A few days later.
Hour of Rooster. (03:00 PM – 04:00 PM)
Aksai found himself standing in a lush green valley, its serene beauty sharply contrasted by the thick white fog that swirled like ghostly tendrils in every direction.
The fog was so dense that even sunlight struggled to penetrate through, casting the entire landscape in a dull, eerie light. The air was cold and carried an unsettling sense of isolation.
The fog would act lifeless for a period of time. It would then move in waves, like an endless tide of beasts, drifting aimlessly across the region, its thickness limiting Aksai’s vision to barely 10 meters ahead.
Despite the quiet, wild atmosphere, Aksai knew better. This wasn’t some natural fog; it was the product of an intricate 2nd Order Array Formation, one dangerously close to advancing into a 3rd Order Formation.
In fact, Aksai would consider it a pseudo-3rd Order Formation—a complex mechanism designed to confuse and ensnare any outsider foolish enough to stumble into it. The formation was silent but deadly.
If you didn’t know how to navigate through it, you’d be trapped, walking in circles forever, or worse, falling prey to the deadly traps lying in wait.
Aksai took a breath, focusing on what he had learned from the bald elder’s memories. He could almost feel the oppressive aura of the array pressing against him, testing his resolve.
There was only one safe route through the valley. The rest of the terrain was a minefield of traps, each designed to ensnare, torture, or instantly kill intruders—specially crafted killing formations for late-stage Foundation Building experts.
It had to be noted that Aksai was only the initial-stage Foundation Building Expert. The normal means of defense available at his disposal wouldn’t work if some trap gets triggered.
Stepping off the safe path would mean certain death, but Aksai wasn’t worried. After all, he hadn’t come unprepared.
The bald elder’s memories were crystal clear in his mind, and Aksai had already mapped out the safe passage. He adjusted his cloak, making sure the slight ripple of spirit energy around him remained controlled.
“This fog really does the job,” he muttered to himself with a small smirk. “No wonder only someone on the level of a Core Formation Lord would dare to barge in here.”
Aksai remembered Haitin’s words about how the Haan Di Lord had barged into the place boldly and entered the mysterious location. He might have triggered all the traps and still managed to get inside.
Aksai wasn’t sure if he should commend the Array Formation geniuses who laid this formation or praise the Haan Di Lord for his adventurous spirit as well as his capabilities as a Core Formation Lord.
However, Aksai could tell that it couldn’t have been easy for the Haan Di Lord to barge into the place. The fact that he didn’t send anyone else from Haan Di here made Aksai realize that a brute force entry into place by the late-stage Foundation Building Experts was almost impossible. Even the Core Formation Lords would face difficulties.
This array wasn’t just any formation; it was a joint effort between three major demonic sects, an impressive collaboration that protected whatever core secret lay at the heart of this valley. It was no joke, but Aksai had his edge. As long as he stuck to the safe path, he’d be fine.
He moved forward, his steps cautious but steady. The fog swirled aggressively, almost as if it sensed his intrusion, but Aksai’s mind remained focused. Every few meters, he paused, mentally cross-referencing his current location with the memory from the bald elder. So far, so good.
“Easy does it,” he muttered. “Left here, right after that boulder, then straight ahead for about 50 steps.”
The eerie silence in the valley was occasionally broken by the sound of shifting rocks or sudden gusts of wind that made the fog twist in unnatural patterns. Aksai paid no attention to it, knowing the real danger lay not in what he could see, but in what he couldn’t.
At one point, he noticed a subtle change in the air around him—an increase in pressure, like invisible hands trying to push him off balance. A trap, undoubtedly.
He paused, double-checking his route in his mind. It was a proximity-based trigger, designed to activate if someone lingered too long in a specific spot.
“Almost had me second-guessing,” Aksai chuckled softly and quickened his pace, dodging the invisible threshold just in time.
Soon, the fog seemed to grow thicker, almost tangible, as if trying to grab hold of him. Aksai narrowed his eyes and concentrated, feeding a controlled amount of Spirit essence into his feet, lightening his steps.
The safe route had gotten narrower, and any misstep now would mean triggering a deadly trap or becoming lost in the array’s endless maze.
Minutes felt like hours as he continued his careful advance, but finally, the fog began to thin out slightly. Aksai could make out a faint glow up ahead—the core of the formation.
As soon as Aksai stepped out of the thick fog, he felt like he had entered the core area of the valley. It was an open space, surrounded by the same dense mist, but clearer in the center.
Up ahead, a plateau rose from the ground, and around its base were over a hundred tents. Each tent flew one of three distinct flags, representing the major demonic sects: the Black Blood Demon Sect, the Frostbound Sect, and the Mroot Yaksha Sect. This was clearly a shared stronghold, a hub for the sect elders stationed here.
Aksai’s eyes swept across the camp. He could feel the presence of powerful cultivators—Foundation Building experts, like himself. A few were probably stronger. He mentally prepared himself for whatever was to come.
“A newcomer? Hold on!”
Two sentries spotted him as soon as he entered the area. They moved towards him with the steady confidence of guards who had little to fear. Both of them had the aura of initial-stage Foundation Building cultivators, much like Aksai.
‘A Foundation Building Expert like me can only act as a mere security guard here?’
Aksai had metaphorical black lines on his forehead as soon as he faced the sentries.