Translator: CinderTL
The four figures stared at the dense toxic miasma before them. Though all were curious as to why Song Wen had ventured into the miasma, none dared to charge in recklessly.
However, this didn't mean they were helpless against the situation.
The mountain hollow where the miasma lingered was no more than a few li long and a few dozen zhang wide. A single spell could easily disperse the entire cloud.
The white-haired elder raised his right hand to his chest, his fingers pinching and twisting.
Instantly, a gust of wind materialized out of thin air, like an invisible wind dragon poised to sweep into the hollow.
Just then, a figure suddenly burst from the depths of the miasma, appearing before the four figures.
It was, of course, Song Wen.
"Ai Kun, what are you up to?" the white-haired elder demanded coldly.
Song Wen raised his right hand, waving it before the four figures with a smug expression.
Only then did they notice that he was clutching a vibrant, emerald-green Spirit Grass in his hand.
"You entered the toxic miasma just for this 'Qi Transformation Grass'?" the dwarf suddenly spoke.
Song Wen gazed at the Spirit Grass in his hand and said, "So this grass is called the 'Qi Transformation Grass'! I wonder what wondrous properties it possesses?"
"The Qi Transformation Grass is a Fourth-Tier poisonous herb. If a cultivator accidentally consumes it, their Spiritual Power will rapidly drain. If the poison isn't neutralized in time, it can even severely damage the cultivator's cultivation. However, this herb's toxicity only affects those at or below the Nascent Soul stage; it's virtually ineffective against cultivators at the Divine Transformation Stage like us. This Spirit Herb is already two to three hundred years old and should fetch around one to two hundred mid-grade spirit stones," the scholar explained slowly.
"Only one to two hundred mid-grade spirit stones?" Song Wen's expression stiffened slightly, and a hint of disappointment couldn't be concealed in his eyes.
The dwarf scoffed, "Lower Realm cultivators truly lack knowledge. They mistake a Fourth-Tier poisonous herb for a rare treasure."
"One to two hundred mid-grade spirit stones isn't bad," Song Wen replied, seemingly unbothered by the dwarf's contemptuous words. He calmly took out a jade box and placed the Spirit Grass inside.
At that moment, the white-haired elder suddenly questioned, "Ai Kun, how did you discover this Qi Transformation Grass?"
None of the four of them, whose cultivation levels were no weaker than Song Wen's, had noticed the Qi Transformation Grass. Yet Song Wen had. This naturally raised suspicion.
The white-haired elder clearly wasn't as easily fooled as the dwarf and had noticed the anomaly.
Song Wen replied, "It was just a minor trick. I'd rather not reveal it."
"Playing coy!" The dwarf pointed at the Spirit Beast Pouch at Song Wen's waist and sneered. "You probably relied on your spirit beast to discover the Qi Transformation Grass."
Song Wen was quite surprised. He had been worried the white-haired elder would press for details, but the dwarf had conveniently provided him with an excuse.
Song Wen forced a smile. "Fellow Daoist Jiang Wo truly has sharp eyes."
The white-haired elder scrutinized Song Wen, sensing something slightly different about him compared to before, though he couldn't pinpoint exactly what.
At that moment, the green-robed young woman's voice suddenly cut through the air, interrupting the white-haired elder's thoughts.
"Go risk your lives for Jiang Lanruo. I'm not playing this game anymore."
With that, the green-robed young woman soared into the sky and vanished into the poisonous miasma that shrouded the vast mountains.
Distracted by the green-robed young woman's departure, the white-haired elder lost interest in pondering Song Wen's oddities. He turned to Ai Kun and scolded him with a hint of annoyance.
"Ai Kun, every patch of poisonous miasma in Rotting Miasma Ridge could conceal a demon beast or swarms of poisonous insects. You were lucky this time and didn't encounter any. Next time, it might not be so easy."
The white-haired elder wasn't genuinely concerned for Song Wen's safety; he was worried that Song Wen's reckless actions might endanger them all.
Song Wen looked contrite. "I was indeed reckless. I apologize to all three of you, Fellow Daoists."
The scholar nodded kindly at Song Wen.
The white-haired elder and the dwarf, however, showed Song Wen no such courtesy. Under the elder's guidance, they pressed deeper into the Rotting Miasma Ridge.
Song Wen and the scholar hurried to follow.
The map in the white-haired elder's hand was clearly the result of generations of exploration by the Jiang Family, carefully avoiding many dangerous areas.
Along the way, they encountered no powerful Great Demons or swarms of poisonous insects.
The occasional Fourth-Tier Demonic Beast or small group of poisonous insects they did encounter were swiftly eliminated by the white-haired elder and the dwarf with lightning-fast strikes.
Song Wen and the scholar, trailing behind, enjoyed a relatively leisurely pace.
After winding their way through the treacherous terrain for over ten thousand miles, the surrounding miasma grew increasingly dense.
Even though the white-haired elder deliberately avoided the areas where the miasma gathered most thickly, the pervasive poison still caused the four of them considerable discomfort.
Song Wen was the first to falter.
He summoned a Mana Shield to protect himself, but the miasma's corrosive power was relentless, like countless tiny poisonous insects gnawing at every inch of the shield.
Forced to constantly replenish his shield with Spiritual Power, Song Wen's reserves were rapidly depleted.
"Fellow Daoist Jiang Chao, do you have any medicinal pills to resist this miasma's corrosive effects?" the white-haired elder asked, glancing back at Song Wen with a grim expression.
Fellow Daoist Jiang Chao naturally had medicinal pills to resist the miasma poison prepared, but he wasn't planning to use them yet. He intended to take them only after entering the Yin Spider Valley.
The scholar suddenly spoke up. "Fellow Daoist Jiang Chao, if you have any medicinal pills, you should distribute them now. If we expend too much Spiritual Power resisting the miasma here, we might struggle to harvest the Nine Deaths Grass once we enter the Yin Spider Valley."
The white-haired elder fell silent for a moment, perhaps considering the scholar's point valid. He then flipped his hand and produced a jade bottle.
"These are Spirit Pivot Detoxification Pills, specially formulated by my Jiang Family to combat the miasma of the Rotting Miasma Ridge. Just one pill will render you completely immune to the miasma for three hours. However, the Spirit Herbs needed to refine this pill are extremely rare. I only have eight pills with me this time, enough for each of us to have two."
With that, he distributed two pills to each person.
"I've given you the pills. It's up to you when to take them. However, I must warn you: the miasma in the Yin Spider Valley is several times stronger than it is here. Once the effects of these two pills wear off, and we haven't yet managed to leave the valley, the poison will seep into your bodies. It won't take long before you dissolve into a foul-smelling pool of yellow pus."
Perhaps the white-haired elder's warning had its effect, or perhaps the others were wary of the pills themselves. Or perhaps it was a combination of both. After receiving their pills, the scholar and the dwarf scrutinized them repeatedly before deciding whether to swallow them.
Song Wen was the exception. Without a moment's hesitation, he opened his mouth and swallowed one of the pills.
(End of the Chapter)
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