Chapter 145

Chapter 145

After absorbing the malevolent aura around them, all five of the Treasure Branch Lamps lit up.

The soft glow seemed to disperse the surrounding malevolent aura while also absorbing it. In just a few dozen breaths, the malevolence within a ten-foot radius of their location had significantly diminished, increasing visibility and even allowing them to clearly see some grayish plants growing at their feet.

This wasteland wasn't truly barren; occasionally, one could spot some weeds sprouting from the ground. However, these weeds, much like the demonic beasts, thrived in the malevolent aura, becoming plants imbued with malevolence themselves—easily overlooked by others.

At this moment, Duan Haoyan and Shuilinyin fully understood the benefits of these lamps. In a place saturated with malevolent aura, they were practically treasures.

With the Treasure Branch Lamps, they could not only reduce the interference from the surrounding malevolence but also absorb the malevolence from other powerful sources if encountered, buying them precious time.

Of course, the Treasure Branch Lamps weren't omnipotent; they merely served as an auxiliary tool. They still needed to remain vigilant.

Wen Qiao also retrieved a Treasure Branch Lamp from her storage bag.

The lamp was exquisitely crafted and petite. After examining it, Wen Qiao hung it on her waist, where it looked like an accessory.

Then, she took up her Sun Bow and set out with the group.

Thanks to the presence of the Treasure Branch Lamps, the erosion of malevolence was less noticeable, and Shuilinyin's complexion finally improved.

The group proceeded through the gray fog formed by the malevolent aura.

Perhaps due to the effectiveness of the Treasure Branch Lamps, the light not only illuminated their path but also emitted a glow that had a purifying effect, driving away the malevolence. Initially, there were demonic beasts, somewhat affected by the malevolence, that would sporadically attack them, but the journey ahead was surprisingly peaceful.

Soon, they arrived at a forest.

This forest was shrouded in a vast gray mist, with all its plants having a grayish hue. Their trunks and leaves were coated in a layer of grayness, much like the demonic beasts they had previously encountered, whose natural fur colors were replaced by gray, altering their temperaments and making them highly aggressive.

Everyone raised their guard.

As they entered the forest, it was eerily quiet, save for the faint rustling sounds of grass underfoot.

"Hiss!"

A subtle sound of air being displaced echoed in the air, as if something had broken through it.

Yishui erected a barrier, while simultaneously launching a fireball forward. The stone-gold whip was also swiftly lashed out.

There was a muffled thud as something collided with Yishui's barrier. The creature was incredibly agile, dodging the fireball and the stone-gold whip before disappearing into the surrounding foliage.

"What was that just now?" Tang Yalin asked in surprise.

"It moved very swiftly; it must be some kind of demonic beast," Tang Shaolin said solemnly. "You all need to be careful."

Everyone acknowledged his warning, except for Shuilinyin, who appeared thoughtful. Pale-faced, she said, "I think that thing we just saw was a Malevolent Beast."

"What? Really a Malevolent Beast?" the Tang siblings hurriedly confirmed.

Shuilinyin nodded. "The malevolence emanating from it was denser than what we've encountered in the demonic beasts so far. It seems to have been birthed from malevolence itself."

The creatures they had encountered earlier were fundamentally still demonic beasts, albeit ones that had been corrupted by living in such an environment, causing an excess of malevolence within them. The creature they had just seen, however, was akin to a beast born from malevolence—a true Malevolent Beast.

None present doubted Shuilinyin's words. Throughout their journey, they had witnessed her acute sensitivity to malevolence, understanding that it was likely a skill unique to sound cultivators.

Given the existence of Malevolent Beasts here, it was evident that the malevolence had become so concentrated that it could give rise to pure Malevolent Beasts, which were more dangerous than the demonic beasts corrupted by malevolence outside.

They composed themselves and continued onward.

After traversing the forest for a while, suddenly, Ning Yuzhou paused in his steps.

Although Wen Qiao remained alert to their surroundings, part of her attention was on him. Noticing his movement, she couldn't help but glance at him.

Ning Yuzhou spoke. "Wait, let's go check that out."

Everyone followed the direction he pointed to, seeing a towering tree ahead, covered in parasitic vines. Grayish tendrils hung down from the tree, resembling a standing monster in the gray mist.

Ning Yuzhou led the way, with Wen Qiao following closely behind, remaining vigilant for any appearance of Malevolent Beasts.

Upon reaching the large tree, they discovered it was immensely tall, with a trunk so thick that several people would be needed to encircle it. Some of the massive roots were exposed above ground, forming spaces of various sizes between the roots and the earth, occasionally revealing grayish insects crawling inside.

Ning Yuzhou stared intently at the roots before bending down and reaching his hand inside. When he pulled his hand out, he held a grayish-green plant.

It was rare to find a plant of a different color amidst the sea of gray vegetation, piquing everyone's curiosity.

"What is this?" the Tang siblings gathered around to take a look.

Neither Duan Haoyan nor Shuilinyin could identify what it was.

Ning Yuzhou scrutinized the plant in his hand and smiled, saying, "This is the Longevity Grass."

"..."

Everyone's eyes widened, staring at the unassuming grayish plant in disbelief.

However, Ning Yuzhou was never one to joke around, especially not about matters like this. Therefore, the seemingly ordinary weed in his hand was indeed the Longevity Grass.

"So, the Longevity Grass really exists!" Tang Yalin murmured softly.

"It looks like a weed."

"Can the Longevity Pill be refined with the Longevity Grass?" Shuilinyin suddenly asked.

Ning Yuzhou nodded. "This Longevity Grass is still young; it can only extend life by ten years. If it could mature, it could grant two hundred years of extended life to a cultivator..."

A cultivator could only use the Longevity Grass or the Longevity Pill once in their lifetime. Any subsequent consumption would no longer have the effect of extending life.

One Longevity Grass could only extend the life of one person, but if refined into Longevity Pills, a single cauldron could produce ten pills, capable of extending the lives of ten people. Ultimately, refining it into Longevity Pills was more cost-effective.

As Ning Yuzhou explained, they all understood the effects and functions of the longevity grass.

However, the people present were all outstanding members of the younger generation. They were young, with bright futures ahead of them, and did not need something like longevity grass to extend their lives. But they had elders or friends at home who needed such things. Unfortunately, there was only one plant available, and it was discovered by Ning Yuzhou. It would be awkward for them to ask for it.

Ning Yuzhou calmly put it away, immediately tossing it into his spatial storage, instructing the puppet, Ah Qing, to plant it in the spirit field.

Discovering a single longevity grass could be considered fortunate.

In a place filled with malevolent aura like this, although dangerous, it occasionally nurtures rare treasures of heaven and earth. These treasures absorb malevolent aura to transform it into energy they need, becoming what cultivators require. This is why, despite knowing the risks, some still choose to venture in.

Just as Ning Yuzhou was putting away the longevity grass, a rustling sound suddenly came from the nearby tree. A malevolent beast swooped down from the dense vines, its sharp claws aiming for Ning Yuzhou.

Wen Qiao lashed out her whip, flinging the approaching malevolent beast away.

The malevolent beast was agile and nimble, using the whip to leap away before attacking again.

Wen Tutu jumped up, transforming into a ball of fur that slammed into the oncoming malevolent beast, sending it flying and crashing harshly into a tree trunk. It was then enveloped by the strange water waiting in ambush.

The strange water of the Tai Ze Tang Clan was truly a versatile weapon, capable of both offense and defense. It could transform into countless water arrows for attack and a water barrier for defense.

This malevolent beast was entirely gray, resembling a cat. It didn’t have the slightest aura of a demon beast; it was clearly a beast formed by carrying malevolent aura. Its body was covered in bristling hair, emitting a shrill sound as it fiercely roared at them, attempting to break through the prison of strange water.

The Tang Tuan controlling the strange water tightened it. The strange water, which could penetrate anything, drilled into the malevolent beast’s body, instantly exploding it.

The malevolent beast turned into a pool of flesh and blood. Amidst the blood and flesh, faint gray gas was dissipating—this was malevolent aura.

Just as the strange water was about to discard it, Tang Shaolin suddenly exclaimed, "There’s something."

Controlling the strange water to retrieve the object mixed within the flesh and blood, everyone saw that it was a gray bead, similar to a demon beast’s demon core.

"It’s a malevolent bead," said Ning Yuzhou. "It’s a good carrier for refining explosive beads and flame beads."

Upon hearing this, the Tang Tuans happily washed it clean with water and handed it to Ning Yuzhou: "Young Master Ning, it’s for you."

Ning Yuzhou glanced at them, fully understanding their intentions. The Tang Tuans had always wanted explosive beads, but unfortunately, he hadn’t refined many. He didn’t even have enough for himself, so naturally, he couldn’t distribute any to others.

Ning Yuzhou took it over, studied it for a moment, and then returned it to the Tang Tuans.

There were plenty of malevolent beasts here; there was no need to take from others.

Sure enough, as they delved deeper into the forest, they encountered not only numerous heavenly treasures growing amidst malevolent aura but also many malevolent beasts.

Malevolent beasts came in various bizarre shapes, but none deviated from the form of demon beasts. They were also made of flesh and blood, but their cultivation methods differed from those of demon beasts. What condensed within their bodies were malevolent beads, not demon cores.

Moreover, malevolent beasts were ferocious in nature, rarely docile. As they walked along, they were attacked by many malevolent beasts.

There were quite a number of malevolent beasts, and they killed their way through, harvesting many malevolent beads.

Until they accidentally trespassed onto the territory of a group of bee-like malevolent beasts, everyone present sustained injuries to varying degrees. Fortunately, they had the Treasure Branch Lamp, which dispersed some of the bee-like malevolent beasts, preventing them from being stung all over their heads.

They finally escaped to a hidden cave in the forest. Wen Qiao stimulated a section of the Stone Golden Python Walking Vine, quickly sealing the cave entrance to block off the bee-like malevolent beasts.

Then, Ning Yuzhou also set up a defensive array at the cave entrance.

The buzzing sounds outside the cave continued incessantly, indicating that the group of bee-like malevolent beasts hadn’t left.

Everyone hurriedly treated their wounds and replenished their primordial spirit power to prepare for the upcoming battle.

Wen Qiao frowned as she took out a piece of honey tallow and ate it.

She had been stung several times. The stung areas were painful and itchy, and she could even feel a trace of malevolent aura invading her body. She promptly sealed it with her primordial spirit power, preventing it from infiltrating her meridians.

The sweet honey tallow spread in her mouth. The rich and pure spiritual power not only replenished the lost primordial spirit power but also expelled the invading malevolent aura. In no time, the swollen and painful wounds had subsided, and the pain disappeared, surpassing the effects of detoxification pills.

Wen Qiao’s eyes lit up slightly. This honey tallow was truly a good thing.

"Chui, how are you?" Ning Yuzhou asked, pulling her wrist to check.

After checking, he found that her body was fine. Ning Yuzhou was somewhat surprised and specifically looked at the place on her wrist where she had been stung. Only a faint mark remained, posing no further problems.

Looking at the others, although they had already taken detoxification pills, the effects were slow. Especially Duan Haoyan and Tang Yelín, whose faces were stung in multiple places, swelling like pig heads. Several swollen bumps squeezed their facial features, making them look comical yet pitiful. They were painfully replenishing spirit power while trying hard to expel the malevolent aura from their bodies.

There was no one here who hadn’t been injured, except for Tang Shaolin and Ning Yuzhou. Tang Shaolin had high cultivation, while Ning Yuzhou was well-protected by Wen Qiao and Wen Tutu, not allowing him to suffer any harm. Even Tang Yelín was envious.

Wen Qiao looked at the group of people in pain and took out several pieces of honey tallow. Breaking each piece into several smaller portions, she then handed them to those people.

The Tang Tuans trusted her completely, not even asking questions before grabbing the pieces and popping them into their mouths.

Duan Haoyan glanced at her and silently took a piece, placing it in his mouth.

Seeing this, Shuilinyin also took a piece and put it in her mouth.

After a while, everyone felt that the wounds inflicted by the bee-like malevolent beasts had almost recovered. The detoxifying effect was too good, causing them to look at Wen Qiao in surprise.

"This is honey tallow, something I fortuitously obtained when entering the secret realm," Wen Qiao said calmly.

Hearing this, the crowd didn’t pry further. The effects of this thing were too good. Her willingness to share it proved that she considered them friends, but they couldn’t rashly inquire about it. Asking what shouldn’t be asked would ruin even the best relationships.

Everyone present was sensible. Even Duan Haoyan, who wasn’t the brightest, understood this principle.

Seeing that they didn’t ask, Wen Qiao was also very happy.

She didn’t want to lie to people, but she couldn’t casually reveal the existence of the fur balls either. Although these people’s character could be trusted, they all had clans and sects behind them. If they considered their clans and sects, exposing the location of the fur balls and Zhu Xianling wouldn’t be good for those fur balls.

After their injuries recovered, everyone looked towards the cave entrance.

The buzzing sounds hadn’t disappeared, indicating that the group of bee-like malevolent beasts had a strong desire for revenge. They wouldn’t stop until they stung them to death.

Earlier, they had unintentionally trespassed onto their territory. Before they could react, they were stung by the group of bee-like malevolent beasts, leaving them in utter embarrassment. Even Shuilinyin couldn’t maintain her fairy-like appearance.

"I'll go burn them to death." Duan Haoyan's eyes glinted with ferocity, his aura brimming with murderous intent.

"That's unwise; it will attract the malevolent beasts around us," Tang Yalin said. "I noticed earlier that there were many other malevolent beasts around those bee-like ones. If they all come out, our group won't be able to handle them well."

Upon hearing this, everyone furrowed their brows.