"I am Chen Fan, a rogue cultivator representing the Jiuling Sect in this secret realm. Greetings to Senior Sister of Lishan Sect."

Sensing the gazes from Yuan Ying and Zhang Yiyi, Chen Fan, though unaware of their whispered conversation, could roughly guess it involved him. Therefore, he politely greeted them first.

Chen Fan did not recognize Zhang Yiyi, but the Senior Sister of the Lishan Sect was well-known, and it was impossible for anyone entering the secret realm not to know of her.

"No need for formalities, Daoist Chen."

Yuan Ying nodded calmly in response, inwardly appreciating Chen Fan's tactfulness and ability to read the room.

However, when Zhang Yiyi heard the name "Chen Fan," her eyes unconsciously widened in surprise.

She quickly glanced at her cousin, Zhang Tongtong, then at Yuan Ying, before finally turning her gaze back to Chen Fan, utterly shocked.

Chen Fan?

A rogue cultivator named Chen Fan?

Wasn't he the male lead of the original novel?

What a coincidence! She hadn't expected the male lead of the original story to appear so early, and to encounter both the female lead, Zhang Tongtong, and the first villainess, Yuan Ying, in the Luoxian River Mystic Realm!

None of this had happened in the original story. Zhang Yiyi was at a loss. Her presence, or perhaps other unknown factors, had clearly caused the plot to derail.

Luckily, from the start, Zhang Yiyi had never planned to rely on the storyline. After all, this was a vast and genuine world, not the limited, flat world of a book. The only thing unusual would be if the plot remained unchanged.

After her initial surprise, Zhang Yiyi quickly composed herself. The grievances among these three had nothing to do with her.

However, her earlier reaction might have been a bit too strong, as even Zhang Tongtong, who had been whispering to Mo Yan, frowned and glanced at her.

"What's wrong?"

Naturally, Yuan Ying didn't miss Zhang Yiyi's strange reaction and asked out of curiosity.

Fate between people is a peculiar thing. From the moment Yuan Ying had first laid eyes on Zhang Yiyi, she had felt an inexplicable fondness for this girl who seemed different from the rest.

After spending some time together, Yuan Ying, the esteemed Senior Sister of Lishan Sect, unconsciously started treating Zhang Yiyi as a friend.

"It's nothing. I just..."

Zhang Yiyi couldn't explain what she was thinking. Judging by the current situation, there didn't seem to be any issues between the three of them, and even if there were, she couldn't say anything.

Just as she was about to change the subject, she suddenly grabbed Yuan Ying and sprang up from the ground.

"They're all gone!"

Before her mind could fully process what was happening, Zhang Yiyi's body instinctively reacted. Her senses were heightened, and her entire being was on high alert.

In an instant, Yuan Ying understood what had happened.

The vast number of mutated sand rat corpses that had been scattered all around them had disappeared without a trace in the blink of an eye!

The once expansive area was now completely empty, save for the fourteen of them standing in the middle of the clean, barren sand. It was as if everything had been wiped away.

Even the ten sets of human skeletons, which had been picked clean by the mutated sand rats, had vanished into thin air along with the corpses.

If not for the lingering scent of beast blood on their bodies, they might have doubted whether the horde of mutated sand rats had even existed at all.

Everyone quickly stood up, abandoning any thoughts of rest, and warily scanned their surroundings, but there were no clues to be found.

It was as though everything that had died had been devoured by some unknown force, leaving a terrifying sense of unease that weighed heavily on their hearts.

"Everyone pair up and walk side by side. Move out immediately and don't fall behind!"

Mo Yan, his face stern, issued a command without hesitation.

At the same time, he pulled Zhang Tongtong by the arm and led her away without any intention of partnering up with his fiancée for mutual protection.

Seeing this, the others didn't waste time. They quickly paired up and followed suit, knowing full well that falling behind could spell disaster.

Yuan Ying observed Mo Yan's blatant disregard for her, and the anger she had once felt gradually turned into numbness. She had already made up her mind to partner with Zhang Yiyi.

Along this journey, she had seen Mo Yan's true nature. Whenever there was a disagreement, he wouldn't even bother pretending to respect her. She realized she had no need for such a fiancé!

After instructing her junior sister, Yuan Xiaoqi, and another junior brother to stay close, Yuan Ying seamlessly partnered with Zhang Yiyi, walking side by side without delay.

They hadn't traveled far when danger struck again.

"This just never ends!"

Zhang Yiyi muttered, watching a swarm of massive black crows descend from the sky. There was something unsettling about them.

Was this a never-ending series of game-like challenges? First, it had been like whack-a-mole with the mutated sand rats, and now it felt like an angry birds level. What next? A giant snake chasing them?

Wait, she was wrong—there was real anger here, but these weren't small birds.

The creatures resembled crows but were as large as eagles, each one swooping down with sharp, mutated talons, clearly viewing the group as a tasty meal.

Hundreds of these enormous crows filled the sky, surrounding the group with no escape route. Of course, no one even thought about running.

With the experience of fighting the mutated sand rats behind them, the remaining fourteen quickly positioned themselves back-to-back, ready to face the incoming threat.

Although these birds were more formidable than the mutated sand rats, there were fewer of them. Additionally, the surviving fourteen were all highly capable, and as they unleashed their full strength, they quickly found themselves immersed in a fierce battle.

As more and more crows were killed, their corpses and blood rained down, giving Zhang Yiyi a vivid experience of what it meant to fight through "blood and carnage."

Without the assistance of spiritual power, her ancient god clan's martial arts techniques became increasingly refined and pure during the fight. Every move, every strike, became sharper, more focused.

This unexpected opportunity stirred something within Zhang Yiyi.

Soon, she wasn't just attacking the crows; she began using them as a whetstone to sharpen her martial arts.

How could each move be executed with greater precision, unleashing maximum power?

How did each strike at different angles and positions yield varied results?

How could she better integrate her tempered body's defense and offense into her techniques?

Her mind raced as her body continued moving instinctively. She experimented, confirmed, adjusted, and improved, constantly honing her skills through trial and error.

Had anyone been watching, they would have been dumbfounded to see Zhang Yiyi calmly treating this life-or-death situation as a training exercise.

Fortunately, everyone else was too preoccupied with their own survival to notice her unusual state.

Unlike the others, who were growing weary from the constant fighting, Zhang Yiyi was only becoming more energized, faster, and more efficient with every kill. Even her aura had subtly transformed.