Within moments, the explorers were surrounded by desiccated corpses crawling out from the ground. Each of the corpses exuded a thick, black aura, radiating such extreme malice that it was utterly nauseating.

Xu Wei's mercenaries felt their legs go weak, instantly regretting their decision to come here. Although they lived dangerous lives, accustomed to hails of gunfire, they had never experienced such a terrifying scene that defied all logic.

"Everyone, group up! Don't scatter!"

"Brothers, suppressive fire!"

Xu Wei, however, remained calm amidst the chaos. He took the lead, raising his rifle and opening fire. The desolate, barren land was instantly filled with the roar of gunshots.

Amidst the crowd, a sharp light glinted in Luo Xiu's sole remaining eye as he secretly commanded the corpses to pounce on Xia Chan. Seizing the opportunity in the ensuing chaos, he led Dou Dou and Chi Sha away from the group.

Under his control, the corpses howled and charged at Xia Chan's party from all directions like frenzied beasts. These desiccated husks were merely dead matter, temporarily possessed by Wandering Spirits, so they couldn't truly be killed. Even when blasted into a pile of shattered bones, they continued to twitch on the ground, attacking relentlessly. They were disgustingly tenacious.

As for Xu Wei and Zhanghai, Luo Xiu naturally gave them special treatment, holding the corpses back from landing any fatal blows.

His primary target was Xia Chan.

***

In the ruins of a dilapidated building, Luo Xiu ran swiftly until he reached a palace, where he finally stopped.

"We should have shaken them off by now, right?" he asked, panting as he leaned against the base of a pillar.

Dou Dou nodded seriously. "Of course we did!"

Chi Sha remarked, "No wonder so many aggressive corpses suddenly appeared. So it really was your doing."

Luo Xiu said, "Even if I hadn't intervened, those Wandering Spirits would have attacked people anyway. Xu Wei's ordinary mercenaries would have stood no chance against them. By controlling the spirits, I've actually saved them from a life-threatening situation."

"What are your plans?" Chi Sha asked.

Luo Xiu sighed. "I plan to find what I'm looking for first, then stay here to refine all the Wandering Spirits for Luo Ying to absorb."

Chi Sha glanced at the crumbling walls of the great hall. "I just released my Divine Sense to scout the area. This Secret Realm is vast. Do you even know where to find what you're looking for?"

Luo Xiu said nothing, simply standing up and walking deeper into the grand hall. With Lin Tong as a living navigator, he had never been worried about finding what he sought.

***

The scale of this palace was immense. Even in its current state of disrepair, it still exuded a majestic grandeur. Luo Xiu walked a lap around the hall, his gaze finally settling on a circular stone platform at the front. This is most likely the King of Law's palace, he thought.

A ring-shaped impression was visible on the stone platform, a clear sign that something heavy had once rested there.

"Big Brother," Lin Tong's voice echoed in Luo Xiu's mind, "that round platform must be where the stone statue was placed."

Luo Xiu nodded slightly, recalling the statue he had shattered at the Qian Family's estate in the Capital City.

"There are cigarette butts on the ground and traces of a campfire. This means another group has been here. They're likely the ones who took the statue." Luo Xiu observed every clue, then walked to the side and picked up the packaging from a compressed biscuit. After checking the production date, he added, "This group probably came through here seven or eight years ago."

At that moment, Chi Sha spoke up. "Finding the Land of Lawlessness and getting inside probably isn't too difficult, considering even a good-for-nothing like Master Zheng could uncover some clues." Then she added, "The real challenge is finding the exact location of the King of Law's Tomb."

Luo Xiu turned and walked out of the palace. "The King of Law certainly wouldn't have built his tomb in a city inhabited by his subjects."

"..."

After leaving the King of Law's palace, Luo Xiu stepped back into the vast ruins. The collapsed and dilapidated buildings were a testament to the prosperity that must have reigned here long ago. Now, the place was filled with nothing but an endless, deathly silence and the countless bones buried beneath the rubble.

Luo Xiu discovered that the Spiritual Energy in the Land of Lawlessness had also mutated. It was no longer pure, but had instead merged with death energy, forming a special type of energy that Martial Artists could not absorb.

However, for Luo Xiu, a practitioner of Necromancy, this place was a perfect, heaven-sent training ground.

Beyond the ruins lay another boundless, desolate wasteland. However, this area was much more complex than the land he had first crossed. In the distance, he could see undulating hills and a myriad of ravines. The landscape was desolate, yet majestic.

As he walked, Luo Xiu suddenly stopped and turned to look at Dou Dou, who was trailing behind him. She held a bag of potato chips, her cheeks puffed out and her mouth greasy. She met Luo Xiu's gaze with curiosity. "Why are you looking at Dou Dou?"

"You can fly, right?" Luo Xiu asked.

Dou Dou waved her little fists. "Of course! Anyone who reaches the Mahayana Realm can fly."

Luo Xiu smiled. "Then could you please carry me? I'm too lazy to walk, and it's taking too much time."

Dou Dou agreed readily, but Lin Tong was rendered speechless. "Big Brother, you're absurdly strong. You should be able to fly, too."

Luo Xiu felt a bit embarrassed. "I actually don't know how."

My master was probably afraid that if I learned to fly, I'd leave Ghost Valley Mountain and cause trouble everywhere, he mused. That must be why he never taught me.

Afterward, Dou Dou jumped onto Luo Xiu's back, clinging to him like a little tree frog. She wrapped her arms under his and carried him into the air, flying toward the vast expanse ahead. Chi Sha followed unhurriedly behind them.

"So... Dou Dou, what exactly is this Mahayana Realm you mentioned?" Luo Xiu asked as they flew.

Dou Dou thought carefully before patiently explaining, "Hmm... After you reach the Gathering Spirit Realm, you have Spiritual Energy in your body. When you form an inner core, you've reached the Core Formation Realm.

"After the Core Formation Realm, as your Spiritual Energy grows denser, your Divine Sense merges with your inner core, which then transforms into a Nascent Soul. That's the Nascent Soul Realm.

"After Nascent Soul is Purifying Void.

"And after Purifying Void is Mahayana."

Luo Xiu was surprised. "It sounds like the Mahayana Realm is a very high level."

Dou Dou rolled her eyes. "Of course it is! Because above Mahayana, you can become an immortal. You're known as an Earth Immortal! People born and raised on Earth who cultivate to become immortals are called Earth Immortals. That's what my junior sister told me."

"Have you ever seen an Earth Immortal?" Luo Xiu asked.

"Dou Dou sure has! Chen Shuisheng, let me tell you, Earth Immortal experts are incredibly powerful! Dou Dou's dream is to become an Earth Immortal. Then I'll be invincible, eat whatever delicious food I want, and not even Empress Sister could boss Dou Dou around."

Luo Xiu smiled. "Then do you think there are any realms higher than an Earth Immortal?"

"Dou Dou doesn't know about that."

"..."

During their conversation, Dou Dou had already flown Luo Xiu to their destination. After landing, Luo Xiu scouted the surrounding area again before asking Lin Tong in his mind, "Are you sure this is the place?"

"Certain. That familiar aura is coming from beneath the ground right here."

"Also, Big Brother, I just realized something."

"What is it?"

"I was just thinking back carefully," Lin Tong said, "and I realized the terrain here is exactly the same as Burial Spirit Mountain in the Spirit Realm." He paused for a moment before continuing, "If I'm not mistaken, this entire Land of Lawlessness is actually a fragment of land that broke off from the Spirit Realm after it was shattered."

"To put it simply, this place *is* the Spirit Realm!"

"..."

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