Towering peaks filled the landscape, ancient waterfalls cascaded from the sky, and strange flowers and exotic trees were shrouded in a swirling, light mist...
The four of them traveled through the Poisonous Mist Peak Forest. The giant peaks were separated by thousands of ters, standing like a colossal stone array. Stepping between them felt like entering a valley, completely encircled by mountains.
Without a map, it would be easy to get lost and lose all sense of direction.
"This poison mist is incredibly potent!"
Wei Xiaohao exclaid in shock.
It was his first ti here as well. After inhaling just a single breath of the light mist, he felt his chest tighten and a sharp pain lanced through his heart. His face paled, and a wave of dizziness washed over him.
And this was only the mist on the very outskirts of the Poisonous Mist Peak Forest. Jiang Jichen had already removed his Restriction, restoring his Cultivation to the Innate Seventh Layer Initial Stage. Otherwise, with half his power sealed, he would never have been able to set foot in this place.
However, Wei Xiaohao was a Noble Young Master from one of the Seven Great Families, after all. His bloodline and Cultivation Technique were naturally extraordinary. By just slightly circulating his Bloodline Power and the Wei Family’s Supre Technique, the discomfort completely disappeared.
As for Luoo Long, who possessed the Barbaric Spirit Bloodline, he was naturally unafraid of any poison.
Yee Young was even more mysterious, able to adapt to any harsh environnt with ease.
"This should only be the periphery. The deeper we go, the more terrifying the poison mist will beco. It’s best to hold your breath and avoid inhaling it."
Jiang Jichen said, his voice laced with gravity.
Wei Xiaohao, however, spoke up with a shaless grin. "My brilliant and supre Boss! Your eyes are as bright as the stars, your soul as pure as a white lotus! Oh, you of such elegant tastes, kindness, and integrity, would you deign to return the Storage Bag to your humble subordinate?"
Jiang Jichen was left speechless. ’A proper Noble Young Master can beco this shaless just to stay alive,’ he thought. ’And he’s so damn good at it, too.’
In truth, Wei Xiaohao’s combat ability posed no threat to the other three. As for escaping?
Without a map and a guide in the Poisonous Mist Peak Forest, that was a death sentence.
Jiang Jichen tossed the Storage Bag to Wei Xiaohao. He could have simply kept it. Given that it belonged to a young master of the Wei Family, its contents were bound to be incredibly valuable.
But in the end, Jiang Jichen chose not to, tossing it back to Wei Xiaohao without having touched a single thing inside.
Wei Xiaohao assud that Jiang Jichen had surely taken all the good stuff from the Storage Bag, leaving only worthless junk behind.
However, when he opened the Storage Bag, he found that nothing inside had been touched at all. He was inwardly stunned. A complex, hesitant emotion flickered within him, but he quickly suppressed it.
"Boss, you truly are brilliant and powerful! I, Wei Xiaohao, am utterly in awe!"
Wei Xiaohao continued his shaless flattery, then opened his Storage Bag and took out four Secret Artifacts. "These are so Anti-Poison Secret Artifacts I prepared specifically for the Poisonous Mist Peak Forest," he said. "Boss Young, this humble one offers this to you!"
Wei Xiaohao tried to give an Anti-Poison Secret Artifact to Yee Young, but she replied indifferently, "I don’t need it."
Luoo Long also said, "I don’t need one either."
Jiang Jichen was surprised that Wei Xiaohao would offer to share them. ’But then again,’ he thought, ’since the others refused, he probably wouldn’t dare wear one by himself. He’s a hostage, after all, and his life is on the line at any mont.’
"Go ahead and put it on," Jiang Jichen finally said. "I returned your Storage Bag because I doubt you’ll be able to withstand the poison mist as we go deeper. As for us, we don’t need one."
Hearing Jiang Jichen’s words, Wei Xiaohao was moved to tears of gratitude. "Boss, you’re too good to this humble one! I’m truly touched."
Of course, only he himself knew how sincere he truly was.
Jiang Jichen didn’t pay him much mind. In truth, he didn’t find a Noble Young Master with Wei Xiaohao’s personality particularly detestable. After spending this ti together, his initial intent to kill him had faded.
After Wei Xiaohao put on the Anti-Poison Secret Artifact, the four of them continued onward. After traveling for dozens of miles, the color of the mist gradually deepened, shifting to a pale red.
The mist here was even more toxic. But to Wei Xiaohao’s utter speechlessness, Jiang Jichen, Yee Young, and Luoo Long remained completely unaffected.
They soon arrived at a deep pool at the base of a waterfall. The cascading water was a pale green color, but the most horrifying sight was at the bottom of the pool. Piles upon piles of skeletons rested there, every single bone stained pitch-black.
So belonged to Spirit Beasts, others to humans, all subrged for an untold number of years.
In the center of the deep pool, motes of Spiritual Light twinkled, dancing around a plant bearing Spirit Fruits.
The plant itself was shaped like a serpent, and at the spot analogous to a snake’s vital point, it bore five red, thumb-sized fruits. They were shaped like tiny serpents, and their color was a brilliant, blood-red.
"Spiritual Snake Fruit!"
Wei Xiaohao gasped, his expression changing drastically. "Be careful! Spiritual Snake Fruits are always guarded by a Snake King!"
Sure enough, no sooner had he spoken than a black serpent as thick as a water cistern erged from a massive cave by the pool’s edge. It extended its enormous head, its eyes fixing upon Jiang Jichen’s group with a bone-chilling coldness.
Its eyes were the size of fists, a terrifying sight. It opened its massive maw and shot out its forked tongue—a hundred ters long—lashing out to ensnare the four of them.
A Tier Ten Perfection Profound Beast, equivalent to a Half-step Foundation Establishnt Realm expert!
And this particular black Giant Serpent was clearly far stronger than any ordinary Half-step Foundation Establishnt Cultivator.
Even Jiang Jichen and his companions’ expressions turned solemn upon facing it.
However, Jiang Jichen barked a single, cold command: "Advance!"
In that sa instant, instead of retreating, he charged forward to et the serpent’s massive tongue head-on.
Luoo Long and Yee Young instantly understood Jiang Jichen’s intent. They moved in tandem, flanking the black Giant Serpent to attack.
Only Wei Xiaohao retreated without a mont’s hesitation, not daring to linger for even an instant.
’This is my chance to escape,’ Wei Xiaohao thought. ’I even have a communication jade in my Storage Bag to contact the Wei Family, so I don’t have to worry about getting lost.’
With that thought, Wei Xiaohao imdiately turned to flee. However, before he could get far, he saw more than a dozen figures streaking toward them through the air.
"Damn it! More people are here!"
Wei Xiaohao cursed inwardly. He knew this place operated on one principle: the weak were prey for the strong. Even if he was the young master of the Wei Family, a figure of imnse honor and prestige in the Quicksand Country, out here, in the eyes of these adventurers, he was just a fat lamb ripe for the slaughter.
There were more than ten of them, and every single one had a shocking aura. Their Cultivation was at the Innate Seventh Layer of a Minor Grandmaster or higher, and there were even two experts at the Grandmaster Realm among them.
Unable to press forward, Wei Xiaohao could only retreat, rejoining Jiang Jichen’s group in their charge against the Giant Serpent.
Jiang Jichen, of course, also sensed the newcors rushing toward them. But he was locked in battle with the Giant Serpent; it was a fight with no retreat, and he couldn’t afford to be distracted.
Gripping his Red Copper Rust Sword, he launched himself at the black Giant Serpent.
"Illusory Indeterminacy!"
Executing his Step Technique, he narrowly dodged the tongue’s ensnaring strike. But even a light graze from its tip sent a jolt through Jiang Jichen’s body as if he’d been struck by lightning.
Countless cracks instantly spiderwebbed across his physical body—which had reached the Innate Body Refining Fifth Realm Perfect Realm—and he nearly disintegrated on the spot.
But in the end, Jiang Jichen had dodged the lethal strike. By drawing all of its aggression, he created an opening for Luoo Long and Yee Young to approach from the flanks. He then brandished his Red Copper Sword, unleashing a terrifying Sword Technique straight into the serpent’s open mouth.
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