Black Marsh Miasma, Crisis in the Night

The cold corpse of the Seven-Step Fall Snake still lay quietly among the dead leaves, its dark green scales glinting with a chilling, ghostly sheen beneath the dim light. The Su Family guards looked at the little snake with lingering fear, while the looks they gave Lin Chen were filled with indescribable reverence and gratitude.

If this mysterious "senior" had not stepped in, the one lying on the ground right now would likely have been their commander, Su Lie.

"Keep your eyes peeled! Stay on full alert!" Su Lie suppressed the lingering fright in his heart and barked sternly, his voice carrying a trace of hoarseness from the tension just now. "Black Marsh Forest is right ahead. The dangers inside are far worse than that venomous snake! If you don't want to die, stay close and don't fall behind!"

"Yes, Commander!" the surviving guards answered in unison. They tightened their grips on their weapons, their expressions grave, no longer daring to let down their guard in the slightest.

The group set out once more, slowly stepping into Black Marsh Forest, shrouded in darkness and an ominous aura.

The moment they entered, a thick, damp stench of rotting vegetation and mud rushed over them, making them nauseous. More unsettling still, a faint layer of grayish-green mist, visible to the naked eye, began to spread through the air. It was not particularly dense, yet it clung to the forest in wisps like maggots on bone, blotting out the already sparse moonlight and making their vision even murkier.

"Hold your breath! Circulate your inner qi to resist the miasma! Keep the Miasma Dispelling Pills under your tongues!" Su Lie warned in a low voice again. He was the first to pull a black pill reeking of harsh medicine from his robes and place it in his mouth.

The other guards hurriedly followed suit, taking out the antidote pills they carried with them. These pills were clearly specially made by the Su Family to deal with the miasma in Black Marsh Forest, but even so, every face was grim. They carefully controlled their breathing while circulating the not-so-abundant true qi within their bodies, trying to form a faint protective layer over their skin against the all-pervading miasma.

Yet the miasma of Black Marsh Forest was clearly anything but ordinary.

Even with the Miasma Dispelling Pills in their mouths, the guards still felt their heads grow heavy and their breathing become labored. The grayish-green mist seemed to possess a peculiar corrosiveness, continuously wearing away at the true qi protection around their bodies and forcing them to keep circulating their cultivation techniques to sustain it. For these guards, already wounded and greatly exhausted, it was truly snow upon frost.

The group's pace slowed further. Beneath their feet lay a thick layer of rotting branches, leaves, and sludge that had accumulated for who knew how many years. Every step sank in with a squelch, sometimes even swallowing their ankles, making travel exceptionally difficult.

The air was so damp it seemed as though water could be wrung from it, and a clammy feeling clung to their skin, unbearably uncomfortable. The trees around them were twisted in a sickly fashion, their trunks draped in dark green moss and unknown parasitic vines. Some of those vines even bore oddly colored little flowers that gave off a faintly sweet, cloying scent—one look was enough to tell they were highly poisonous.

The forest was eerily quiet. Apart from the squelching of their own footsteps through the mud and their suppressed breathing, there was almost none of the insect chirping or bird calls one would expect in an ordinary mountain forest. This deathly silence made their scalps crawl all the more.

In stark contrast to the Su Family group's arduous steps and sense of facing a great enemy was Lin Chen's effortless calm.

He still trailed along the flank of the group like a ghost, neither hurried nor slow. To him, the grayish-green miasma that made people dizzy and corroded true qi was no different from ordinary air. The mist curled around him, yet could not invade his body by even the slightest bit. When he drew near, it even unconsciously parted to either side, forming a tiny vacuum invisible to the naked eye.

Naturally, this was the Myriad Dao Furnace's doing.

After refining the Scaled Earth Dragon Beast's scales and gaining that invisible layer of "scales" for defense, the Myriad Dao Furnace seemed to have developed a stronger ability to repel and dissolve this sort of energy-based erosion. Though the miasma of Black Marsh Forest was strange, at its core it was still a form of energy containing toxins. Before the incomparably tyrannical Myriad Dao Furnace, it posed no threat whatsoever.

Lin Chen could even feel wisps of miasma energy attempting to invade his body, only to be silently broken down and absorbed by the furnace the instant they touched his skin. In the end, they turned into pure energy that merged into his limbs and bones. Though the amount was negligible, drops of water could wear through stone; it counted as a different kind of "cultivation."

He made no deliberate effort to reveal his abnormality, merely maintaining a steady pace as his calm gaze swept over the surroundings. His senses had long since spread out, and every minute movement hidden within Black Marsh Forest was clearly reflected in his mind.

He could "see" leeches lying in ambush in the muddy pools ahead, their poisonous fangs bared. He could "hear" poisonous scorpions disguised as bark shifting their limbs atop the dead branches overhead. He could even "smell" the spore dust emitted by a strange giant mushroom on the left, spores capable of drawing people into hallucinations.

Any one of these lurking dangers could prove fatal to the Su Family guards. But to Lin Chen, they were as clear as the lines on his palm.

He did not immediately move to eliminate these threats. For one thing, he was not their nanny and had no obligation to solve every problem for the Su Family. For another, he wanted to see how capable Su Lie and the others were at handling such situations. If they could not deal with even this much danger on their own, then they were truly useless.

Of course, most importantly, a considerable part of his attention remained on the carriage jolting along ahead.

Ever since they had entered Black Marsh Forest, the already weak aura inside the carriage seemed to have become even more disordered and faint.

"Cough... cough, cough..."

The suppressed coughing, as though it took every ounce of strength, drifted intermittently from behind the carriage curtain again. Every cough was like a small hammer lightly tapping against the silent night, and against certain people's heartstrings.

Su Lie's face darkened further, and his steps became somewhat unsteady. Several times, he wanted to stop and check on the young lady, but when he recalled her weak yet resolute tone earlier, he forced himself to endure. All he could do was keep urging the group onward, hoping they could cross this damned Black Marsh Forest as soon as possible.

An air of agitation and unease spread through the group.

Lin Chen's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly as well.

Su Ling'er's condition seemed even worse than he had anticipated. The miasma of Black Marsh Forest was clearly placing an immense burden on her body.

Just then, a pale, slender hand slightly lifted the carriage curtain, opening a narrow crack.

Lin Chen's gaze instinctively passed through that gap and looked inside.

The light was far too dim for him to make out the exact scene within. He could only vaguely see a slender figure curled up in a corner, apparently pressing a silk handkerchief tightly over her mouth, her body trembling faintly with violent coughing. The half of her profile that occasionally showed was pale nearly to transparency, devoid of all color. Only her long eyelashes still trembled stubbornly.

That single fleeting glimpse made Lin Chen's heart tighten for no reason.

The frailty and helplessness etched into her very bones stood in far too stark a contrast with the lively little girl in his memories, the one who had always liked following behind him.

He nearly looked away at once, as though that glance had merely been an illusion.

He forced himself to gather his thoughts and refocus on the surrounding environment.

He could not afford to be distracted anymore.

Whether Su Ling'er lived or died was her fate, and the Su Family's concern. What he needed to do now was make sure he obtained what he wanted from this "escort," then get away as quickly as possible.

Buzzzzz!!!

At that moment, a faint yet dense buzzing, like the beating wings of mosquitoes and flies, suddenly came from the thick miasma ahead!

The sound rapidly drew closer, and its numbers seemed enormous!

"Not good! It's... Blood-Sucking Poison Mosquitoes! Quick! Form up and defend!" Su Lie's expression changed drastically as he let out a terrified roar!

Blood-Sucking Poison Mosquitoes!

One of the most feared creatures in Black Marsh Forest!

Individually, these poisonous mosquitoes were not particularly powerful, roughly equivalent to martial artists at the first or second level of the Body Tempering Realm. But their terror lay in their overwhelming numbers—often numbering in the thousands or tens of thousands! Their mouthparts were also sharp enough to pierce ordinary leather armor with ease. While sucking blood, they injected a toxin that numbed the nerves and corroded flesh!

Once surrounded by a large swarm of Blood-Sucking Poison Mosquitoes, even a high-level Body Tempering Realm martial artist could be sucked dry and reduced to a desiccated skeleton without special means of protection!

Before Su Lie had even finished speaking, the remaining seven or eight guards instinctively gathered around the carriage, shielding it tightly in the center. Their weapons whirled with fierce force as they tried to form a barrier of flashing blades and swords against the approaching swarm!

But their movements were clearly still a beat too slow!

The grayish-green miasma ahead churned as though it were boiling! Then, countless tiny black dots, dense as a dark cloud, surged out in a tide that blotted out the sky! Accompanied by a scalp-numbing buzz, they pounced viciously toward the Su Family group!

Those black specks were thumb-sized, utterly black, vicious-looking mosquitoes with scarlet compound eyes!

"Ah!"

One guard who reacted a moment too slowly had his arm instantly bitten by dozens of poisonous mosquitoes! He cried out in agony, feeling a sharp pain shoot through his arm before it rapidly went numb and lost all sensation! The flesh around the bites visibly began to blacken and fester!

"Hold the line! Don't panic!" Su Lie roared, his eyes splitting with fury as his saber whirled wildly, knocking away dozens of poisonous mosquitoes lunging at him.

But there were simply too many Blood-Sucking Poison Mosquitoes! They were endless, like a surging tide! The crude defensive ring formed by the guards swayed on the verge of collapse beneath the swarm's assault, with screams constantly ringing out!

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

Poisonous mosquitoes continually broke through the blockade of flashing blades and swords, biting into the guards' bodies! Though they wore leather armor, the mosquitoes' mouthparts were far too sharp and always found gaps to burrow through!

In the blink of an eye, apart from Su Lie, who could barely hold on, the other guards were already covered in poisonous mosquitoes. Their movements slowed, their faces darkened, and they were clearly about to give out!

Even the roof and walls of the battered carriage were crawling with densely packed poisonous mosquitoes, making a teeth-grating gnawing sound!

"Miss!!" Su Lie's eyes split with rage. He could sense that these poisonous mosquitoes seemed particularly interested in the weak aura inside the carriage and were frantically trying to force their way into it!

If those mosquitoes entered the carriage, the consequences would be unimaginable!

"It's over..." A profound despair surged through Su Lie's heart.

Were they truly going to be buried here today?

Just at that critical moment!

A cold, indifferent voice carrying a strange power suddenly rang out across the chaotic battlefield:

"Quiet."

The voice was not loud, yet it entered everyone's ears with crystal clarity, even drowning out the deafening buzz of the mosquito swarm!

The next instant!

An indescribably scorching and domineering aura erupted from the silent black-clad youth at the side of the group like an exploding volcano!

Whoosh!!!

Lin Chen raised one hand. In his palm, a ball of crimson true qi, seemingly condensed from pure flame, abruptly flared to life!

That crimson true qi was utterly different from the fire-attributed true qi cultivated by ordinary martial artists! It was more condensed! More violent! It seemed to contain a terrifying power capable of incinerating all things and melting everything!

This was Furnace True Fire, formed by Lin Chen after using the Myriad Dao Furnace as his foundation to refine and absorb vast amounts of demon beast flesh-and-blood essence, then purifying and converting it through the furnace—a flame belonging to him alone!

Though it was only in its embryonic form, its power was already far beyond that of ordinary true qi!

"Go."

Lin Chen softly uttered a single word.

The crimson Furnace True Fire in his palm instantly transformed into a savage wave of flame, sweeping toward the sky-covering black mosquito swarm like an enraged fire dragon!

Sizzle sizzle sizzle sizzle sizzle!!!!!!

An incomparably dense series of explosive crackles, like boiling oil splashed over snow, suddenly thundered through the entire forest!

The seemingly ferocious and countless swarm of Blood-Sucking Poison Mosquitoes, upon touching the crimson firewave, met their natural bane! Before they could even shriek, the violent flames instantly ignited them! Burned them! Reduced them to flying ash!

In no more than a single breath!

That black "cloud," enough to drive even high-level Body Tempering Realm martial artists to despair, was forcibly burned open by the crimson wave of fire, leaving behind a massive breach!

Wherever the firewave passed, every poisonous mosquito was wiped out! Even the air twisted from the intense heat! The rotting branches, leaves, and mud on the ground were scorched pitch-black, sending up plumes of greenish smoke!

"Th-this..."

Su Lie and the few surviving guards stared blankly at the godlike sight before them, their minds utterly empty!

They had even forgotten to wield their weapons, forgotten the pain in their bodies. They could only stare foolishly at that black-clad figure standing before the flames like a heavenly god!

With a flick of his finger, he had incinerated countless poisonous mosquitoes?!

What terrifying strength was this?!

Just what realm was this "senior" at?! Foundation Establishment? Or even higher?!

The remaining Blood-Sucking Poison Mosquitoes seemed to have been scared out of their wits by the terrifying flames. With panicked buzzing, they fled toward the miasmic fog behind them like a receding tide, vanishing without a trace in the blink of an eye.

Lin Chen slowly withdrew his hand, and the flickering crimson flame in his palm extinguished with it. It was as though that heaven-burning, earth-destroying scene had been nothing more than an illusion.

His expression remained calm, his aura not the slightest bit disturbed. He merely glanced at the stunned members of the Su Family and the carriage that had finally fallen silent, then said, "This is no place to linger. Leave as soon as possible."

His voice snapped Su Lie and the others out of their overwhelming shock.

"Y-yes! Senior!" Su Lie jolted and hurriedly came to his senses, his face filled with the wild joy of surviving a disaster and even more fervent reverence! He gave Lin Chen a deep bow, his voice trembling. "Thank you for saving our lives again, Senior! The Su Family will never forget this great kindness!"

Though the remaining guards were all wounded, their faces blackened, the way they looked at Lin Chen was as if they were gazing upon a god! They struggled to kneel and pay their respects, but Lin Chen stopped them with a wave of his hand.

"Treat your wounds first. Then continue on the road." Lin Chen's tone remained flat, revealing neither joy nor anger.

"Yes!" Su Lie did not dare delay. He immediately took antidote pills and healing medicine from his robes and distributed them among the injured guards, telling them to quickly tend to the mosquito bites. Fortunately, Lin Chen had acted in time. Their poisoning was not too severe; though they were in agony, they were not in immediate danger of death.

Lin Chen, meanwhile, walked over to the carriage.

Though the carriage had been given special protection during the chaos, its walls and roof had still been gnawed through by many poisonous mosquitoes, leaving behind tiny holes.

His gaze fell on one of the larger holes, and his brows drew together almost imperceptibly.

From this angle, he could see a corner of the carriage interior.

Su Ling'er was still curled up there, her body trembling faintly, seemingly badly frightened by what had just happened. A thin blanket covered her, but several distinct red, swollen spots could be seen on her exposed wrists and ankles, already darkening.

Clearly, a few poison mosquitoes had still broken through the carriage walls and bitten her!

With her frail body, poisoned by the Blood-Sucking Poison Mosquito...

A trace of barely perceptible fluctuation flickered through Lin Chen's eyes.

He fell silent for a moment, but in the end, he chose not to intervene.

Since the Su Family had dared bring her to a place like this, they must have prepared the appropriate antidote. Besides, if he acted now, both his identity and his motives would be difficult to explain.

Better one less trouble than one more.

He withdrew his gaze, turned, and walked to the front of the group. His senses spread out once more as he remained alert for danger that might strike again.

Yet within him, that curiosity which had originally concerned only Su Ling'er's background and illness seemed, without his realizing it, to have become mixed with something else.

Perhaps it was because of that fleeting glimpse of her pale fragility?

Or perhaps because of that hazy memory from three years ago, which he could not shake off?

He did not know.

He only knew that this "escort," originally undertaken solely for profit and cover, seemed to be quietly veering toward a direction he had never anticipated.