I am the sacred tree, evergreen for eternity.

Inside the camp's meeting tent, a brazier was burning brightly.

Yu knelt on the ground and recounted the situation in the crack in the earth, word by word.

"The concentration of the Worry-Free Fragrance underground far exceeds expectations."

"Any traveler below the Mingling Realm who goes in is simply committing suicide."

Yu paused for a moment, then looked down at the web of his right hand, where there were several bloody marks.

At the critical juncture when he was almost lost, he used this method to forcibly control himself.

"At the very least, only those who have been honed to perfection during the daytime can remain sober amidst that concentration of illusory fragrance."

Qi's brows furrowed into a deep frown.

Without venturing deep into the fog, it is impossible to erect totem poles in the fissures of the earth.

Without totem poles, the spiritual energy cannot penetrate the ground.

Without the suppression of the spiritual field, the illusory fragrance will continuously flow out, dragging anyone who tries to get close into the illusion.

Infinite loop...

Looking at the ever-expanding crack, Qi remained silent.

This is getting a bit tricky.

"It's alright."

A hand patted Qi on the shoulder.

Xuan. The old man's hand was steady and strong, carrying a reassuring weight.

"It finally couldn't sit still any longer..."

Xuan raised his hand and pointed to the depths of the crack in the ground.

"Feel it, there's something surging inside."

Those who are at the peak of the Dharma-seeking stage simultaneously probe the earth's veins with their spiritual sense.

At first, there was chaos. The evil energy of the Devourer blocked every inch of the rock layer like silt, making it difficult for spiritual consciousness to move forward.

But further down, dozens of feet below, deep within the shroud of evil energy, something was faintly pulsating.

Like the heartbeat of the earth.

That is the remaining vitality of the earth's veins in this oasis.

It is the will of the earth itself, suppressed by sin for decades yet never extinguished.

The totem's spiritual field touched that will.

The oasis was unwilling to die; it struggled and waited for a certain opportunity.

"If we can reach there, we can fully awaken the remaining vitality in the earth's veins."

"By then, with the help of the spirit field, at least the illusionary fragrance will no longer be an obstacle."

Xuan keenly sensed the opportunity to break the deadlock: if only a small number of top-tier travelers could dig into the ground, there would be a chance to open a passage.

Qi suddenly stood up, his movements quick, almost anxious.

"I'll lead the charge!"

Xuan looked at Qi,

The firelight flickered between the two men, casting their shadows on the tent wall—one old, one strong.

Xuan remained calm, just as he had back then.

The old man had the same expression when he refused the position of chieftain in the council hall of the Eastern tribe back then.

You can't go.

"You are the Grand Commander of the Xia Kingdom."

"The lives of thousands of soldiers in the expeditionary force are on your shoulders."

Qi wanted to refute, but found himself speechless.

Xuan's gaze swept over Meng, over Feng, and over every elder in the tent.

Then he strode out of the council tent.

Inside the camp, the expedition members were busy with their own tasks.

With the battle at a stalemate, they seized every minute to prepare.

Xuan stood in the center of the camp, the night wind blowing from behind him, ruffling his gray hair.

His voice wasn't loud, but every word resonated like a bronze bell echoing in the night sky.

"Xia Kingdom, those who are over a hundred years old, step forward!"

The camp was quiet for a moment.

The first person came out.

With a swift movement, his broad back and muscular build cast a huge shadow in the firelight, and the iron axe in his hand was still stained with the pus from the puppets he had slain during the day.

The wind followed its steps forward, and the vines poked shallow holes in the sand.

Immediately afterwards, figures emerged from the crowd.

Their hair was gray, their faces were deeply lined, and some of them bore scars from years of bloody battles.

Twenty-three people.

Even the lowest level of cultivation had spent decades honing their skills during the Heavenly Light stage.

The aura had already solidified like iron, its foundation as firm as a totem pole driven into the earth's veins.

But they also knew very well that their potential was almost exhausted, like... a dying ember.

Qi stood in the crowd, her eyes red-rimmed.

His body trembled, and he wanted to step out, but a gaze fixed on him, making him stand still.

Xuan glanced at the young people, then turned to face his old comrades who had fought alongside him all this time.

A rare, almost childlike smile appeared on his deeply lined face.

"I never imagined... that we, the embers of the old era, would one day be rekindled."

The twenty-three old men exchanged glances.

Laugh out loud!

He laughed with boundless pride!

The wrinkles were stretched open by laughter, the cloudy eyes were brightened by laughter, and the hunched back was straightened by laughter.

The sharpness that had been worn away by time seems to have returned!

Qi stood at the entrance of the council tent, watching all of this.

His Adam's apple bobbed, then he raised his right hand, clenched it into a fist, and pounded it heavily on his chest.

"boom--"

A dull thud echoed through the night sky.

Behind him, thousands of expeditionary travelers raised their arms at the same time, and thousands of fists pounded on their chests simultaneously.

"boom--"

The sounds merged into a thunderclap, exploding above the camp and causing the flames in the brazier to leap up sharply.

Li stood at the edge of the camp, her snow-white pupils reflecting the gray hair and straight backs of the old people.

He felt something long forgotten rising from his cold chest.

He was once a human.

Therefore, he understands this pride.

On the other side, Xiao Xiao had stood up straight at some point.

On that stone-like face with indistinct features, an unprecedented seriousness and solemnity were revealed.

It no longer talks about business.

I just stood there, watching these humans walk into the darkness.

Xuan carried a three-zhang-tall totem pole on his shoulder.

The stone pillar was very heavy, and the spiritual patterns on its body glowed slightly, like a lit lamp.

Meng and Feng each carried a totem pole, standing on his left and right.

Twenty-three old men, twenty-three stone pillars, and twenty-three lamps.

The night wind swept in from the wasteland, ruffling their white hair and making their clothes flutter loudly.

But their steps were steady, each step leaving deep footprints on the sand.

The fissure in the ground is getting closer.

A purplish-black mist rose from the crack, and a sweet, cloying fragrance wafted over, strong and pungent.

The old people's spiritual light flickered only slightly before shutting out the fog.

Decades of refinement have solidified their spiritual brilliance like iron armor, making it impossible for mere illusionary fragrances to penetrate.

Xuan looked down into the thick darkness.

Without any hesitation.

He took a step forward and rushed inside.

One after another, elders carried totem poles and followed closely behind, stepping into the eerie and terrifying crack.

The next moment, a flash of light shone from the crack in the ground.

Like a string of sparks, extending downwards along the crack.

Dark purple mist surged from the cracks in the ground, attempting to extinguish the points of light.

But the lights only wobbled for a moment before turning back on, even brighter than before.

They illuminated a path deep underground.

That was a road that faced only deathly silence.

Yes, it is a path that shines like hope.