In the gray-white sky, cracked layer by layer, thunder roared constantly, and occasionally lightning descended from the clouds, striking the mountains and the earth.

The land was covered with cracks, showing no signs of life.

The air was filled with a dense aura of death.

Strange, chaotic forces clashed in this hostile environment.

In the stormy sky, flashes of a golden, radiant sun or a star-strewn night sky appeared intermittently.

These unusual celestial phenomena appeared with no pattern.

Baiyu gave up on using spirituality to probe his surroundings; once he extended his spirituality, he felt as though his spirit was being lashed by a whip, with danger all around.

Unable to probe with spirituality.

The environment here was far harsher than he had imagined.

Loloya and the others clearly noticed this issue too.

"These unusual celestial phenomena are all related to the Divine Spirit. There must have been Divine Power released here previously, leaving traces of Their presence on this land," Ali said solemnly.

Related to the Divine Spirit!

This meant that the situation here could not be explained by common sense, and the dangers caused by Divine Power could be bizarre enough to be undetectable and irresistible.

Just like the Hidden Power left by Velvet before, completely undetectable and irresistible.

"We should explore the surrounding areas first, rather than going deeper. We’re unclear about the dangers here, and should anything strange occur, it could lead to problems."

Baiyu said to the group.

He feared the four might rush ahead, falling into the same trap as before with Velvet. Luckily, Velvet had no malice, and only a trace of Divine Thought lingered in its power; otherwise, the five of them would have been entrapped in that isolated secrecy.

The four nodded, showing no intention of pressing forward recklessly.

They also realized that this Spirit Realm entrance differed from others; anything involving the Divine Spirit represented mystery and danger.

At this moment.

With the entrance confirmed safe, Machima performed a magic trick, revealing a chessboard in her hands.

Only, this chessboard was stained with unknown blood, exuding a bizarre aura.

She gently bit open her fingertip, dropping a bead of blood onto a pawn.

Drip.

The blood blossomed on the piece’s surface, deepening its crimson hue, and the piece began to change.

It grew continuously, soon reaching the size of a real soldier, clad in stone armor.

Machima looked at the soldier, "Complete this task, and I’ll release your soul."

The stone soldier hesitated no longer, striding forward to take on the path-clearing role.

"These Endless Chessboards can capture the souls of slain enemies, turning them into pieces and using them to perform various tasks."

Machima briefly explained to Baiyu. The attendants amongst them might not fully understand each other’s Sealing Objects, yet they were familiar enough to recognize its abilities at a glance.

With an undying vanguard leading, the group’s journey of exploration became much more relaxed.

Even if the stone soldier perished, its soul would return to the Endless Chessboard, until its owner willingly released the soul.

The main goal of this exploration was to see if the Spirit Realm’s entrance could be opened, and they had already completed the task.

Continuing the exploration was just to better understand the surroundings, preparing for the next expedition.

If met with uncontrollable danger, the five could retreat instantly.

With the City Lord’s life in doubt and the uncertain future of the city, the lives of many within were tied to theirs.

At this time.

The appearance of a powerful figure in trouble would be a loss to the entire city.

The group advanced in the Spirit Realm, but the surroundings hardly changed, with vast stretches of withered, endless blackness, scorched earth and decaying plants, alongside white bones of various shapes by the roadside.

If it weren’t for the persistent thunder above, with alternating radiant sun and star-strewn skies, Baiyu would have believed he’d arrived in the legendary Abyss.

Such a bizarre environment naturally harbored countless threats.

Like the toxic gas floating over swamps, strange plants absorbing electricity only to release it later, and mutated, extraordinary beasts surviving in this weird setting.

Every creature was more peculiar than the last.

Most possessed strong survival and escape abilities, making capturing one for study quite difficult.

Crack.

As the five reached a rocky wasteland, preparing to explore before returning, darkness suddenly enveloped the sky.

This darkness was deeper than any before.

Baiyu found himself engulfed in darkness, with no sign of recovery.

Boundless darkness surrounded him.

Invisible predators lurked in the depths, eyeing their prey in the consuming Black Night.

Baiyu took a deep breath, as sleepiness incessantly attacked, causing his body and spirit to feel utterly exhausted.

This darkness was problematic; if he fell asleep, extreme danger might ensue... Baiyu warned himself inwardly, focusing intently to resist the urge to sleep.

He didn’t know how much time passed.

The sky grew bright again, thunder echoed, and lightning resembling water snakes repeatedly struck, stimulating Baiyu’s vision.

He surveyed his surroundings, seeing Loloya, Machima, Isabelle, and Ali were unscathed. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.

However.

When he glanced at the stone soldier beside them, his pupils contracted slightly.

The stone soldier lay on charred ground, its blood had seeped into the stone, merging together, leaving only a shallow mark on the surface.

The stone armor over the soldier was pitted and scarred, as if battered by countless ages.

Baiyu took a deep breath, looking at Machima.

The chessboard in her hand was already closed as she saw Baiyu’s gaze sweeping over. She spoke solemnly, "Though I didn’t notice the process, the soul had separated from the Endless Chessboard, dying utterly and unable to connect to the spirit.

I sensed the power of ages in that Black Night!

We must retreat immediately.

When Black Night strikes again, we might not be as fortunate."

Machima’s tone was exceedingly serious.