txolops Chapter 37 How long are you going to hide?
Chapter 37 How long are you going to hide?
Chapter 37 How long are you going to hide?
Chapter 37: How long are you going to hide, Your Excellency?
Although the divination results have been updated.
But Lin Chuan didn't have time to think about it.
He followed in the footsteps of the disciple in front and stepped into the dark, restricted passage.
The passage was not long, about twenty feet, and the ground felt hard underfoot, as if it were some kind of cold rock.
All around was pure darkness, with only a faint light filtering in from the entrance that quickly shrank behind them. A strange pressure permeated the air, accompanied by subtle spatial fluctuations.
After walking only a few steps, before Lin Chuan could even see what was at the end of the passage, he suddenly felt a strong wave of dizziness.
It felt as if the ground beneath my feet had vanished instantly, and I was thrown into the air by an invisible force.
Spin!
Immediately afterward, Lin Chuan's vision blurred, and the surrounding scenery rapidly changed, stretched, and distorted!
The next moment, I felt my feet firmly on the ground.
But the intense dizziness persisted, and he quickly regained his balance.
After a short while, the dizziness subsided.
Lin Chuan suddenly opened his eyes.
His divine sense spread rapidly in all directions like a tidal wave! At the same time, his body instinctively entered a defensive stance.
What came into view was an absurd and bizarre scene:
Beneath my feet was a grayish-black, rotten mud that emitted a faint, putrid odor and felt soft and yielding.
Not far away were several murky puddles, from which thick, bubbly water was bubbling and had an eerie color.
The surrounding trees were twisted and bizarre in shape, their branches gnarled and twisted like dying monsters, their bark a dark purple.
Scattered across the ground were some unidentified blood-red grasses, which stood out starkly against the gray background.
The air was filled with a pungent, nauseating stench of rot, sulfur, and blood.
—The Crimson Forbidden Land!
His divine sense swept across an area of over a hundred feet (thanks to his cultivation of the "Awakening of Insects Divine Sword," his divine sense range far exceeded that of ordinary Qi Refining Perfection cultivators, approaching that of early Foundation Establishment cultivators), confirming that apart from a few low-level insects hiding in the mud, there were no other figures or powerful demonic beast auras.
Lin Chuan felt somewhat relieved, but his vigilance remained undiminished.
Knowing the original plot well, he was very clear that in this perilous Bloodstained Forbidden Land, the most dangerous and deadly things were often not the elusive monsters.
They were not just seven different sects of cultivators, but all of humanity!
Even those from the same school may not be reliable.
Even before setting off, the sect's stewards repeatedly warned that once inside the forbidden area, everyone would be randomly teleported to various locations on the outskirts of the forbidden area.
If you're lucky, you might find it in a relatively safe area, or even near a place where some medicinal herbs are produced;
Those with bad luck might fall directly into the lair of a powerful monster, or be teleported to the dangerous core of a forbidden area.
Lin Chuan dared not be careless and quickly took out several commonly used magical artifacts from his storage bag: the Azure Cloud Sword hovered beside him, the Golden Light Shield floated half a foot in front of him, and the Ink Scale Armor activated close to his body, bringing a warm and protective feeling.
At the same time, he fully activated the Hidden Spirit Technique, steadily suppressing his outward spiritual energy fluctuations to the level of the twelfth level of Qi Refining.
Although his fellow disciples in Huangfeng Valley knew his true cultivation level, the cultivators from the other six sects might not. Feigning weakness might lower the enemy's guard at a crucial moment, creating an opportunity.
After doing all this.
Lin Chuan then began to carefully observe his surroundings, trying to determine his location.
The surrounding scenery was much the same, all decaying woodland.
He moved carefully, avoiding the bubbling, murky puddles. After walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the view suddenly opened up, revealing a small pool of water.
The pool covers an area of about one acre and is surrounded by a large area of strangely shaped "snake trees" with branches that meander like snakes.
The pool water was a deep black color, and wisps of white, cold air, visible to the naked eye, constantly rose from the surface, making the temperature at the edge of the pool significantly lower than the surrounding area.
"Black Dragon Pool!" Lin Chuan immediately recognized the place based on the forbidden area information issued by the sect and the features before him.
According to historical records, the water in Wulongtan is icy cold, and every ten years or so, some "cold tobacco grass" will randomly grow on the edge of the pool.
This herb is cold in nature and is an auxiliary material for refining several types of ice-attribute pills and making certain special talismans. It has a wide range of uses, and handing it over to the sect can earn you a good reward.
Deep within the pool, lurking is a group of first-level lower-tier demonic beasts called "Frost Toads," whose strength is roughly equivalent to the sixth or seventh level of Qi Refining, and whose temperament is relatively docile.
As long as you don't actively dive to the bottom of the pool to provoke and attack them, you usually won't be attacked.
Although Lin Chuan wasn't particularly lacking in these rewards, since he had teleported to the vicinity, it wouldn't take much effort to collect them.
Even the smallest mosquito leg is still meat.
He cautiously approached the edge of the pool, carefully scanning the water and the shore with his divine sense to confirm that there was no lurking danger.
Sure enough, in the damp crevices of the rocks near the water's surface, they discovered more than a dozen plants with slender, snow-white leaves.
The "cold tobacco" exudes a faint chill.
Lin Chuan moved swiftly, carefully digging up the cold-weather grass by the roots with a jade shovel and sealing it in a specially made jade box.
The whole process took only a few breaths.
Just as he finished collecting the last stalk of cold smoke grass and was about to leave, his powerful divine sense keenly detected the faint footsteps and whispers coming from afar!
Someone is approaching!
Lin Chuan's expression hardened slightly. Without hesitation, he flashed and, like a ghost, silently slipped into a dense and twisted thicket of bushes nearby.
With the full power of the Hidden Spirit Technique activated, his aura almost completely disappeared, merging with the surrounding decaying environment.
He peered out through the gaps in the branches and leaves.
Not far away, two cultivators dressed in the attire of the Spirit Beast Mountain were walking along a winding path. One was older, about thirty years old, with a shrewd face, and his cultivation was at the peak of the twelfth level of Qi Refining; the other was younger, in his early twenties, and his cultivation was at about the eleventh level of Qi Refining.
"—Senior Brother Yu, the Cold Mist Pool is just ahead. According to the information we received earlier, that kid from Tianque Fort's cultivation method is biased towards cold, so he might come here to collect Cold Mist Grass to aid him," the young cultivator whispered.
"Um."
The elder brother, Senior Brother Yu, nodded, a calculating glint in his eyes. "Let's go over there first and use the Beast-Repelling Powder to subdue the group of Frost Toads at the bottom of the pool. Then we'll find a place to hide, and when that kid from Tianque Fortress comes to pick medicinal herbs and relaxes, we'll deliberately make some noise to attract his attention, then immediately control the Frost Toads to launch a surprise attack from behind the pool—hehe, catch him completely off guard!"
"Brilliant plan, senior brother!"
The young monk flattered him.
As they talked, the two walked quickly toward the Cold Mist Pool.
However, when they reached the edge of the pool and their eyes swept over the rock crevices where the cold-weed should have grown, their expressions changed.
"Senior Brother Yu, something's not right! There isn't a single sage plant here!"
The young cultivator exclaimed in confusion, crouching down to examine the marks closely. "Judging from the disturbed soil, it looks like it was recently harvested!"
The older senior brother, Yu, frowned and scanned his surroundings with sharp eyes, lingering for a moment, especially in the direction of the bushes where Lin Chuan was hiding.
Suddenly, he raised his voice sharply, shouting at the empty surroundings, "How long are you going to hide? Do you really think we can't find you? Do I have to personally invite you out?!"
The voice, booming like a bell, carried a hint of threat and probing, echoing along the silent pool.
Hidden in the shadows, Lin Chuan's lips curled into a silent, cold smile.
Frying?
This method is rather clumsy.
He had great confidence in his "Hidden Spirit Technique." He had mastered the technique to a minor degree, and when used at full power, its concealment effect was excellent.
He was confident that, within this blood-red forbidden land, apart from those two powerful figures with special identities (Xiang Zhili and Nangong Wan),
Aside from those who might see through him, no other Qi Refining stage cultivator could possibly discover his deliberate concealment using only their divine sense or perception.
Sure enough, after his senior brother questioned him, Yu focused his senses for a moment and found nothing unusual except for the sound of the wind and the bubbling of the pool. A hint of doubt flashed across his face, but he clearly hadn't actually discovered anything.
"It seems someone beat them to it, gathered the herbs, and left."
Senior Brother Yu shook his head and said to Junior Brother, "Forget it, the plan has changed. This place is no longer of any value. Let's hurry to the next target point and not waste any more time."
"Yes, senior brother." The young cultivator was somewhat disappointed, but could only nod.
The two cautiously looked around again, and after confirming that there was nothing amiss, they quickly turned around and hurried away along the way they had come. Their figures soon disappeared among the twisted trees.