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Since they landed on the island, they had initially thought they would quickly find the Fallen Dragon. Little did they know that Moon Gazing Island was teeming with dangers far more terrifying than they had imagined. Before they could locate the Fallen Dragon, many Ghost Cultivators had already fallen prey, perishing outright. Only those with substantial cultivation or some luck managed to survive.

These Human Cultivators appeared to be among the capable ones.

Having come this far and endured numerous perils, they were still unwilling to give up on the Fallen Dragon, hoping to take their chances. Naturally, they didn’t wish to engage in meaningless battles with them.

Wen Qiao paid no mind to the vigilance of those Ghost Cultivators and continued pumping Gui Wei for information.

"Why haven’t we seen those Ghost Emperor senior figures?"

Faced with a beautiful lady, Gui Wei was unfailingly patient. He smiled and said, "I don’t know either. After landing on the island, those Ghost Emperors took flight and flew straight toward the island’s depths. I suppose they’ve already found the Fallen Dragon."

The other Ghost Cultivators thought the same. With the strength of Ghost Saints and Ghost Emperors, they would surely locate the Fallen Dragon. They weren’t greedy—just hoping to share in some benefits when the time came.

Wen Qiao remained noncommittal. If they had truly found the Fallen Dragon, Moon Gazing Island wouldn’t be so deathly still.

The ethereal music drifted like a lunar veil brushing against the heart, lulling the senses.

That is, if one ignored the malefic energy laced through the melody—otherwise, Human Cultivators would find it difficult to immerse themselves in it. The Ghost Cultivators, however, all wore rapt expressions.

Soon, more Ghost Cultivators arrived, drawn by the music. Some had been traveling with Gui Wei’s group, reconnoitering the area for information before returning with their findings.

"Young Master Gui, the thunder earlier seemed to come from the northwest—likely caused by those Human Cultivators," one Ghost Cultivator said, his gaze subtly flickering toward Wen Qiao and the others.

Gui Wei didn’t seem surprised. "Quite a few Human Cultivators have landed on the island this time. I’ve heard some wield formidable thunder-control techniques. If you encounter them, think twice—don’t rush into a fight. The Human Cultivators have only just arrived in the Netherworld and haven’t done anything heinous to us, wouldn’t you agree?"

The Ghost Cultivators present looked at him in surprise, puzzled by this sudden defense of Human Cultivators from their usually devil-may-care young master.

Still, Gui Wei’s words held reason. The Human Cultivators truly hadn’t done anything wrong—if anything, it was the Ghost Cultivators who had acted against them.

Only Wen Qiao and her companions understood—Gui Wei was seizing the chance to ingratiate himself, still unwilling to give up on Ning Yuzhou.

Thanks to Gui Wei’s words, the Ghost Cultivators tacitly accepted Wen Qiao’s group, showing no intention of driving them away.

Finally, the ever-present music ceased.

Everyone, Human and Ghost Cultivators alike, turned their attention to Miss An as she stood, holding her Ebony Feather Zither.

Gui Wei eagerly asked, "Miss An, how did it go?"

Miss An’s expression was frosty, her voice crisp and aloof. "The Shadow Eaters have mostly been dispelled. You may proceed now. Let’s go."

With that, she took point—clearly a woman who preferred not to rely on men.

All the Ghost Cultivators followed, while Wen Qiao’s group maintained some distance.

The gray mist in this area had been particularly dense. Thanks to Miss An’s Soul-Repelling Melody, not only had the mist thinned, but the baleful energy within it had also dissipated. The Shadow Eaters that fed on this malevolence had naturally been driven away.

Only after they passed through the thick mist did they glance back, catching glimpses of wraithlike shadows within the fog.

These Shadow Eaters weren’t particularly powerful, posing limited threat to cultivators. Even direct contact would only cause transient vertigo—hardly worth taking precautions against. Thus, Miss An paid them no further mind.

Once past the mist, the Ghost Cultivators forged ahead.

Wen Qiao and her companions, however, stopped. Instead of following, they turned toward the northwest—the direction the young Kirin had indicated.

The Ghost Cultivators ahead were nonplussed when they noticed the Human Cultivators weren’t joining them. Earlier, seeing them wait specifically for Miss An to dispel the Shadow Eaters, they had assumed these Human Cultivators intended to trail behind and mooch off their efforts.

Gui Wei, still set on poaching Ning Yuzhou the alchemist, approached and asked, "Master Ning, Miss Wen, won’t you come with us?"

Ning Yuzhou smiled slightly, "Let's not. Our paths diverge—no need to force cooperation."

Gui Wei was somewhat disappointed but didn't press the matter, saying, "I hope you all take care." Such a skilled alchemist—what a pity it would be if he died on Wangyue Island.

Ning Yuzhou was well aware of what this rakish ghost noble meant but merely chuckled, taking Wen Qiao's hand as they headed northwest.

The northwest direction was where the thunder had sounded earlier. Ghost Cultivators feared celestial thunder and had no intention of going that way.

After walking for a while, they saw a massive canyon ahead. Above it was a razor-thin sliver of sky, making the gorge exceptionally dark, with a palpable chill seeping from within.

A faint but eerie presence drifted from the canyon, setting everyone's nerves on edge.

"This place..." Wu Xiongan's throat tightened, his voice dry. "It reeks of danger. Should we take another route?"

The group scanned their surroundings—towering cliffs blocked their path, leaving only this valley as the way forward.

"Maybe we should scale the cliffs instead?" Shi Wuming suggested.

After a moment of thought, Ning Yuzhou said to the little qilin, "Xiao Ting, go up and scout the situation."

Xiao Ting responded brightly.

However, making a qilin encased in a puppet's form climb the cliff wasn't ideal. Wen Qiao activated the concealment array in her divine token, masking her presence, then scooped up Xiao Ting and climbed up with it to investigate.

Gripping a protruding rock, Wen Qiao cautiously peered toward the summit.

What she saw made her pupils shrink to pinpricks, her breath catching.

Atop the high ridge stood a massive monster—like a three-headed ghostly bird, or some kind of sinister creature, snake-headed, bird-bodied with bone wings. Its form was covered in what seemed like writhing downy feathers, but upon closer inspection, they weren't feathers at all—they were worms erupting from its very flesh...

In her perception, there wasn't just one such monster—there were several, standing guard like silent watchers.