Chapter 146

Chapter 146

Now deep in the heart of the forest, the malevolent aura here was extremely dense, and the malevolent beasts emerged one after another. A moment's carelessness could result in being surrounded by malevolent beasts, plunging them into danger.

If not for the sheer number of malevolent beasts—where an inadvertent move could summon thousands upon thousands to encircle and attack them—the consequences would be unimaginable.

Because of this, they had to proceed with caution, unable to use their most devastating techniques, which was somewhat stifling.

Just as everyone was racking their brains for a solution, they suddenly heard Ning Yuzhou say, "Let's drive them away first."

Duan Haoyan asked, "How do we drive them away?"

Tang Shaolin said, "Could it be that Young Master Ning has a feasible method?"

The others focused their attention on Ning Yuzhou, placing considerable hope in him.

Although Ning Yuzhou's cultivation was the lowest among them—initial stage of the Primordial Pulse Realm—even lower than Tang Yuelin, who was the youngest and at the middle stage of the Primordial Pulse Realm, his mind was sharp. He was a genius proficient in alchemy, artifacts, and formations, and he had a deep understanding of heavenly treasures and obscure items. It seemed there was nothing he didn't know, easily making people overlook his cultivation and rely heavily on him.

Moreover, despite his low cultivation, he never held them back. After all, he had a wife and demonic pet that could protect him without any gaps.

Don't underestimate Wen Tutu; when needed, she was undoubtedly a formidable force, able to make up for Ning Yuzhou's lack of combat power.

Ning Yuzhou didn't answer but instead said to Wen Qiao, "Chui, hang the Treasure Branch Lamp at the cave entrance."

Wen Qiao responded, carrying the Treasure Branch Lamp to the cave entrance and hanging it on a vine of the Stone Golden Python Walking Vine blocking the entrance. She controlled it to place the lamp outside.

The Treasure Branch Lamp was like a pearl in this gray space, its soft glow attracting many malevolent beasts.

However, as the malevolent beasts approached, they found that the malevolent aura within them surged uncontrollably, drawn into the lamp. They quickly fled, not daring to get any closer.

The same was true for the bee-like demonic beasts.

When the buzzing sounds outside finally disappeared, those inside the cave were overjoyed.

Ning Yuzhou poured cold water on their excitement, "We've only driven them away temporarily. They haven't gone far and are probably waiting nearby for us to come out."

Everyone's expressions froze, but they soon rallied.

The Tang Clan members were an optimistic bunch, smiling and saying, "It doesn't matter. As long as they're not blocking the cave entrance, we can take this opportunity to quickly escape this place and leave the area surrounded by malevolent beasts."

Ning Yuzhou neither confirmed nor denied this, taking out a stack of Concealment Talismans from his storage bag and handing them out.

Everyone subconsciously accepted them, but when they realized that these Concealment Talismans were actually Earth-grade talismans, they looked at him in shock.

"This is... Did you buy them? They're too valuable."

Tang Yuelin said tactfully, somewhat embarrassed to take advantage of someone else's generosity.

Concealment Talismans were gradeless talismans, with higher grades having better effects, capable of deceiving mindless demonic beasts and malevolent beasts. The most commonly sold ones were Yellow-grade and Mystic-grade Concealment Talismans, while Earth-grade Concealment Talismans and above were less common. This was because the process of drawing Concealment Talismans was relatively difficult, resulting in fewer of them circulating in the market and making each Concealment Talisman extremely expensive.

Unlike Ning Yuzhou, who took out a stack containing about twenty to thirty talismans.

Shuilinyin was also quite embarrassed, her face slightly red, but they truly needed this item now.

Before entering the Thousand Islands Secret Realm, they had prepared thoroughly, but even for disciples of prestigious sects, obtaining high-grade talismans was relatively difficult. After all, auxiliary skills such as alchemy, talismanry, artifact forging, and formations were learned by few cultivators except for alchemists, who studied alchemy due to high demand. This led to fewer high-grade talismans, spirit artifacts, and formation disks.

"It wasn't bought. Use them. I have more," Ning Yuzhou said, taking out another stack and handing it to Wen Qiao.

Everyone: "…………"

If they weren't bought, they certainly weren't gifts from others, right?

Did he draw them himself?

They stared at him with wide eyes. They had only heard that Ning Yuzhou was proficient in alchemy, artifacts, and formations, but they never knew he was also proficient in talismanry. Wasn't that mastering alchemy, talismanry, artifacts, and formations? This was no longer just a genius but a polymath.

This man was simply terrifying!

No wonder his cultivation was so low. It turned out that his time for cultivation was occupied by these auxiliary skills.

Ning Yuzhou hadn't lied. He did have more Concealment Talismans, and plenty of them.

In the month before departure, apart from refining that Earth-grade flying boat, he also took the time to draw some talismans, with Concealment Talismans being the most numerous. However, along the way, finding little danger, he didn't take them out, unwilling to waste this excellent training ground. He waited until they were needed before retrieving them.

Although Ning Yuzhou's cultivation wasn't high, his judgment was remarkably accurate. He felt that there was no need to waste time here anymore and took out the Concealment Talismans so they could leave this place as soon as possible.

Then, they attached the Concealment Talismans to their bodies.

Although Earth-grade Concealment Talismans didn't reach the high-grade category, they could still be considered intermediate-grade Concealment Talismans, which should be enough to deceive malevolent beasts with not too strong abilities.

Wen Qiao controlled the Stone Golden Python Walking Vine to create an exit, and everyone walked out in turn.

After leaving the cave, they quickly flew toward the distance, trying to leave the range where the bee-like malevolent beasts were watching.

After traveling a certain distance, Tang Shaolin carefully sensed and said, "Those bee-like malevolent beasts haven't chased after us."

Everyone was delighted, which also proved that the effect of the Concealment Talismans was indeed good.

With the Concealment Talismans, they could now act freely, searching for heavenly treasures in this place filled with malevolent aura and hunting malevolent beasts to collect malevolent pearls.

To repay Ning Yuzhou for the Concealment Talismans, whenever they found something, they would give some to Ning Yuzhou, especially the malevolent pearls obtained from hunting. Most of them were given to Ning Yuzhou.

This time, Ning Yuzhou didn't refuse.

Thus, relying on this group of people, Ning Yuzhou collected many malevolent pearls, which could be used to refine a good number of Bursting Pearls.

After almost exploring the entire forest and taking everything useful they could find, they finally left the woods.

Beyond the forest lay a vast mountain range stretching into the distance.

The mountain range was shrouded in gray mist, the undulating contours barely visible, and from time to time, the cry of a fiend beast echoed through the mountains, as if declaring their presence to the world.

Everyone couldn't help but listen intently.

Tang Shaolin, with the highest cultivation among them, carefully sensed for a moment before solemnly stating, "There are high-level fiend beasts in these mountains."

The fiend beasts they had encountered in the forest earlier were actually all low-level, with some intermediate ones, but not many. It was only because of their sheer numbers, coupled with the omnipresent fiend qi that suppressed spirit cultivators, that they posed a problem.

After using the Qi Concealment Talismans, things became smoother.

However, if it was a high-level fiend beast, Earth-grade Qi Concealment Talismans would likely be ineffective. Not to mention, high-level fiend beasts have combat power equivalent to high-level demonic beasts, and their temperaments are even more aggressive, making them difficult to deal with.

Everyone's hearts sank slightly, but they didn't retreat.

They had come this far, there was no turning back now.

Then, they cautiously headed towards the continuous mountain range.

Arriving at the foot of the mountain, Wen Qiao looked up at it. The entire mountain presented a gray hue, and without even looking, she knew that most of the plants on this mountain were gray.

Wen Qiao's true form was a young sprout that hadn't fully grown yet. Although she didn't know what her true form was, she instinctively drew close to the primordial spiritual energy of heaven and earth, absorbing the essence of spirit plants and demonic plants. She wasn't particularly fond of these fiend qi-containing plants.

They weren't fond of her either, even repelling her because of the primordial spiritual energy within her.

Therefore, Wen Qiao couldn't gather information about the surroundings through these fiend plants. Fortunately, there were no illusions or similar phenomena in this place, reducing their troubles.

Everyone carefully trekked into the mountains, their goal being to cross this mountain range.

When entering the forest, they carefully avoided those fiend beasts, avoiding direct confrontation with them, and thus didn't waste much time.

However, to avoid drawing the attention of the high-level fiend beasts in the mountains, they didn't ride their flying artifacts, instead relying on their legs to trek, lest they accidentally attract some avian fiend beasts.

Proceeding this way, they didn't know how many peaks they had crossed when suddenly, a palace appeared ahead.

"There's actually a palace here?" The Tang Clan members were quite surprised.

Shuilinyin was also somewhat surprised. Then she remembered the various environments that flashed at the entrance to the Thousand Islands Secret Realm before entering. Among them were several places with palaces. Some people speculated that this secret realm was actually where immortals lived in ancient times. Later, for unknown reasons, it detached from the Upper Realm and fell into the vast void of the Lower Realm, eventually landing on the Holy Martial Continent and becoming a secret realm, preserving some of the environments left by the immortals at that time.

Although these were just speculations, some people had indeed discovered many things that only existed in the Upper Realm within the secret realm.

This palace quietly standing amidst the mountains inevitably attracted everyone's attention.

"We should go take a look."

These words came from Tang Shaolin, and no one present opposed him, clearly intrigued.

The palace was built amidst the mountains, with the surrounding mountains lower than it. From their position, they could see the palace nestled among the mountains, and also discovered a path leading to the palace.

It was a staircase that wound its way from the mountain pass ahead to the palace atop the mountain.

Everyone chose to ascend the steps, examining the surroundings as they walked, discovering that it was unusually quiet here, with no signs of high-level fiend beasts, which reassured them somewhat.

Wen Qiao observed for a while, then suddenly said, "Husband, have you noticed that the fiend qi here is less than in other places?"

Ning Yuzhou's heart stirred as he carefully sensed, finding it to be true as Wen Qiao had said.

As they had been walking, they had become accustomed to the omnipresent fiend qi around them, erecting a layer of spiritual energy on the surface of their bodies to prevent the fiend qi from entering. Because of this, they had unknowingly overlooked changes in their surroundings.

Everyone also carefully felt it and found it to be as Wen Qiao had said.

As they approached the palace, they found even less fiend qi around them. When they were about to reach the upper palace, the fiend qi had almost vanished.

This strange scene made everyone instinctively alert, causing them to stop in their tracks, looking at the remaining hundred or so steps above, cautiously refraining from going up.

Tang Shaolin flicked his finger, sending a droplet of water forward.

The droplet of water disappeared into the surrounding grass, then rolled toward the palace atop the mountain at an unobtrusive speed. If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, they might not have noticed the extra drop of water here.

This made Shuilinyin and Duan Haoyan instinctively on guard.

It seemed that the Tang Clan's strange water was indeed powerful, able to approach targets silently without being detected. They wondered if the disciples of the Tang Clan had ever used the strange water to secretly observe many things; they needed to be more cautious in the future.

Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou were also surprised, never expecting that strange water could be used in such a manner, finding it quite convenient.

As for precautions, Ning Yuzhou paid no heed to it. If that strange water could break through his array formations, then it would be impressive.

After an unknown amount of time, Tang Shaolin's face suddenly showed a peculiar expression as he controlled the strange water.

Everyone looked at him, and Tang Yalin couldn't help but ask, "Third Brother, what happened?"

Tang Shaolin controlled the strange water, receiving the feedback from it, and softly said, "The palace above is very clean, with almost no fiend qi. In the rear hall of the palace, there's a woman who is using a cauldron to absorb the surrounding fiend qi. The fiend qi here has been sucked away by that cauldron."

"A woman?"

"A cauldron?"

Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao exchanged glances. Could it be what they were thinking?

Tang Shaolin continued, "The woman's cultivation isn't high, but there seems to be a high-level fiend beast by her side... Not good, the fiend beast has noticed us, let's go!"

As Tang Shaolin's words rang out, a powerful aura spread from within the palace, the aura of a high-level fiend beast.

A group of people quickly flew down the mountain.

Just as they were about to reach the foot of the mountain, a fiend beast resembling a Flame Lion appeared at the end of the staircase, emitting a deafening roar at them, then galloping down the mountain.

"Roar—"

Run! Run! Run!!!

A group of people, disregarding everything else, could only strive with all their might to flee.

The high-level fiend beast's speed was truly too fast, catching up to them in an instant.

Wen Qiao promptly launched a Bursting Pearl at the first sign of danger.

The Bursting Pearl detonated around the fiend beast, its fur scorched and patchy in places, leaving it in a sorry state but not damaging any vital points, merely infuriating it.

This suggested that this high-level fiend beast's strength was equivalent to that of a cultivator in the Primordial Realm.

Wen Qiao hurled another segment of Stone Golden Python Vine, rapidly nurturing it in an attempt to halt the high-level fiend beast's advance.

The Tang Clan members also erected a barrier of exotic water, while Shuilv Yin blew her flute, using its melody to disrupt.

The fiend beast effortlessly shredded the Stone Golden Python Vine, then was momentarily halted by the exotic water.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Wen Qiao turned around, drew her bow, and nocked an arrow, firing it toward the fiend beast.

As the fiend beast broke through the exotic water barrier, an arrow imbued with solar power tore through the air, trailing a fiery aura, embedding itself into the beast's foreleg.

"Roar—"

The fiend beast went berserk, emitting a deafening roar filled with the unique pressure of a high-level fiend beast. The group was shaken, their blood surging, and several of the less skilled individuals spewed blood from their mouths.

"Go!"

Tang Shaolin bellowed, then turned and charged toward the frenzied fiend beast.

"Third Brother!"

The Tang Clan members cried out, quickly rushing back to assist him.

The Tang Clan members were always united; they couldn't bear to watch Tang Shaolin hold off the high-level fiend beast for their safe departure. They all stepped forward, summoning all their exotic water, merging it with Tang Shaolin's to form a three-zhang tall water elemental.

The water elemental struck out at the fiend beast with a palm.

Shuilv Yin's flute music grew increasingly urgent, continuously disrupting the high-level fiend beast with sound waves.

Duan Haoyan sent fireballs flying one after another, further distracting the beast.

Wen Tutu stood ready to support from the side.

Wen Qiao kept her eyes fixed on the fiend beast, continuing to draw her bow and fire Solar Arrows, which repeatedly struck the high-level fiend beast.

Sound wave attacks, scorching flames, and Solar Arrows piercing flesh...

The high-level fiend beast let out anguished cries, swatting at Duan Haoyan with a claw after evading the water elemental.