The Peregrine Falcon’s eyes, emitting a ghostly green glow, flickered incessantly, as if it had seen something beyond comprehension, which Xu Ran observed from outside with clarity.

In light of this, Xu Ran felt deeply puzzled and curious.

"Little White, just what exactly did it see?"

Xu Ran placed his porcelain-like tender little hand under his chin and pondered carefully.

Ever since the Peregrine Falcon had that eerie green mist, sprayed out from those mysterious stones, enter its body, its eyes began to gleam with a ghostly green light, as if it had witnessed something extraordinary.

"Could it be that I need to let that green mist into my body as well in order to see things invisible to the naked eye?"

A suspicion formed in Xu Ran’s mind, and he immediately sprung into action.

He swiftly walked to the mysterious stones, inspecting each one meticulously, touching them with his hands, even excavating the ones buried beneath the surface.

Xu Ran had no worries that the bizarre green mist entering his body would cause any harm, as his own Great Success [Innate Saint’s Sacred Body] could withstand any kind of strange occurrences, impervious to all evils. Even if he did not know what the green mist was, he was not the least bit worried about any potential Damage it might inflict on him.

Controlling the Innate Qi, Xu Ran touched all of the ghostly green mist lingering at the valley’s entrance, yet still, the green mist did not appear.

"Could it be that I need to touch a stone that is related to me for it to work?" Xu Ran speculated, after all, the Peregrine Falcon had a similar experience when it encountered a stone with similarities to it, which led to the bizarre occurrence.

Surveying his surroundings, Xu Ran felt a bit helpless, "But at this valley entrance, there aren’t any humanoid stones!"

Does this mean that there’s simply no way for me to see things invisible to the naked eye?

Nevertheless, Xu Ran resolutely refused to resign and stepped into the valley’s entrance.

Soon, the vision before him, like an encroaching coffin, saw its remaining Light consumed bit by bit, the more Xu Ran advanced, the more the Darkness devoured the Light.

After walking merely ten meters, Xu Ran found himself in complete darkness, unable to see his hand in front of his face, only able to hear his own faint heartbeat and breath, with no other sounds present, the space seeming abandoned.

Even within such an environment, Xu Ran did not feel the least bit of panic, for not only did he possess a Great Success [Innate Saint’s Sacred Body], but also the coveted Innate Qi flowing through his veins possessed by all living things.

Innate Qi!

That’s right!

Innate Qi!

Instantaneously, a fleeting spark of insight flashed in his mind, as if all fog in his brain was cleared away, and the previously pitch-black space seemed to emit a glimmer of Light from afar.

This narrow bright ray stood out starkly in the utterly dark space.

What is known at present is this mysterious valley, and the stones and mist within that bear no hostility toward them. In fact, the mist seemed conscious, guiding them here intentionally.

Why though?

Even though the valley entrance had a stone similar to that of the Peregrine Falcon’s ancestor, its entry made sense, but no human stones were present here, rendering Xu Ran’s [Innate Saint’s Sacred Body] irrelevant.

The mist could easily have separated Xu Ran and the Peregrine Falcon, hence the sheer limitless Innate Qi within his body was the sole explanation for all these occurrences.

In that moment.

A faint golden glow flickered in Xu Ran’s eyes, bright on their own, as strands of Innate Qi converged toward his gaze.

Instantly, the entire valley lit as if the Sun rose on the horizon, a blinding brightness blocked the vision of all beings, except for Xu Ran, who stood alone, observing ahead with utmost composure, unfazed by the radiant Light.

Once his eyes brimmed with the Innate Qi, the world Xu Ran beheld underwent an earth-shattering transformation.

In front.

He spotted a mirror exuding a pure white Light, enveloped by endless Innate Qi at its periphery, its aura sacred beyond measure, like the gateway to heaven.

"Screech!"

As Xu Ran moved to touch the bizarre mirror, a piercing cry rang behind him, causing him to turn around, only to find it was the fully ordinary Peregrine Falcon flying toward him.

The Peregrine Falcon, seeing its master Xu Ran in this place, brimmed with excitement, nuzzling its small frame against him, conveying, "Master, you came too!"

Xu Ran brushed over the Falcon’s feathers with his tender, porcelain-like hand, a soothing sensation swept over the Falcon entirely.

"Let’s go in together and see what this place holds!"

As Xu Ran spoke, his eyes, already glowing with golden Light, focused intensely, full of curiosity and anticipation.

What extraordinary mysteries awaited in such an eerie place accessible only through Innate Qi?

Feeling his master’s real presence, the Falcon’s previous anxiety evaporated. Initially, upon vaguely seeing the sights behind the mirror, it felt an urge to explore.

But, worried that Xu Ran wouldn’t enter, it had waited outside, waiting until he arrived, indeed.

Together they reached the white mirror ahead of them.

The moment they touched the mirror, ripples spread from its center.

Circle.

Circle.

Circle.

...

The ripples in Xu Ran and the Peregrine Falcon’s vision morphed into a kaleidoscope, mesmerizing their sight, everything becoming increasingly surreal until they fell into unconsciousness.

Back at the valley entrance, Xu Ran and the Peregrine Falcon’s bodies turned nebulous, a small vortex formed at their heads, engulfing their entire form until complete disappearance ensued.

When consciousness returned to Xu Ran and the Peregrine Falcon, their blurred vision took in the scenery beyond the mirror.

There they saw.

A massive corpse sprawled across the distance.

This corpse, akin to a colossal dragon, stretched for thousands of meters, resembling an ancient mountain range lying inert upon the earth, an aura of archaic passage seemed to flow over its undulating form, with decaying scents permeating the atmosphere.

Though the corpse hadn’t fully decomposed, its scales still glistened like giant millstones, incessantly emitting an eerie chill as if from the Netherworld itself, freezing the soul, slowing thoughts.

The body, though intact, had its massive head seemingly sprayed with something, rendering all flesh vanished, leaving only an enormous skull behind, white as jade, resembling the White Jade Giant Bone Xu Binghu previously brought back.

Yet, Xu Binghu’s White Jade Giant Bone seemed like a mere speck compared to this skull, as insignificant as a grain before the grandeur of the sun and moon.

This corpse was unmistakably deceased beyond resuscitation.

Yet, at first sight of this corpse, Xu Ran’s body began to tremble uncontrollably, each muscle twitching involuntarily under the pressure of its aura, as if his soul were gripped by icy hands, on the brink of collapse.

Every breath he took felt like icy needles piercing his nostrils and throat, large beads of sweat rolling down his forehead.

Under the dual suppression of body and soul, Xu Ran’s legs felt nailed to the ground, immobile, any ordinary person could easily snuff out his life at this moment.

Unconsciously, the Innate Qi that once enveloped Xu Ran’s eyes vanished and his perpetually trembling pupils locked onto the massive corpse, filled with awe.