An incense stick's worth of time later.
Some of the stronger rogue cultivators also arrived, their eyes brimming with greed as they gazed at the Fusang Flower. If they got their hands on it, they would have nothing to worry about for the rest of their lives!
At the same time, the rogue cultivators eyed the disciples from the major sects warily. These were their strongest competitors.
Just then, three figures approached, each with a different bearing, yet all eye-catching.
Xiao Rong, Song Tinglan, and Chi Wang.
These three had actually come together, but Chi Wang clearly had little interest in the other two. He never once looked back at them.
Elsewhere, on the outskirts of the forest.
Jiang Yueyan glared somewhat angrily at the direction-finding Spirit Artifact in his hand. Suppressing the urge to smash it, he continued following its lead.
Was there something wrong with this Spirit Artifact? It had led him around this place three times.
Just then, a Spirit-Devouring Vine foolishly attacked him. Jiang Yueyan blasted it into a crater with a talisman, blowing up every root and stem.
"The Fusang Flower is about to bloom!"
Someone shouted, and the blood-red bud in the middle of the lake suddenly trembled, its cinnabar-and-azure light surging.
Mu Shixue's pupils abruptly contracted. She turned her sword hilt to point straight at the lake and said gravely, "Everyone, let your own abilities decide!"
The three from the Azure Cloud Sect took out their last few Spirit Restoration Pills and swallowed them, readying themselves to strike.
"Exactly what I had in mind." Song Tinglan leaped, and the sword in his arms flew out as though possessed of a spirit, catching him in an instant. He stood on his flying sword before the crowd.
This was sword flight, an ability unique to the Golden Core Realm!
"To think Song Tinglan hasn't fallen behind in strength even after going to the Luo River Sect! He's already at the Golden Core Realm!" someone in the crowd said quietly.
"Obviously. The Luo River Sect has plenty of miraculous pills and medicines for cultivation breakthroughs!"
"Who knows if he just piled up pills to get there?"
"Noisy..." The youth standing on his sword frowned. He took out several pills and flicked them forcefully into the mouths of the cultivators who were speaking.
"How do those newly refined Silencing Pills taste?"
Song Tinglan raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I forgot you can't open your..."
But before he finished, a burst of screams interrupted him.
Everyone looked toward the sound!
Ripples spread across the lake, and countless vines burst out of the water.
The nearest rogue cultivator had his ankle caught by a suddenly attacking Spirit-Devouring Vine. He screamed as he fell into the lake and struggled.
But he was still dragged to the bottom.
After a while, bloody bubbles gurgled up on the surface, and a skeleton floated starkly into view.
In an instant, the crowd's breath caught.
Wasn't the Fusang Flower a divine flower?
"Could the rumors be wrong? This isn't a Fusang Flower at all!" a rogue cultivator cried in terror.
Just moments ago, his companion had stood only half a step ahead of him, yet now he had become a ghastly skeleton.
Another voice came from the crowd. "This is definitely a Fusang Flower. Red, ten petals, a yellow root, shaped like a lotus-all of those match!"
Ignoring the panicking crowd, the vines launched their next wave of attacks. This time, they targeted Tang Xin.
Mu Shixue slashed apart the incoming vines. Once Tang Xin recovered her senses, she immediately drew her sword and followed, their Sword Qi weaving a dense net.
Yet the instant the vines touched the Sword Qi, they absorbed every last bit of it. Mu Shixue gave a muffled groan, a thread of blood spilling from the corner of her mouth.
Tang Xin said, "Senior Sister Mu..."
Mu Shixue said, "Something's wrong with this place. Crush your jade marrow and leave immediately!"
Tang Xin and Meng Qi nodded. Both crushed their jade marrow at the same time, but they were not teleported back.
Those beside them saw this too, and some began to break down. "The jade marrow doesn't work anymore! We can't get out of this damned place!"
Having absorbed spiritual power, the vines grew thicker still. They then opened their serrated mouthparts and swooped toward the cultivators closest to the shore.
Several screams rang out, and the lake was already covered in blood. The spiritual power just absorbed flowed along the vines toward the Fusang Flower.
Densely packed human faces abruptly appeared on the thickest vine, making everyone's scalp prickle. A closer look revealed that they were actually the wailing Primordial Spirits of the cultivators devoured earlier. Everyone recoiled three steps in fright.
Tang Yao: "?"
Had she run into the most classic plot twist?
Crushing their identity tokens wouldn't get them out?!
Just then, Tang Yao abruptly turned around. Her back struck a wall of trees that had appeared at some unknown point...
Was the forest moving?
She suddenly recalled the deliberately scrambled teleportation when they entered the secret realm.
Everyone had been precisely placed in different parts of the forest, like pieces set upon a chessboard.
Heaven and earth were the board, and all living beings the pieces.
At these strange yet familiar sights, Tang Yao's eyes instantly widened.
This was the Spirit-Devouring Blood Formation! In the book, this blood formation had trapped the chosen geniuses of the various sects midway through the story. Why had it appeared early?!
"Stop using spiritual power! This is a blood formation of the Devil Race! It sacrifices living beings and absorbs spiritual power to nourish the Floating Life Flower!" Tang Yao said urgently.
"The most important thing right now is to find the formation's core! Otherwise, sooner or later, we'll be worn down to death here!"
"This is impossible." Chi Wang stared at the surrounding scene in disbelief.
This was impossible! Why hadn't anyone told him that this secret realm would contain a killing formation exclusive to the Devil Race?!
Wasn't there a chance he would enter this secret realm too?
Had he already become a discarded pawn? How dared they?
Had his eldest brother agreed to this too?
Judging by Chi Wang's reaction, Tang Yao could tell he clearly hadn't known about this. Otherwise, he would not have come in with them.
Where had things gone wrong?
Could her interference have prevented Chi Wang from disrupting Jiang Yueyan as smoothly as he had in the book, hindering his progress on his other missions?
Did they think Chi Wang's role was negligible? Was that why they had brought out this killing formation ahead of time?
While Chi Wang was still reeling in shock, the bloodstained vines attacked again. This time, their target was the dazed Chi Wang.
Anyone who stepped into this formation would become nourishment, regardless of their identity. Even fellow devil cultivators were no exception.
"Damn it!" Chi Wang quickly flipped aside, dodging the charge. He pinched a Netherfire Talisman in one hand, instantly turning it into flames that attacked the vine. But the Spirit-Devouring Vine had already grown considerably stronger after absorbing the cultivators' spiritual power. These attacks no longer worked on it and merely slowed it down.
No one was particularly close to Chi Wang, and for a moment, nobody stepped forward to help. He rolled across the ground several times in a sorry state.
"Everyone, you're being rather cold."
Jiang Yueyan, who had arrived late, flung the high-grade Law Artifact in his hand, the square compass, at the Spirit-Devouring Vine!
The Law Artifact exploded instantly. That vine burst apart on the spot, its juices splattering everywhere as it turned to ash.
Piece of shit. If he hadn't followed it, he would have arrived ages ago!
Chi Wang frowned without speaking. Bracing one hand against the ground, he looked at Jiang Yueyan, who had approached from behind him.
The lake was exceptionally quiet now, but no one let their guard down. This could well be the calm before the storm.
The four from the Profound Heaven Sect gathered together, maintaining defensive stances at all times. After much hesitation, Chi Wang finally said quietly, "Thank you, Jiang Yueyan..."
Tang Yao: "?"
Chu Song: "?"
Chu Song heard that too, and he looked as though he had seen a ghost.
"We're in the same sect. What are you thanking me for? And who calls their own eldest senior brother by his full name?" Jiang Yueyan smacked Chi Wang on the forehead.
Chi Wang corrected himself. "Eldest Senior Brother."
Tang Yao: "?" The tale of a young devil cultivator going straight?
Chu Song: "!" He had a plan.
Chu Song stuffed two handfuls of Explosion Talismans into Chi Wang's pocket. "Of course using just one wouldn't work. Try throwing a whole handful. Guaranteed to work."
Then he coughed softly, signaling for Chi Wang to address him.
Chi Wang's pale face flushed slightly with pent-up anger. Frowning, he forced himself to say, "Thank you, Second Senior Sister."
That "Second Senior Sister"-what a rush!