"I can't guarantee that you'll survive if you follow my command, but if you don't... you will definitely die."

As he said this, Steven widened his eyes and stared angrily at the three remaining people.

"Don't ask, don't speak, grab their gear, and follow me!"

Steven took out an ancient book, a notebook left by his great-grandfather.

He told his terrified companions about his origins and what this book meant here?

He said:

"This is our only hope."

In the end, Steven managed to calm the other three down, who reluctantly followed behind him in silence.

The situation seemed to be under control at that time.

But actually, Steven had thoroughly read through the notebook since his childhood, and there was no useful information inside.

Yet, that was still the only thing Steven and the three others could place their hope on in that moment.

He kept praying in his heart, hoping that his great-grandfather could guide him so that he could also escape from this damned place.

And after that, it was as if his great-grandfather had indeed shown his spirit, or perhaps the Divine Spirit he believed in was finally protecting him for the first time—they encountered no problems along the way.

All dangers seemed to have vanished; they walked amidst the mist without encountering any attacks.

But no one let down their guard; the tragic state of their companions was still vivid in their minds.

And they walked like this for a whole day.

Steven and his group entered a special state, completely giving up thinking, burying their heads and walking fast once they set a target.

It wasn't until they saw the first peculiar place that they stopped in a daze.

They saw a massive lake!

And after seeing the same trees over and over, this was undoubtedly a huge encouragement!

His companions eagerly approached the lakeside to replenish water and wash, but were firmly stopped by Steven.

As a Ranger, he knew one thing very well—such woodland water sources are surely places where various creatures drink.

Here, even fierce beasts would peacefully coexist with their prey, sharing the water source together.

But at this moment, he didn't see a single creature.

Not a single one!

What did this mean?

It meant this place was extremely dangerous!

Two of the three remaining companions hesitated before reluctantly choosing to believe, but their only female companion didn't heed his warning.

She couldn't care about anything else anymore. After breaking free of Steven's tug, she rushed to the water and plunged in.

...And never returned.

The lake was calm, but that companion showed no sign of reappearing.

Just as Steven thought, they lost another companion.

After waiting for an hour, they chose to leave, bypassing the opposite side along the lake's perimeter.

But what happens after going around the lake?

In theory, they should have realized they took the wrong path upon encountering the first landmark and returned the way they came.

But they didn't; they still walked blindly.

Where were they going?

Nobody knew the answer—they just kept moving forward.

As if there was a voice in their hearts calling to them.

Keep moving forward, don't look back.

And after walking for an unknown amount of time, changes finally appeared around them.

The mist receded a bit.

They excitedly lifted their heads, gazing at the round moon in the sky—a red moon as crimson as blood.

The Misty Mountains itself was already terrifying, and under the red moon, there's absolutely no chance of survival in the Misty Mountains!

But instead of being afraid of the extreme situation they were in, they realized something even more terrifying.

They hadn't been in the mist for two days, but an entire week!

And at the moment they realized the time lapse, the three suddenly felt an incredible hunger, along with an unusual sense of fullness.

One of them kneeled on the ground and began violently vomiting, throwing up all the food eaten during this time.

Completely undigested bread, hard strips of leather, a metal pocket watch... and two human fingers.

And after vomiting all this, the person stared at the two fingers, as if suddenly thought of something terrible, letting out a piercing scream.

Then he died of fright.

The team... was left with only two people.

Perhaps having become numb to everything that happened, neither Steven nor his companion showed any emotion over the death.

After a look at each other, they continued to walk silently forward.

They tread under the light of the blood moon, feeling the greedy gazes watching them from the darkness.

Yet, for some reason, the presences in the shadows only gazed at them coldly, without daring to step before them.

Watching them until they arrived at a majestic and ancient Divine Hall.

The memory cut off here.

When Steven came to his senses again, he was standing outside the Divine Hall holding a large package.

And the last remaining companion... had been beheaded and dismembered, turned into an offering on the altar.

Who did this?

Steven looked at his own injuries and stopped thinking further.

But just as he was about to continue walking, the package in his arms trembled.

In that moment, Steven became entirely alert.

Recalling all that had happened during this time, the fear in his heart nearly overwhelmed him, almost making him collapse to the ground.

What on earth happened here?

But before Steven had time to think, his body moved on its own... and started to run!

He didn't know why he was running nor where he was heading, but he ran madly on.

And after running for who knows how long...

Finally, he saw his destination.

Amidst the thick mist, under the blood moon, he saw a Pure Land incompatible with the surrounding environment.

In the cold forest, there appeared a piece of land scorched by flames.

And in the center of the scorched earth, a stake stained with golden blood was embedded in the ground, emitting a golden glow, silently dispelling the darkness and mist.

What is that!!?

Steven wasn't sure whether everything in front of him was an illusion, a true miracle, or a divine sign from the Divine Spirit.

What kind of power could create a Pure Land in this life-forbidden zone?

Steven didn't know, but he knew this was probably his only chance of survival.

Driven purely by instinct, he rushed in recklessly.

And just as he stepped into the glow, he felt the package in his arms tremble for the second time!

At the same time, he seemed to hear a crisp sound.

The sound seemed like... something was breaking out of a shell.

Crack.

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