After leaving that eerie bamboo forest, Margaret led the group southeast, following the direction pointed out by the old Taoist in the robe. The deeper they went, the thicker the mist became. The rustling sound of bamboo leaves had ceased, replaced instead with a suffocating silence. Even the faint fragrance of bamboo in the air was now tainted by a subtle, almost imperceptible metallic sweetness. “Miss, do you really think that old Taoist’s words can be trusted?” Qingzhu whispered, her eyes darting warily around. Margaret’s expression was grave. She shook her head slightly. “It’s hard to tell… but this is the only clue we have for now.” If not for Dustin , a cultivator in the Land-Immortal Realm, being by her side, she would not have dared to take such a risk. After nearly an hour of walking, a deep canyon appeared ahead, just as the old Taoist had described. The canyon’s entrance was narrow, flanked by sheer black cliffs that looked as though they had been carv...