Chapter 135: Pure World Green Lotus
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“So many people…”
Within less than half an incense stick of time, Yu Zhao and her group of six had reached the location of the light pillar. Jing Nan glanced around and let out a sigh of amazement.
Yu Zhao scanned the area, her heart sinking. Over three hundred cultivators had already gathered here, with more arriving continuously. The only reassurance for her was the absence of Nascent Soul cultivators, meaning she still stood a fighting chance.
At that moment, a fiery red figure suddenly entered her line of sight. Trailing behind this figure were two all-too-familiar faces. Yu Zhao raised an eyebrow, but surprisingly, she wasn’t too shocked.
However, seeing those two dragged along the ground like lifeless dogs, battered and utterly pathetic, she couldn’t help but wonder. After just one glance, she turned her gaze away, pretending not to recognize them.
Currently deprived of his five senses and unable to extend his divine sense, Cui Jue was effectively a cripple and naturally didn’t notice Yu Zhao’s fleeting glance. Fang Cheng Lang, on the other hand, noticed immediately.
In fact, as soon as he entered the area, his gaze honed in on Yu Zhao amid the crowd. Upon confirming her presence, a fleeting smile appeared in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by regret when he realized their current predicament.
He feared Yu Zhao might endanger herself to rescue them. The thought of her getting hurt again because of him was unbearable. Yet, to his utter disbelief, Yu Zhao not only saw them but chose to completely ignore them, as though they were mere strangers.
For a brief moment, time seemed to freeze. A sharp pain tore through Fang Cheng Lang’s chest, as if even breathing had turned into a form of torment. His bloodshot eyes locked onto Yu Zhao’s figure, a silent cry echoing in his heart.
Little Six, look at your Eldest Senior Brother!
He misses you! Truly… he misses you…
“Eh? Why are you crying?” Yao Wu Ji shot Fang Cheng Lang a disdainful glance. “I won’t have time to deal with you two later. If you don’t want to be seen as prey by the others, stop sniveling. It’s sickening to watch.”
Fang Cheng Lang didn’t need Yao Wu Ji’s warning. He could already feel numerous malicious gazes directed at him. Suppressing his sorrow, he positioned himself to shield Cui Jue.
No matter what, he wouldn’t let Cui Jue fall before him.
At that moment, almost everyone’s attention was focused on the light pillar at the center of the marshy swamp. A faint green miasma surrounded it, and within the pillar, the silhouette of a lotus flower could be seen.
Some experienced cultivators immediately recognized it.
“That’s the Pure World Green Lotus!”
“The Pure World Green Lotus? You mean the one whose seeds can be refined into Dispelling Evil Pills?”
“Born from filth yet untouched by it! It really is the Pure World Green Lotus!”
Within mere breaths, the news spread through the crowd, stirring their emotions.
The Dispelling Evil Pill was a fourth-grade elixir, each worth approximately a hundred top-grade spirit stones. A single lotus pod contained nine seeds, meaning this lotus, along with its petals and leaves, could fetch nearly a thousand top-grade spirit stones.
For wandering cultivators, this was an unimaginable fortune. The greed in the air was palpable, with many already showing signs of restlessness.
Ji Han Zhou took advantage of the distraction caused by the four female cultivators from Hundred Flowers Valley, stealthily moving closer to Yu Zhao. In a hushed tone, he asked, “Senior Sister Yu, why haven’t they acted yet? The light pillar’s appearance should mean the spiritual herb is fully mature.”
The cultivators who arrived earlier than the others had not attempted to pick the Pure World Green Lotus. Instead, they stood at the edge of the marsh, observing. This struck Yu Zhao as peculiar—why would they willingly surrender such a rare spiritual herb to others?
As she pondered this question, her gaze swept over the group of cultivators at the front. Soon, she reached a conclusion. Their expressions were tense, eyes flickering with unease and fear. It was clear that they had witnessed something truly terrifying, preventing them from moving forward.
Just as Yu Zhao was about to share her speculations with Ji Han Zhou, several figures sprang into action from the crowd, darting toward the column of light with lightning speed. Their movements spurred others into action, and within moments, dozens of cultivators launched themselves from various directions toward the marsh’s center, all aiming for the Pure World Green Lotus.
However, the moment their bodies entered the range of the miasma, disaster struck. They seemed to lose control of their movements, plummeting from the air into the marsh one after another. What happened next was horrifying beyond words.
The bodies of those who fell into the marsh began to dissolve at an alarming rate. Flesh melted away where it touched the marsh, leaving bones exposed in mere moments. Some lost both legs in an instant, while others had half their faces corroded, revealing ghastly white skulls. Agonized screams filled the air, reverberating above the marshland.
In just a few breaths, silence returned. The marsh seemed to regain its tranquility, as if nothing had happened.
The crowd stood frozen, the oppressive silence so deep one could hear a pin drop. Only after a long pause did they begin murmuring anxiously among themselves.
“The miasma is untouchable, and the marsh is deadly. Are both paths completely blocked?”
“This is terrifying! The Pure World Green Lotus is clearly not something mere mortals like us can dream of.”
“Does anyone know how to dispel the miasma? Without it gone, none of us can get close to the lotus!”
The sight of the spiritual treasure within reach but utterly inaccessible filled everyone with frustration. Yet, seeing that no one else could approach it either brought a certain grim comfort.
Yu Zhao turned to Mo Ci and asked, “Fellow Daoist Mo, your Hundred Flowers Valley frequently ventures into marsh forests. Have you ever encountered such a potent miasma?”
Mo Ci gave a bitter smile. “Never. If our sect knew such a dangerous miasma existed here, they wouldn’t have sent us to gather nectar in this region.”
This confirmed that Mo Ci and her companions had no means to dispel the miasma either.
After a moment of thought, Yu Zhao beckoned Ji Han Zhou to her side and whispered instructions in his ear. Ji Han Zhou nodded, moving toward the marsh under the watchful eyes of the crowd. The sudden focus on him was palpable.
Ji Han Zhou proceeded to toss various items into the marsh, one after another: Spirit Stones, beast bones, and even a defensive artifact renowned for its durability. Regardless of the item, each dissolved completely upon contact with the marsh, vanishing in less than three breaths.
He glanced back at Yu Zhao, who shook her head, signaling him to return.
Yu Zhao stroked her chin thoughtfully. This was her first time encountering such a perplexing and seemingly unsolvable dilemma. She decided to wait and observe, hoping some clever individual among the crowd might propose a solution.
One hour passed. The crowd remained helpless, merely staring at the marsh. Another hour went by, and restlessness began to spread.
Finally, a sharp, mocking voice broke the silence. “If we can’t go above, then we go through the marsh.”
“Feel free to get yourself swallowed whole! Don’t drag the rest of us down with you,” someone retorted angrily.
The sharp voice rang out again, sneering, “I’ve been watching. It takes five breaths for the marsh to fully dissolve a person. If we space a few people apart and throw them into the marsh, we can step on their bodies to reach the lotus and come back.”
The crowd fell silent once more. A chilling aura of hostility began to fill the air.
Bruh.