Deep within the bottom of the dark abyss.
Zi Lingling, Ye Lingyuan, Zi Guochang, the Demon Dragon Ao Xiang, Long'er, and Xiao Hu cautiously advanced.
The deeper the three humans and three beasts went, the more concentrated the dark elements became, and the demonic energy surged in tandem.
"Ye Lingyuan, perhaps you were right. This place might really have something to do with the demon realm!"
Zi Lingling looked at the increasingly dense demonic energy in the depths, a hint of amusement in her eyes.
She wasn't joking; even if this wasn't an entrance to the demon realm, it was inextricably linked to it.
Of course, others might be helpless against demonic energy, but with the Heaven and Earth Demonic Pearl in her possession, she was utterly unfazed.
"You are not afraid of demonic energy?"
The Demon Dragon Ao Xiang then noticed that Zi Lingling's eyes were incredibly clear, with no trace of erosion by the demonic energy.
Not only Zi Lingling, but Ye Lingyuan and Zi Guochang were also unaffected.
"Demonic energy? Heh heh!"
Zi Lingling said disdainfully, "That's just something that affects those with weak wills or inner demons."
Ye Lingyuan, though silent, showed no reservation in his contemptuous gaze.
Zi Guochang also scoffed, "Twelve years ago, I couldn't resist the erosion of demonic energy, but now? Even if the source of demonic energy were placed inside me, it might not have an effect.
As Lin'er says, that thing is only effective against those with weaknesses. For example, love, greed, jealousy, resentment, and the like.
In other words, demonic energy is simply amplified negative human emotions."
The Demon Dragon Ao Xiang's eyes flashed with understanding upon hearing this.
Pitiable, he had been in demonic energy for a thousand years, believing he had developed strong resistance.
But after hearing Zi Lingling and Zi Guochang's words today, he realized how utterly wrong he had been.
It turned out that resisting demonic energy wasn't about defense, but about adjusting one's mindset.
This meant constantly monitoring the switch for negative emotions within oneself, and not getting stuck in a rut.
As the Demon Dragon Ao Xiang gained this realization, the group ventured deeper.
And the summoning force that Zi Lingling felt grew increasingly intense.
Suddenly, Ye Lingyuan and Zi Lingling stopped simultaneously, their faces growing grim.
"This is... a formation?!"
Zi Lingling was shocked.
So many of them had unknowingly stumbled into a formation, which spoke volumes about its sophistication.
"Demon Dragon, how were you severely injured the last time you were here?"
Zi Lingling looked at the Demon Dragon Ao Xiang and asked cautiously.
On their way in, the Demon Dragon Ao Xiang had explained to everyone the events of his previous entry a thousand years ago.
The Demon Dragon Ao Xiang recalled, frowning, "I was blinded by rage then and seemed to have been instantly wounded. I have no memory of the process, but I vaguely recall seeing Xi Xi."
"No memory? Seeing Xi Xi?"
Zi Lingling paused, then said gravely, "It seems we're in trouble!"
She said this because Elder Du had informed her.
Elder Du had told her that this type of formation was called a Triggered Mind-Confusing Array.
It was called "triggered" because the method of triggering the array differed for each person, with no fixed time, location, or condition.
Just as the Demon Dragon Ao Xiang described, it was all sudden.
It was like a sword hanging over everyone's head, its descent unpredictable.
That suffocating feeling left one utterly powerless.
Furthermore, the Mind-Confusing Array itself was a combination of an illusion array and a killing array.
It was an illusion array because it could simulate the most profound memories in a person's heart, making them relive experiences.
And it was a killing array because death within the Mind-Confusing Array meant true death, with no escape for the soul, resulting in complete annihilation.
Even more terrifying was that because the Mind-Confusing Array was triggered, it had no core.
Or rather, within the area covered by the Triggered Mind-Confusing Array, anything, even a grain of sand, could become its core.
This meant that anyone who individually stumbled into the Triggered Mind-Confusing Array could only escape by breaking through the illusion; there was no other way.
As for the saying, "In the face of absolute power, all is a paper tiger," it was an empty boast before the Triggered Mind-Confusing Array.
This was because the Triggered Mind-Confusing Array grew weaker against the weak and stronger against the strong.