Something was clearly wrong.
"There really is a source… this is serious," Yi Tianxing murmured."The Aura of Decline and Tribulation (衰劫之气) usually comes from either a powerful being undergoing the Five Decays of Heaven and Man, or the corpse of one who died during that tribulation. Either case—neither is to be trifled with."
Sang Yunyun's expression changed drastically. The joy that had filled her moments earlier vanished completely, replaced by unease.
"To suffer such a calamity without cause… our Silkworm Clan never provoked such enemies. Yet disaster struck anyway. How cruel fate can be!"
"Let's go take a look first," Yi Tianxing said calmly.
He had already achieved his goal: he'd met the mysterious Silkworm Maidens, and sealed an alliance with their clan. But now that something like this had emerged, how could he not investigate? This was part of his journey of experience and tempering—and this event was shaping up to be particularly entertaining.
"Take me with you!"Monkey chirped excitedly, clearly eager to join the fun.
"Let's go then."Yi Tianxing smirked. With a wave of his hand, he enveloped the three of them in a protective barrier, then directly sank into the earth—like a fish diving into water. The solid ground posed no obstruction at all.
After all, his body had fully awakened Five Element Life Apertures (五行命窍). To him, the elements of the world were like bare, seductive maidens—easily manipulated at will. The earth was no different. With his Earth Escape Technique, he moved freely and swiftly, effortlessly gliding underground.
In the blink of an eye, they passed through layers of soil—until suddenly, they broke into an underground space.
It wasn't large—perhaps large enough to accommodate a few thousand people—but it was sealed. No other passageways led out.
"What's that?" Monkey's sharp eyes caught sight of something in the center.
Even without light, cultivators like them could see clearly. And in the center of the chamber, there lay something monstrous:
A severed claw.
It was enormous—over a hundred meters long—and though only a part of the original limb, it exuded a terrifying, decaying aura. Its surface was rotting and ruptured, releasing tendrils of eerie gray-white mist that seeped into the earth and drifted upward—the Aura of Decline.
"So it came from here…"Sang Yunyun's face went pale."If we don't get rid of this claw, everything we've just done will be in vain. It'll only be a matter of time before the plague returns."
She felt deeply helpless. What had her clan done to deserve such torment?
Yi Tianxing narrowed his eyes.
"This claw isn't ordinary. It carries a familiar aura… this isn't from any native creature of the Eternal World," he muttered with growing interest.
"You recognize it?" Monkey asked, tilting his head in curiosity.
"If I'm not mistaken… this claw came from the Nightmare World (梦魇世界). It belonged to a nightmare creature."
"The Nightmare World?!" both Sang Yunyun and Monkey cried out, stunned.
They had never entered it, but they'd certainly heard the legends.
The Eternal World and the Evernight World were locked in eternal conflict—but the Nightmare World was a different beast altogether. It was not inferior to either. Mysterious and treacherous, it existed in a state between illusion and reality. Some claimed that wherever intelligent life existed, a corresponding Nightmare World would also exist.
It was even said that the nightmare realms were interconnected, though no one could say for certain.
What made the Nightmare World truly terrifying wasn't just the power of its inhabitants—but the unstable laws that governed it. A weak creature could become a towering monster in an instant. A harmless drop of water might turn into deadly poison the next moment. Nothing was certain—even peak experts could die without a trace.
"Destroying this claw won't be hard," Yi Tianxing said."But I suspect… this claw is actually an anchor—used to tether this space to the Nightmare World. It's not just decay leaking out; this may eventually become a gate. If left unchecked, nightmare creatures may cross over into our world."
His tone turned grim.
The Nightmare World's laws were already seeping into the surroundings, a sign that part of this realm was overlapping with nightmare space.
"So what now?" Sang Yunyun asked."Can destroying the claw sever the connection?"
"No," Yi Tianxing replied, shaking his head."Once the Nightmare Laws begin to corrode reality, simply breaking the anchor won't help. This claw likely belonged to a top-tier nightmare being—perhaps one undergoing its own tribulation. It was severed and cast into our world… but its original body still exists inside the Nightmare Realm."
"To truly stop this," he continued, "we'll have to enter the Nightmare World, locate the source of the anchor, and repair the breach from within."
This was one of the hardest truths about nightmare portals: they could only be sealed from inside. Without entering the realm, the best you could do was seal it temporarily.
Fortunately, Yi Tianxing was well prepared. He commanded the Nightmare Gate (梦魇之门) within the Great Yi, allowing his people to spiritually project themselves into the Nightmare World for training and exploration. His understanding of the realm was far greater than most cultivators.
"Then we really must go inside," Sang Yunyun said, frowning deeply."But once we enter… how do we get out again? If we're trapped in the Nightmare World forever…"
This was the greatest danger—becoming lost or trapped forever.
"No need to worry," Yi Tianxing said with a smile."Once we repair the breach, we can use the anchor's power to return. The anchor will dissolve once its connection is severed, eliminating the danger permanently."
"Also, I'll go alone. You're the Silkworm Clan's leader—it's too dangerous for you to risk it. No one knows what we'll find in there."
If something happened to her, it could shatter their alliance completely.
Besides, Yi Tianxing had long been interested in the Nightmare World. With its infinite population and boundless opportunities, it was an ideal place to seek new citizens for his empire.
"Take me with you!" Monkey grinned."I've always wanted to see the Nightmare World up close."
Now that he understood more about himself, he feared nothing. Even death would merely return him to his true body.
"I'll take the claw with me—it's better to remove the source of decay before it causes more harm," Yi Tianxing added.
With a wave of his hand, the severed claw disappeared into the Hongmeng Heavenly Emperor Tower (鸿蒙天帝塔). He placed it not in the mundane layers, but into the Chaos World, where Primordial Chaos would dissolve it over time. Even the most corrupt aura couldn't resist that primal force.
In the claw's original resting place, space had begun to twist and shimmer, evidence of the Nightmare Laws warping reality.
"Let me come too!" Sang Yunyun called out.
"No need," Yi Tianxing replied gently."We're allies now—I won't let harm come to you."
And with that, he stepped into the small portal, his body transforming into a stream of light and vanishing.
"Wait for me!" Monkey shouted, turning into a golden beam and following.
Sang Yunyun could only sigh and return to the surface.
"Tsk tsk… so this is the Nightmare World? Fascinating. Is this… a giant forest?"Monkey's voice echoed with wonder.