CHAPTER 297: CHAPTER 297: WELCOME TO SILENT CASTLE!

The environment around the two enveloped by the light screen rapidly changes, with mountains, rivers, forests, and deserts flashing by as if they are swiftly browsing through a series of scenic spots.

"This is what the Spirit Realm looks like when the tide rises. All the mysteries of the Spirit Realm surface with the rising tide, and we can take the opportunity to enter these places."

Duan Yiren said.

Obviously, she did a lot of homework before coming.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t understand these things so clearly.

"You are about to enter the tides. At that time, my connection with you will become weak. To return, you must find the right path within the Spirit Realm tides..."

Inside the light screen.

Yao Ji’s voice sounds.

Before Baiyu could inquire further.

The two suddenly feel their bodies descending rapidly, as if doing a free fall from high altitude.

Thump.

A dull sound echoes.

The two crash into a pit in the dark ground, and the light screen shatters at that moment. Although they aren’t hurt, it feels harrowing nonetheless.

"This place is..."

Duan Yiren looks around.

Darkness, only endless darkness can be seen.

The stars in the sky twinkle faintly, and a layer of black fog covers the ground, limiting visibility to their immediate surroundings.

In the distance, the fierce roar of beasts occasionally breaks the silence.

Although Duan Yiren is somewhat slow to react, she realizes they are in the Dark Realm, a well-known area within the Spirit Realm, famous for being shrouded in darkness year-round.

The true extent of the Spirit Realm remains unknown to the Human Race.

However.

Many major domains each have their own characteristics and territorial awareness.

Every creature in the Spirit Realm values its territorial awareness greatly.

The two stand up from the pit.

After Baiyu confirms that the Dream Pocket Watch and the Suffering Paperman are intact, he looks into the fog.

Whoosh...

A point of light suddenly brightens in the distant darkness, moving towards them.

The light grows brighter.

Once closer, they can see it’s an old man hunched like an old dog, wearing ragged clothes.

He carries a lantern and walks extremely slowly to stop before them.

"Two guests?"

"And you are?"

"The Guide. I know you have a lot of questions, but I don’t have time to explain right now. Follow me. With just your own strength, you can’t reach the Ancient Castle."

The two exchanged puzzled glances.

But at this moment, they don’t have many other options.

Though the old man lacks any Blood Qi, his presence is terrifying, inciting a sense of helplessness just by facing him.

If he wanted to harm them, he wouldn’t need to use any tricks.

Baiyu follows first.

Seeing this, Duan Yiren also follows, standing closely beside Baiyu.

"You’d better not stray from the lantern’s range. In this darkness, there are many dangers; many guests who come here die on the way."

The old man says without turning his head.

The lantern illuminates only a few meters ahead.

The two silently ponder the meaning of the word "guests" in their hearts.

It’s just that the old man clearly doesn’t want to say much more.

In the darkness.

The three proceed silently.

Besides Baiyu and Duan Yiren, the old man travels to several other places, gradually gathering over ten people.

These people also have confused, puzzled, and exploratory looks in their eyes.

They, much like Baiyu’s situation, only partially understand their surroundings.

However.

Not all of them are human; there are also non-human individuals.

For instance, a member of the Demon Race, whom Baiyu notices.

Along with ancient amphibian men and porcupine men.

These alien races often battle the Human Race and are quite famous, easily recognized by Duan Yiren.

She and Baiyu communicate by writing and drawing on each other’s palms.

Once the group reaches a certain size, the old man finally pauses for a moment and reminds, "You’d better not leave my lantern’s light.

Since you’re here to participate in the game, you definitely don’t want any unexpected accidents; it would be a wasted trip."

After speaking.

He marches straight into the darkness, followed by a group of people who maintain slight distances from each other, with no one speaking.

Even rival races wisely restrain themselves in such an environment, maintaining silence.

The long, tedious journey takes over an hour to end.

During this time, the roars of beasts in the darkness continuously sound, and gigantic figures as large as hills pass through the dense fog, causing the old man’s lantern to flicker several times.

Only now does Baiyu realize the great difficulty humans face in exploring the Spirit Realm.

Just this one Dark Realm.

An ordinary Martial Artist entering here might find it hard to return alive.

Now they don’t know how deep into the Dark Realm they are.

"We have arrived."

After who knows how long, the old man suddenly stops, his voice hoarse.

The crowd halts.

Ahead, it opens up to bright clarity.

This is a volcano...

To be precise, it’s a castle built upon a volcano.

The castle is supported by a massive pillar of stone, rooted in the flowing lava, and atop this platform sits an ancient castle as grand as a palace complex.

The castle exterior features rectangular brickwork, with the outermost wall towering at no less than thirty meters high.

The castle is structured like a nested doll.

Even behind the series of buildings following the first wall lies an even higher wall.

It’s like a city within a city.

At the highest point of the castle stands a magnificent palace, shining brilliantly against the darkness.

The castle stands alone on a giant rock.

Surrounding it is a circular cliff, a hundred meters deep, with boiling lava flowing at the bottom of the cliff.

If one were to fall off, even ten lives wouldn’t be enough to survive.

Connecting the castle to the rest of the land is a drawbridge lined with red candles flickering in the wind.

"Let’s go."

The old man steps onto the drawbridge first.

The group follows closely.

The expanse of the castle is vast.

It takes them several dozen minutes just to traverse from the drawbridge to the castle gates and then from the gates to the township.

Then, entering through the main gate of the township and crossing a large corridor, they arrive at the castle’s first main hall.

The old man does not enter.

The people, who had journeyed from the landing site to the castle, pause momentarily before the massive ten-meter bronze gate suddenly opens on its own.

A harsh creaking is heard as the gates part.

A splendid hall emerges in view.

First to catch the eye is a metal rectangular table over twenty meters long.

The table has thirteen seats in total.

Six on each side.

And a master seat facing the gate.

At the moment.

A pure black figure occupies the seat.

The reason it’s described as pure black.

Is because the individual wears a black robe, his face and hands enveloped in deep darkness, possessing no tangible body.

It’s as if an empty black robe sits on the cold Iron Throne.

The crowd hesitates.

"Ladies and gentlemen, to have the fortune to reach here, you are favored by luck."

At this moment.

The black-robed figure suddenly stands up, speaking with an infectious voice: "Welcome to the Silent Castle!"