After Li Ya disappeared, Zhang Buku immediately panicked. He soared into the air to get a better view. From above, the monastery stretched endlessly, with courtyards connected in a labyrinth that seemed to have no end. He scanned the area carefully but found no sign of Li Ya.
Not just Li Ya—there wasn't a single living being in sight.
Overcome by fear, Zhang Buku began flying frantically in all directions, searching for his companion.
"Li Bro!"
He shouted at the top of his lungs, but the silence was his only reply.
The eerie atmosphere and creeping dread made him feel that danger was drawing closer with every passing second. No matter where he flew, he saw no one and no way out. Gradually, he noticed that the courtyards he passed seemed to repeat, adding to his disorientation. Even his mind started to feel sluggish, as though it was being smothered by an unseen force.
He didn't know how long he had been flying before his body finally descended into one of the courtyards.
The world spun around him, and his eyelids grew unbearably heavy.
The sensations overwhelmed him, and he dropped to one knee, supporting himself with trembling hands. It felt as though he might lose consciousness at any moment.
"Damn it… I can't… collapse here…"
Zhang Buku fought desperately to stay awake, clinging to the last threads of his rationality.
Through the fog of his weakening senses, he heard the faint sound of footsteps approaching from the side. He turned his head with great effort and caught sight of a blurry figure walking toward him. The figure appeared to be an elderly monk dressed in a tattered robe.
The monk crouched before him, but before Zhang Buku could make out the monk's face, his attention was drawn to the monk's hands. They were skeletal, like ghostly claws, with long, unkempt nails that made Zhang Buku shiver instinctively.
A faint, eerie humming sound echoed from a distance. Zhang Buku's mind flickered with vague recognition as though he had heard that sound before.
The monk rose suddenly, his body trembling as though reprimanding something unseen in the distance.
And then, without warning, the monk's figure vanished into thin air. At that moment, Zhang Buku felt a light weight on his shoulder.
His senses returned in a rush. The spinning world steadied, and the eerie haze that clouded his vision dissipated. He turned his head sharply to see a small sparrow perched on his shoulder.
"It's you!" Zhang Buku exclaimed in surprise and relief. He immediately recognized the sparrow—it was the same one that had led him to a treasure-filled cave, where he had obtained a monster core and learned an axe technique. He could never forget this sparrow.
Instinctively, he reached out to grab the sparrow, but it flitted away, landing on a nearby courtyard wall and chirping loudly.
Although he couldn't understand its sounds, Zhang Buku noticed the sparrow nodding its head as if beckoning him to follow.
Without hesitation, Zhang Buku began walking toward the sparrow.
The sparrow took flight again, and Zhang Buku chased after it.
After some time, the sparrow landed atop a stone statue along a path. As Zhang Buku approached, he froze in shock—the statue's face was unmistakably that of Li Ya.
The statue's body was that of a seated Buddha draped in a ceremonial robe, but the serene face belonged to his missing companion. The juxtaposition was unsettling, almost grotesque.
"Li Bro!" Zhang Buku shouted, rushing closer, but there was no response from the statue.
Unbeknownst to Zhang Buku, the sparrow was none other than Gu An in disguise. Observing Zhang Buku's struggle, Gu An sighed inwardly.
"This kid's physique and cultivation are decent, but his spiritual awareness is severely lacking. He still has a long way to go."
Gu An flapped his wings and began pecking at the statue, as if urging Zhang Buku to act.
Taking the hint, Zhang Buku pushed the statue forcefully, but nothing happened.
The sparrow flew to the statue's head and started pecking at its face, then glanced back at Zhang Buku.
"I get it! Step aside!" Zhang Buku commanded, his tone resolute. The sparrow darted away immediately.
Zhang Buku clenched his fist and swung with all his strength, shattering the statue's head in a single blow.
Boom!
The ground quaked violently, and the sky above the monastery distorted with ripples of space. The clear sky turned blood-red as patches of scarlet light replaced the calm horizon. Within moments, the entire area was shrouded in a chilling, crimson night, its atmosphere thick with dread.
Looking down, Zhang Buku was horrified to see that all the Buddha statues in the area had transformed into grotesque skeletons, their once-serene faces now twisted in malice.
He leaped into the air to survey the situation from above. The endless monastery he had seen before had shrunk dramatically, now spanning only about a hundred paces. At its center stood an ancient temple, and before it, Li Ya was bound to a gnarled tree. Two ghastly, clawed hands restrained him—one covering his mouth, the other pressing against his chest, rendering him immobile.
The clawed arms stretched behind the tree, leaving Zhang Buku dreading how monstrous their owner might be.
"Li Bro!" Zhang Buku roared in fury. He drew his stone axe and lunged toward the tree.
Just as he descended, the temple's massive doors creaked open.
A deep, raspy voice emerged from the darkness within. "I never thought you'd see through my formation. Impressive, for a human youth."
From the shadowy interior, an emaciated monk emerged. Draped in a ragged robe, his dark, corpse-like skin was mottled with decay. His hollow eyes glowed faintly with an unnatural pallor.
Without hesitation, Zhang Buku raised his axe and charged.
"Break the Mountain!"
His shout resounded like thunder as he swung the axe with unrelenting force.
With a single swing of the axe, the heavens quaked, and the earth trembled. The old monk vanished from where he stood, and the temple split in two. The blow extended beyond, severing walls and cutting a path far out of the courtyard.
Gu An, still in the form of a sparrow, perched on a distant rooftop to observe.
Though Zhang Buku was no match for the old monk in terms of strength, Gu An provided subtle support with his spiritual sense, ensuring the battle tilted in Zhang Buku's favor.
The fight erupted in full force.
The once-mighty monastery was reduced to rubble as the clash escalated. From beneath the earth, waves of vengeful spirits rose, swarming Zhang Buku relentlessly. Yet, surrounded and outnumbered, he fought with increasing ferocity.
"Who dares meddle in this?" roared the old monk. He had noticed that every time he closed in to strike a fatal blow against Zhang Buku, a powerful spiritual force would disrupt him, leaving him dazed and vulnerable.
No one answered him, but Zhang Buku was already in a battle frenzy.
Gu An focused intently, multitasking between aiding Zhang Buku and scanning the various micro-worlds within Mysterious Divine City .
The mighty restrictions of Mysterious Divine City , which would have obstructed most cultivators, posed no challenge to Gu An thanks to his mastery of the Infinite Free Step. By locking onto Zhang Buku's and Li Ya's presence, he could effortlessly enter or exit these micro-worlds as he pleased.
The true scale of Mysterious Divine City 's grandeur became evident only from within. Its numerous micro-worlds numbered at least a thousand, with some as vast as the Tai Cang Dynasty itself. Combined, the internal spaces of Mysterious Divine City could very well surpass the entirety of the known mainland.
Amid his observations, Gu An noticed several familiar figures.
In one micro-world, Chi Jiuxiao and An Hao were being pursued by a group led by a Loose Immortal from the Seven Stars Spirit Realm. In another, the Nine-Fingered Divine Lord stood alone against an endless army of spectral beings, wielding his techniques with unparalleled dominance.
Testing his abilities, Gu An exterminated a nearby vengeful spirit, only to find that it did not add any lifespan to him.
This revelation immediately extinguished any notion of adventuring deeper into Mysterious Divine City . These vengeful spirits seemed to draw their power from a source beyond even his comprehension, a power tied to the very fabric of Mysterious Divine City itself. The entity that created such a structure had undoubtedly transcended the Heaven and Earth Flying Immortal Realm.
Time flew by.
Half an hour later, Zhang Buku finally managed to defeat the old monk. In truth, it was Gu An's covert intervention that delivered the killing blow, with Zhang Buku's axe strike following up to claim credit.
Even after slaying the old monk, Gu An received no additional lifespan.
Breathing heavily, Zhang Buku staggered toward the gnarled tree where Li Ya was bound. He hacked through the ghostly hands with a decisive swing, catching Li Ya as he fell.
Instinctively, he turned to look for the sparrow, but it had already vanished.
There was no time to dwell on this mystery. Zhang Buku channeled his spiritual energy to heal Li Ya while calling to him softly.
"Li Bro! Li Bro! Wake up!"
Meanwhile, Gu An had already returned to Xuan Valley.
For Zhang Buku and Li Ya, the journey back to Tai Xuan Sect would have been arduous and time-consuming. For Gu An, however, it was no more than a single step away.
He stood before the alchemy furnace in his residence, preparing to refine pills.
That day, Li Ya and Zhang Buku were not the only ones who had encountered danger. Several other acquaintances of Gu An's had also run into trouble. Rather than intervening further, he chose to remain in Xuan Valley for now, biding his time.
"Mysterious Divine City 's celestial spirit…" Gu An murmured, lost in thought as he started adding ingredients to the furnace.
Elsewhere, in a dimly lit corridor within Mysterious Divine City , An Hao and Chi Jiuxiao were moving swiftly.
Chi Jiuxiao suddenly halted, leaning against a wall as he said in a low voice, "We can rest here for now."
An Hao glanced around nervously. "What is this place?"
They had fled from a micro-world, only to find themselves in this seemingly endless corridor. Despite walking for ages and passing countless branching paths, they had completely lost their sense of direction.
The walls were impervious to force, and even spiritual sense failed to penetrate them. This left An Hao tense and uneasy.
Chi Jiuxiao seated himself, producing a small cauldron that he placed before him. He inserted two incense sticks into it and began lighting them.
Watching this, An Hao frowned. "What are you doing?"
Chi Jiuxiao wiped the blood trickling from the corner of his mouth and forced a grin. "Those Seven Stars Spirit Realm bastards have no sense of honor. They brought in two Loose Immortals to deal with me. I can't handle them on my own. But if Qin Xun Yin can call for reinforcements, so can I."
An Hao's eyes widened in surprise. "You're from overseas! Who could you possibly summon here?"
Chi Jiuxiao chuckled. "My master transcends the Loose Immortal Realm. Once I light this incense, he will sense my distress and come to our aid soon enough."
Transcending Loose Immortals?
An Hao was stunned.
After a moment, he sat down and muttered, "If you're summoning your master, then I'll summon mine too."
He began mentally calling out to his own master. In the past, this method had successfully summoned his master to his side.
Yet he wasn't entirely confident. When he had tried summoning his master to save Xuan Tianyi, there had been no response. His master had eventually intervened, but the conditions under which his master acted remained a mystery.
"Your master?" Chi Jiuxiao sneered. "Forget it. What powerful figure could the Tai Xuan Sect possibly produce?"
An Hao retorted sharply, "My master is definitely stronger than yours."
"Watch your mouth, kid!" Chi Jiuxiao snapped. "Don't disrespect my master!"
An Hao was about to retort when the ground began to tremble violently. A murderous intent surged from the darkness ahead.
"Damn it! They're already here!"
Chi Jiuxiao leaped to his feet, snatching the incense cauldron. Grabbing An Hao by the arm, he took off at full speed.
Despite his cultivation at the ninth layer of Nirvana, Chi Jiuxiao could not break through the corridor's walls or ceiling. His only option was to flee along the narrow path.
"You can't escape, Chi Jiuxiao!"
Qin Xun Yin's maniacal laughter echoed from behind, laced with exhilaration.
Outside Mysterious Divine City , Lü Baitian and a group of Tai Xuan Sect disciples stood before the gates, strategizing their plans for entering the city.
Suddenly, an overwhelming aura erupted from the distant horizon, stunning everyone into turning toward the source.
All they saw was a streak of brilliant light cutting through the sky at an unimaginable speed, vanishing into Mysterious Divine City in the blink of an eye. Its velocity was unmatched, and none present could discern its true nature.