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

This process is more difficult than in the ring. Although the "power field" in the ring is terrifying, it is relatively "static" and "all-round," while the "power" of the barrier in front of us is more concentrated and more "directional," like a slow-moving but extremely viscous mudslide. We need to find its "flow direction" and "go with the flow."

Sweat seeped from Chen Yang's forehead again, mingling with the dampness from the cave walls.

His body trembled slightly, clearly indicating that he was under considerable pressure and mental strain.

Liu Piaopiao watched anxiously from behind, but dared not make a sound to disturb her. She could only hold her breath and pray silently in her heart.

Time passed second by second.

Just as Liu Piaopiao was about to ask a question, she saw Chen Yang's body suddenly "slide" forward a little bit in an extremely slight yet unusually coordinated way! It wasn't that he was propelled by muscle force, but rather... the space in front of him "accepted" him and "sucked" him in slightly!
Immediately afterwards, Chen Yang opened his eyes, a look of relief and enlightenment flashing in them.

He slowly exhaled a breath of stale air and said in a low voice.

“Okay, I’ve found the ‘frequency’. Piaopiao, come here, stay close to me, and remember the feeling I just taught you—don’t resist, try to ‘integrate’, imagine yourself as part of the energy flow of this barrier, like… a drop of water merging into a slowly flowing gel.”

Liu Piaopiao quickly moved forward, using both her hands and feet, until she was almost touching Chen Yang's back.

She tried to calm herself down, just like Chen Yang, and attempted to sense the invisible barrier in front of her.

However, that mysterious "wave sensing" cannot be achieved overnight.

She only felt heavy and repulsed, unable to truly immerse herself in it, and was so anxious that sweat beaded on her nose.

"Don't rush, relax, and follow my rhythm."

Chen Yang's voice came through calmly, as if carrying a strange, soothing power.

He deliberately slowed down his own pace of synchronization with the barrier's "energy field," and subtly transmitted this adjusted, gentler, and more perceptible rhythm to Liu Piaopiao behind him through physical contact and the faint aura he emitted.

"Can you feel that heavy 'flowing' sensation? Don't be afraid of it. Try to let your breath, your heartbeat, gently 'touch' it, not bump into it, but gently 'stick' to it..."

Chen Yang guided him in a low voice.

Liu Piaopiao tried her best to do so, clearing her mind of all distractions and focusing all her attention on her perception. Gradually, with Chen Yang's guidance and her own unremitting efforts, she finally managed to vaguely capture a unique "rhythm" within the barrier energy.

Although it's still unfamiliar and the feeling is intermittent, at least there's a direction.

"Okay, that's it. Keep it up, even if it's very faint, just keep up with me."

Chen Yang encouraged him, and then began to move forward very slowly, in a strange manner as if his own weight had disappeared, to "merge" into that invisible barrier.

Liu Piaopiao gritted her teeth, desperately maintaining that faint sense of touch, and followed closely behind Chen Yang.

The two were like two clumsy but persistent little fish, trying to swim against the sticky glue, or as if they were learning how to become part of the glue.

The process was slow and difficult; every inch forward felt like an exhaustion.

The barrier's "force" constantly washed over and squeezed them, trying to expel them or freeze them in place.

Several times, Liu Piaopiao almost lost that subtle sense of synchronization and was frozen by the heavy pressure. Only after Chen Yang adjusted his own rhythm in time and "pulled" her back onto the track of synchronization were they able to continue moving forward.

I don't know how much time passed, maybe only a few dozen breaths, but it felt like an eternity.

When the space in front of her suddenly cleared, and the omnipresent, sticky, and heavy feeling receded like the tide, Liu Piaopiao was still maintaining her posture of "sensing" and "synchronizing" with all her might. Her body lurched forward due to inertia, and she almost bumped into Chen Yang.

"It...it was a success?"

She was panting heavily, and looked up blankly, only to find that they had passed through the barrier and arrived on the other side.

It was still a narrow passage leading downwards, but the air seemed a little fresher, and... after going a short distance forward, the passage actually began to slope upwards!

"Success!"

Chen Yang also breathed a sigh of relief and looked back. The invisible barrier was still there, but in his perception, it was no longer mysterious or insurmountable.

This time, he relied entirely on his own understanding to lead Liu Piaopiao through similar restrictions, and his understanding and application of "momentum" undoubtedly deepened.

The two were greatly encouraged and, without taking a break, quickly climbed up the path that had begun to ascend. The path gradually widened and the slope became gentler. Finally, an exit appeared ahead, half-hidden by vines and weeds, with bright sunlight filtering through the gaps!

They used both hands and feet to push aside the vegetation and crawled out of the cave hidden among the rocks halfway up the mountain.

The warm sunshine fell on my body, and the air, carrying the fragrance of grass and trees, filled my lungs. Before me stretched a range of unfamiliar, undulating mountains covered in lush vegetation. Looking back, there was no longer any black city or ruined streets.
Even the towering black tower was nowhere to be seen, as if everything that had just happened was a bizarre nightmare.

"We...we're out?!"

Liu Piaopiao looked around in disbelief, then jumped up to look at the faint outline of the immortal gate ruins they had first entered, which were visible below the mountain. Her voice trembled with excitement.

"We're out! We escaped!"

"We escaped from that godforsaken place!"

Chen Yang also carefully sensed his surroundings and confirmed that although the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was abundant here, it no longer had the omnipresent scorching, deathly stillness and eerie contradictory aura of the "Refining Furnace" space, nor the hidden array fluctuations of the black city.

They have indeed broken free from the direct control of that strange space.

"There's always a way out."

Chen Yang couldn't help but sigh, looking up at the blazing sun high in the sky and judging the approximate location.

"Unexpectedly, that seemingly inconspicuous 'dog hole' turned out to be a hidden escape route connecting the inside and outside. The ingenuity of the person who set up the formation is truly unfathomable."

Both of them were relieved to have survived the ordeal.

They found a relatively clean place, rested for a while, and cleaned themselves of dirt and fatigue.

Chen Yang silently circulated his internal energy to recover from the enormous energy depleted by the continuous breaking of restrictions, comprehension, and passage.

Liu Piaopiao then took out a water bag and some dry food, which the two shared.

After resting for about half an hour, my strength recovered somewhat.

Chen Yang stood up, checked the direction again, and combined it with the compass in Liu Piaopiao's hand to confirm that they were currently on the other side of the mountain range where the immortal sect ruins were located.

"Let's go around and go back to the place where we entered the mountains earlier."

Chen Yang said.

The two carefully descended the mountain ridge, avoiding areas where dangerous monsters or unknown restrictions might exist. After nearly an hour, they finally circled back to the foot of the mountain where the ruined palace complex where they first discovered the Black Tower was located.

Looking into the distance, one can still see groups of cultivators exploring the ruins on the mountain, indicating that others have discovered this place.

Looking at the figures of those people, Liu Piaopiao asked hesitantly.

"Brother Chen, should we go back in? Those people... might find that black tower."

Chen Yang shook his head decisively.

"No need. We barely managed to get out of there, and what's inside..."

He thought of the corpses on the fourth floor, the eeriness of the alchemy furnace, the danger of the arena, and the spirit stones and mysterious golden pillars in the final palace.

“For us, both the opportunities and the dangers have come to a temporary end. Going in again, not to mention whether we can gain anything more, just dealing with the guards outside the tower and any newcomers who might be trapped inside would be a huge problem. We shouldn't bite off more than we can chew; let's know when to stop.” Liu Piaopiao was also still a little scared, and immediately nodded in agreement upon hearing this.

"you're right!
I never want to go back to that awful place again!

and……"

She looked at Chen Yang, her eyes sparkling.

"Brother Chen, our trip wasn't in vain!"
Although we didn't find any earth-shattering inherited treasures, we learned that method of... resonating with array formations and restrictions!

This is so useful!

Chen Yang smiled slightly and nodded.

"That's right. Being able to initially comprehend and resonate with 'momentum field' type array restrictions, and find gaps in the array pattern fluctuations, is no less valuable than an ordinary magic weapon."

This means that when we encounter similar traps or restrictions that are not purely offensive in the future, we will have more room to maneuver and even break through them.

Especially when being chased, if we can escape into such a formation, we can try to blend in and pass through. Our pursuers will often need to either force their way through or find a way out. The time difference in between is our chance of survival.

Liu Piaopiao nodded excitedly, but then became somewhat discouraged.

"But... I'm not good at it, I'm not as skilled as you, and it's very difficult for me to sense it."

"It's alright."

Chen Yang gave her a gentle look.

"Everything is difficult at the beginning. You have already grasped the basics, which is quite remarkable. With more practice, you will become more familiar with the feeling and naturally become more and more proficient."

If you encounter a similar situation again, I can guide you.

Hearing that Chen Yang was willing to help, Liu Piaopiao felt a warmth in her heart and nodded vigorously.

"Yes! Thank you, Brother Chen!"

The two stopped and turned away from the bustling yet dangerous ruins area, returning to their main route.

Taking out the compass to confirm again, Liu Piaopiao pointed eastward and said.

"Brother Chen, you're heading in the right direction."

According to the information I received and the compass guidance, if we continue eastward in this direction, we should encounter other ancient immortal ruins or former dwellings of varying sizes along the way. Moreover, the further we go in this direction, the more cultivators will gather.

Chen Yang looked at the winding mountain road ahead and the distant, layered mountains that were faintly visible, and nodded.

"Then let's keep going. Where there are many people, news travels faster, and we might be able to find out where Jiang He and the others are."

The two traveled together, meandering eastward along the mountain path. The path gradually leveled out, and the towering mountains were left behind, replaced by a gentle, lush, and verdant hilly area.

The low, beautiful peaks are scattered about, covered with lush forests and dotted with exotic flowers and plants. Although the spiritual energy is not as strong as some grotto-heavens, it is still fresh and abundant, making people feel relaxed and happy.

"The spiritual energy here is truly wonderful."

Chen Yang took a deep breath, feeling the natural, slight activation of the magical power within his body.

"If there were no trials or battles, it would be wonderful to simply cultivate quietly in a place like this for a few months."

Liu Piaopiao smiled upon hearing this.

"Brother Chen, you're dreaming. We came here for trials, to seek opportunities and hone our skills."

If I were to hide somewhere and cultivate until the time was up, wouldn't all this trip have been for nothing? The sect elders wouldn't agree to it either.

"I was just saying it offhand."

Chen Yang smiled.

"The road ahead is long, and who knows what we'll encounter. Let's hurry on our way while there's still plenty of time."

"Ok!"

Liu Piaopiao responded, then glanced at the sky and the compass.

"Brother Chen, we need to find a safe area to spend the night."

Judging from the sky, it's only an hour or two until dark.

Chen Yang looked up at the setting sun and then at the faint traces of a road visible among the hills ahead.

"Alright, following the compass, this road should lead to a safe area suitable for camping. Let's quicken our pace."

The two increased their speed, traveling swiftly along the path through the hills. Just as Liu Piaopiao had predicted, they began to encounter other cultivators sporadically along the way.

Sometimes they passed by alone, sometimes in small groups of three or five, all keeping a wary distance from each other and not interfering with one another, but mostly heading in the same direction as them, towards the east.

"It seems we really didn't take the wrong path."

As Liu Piaopiao watched more and more of her companions appear in her field of vision and then quickly fall behind, she spoke with certainty.

"Where there are many people, there are also many disputes."

Chen Yang's eyes remained calm as he offered his reminder.

"But it'll also get the news faster. Let's go."

After traveling for about half an hour, and crossing a low mountain ridge, the scenery suddenly changed.

In the relatively open valley ahead, a large cluster of buildings, connected and enveloped by a simple array of light, suddenly appeared!
It was not a complete city, but rather a combination of two or three large, abandoned villages that had been connected and transformed. The outer perimeter was shrouded in a protective barrier that emitted a soft white light, forming a huge temporary safe zone.

Its area was far larger than any town or temporary camp they had encountered before!
At this moment, the entrance to the safe zone is bustling with people coming and going.

Cultivators of various attire and varying auras came and went, creating an unusually lively scene. Inside the area, even more figures could be seen moving about, with conversations and shouts faintly audible, a bustling sight indeed.

"So many people!"

Liu Piaopiao exclaimed in amazement.

"This place is practically a temporary, small-scale market gathering place!"

It seems we've really arrived. This must be an important transit point on the way to the core area.

Chen Yang glanced at the vast safe zone and the endless stream of people, and nodded.

"Let's go in and take a look."

With so many people gathered here, we might be able to find out news about Jiang He and the others.

Following the flow of people, the two passed through a simple check at the entrance—mainly to verify their identity jade tokens and the absence of obvious demonic energy—before entering this bustling, safe zone. (End of Chapter)