Chapter 178: Wulong Pond

A grayish-black, rotting ground, murky puddles constantly bubbling, strangely twisted trees, and unknown blood-red grass underfoot. The air was thick with a pungent, peculiar smell. This was the scene Han Li encountered as he regained consciousness.

Without pausing to wonder about the strange environment, Han Li first cautiously scanned his surroundings, checking for other people. After all, the greatest danger often came from disciples of other sects who had entered the forbidden area alongside him.

It seemed he was fortunate; there was no one else within dozens of yards apart from himself. He let out a light sigh of relief.

However, he did not relax his guard. Instead, he clutched a talisman in one hand and took out his set of "Golden Cicada Mother-Child Blades" with the other, as a complete precaution.

Only then could Han Li calm his mind and carefully observe the peculiarities of his location.

Han Li was not surprised to suddenly find himself in an unfamiliar place. Long before the trip to the forbidden area, the stewards had provided each disciple with detailed information about it.

The information stated that anyone who entered the forbidden area would be instantly teleported to various corners of the area by a displacement array still active within. As for the exact destination, it depended on each person's luck.

Some might be teleported to the most central region, where they would find plenty of spiritual herbs to collect upon arrival—a truly fortunate individual. Others might appear directly in front of several demonic beasts and could not get away safely without a fierce battle. As for the unluckiest individuals, they might be sent directly to a deadly place and perish instantly. This, of course, was the rarest occurrence.

Most commonly, however, people like Han Li were teleported to a remote corner of the forbidden area and had to navigate their way forward on their own.

According to the speculation of senior cultivators, the reason for these occurrences was that their method of breaking into the forbidden area was not the correct way to enter, which naturally triggered minor restrictions, leading to unexpected situations.

As Han Li cautiously circled the vicinity, he compared the information he remembered with the surrounding scenery. This allowed him to find extremely useful information, which was accumulated knowledge from disciples who had previously exited the forbidden area and was now greatly beneficial to new entrants.

"Black Dragon Pool is located in the northeastern corner of the forbidden area, centered around a deep pool several dozens of yards wide. Spanning over a dozen miles in radius, it is rich in plants like Bone-Rotting Flowers and Serpentvine Trees. These can be used to make poisons but are not of great value."

"At the center of the Black Dragon Pool, by the waterside, some 'Coldmist Grass' will randomly appear every ten-odd years. This is a rare herb with extremely wide applications. If possible, one should try to collect it, as it can be exchanged for a certain reward within the sect. However, be aware that a group of low-tier Level 1 demonic beasts, the 'Frost Toads,' lurk deep within the pool. They are generally docile, and as long as they are not provoked, there is no significant danger."

After recalling the information several times, Han Li had a clear understanding of the situation.

Normally, the closer one got to the center of the forbidden area, the more rare spiritual treasures and powerful guardian beasts would appear. The Black Dragon Pool was situated slightly towards the outer edges, but not in the outermost layer. If he hurried, he could still reach the central region within a day.

Considering this, Han Li did not dare to use his spiritual tool for flight. Instead, he leapt into a large tree with dense foliage. After surveying his surroundings and determining the direction, he then jumped back down.

The pool was to Han Li's south, directly on the path leading to the forbidden area's center. It seemed he could take a look on his way.

Han Li cast an invisibility spell on himself and set off with light steps, proceeding cautiously along the way. Perhaps Han Li was overly tense, for after walking several miles, nothing unexpected happened; it seemed he was the only one in the entire Black Dragon Pool region.

When he heard the sound of flowing water, Han Li finally relaxed his tense nerves a little.

Pushing aside some curved branches blocking his way, a deep, emerald-green pool appeared. Even before he got close, a chilling coldness made Han Li shiver.

This was the Black Dragon Pool? Han Li observed it curiously.

The pool wasn't very large and was surrounded by a wide expanse of Serpentvine Trees. However, wisps of visible cold mist rose from its surface, and patches of crystalline frost had formed at its edges, showing how incredibly cold the pool water was.

Han Li didn't care about these details. What caught his attention was that in a certain low-lying spot by the pool, over a dozen fluffy white grasses grew. Each grass had a single stem, five leaves, and was entirely white. It also emitted a faint white mist, as if enveloped in smoke, truly looking like a spiritual herb.

"That's right, this is indeed Coldmist Grass, exactly as described in the information!" Han Li murmured softly, with a hint of secret delight.

Although this herb had nothing to do with his Foundation Establishment Pill, being able to obtain it so easily at the very beginning was certainly a good omen.

Habitually, Han Li glanced left and right, about to step forward, but his expression suddenly shifted slightly. He hunched over, retreating a few steps quietly, and once again concealed himself behind the foliage. Then, expressionless, he gazed at the dense woods to his left.

Before long, a figure flickered into view. A man in blue, cautiously peeking around, emerged. Judging by his attire, he was likely from the Heavenly Citadel Sect. The man was extremely cautious, frequently looking back and constantly surveying his surroundings. From his tightly clenched fists, it was clear he was prepared for an attack. His direction of movement was precisely towards those few stalks of Coldmist Grass.

Han Li sighed. It seemed he would have to leave empty-handed.

The opponent was so cautious that a sneak attack would be impossible. And he had no intention of engaging this person in a head-on battle; taking such a risk for a few dispensable items was simply not worth it!

"Come out! I see you! Stop hiding!" A dozen paces from the Coldmist Grass, the man in blue suddenly stopped, turned around, and called out loudly.

Han Li was startled, thinking he had inadvertently given himself away and been discovered. But then he couldn't help but smile wryly, because although the blue-clad man was shouting loudly, his eyes were constantly darting around. He wasn't looking at Han Li's hiding spot at all; he was merely bluffing.

Han Li found it both annoying and amusing. He watched as the man in blue continued to shout for a while before finally feeling safe enough to gather the Coldmist Grass. The blue-clad man's seemingly clever tactic made Han Li hesitate, considering whether he should take advantage of the man's carelessness and attack him from behind.

Before he could make up his mind, the blue-clad man quickly gathered three or four stalks of the white grass in succession. It seemed this person also understood the principle that delay breeds complications, and in the blink of an eye, he was about to clear out all the grass.

Han Li silently shook his head and decided to retreat. His main goal was still the three main ingredients for the Foundation Establishment Pill. Before that, preserving his strength was the best approach!

With this thought, Han Li quietly withdrew. When he had retreated a dozen yards away, he finally felt safe enough to start running quickly, to avoid the man following him after he finished gathering the herbs.

However, before he could fully pick up speed, a desperate scream came from the direction of the pool. By the sound of it, it was the blue-clad man's dying cry.

Han Li shivered instinctively. After a moment of hesitation, he gritted his teeth and quietly circled back. He needed to understand what had happened, lest he suffer the same fate.

When Han Li stealthily returned to the vicinity of the pool, two fierce-looking men had appeared by its edge. Judging by their brightly colored attire, they were likely from the Spirit Beast Mountain.

At this moment, they were gleefully rummaging through the Heavenly Citadel Sect disciple's storage pouch. Beside them lay over a dozen large blue toads. As for the man in blue, his body was riddled with over a dozen large holes; he was dead beyond a doubt.

"Senior Brother Yu, that was a brilliant idea!" the younger man exclaimed. "As soon as we spotted that idiot, instead of confronting him directly, we rushed here to the Black Dragon Pool and hid. Then we scattered some beast-repelling powder into the water, and this whole nest of Frost Toads temporarily became docile and followed our commands. Heh heh! Who would've thought that just a little noise would distract him so easily? The demonic beasts then launched a surprise attack from behind, unleashing a barrage of Ice Cone spells, and that fool instantly kicked the bucket. This guy probably never imagined he'd die at the hands of a group of low-tier demonic beasts. But wow, this guy was quite wealthy! Senior Brother, why don't we stick to this plan and remain hidden here, waiting for others to take the bait? We can use this Coldmist Grass as lure!" After they finished dividing the spoils, the younger man kicked the Heavenly Citadel Sect disciple's corpse hard and said greedily.