You, a living person, are telling me I've served in the underworld for ten years?

“It is indeed a road, and it’s very old.”

Chen Yang approached to observe, squatted down and touched a broken stone slab. It felt cold and rough, with blurry lines on it.

"Let's go, follow this road and see if we can find anything."

The two continued along the dilapidated ancient path. The scenery on both sides of the road gradually changed. It was no longer just a wilderness or canyon cliffs. Some collapsed stone pillars, half-buried foundation stones, and even occasionally some severely weathered stone carvings could be seen, resembling the outlines of some kind of beast or figure.

The dense, malevolent aura in the air seemed to have thinned somewhat, but another kind of desolate, decaying, and lifeless atmosphere permeated the air.

After walking for a while, the view ahead suddenly opened up.

At the end of the ancient road lies a rather large... ruin!
It appears to be the remains of an ancient town or small settlement.

Ruins are everywhere; most buildings have long since collapsed, leaving only half of the earthen walls or stone foundations, while the wooden structures have long since rotted into mud.

Some relatively tall stone structures, such as the skeletons of what appear to be temples, towers, or mansions of wealthy families, still stand stubbornly, though they are covered in cracks and vines, and are on the verge of collapse.

The entire ruins were shrouded in a twilight-like darkness, silent and still, as if they had been dead for millions of years.

Chen Yang and Liu Piaopiao stood at the edge of the ruins, observing carefully.

Soon, Chen Yang discovered something unusual—around this abandoned town, he could vaguely see a ring of energy veins that were out of place with the surrounding environment!
They are either hidden at the base of collapsed walls or distributed along specific terrain, vaguely forming the outline of a huge and incomplete array that surrounds the ruins of the entire town!

Its energy fluctuations were very similar in nature to the inscribed array area they had encountered at the entrance of the canyon, only larger in scale and more dilapidated, with many of the array patterns broken and faded.

"The array formations and restrictions here..."

Chen Yang walked quickly along the perimeter of the ruins for a while, roughly confirming its extent.

"It seems to be arranged around the entire town, forming a protective circle? Or rather... an isolation circle?"

Looking at the eerie ruins around her, and then at the faint traces of the array on the outer perimeter, Liu Piaopiao said with concern.

"Brother Chen, do you mean we can hide here for refuge tonight? But... this place is so open and dilapidated. If those monsters appear here at night, we won't have anywhere to hide! Wouldn't that be even more dangerous?"

Chen Yang shook his head and pointed to the remaining traces of the formation.

“Look carefully, and sense carefully.”

Although the array formations and restrictions here are damaged, their core principles of 'rejecting' and 'purifying' evil energy are almost identical to those I encountered in the canyon before.

What does this mean? It means that this place was, or still is, an area that those 'evil spirits' could not easily enter!

Just like at the canyon entrance. As long as we stay within this array, we're theoretically safe. The prerequisite is that we don't wander out.

"But...that's just your speculation!"

Liu Piaopiao was still a little scared.

"What if the formation here fails? What if those demons manage to break through? Wouldn't we be walking into a trap, trapped in these ruins and at their mercy?"
Brother Chen, this is a gamble. If we lose, we might really be wiped out!

Chen Yang looked at her, his tone calm yet carrying a convincing power.

“Piaopiao, you’re right, there is indeed an element of gambling involved.”

But have you ever thought about how many of us, in our current state, could survive the next night if we didn't take this gamble and continued to wander outside?
Last night's experience has proven that in open areas, we have almost no chance of winning against those 'evil spirits' whose numbers are unknown, whose true nature is uncertain, and who specialize in hunting living beings.

Casualties will only increase, morale will only decline, and ultimately they may all perish here before the trial ends.

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the desolate ruins before him.

"And here, at least, a 'possible' safe zone is offered. Although the formation is damaged, it is still functioning, and that is hope. Staying here, we can at least rest temporarily, recover from our injuries, and discuss countermeasures."

Outside, we don't even have a chance to catch our breath.

Sometimes, what seems like a risky choice is actually the only opportunity.

Liu Piaopiao bit her lip, struggling internally.

She admitted that Chen Yang had a point, but the fear and anxiety about the unknown still lingered.

After a long pause, she whispered.

“I believe you, Brother Chen. But… my fellow disciples, and others, may not believe me, and may not dare to take this risk.”

"Then you'll need to persuade them, or at least call them over so they can see for themselves."

Chen Yang said.

"Use the method you agreed upon to contact everyone you can still reach and tell them that an ancient ruin, which is suspected to be a safe zone, has been discovered here, so that everyone can come and meet up as soon as possible."

Once everyone has arrived, we'll make a decision together. Whether to stay or leave will be a matter for everyone to discuss.

But the prerequisite is that we must hurry; look, it's already starting to get dark.

Liu Piaopiao looked up at the increasingly dim sky above the canyon, as if shrouded in a layer of gray, and her heart tightened.

She nodded vigorously.

"Okay! I'll contact them right away!"

Brother Chen, wait for me here, and be careful!

After saying that, she immediately ran to a slightly higher spot at the edge of the ruins, took out several specially made jade pieces engraved with simple communication runes from her bosom, and began to infuse them with magic power according to the secret method taught by her sect, sending out a signal to gather in all directions.

This signal is only effective over a short distance and is easily interfered with, but at this moment, it is the best method they can use.

Chen Yang walked to the side, and Li Rou's illusory figure quietly condensed beside him.

“Master, I have sensed it. Although the array and restrictions here are incomplete, most of the core ‘exorcising,’ ‘soul-suppressing,’ and ‘purifying’ functional units are still operating. However, the energy supply is insufficient, which greatly reduces the range and intensity of the effects.”

Li Rou's voice rang in his mind.

"Even so, it should still be somewhat effective in resisting those 'evil spirits' that rely on yin energy and resentment to exist."

This place may very well be the glimmer of hope left by the trial designers for the trial participants—a temporary 'safe house'.

As long as the trial participants can find and reach this place, they can get a chance to catch their breath, survive the most dangerous part of the night, and even... stay here until the trial ends.

Of course, this is on the premise that you can find it and have the courage to come in.

Chen Yang looked at the dilapidated ruins before him, which seemed to contain a glimmer of life, and said in a low voice.

"That's right.

It's like a brutal elimination tournament; skill, luck, courage, and judgment are all indispensable. Only those who survive to find this place and stay qualify for the next round, or... leave alive.

Li Rou agreed.

“That’s right. Master, how do you plan to persuade those people? I think that young man named Liu Haoran seems to have a lot of prejudice against you.” Chen Yang smiled calmly.

"Persuade? I just need to analyze the pros and cons clearly and give them the choice. Those who are willing to believe me and are willing to fight for a chance to survive will naturally stay. Forcing those who are hesitant or firmly opposed will not help, and may even make them an unstable factor within the organization. At the critical moment of life and death, everyone's choice determines their own fate."

Li Rou said no more, and the illusory figure slowly dissipated.

About an hour later, figures began to appear in the distance. The survivors who had received Liu Piaopiao's message arrived one after another at the edge of the ruins, filled with a mixture of trepidation, hope, and vigilance.

When they saw this sizable ancient ruin and the faint traces of array formations around it, many people showed expressions of surprise and uncertainty.

Liu Haoran arrived with the last group of people. When he saw Chen Yang and Liu Piaopiao standing at the entrance of the ruins, his brows immediately furrowed.

Soon, about thirty survivors gathered on the clearing at the edge of the ruins. The number was smaller than when they first entered the canyon, indicating that some had met with misfortune during the exploration.

Most of the remaining people were injured, looking exhausted and terrified.

Seeing that almost everyone had arrived, Chen Yang walked up to them and spoke loudly.

"Fellow Daoists, Miss Liu has probably already given a general explanation of the situation here."

Mr. Chen will not elaborate further. I only want to emphasize a few points.

First, the array formations surrounding these ruins are of the same nature as the ones I encountered at the entrance to the canyon; they are protective arrays specifically designed to suppress evil spirits.

Secondly, along the way, in all the areas protected by this formation, there were no signs of recent battles or corpses.

Third, it's getting dark, and given our current condition, continuing to wander outside carries an extremely high risk of encountering an attack like last night.

He looked around at the crowd, his voice clear and powerful.

"Therefore, I propose that tonight all of us enter this ruin and seek refuge in the remaining formation! Of course, this is not a foolproof plan. The formation is broken and its effectiveness is unknown. There may also be unknown risks in entering the ruin."

But compared to facing those 'evil spirits' directly outside, this place at least provides a relatively controllable defensive environment. It's a gamble to stay here and try to gain a night of peace to recover.

Whether to continue searching for other ways to survive, whether they exist or not, is a choice everyone can make.

As soon as Chen Yang finished speaking, the crowd erupted in an uproar.

"Easy for you to say! Who knows if this broken formation will even work? What if those ghostly things break in tonight? We'll have nowhere to run!"

"Exactly! This place is completely empty, without even a decent piece of cover. How are we supposed to defend it?"

"I think Fellow Daoist Chen is right! It's even more dangerous outside! Wasn't last night's lesson enough?"

"But this place is too scary, it's so lifeless. What if there are other evil things inside?"

"That's right, we can't just listen to him! Senior Brother Liu, what do you think?"

Many people turned their attention to Liu Haoran.

Seeing everyone looking at him, Liu Haoran puffed out his chest, walked to the front, glanced at Chen Yang with a hint of provocation, and then spoke to the crowd.

"Fellow disciples, Fellow Daoist Chen's speculation seems reasonable, but it is actually extremely risky! First of all, no one can guarantee whether this formation can really block those demons!"
Secondly, even if we can hold them off, with so many of us crammed into these ruins, we'll be too conspicuous. What if we attract even more demons and the formation can't withstand the attack? Furthermore, the trial grounds are unpredictable; who can guarantee that these ruins themselves aren't dangerous?
I suggest we spread out and find more secluded, easily defensible natural caves or rock crevices to hide in. Breaking up into smaller groups will actually be safer!

His words drew nods of agreement from some people, especially those who were already reluctant to enter the eerie ruins.

Seeing this, Liu Piaopiao couldn't help but stand up and speak loudly.

"I think Brother Chen is right! Split up? We only died faster last night because we scattered and tried to escape!"

Those monsters specifically target lone monsters!

Only by gathering together and relying on this formation can we have hope! I'm willing to believe in Brother Chen and stay here!

Liu Piaopiao's public support, coupled with her status as a disciple of Lingxi Valley and her considerable influence, immediately caused some previously hesitant people to begin leaning towards Chen Yang.

"Junior Sister Piao Piao is right, if we spread out, we'll die even faster!"

"Where can we hide outside? This godforsaken place is dangerous everywhere!"

"I think this place is fine, at least there's a formation! It's much better than being outside in fear!"

"But……"

No buts!
It's getting dark! If we don't leave now, we'll be too late!

The crowd argued incessantly, and the scene became somewhat chaotic.

Chen Yang raised his voice to drown out the noise.

"Gentlemen! Time is of the essence, and arguing is pointless! I'll say one last thing."

If you are willing to trust me and take a gamble on this chance, please come with me into the ruins. We will immediately begin setting up defenses to prepare for the possible night.

If you're unwilling, please feel free to go find somewhere you deem safer.

But I must remind everyone that once a decision is made, it is very difficult to change it.

It was getting dark.

He pointed to the sky. Sure enough, the already dim light was visibly fading, and the wind blowing from the direction of the canyon carried an even more biting chill, as if foreshadowing the approach of night and danger.

Many people followed Chen Yang's finger and looked up at the sky, their faces showing fear.

For those "evil spirits," the night is undoubtedly their home ground.

"I...I'll go in with Fellow Daoist Chen!"

A middle-aged cultivator who was seriously injured was the first to speak up, struggling to walk towards the entrance of the ruins.

"I'm going in too! Damn it, I'm going to die out there anyway, might as well fight!"

Count me in!

One by one, more than twenty people made their decisions and headed towards Chen Yang's side.

The remaining dozen or so people mostly looked hesitant as they stared at Liu Haoran.

Liu Haoran's expression changed; he hadn't expected Chen Yang to have such a strong appeal.

As the sky grew darker and darker, and as he listened to the faint, almost illusory, howling wind in the distance, a strong sense of unease rose within him.

Finally, he gritted his teeth and addressed his hesitant fellow disciples behind him.

"We...we'll go in too!"

But we can't listen to him completely. Once inside, we'll find a place to set up our defenses ourselves! (End of Chapter)