Hello, is this a letter addressed to Demon Fortress?

The eerie unease emanating from the blade's edge made Lin Gui extremely vigilant.

He reached out and took the novel from Xia's lap.

"Stop looking, something's wrong, stay alert."

Xia was taken aback at first, then raised an eyebrow, the playful look in her eyes instantly disappearing.

His sharp gaze swept across the thick fog like that of a hawk, and his body tensed slightly.

But a moment later, her shoulders slumped, and she seemed somewhat deflated.

"I can't see those ghostly things, how can I be vigilant?"

"Even their sighs during their activities... can no longer be heard now."

Helpless, Lin Gui had no choice but to walk past her and say to Eve in the back seat:

"Eve, activate the Light Shield."

"Most things related to the soul are afraid of light."

"Although light magic is unlikely to cause them any real damage."

"But at least it can serve as a deterrent and warning."

Eve nodded without asking any further questions.

She closed her eyes and gently clasped her hands together in front of her chest.

A pale golden light emerged from her fingertips, and her soft chanting flowed smoothly and clearly.

"...May the light dispel the shadows and protect us as we move forward."

As soon as she finished speaking, a soft and stable milky-white halo rippled out from her center.

A hemispherical transparent shield was formed, enveloping the entire airship.

The halo wasn't dazzling, but it carried a reassuring and warm power.

After the protective shield took shape, Lin Gui once again focused his attention and looked around.

He did not activate the [Wind Listening Technique] to capture sounds.

Because the "sigh" emitted by spirits and demons is essentially a mental fluctuation, not a physical sound.

And so, with a faint sense of unease.

The airship followed the rushing procession below, continuing its journey deeper into the walled area.

The "western ridgeline" chosen by the razor's edge is a relatively safe and ancient route.

The group first proceeded along a stretch of sparsely vegetated, grayish-white hills.

Then we entered the area of ​​the Forest of Sighs.

The Forest of Sighs is very large, almost spanning the entire Wall of Sighs. The forest surrounding Bounty City is actually part of the Wall of Sighs.

Not only the Forest of Sighs, but also the Blackwater Mountains that we will have to cross later.

It is also very spacious.

The mountain where the city of Shield is located is part of the Blackwater Mountains.

And their first target this time.

It was once the core of the Blackwater Corridor, Blackwater City.

Its position in the Blackwater Corridor is like that of the capital of Carter to a remote border region.

It was once a functioning transportation hub.

Unfortunately, the Black Tide swallowed it up, and the former city-states were reduced to dead cities.

The resource-rich Blackwater Mountains and the Forest of Sighs have become a forbidden zone for the living.

It is worth mentioning that it is quite different from other city-states that were swallowed up by the Black Tide.

Blackwater, and the other sixteen cities that fell in that incident.

Their main structure is almost eerily intact.

The tall stone city wall still stands, though it is covered with moss and rust.

The frames of most of the residential buildings in the city were intact, but the windows were empty, looking out into the mist.

The signs on the commercial street are still faintly visible, and rusty iron buckets hang beside the stone railing of the well.

According to Blackbeard, these buildings did not suffer any structural damage.

As the ordinary Black Tide passed through, it was trampled and ravaged by nearly a hundred million demons.

Let alone the overall structure, in the aftermath, even the ruins are often unrecognizable, leaving only rubble.

However, the black tide that created the Wailing Wall was exceptionally special.

It was as if an invisible grim reaper had silently swept across that vast land.

It precisely and silently took the lives of all living beings within its range.

The houses did not collapse, the city walls did not crumble, and even... the demons did not riot.

Subsequent investigations revealed that all the demons within the affected area were also killed.

If it weren't for the iconic thick fog that suddenly rose from the Wailing Wall a few days later.

It completely blocked key transportation arteries such as the "Blackwater Corridor".

The city-state alliance didn't even realize in time that the black tide had already ended.

Seventeen city-states, spanning an area of ​​over nine hundred kilometers.

All living beings, whether human, elf, dwarf... or demon.

They vanished silently and collectively within those few days.

This was the most bizarre of all the Black Tides recorded since the city-state era.

The Alliance Parliament named it, calling it...

"Silence ends."

Fortunately, the Wailing Wall did not expand as slowly as the Silent Sea.

It is like a solidified scar, following the trajectory of those seventeen dead cities.

It was firmly fixed in the Blackwater Corridor and surrounding area.

Blackbeard and other members dispatched by the dwarven capital to various outposts outside the walls.

Besides exploring routes and pioneering paths, they actually had another secret mission.

That is to continuously monitor any unusual activity on the Wailing Wall.

After all, the dwarf capital city is located not far away on the other side of this high wall.

In the city-states swallowed by "Silence's End," there were four cities belonging to the dwarves.

In addition, there are three other settlements inhabited by elves.

And at the northeastern end of the Wall of Sighs, in the adjacent land...

This is Shia's former hometown, the Elf Forest.

This was also the place where Elvia tried to "trick" Lin Gui into going.

The Wailing Wall is infamous.

Elvia believed that it was absolutely impossible for the Forest Ghost to travel through time.

After all, this was a place that even the dwarves, with the combined strength of their entire race, had failed to conquer.

In truth, Lin Gui himself would never have wanted to step into such a desperate situation.

The system's route points here.

Eve's prophecy also clearly anchored this fog.

Lin Gui had no choice but to bite the bullet and venture into this perilous place.

He simply couldn't understand what the person with the sharp blade below was afraid of.

In his eyes, there was clearly nothing around him.

But he didn't have time to delve into the other person's psychology.

Because a more practical problem is at hand—

The razor blade is about to turn back.

"Let's retreat... retreat, commander!"

The female pastor in the group had a sob in her voice and her face was as pale as paper.

She gripped the holy emblem on her chest tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force.

That two-hour-long, completely illogical, deathly silence.

It shattered her mental defenses far more than facing the roar of a demon.

In this forbidden land that has claimed countless lives, encountering anything unusual is the greatest terror.

Each time the Blade of the Blade entered the Wailing Wall, it was under the influence of the soul demons' hoarse and terrifying voices.

Without exception, the journey into the country is now incredibly smooth and eerily calm.

It was like the calm before a typhoon.

"This is too weird... This is definitely not normal!"

The scout, carrying another guide on his back, also spoke in a muffled voice, veins throbbing on his forehead.

"We've never encountered this situation before, not even once."

"Something absolutely terrible must have happened here!"

Team leader Ryan pursed his lips, his gaze sweeping over the panicked faces of his team members.

He knew that morale was on the verge of collapse.

"If we retreat now, the money the guide paid will all go down the drain."

He tried to stabilize the situation, but his voice was somewhat dry.

"Our mission is not yet complete..."

"A mission?" The priestess shook her head sharply, her voice becoming shrill.

"If we stay any longer, we'll all become 'mute'!"

"Like those hunters who fell in the mist!"

"Forever lost in this fog!"

"I don't want to become that kind of ugly, mute person who has lost their soul."

She completely lost control of her emotions, and tears streamed down her face.

Above, Lin Gui was completely baffled.

What exactly is it that makes them so afraid?

Blackbeard mentioned two major threats: hallucinations caused by mist and attacks by spirits.

They haven't actually encountered any of them yet.

Could it be... that there is a danger that even the Eye of the Underworld cannot see?

An invisible "thing" that is chasing after them?

But if they were really being chased by something, why were they completely unaware?

And how did they "know"?

Lin Gui's mind was filled with doubts, but he didn't have time to think about them in detail.

Right now, he must find a way to stabilize the team.

We can't let them withdraw like this.

It's unclear how long it will be before the next selection meeting is held.

He also didn't have time to travel to other city-states to find a guide.

The problem is... if he continues like this, his group of people who ride on other people's backs will be exposed.