Suddenly, with a loud cry of a sparrow, a colossal Vermilion Bird soared into the sky.
The immense divine beast's pressure instantly spread outwards.
The frenzied Ten-Tailed Demon Rock Scorpions immediately stopped in their tracks, trembling.
"Chirp~"
The Vermilion Bird's phantom dove, and the Ten-Tailed Demon Rock Scorpions on the ground were instantly engulfed in flames, crackling like firecrackers.
The pungent, fishy odor had no time to dissipate before it was burned into nothingness, causing Rong Guang, who was watching from the side, to wince in pain.
The toxins within the Ten-Tailed Demon Rock Scorpions were excellent ingredients for refining antidote pills!
However, even the best ingredients were useless if one wasn't alive to enjoy them.
Therefore, Rong Guang merely felt a pang of regret before, along with the other four, following closely behind the Vermilion Bird's phantom and speeding away.
Once they exited the territory of the Ten-Tailed Demon Rock Scorpions, the Vermilion Bird's phantom rapidly dissipated.
But the five were unable to stop and continued to rush for dozens of miles before finally slowing down.
"The road ahead is fraught with danger. Everyone must maintain their peak condition at all times," Ye Lingyuan cautioned. He then added, "Rest briefly and quickly recover your strength!"
Following this, he extended his divine sense forward.
Fortunately, within a hundred miles, there were no immediate threats.
Soon, Shangguan Yulin, who had expended the most energy, had also fully recovered. However, the group did not accelerate, instead maintaining a balance between energy expenditure and recovery.
As dusk settled, a lake appeared before them.
A faint fragrance emanated from the lake water, stirring their spirits.
Ye Lingyuan probed with his divine sense, his expression solemn. "This lake is approximately eight thousand li in circumference. Taking a detour would require a full night. What do you think..."
Shen Liuxing immediately interrupted, "I disagree with taking a detour! We don't know how many dangers lie ahead, so we must save time as much as possible."
Xuanyuan Xun nodded. "I agree with Boss Shen's perspective. We have less than two months remaining, and we've only covered less than half our journey. Thus, we cannot afford to lose a night."
Rong Guang considered for a moment and then added, "I agree as well. After all, taking a detour doesn't guarantee we won't encounter other dangers."
Shangguan Yulin also smiled. "Since everyone feels this way, I have no objections!"
Ye Lingyuan nodded. "Since everyone shares this view, we will cross the lake. However, while this lake appears calm, it exudes an eerie aura everywhere, so everyone be cautious!"
"Alright!"
The group responded in unison.
In truth, even without Ye Lingyuan's reminder, they would have remained vigilant.
After all, a lake appearing in the perilous Endless Wasteland could hardly be as peaceful as it seemed.
"In that case, let's go!"
Ye Lingyuan said, retrieving the single-log canoe he had made from phoenix wood from his Nine Dragon Ring and throwing it into the lake.
Then, the five leaped onto the canoe, landing steadily.
The canoe sliced through the water, and under Ye Lingyuan's control, it rapidly merged into the darkness.
Suddenly, a woman's song drifted from ahead. The melody was sorrowful, filled with infinite grief.
To hear such a sound and weep, to see it and feel heartbreak, was no exaggeration.
Listening to the song, Xuanyuan Xun's face contorted in pain.
A scene flashed in his mind: To protect his young self, his father's dantian was destroyed, and he was pierced through the heart with a sword. His mother used her body to block the sword aimed at him, then slowly collapsed beside his father, spitting blood, yet her eyes were filled with worry as she said, "Child, your parents can no longer protect you. You must cultivate diligently, do you understand?"
He cried and shook his head, shouting, "Father! Mother! Don't leave Xun'er! Xun'er will be good from now on, cultivate diligently, and I will never worry you. Don't leave Xun'er, don't leave Xun'er, wuwuwu..."
His mother weakly caressed his face, smiling. "Child, do not seek revenge. Live well..."
With those words, his mother used her last ounce of strength to send him away, then embraced his father's corpse and self-destructed.
The vision abruptly ended, and a seductive voice echoed in his mind, "Do you hate them? Do you wish to see your parents again? Jump down! As long as you jump down, the Heart-Cleansing Lake can grant all your wishes! Jump down! Jump down! Jump down..."
Subsequently, Xuanyuan Xun on the canoe lifted his foot, ready to leap into the lake.
At the same time, Shen Liuxing's vision blurred, as if he had returned to Tianqi Kingdom.
All his past experiences replayed before his eyes, from meeting Zi Linling, to being completely healed by her, then being forcibly sent away by his father, after which the Shen family became enemies with Zi Linling, and were utterly destroyed by Zi Linling and Ye Lingyuan.
Everything before him was so real.
Shen Liuxing watched the tragedy unfold like a bystander, powerless to intervene.
Tears streamed from his eyes, instantly wetting his face.
"Why did it turn out this way? Why? I couldn't protect the one I loved, I couldn't dissuade my father, I couldn't save my family. What use am I? What use am I? What use am I..."
His self-reproaching cries hammered relentlessly in Shen Liuxing's heart.
Immediately, a seductive voice echoed in his mind.
"Die! Die! Death brings release! Release... Let the Heart-Cleansing Lake cleanse the bitterness in your heart! Jump! Don't resist! Jump down, and you can protect the one you love. Jump down, and you can prevent tragedy, making everything unfold in the direction you desire! Jump! Jump! Jump..."
On the canoe, Shen Liuxing, with a strange smile on his face, lifted his foot, about to leap into the lake.
Meanwhile, Rong Guang's eyes became vacant.
Before him lay darkness. He curled up in the gloom, trembling as he watched poisonous creatures surround him, their claws and fangs crawling onto his body.
He shouted, he screamed, but there was nothing but the vast darkness.
At this moment, a seductive voice whispered in his mind.
"Are you scared? If you're scared, jump down! The Heart-Cleansing Lake is the warmest place, with no darkness, no poisonous creatures. It's the place you long for. Jump down! Jump down! Jump down..."
Rong Guang on the canoe also lifted his foot, ready to jump into the lake.
Shangguan Yulin's vision was filled with the corpses of everyone from the Shangguan family, each face so familiar.
The seductive voice similarly echoed in his mind.
"Do you wish to save them? Jump down, and as long as you jump down, they can be brought back to life! Jump! Jump! Among them are your closest kin, your parents, your brother, your uncles..."