Page 1026

Everyone patted his shoulder in congratulations.

As they traveled, they discovered that Moon-Gazing Island was truly abundant in treasures, most of which were rare alchemy materials seldom seen elsewhere.

They decided to pause and gather as much as they could before moving on.

When alchemists encountered such rare materials, they couldn't tear themselves away.

Wen Qiao naturally supported the idea, and the others had no reason to object.

While Wu Xiongan and the others stood guard, they couldn’t help but chuckle. "Those Ghost Cultivators vanished in the blink of an eye. Only we have the leisure to search around here. Who knows where the Fallen Dragon is on this island? If they get to it first, we’d lose out."

Wen Tuti snorted. "I’ve heard dragons have notoriously bad tempers. If those Ghost Cultivators really find it, the most likely outcome is getting swiped away by its tail."

Trying to gain benefits from a Fallen Dragon? They’d be lucky not to be killed outright.

The group considered this and felt even less worried.

Wen Yi leaned against a Ghost-Withered Tree, her gaze drifting toward Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao. She found their behavior truly astonishing. Despite claiming to come for the Fallen Dragon, once they arrived, they seemed less concerned about it than anyone else, as if the island’s yin-natured plants were more important than the dragon itself.

Though she found their actions strange, Wen Yi felt a secret relief.

No one understood the danger of the Fallen Dragon better than her. Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou were good people—if they stayed away, it would be for the best, ensuring nothing terrible happened.

Lost in thought, she drifted into a daze, as if detached from the world.

While they were gathering yin-attributed spiritual herbs in the woods, Wu Xiongan and the others suddenly tensed.

Wen Qiao swiftly summoned the Blazing Sun Bow. With a flick of her fingers, a spirit energy arrow brimming with spiritual energy materialized. Without hesitation, she nocked it and let it fly forward.

Chapter 423

The spirit energy arrow streaked through the air, piercing through the gray mist ahead.

*Thud!*

The arrow penetrated flesh, followed by a blood-curdling shriek.

Wu Xiongan rushed forward, slashing away a gray shadow lunging at him. Upon closer inspection, he saw that the creature struck by the arrow was a monster shrouded in swirling gray mist. Wounded, the mist around it seethed violently, offering glimpses of its grotesque form beneath.

But before he could get a clear look, more monsters emerged, their movements slicing through the air with speed. Wu Xiongan focused, channeling spiritual energy into his sword. The blade cleaved through the mist, cutting into the monster’s flesh.

Before long, countless monsters had surrounded them.

Cloaked in dense gray mist, the creatures appeared massive and indistinct. The mist shifted with their movements, always clinging tightly to their bodies. Through the haze, pairs of crimson beast-eyes gleamed with cold malice and ravenous hunger.

Wen Tuti, Wu Xiongan, and Wen Qiao quickly closed ranks to protect Ning Yuzhou, Ning Jichen, and Wen Yi, ready to face these unknown enemies.

"What are these things?" Shi Wuming gasped, shocked.

"They look like some kind of spectral creatures," Wen Qiao said calmly. "The mist around them resembles the island’s mist."

"Could the island’s mist be because of them?" Wen Tuti muttered.

As they spoke, the monsters swarmed forward, and the group fought fiercely to maintain their protective formation.

Wen Qiao’s hands glowed as she wore her delicate Golden Cicada Gloves. Her fists smashed through the thick mist, sending monsters flying with each strike. She lunged forward, delivering another punch—her power blazingly powerful. The sound of flesh bursting apart echoed as the monster was blasted apart, killed instantly.

When the monsters died, the gray mist on their bodies detached and merged into the air, blending with the pervasive mist on the island.

Seeing this, everyone’s expressions turned to realization—the mist on the island was indeed related to these monsters. However, it was unclear whether the monsters had transformed due to the island’s mist or if the mist on Moonview Island existed because of the monsters.

Ning Yuzhou narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "These are soul beasts."

Shi Wuming blocked an attack from a monster and called out between attacks, "Brother Ning, that can’t be right. Soul beasts aren’t like this—they don’t have gray mist on them."

The gray mist expanded, making it impossible to reach the monster’s body and even hindering their attacks, making them shiver. It was as if the mist acted as a protective shield for the monsters, requiring them to break through it before they could inflict any damage.

Not everyone could be like Wen Qiao, who endured the bone-chilling invasion without flinching and still managed to beat them down relentlessly.

Ning Yuzhou said, "They are indeed soul beasts, but the mist has corrupted and transformed them into a different kind of being."

Everyone quickly grasped the implication.

"So, the mist was originally present on the island, and the soul beasts were altered after prolonged exposure to it?" Shi Wuming summarized.

Ning Yuzhou nodded. "Exactly."

As they spoke, the number of soul beasts around them grew, extending as far as the eye could see.

The group grew serious.

The sheer quantity of soul beasts here was overwhelming. Even if they could handle them, they'd be stuck in an endless battle, exhausting themselves. Worse still, the mist in the distance hid whether even stronger creatures lurked within.

While the others fended off the soul beasts, Ning Yuzhou and Ning Jichen activated both Adamant Talismans and Thunder Talismans.

With thunderous explosions, several soul beasts were blasted away—only for more to immediately take their place.

"This isn’t working," Wen Tuti said grimly, focusing on fighting alongside Wu Xiongan on dealing with the strongest foes. "We need to retreat."