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After thinking for a moment, Li Shen felt that the possibility was very high.

Those cultivators who were turned into living corpses can prove it.

As for what would happen afterward, Li Shen didn't intend to think about it in detail.

He will not strike first unless the other party harms him.

After another ten breaths or so, the Soul-Devouring Ants stopped.

It was clearly being blocked by something, and this thing, the Soul-Eating Ant, was not easy to deal with.

"To protect the array's core?"

As Li Shen's thoughts raced, he noticed Yun Yan walking towards him.

He quickly put away the ancient silk map, ordered the spirit-devouring ants to remain still, and then looked at the path leading up the mountain:

"Fellow Daoist Yun, now can you tell me what the two passes behind this Suspended Mountain are?"

Yun Yan walked to his side and followed Li Shen's gaze:

"Fellow Daoist Luo, we are already in the second trial."

"What does this mean?"

Li Shen pretended not to understand and spoke.

He was absolutely certain in his heart:

"It seems this illusion array is the second level."

Yun Yan glanced at him, seemingly satisfied with Li Shen's reaction, smiled, and continued:

"Fellow Daoist Luo, there's no need to panic. The surrounding scenery we are seeing is caused by the protective array of this suspended mountain, the Four Seasons Illusion Array. Although it is the second level, as far as I know, it is not difficult to pass."

"A mountain-protecting formation?"

Li Shen frowned slightly, his gaze sweeping over the lush trees around him, and uttered his guess:

"So, there's a sect operating within this Suspended Mountain?"

Yun Yan nodded, a hint of reminiscence flashing in her beautiful eyes:

"Indeed, as far as I know, there is a hidden sect here. However, I have no idea what the sect is called, how many people it has, or its strength. But..."

At this point, Yunyan raised her head and looked towards the mountaintop:

"The secret realm opens only once every three hundred years, and the spiritual energy is so scarce, it may have been destroyed long ago."

Upon hearing this, Li Shen remained silent for a moment, then nodded slightly.

He had the same idea.

As far as he knew, the lowest level of cultivators who could establish their own sects was a Core Formation cultivator.

Combining this with what we've learned along the way, we can make bolder inferences.

It's possible that there are Nascent Soul stage experts among them.

Nascent Soul cultivators typically have a lifespan of over a thousand years, while Golden Core cultivators have a lifespan of approximately five to eight hundred years.

The spiritual energy here is draining away at an alarming rate. Whether one is a Golden Core cultivator or a Nascent Soul expert, cultivating here is like being trapped in shallow waters, where one's cultivation will not only fail to advance but will actually regress.

This is certainly unbearable for these old monsters.

Even if the secret realm only opens once every three hundred years, they still have every opportunity to escape from this place.

Having analyzed the situation, Li Shen felt somewhat relieved, but he still had no clue who created the living corpse, so he could not relax his guard on this trip.

Seeing that Li Shen remained silent, Yun Yan assumed he was processing the information and didn't urge him. After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, she said calmly:

"I learned a little about this Four Seasons Illusion Array before I came. If Fellow Daoist Luo trusts me, how about I lead the way this time?"

Li Shen snapped out of his thoughts, glanced at her, and without much hesitation, slightly cupped his hands in greeting:

"In that case, Fellow Daoist Yun, please go first."

Yun Yan smiled slightly, took light steps, and stepped onto the stone path first, heading towards the mountain.

Qingluo and Yuezhu followed suit.

Li Shenzhui was the last to retrieve the Soul-Devouring Ants. Just now, while talking with Yun Yan, he tried to get the Soul-Devouring Ants to break through the restrictions and get close to the array eye, but the result was not satisfactory.

He didn't intend to waste time here, nor did he want others to know the secret of the Soul-Eating Ants, so he simply withdrew and decided to take it one step at a time.

Along the way, the Four Seasons Illusion Array seemed to be just as Yun Yan had said, not particularly dangerous.

However, the scenery changes constantly with each step, sometimes with lush spring grass, sometimes with verdant summer trees, sometimes with bleak autumn winds, and sometimes with snow-covered winter landscapes.

The higher you go, the more beautiful the scenery becomes. Even someone like Li Shen, who doesn't usually enjoy looking at scenery, is occasionally tempted to stop and admire it.

But that's all; you don't even need to take a mind-concentrating pill, you can easily resist it with your own willpower.

Li Shen guessed that this was mostly due to the thin spiritual energy and the instability of the formation after a long period of time.

During a brief rest halfway up the mountain, Li Shen casually made up an excuse to avoid the three of them and took out the ancient silk map to take a look.

He discovered that the distance to the first intersection described above was only two or three miles.

"I hope I don't run into it."

Li Shen thought about it casually and was about to rejoin the team when a loud explosion came from not far away.

Li Shen's expression hardened, and as he probed with his divine sense, he abruptly stopped.

The place where Yunyan and the other two were resting was now shrouded in smoke and dust.

Three unfamiliar auras appeared within the range of divine sense.

They were all at the late stage of Qi Refining, with one of them at the peak of Qi Refining.

Their cultivation level isn't high, but it's possible they're hiding their true strength, or that there's someone even stronger lurking in the shadows.

Li Shen quickly cast a concealment talisman, climbed the nearest ancient pine tree, and looked out into the distance.

He has no plans to enter the venue for the time being.

This is not only because the true purpose and strength of the newcomers are still unclear, but also because they intend to take the opportunity to weaken Yun Yan and the other two.

If these three uninvited guests were truly only at the Qi Refining stage, Li Shen believed that Yue Zhu, at the peak of Qi Refining, and Qing Luo, at the early Foundation Establishment stage, would be perfectly capable of handling them.

Moreover, although Yun Yan's cultivation level has dropped, she was originally a powerful cultivator at the late Foundation Establishment stage, so she should have plenty of methods at her disposal.

There's no need for me to go through all that trouble.

In the worst-case scenario, Li Shen only intends to save Yun Yan.

The lives and deaths of the other two were none of his concern.

As the smoke cleared, the three figures came into view.

The leader, a peak Qi Refining cultivator, was burly with dark, rough skin. He wore a sleeveless leather armor that revealed his two muscular arms.

The other two were slightly shorter, a man and a woman, dressed in the same manner, with curved knives hanging at their waists, and fierce-looking eyes.

"This outfit makes them look like barbarians from the grasslands."

Li Shen stroked his chin, looking and guessing.

-

Qingluo, sword in hand, shielded Yunyan behind her, unleashing her early Foundation Establishment aura without reservation.

The dark-skinned monk at the head of the group, instead of retreating from this oppressive aura, laughed even more unrestrainedly:

"Early Foundation Establishment stage? Not bad, not bad, that's more like it."

Qingluo's eyes widened in anger, and she was about to retort when Yunyan raised her hand to stop her.

"What do you three mean by this?"

Yun Yan remained calm and composed as she spoke.

The dark-skinned cultivator's gaze passed over Yue Zhu and landed on Yun Yan. He licked his lips, his eyes scanning her up and down, his greed undisguised.

"What a lovely person! This mountain path is indeed boring. Why don't you come with us? It would be good to have someone to look after you."

Yuezhu jerked her spear, the tip pointing directly at the dark-skinned cultivator, and said coldly:

"Take one more step, and you'll die."

Upon hearing this, the dark-skinned monk stopped in his tracks, but he didn't seem to care much. Meanwhile, the man and woman behind him let out a piercing laugh.

"Judging from this attitude, things are indeed not simple."

Hidden in the shadows, Li Shen muttered to himself, then spread out his divine sense, trying to find if there were any other cultivators observing from the shadows like him.