spirit of the mountain god. My perception of the earth's energy at the foot of the mountain and my 'majesty' over the mortal villagers... still retain some of them!"

His voice was low, yet carried a quiet strength reminiscent of mountains. (End of Chapter)