Jiang Yifeng's eyes deepened, becoming solemn, as though he were lost in endless contemplation.
He thought to himself, *How did she know the questions I wanted to ask?*
Time passed, yet Jiang Yifeng remained silent, his mind racing with various possibilities.
Gradually, an idea flashed through his thoughts.
In this land, someone had been deliberately hunting down local immortal cultivators. Even those merely seeking immortality could not escape their unfortunate fate.
Those who managed to survive in such a harsh environment and continued to cultivate immortality must have either faced relentless pursuit or were aware of the hunters lurking in the shadows.
Otherwise, living safely in such a place would be nothing more than a foolish dream.
Realizing this, Jiang Yifeng finally understood.
The questions he wished to ask were, in fact, the very key to answers every immortal cultivator in this land longed for.
Given that, it was no surprise Bai Ruoxue had been able to guess his thoughts.
At last, Jiang Yifeng sighed deeply in his heart, thinking, *It truly aligns with the old saying: the older ginger is spicier!*
Bai Ruoxue, being a great cultivator, had long since seen through everything.
At the same time, Jiang Yifeng grasped her intentions.
Bai Ruoxue seemed dissatisfied with those hunting local cultivators. Moreover, once he discovered the truth, it would inevitably lead him to seek redemption, resulting in inevitable conflict with those hunters.
However, none of that was critical. Even without knowing the reasons behind it, he couldn't escape the hunters' pursuit.
His previous simulations had already taught him that whether it was his unexpected encounter or the upheaval in his family, it all boiled down to the prohibition of immortal cultivation in this place.
To address the root cause, Jiang Yifeng needed to uncover the truth. Only then could he better utilize the simulator to resolve the issue.
Without hesitation, he spoke decisively:
"Senior Bai, may I ask why cultivating immortals is forbidden here? Why does someone hunt you down the moment you cultivate immortality? More importantly, how can one escape this forbidden land?"
Bai Ruoxue was not surprised by Jiang Yifeng's questions.
She spoke slowly:
"This place was once called the Southern Region, one of the four major regions of the Nine Profound Realm."
"For reasons unknown, the heavenly beings were angered, turning this land into a place of heavenly punishment. Every few decades, heavenly thunder descends, killing practitioners."
"My senior brother's sect was eradicated by the heavenly thunder. That's how I knew you were not a disciple of Tianxuan Temple."
At this point, Bai Ruoxue smiled at Jiang Yifeng.
Jiang Yifeng nodded in understanding.
No wonder she had seen through him. Why hadn't those seeking to destroy Tianxuan Temple confronted Bai Ruoxue or sought her revenge?
As it turned out, there was no human enemy—it was all caused by the thunder from the heavens.
In other words, if there was an enemy, it wasn't from this world but from the heavens above.
How could one possibly seek revenge?
Of course, none of this mattered now. From Bai Ruoxue's explanation, Jiang Yifeng had already gleaned a wealth of useful information.
He now understood that there existed a world above the nine heavens.
The "heavenly beings" Bai Ruoxue spoke of were likely those who had cultivated to become immortals.
As Jiang Yifeng pondered this, Bai Ruoxue continued speaking.
"Once this land became a place of heavenly punishment, it was no longer suitable for living. Everyone wanted to leave."
"But they discovered that a massive formation encircled the entire Southern Region, trapping everyone. It became a cage."
"Over time, it came to be known as the Forbidden Land."
"However, there is no shortage of geniuses in the world. After tens of millions of years, a brilliant individual rose up here. They resisted the heavenly thunder, forced their way through the formation, and escaped."
"This enormous formation developed cracks, allowing other masters to flee."
"But the good times did not last. Before long, powerful beasts emerged from the cracks and took up positions guarding the four directions."
"At the same time, a colossal organization called Xianlinmen appeared, stationed within this forbidden land."
"They are immune to the heavenly thunder, can freely enter and exit the Forbidden Land, and specialize in hunting cultivators who seek immortality here."
"These people are referred to as 'Immortal Slaves' by many in the outside world."
At this point, Bai Ruoxue paused, looking at Jiang Yifeng.
"Now, do you know who is hunting immortal cultivators in the Forbidden Land? Are you afraid? Do you dare to resist?"
Jiang Yifeng, still digesting her words, felt a twinge of guilt when faced with her questions.
Resist? Dare to resist?
Based on what she said, the Immortal Slaves of Xianlinmen were merely minions. The true culprits seeking to eradicate the immortal cultivators of the Southern Region were the immortals in the heavens.
However, when he thought of the existence of the simulator, Jiang Yifeng felt a surge of confidence.
He looked up at the sky and laughed boldly.
"Why not!"
Seeing this, Bai Ruoxue smiled.
"What great ambition! But aren't you overthinking it? I'm asking if you dare to resist the Immortal Slaves of Xianlinmen."
Jiang Yifeng couldn't explain, so he countered with a question:
"If Xianlinmen is hunting immortal cultivators, how can Senior Bai be sure your senior brother died from heavenly thunder and not from them?"
Hearing this, Bai Ruoxue's expression turned disdainful.
"That group of people is not worthy of killing my senior brother!"
Her answer put Jiang Yifeng at ease. It seemed the Xianlinmen were not the strongest threat.
The real danger was the heavenly thunder.
Bai Ruoxue, noticing his thoughts, continued:
"The people of Xianlinmen are not to be feared. The most dangerous things in the Southern Region are indeed the heavenly thunder, followed by the fierce beasts guarding the four directions."
Her words reminded Jiang Yifeng of the giant dragon he had encountered in the simulator. Could it be one of the beasts?
As for the heavenly thunder, he had yet to witness it.
Shaking off his thoughts, Jiang Yifeng asked Bai Ruoxue again:
"Senior Bai, since this is a Forbidden Land guarded by fierce beasts, how did you enter? And how do you leave? Is it possible to sneak out?"
Hearing this, Bai Ruoxue laughed, seemingly amused by him.
"Oh, just moments ago, you shouted 'Why not!' with full ambition. Now you're looking for a way to sneak out?"
Jiang Yifeng felt embarrassed. He couldn't exactly explain that he wanted to escape, train in the next simulation, and return to overturn the situation.
Seeing his silence, Bai Ruoxue grew bored and responded directly:
"If you want to leave, there are four places: the Death Desert, the Endless Sea, the Flame Valley, and the Ten Thousand Swords Forest. Each of these locations is guarded by fierce beasts."
"I entered through the Endless Sea. That beast is greedy—I bribed it with a large number of resources. However, I can only stay here for a few days and cannot take anyone out."
"If you wish to leave, I can't think of any other way except to break out by force."
After her words, silence hung in the air.
Jiang Yifeng hadn't expected this conclusion.
Though Bai Ruoxue had provided much valuable information, upon reflection, it seemed none of it directly helped him.
In the end, everything boiled down to strength—to force his way out.
Seeing his disappointment, Bai Ruoxue patted his shoulder.
"Come on. I hope you'll bring some excitement to those Immortal Slaves!"
With that, she left a storage ring for him, then walked away, staring at the ruins in a daze once more.