Chapter 951: Each with Their Own Schemes

E Kuai seemed oblivious to the changes in his surroundings, still leading the way at a leisurely pace, as if strolling through the woods. Each step he took appeared unremarkable, yet it carried him nearly a hundred zhang forward.

Madam Liuhua, Fu Jian, Qin Yuan, and the others followed closely behind, while Chen Yang, Sun Tu, and Han Li deliberately lagged at the rear.

Though no one showed much expression on their faces, they trudged along in silence, the only sound being the rustle of footsteps, making the surroundings seem very quiet.

"Fellow Daoist Chen, is the forbidden area Lord E mentioned really ahead? This rainforest looks quite eerie," Han Li said, glancing at E Kuai ahead and secretly communicating with Chen Yang and Sun Tu via voice transmission.

With E Kuai's overwhelming strength, coupled with Qin Yuan, Fu Jian, and the eagle-nosed man, Han Li and his group were at a clear disadvantage. Under such circumstances, they had to set aside their differences and secretly ally to avoid any mishaps.

"I've only heard a little about the Great Ruins and don't know where the so-called bones are. However, judging by the star power in the void, we are indeed heading deeper into the Great Ruins. In any case, you have one key, and we've agreed to join the treasure hunt. E Kuai would gain nothing by acting rashly," Chen Yang replied after a moment's hesitation.

"Let's hope so," Han Li said after a brief silence.

Despite his words, he remained on high alert, never letting his guard down.

"Speaking of keys, I find it strange. According to Lord E, five keys are needed to open the forbidden area. Fellow Daoist Li only has one, yet Lord E hasn't mentioned searching for the other keys. Could it be that he already has the other four?" Sun Tu suddenly transmitted.

"Perhaps," Han Li said, his mind stirring as he glanced at Chen Yang and replied indifferently.

Chen Yang remained calm, his eyes like still water, and did not respond.

"I wonder what the blood-colored key is really for. If it's just to open the gate, that's fine. But if it's needed inside the forbidden area, Lord E, holding four keys, would have the upper hand. We must not be careless," Sun Tu continued.

Han Li's eyes flickered slightly at these words.

He hadn't considered that possibility. If true, it would indeed be troublesome.

E Kuai continued walking leisurely, seemingly unconcerned about Han Li and the others lagging far behind.

"Lord, Chen Yang and Sun Tu are ambitious. They appear obedient but conspire behind your back and ignore your orders. I suspect they've colluded with Puppet City and are plotting something. Why don't we strike together and kill them here? That would reduce variables at the forbidden area. With your strength, you could instantly kill Li Feiyu and seize the key before he destroys it," Fu Jian said, moving closer to E Kuai with a fierce glint in his eyes.

"No need. I believe Chen Yang and Sun Tu wouldn't collude with Puppet City. Their behavior stems from wariness of us. Now that we're in the Great Ruins, it's understandable they think this way," E Kuai replied with a faint smile.

"Lord, you are too merciful! As they say, you know a person's face but not their heart. After that incident years ago, Chen Yang has likely harbored resentment against you. We must be cautious," Fu Jian urged again.

"Lord Fu, don't worry. I have a plan. For now, harmony is best. A rash conflict would only play into Puppet City's hands," E Kuai said with a dismissive laugh.

Fu Jian had no choice but to nod and drop the matter.

Han Li watched E Kuai and Fu Jian, who had suddenly approached him, his eyes flickering as if in thought.

Thus, the group continued forward, each harboring their own schemes.

Several days passed quickly, and they gradually reached the depths of the rainforest.

The trees here were exceptionally tall, with giant trees requiring several people to embrace them visible everywhere, while smaller plants had mostly disappeared.

E Kuai announced that the forbidden area was not far ahead, lifting everyone's spirits.

Han Li followed the group, his gaze sweeping the surroundings with a slight frown.

"Fellow Daoist Li, what's wrong? I've noticed you frowning almost constantly. Have you found something amiss here?" Shi Chuankong moved closer and asked via voice transmission.

"Nothing, just a bit puzzled," Han Li shook his head.

"Puzzled? About what?" Shi Chuankong asked in surprise.

"The star power here is so rich that many trees have grown, yet we haven't seen any scale beasts along the way. Logically, this environment should be very suitable for them," Han Li transmitted.

"Now that you mention it, that is indeed strange," Shi Chuankong nodded slowly.

"Anyway, it's useless to dwell on it. According to E Kuai, the forbidden area is ahead. Fellow Daoist Shi, you mentioned earlier that there's a way to leave the Scale Void Realm there. How certain are you?" Han Li asked, his gaze sharpening.

"This information wasn't told to me by my third brother. I deduced it from researching many records about the Scale Void Realm in our Nighthall Dynasty's library. It should be correct," Shi Chuankong transmitted.

"Fellow Daoist Shi, it's not that I don't trust you, but this matter is of great importance. Could you be more specific?" Han Li pressed.

"Fellow Daoist Li, I'm afraid I can't explain further. It involves a secret of the Nighthall Dynasty that I cannot disclose to outsiders. But I swear by the Heavenly Saint Emperor that my words are true," Shi Chuankong said solemnly.

"In that case, I won't ask further," Han Li nodded.

Shi Chuankong's expression relaxed.

The group continued for most of the day until a vast expanse of blood-red mist appeared ahead.

The mist was extremely thick, reaching the sky with no end in sight, and extending to both sides as far as the eye could see, like a wall of blood blocking their path.

The blood mist churned like a living thing, emitting a low, rumbling sound that seemed eerie.

Everyone stopped, staring at the blood mist ahead, exchanging glances, then all eyes turned to E Kuai.

"Don't worry, everyone. This area is called the Sulfur Flame Mist Sea. Once we pass through, we'll see the forbidden area. The mist sea poses no danger and even offers some benefits. The Sulfur Flame Blood Clouds are born here. If you're lucky, you might encounter one or two," E Kuai said nonchalantly, continuing forward without pausing.

Hearing this, the others relaxed and their eyes lit up.

"Fellow Daoist Shi, do you know about this blood mist sea?" Han Li asked via voice transmission.

"No, I didn't know the Sulfur Flame Blood Clouds originated here," Shi Chuankong replied, his eyes gleaming as he gazed ahead, seemingly eager for the blood clouds mentioned by E Kuai.

Han Li's expression shifted slightly as he fell into thought.

"Visibility is poor in the mist sea. Be careful not to get separated," E Kuai said as he stepped into the blood mist, with the others following.

As Han Li entered the blood mist, his body immediately felt heavier, as if submerged in the sea, with immense pressure pressing from all directions.

The blood mist was surprisingly heavy!

Han Li's brow twitched, but he quickly regained composure and continued forward.

Though the pressure was considerable, it didn't affect him much.

Visibility in the blood mist was greatly reduced, barely reaching a dozen zhang. The mist also severely limited divine sense, allowing detection only up to twenty or thirty zhang, not much better than sight.

The blood mist sea seemed vast. After walking for about a quarter of an hour, there was still no sign of the end.

Initially worried, the group relaxed after encountering no danger. They spread out in a line, scanning the surroundings for the Sulfur Flame Blood Clouds.

Even city lords like Chen Yang set aside their pride and joined the others in using their divine sense to probe the area.

Only E Kuai walked quietly ahead, seemingly indifferent to the Sulfur Flame Blood Clouds.

Han Li secretly watched E Kuai not far away, his eyes flickering.

E Kuai was so familiar with the Great Ruins, as if he knew everything. For some reason, this gave Han Li a vague sense of unease.

"Fellow Daoist Li, why are you daydreaming? I know your divine sense is strong. Don't waste it; quickly search for the Sulfur Flame Blood Clouds too," Shi Chuankong reminded him via transmission.

Snapping back to reality, Han Li didn't reply and instead extended his divine sense outward.

He was naturally quite interested in the Sulfur Flame Blood Clouds, which had been the top prize in the Five Cities Tournament.

Just then, a whoosh sounded, and a figure shot forward—it was Chen Yang.

Seeing this, Han Li quickly directed his divine sense toward that area.

In an instant, a blood light shot out from the mist like lightning and was caught by Chen Yang.

The blood light revealed its true form: a palm-sized, gelatinous blood cloud emitting a faint, crystalline glow.

"Is this the Sulfur Flame Blood Cloud?" Han Li couldn't see it with his eyes from his distance, but his divine sense detected everything, locking onto the blood cloud.

The blood cloud emanated an extremely powerful energy fluctuation, containing not only star power but also pure blood energy. It was undoubtedly the Sulfur Flame Blood Cloud.

Others also sensed this, but the blood cloud was already in Chen Yang's hands. They could only sigh in regret and give up.

Chen Yang's face was full of joy. After glancing at the others, he quickly stuffed the blood cloud into his mouth and swallowed it directly, as if afraid someone might snatch it.

Han Li's divine sense caught all this, and a look of surprise crossed his face.

After swallowing the blood cloud, Chen Yang's entire body glowed with dazzling blood light. The apertures on his body seemed stimulated by the blood light, lighting up one after another. In an instant, over a hundred apertures were illuminated.

Seeing this, his expression changed. He immediately shot backward and vanished into the blood mist.

Han Li's heart stirred.

Although Chen Yang moved quickly, Han Li's divine sense range far exceeded others. Before Chen Yang left his detection range, he clearly saw the number of apertures Chen Yang had opened—dense and seemingly no fewer than 260 or so.