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After a brief rest, the group of cultivators quickly stood up.

They thanked Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou while inquiring about their plans.

"First, we should find a safe spot to rest and recover."

Everyone glanced at the girl carried by Ning Jichen, assuming she was their companion. She was barely alive—weak and on the verge of death.

They offered, "If you don’t mind, why not travel together?"

"Exactly. We’re in unfamiliar territory, and since we’re all from the same place, it’s better to stick together for now."

Ning Yuzhou did not object.

Without delay, the group hurriedly left the scene.

After traveling some distance, they encountered another swarm of ghostly creatures. Quick as monkeys, they leaped from the ground and trees, screeching loudly.

Wen Qiao once again condensed spiritual energy arrows, loosing multiple arrows in rapid succession, each striking a ghostly creature with precision, pinning them to the ground.

Within moments, she had slain a large number of the creatures, taking the heat off the others.

After eliminating the swarm, the group couldn’t help but look at Wen Qiao in astonishment.

Despite her modest cultivation level, her lethality surpassed even that of cultivators at the Yuanzong stage. They also noticed something peculiar—the great bow in her hands was a spiritual artifact of extreme yang attributes, a natural counter to these evil creatures.

Similarly, the golden shield in Ning Yuzhou’s possession earned envious looks.

Normally, even the most disciplined would be tempted upon seeing such artifacts, let alone cultivators from the Scarlet Rock Forest, where survival meant stealing and fighting.

However, finding themselves in an unfamiliar place, no one dared make a move before understanding their surroundings.

Those who survived the Scarlet Rock Forest were rarely foolish—they knew better than to push their luck.

Wen Qiao’s displayed strength alone made it clear she was not someone to mess with, and Ning Yuzhou, who appeared kind-hearted yet dealt in poisons, was even more inscrutable. Among the Scarlet Rock Forest’s inhabitants, one rule was absolute: never provoke poison masters.

So the group stayed cooperative and kept their intentions honest.

Ning Yuzhou shot them an unreadable look and said, "This area likely belongs to these ghostly creatures. Let’s keep moving forward."

Wen Qiao took the lead, with Ning Yuzhou and Ning Jichen right behind her.

The others quickly followed suit.

Along the way, some cultivators who had been severely injured and poisoned by the creatures finally collapsed, their faces turning sickly green.

Ning Yuzhou turned back to examine them, giving each one an antidote pill and channeling spiritual energy to hasten the effects. Their darkened complexions visibly faded.

Though still pale and weak, they were no longer in mortal danger.

The group buzzed with murmurs, staring at Ning Yuzhou with shock and excitement.

Ning Yuzhou explained, "I’ve studied toxins extensively. Earlier, I analyzed the poison in these creatures’ blood and found it isn’t particularly potent—antidote pills suffice."

"But Young Master Ning, antidote pills didn’t seem to work before," a simple-looking cultivator stammered. "They had already taken some earlier."

Ning Yuzhou smiled faintly. "I know. My antidote pills aren’t like yours."

In other words, only the antidote pills he personally crafted could neutralize the creatures’ poison—theirs were ineffective.

Realizing this, all the cultivators present wanted to purchase some antidotes from him. However, Ning Yuzhou didn’t rush to agree, merely saying, "Let’s find a place to get the lay of the land first."

Everyone complied, and unconsciously, they began to regard Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao as their unofficial leaders—even the Yuanzong stage cultivator among them fell in line.

Ning Jichen, carrying Wen Yi on his back, silently watched his son and daughter-in-law, feeling deeply gratified.

His son hadn’t changed, but the methods he displayed were more than most could handle. Moreover, this group hadn’t even realized they’d walked right into his trap, playing right into his hands.

The cooperation between the two was smooth. Wen Qiao used brute force to intimidate, while Ning Yuzhou outsmarted them—first subduing them, then winning them over, pulling it off without a hitch.

As a father, Ning Jichen was thrilled, no longer worried about his son and daughter-in-law being bullied.

As Ning Yuzhou had said, this forest was indeed the territory of those ghosts. Along the way, they encountered one horde after another. Fortunately, with Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao present—one responsible for slaying the ghosts, the other providing antidotes—anyone poisoned by the ghosts was quickly patched up.

Of the twenty or so people, two-thirds had been rescued by Ning Yuzhou.

Owing them their lives naturally demanded repayment, and the group was deeply grateful.

Thanks to Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao, they managed to leave the forest without any casualties, all escaping the ghosts' territory safely.

By now, the group was utterly convinced and wholeheartedly followed Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou.

Compared to the debt of saving their lives, the assurance of their safety was even more persuasive. Becoming their subordinates was nothing in return.

Beyond the forest lay twisted, nightmare-like mountains, eerily unsettling.

The cultivators from the Red Rock Forest glanced at Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao, clearly deferring to their leadership and awaiting their instructions.

Ning Yuzhou said, "Let’s find a secluded place to rest first."

They discovered a valley near the foot of the mountain.

Inside the valley was a gorge—narrow at the entrance but spacious inside, though chillingly cold, much like the pervasive gloom of this world.

Ning Yuzhou led them inside, allowing them to rest while he took out an array disk and set it up around the area.

The array disk glowed with spiritual light, concealing the gorge and masking the cultivators' auras.

The cultivators stared at the array disk, realizing it was actually a heaven-tier array disk, and their hearts skipped another beat.