At a glance, the once lush and verdant vegetation had completely vanished, replaced by a surreal landscape of dull grey.
Between the mountain peaks on either side, white stones lay scattered everywhere — each one smooth and oval-shaped, the largest about the size of a human head, the smallest no bigger than a fist.
Further ahead, a vast expanse of grey fog appeared, hazy and indistinct, making it impossible to discern what lay within.
However, this grey fog was entirely confined to the central passage, some hundred zhang wide, while both flanks surged with blood-red radiance, rolling ceaselessly inward like a tide, pressing against the fog. Yet whenever the crimson glow reached the fog's edges, it was as though it had struck a dam — unable to advance a single inch.
"So this is the passage Fellow Daoist spoke of?" Lu Weiying exhaled slowly and asked.
"Indeed, it should be here. Brother Lu, do you sense something amiss?" Marquis Nangong was taken aback and couldn't help but ask.
"Those blood-colored rays are undoubtedly the valley's restrictions, no mistake. But this fog doesn't seem to be ordinary either. Did Sovereign Cang Kun's writings make any mention of it?" Lu Weiying gazed at the distant grey fog and asked mildly.
"No, there was no mention of this fog. Perhaps he felt it wasn't important enough." Marquis Nangong hesitated briefly before answering.
"I have a feeling this grey fog is something out of the ordinary. Better to exercise caution." The old man surnamed Lu shook his head, his expression grave.
"If there's a problem or not, we'll find out soon enough," Han Li interjected from the side.
"Fellow Daoist Han speaks wisely. As it happens, I've raised a few Thousand-Mile Orioles — normally used to search for spirit herbs. Now they can serve as a test." Marquis Nangong clapped his hands in agreement.
Lu Weiying had no objection upon hearing this.
Without delay, Marquis Nangong unclipped a small spirit beast pouch from his waist, tossed it into the air, and let out a low whistle.
A small bird with golden plumage shot out of the pouch like an arrow and began circling in the air.
Marquis Nangong raised his hand, and a green talisman flew forth, striking the bird squarely.
The bird spread its wings, and a small emerald light shield instantly materialized around its body.
With a mental command from Marquis Nangong, the bird chirped sharply, transformed into a streak of golden light, and shot toward the distant grey fog.
Before the bird even reached the fog, Han Li's eyes flashed with rapid blue light as he activated his Clear Spirit Eye to observe the scene with focused intensity.
But as his gaze inadvertently swept past a certain spot to one side, his expression shifted slightly, a flicker of something peculiar in his eyes.
Marquis Nangong and Lu Weiying had their full attention fixed on the Thousand-Mile Oriole and did not notice the change in Han Li's demeanor.
The oriole plunged headlong into the grey fog and vanished from sight.
Han Li could not make out what was happening inside the fog, and out of caution, he refrained from rashly extending his spiritual sense to probe it. Instead, he simply turned to observe Marquis Nangong's expression.
Marquis Nangong had his eyes half-closed, fully focused on his mental link with the spirit bird.
His expression appeared normal, suggesting that the bird had not met with immediate disaster upon entering.
Just as Han Li was musing on this, Marquis Nangong's body trembled, his face suddenly went pale, and his eyes snapped open.
"What is it? What happened?" Lu Weiying had also been monitoring Marquis Nangong's expression and immediately asked.
"There seems to be some kind of beast in that grey fog. It swallowed the Thousand-Mile Oriole in a single gulp. It looked like a..." Marquis Nangong's expression was strange, and he seemed somewhat uncertain.
Han Li and the old man surnamed Lu exchanged a startled glance.
"It appeared to be a giant serpent — yes, I'm certain now. This grey fog must be demonic miasma that this creature has exhaled." After a moment of contemplation, Marquis Nangong finally spoke with conviction.
"A giant serpent? That's rather strange. If such a beast existed here, why would Sovereign Cang Kun's writings make no mention of it whatsoever? Unless..."
"Unless the serpent slithered into this passage after Sovereign Cang Kun's time." Han Li picked up where Lu Weiying's hesitation had left off.
"Exactly — that's what I was getting at."
"Fellow Daoists make a fair point. However, a giant serpent capable of surviving in Devilfall Valley is no ordinary spirit beast. It must be some kind of ancient creature as well. We'll have no way into the inner valley unless we dispatch it. This is going to be troublesome!" Marquis Nangong nodded in agreement, seemingly the only explanation that made sense.
"Not to worry. Since this grey fog isn't a restriction but merely demonic miasma, there's no need to be overly wary of it. An ancient beast — the three of us combined should handle it without much difficulty. Surely it can't be any harder to deal with than that Fire Toad?" Lu Weiying's eyes glinted coldly as he spoke with composure.
"Whether it's as formidable as the Fire Toad remains to be seen. But at this point, we must eliminate the serpent regardless. Let's act together, all three of us." As Marquis Nangong spoke, he opened his mouth and expelled a small sword that blazed with golden radiance.
The old man surnamed Lu rubbed his palms together, and a brilliantly luminous white command flag materialized between his hands.
Seeing this, the corner of Han Li's mouth twisted into a bitter smile.
These two were remarkably decisive — the moment they realized conflict was unavoidable, they prepared to strike immediately, without the slightest hesitation.
"If Fellow Daoists wish to eliminate this beast, Han Li has no objection whatsoever. But before we do — perhaps we should first invite our other friend to come out. You've been lurking nearby and watching us for quite some time now. Don't you think you've seen enough?" Han Li suddenly turned toward an apparently empty spot to one side, his face darkening. At the same time, he flicked his finger, and several streaks of green sword qi shot outward.
An instant later, the sword qi detonated in a burst dozens of zhang away.
A figure wreathed in yellow light, clutching an enormous shield, materialized at that spot with an eerie presence.