There was no Heavenly Gate, nor any Jade Palaces in the sky; it was all an illusion.

Jiang Baiyu’s eyes were deep like the starry sky, shrouded in mystery. He found himself in a peculiar state, as if some unseen force was guiding him, like a god’s perspective. The excruciating pain in his head faded away, and the noisy sounds around him drifted into the distance. He saw the truth behind the so-called Heavenly Gate. The vision was bizarre, as if he were looking from the bottom of a river to the shore. It felt far away, like it was at the edge of the sky, yet also very close, as if it were right in front of him, making it impossible to define the distance.

Three hairy monsters, with human-like outlines, were indistinct. They were boiling something in a cauldron, with steaming hot water bubbling up, and fragrant aromas wafting over, transforming into an intoxicating scent that drove one mad; just a whiff could make someone feel tipsy.

Two of the monsters tossed things into the cauldron and stirred it, the aroma quickly becoming even more tempting, making one feel dazed with just a breath. Another monster filled a container with the soup and poured it out, instantly transforming it into countless droplets of sweet dew that fell like rain in the heavenly forest.

This sweet dew was rich in spiritual energy and had miraculous effects. The first wave of dew made Xie Yan lose his senses, and Jing Yanhang held on tightly to prevent him from rushing into the formation ahead. The second wave of dew had an even stronger effect, causing even Jing Yanhang to start feeling dazed. He was aware that something was wrong and struggled to resist, but he couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming desire for more dew.

Lou Yuzhu and Bai Xianzhu also had dazed expressions, caught in a tug-of-war between clarity and confusion. Having also endured the sweet dew, Jiang Baiyu felt as if he were drenched in rain, the starry sky in his eyes becoming even deeper. He wanted to see clearly what lay behind that illusion; everything before him was simply too bizarre, yet it felt as if something was blocking him from truly seeing.

The strange aroma he smelled assaulted his brain, carrying a deadly allure that even seasoned cultivators found hard to resist. Among the five, only Jiang Baiyu could maintain his calm and rationality, but his current state was also quite strange, as an invisible force isolated him from external influences, eliminating all distractions.

As the third wave of dew fell, Xie Yan went completely mad, his eyes bright and fiery as he shouted, “I want to become an immortal! I want to become an immortal!” and charged forward. Jing Yanhang swayed unsteadily, unable to hold back the explosive energy of Xie Yan, and even his own feet seemed to move forward on their own.

His will struggled desperately, his soul and body pulling against each other, as the intoxicating aroma crazily invaded his nostrils. A voice in his head tempted him to move forward, promising him blessings and opportunities; as long as he moved forward, he could comprehend the truth of the heavenly way and ascend to the skies.

Countless voices echoed in his mind, transforming into a powerful desire that drove his body. Jing Yanhang was not alone; Lou Yuzhu and Bai Xianzhu were similarly affected. What they saw in their eyes was the Heavenly Gate and the luxurious Jade Palaces, a stunning beauty pieced together from human fantasies, distant and unattainable, high above.

That aroma was the temptation from the heavenly palace, and the sweet dew was a gift from the heavens, the chance to ascend right before them, gripping the hearts of the cultivators tightly. Xie Yan was completely entranced, and the three of them lost control of their feet, disappearing into the formation one after another.

Then the scene Jiang Baiyu was observing changed. The monster pouring the soup brightened its eyes and reached down with its hairy hand, passing through the invisible barrier, transforming into a giant hand that began to pick and choose among the four. The soup in the cauldron continued to bubble, and the two monsters urged it on, impatiently.

The giant hand casually grabbed one person to take away. The chosen one was Lou Yuzhu. The remaining three lost their minds, completely unresponsive.

Jiang Baiyu, who had been standing still, finally moved. He condensed a star chain and shot it toward the giant hand, penetrating through. Without hesitation, he stepped into the formation, and as soon as his foot crossed the threshold, he once again directed the star chain to wrap around the giant hand, this time successfully.

Lou Yuzhu, who was caught, had vacant eyes, unusually obedient and quiet. The power surged along the star chain, tightly wrapping around the giant hand, producing a sound like metal clashing. The seemingly ordinary hairy giant hand had incredibly strong defenses. Jiang Baiyu did not engage in a struggle; he decisively unleashed a Starburst Spike, and sure enough, the invisible barrier transformed into the sharpest blade, severing the giant hand that had reached into the formation space, the severed limb instantly turning to ash.

The monster howled in pain, and the two companions immediately surrounded it, their eyes filled with rage. The formation space was like a torn container, with one furry giant hand after another reaching in, fiercely grabbing at the only conscious and mobile Jiang Baiyu, their target clear.

Another Starburst Spike severed the giant hand. The monsters grew even angrier, their eyes bloodshot, and after gathering their strength, new hands sprouted from the severed stumps, reaching once more into the formation space.

They were like hunters trying to catch prey in a trap, but when they reached in, they got hurt, their ferocity unleashed. They roared and howled, clearly extremely irritable and angry. Their bodies were as hard as metal, capable of using the cauldron to cook soup, and they knew how to lure prey into traps, yet they seemed not very clever; this troublesome formation did not seem like something they could create. After suffering a loss, they were furious, only knowing to keep reaching in to grab.

Jiang Baiyu could only attack the parts of the monsters that reached into the formation space, unable to strike at the other side, as the invisible barrier blocked the transmission of his power.

There was no doubt that the reaction from using the Starburst Spike confirmed that they were in a different space from the monsters; the two places were forcibly pieced together by some power. Logically, this passage should be bidirectional; if the monsters could reach in, Jiang Baiyu should also be able to cross the barrier to the other side.

The trapping formation only allowed entry but not exit, yet it could connect to other spaces, making it the perfect kidnapping tool.

Finally, the monsters were completely enraged; they picked up the cauldron filled with soup and hurled it toward Jiang Baiyu. Based on the size of the cauldron compared to the monsters, it naturally fell into the formation space, transforming into a massive cauldron, with soup spilling out. Jiang Baiyu could only fly up, using the star chain to pull the four people along.

The repeated severing of hands ultimately made the monsters wary; after flipping the cauldron, they ran away in a huff. Just a little spilled soup could cause the four to become like this; with the entire cauldron crashing down, the area was filled with soup, the intense aroma rushing in, desperately invading their nostrils. Jiang Baiyu landed on the giant cauldron, placing the four down, and indeed, they were like soulless puppets, completely unresponsive.

Then, he kept staring upward. As the monsters fled, the strange phenomenon also vanished.

A ball of spiritual light flew out from his small pouch, transforming into a handsome young man. The person, Lin Zhao, waved his hand, and the fragrant soup floated up, the giant cauldron also levitating, adjusting its position to stand upright again, with the soup flowing back into the cauldron. He focused on the things the monsters had thrown into the soup, frowning in thought, taking a portion to examine closely.

The more he looked, the more shocking it became. He stared at the soup in the cauldron for a long while before suddenly jumping in.

Jiang Baiyu heard the sound and looked down, seeing Lin Zhao jump into the soup, his eyes widening involuntarily.

Lin Zhao said, “Come down.”

Jiang Baiyu replied, “…”

Lin Zhao continued, “Practicing in this medicinal pool has immense benefits.”

Jiang Baiyu said, “…”

After Lin Zhao finished speaking, he ignored Jiang Baiyu’s reaction and floated on the water’s surface, sitting cross-legged to cultivate.

As he cultivated, the medicinal liquid began to boil again, bubbling continuously, the rich aroma practically seeping through the pores into the human body.

The medicinal liquid gradually disappeared in the boiling, leaving only the cauldron.

Suddenly, Jiang Baiyu heard an angry roar, familiar yet more rugged.

In the next second, a larger hairy hand reached down from above, unhesitatingly grabbing toward the giant cauldron. Jiang Baiyu decisively unleashed a Starburst Spike; the power that temporarily severed the connection in space was invincible, and this hairy hand was also severed, instantly eliciting a painful roar. Jiang Baiyu looked up, his starry eyes piercing through the illusion, once again penetrating the invisible barrier to see the other side.

There stood a larger and more robust monster, compared to it, the previous three monsters looked like cubs. Its fur was as hard as steel needles, densely packed, with strong muscles, a fierce face, and cold eyes filled with the killing intent of a hunter, its roar deafening.

Looking down, the trapping formation space resembled a cage. It roared angrily, letting out a shrill cry at the two.

In an instant, the entire space was filled with this sound, a demonic sound piercing through the mind. Even though Jiang Baiyu defended himself in time, he still felt as if his liver and gallbladder were being shaken, his head buzzing. He quickly checked on the four, and sure enough, they were all severely injured, yet they showed no reaction, their eyes vacant, blood trickling from their ears.

Jiang Baiyu immediately took out healing pills to feed them, which melted in their mouths.

Above, another furry giant hand reached down, aiming for the giant cauldron.

Lin Zhao raised his hand, and an invisible force immediately grasped it, pulling it down hard, seemingly intending to drag this fierce and massive monster into the formation space. Unable to grab the cauldron, it was instead pulled down, the giant monster startled and furious, letting out roars, still trying to use the same trick.

Before it could act, Lin Zhao had already pulled it down fiercely, half of its body entering the formation space.

The formation space was extremely narrow for it, making it hard to move, but upon seeing Jiang Baiyu and Lin Zhao, it instinctively launched an attack. Just as it was about to roar, Lin Zhao had already appeared in front of it, delivering a kick that made its head spin.

Fast, accurate, ruthless, clean, and decisive, without any hesitation.

Then he devoured the monster, its blood and flesh essence transforming into energy flowing toward him.

Lin Zhao asked, “Is there more?”

Jiang Baiyu replied, “There are three left.”

The three little monsters, seeing the big monster being dragged down, struggled violently for a moment before going still, then completely vanished, terrified and wanting to escape. The star chain instantly passed through the invisible barrier to the other side, binding the three of them and pulling them into the formation space.

The monsters were powerful, and the star chain couldn’t pull them immediately. Lin Zhao lent a hand, and Jiang Baiyu immediately felt much lighter.

The terrified screams of the little monsters echoed far away, then abruptly stopped.

Having swallowed the energy of four monsters in one go, Lin Zhao seemed unsatisfied, clearly pleased, with joy evident in his expression.

On a whim, Jiang Baiyu asked, “Is it tasty?”

Lin Zhao smiled lightly, “Do you want to try?”

Jiang Baiyu, with his starry eyes, leaned in to take a taste.