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They also understood why Tianshu Palace hadn't disclosed anything beforehand—not all cultivators believed Redwood Continent should be restored. Some enjoyed the distorted environmental divisions of power within the Scarlet Rock Forest, reveling in it and unwilling to see it restored.

If Tianshu Palace had openly ordered those entering the Redbone River to leave back then, those people would likely have assumed Tianshu Palace wanted to monopolize the dragon's treasure. They wouldn’t have obeyed and might have even attacked outright. With Tianshu Palace’s influence limited to the Verdant Heights, unable to provide assistance here, it made sense for Leng Yi’s group to act independently and keep things under wraps.

Though they were indeed caught up innocently, there was nothing they could do but accept it. Besides, the Netherworld wasn’t so bad—far better than the Scarlet Rock Forest, where red rain fell everywhere.

At this moment, Ning Yuzhou suddenly asked, "What is the connection between Redwood Continent and the Netherworld? Why can a dragon transform directly into a Fallen Dragon after death?"

The question was sharp, causing Leng Zuo’s heart rate to grow slightly erratic, nearly breaking out in a cold sweat.

This guy’s sharp as a tack.

"Your pulse is a bit fast—Brother Ning must have hit the mark," Wen Tuti pointed out.

Leng Zuo: "..."

Sweating, Leng Zuo could only say, "Honestly, I don’t know much. I’ve heard that in the past, there was a spatial tunnel between Redwood Continent and the Netherworld, linking the two realms. But it has long since disappeared."

Ning Yuzhou gave a noncommittal hum. "Then how can the Fallen Dragon save Redwood Continent?"

Leng Zuo replied, "I don’t know that. If you want answers, you’ll have to ask the Fallen Dragon directly."

"Really don’t know?" Wen Tuti tilted her head, watching him. "Your pulse is unsteady again—you must be holding something back."

Leng Zuo almost wanted to call her "little menace." A Yuanchuang Stage cultivator’s perception is terrifying. Reluctantly, he admitted, "It’s related to the Red Lotus Karmic Fire. It’s said the Red Lotus Karmic Fire can burn away all sin in the world, and the red rain is a manifestation of sin. We intend to use the fire to purge it completely."

After speaking, he glanced nervously at Ning Yuzhou, worried the answer wouldn’t satisfy him.

Fortunately, Ning Yuzhou neither approved nor disapproved. After a moment of contemplation, he asked, "Before you came here, did you already mentally prepare for no return?"

What?!

Wu Xiongan and the others were stunned. Were they truly doomed to be trapped in the Netherworld?

Leng Zuo remained composed. "Yes. Just as when we decided to enter the Scarlet Rock Forest, we never expected to return alive." He then smiled, as if to reassure the tense Wu Xiongan and the others. "Besides, the Netherworld isn’t so bad. Human Cultivators can live here just fine."

He turned his gaze toward where Leng Yi was, his eyes dimming slightly. "You already know about Miss Wen’s situation. She sacrificed her life to successfully open the spatial tunnel, and her primordial soul is collapsing... If she stays in the Netherworld, there might still be a shred of hope for her."

Redwood Continent chose to sacrifice her, but they were willing to fight for that shred of hope on her behalf.

"That’s impossible," Ning Yuzhou said, his tone coldly rational. "She has no chance of becoming a Ghost Cultivator."

Leng Zuo fell silent.

He’d known this truth all along. But his Young Master refused to accept it, clinging to that faint hope.

His gaze involuntarily drifted toward the abyss below—home to the Red Lotus Karmic Fire, and where Redwood Continent’s hope lay.

At this moment, Ning Yuzhou grasped Wen Qiao’s hand. "Chui, let’s go down."

Wen Qiao smiled at him and squeezed his hand tightly.

The others stared in shock, especially Leng Zuo. He had mentally prepared himself to be grilled until he forgot his own name, only for Ning Yuzhou to abruptly decide to leave. It left him oddly disoriented.

"Y-you’re not going to ask anything else?"

"There’s nothing left to ask," Ning Yuzhou said. "I already know what I need to. If there’s anything else, I can just ask the Fallen Dragon directly."

Now that’s confidence!

Leng Zuo thought to himself, this young man was sharp-minded and scarily observant. Though his cultivation wasn't high, if he went all out, even someone at the Yuanchuang stage wouldn't be able to withstand it. Just look at Wu Xiongan, that big guy at the Yuanchuang stage, who was wrapped around his finger—it might look pathetic, but it also spoke volumes about this person's methods.

But no matter how capable he was, he was still just a mortal. How could he possibly go toe-to-toe with a dragon?

Before Leng Zuo could figure it out, he saw Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao preparing to descend.

Wen Tutu and the others stood at the edge of the pit, calling out, "Brother Ning, sister, you must be careful. If anything seems wrong, bail right away."

Hide? Where could they hide?

Before Leng Zuo could ponder, Wen Tutu reached out and pulled him forward. "When you went down earlier, aside from the Red Lotus Karmic Fire, did you spot anything else?"

Leng Zuo didn’t conceal anything. "The terrain below is quite complex. Aside from the ever-present gray mist, there are also some specters and fiends that feed on firestones. They have brute strength, but otherwise, there’s nothing much else."

Ning Yuzhou thanked him, then turned to Wen Tutu and the others. "Stay put and keep safe."

"Brother Ning, little sister Qiao, be careful," Shi Wuming said.

Wen Qiao suddenly asked, "Do you want to come down with us?"

Shi Wuming: "...I-I'd just be dead weight. It's better if I don’t drag you down." He tactfully declined, quickly stepping aside, afraid they might actually pull him along.

Wen Tutu and the others side-eyed him hard. With such a formidable physique, yet he lived like a total deadbeat—what a shame.

No matter how much they scorned him, Shi Wuming firmly refused to go down.

Finally, Wen Tutu took Wen Guangun, who had been hitching a ride on her head, and placed it on Wen Qiao’s shoulder, instructing, "Wen Guangun, you better keep sis and the others safe."

Wen Guangun: "..." Did it have to go too?

Wen Tutu affirmed, "Your defensive abilities are the strongest. How can you not go?"

In the end, Wen Qiao and the others took Wen Guangun with them, sword-surfing down into the deep pit.

The gray mist rushed toward them.

The mist here was even denser than outside, as if all the gray mist on the island had gathered in this place. It carried some bad juju, just as they had sensed when they first arrived on the island.