Here, the trees are lush and green, and the ground is dotted with hills, creating a landscape of undulating beauty. In the distance, a long river winds its way through the mountains, and one can faintly hear the sound of rushing water. Along the riverbank, many vibrant flowers grow, among them the staff flower, which stands out significantly taller than the others, giving it an air of elegance amidst the crowd. Chen Xun and the Great Black Bull disguised themselves as a pile of grass, practicing their breath-holding technique, remaining utterly still as they began to observe the situation.
By the riverbank lay several corpses with pierced skulls, and the surrounding flora seemed to be continuously drawing nutrients from the bodies, leaving them shriveled and unrecognizable in death. They slowly wriggled their bodies, inching closer, when suddenly a large group of disciples rushed in from behind, numbering at least several dozen. The two grass piles instantly froze in place, a gentle breeze rustling the grass blades, enveloping everything in a serene stillness.
"Brother Du, it's right here, those few tallest red flowers are the staff flowers," one disciple whispered.
"Don't be careless; these strange flowers and plants have their own sinister methods. If we get too close, they will attack immediately," Brother Du replied, squinting at the corpses by the river, noting the absence of even a drop of blood. He suddenly turned to a nervous-looking eighth-layer Qi Refinement junior brother. "You go and test it."
The man hesitated, his lips trembling as he looked pleadingly at Brother Du. Wasn't this sending him to his death?
"Go quickly, what are you dawdling for?!"
"Are you ignoring Brother Du's words?"
In the crowd, several voices shouted, urging him forward. With reddened eyes, the man let out a cry and dashed toward a staff flower. But the moment he touched the staff flower, countless vines erupted from the ground, sharp spikes shooting out with a chilling murderous intent, instantly shattering his magical shield.
His mind jolted, and as he attempted to retreat, the vines ensnared his feet tightly. His pupils constricted, reflecting countless spikes.
"Don't! Brother, save me!!"
"Brother Du!!"
The man's face turned pale, terror flashing in his eyes as he screamed, his body trembling uncontrollably in a futile attempt to resist. Before he could react, his head was pierced by numerous spikes, yet no blood splattered. The vines burrowed into his flesh, continuously siphoning away his life force, and his body rapidly shriveled before their eyes.
This horrifying scene sent chills down the spines of those watching from a distance, even Brother Du, who had reached the tenth layer of Qi Refinement, was no exception.
"Clear these ground vines; there's no need to worry, avoid close combat!" Brother Du quickly identified their weakness; their attack range was limited. He formed a spell with his hands, unleashing a flurry of wind blades that sliced through the vines.
"Yes, Brother Du!"
The crowd's eyes lit up; it was indeed effective, as the vines were severed one by one. They hurriedly unleashed their own spells against the man-eating vines, their faces filled with joy.
"Hmph, which small sect's disciples dare to covet the staff flower?!"
From a nearby hill, a voice rang out, belonging to a group of over a dozen individuals, all exuding a fierce aura, accompanied by spirit beasts, their eyes gleaming with bloodlust.
"Ah?!" Brother Du was taken aback, turning to see that it was the disciples of the Ten Great Sects' Beast Control Sect. It seemed that as time passed, everyone began to band together.
"In the South Dipper Mountain Secret Realm, everyone relies on their own abilities; do you still want to rank by seniority here?" Brother Du's face turned cold. How dare these dozen or so people act so arrogantly when there were no elders from their sect present?
"This South Dipper Mountain is the territory of my Ten Great Sects; what are you even worth?!" One person stepped forward from the hill, disdain etched on his face, and spoke in a deep voice, "Three breaths' time—either roll away or die!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, the morale of Brother Du's group plummeted, their expressions flashing with panic, completely unaware of their numerical advantage.
"Then it seems we'll have to experience your skills," Brother Du said calmly, though anger flickered in his eyes as he glanced back. "There are only a dozen of them; we are all at the Qi Refinement stage, what is there to fear?"
"Seeking death!" The group on the hill looked down with disdain, like tigers descending from the mountains, charging down!
"Charge!" Brother Du shouted, leading the charge, with the disciples following closely behind, feeling both humiliated and indignant. Today, they would slay them here.
The battle erupted instantly, dozens of people clashing, the sounds of explosions and screams echoing as dirt flew everywhere. The two grass piles began to move slowly, unnoticed by anyone.
They grasped a staff flower, and the ground vines reacted immediately. The vines were quick, but Chen Xun and the Great Black Bull were quicker. A fireball spell ignited the vines, charring them and sending up a plume of black smoke.
"Old Bull, draw the sword!"
"Mooh~~"
Whoosh! Whoosh! The speed was astonishing, skimming just above the ground, like a flash of cold light, disappearing into the depths of the forest in the blink of an eye.
"What was that?!"
"What happened?!" The people on both sides shouted in anger, quickly parting to look toward the faint glow of fire by the river, exchanging bewildered glances.
Two staff flowers had clearly been plucked, roots and all! But where were the culprits?! The Beast Control Sect's disciples were furious; how could someone steal right under their noses? They directed their anger toward Brother Du's group, intensifying the battle.
…
In the depths of the forest, the eerie laughter of a man and a bull echoed—ruthless black hands!
"Old Bull, the world of cultivation is fraught with danger; even a plant can kill. I've truly gained some knowledge today," Chen Xun sighed, shaking his head as he sat in a tree, realizing he hadn't noticed the danger at the time.
"Mooh~ Mooh~" The Great Black Bull exhaled, now wary of everything, even inspecting the ancient trees.
At this moment, Chen Xun carefully studied the map and suddenly pointed to a location. "Hanyan Valley, Old Bull, let's go there; there are two foundation-building auxiliary spirit herbs."
"Mooh~" The Great Black Bull grinned; this feeling was exhilarating.
"Let's go!" The two figures darted from the ancient tree toward Hanyan Valley, where the spirit herbs didn't have fixed growing spots and needed to be searched for carefully.
In Hanyan Valley, mist swirled, and miasma thrived, making it impossible to see one's hand in front of one's face, accompanied by eerie low growls.
Scattered throughout the valley were numerous corpses, some killed by others, while others were victims of unknown creatures. Chen Xun and the Great Black Bull crawled forward, unhurried, maximizing their breath-holding technique.
At this moment, five figures approached through the dim light, their expressions vigilant, moving in unison without making a sound, the tokens at their waists emitting a faint glow.
Ahead, the sounds of a fierce battle echoed, but the miasma obscured much of the view. They paused, exchanging glances without uttering a word.
The five formed a formation, one at the back, from whose hands several silver-white threads surged forth, creating a subtle tremor on the ground.
In front of them, a large group was engaged in a battle, surrounded by a dozen glowing green grasses, unlike ordinary grass, their patterns intricate, exuding an indestructible aura.
This was also one of the objectives of their journey to Hanyan Valley—the luminous heart grass. The other four maintained calm expressions, one hand pressed down, activating their talismans, not participating in the battle, as a cloud of smoke enveloped them, and they vanished from sight.
The person crouching at the back remained motionless, the fine threads beneath his palm seemingly extending continuously. Their goal was to obtain the spirit herbs, not to engage in combat.
Before long, three luminous heart grasses were pulled back by the fine threads, and the four seemed yet to return.
"Got it." The person at the back smiled faintly, thinking that the disciples of the major sects were nothing more than playthings in their hands.
He carefully stored the three spirit herbs in a medicine box, waiting for the return of the four. Suddenly, the two grass piles beside him began to move…
"Hmm? What's that?!" The man was startled, his eyes wide with horror, a chilling sensation gripping his soul.
"Brother, enjoy!" A voice as calm as water rang out, and two fists the size of sandbags struck him, his mouth covered tightly, and he instantly lost consciousness.