Chapter 348: Eerie Sounds from the Abyss

“Chizha Abyss”? What kind of place is that?” Li Fan couldn’t help but ask, the name alone hinting at something ominous.

Ji Hongdao turned back, glanced at Li Fan, and smiled. “It’s no use telling you now. You’ll find out when we get there.”

“Although it’s a bit dangerous, there’s no need for you to worry too much.”

“With us old hands around, nothing major will happen.”

Ji Hongdao clearly had great confidence in himself, speaking dismissively.

Since Ji Hongdao had said so, Li Fan naturally couldn’t press further and retreated to the side with Xue Mu.

Not long after, the thin Shangguan Shi, whom Li Fan had met once at the Heavenly Abode, also arrived on board with five other people.

These five individuals were not members of the previous training camp. They wore the standard robes of the Myriad Immortals Alliance, had mature faces, and carried themselves with efficiency.

They seemed to have been on this airship before, as they were very familiar with its structure.

After greeting Ji Hongdao, they walked directly into the cabin.

As they passed Li Fan and Xue Mu, they also nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

Xue Mu, for a moment, didn't recognize who they were and remained frozen in place.

Li Fan, however, greeted them very familiarly.

Once their figures disappeared from view, Xue Mu’s earnest telepathic inquiry reached Li Fan’s ear.

“Fellow Daoist Li Fan, you seem to know them? What are their identities, if I may ask?”

Li Fan quickly shook his head. “I don’t know them. But we’re all members of the Myriad Immortals Alliance, like one big family. It’s normal to just say hello when we meet, isn’t it?”

Xue Mu was speechless, not knowing how to refute him for a moment.

Fortunately, the stout Huangfu Song rescued him from the awkward situation.

“Let’s go, don’t just stand there foolishly. Everyone should be here by now, and we’ll probably depart soon,” Huangfu Song said with a huff, glancing at Li Fan.

Li Fan, acting as if he was deferring to a senior, followed behind Huangfu Song.

Passing through the airship’s corridor, Li Fan noticed that quite a few people had already gathered on board.

It seemed there were not only array masters from the Strategy Array Hall.

The faint aura of grimness and bloodlust emanating from some of the cultivators in certain rooms made Li Fan realize that this mission might not be as easy as Ji Hongdao had suggested.

The two followed Huangfu Song to an unoccupied compartment and sat down.

With a broad smile, Li Fan asked Huangfu Song, “Senior Huangfu, could you perhaps reveal our objective for this mission?”

Huangfu Song eyed Li Fan with a peculiar smile. “So, you finally know fear, kid?”

Li Fan admitted readily, “Of course, a junior like me can’t compare to your courage, Senior. After all, you even dealt with Tantai Tao and the others…”

“Stop! Stop!” Huangfu Song’s expression changed slightly. “Kid, why can’t you go three sentences without mentioning Tantai Tao?”

His eyes narrowed slightly, a dangerous glint flashing as he scrutinized Li Fan.

After a moment, Huangfu Song reined in his killing intent, and a smile reappeared on his face.

“Hmph, it’s fine if I tell you. Dean Ji didn’t tell you simply because it’s a long story and troublesome to explain.”

Huangfu Song casually tapped the table in front of him and took a sip of the spiritual tea that had suddenly appeared, still steaming. Then, with a somewhat solemn expression, he said, “Our destination for this journey is the depths of the white mist.”

“The depths of the white mist?” Li Fan and Xue Mu exchanged glances, a slight surprise in their hearts.

However, they didn’t show it. Imitating Huangfu Song, they lightly tapped the table and drank the steaming hot spiritual tea in one gulp.

They listened patiently as Huangfu Song continued.

“As you know, there’s a white mist barrier spanning heaven and earth that divides each state. Traversing through this white mist consumes lifespan. This can’t be avoided, even when using teleportation arrays.”

“That’s why, even for us cultivators, we prefer not to travel frequently unless absolutely necessary.”

Li Fan nodded slightly in agreement.

“Precisely because of this, our understanding of the white mist is extremely limited.”

“Most people believe that the white mist barrier only exists on the original land, serving as a dividing line.”

“But in reality…”

Huangfu Song let out a dry chuckle. “The white mist is far vaster than we imagine.”

“So, unless you have to, don’t act on a whim and try to cross it with your physical body. Otherwise, you might get lost in the vast white mist, beyond salvation even by a Heavenly Venerate.”

This was the first time Xue Mu had heard of such a thing, and his expression became somewhat tense and grave.

Li Fan thought for a moment and, not being fooled by Huangfu Song, said aloud, “Although the number of cultivators who physically cross the white mist barrier each year isn’t huge, it’s definitely not small.”

“I imagine the vast regions you mentioned, Senior, within the white mist barrier, must be very few.”

“Otherwise, if it were truly as perilous as you described, it would have been discovered long ago.”

Huangfu Song’s words immediately stopped. Exposed by Li Fan, he looked somewhat awkward.

But he quickly retorted with a cold laugh, “Who knows how many cultivators who ventured into the white mist and never returned held the exact same idea as you.”

“If you’re not afraid to die, feel free to try it boldly.”

“Some places appear to be just a stone’s throw away but are like an impassable chasm, impossible to traverse. We call these locations within the white mist barrier ‘Mystic Domains’.”

“I cannot reveal the number of Mystic Domains discovered so far. However, it’s definitely far beyond your imagination, kid.”

Seeing Li Fan nod in agreement and stop arguing, Huangfu Song felt a burst of satisfaction.

He then continued, “Our destination for this journey, Chizha Abyss, is one such Mystic Domain, discovered a long time ago.”

“As the name suggests, it’s an area where space extends infinitely downwards, unfathomably deep and endless.”

“Every now and then, various strange sounds emanate from the bottom of the abyss: inexplicable cries of surprise, desperate roars, faint whispers, and more.”

“Ordinary cultivators or those with weak minds, once tempted by these sounds, will at best suffer qi deviation and their cultivation will regress.”

“At worst, they will lose all sanity and mutate into inhuman monsters who know only slaughter.”

Huangfu Song seemed to recall something, and a hint of fear flashed in his eyes.

“Because this Mystic Domain is too eerie, it has been closely monitored by the Myriad Immortals Alliance since its discovery.”

“That’s how the Alliance discovered that the sounds emanating from Chizha Abyss have been getting louder and louder.”

Hearing this, Xue Mu couldn’t help but exclaim, “Getting louder?”

Huangfu Song nodded. “Affected by this, the Eternal Immortal Fortress, established by the Myriad Immortals Alliance outside Chizha Abyss, has been forced to continuously move upward over the years.”

“However, to contain the influence of the demonic sounds within the confines of Chizha Abyss, that Eternal Immortal Fortress has nowhere left to retreat.”

“Therefore, a hundred years ago, the Alliance began attempting to use special methods to combat the demonic sounds emanating from the bottom of the abyss.”

“Special methods? Could it be…” Li Fan’s heart stirred as he suddenly remembered something.