Arrival at the Bone-Eroding Pool

"Nothing. Let's go, Dao brother." Bai Ze shrugged, with no intention of explaining.

Duobao watched the two walk away and hurried after them, shouting:

"Explain yourself! What do you mean, I can be experimented on just because my true form is a rat?!

No, my true form is a Duobao Rat, a rare species of the Primordial World! What the hell does that have to do with rats?!

You brat, don't run! Explain yourself!"

Seeing Duobao come to his senses, Bai Ze hurriedly dodged.

At the same time, he sent a portion of his mind into his Inner Landscape and activated his natal Lingbao, the Fate Compass.

"On this journey to the Bone-Eroding Pool, can I obtain the Dream Orchid?"

The next moment, silver grains of sand leaped about, forming a massive forest with an enormous pool at its center.

At the heart of the pool bloomed a flower made of silver sand. The three of them stood by the pool, facing off against a gigantic creature with six pairs of wings.

His Fate Compass could not guide him, and the result it gave was exceedingly vague.

Still, he could tell that the three of them should be able to get out and find the Dream Orchid.

What puzzled him was just what that six-winged creature was.

Seeing Bai Ze suddenly stop, Duobao hooked an arm around his neck and grinned.

"Run, then! Why aren't you running now?!"

"Brother, wait a moment. This is important!"

While Bai Ze was deep in thought, Duobao suddenly locked his throat, startling him.

"Bullshit. Don't even think about making excuses. Brat, take my fist!"

A flash of wisdom that had long seen through everything glinted in Duobao's eyes. Without another word, he raised his fist to smash it down!

Guang Chengzi, standing nearby, showed no intention of stopping them. Instead, he watched their horseplay with a smile.

Bai Ze tried to struggle, only to discover that he could not break free at all. His face immediately fell.

Though he had reached the Extremity Realm of the Early True Form Stage, there were still far too many realms between them!

Besides, Duobao's talent was no weaker than his own. He had also entered the Extremity Realm before!

Especially after all those years of beatings from Venerable Lingbao, his strength was beyond imagination.

But he did not want to get beaten up either! Duobao never knew how to hold back!

He immediately turned to Guang Chengzi and shouted:

"Dao brother, I really do have something important to say."

"Is the Dream Orchid guarded by some living creature?"

Guang Chengzi's eyes filled with suspicion. He stopped Duobao and looked at Bai Ze with a grave expression.

"No. The Bone-Eroding Pool is formed from endless deathly qi and yin qi. There is not the slightest trace of spiritual qi here. In my memories, no one could possibly remain here for long.

"Besides, you saw it too. The gray mist here is not as simple as a maze formation. It is a bizarre law, something akin to a law itself.

"Even so, it took us an entire night to get here, and that was only because junior brother possessed special eye arts.

"How could ordinary living creatures possibly enter?"

Bai Ze looked at Guang Chengzi with utmost seriousness and said nothing more.

Seeing Bai Ze's expression, Guang Chengzi seemed to recall something. His eyes narrowed slightly as he asked softly:

"You sensed it?"

Bai Ze nodded lightly. "That's right. I sensed that this journey may carry danger, which is why I asked whether there was a guardian spirit."

Hearing this, Guang Chengzi looked toward the pitch-black forest, seemingly lost in thought. After a long while, he spoke:

"I understand. But this thing is extremely important to me. I have to go!

"You two stay here and wait for me."

A flicker of surprise crossed Bai Ze's eyes. It was so important to Guang Chengzi?

No wonder Guang Chengzi had headed straight for the Black Forest the moment they entered Cloud Dream Marsh.

Then Bai Ze smiled. "What are you saying, Dao brother? I only said there might be danger. I never said we should not go.

"Besides, if you go deep in alone and something unexpected happens, the three of us can look after one another."

Guang Chengzi smiled faintly. He naturally understood Bai Ze's double meaning, but he did not expose it.

"Fine. Then let's go."

Bai Ze nodded. To him, whether Guang Chengzi went in alone or the other two remained here, both possibilities carried danger.

It would be better for all three to go together, so they could watch each other's backs.

After all, he was the weakest. If Duobao could not handle things alone, would he not be the one to suffer?

Moreover, if Guang Chengzi ventured in alone, the risk would clearly be far greater.

Whether out of friendship or reason, having all three go together was the safest choice.

As the three ventured deeper, the black trees around them gradually thinned, and almost no vegetation could be seen on the ground.

Suddenly, Duobao crept closer and asked in a low voice:

"Little brother, did you notice it?"

Feeling the spiritual power within his body becoming sluggish, Bai Ze nodded.

"The deeper we go, the more severely the spiritual power in our bodies is suppressed."

"That's good, then. I thought I was the only one feeling this way!"

Duobao immediately let out a sigh of relief.

Bai Ze shot Duobao a speechless glance. This fellow was far too big-hearted.

"Brother, being unable to use spiritual power is not a good thing."

Duobao waved a hand indifferently. "It's fine. Whoever comes here will have their spiritual power suppressed anyway. When the time comes, it will all come down to our physical bodies!

"When it comes to sheer strength, this Daoist has never feared anyone!"

After saying that, Duobao rolled up his sleeves and patted his bulging biceps.

Bai Ze rolled his eyes. "If that's the case, then if we run into danger, Brother, you'll have to bring up the rear!"

"Why?" Duobao's face darkened.

"Because you can take a beating!" Bai Ze said as though it were only natural, then turned toward Guang Chengzi.

"Dao brother, if we run into any enemies later, just throw him out there. He can take a beating anyway!"

Duobao immediately became displeased and shouted:

"Bullshit! Just because my physical body is strong, I deserve to get beaten up?!

"Why don't you throw yourself out to bring up the rear?!"

Bai Ze shrugged and spread his hands. "Isn't it obvious? I can't take a beating. If you don't bring up the rear, who will?"

Duobao's face instantly sank. He spat out each word one by one.

"You brat, are you asking to be beaten up?"

Seeing this, Bai Ze hurriedly hid beside Guang Chengzi.

"Catch me first."

As soon as Duobao made a move, Bai Ze dodged, never giving him an opportunity.

Duobao was so angry that he shouted, "If you've got the guts, stop using senior brother as a shield! Let's fight one-on-one!"

Bai Ze immediately put on a contemptuous expression and shook his head.

"I don't even have a Dao companion. Where would I get the guts? Brother, are you stupid?"

Provoked by Bai Ze, Duobao's teeth itched with fury. Baring his fangs and brandishing his claws, he pounced over.

Just then, Guang Chengzi stopped Duobao and stared ahead vigilantly.

"We're here!"

Duobao and Bai Ze stopped fooling around and both looked over.

Before them lay a pitch-black pool. At its center was a blue crystalline flower, though it appeared not to have matured yet, still continuously absorbing the yin qi and deathly qi within the Bone-Eroding Pool.

What drew their attention most was the ferocious beast on the other side of the Bone-Eroding Pool, with three pairs of golden, translucent wings.

The moment they looked at it, the six-winged beast looked back at them.