Chapter 48

Two days later, Heaven Dou City.

A pitch-black luxury sedan, its windows and partitions completely obscured, slowly rolled out from the gates of the Spirit Pagoda's Heaven Dou City branch.

Inside the car, Luo Yang, Yuanen Yehui, and others from the Spirit Pagoda sat side by side. Leng Yaozhu sat in the passenger seat, her gaze drifting vaguely toward the front.

Yuanen Yehui looked at the pitch-black windows that revealed nothing of the outside, then glanced at the blocked partition, unable to stop herself from frowning:

"Why make it so mysterious? Isn't it just a trip to a secret realm?"

Luo Yang didn't know either, but his gaze fell upon the driver's seat in front.

The figure wearing a standard driver's uniform and a peaked cap.

The aura was very subtle.

But with Luo Yang's sensitivity to powerhouses, he could clearly perceive that within that seemingly ordinary driver, there lay a bottomless fluctuation of soul power.

Limit Douluo.

And it was a Limit Douluo from the Tang Sect headquarters at that.

Luo Yang's eyes flickered slightly; he already had a guess as to the identity of this "driver."

Leng Yaozhu had clearly noticed it long ago.

"Your Excellency Affection Douluo, when did it come to you having to drive yourself? Is the Tang Sect out of drivers?"

In the driver's seat, the figure in the peaked cap stiffened slightly, then let out a soft chuckle.

He reached up to remove his hat, revealing a refined and scholarly middle-aged face.

It was none other than one of the current helmsmen of the Tang Sect, known as the "Affection Douluo," Zang Xin.

"Since Heavenly Phoenix came in person, I naturally had to drive myself," Affection Douluo laughed. "Otherwise, it would make our Tang Sect seem lacking in etiquette."

"That is truly an honor," Leng Yaozhu said with an ambiguous smile.

"To be honest, I am truly surprised by your Spirit Pagoda," Affection Douluo changed the subject, his gaze sweeping through the rearview mirror at the three young people in the back, lingering on Luo Yang for a moment longer. "I thought it would be Shrek coming this time. I didn't expect your Spirit Pagoda to actually win."

Leng Yaozhu smiled slightly and did not respond.

The car continued to drive in silence for about half an hour, finally stopping before a massive wall constructed entirely of soul-guided alloy.

The wall was about ten zhang high, entirely silver-white, its surface engraved with complex defensive arrays, reflecting a cold metallic luster under the sunlight. It stood across the entrance to the valley like an impassable natural chasm.

Everyone got out of the car, with Affection Douluo leading the way. He raised his hand and pressed lightly on a spot on the wall; a flash of light passed, and a portal silently split open in the center of the wall.

Passing through the portal, the scene before them suddenly opened up.

A winding path led into the distance, and on both sides of the path, a thick, seven-colored mist permeated the air.

But Yuanen Yehui soon discovered something was wrong.

She saw the soul power barrier that Affection Douluo had erected around himself being slowly but firmly eroded by those seemingly harmless seven-colored mists.

Ripples constantly appeared on the surface of the barrier, emitting a faint "hissing" sound, as if something was corroding it.

Yuanen Yehui gasped.

This was a Limit Douluo! His soul power barrier, theoretically capable of resisting the vast majority of attacks, was being easily eroded by this mist?

"This is the Seven-Colored Poisonous Miasma," Affection Douluo noticed her shock and explained without looking back. "One of the most dangerous toxins in the world, said to rot everything it touches. Even a Title Douluo, without sufficient protective measures, would face a nine-to-one chance of death entering here. One must be at least a Super Douluo to barely withstand it."

He paused and added, "And this is only the outer perimeter. The further in you go, the thicker the miasma and the more lethal the poison."

Yuanen Yehui fell silent, her gaze toward the seven-colored mist filled with a bit more awe.

Leng Yaozhu waved her hand, and a crimson light barrier instantly unfolded, enveloping Luo Yang and Yuanen Yehui within it.

The group continued forward.

The poisonous mist gradually thinned, and after walking a few dozen steps, the view before them suddenly opened up.

A hidden valley surrounded by mountains appeared before them like a paradise on earth.

When their vision fully adjusted, everyone was so stunned by the miraculous sight before them that they held their breath.

Most eye-catching was the magical lake in the center of the valley.

The lake water presented a distinct, two-colored spectacle.

One half was as clear and blue as polar ice, emitting a chilling cold; the other half was as red and scorching as molten lava, rising with searing heat waves.

Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well!

Luo Yang's gaze narrowed, an irrepressible excitement surging in his heart.

This was it!

The legendary treasure of heaven and earth formed from the remains of the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings, the blessed land that nurtured countless immortal herbs and spiritual medicines!

He shifted his gaze from the lake and swept it across the surrounding shores—

There, countless strange plants, unheard of and unseen, were growing.

Some were as crystalline as crystal, refracting seven-colored light under the sun; some had petals dancing with real flames, yet they did not burn the surrounding vegetation in the slightest; others had vines intertwined and flashing with starlike points of light, as if the night sky had been plucked down.

Immortal herbs! They were all immortal herbs!

Luo Yang took a deep breath, struggling to suppress the excitement in his heart.

He knew that almost every one of these immortal herbs had become a fierce beast; obtaining them would be no easy task.

Just as everyone was immersed in their shock, Affection Douluo walked toward the depths of the valley alone.

His figure disappeared behind several towering ancient trees, and after he said something, suddenly—

"Rumble—!!!"

The ground shook violently! It was as if some colossal creature had been awakened!

"Who let you in! Get out!!!"

A delicate yet furious female voice came from the depths of the valley, the sound waves rolling forth and shaking the leaves until they rustled to the ground!

The pressure contained within that voice caused Yuanen Yehui's expression to change slightly, and Nanali even took an instinctive step back.

Leng Yaozhu's expression remained unchanged, though she narrowed her eyes slightly as she looked toward the depths of the valley.

A moment later, the tremors subsided, and the angry female voice vanished as well.

Affection Douluo's figure reappeared, his expression somewhat subtle.

He walked up to the group and cleared his throat:

"I have discussed the matter with the senior inside..."

He emphasized the word "discussed," as if the process had been anything but easy. "Only one person is allowed to enter at a time. Whether you can gain the recognition of the immortal herbs depends on your own fortune."

He looked at the young people, his expression turning serious:

"Important things must be said three times: line up, enter one by one, and no one is allowed to act recklessly!"

"The senior inside has a rather poor temper. If anyone violates the rules, even I cannot save you."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the group before finally landing on Luo Yang:

"You will be the last."

Luo Yang nodded, his expression calm.

The first to enter was another young spirit master accompanying the Spirit Pagoda. He took a deep breath and stepped toward the depths of the valley.

Everyone watched his back disappear among the ancient trees, each harboring their own thoughts.

Yuanen Yehui clenched her fists.

As for Luo Yang, he remained calm, but he was quickly calculating in his mind.

When it was his turn to go in, he would make sure to take everything he could get his hands on.

Not a single one would be left behind.