A dense fog envelops the deep valley.

Mists swirl around the towering cliffs.

On the mountain top, there stands a row of architectural structures, exquisite and luxurious, lined up one after another, with an ancient charm. Their appearance resembles temples, built in a style seemingly impossible in such a remote place, easily leading one to think of an Immortal Mansion.

"The Four Souls Jade Fragment is inside, but the one using it…"

Stepping down from the back of the Death Soul Worm, Kikyo frowned as she sensed the aura of the jade fragments within the mountain-constructed buildings, quickly pinpointing their exact location. However, she was puzzled as she couldn't identify what was using the fragments.

"Is it a demon? It seems human, but definitely not like an immortal."

As they prepared to ascend, the fruits on the Human-faced Fruit Tree suddenly spoke. Retaining the memories of their previous lives, they were even more tormented and unable to find peace, suffering even after death.

The witch exchanged a few words with them, learning that they were victims of the Human-faced Fruit. In life, they were poor people fleeing war and famine, lured by tales of a utopian Peach Blossom Spring inhabited by immortals who possessed the secret of eternal life, seeking to escape the chaos of the world.

What they didn't expect was that they had merely escaped one peril to fall into another, as the immortals here had no intention of teaching them immortal techniques, instead treating them as livestock... Some were directly consumed by the immortals, and others were used to feed the Human-faced Fruit Tree, all in all, a tale of despair.

Kikyo wasn't sure what exactly was going on, suspecting it might not be immortals at all, but some demon occupying this place, devouring people under the guise of immortals.

Yet, after climbing the mountain, she found herself uncertain again. Those residing in the mountain buildings were surely not immortals, but the aura emanating was strange... Not exactly lacking demon qi, but the aura was mixed and impure, evidently from multiple weak spirit monsters.

They seemed like transformed weasels or rats, perhaps minions of the mastermind, mostly incapable of speech, their combined essence less than a trace of the half-demon's demon qi beside her.

A glance at Gu Mo stopped her in her tracks. Kikyo realized she might have underestimated him, as the demon blood he inherited could be immensely powerful, though it was unclear which Great Demon's lineage he belonged to. Couldn't recall any that matched her memory.

"No need to fret, let's just go in and ask them..."

Gu Mo suggested with a raised hand. He already knew the truth but refrained from revealing it outright.

Giving him a calm look, the witch had no intention of commenting on such strange tactics. After pondering momentarily, she pointed in a direction: "There's a path over there, let's see if we can gather more information, don't act rashly."

She referred to a staircase carved into the cliff, leading deeper into the mountain, whose interior was unknown.

To investigate, they planned to find other surviving victims or capture some small spirit monsters for questioning. Any additional understanding was valuable… The mastermind seemed still unaware of their arrival, a perfect opportunity.

"Sure, I'll scout ahead."

Gu Mo, after some thought, decided not to change Kikyo's mind. He couldn't reveal his foreknowledge nor the reason for it. Besides, the witch's cautious approach was wise, preparing as much as possible against unknown enemies, avoiding hasty actions.

Descending the stone steps spiraling down the rocky mountain, the inside of the passage was dim, lacking any serene ambiance.

Soon enough, they entered an inner chamber built within the mountain's space, with a square model resembling a sandbox in its center, each side as tall as a person, containing scaled-down roads, rivers, and villages, among other things.

Along the chamber's walls were an assortment of jars and pots, the smaller ones holding green plants, while larger containers were sealed, some with stones pressed on their lids, reminiscent of the pickling jars Gu Mo was familiar with in rural settings.

Uncertain what was being pickled inside, a hint of saline smell lingered in the air.

The witch immediately noticed the bonsai placed at the center and, after confirming there was no danger, quickly approached it, examining the miniature, three-dimensional landscape within.

"What an intriguing spell, seemingly the work of an immortal..."

With a slight frown, Kikyo was puzzled. Her sharp eyes immediately discerned the bonsai-like creation was indeed an extraordinary artifact.

Could it be that an enlightened immortal is truly residing here? Yet, such an entity committing such violent and cruel acts seemed unlikely, even a demon immortal wouldn't do such things... Everything here exuded an air of strangeness.

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