A gentle breeze stirred, carrying with it a faint, pervasive scent of decay.

Dry leaves rustled in the canopy above. Occasionally one would drift down from the treetops, only to dissolve into nothingness before it could reach the ground. As they fell, Li Fan saw them clearly: twisted, agonized faces flashed across each leaf's surface.

By any measure, such a bizarre and eerie sight should have unsettled anyone who witnessed it.

But in that moment, to Li Fan's eyes, this place called the Simmering of Lifespans was indescribably beautiful.

He drew a deep breath. The foul, stinking air filled his lungs, and he found it strangely sweet. He inhaled several more mouthfuls greedily.

Studying the cultivators hanging from the tree, he saw that their eyes were pools of utter blackness, pupils...