Flowers Bloom, Love Is Sealed, Lovesick Heartbreak (I)

He glanced at Lin Chen, his tone arrogant, as if he were just casually mentioning it. "If your Chaos Shield is sturdy enough, you can get through. There are some rare things inside. I have to stay here to protect Yanyan, so I can't leave. If you want to go and explore, go ahead, but don't go too deep. If you touch something you shouldn't, I won't be responsible if you get poisoned."

The words were blunt, but the meaning was clear: we're letting you in to try your luck; whether you succeed depends on your own abilities.

Lin Chen's heart skipped a beat.

Behind the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor Poison Array lies the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, a true treasure trove!

He was still thinking about how to find an excuse to go deeper into the area, but unexpectedly Dugu Bo offered him a way out. This was clearly an opportunity given to him by the other party because they recognized his performance earlier.

He bowed slightly and said sincerely, "Thank you for your guidance, senior. I will take Xiao Wu to explore the outer perimeter and broaden her horizons; we will not venture too far in."

Dugu Bo snorted, waved his hand, and said nothing more. He closed his eyes again to protect Dugu Yan, as if he didn't care whether Dugu Yan went or not.

Lin Chen turned and walked to Xiao Wu's side, lowering his voice. "Let's go, head east, stay close to me."

"Okay." Xiao Wu nodded quickly and obediently followed beside him.

The two walked eastward, stepping on the withered yellow leaves.

The late autumn wind blew over, carrying the frost from the treetops and a faint, grassy smell. The further east you went, the stronger the poison in the air became. The roadside vegetation gradually turned from deep green to withered yellow, and eventually even the tree trunks turned an unnatural grayish-black. You could no longer hear the chirping of insects; it was completely silent.

After walking about three miles, a dark green wall of miasma suddenly appeared ahead.

The miasma was so thick it seemed almost tangible, slowly churning, with tiny specks of poisonous dust floating within it. Wherever it passed, even rocks were corroded, leaving them pitted and barren, with only scorched black soil remaining.

Even from several meters away, you could smell the pungent, sweet, and fishy odor; just one breath made your chest feel tight.

"So this is the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor Poison Array..." Xiao Wu subconsciously moved closer to Lin Chen and whispered, "It looks terrifying."

"Yes, it's a mixture of poisonous miasma, with the effect of corroding flesh and bones." Lin Chen nodded, his gaze sweeping over the wall of miasma.

This was indeed Dugu Bo's doing. The poison was layered upon layer, and any ordinary Soul Master who dared to take a step inside would instantly have their flesh and bones dissolved by the poison.

Even his Chaos Shield wasn't perfectly immune; it could only barely withstand the attack and endure it. Once their Soul Power was depleted, the two would instantly be reduced to nothing.

"Don't be afraid, stay with me, and never leave my side."

Lin Chen didn't delay any longer and fully activated his Soul Power. The pale gray Chaos Shield struggled to open, only protecting an area of about ten feet, barely covering the two of them. The shield's light and shadow swayed slightly, flickering and dimming, clearly bearing a huge burden.

"Walk."

He held Xiao Wu's hand tightly, gritted his teeth, and stepped into the miasma wall.

Sizzle--! Sizzle--!

The dark green, highly toxic miasma crashed against the light shield, producing a dense, piercing corrosive sound.

The domineering power of all poisons frantically eroded and crushed the shield, causing the chaotic light barrier to fluctuate and tremble violently, with layers of ripples exploding wildly, and fine gray-white cracks constantly appearing at the edges, threatening to shatter at any moment.

Lin Chen frowned, his Soul Power rapidly draining away, continuously pouring into the shield to maintain the barrier, consuming energy at a high intensity every second.

The power of the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor Poison Array far exceeded his expectations; the Power of Chaos could only barely suppress the toxins, and could not easily achieve immunity.

Xiao Wu watched curiously as the poisonous miasma churned outside the protective barrier, and as the shield swayed and weakened by the poison, a sudden tightness gripped her heart. She whispered, "Brother Lin Chen, are you alright...?"

"Don't touch anything, stand still." Lin Chen smiled and ruffled her hair, his tone steady, but his eyes held a serious expression as he held her hand tightly and led her forward steadily. "You can manage, but it will be extremely taxing."

Visibility was extremely low in the poisonous miasma; you couldn't see anything beyond five steps.

Lin Chen unleashed his Chaos Domain at full power, locking onto the location with unwavering precision, daring not to move even a step too fast or too slow.

He exhausted his Soul Power throughout, relying on the inherent restraint of the Power of Chaos to barely isolate himself from the overwhelming poison, and forcibly carved a path to survival in the deadly poison array.

After walking for about half an incense stick's time, the intense corrosive pressure around him suddenly dissipated.

Suddenly, the thick, dark green miasma disappeared completely, and the view opened up.

The two stood at the entrance of a valley.

The scenery in the valley is completely different—the hillside on the left glows with a faint red light, the air is warm and dry, and even the rocks have a dark red sheen, with clusters of fiery red exotic flowers and herbs growing there; the hillside on the right, however, is covered with a thin layer of white frost, the air is crisp and cold, and ice-blue herbs grow quietly in the cracks of the rocks, with tiny ice crystals condensed on their leaves.

One hot, one cold; one red, one blue—the two auras converged in the center of the valley, forming a light mist that lingered and did not dissipate.

"Wow..." Xiao Wu's eyes widened as she looked at the scene before her. "This place is so strange, it's hot on one side and cold on the other."

Lin Chen understood.

The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well! It really is here!

Having forcibly broken through the Thousand Poison Miasma Formation, he had already exhausted nearly half of his Soul Power. His chest heaved slightly, which showed just how dangerous the situation had been.

He remained expressionless, simply stating, "It must be because there's a confluence of fire and ice veins underground, creating a unique climate that allows so many rare medicinal herbs to grow."

He crouched down and pointed to a cluster of pale pink flowers by the roadside. "Look, this is the Fragrant Silk Beauty Flower, the nemesis of all poisons. It's the best Immortal Herb for neutralizing toxins and preventing poisoning, and it's very rare to see outside."

Pointing to a cluster of fiery red flowers on the opposite rock face, he said, "That's Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower, with pure Yang properties; both are rare and top-grade medicinal herbs."

Xiao Wu's eyes widened in astonishment. "Are these all so precious?"

"Yes, even a single one of these plants is priceless." Lin Chen nodded and stood up.

He knew in his heart that these were just the outer edges. The real treasures were located deep within the valley, beside the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well -Yang Spring, Lovesick Heartbreak Red and the Aromatic Silk Beauty —truly rare and precious materials.

No rush.

Since Dugu Bo had let him in, he didn't intend for him to leave empty-handed. But he couldn't push his luck either; he should first look around the perimeter before slowly venturing deeper.

"Let's walk further in, be careful, don't pick anything indiscriminately." Lin Chen held Xiao Wu's hand and slowly walked deeper into the valley. "Many of the herbs here are poisonous; touching the wrong one could be dangerous."

"Oh." Xiao Wu nodded obediently, holding his hand tightly, her eyes curiously looking around.

The late autumn sun pierced through the mist above the valley, casting dappled light. The Entanglement of warmth and coolness, one warm and the other cool, created an indescribably comfortable atmosphere.

Lin Chen could feel the Chaos Pearl in his dantian starting to rotate slightly, and the ice and fire spiritual energy flowing into his meridians with his breath, nourishing his body, and the degree of integration was slowly increasing. He was overjoyed.