Your Spell Version is Too Low!

Qi Yun’s expression was calm, as if he had just done something trivial.

He looked at Zhao Xuanji, whose face was still pale but whose eyes were now filled with utter shock, and said coolly,

"Now, does Your Majesty still doubt whether I, Qi, am qualified to be that ’variable’?"

Zhao Xuanji stared intently at Qi Yun, his chest heaving violently.

After a long moment, he slowly exhaled a breath of Muddy Qi, his voice raspy and imbued with unprecedented gravity.

"I... believe you."

Just three words, yet they carried the weight of a mountain.

He looked at Qi Yun, his expression complex.

This mysterious man had not only brought subversive intelligence but also possessed subversive power.

’It was like bargaining with a tiger for its hide—infinitely risky.’

While he felt Qi Yun’s domineering power, a thread of worry also sprouted in his heart.

Qi Yun nodded slightly and said no more.

...

「Seven days later, at the edge of the Cloud Dream Marsh.」

The sky was a sickly leaden gray, merging seamlessly with the endless, churning sea of grayish-white fog below.

A strange, faintly sweet and fishy odor permeated the air.

The smell was tolerable at first, but upon closer inspection, one would find a hint of unsettling evil hidden within the sweet and fishy scent, one that could make the Divine Soul dizzy.

Qi Yun stood on a relatively dry hillock, followed by three people.

The leader was a middle-aged man in a dark cyan official robe and a black silk hat with upturned wings. He had a lean face, with three wisps of a long beard hanging down to his chest, and he held a folding fan. This was none other than Mo Wenxuan, the chief of the Great Cang Dynasty’s Sacrificial Institute and a Cultivator at the Great Perfection of the Yin Spirit Realm.

Behind him were two attendants, a man and a woman, both dressed in practical attire. Their auras were condensed, and they both had a Cultivation at the Possession Realm.

"Qi Master, ahead lies the core fog region of the Cloud Dream Marsh." Mo Wenxuan opened his folding fan and waved it gently. The landscape painting on its surface seemed to shimmer with a Flowing Light, pushing back the thin wisps of fog that tried to encroach upon them by several feet.

"According to the Royal Family’s secret records, the Heaven-Deceiving Array is located next to the No Return Abyss, about three hundred li deep into this sea of fog.

However, this sea of fog is strange. It not only obscures vision and distorts one’s sense of direction but also hides many dangers.

The Fog Demons and Miasma Charms that breed within it are not to be trifled with.

What’s more troublesome is..."

He paused, his expression turning grave. "The fog here strongly interferes with and erodes any Divine Soul probing.

Even for people like us, our Divine Soul cannot leave the body for more than a hundred zhang, and we must constantly resist the formless, intangible corrosive force within the fog.

Once the Divine Soul is damaged, the consequences are unthinkable."

Qi Yun nodded slightly, his gaze piercing through the churning wall of grayish-white fog before him.

He could indeed feel a natural "field" formed by Heaven and Earth permeating this sea of fog.

"No matter. Let’s proceed as planned," Qi Yun said calmly. "Tributor Mo is familiar with the path, so please lead the way. If anything unusual happens, I will handle it."

Seeing how composed Qi Yun was, Mo Wenxuan recalled the Emperor’s private instruction—’This man’s abilities are unfathomable’—and said no more. He closed his fan and pointed forward.

"In that case, please follow me.

There is a ’Foggy Reef’ ten li ahead. It’s a temporary resting point left by our predecessors where we can take a short break."

A faint glow enveloped the four of them, a sign that they were circulating the Power of the Divine Soul for protection.

Mo Wenxuan’s Protective Divine Light was cyan-white, taking the shape of a phantom of an unrolled Scroll; his two attendants were surrounded by a more common, faint golden halo.

With a thought from Qi Yun, a layer of faint cyan light also appeared around his body.

He had recently been cultivating a Divine Soul Method called Clear Wind Heart Transformation.

As a Profound Yellow Master skilled in Enlightenment and Control of Magic,

the Dharma Gates of the Cangque Realm weren’t particularly difficult for him.

He had already broken through to the Yin Spirit Realm before today.

The group plunged into the sea of fog.

The moment they entered, the sound of the wind and the faint cries of birds and beasts from the outside world vanished instantly, replaced by an absolute, heart-pounding silence.

The only sounds were the soft crunch of a dry branch or the squelch of mud underfoot.

The fog was so thick it was impossible to see through. Even with the protection of the divine light, their visibility was less than three zhang.

Their Divine Sense felt as if it had sunk into a mire; extending it just a few dozen zhang caused a stinging, blurry sensation, forcing them to retract it.

Mo Wenxuan was clearly not here for the first time. He would periodically tap his folding fan forward, and a point of light would illuminate on the landscape painting on its surface, pointing in a specific direction.

They continued like this for about an hour, and he estimated they had traveled more than fifty li into the sea of fog.

The surrounding scenery was maddeningly monotonous.

Besides the grayish-white fog, there was only the swamp underfoot, which they trudged through one step at a time, and the occasional appearance of twisted, pitch-black trees.

But just as the four of them passed through a patch of fog and arrived in a relatively flat area,

a considerable commotion could be heard up ahead.

Seven or eight figures were surrounding a strange, coral-shaped plant that was entirely crimson.

These people wore uniform, moon-white robes with silver cloud patterns embroidered on the cuffs and collars. They were led by two elders, one tall and one short, both with profound auras.

They were currently using various techniques—some releasing chains condensed from their Divine Souls, others brandishing Magical Artifacts flickering with Talismans—in an attempt to collect the crimson plant.

The plant seemed to be sentient. It twisted and struggled, releasing rings of faint red light that actually managed to block the Divine Soul chains and the glow of the Magical Artifacts.

"People from the Moonlight Sect?" Mo Wenxuan’s expression changed slightly, and he lowered his voice. "Why are they here? This location is far from the usual treasure-hunting areas..."

The Moonlight Sect was a Sect in the Cangque Realm’s Cultivation Realm, renowned for its deep study of the Path of Divine Soul and its skill in collecting and refining moonlight and the spiritual essences of Heaven and Earth. It was by no means a weak power.

Normally, they and the Great Cang Dynasty stayed out of each other’s way.

The group of Moonlight Sect Cultivators also noticed Qi Yun’s party of four.

Their attempts to collect the crimson plant paused for a moment. The tall, thin elder in the lead shot a sharp glance over, his brow furrowing when he saw the official robe Mo Wenxuan was wearing.

"The Great Cang Dynasty’s Sacrificial Institute?" The tall, thin elder’s voice was hoarse and tinged with vigilance. "My Moonlight Sect discovered this place first, and this ’Blood Jade Soul Coral’ is something our Sect has been tracking for days.

So please, do us a favor and don’t interfere."

Mo Wenxuan cupped his fists, speaking politely but with a detached air, "We are here in the Cloud Dream Marsh on other official business and have no interest in this item. Please, carry on."

His intention was to de-escalate the situation and leave as quickly as possible.

The depths of the Cloud Dream Marsh were fraught with peril; starting a conflict recklessly would be far from wise.

However, the short, stout Elder Han Po’s gaze landed on Qi Yun, a flicker of doubt in his eyes.

He found he couldn’t see through this person’s Cultivation.

"I don’t recognize you, friend. Which sect might you be from?" Elder Han Po suddenly asked, his tone probing.

Qi Yun’s expression was serene as he replied coolly, "A humble Loose Cultivator from the wilds, not worth mentioning."

"A Loose Cultivator?" Elder Han Po’s eyes narrowed. ’A Loose Cultivator could have such a high level of Cultivation?’

’The Heavenly Rules are absolute!

A Dynasty is permitted to have at most three experts of the Yin Spirit Realm.’

"Since you are a Loose Cultivator, why not join our Moonlight Sect? With your level of Cultivation, you would surely be given a position of great importance," Elder Yinfrost spoke up, his words a seeming recruitment attempt, but in truth, a test.

"Thank you for the kind offer, but I’ve grown accustomed to being unfettered," Qi Yun replied, still unperturbed.

The atmosphere grew slightly tense.

Just as the two Moonlight Sect Elders exchanged a subtle glance, the young, plain-faced cultivator before them suddenly attacked.

An incomparably tyrannical Divine Sense transformed into a silvery tide visible to the naked eye, instantly engulfing Elder Han Po.

A skin-crawling, crushing sound was heard!

The next second, the Moonlight Sect Elder was forcibly crushed into a pile of bloody pulp.

The air seemed to freeze solid.

Everyone present stared at Qi Yun in utter disbelief.

"What are you looking at? Were you going to let them go back and report what they saw?" Qi Yun said, shaking his head slightly as he frowned at Mo Wenxuan, who was also staring at him with wide eyes.

’The people here... are so naive.’

...