The firelight faded, and the pink mist in the air seemed to thin out slightly. Standing at the edge of the deep pit, Qin Shu looked down, realizing she could now see the bottom of the once completely obscured chasm.

The lake below shimmered in a strange pink hue, eerily still—beautiful yet unsettling to the extreme.

Qin Shu instinctively felt that the answer to this pink mist lay beneath. She had to go down and take a look.

According to the "Transmigration Rulebook," the more bizarre the location, the higher the chance of hidden treasures.

Of course, this wasn't her story, and she wasn't the protagonist. She had no plot armor, but it was still worth a try.

She popped a Qi Restoration Pill into her mouth to replenish her spiritual energy before using wood-type Qi to accelerate the growth of surrounding vines.

Once the vines reached the bottom of the cliff, she tugged at them to test their strength. After confirming they were sturdy enough, she wrapped her feet in earth-type Qi, anchoring herself against the cliffside, and began her slow descent.

The closer she got to the lake, the denser the pink mist became. Qin Shu tossed two small fireballs, dispersing the fog slightly for a clearer view.

After descending a bit further, she estimated the remaining height and decided it was safe to jump down. She enveloped herself in earth Qi for protection and released the vines.

At that very moment, miles away in Xu Wang Valley, Xie Shiyuan—who had just arrived—suddenly felt an intense disturbance in his soul.

"Damn it! That little brat is courting death!"

Before his words even finished, his figure had already vanished.

Meanwhile, within a sealed underground cavern, an eerie figure sneered, "Are you playing games with me?"

Xie Shiyuan's voice, smooth yet mocking, echoed in the imprisoned spirit's mind: "So what if I am? You're nothing but a caged beast."

"You arrogant snake! How dare—AHHH—!"

Before the prisoner could finish his curse, another layer of toxic spiritual energy coated his binding formation, corroding his already weakened essence.

For the past several days, he had been secretly sending out distress signals to the demon clans, hoping for a rescue.

And after all that effort, the only thing that arrived... was this damned snake.

Worst of all, the snake was working for the enemy!

"You're aiding those hypocrites?! You'll die a miserable death!"

Xie Shiyuan simply sneered. He casually tore open space itself and vanished, cutting off the cries of agony behind him.

A mere remnant of the past dared to challenge him? Laughable.

Xie Shiyuan reappeared—not in Xu Wang Valley, but in the swamp where Qin Shu first landed when entering the trial realm.

The moment he arrived, the entire swamp erupted in chaos.

The creatures lurking in the murky depths had already been terrified by the mere trace of his presence earlier.

But now, as his true form stood above them, they scattered like a boiling pot of rice, their once-still waters churning violently.

If they could grow wings, they would have flown away.

Yet, Xie Shiyuan had no interest in these low-level beasts.

That foolish girl was dragging his inner core to her death—he had to stop her before it was too late.

His serpentine tail slithered swiftly through the murky depths, cutting through the forest like a shadow of death.

Where Qin Shu had spent twelve hours trekking, Xie Shiyuan covered the distance in mere moments.

A strange sense of dread crawled up Qin Shu's spine.

Bones littered the ground beneath her feet, but unlike the Silver Spirit Forest, these remains glowed faintly with a pink luminescence.

A sudden thought struck her:

"Wait... is this a formation?"

The moment that realization dawned, the pink lake responded.

Like an alluring siren, it called to her, its silent whispers drawing her closer.

Step by step, her body moved on its own.

The closer she got, the more densely packed the glowing bones became.

She raised one foot, preparing to step into the irresistible lake—

WHOOSH!

A dark tail lashed out, coiling around her waist.

In the next instant, she was yanked backward, flung onto the cold, bony ground.

Her tailbone slammed painfully against a leg bone, sending a sharp ache up her spine.

Qin Shu gasped in pain, clutching her lower back.

Then, she looked up—

Standing against the swirling pink mist, a tall, dark figure loomed over her, his presence so chilling that even the air seemed to freeze.

"...Big snake?" Qin Shu rubbed her eyes, doubting her own vision.

"Am I hallucinating? Why are you here?!"

Xie Shiyuan's cold golden eyes bored into her.

"If you want to die, do it alone," he said icily. "Do not take my inner core with you."

Qin Shu blinked, realization dawning.

Looking down, she saw she was no longer at the bottom of the pit—he had pulled her back up.

She frowned. "What... just happened?"

Something in that pink lake had called to her, luring her in without her even realizing it.

"Your cultivation is too weak," Xie Shiyuan said flatly. "Your mind was ensnared."

That only made Qin Shu's expression darken.

"Something inside the lake was controlling me?"

Xie Shiyuan hummed in agreement.

Then, without another word, he turned toward the pit and leaped down.

Qin Shu's jaw dropped.

"Wait, are you serious—?!"

Before she could finish, his shadow had already vanished into the thick mist below.

She scrambled to the edge, peering down just in time to see—

Nothing.

The mist had already swallowed him whole.

Frustrated, she hurled a string of fireballs downward.

At the pit's bottom, Xie Shiyuan glanced upward.

The fireballs flickered and popped like miniature fireworks as they were swallowed by the pink energy field.

The lake itself was filled with a strange vitality—for most, it was deadly poison.

For him?

A rare tonic.

As he dived into the water, the entire lake pulsed.

At its center, a mass of pale bones surrounded a single, ethereal lotus.

Floating beside it was a lotus pod, its jade-green seeds plump and glistening, radiating power.

The pink lotus mist drifted around it, like a dream made tangible, whispering sweetly to all who dared to look upon it.

It beckoned.

It enticed.

It ensnared.

Yet, Xie Shiyuan was not one to be bewitched.

His tail swept forward, coiling around the lotus pod.

In one swift motion, he ripped it from the lakebed.

Then, he turned back—

And after a moment of hesitation, he reached out and tore the entire lotus from its roots as well.

Qin Shu had been waiting for half a day with no response.

No battle.

No screams.

Not even a splash.

She sighed, bored, and kicked her feet over the edge.

"Ugh, I've been stuck here for five days. Only five days left until the trial ends. There are still so many places on the map I haven't explored!"

"I really don't want to waste any more time here!"

Just as that thought crossed her mind, a sudden gust of wind swept through the fallen leaves.

She turned her head—

And came face-to-face with a massive pink lotus.