Chapter 844: Approaching Danger Step by Step

Zhao Ruizhi's eyes were filled with excitement. Thinking of immortality, he didn't even bother to pay attention to Zu'an and the others. After all, possessing the Crown Prince was his last resort; if he could truly live forever, wouldn't it be better to stay in his own body?

He walked to the edge of the floating island, about to fly towards the three islands in the sky. Although they were hundreds of feet away, it wasn't a great distance for him. However, he suddenly paused, hesitating for a moment before instructing He Li, who was nearby, "You go up and take a look."

He Li's face immediately turned pale. Although he was curious about the fortunes these immortal mountains held, he had always been timid and cautious and instantly understood that the emperor intended for him to scout ahead. After experiencing nearly half a month of catastrophic events, and despite the current peaceful scenery, he knew not what dangers lurked within. Unfortunately, he had no choice but to obey the order, so a plan quickly formed in his mind.

He went to the side and instructed several experts from Prince Qi's mansion to scout ahead, promising them that any good things they found first would be theirs. These individuals were usually slow-witted and easily swayed. Sure enough, when those experts heard this condition, their breathing immediately quickened. The appearance of the distant immortal mountains was truly stunning, looking exactly like the legendary abodes of immortals. If they could be the first to reach them, who knew what immortal fate awaited them. Even if there was nothing else, at least there were those extraordinary-looking mysterious fruits; eating them should significantly increase their cultivation, if not completely transform them. So the few people excitedly agreed.

From a distance, Zhao Ruizhi gave a faint smile; He Li was indeed a talented individual. As long as someone scouted ahead, he didn't care who it was. As for anything truly valuable they might obtain, if he didn't care for it, then so be it. But if he did, would he really let them keep it?

Those experts from Prince Qi's mansion were below ninth-rank cultivation and could not yet fly. However, now that the world had stabilized, various small floating islands were drifting everywhere, and the distance between any two wasn't too far; with their cultivation, it wasn't difficult to jump across. He Li even gave them a push; with his peak ninth-rank cultivation, he could easily throw a stone of the same weight across. Those experts, using He Li's push, kicked off and rushed like cannonballs towards the nearest small floating island. They worried about being beaten to it by their companions, each of them exerting all their might.

However, they were only halfway there when their expressions suddenly changed. "What's happening?" someone cried out in terror, as they discovered that their strength had suddenly vanished! Then their entire bodies plummeted downwards like lumps of iron. They flailed their arms desperately like drowning people, trying to grasp something, but what could they grasp in mid-air? Soon, all of them fell from the sky, emitting desperate, terrified screams that made everyone listening turn pale.

For some time now, the dense mist below had been continuously rising and was not far from these small floating islands in the air. However, compared to the initial oppressive blackness, the light of the sky had now reappeared above, and the black mist had gradually turned pink, as beautiful as an evening glow. These people quickly fell into the mist, and then their screams abruptly ceased.

"Huh?" With such a commotion, it was hard for Zu'an on the other side not to notice. The laws of heaven and earth had clearly stabilized by now, so why would they still fall? And if such large floating islands could float in the sky, why couldn't much smaller people? He quickly asked Mi Li, finding himself somewhat dependent on her, much like how he relied on search engines in his previous life for all sorts of questions.

Mi Li explained, "Every world has its own unique rules, which can be strange and varied; you simply have to accept them. Grandmasters and even those above Earth Immortals can form their own domains, which are like tiny worlds where the rules are entirely self-determined. They often establish rules different from the norm to weaken enemies entering their domain. If an enemy doesn't know this, they can suffer greatly."

Zu'an immediately recalled his previous encounter with Zhao Ruizhi, where he was completely immobilized by his domain. If not for the cataclysmic changes that caused elemental chaos and disrupted the opponent's domain, he would probably have died long ago. Mi Li continued, "This secret realm is clearly similar; it likely has a no-flight rule. As for why these huge floating islands can float in the air but people cannot, you don't need to investigate the reason. You simply need to know that what exists is reasonable. In the future, you might even encounter more incredible rules."

Zu'an listened, half-understanding, thinking it was truly amazing to be able to define one's own world. He imagined that if he could one day define the world's laws, there would be beaches and waves everywhere, streets full of bikinis, and at most, people would only wear tank tops and hot pants.

Just then, Mi Li's voice came: "Pay special attention to those red mists. Thunder is no longer visible, so why did those people's screams vanish the moment they fell?"

Zu'an asked doubtfully, "Is it poisonous?"

"If it were merely poisonous, you should be grateful, as you are now immune to all poisons," Mi Li said, frowning. "But even potent poisons wouldn't instantly silence those experts. Moreover, these mists are rising; although slowly, they will reach here eventually."

On the other side, the loyal guards from Prince Qi's mansion, seeing the tragic state of their companions, refused to try anything. He Li's scalp also tingled as he thought, "It's over. What should I do if the emperor tells me to go?" Fortunately, Zhao Ruizhi clearly had no time for him; instead, he was at the edge of the cliff, looking at the mist below.

Suddenly, he made a summoning gesture, and a terrified roar echoed from the mountain forest as the tail of a giant python, nearly a hundred feet long, was already in his hand. The giant python twisted desperately, trying to coil around Zhao Ruizhi and opening its huge mouth to bite him. Zhao Ruizhi snorted coldly and flicked his wrist. The giant python's body rippled, and with that single motion, all its bones were dislocated. Its entire body hung limply like noodles, unable to resist any longer. Although it had cultivated to its current level, it ultimately had not overcome the weaknesses of a snake. The fierce beasts in the mountain forest retreated in terror, as if feeling safer the further away they were from him. The onlookers around them swallowed hard, each marveling at his power. Such a terrifying high-tier fierce beast was subdued by him with such ease.

Zhao Ruizhi lifted the giant python and lowered it into the pink mist below. With its enormous length, the serpent barely reached the edge of the mist. Soon, he frowned and pulled the giant python back up. Everyone around them turned pale. Because only half of the giant python's head remained, the front half had completely vanished, and there wasn't even a drop of blood at the severed end, as if sealed by some unknown force.

Everyone finally understood why the screams of those people had instantly vanished after they fell: like the serpent's head, they had been completely corroded by an unknown, mysterious force! Seeing that the dense mist continued to rise, most people in the area were filled with despair.

Zu'an secretly sighed, "This guy is truly ruthless. That giant python guarded his refuge for the past half-month; it was a companion fighting alongside him, yet he turned on it so quickly." Bi Linglong's small face also turned pale, muttering, "The imperial family is the most ruthless." In truth, she should have understood this principle, but previously, as the Crown Princess, the emperor had always supported the Crown Prince. His ruthless tactics were used against enemies, and she had admired and even somewhat worshipped them. But now that she herself was the emperor's enemy, she truly understood how terrifying he was.

Zu'an gently patted her hand in comfort. Just then, Zhao Ruizhi's cold voice came from the other side: "Stop flirting and think about how to get up there." Even with his abilities, he now felt a bit helpless. After all, the rules of this new world suppressed him too much; otherwise, a mere few hundred feet would not have been difficult for him. Although he deeply hated Zu'an, he had to admit that Zu'an was always quick-witted and had many strange and varied skills. Perhaps he had a solution. The dense mist below was getting closer. Although with his cultivation, such mist might not necessarily harm him, he couldn't withstand being immersed in it indefinitely over a long period, especially since he still desired immortality.

Hearing Zhao Ruizhi's words, Zu'an chuckled, "So you're asking for my help? At least show some humility then. Say something nice to amuse me first?"