The blistering heat covering the land slowly cooled down as the sun began to set over the horizon.
The day had passed without much drama, and finally, Damien and Ruyue could see their destination approaching.
In the distance, they could faintly make out the outline of an expansive mountain range whose height reached the clouds, however, its contents were veiled in secrecy.
“It’s just as described in the reports from those who have been in this region,” Ruyue exclaimed in amazement as she gazed upon the majestic sight.
Damien could only nod his head in response, as his thoughts were also transfixed on the sight in front of them.
The outline of the mountain range they could truly see was only the tip of the iceberg, as the entirety of its structure was covered by a massive fog that looked almost ethereal.
It was hazy, yet translucent at the same time. It covered the view of the mountain range like a large wall, preventing outsiders from understanding its contents.
This fog was so notorious that it had received its own name, the myriad illusion veil. Tho e name wasn’t grand for nothing, describing the experience one would have once they entered the dense veil.
It was said that once one traveled far enough into the fog, they would lose their sense of direction, not knowing up from left, or down from straight. And not only that, there were even rumors that one could lose their entire identity to the horrifying yet mysterious fog.
And by the time the sun finally set and night fell on the Central Continent, the duo reached the border of this fog.
Luckily enough, there was a small city on the border, where plenty of mercenaries and cultivators would gather before setting off to test their luck within the 3000 beast mountain range.
“I think we should stay here for the night. Regardless if we know exactly where we’re going, I don’t want to risk getting lost in that fog when visibility is at its lowest.” Damien remarked warily.
“I agree. The fog’s reputation is already bad enough. Though, I don’t think our destination is far enough within for us to experience its true horrors.” Ruyue responded.
Still, the two of them didn’t take any chances and made their way into the city. They had already left the panther beast they used for transport, allowing it to return to its original owner.
It was only accompanying them to take them this far, as it would only be in danger if it continued with them. For their return trip, they already had the talismans that Tian Yang gave them, so it wasn’t necessarily a problem.
Entering the city, the two were immediately able to feel the gloomy atmosphere that encased it. Considering the location, it was only natural.
Many of the cultivators currently residing in the city had already been through the fog, losing their companions on the way. Besides them, there were those who sternly prepared for expeditions. As for the residents of the city, there actually weren’t that many,
It would be crazy for someone to voluntarily become a permanent resident of a city such as this one which always stunk with the aura of death. The only ones that truly made this decision were the owners of the many inns and establishments that made up the city’s area.
These people were fearless in the face of profits.
Anyway, Damien and Ruyue disregarded it all as they entered one of the inns and booked a room.
Being infinitely close to the convention they were about to attend, it became much more important for them to keep up their roles, so they only purchased a single room.
But both of them were adults. Even if they tended to bicker like children whenever they wanted to have fun, this wasn’t the time for such things. Damien took his spot on the floor without saying a word while Ruyue took the bed.
And like that, a peaceful night passed. When the sun once again rose, it was time for them to enter the tiger’s den.
Standing in front of the myriad illusion veil, the duo looked into each other’s eyes as they firmed their resolve. Although they had always been aware of the importance of their mission, it was only settling in now.
They were going to be surrounded by enemies on all sides, with some being far out of the scope of their abilities. If they made one wrong move, they’d be crushed without even knowing how they died.
But it was the life of a cultivator to take risks. And it was their responsibility to acquire good information and make it out safely. For the next 3 months, they would have to be on their highest alert.
Nodding at each other silently, they rushed into the fog.
‘This fog… its reputation is well deserved.’ Damien sighed inwardly as they made their way forward. They had only been running for a few minutes, but he could already feel the range of his awareness slowly decreasing.
What used to be enough to cover an entire mid-sized state became only enough to cover small states, before gradually sinking to the level of a city. It was such a drastic decrease that Damien felt slightly claustrophobic.
He was someone who loved to be in control. And the current feeling he was getting was the complete opposite. The fog was making him wary. He was now feeling much luckier for the escape talismans they had on them.
If he was feeling this uncomfortable with just the outskirts of the fog, he had no desire to find out what it would feel like to go deeper within it, especially if he had to do so while fleeing.
Luckily, he wouldn’t have to deal with it for long as he saw their final destination up ahead.
The location they had marked wasn’t some majorly specific area on the outskirts of the mountain range, as the fog would never permit them to find such a place.
Rather, it was a landmark that could be widely recognized. Tian Yang had gathered a truly concrete amount of information for them to make preparations from.
Since the same problem with the fog would affect everyone, the wicked sects had set up checkpoints along the location where those attending the convention could be guided to the true location.
As they made their way closer, he saw the glorious form of a large river that snaked through the myriad illusion veil, creating a border between the outskirts and the truly dangerous parts of the fog.
The river wasn’t enormously wide, with 3rd class beings able to cross it with a single leap, but its depth couldn’t be underestimated. However, this wasn’t the river’s main attraction.
Rather, it was the blood-red color of the water that gave this river its name and fame.
A river that was rumored to be formed by the blood of countless cultivators that had died within it. A river that used to just be a simple gorge on the outskirts of the 3000 beast mountain range.
“The Bloodstone River,” Damien muttered as he witnessed it with his own eyes.