There was no need to ask; everyone already knew that Ma Hongjun's harvest this time was quite good. However, due to the tense atmosphere from Liu Erlong's outburst last night, not a single person dared to ask what his fourth soul skill was. This left Ma Hongjun speechless—he had been all prepared to show off!
At this moment, though, Liu Erlong's voice suddenly rang out, soft and gentle:
"Ma Hongjun, how was your harvest?"
Everyone looked at the smiling Liu Erlong and felt she was completely different from the furious woman of last night. Some even wondered if it had truly been the same Liu Erlong.
Ma Hongjun, however, didn't dare be careless in the slightest. He quickly said:
"Not bad, Dean Erlong. Thank you for standing up for me yesterday."
"Mm, that's fine. Eat some breakfast, then we'll set out again." Liu Erlong rubbed Ma Hongjun's hair before leaving, and the atmosphere instantly lightened.
Half an hour later, once the group had finished packing, they set out once more. As usual, Li Chang'an and his three companions led the way, with the Shrek Seven Devils following behind, serving as the defensive line.
Though Liu Erlong tried hard to act natural, she and Li Chang'an would still exchange words from time to time along the road, making it impossible for the others not to wonder—just what exactly had happened between them last night?
The morning air of the Sunset Forest was chilly, and the heavy moisture created a mist that drifted through the woods. The faint fog was cold and damp, floating with the breeze. The sun had yet to fully rise, and this was the time when the mist was at its thickest.
Tang San retrieved a small porcelain bottle from his storage tool. Pouring out several tiny black pills, he handed one to each person, including Flender and Li Chang'an.
"What's this?" Flender asked curiously, staring at the grain-sized pill.
Tang San explained:
"This is an Anti-Miasma Pill I refined myself. In forests and mountains, poisonous miasma often appears at dawn, some of which can be extremely lethal. Taking this pill will protect us from most miasma and also helps to clear the mind."
"I didn't expect you to know such things. Everyone, take it—it's a thoughtful gift from Tang San." Flender nodded with approval and swallowed the pill first.
Li Chang'an didn't bother pretending he didn't need it. He casually tossed the pill into his mouth and chewed it down.
The morning fog thickened, and while the cold meant little to spirit masters above the fortieth rank, the reduced visibility was concerning.
Flender cautioned:
"Everyone, stay alert. Some spirit beasts prefer to move at dawn. With visibility this low, stay close together to avoid accidents."
Although Li Chang'an's spiritual power was immense, he didn't bother extending it here. He merely raised his vigilance slightly—after all, the wife of the Earth King would be coming for revenge soon, and that was something worth worrying about.
Not long after they had walked less than three hundred meters, a strange gust of wind blew from ahead. The mist stirred, changing color—thick white fog instantly turned into pink, surging toward the group. The pink mist carried a faintly sweet fragrance that was strangely intoxicating.
"Be careful, the fog is poisonous!" Flender shouted, striking out with his palm in unison with Liu Erlong. With their deep soul power, they tried to disperse the poison cloud. At the same time, he couldn't help but secretly praise Tang San's foresight. This was exactly the kind of danger Tang San had warned them of.
But soon, they realized something was wrong. This poisonous fog was far denser and more stubborn than expected. Even when Flender and Liu Erlong blasted it apart with soul power, the mist would immediately reform.
Within mere moments, everyone was surrounded by thick pink mist. To their shock, visibility dropped so low that even the person standing right beside them was hard to see.
"This isn't miasma! Oscar, give us your detox sausages!" Tang San shouted. At the same time, his eyes blazed with purple-golden light. Others could see nothing within the dense fog, but his Purple Demon Eye still allowed him to make out his surroundings.
Unfortunately for him, someone else reacted even faster.
Li Chang'an stepped forward and struck out with one hand. A wave of boundless soul power surged forth, instantly sweeping away the poisonous mist around them.
Before the fog could gather again, he retrieved a stalk of immortal herb from his storage soul tool—a large flower of soft pink hue.
The flower had no leaves, its stem reaching a full meter in height. Its bloom was massive, nearly a foot wide, each petal crystal-clear like carved gemstone. At its center gleamed violet stamens, like tiny amethysts embedded within, and a refreshing fragrance spread from it, soothing the heart.
The moment Li Chang'an brought the flower out, a strange scene unfolded. Within a ten-meter radius around him, the pink poison mist melted away as though snow meeting boiling water. A soft violet aura expanded outward, repelling the toxic fog.
"Everyone, stay within this range. Don't step outside." Holding the flower in his left hand, Li Chang'an calmly observed the pink mist.
The group clearly saw that within the protective circle of violet aura, no matter how thick the pink fog grew or how the forest winds blew, the poison could not penetrate their ten-meter sanctuary.
Although Li Chang'an could have simply annihilated the threat outright, that would have defeated the purpose of training the younger ones. Besides, he deliberately revealed this immortal herb to stir Tang San's envy.
Sure enough, Tang San's expression shifted the instant he saw the flower. His composure wavered as he asked, astonished:
"Teacher Li, is that the legendary Fragrant Silk Beauty Immortal Herb that neutralizes all poison?"
"Mm. Just a fortunate encounter." Li Chang'an nodded calmly, though he noticed Tang San's normally steady demeanor crack with surprise—the flower's impact on him was clearly enormous.
Li Chang'an continued:
"Still, we've run into a bit of trouble. Surrounding us now are Pink Ladies—hundreds, maybe thousands of them. Using the morning fog as cover, they've released this poison mist."
"Pink Ladies?" Liu Erlong asked in confusion.
Before Yu Xiaogang could seize the chance to show off, Li Chang'an spoke first:
"The Pink Lady is a type of spirit beast, shaped somewhat like a scorpion. Compared to the Earth King, it is far inferior, and is a species that lives in groups. They have mild temperaments. Because their bodies are translucent pink and very beautiful, they're nicknamed Pink Ladies. Normally, they rarely attack humans and usually avoid spirit masters from afar."
"Each colony has dozens to a hundred members, led by the strongest one. To maintain its dominance, the leader kills off any member that evolves too quickly, which is why this species almost never produces ten-thousand-year spirit beasts—rarely even thousand-year ones."
Everyone listened to Li Chang'an's explanation in surprise. In their eyes, Li Chang'an had always been a genius, a tactical mastermind, a training instructor—but they hadn't expected his theoretical knowledge and spirit beast lore to be so profound.
In comparison, Yu Xiaogang seemed to lose every advantage.
Flender then asked:
"So what is this spirit beast's means of attack—just poison?"
_____
T/N:
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