The group continued forward, passing one stone ridge after another.
After another half a day, they had journeyed an unknown distance into the depths, yet found nothing.
Amidst the mist, someone faintly heard roars and birdsong. Turning, they saw a stone pillar, like a coiled green dragon, slowly beginning to rotate, as if alive.
The person stared, mesmerized. Phantoms emerged from the dragon pillar, like dragon roars, soaring into the sky.
"It's alive, the dragon is alive!" he exclaimed, looking at the sky in shock.
A green divine dragon circled overhead, sometimes disappearing into the clouds, sometimes diving down. Its ferocious head was immense, and it opened its mighty jaws, exhaling dragon breath directly at him. Terrified, he stumbled to the ground, screaming.
Those nearby stared at him in shock. "Xu Hai, what's wrong with you?"
The others saw nothing. This man, however, had suddenly fallen to the ground, his hair rapidly turning white, aging at an accelerated pace. The sight caused everyone to recoil in horror.
As if contagious, as this man began to change, others also witnessed different phenomena.
Some saw colorful phoenixes flying across the sky, with seven-colored clouds appearing on the horizon, a breathtaking spectacle that held their gaze. To the others, however, he appeared dazed and disoriented, his face covered in sweat, his hair gradually turning white.
"How can this be? Everyone is aging so quickly!" Duan Jinghong's face was grim.
He saw nothing – no magical beasts, no enemies, not even any celestial changes. But it was precisely because of this that he found the unseen enemy even more terrifying, impossible to resist.
Turning, he saw his son, Duan Shu, had already knelt down, staring blankly ahead, his eyes filled with infatuation, as if he were seeing a peerless beauty.
He was aging visibly, transforming from a middle-aged man into an old man, yet he was unaware.
"Shu'er, what's wrong with you?" Duan Jinghong quickly pulled him up, his hands trembling.
"So beautiful, a beauty… how can there be such beauty in the world? Truly a celestial fairy…" Duan Shu stared blankly ahead. After a long while, he turned to look at Duan Jinghong, his expression dazed and infatuated. "Father, can't you see her? The fairy in front is too beautiful. I want to marry her…"
"Shu'er, what on earth is wrong with you? Where is any fairy!"
Duan Jinghong was both panicked and agitated. He struck Duan Shu on the head. Staggering, Duan Shu clutched his head and said in a hoarse, dazed voice, "She's gone? Father, why did the fairy disappear after you hit me?"
"No, it's fake, it's an illusion!" Duan Jinghong cursed angrily, but his heart was filled with extreme terror.
"What a majestic celestial steed!"
"Look quickly, golden Ganoderma! So much golden Ganoderma, let's gather it!"
"Hehehehe, why are there so many gems all of a sudden? Oh heavens, a mountain of gems! We're rich!"
Disciples from various sects spoke absurdities as if possessed, aging rapidly themselves.
Duan Jinghong watched the eerie scene of the surrounding disciples rapidly aging, his forehead veins bulging, his eyes bloodshot. He suddenly roared, "It's all an illusion! Don't look, don't think, or you will all age to death!"
But it was too late.
Some disciples with lower cultivation levels didn't hear Duan Jinghong's words. Their eyes were infatuated, their expressions dazed, their white hair turning snow-white, their facial skin dry and withered like tree bark. Finally, they collapsed powerlessly to the ground, as if their life essence had been drained, becoming mere skin and bones before dying.
Shang Xie Zhuo and Madam Yao Guang stared, stunned. After a while, they reacted and also shouted.
"It's an illusion! Don't look! Close your eyes everyone and guard your hearts!"
Madam Yao Guang pointed a finger at Wen Dai'er's forehead, then quickly pointed at the foreheads of the other three Tian Ji. They trembled, stood frozen, and then quickly closed their eyes.
The same happened on the Longevity Hall's side. Shang Xie Zhuo loudly reminded them. The disciples with higher cultivation and stronger minds quickly understood. They immediately sat down cross-legged, closed their eyes, and circulated their energy to resist the invasion of illusions.
At this moment, the Qing Xu Heavenly Realm was no better off.
Tang Xiao Guo and Bai Qi, with the lowest cultivation, also couldn't resist the pervasive illusions. Fortunately, Li Tian Jue acted in time, sealing their acupoints and shouting reminders. Only then did the two become slightly clearer.
By this time, Tang Xiao Guo had become an old woman in her fifties with white hair, and Bai Qi had aged even further, becoming a white-haired elder with wrinkled skin and white hair. Seeing this, Su Luo and Chu Tian Shu were filled with sorrow.
This was the terror of the Life and Death Chasm!
Perhaps no one had ever returned alive over the years because they encountered unimaginable things, and no one knew how they died.
Just then, Li Tian Jue turned to look at Su Luo, noticing she was gazing intently ahead, and her appearance was gradually returning to normal.
"Luoluo, you…"
Li Tian Jue stared at her, filled with surprise. "You're slowly becoming younger. It's incredible, how did you do it?"
Su Luo seemed still immersed in her own enlightenment and didn't answer him immediately.
She had realized that the root cause of everyone aging was unstable minds and the illusions created by too many desires.
Each of them had a purpose in entering the Life and Death Chasm. The Longevity Hall, the Six Desires Sect, and those from Penglai Island had come seeking the secret to godhood. As for those from their Qing Xu Heavenly Realm, they wanted to find their Master Bai Yan Shu and rescue him.
Everyone harbored different objectives, with gains and losses, filling their hearts with vulnerabilities.
In the special environment of the Life and Death Chasm, this could easily lead to unstable minds, allowing inner demons to exploit the weaknesses and create various illusions.
Once Su Luo understood this point, she quickly adjusted and discarded distracting thoughts. Miraculously, something happened. Although she hadn't expected to regain her youth, hearing Li Tian Jue's words, she understood.
"I understand, Senior Brother…"
Su Luo looked up at Li Tian Jue and shared her realization.
Li Tian Jue, already extremely intelligent, understood as soon as Su Luo spoke. He closed his eyes slightly, then opened them again, and his appearance also began to recover rapidly. Like a return to youth, he reverted to his original appearance before everyone's eyes.
"Senior Brother, you've recovered too! That's wonderful, how did you do it?"
Chu Tian Shu and the others were both surprised and delighted.
This commotion alerted the others.
Duan Jinghong stared in shock at Li Tian Jue and Su Luo returning to normal, almost unable to believe his eyes. He rushed forward, anxiously shouting, "How did you do it? What did you eat? Did you eat the Ten Thousand Year Vermilion Fruit, or some other spiritual medicine? Tell me quickly!"
He tried to grab Li Tian Jue's hand but was repelled by a palm strike. Duan Jinghong remained agitated, "Quickly, tell me! How did you recover? We all aged and died, why did you two recover?"
As if suspecting them, Duan Jinghong glared fiercely at Su Luo, as if he was about to attack at any moment!
At this moment, Shang Xie Zhuo walked over and pushed Duan Jinghong aside. "Island Master Duan, calm down! If Young Master Li and the others can recover, so can we. Just ask calmly, why the rush?"
Looking at the now handsome and dashing Li Tian Jue and the youthful and beautiful Su Luo, he couldn't help but breathe heavily.
But he managed to restrain himself.
Su Luo then nodded and said, "Sect Leader Shang Xie, I only just realized it. The environment here is indeed very complex, filled with a strange energy. As long as one has distracting thoughts, they might see illusions and age prematurely. But if one discards distracting thoughts…"
After she finished speaking, everyone suddenly understood. So that was how it was.