"What a dense, multicolored poison miasma... No wonder Mu En insisted that you reach at least Soul King before coming here."
"The miasma itself is manageable," Lin Feng said, concentrating on maintaining the barrier as he furrowed his brow. "The real trouble lies ahead, with those Jade Phosphorus Seven Absolute Flowers. I doubt even a Titled Douluo could handle them easily."
He could feel the Golden Crow True Fire barrier around them being rapidly eroded by the surrounding multicolored poison miasma, but it was still within manageable limits.
Without stopping, they continued forward, heading straight into that dazzling, deadly world.
This was the heart of the outer miasma zone. The dense, multicolored poison miasma was almost gelatinous, and every plant within sight was stained with eerie colors. The ground was scattered with the bones of all kinds of Soul Beasts, their remains likely accumulated over countless years.
Without Spiritual Detection to discern their direction and the map to guide them, they would have been utterly lost in this maze of colors, a deadly land of death.
"Once we cross this area, we'll reach the territory of the Jade Phosphorus Seven Absolute Flowers."
Lin Feng held Tang Ya's hand tightly. The two of them pressed on through the thick miasma for another full quarter of an hour, and the scene before them changed abruptly.
The forest, cloaked in multicolored poison miasma and filled with twisted ancient trees, suddenly vanished. In its place lay an open, lush-green valley plain.
The Jade Phosphorus Seven Absolute Flowers stretched at least a kilometer across. The unseen areas on either side might even have enclosed the entire valley. Pale green mist rose from the flowers, forming a soft haze that nonetheless carried a deadly aura.
"Good thing I looked into this beforehand. The Jade Phosphorus Seven Absolute Flower is one of the most poisonous plants in the world. Its poison is incredibly potent, reputed to have the strongest corrosive power, and it also carries a powerful neurotoxin. It's extremely rare, and nearly every plant-type Soul Master dreams of obtaining one," Lin Feng said gravely.
"I never expected there to be tens of thousands of such rare Jade Phosphorus Seven Absolute Flowers here." Tang Ya covered her mouth in a gasp.
Lin Feng frowned as he examined them closely. "The Jade Phosphorus Seven Absolute Flower usually has seven leaves, but I can see quite a few with nine. Those are clearly the legendary Jade Phosphorus Nine-Absolute Flowers. They're all Soul Beasts with at least ten thousand years of cultivation, and there may be over a thousand of them. No wonder Shrek Academy hasn't dared to lay a hand on this place. Just dealing with this swarm of Jade Phosphorus Nine-Absolute Flowers would come at a terrible cost. Even a group of Titled Douluo would probably suffer heavy casualties. Looks like our only option is to break through the Jade Phosphorus Poison Cloud."
"The Jade Phosphorus Poison Cloud? How are we supposed to break through?" Tang Ya asked.
"Fly over it," Lin Feng replied.
"Fly?" Tang Ya stared at him in surprise.
"Watch my Fire Wings." Lin Feng's aura suddenly surged. Three flames of different colors ignited around him and gathered behind his back, forming a pair of dazzling golden wings.
He had begun researching this long ago, but it wasn't until he obtained the Golden Crow True Fire that he finally succeeded.
Only after gathering the true fires of three divine birds—the Fire Phoenix, Bright Phoenix, and Golden Crow—had he managed to refine the Fire Wings that could carry him through the air.
"My Nirvana Phoenix Fire is Ultimate Fire, so it can counter these poisonous plants. But I haven't condensed it into a source yet, so its power is limited. Once it's used up, it's gone. We'll have to move fast," Lin Feng said honestly.
That was precisely why he had been so eager to cultivate with Ma Xiaotao earlier, to help condense the source of the Nirvana Phoenix Fire.
The Red Dragon Heart Fire, Nirvana Phoenix Fire, and Bright Phoenix Fire were all still in a borrowed state. Every bit he used was a bit lost, and he could only replenish them slowly through dual cultivation.
As for the Nirvana Evil Fire, which he had already condensed into a source, it still wasn't powerful enough to reach the level of Ultimate Fire. It would only be so-so against these poisonous plants, not to mention its troublesome "side effect."
"That's too dangerous!" After hearing him out, Tang Ya went pale and grabbed Lin Feng's arm. "Let's go back! We don't need to look for the Blue Silver Emperor! I don't want anything to happen to you because of me!"
"No." Lin Feng shook his head, his tone firm. "The Darkness Power inside you can't be left untreated any longer. I don't dare imagine what'll happen if we keep putting it off."
"I'm not going!" Tang Ya nearly shouted, tears welling in her eyes. "You've already done more than enough for me!"
Lin Feng didn't answer. He seized his chance, swept an arm around her, and scooped her up. The three-colored Fire Wings behind him beat hard!
"Ah! Lin Feng, put me down!" Tang Ya cried out, struggling in his arms.
But Lin Feng had already raised a Golden Crow True Fire barrier around them. Without the slightest hesitation, he flew toward the deadly green sea of flowers, leaving her cries and pounding fists behind in the wind rushing past them.
He had just completed several rounds of dual cultivation with Ma Xiaotao a few days earlier, and he was confident that the Nirvana Phoenix Fire he'd built up would be enough.
The Jade Phosphorus Seven Absolute Flowers below were arranged in remarkably neat rows. They had clearly not grown there naturally.
Lin Feng's heart sank. Someone must have deliberately planted these Jade Phosphorus Seven Absolute Flowers.
Almost instantly, he thought of that old dog, Tang San.
To claim a treasure ground like the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well as the Tang Sect's private property, that old dog had certainly gone to great lengths.
The instant his attention wavered, the edge of the Golden Crow True Fire barrier brushed against a wisp of drifting green poison mist.
"Psssh—"
The expected annihilation never came. The moment the green mist touched the Golden Crow True Fire, it boiled violently, as if someone had poured oil on a fire.
Worse, the placid sea of green mist around them stirred like a swarm of disturbed bees. It rushed toward them from every direction at astonishing speed, as if it were sentient, surging back at the two of them.
The Jade Phosphorus Nine-Absolute Flowers! They were controlling the poison cloud!
Cold sweat instantly broke out across Lin Feng's back. He acted without hesitation, his thoughts flashing, and the brilliant Nirvana Phoenix Fire erupted from within him. It quickly replaced the Golden Crow True Fire on the outside, forming a new, red-gold barrier.
"Sizzle..."
At last, the extreme heat and purifying power of Ultimate Fire took effect, forcibly vaporizing the poison cloud as it closed in.
The attack didn't stop, however. The Jade Phosphorus Nine-Absolute Flowers weren't attacking with their bodies, so they felt no concern over the poison cloud they expended. Wave after wave of green poison crashed against them, and every impact accelerated the depletion of Lin Feng's Phoenix Fire.
This couldn't go on...
Tang Ya had stopped struggling in his arms. She had clearly realized how dangerous their situation was. Biting her lip, she wrapped both arms tightly around Lin Feng.
The next moment, several slender yet resilient Blue Silver Grass vines emerged from her palm. Like nimble serpents, they coiled around Lin Feng's arm and waist, and a gentle, steady stream of Soul Power flowed along them into his body.
She said nothing. She had chosen to face it alongside Lin Feng through her actions.
When the Blue Silver Grass Soul Power flowing from Tang Ya touched the green poison cloud, something no one could have expected happened.
The surging poison cloud swiftly retreated like the tide, clearing a small space.
An old, dignified voice seemed to ring out from every direction at once, tinged with clear surprise and scrutiny:
"Blue Silver Grass... What is your relationship with that person?"
"This junior is Lin Feng, a disciple of the Tang Sect. She is Tang Ya, the current Sect Master of the Tang Sect. We've come today to honor an old promise and ask for medicine to save someone."
Lin Feng's heart tightened. He guessed that a Jade Phosphorus Nine-Absolute Flower with a hundred thousand years of cultivation was questioning them. He stopped at once and answered honestly.
Before you continue