Soul-Devouring Flower

Chen Chuan looked warily around, gently took down Little Green Magic Mushroom, and fed a trace of magic power into it through his fingertips.

The scorch marks on Little Green Magic Mushroom's cap healed at a visible rate. Green light flowed over it, restoring it to its original state.

Little Green Magic Mushroom shook its cap, looking exceptionally happy.

He put the Magic Mushroom back on his shoulder and continued racing northwest.

The mountain terrain grew increasingly treacherous. Dark purple liquid seeped from cracks in the rocks, forming tiny streams on the ground and giving off a faint smell of sulfur. Five minutes later, Chen Chuan passed through a dense thicket, and the view suddenly opened up before him.

A circular depression about a hundred meters across appeared ahead. At its center stood a black plant as tall as three people, its branches twisted like snakes. A giant black flower bloomed at its top, its petals covered in fine patterns. They slowly opened and closed to some rhythm, as though breathing.

Several normal-looking corpses lay scattered around the edge of the depression, clad in apprentice robes from different academies. They had long since died, and some were even badly decomposed.

A cloyingly sweet scent of decay filled the air, utterly unlike the Winged Demon Bats' earlier stench of blood. It carried a temptation that made him drowsy.

Chen Chuan slowed his pace and spread his spiritual power out like a net. He detected no other signs of life, but the feeling of being watched grew stronger, as if countless eyes were spying on him from the shadows.

The black flower suddenly trembled, and its fine petals contracted inward, revealing a bottomless black hole.

"What the hell? Didn't they say the main risk of death in this ruin plane came from wizards from other academies?" Chen Chuan cursed under his breath and prepared to go around. His main target was still the Sunflower of Holy Light.

Just then, his sensing amulet vibrated again, its blue light flashing rapidly. The dot of light had moved to less than a kilometer away and was approaching fast.

Alarm bells rang in Chen Chuan's mind, but his attention remained mainly on the black flower. His right hand quietly pressed down as he communicated with Little Yellow Magic Mushroom through his thoughts.

The black flower suddenly stopped opening and closing. All its petals snapped open as far as they could, and a dark purple beam shot from the black hole at its center, straight at Little Yellow Magic Mushroom above Chen Chuan's head.

"Little Yellow!" Chen Chuan shouted. The golden Magic Mushroom's cap instantly expanded, shielding his head.

The purple beam struck the Magic Mushroom with a sizzling, corrosive sound. Golden light flickered violently, nearly breaking under the attack.

Chen Chuan didn't dare take it head-on. He activated Wind of Swiftness underfoot and rolled aside.

The rest of the beam grazed past his body, leaving a small, black-smoking crater in the ground that gave off a pungent smell.

Almost at the same time, three figures darted out of the bushes and quickly surrounded Chen Chuan.

The woman leading them wore red robes. She was Alia, the elder of the Madison sisters.

Vera and another, unfamiliar second-class apprentice followed behind her.

"Chen Chuan, are you alone too?" Alia watched the black flower warily, then looked at the mushroom shapes on Chen Chuan's shoulder and head. A trace of surprise flashed in her eyes.

"Yeah, I came from the mountain over there. I saw the corpse of a Wizard Apprentice from the Weapon Wizard Academy on the way, and there are some more corpses under that flower.

" Chen Chuan pointed at the black flower in the center of the depression while using his spiritual power to sense the condition of the three people opposite him.

Alia and Vera were in decent shape. The unfamiliar second-class wizard apprentice looked somewhat overexerted, with fine beads of sweat on his forehead.

"We got separated and regrouped too. We came from the east and saw at least four or five corpses on the way, all apprentices from Spark and the Academy of the Dead." Alia's voice was grave. "It looks like either the information was wrong or someone altered the teleportation magic,

leaving everyone who came in separated and alone."

"We have to leave. That should be a Soul-Devouring Flower. Judging by its size, it's probably almost reached the ranked stage."

Alia lowered her voice, her gaze fixed on the black flower.

Vera snorted. "Sister, what are you afraid of? It's just a plant."

Alia frowned deeply. "An ordinary Soul-Devouring Flower's pollen is colorless and odorless. Once you breathe it in, you fall into an illusion and become immersed in it, turning into its slave and having your soul sucked out while you're still alive. Let alone this Soul-Devouring Flower that's about to reach the ranked stage. Its danger has risen sharply, and who knows what special skills it has?"

Just then, the hole at the center of the black flower suddenly widened, but there was no other visible change.

Even so, all of them were exceptionally alert and stepped back in unison.

Chen Chuan suddenly noticed that "Clear Mind—immune to all negative mental effects" had already taken effect on his status panel.

Chen Chuan's expression changed slightly. He cursed inwardly. The flower had already released its pollen.

"Back off! It's already releasing pollen! Hold your breath!" Chen Chuan shouted.

Spore Energy Ray—the Magic Mushroom converted the magic power spores in its body into a high-energy beam to harm enemies.

Little Red Magic Mushroom on Chen Chuan's shoulder didn't hesitate. It fired a purplish-red energy beam from its mouth at the black flower, much thicker than the one before.

Hearing Chen Chuan's shout, the three were startled. Vera was visibly flustered, and her face turned pale.

"Sister, I'm a little dizzy..." Vera's voice was slightly weak. Her body began to sway, and she stumbled backward.

As a first-class wizard apprentice, Alia had considerable combat experience.

As soon as she heard Chen Chuan's warning, she released a Gale Spell toward the black flower, trying to blow away the invisible pollen.

At the same time, the unfamiliar male second-class wizard apprentice behind her also released an Explosive Flame Spell at the black flower in the center.

The energy beam and explosive flame struck an invisible shield in front of the Soul-Devouring Flower. The energy burst into a small shockwave, making the surrounding bushes rustle.

The Soul-Devouring Flower shuddered violently, and spiderweb-like cracks appeared on its petals.

On the other side, Alia grabbed her sister's wrist. "Vera, stay awake!" She then took three rune scrolls from her ring and tore them open. Three different advanced spells appeared instantly: Advanced Dispel Spell, Advanced Purification Spell, and Advanced Cleaning Spell, enveloping Vera's body.

Chen Chuan saw this and thought, What a loaded spendthrift. A single advanced scroll cost at least a thousand low-grade magic stones.

For Alia's sake, Chen Chuan also had Little Green Magic Mushroom release a gentle life aura.

Green light wound around Vera like fine threads. With the support of the three advanced scrolls, Vera's condition seemed to improve. "Thank you, Sister..." Vera came to her senses and glanced at Chen Chuan, a complex emotion flashing across her face.

After casting a Flame Explosion Spell, the unfamiliar second-class wizard apprentice also felt inexplicably weak and began breathing rapidly. Before he could react, the hole at the center of the Soul-Devouring Flower suddenly contracted, then snapped open, releasing a visible purple wave.

This time it wasn't invisible, but a tangible surge of energy.

"Oh no!" Alia quickly pulled her sister behind her and waved her staff, enveloping them both in a pale green barrier.

Little Yellow above Chen Chuan's head reacted even faster. It instantly leaped down and grew larger, its cap glowing gold as it formed a semicircular shield around Chen Chuan.

Weakened as he was, the unfamiliar apprentice only had time to put a magic shield around himself.

The purple wave struck the three different defenses, producing a piercing grating sound.

Chen Chuan then saw cracks spread across the nearby unfamiliar apprentice's shield the instant the purple wave struck it. In less than two breaths, the magic shield shattered, and the man himself was instantly smashed into a cloud of bloody mist.

"Holy Chovy, that's way too strong." Seeing this, Chen Chuan was so frightened that he slapped another shield spell on himself.

Cracks appeared in Alia's green barrier, but it barely held against the purple wave. Vera was held tightly in her sister's arms, her face white as paper. The golden light on Chen Chuan's Little Yellow Magic Mushroom's cap had dimmed considerably and flickered unsteadily.