Chapter 382: Jungle and Sea of Flowers

In the Human World

At this moment, the two Nascent Soul cultivators seemed to have finished their discussion.

They separated, pressing against the mountain walls, facing each other. Simultaneously, they raised their hands, and an endless stream of spiritual energy surged forth, converging between them.

Gradually, this spiritual energy formed a crystalline sphere, which then expanded at a visible rate.

Qin Sang couldn't sense the sphere's aura, but he could perceive how much spiritual energy was contained within such a large orb. If it were him, he wouldn't even be able to sustain its formation; his sea of qi would be instantly drained.

Yet, the two Nascent Soul cultivators remained completely at ease. The sphere rapidly expanded, showing no signs of stopping.

The immense gap between him and the Nascent Soul cultivators was evident.

In the blink of an eye, the sphere expanded to its limit, then began to deform, elongating vertically. It eventually transformed into a massive sword of light, which then collapsed inward, compressing into a single-person-tall treasure sword. Its radiance was subdued, making it appear substantial.

The sword hung inverted, its tip pointing downwards, then suddenly vanished from sight.

The next moment, Qin Sang felt a slight tremor beneath his feet.

Immediately after, an endless spray of iridescent light suddenly erupted from the gap between the two mountains, shooting towards the two Nascent Soul cultivators in the air.

Surprisingly, facing this light, the Nascent Soul cultivators also had to dodge and maneuver.

However, the iridescent light proliferated, acting like living entities. No matter how they dodged, it would entwine them with uncanny flexibility, sticking like a persistent ailment.

Just then, one of the Nascent Soul cultivators failed to evade in time, and half of his robe was torn away by the light. Seemingly enraged by the persistent entanglement, he suddenly opened his hand, and a black, circular object shot out from his palm.

The object spun rapidly, expanding as it met the air.

Only then did Qin Sang and Master Yunyou clearly see that it was a profound tortoise shell!

The tortoise shell was profound black, inscribed with extremely mysterious patterns. Being too far away, they couldn't discern if it was a magic artifact or some extraordinary item.

The other Nascent Soul cultivator shook his head upon seeing this, not joining the attack. Instead, he leaped to his companion's side, drawing all the iridescent light towards himself.

The tortoise shell hovered in mid-air, emitting a brilliant profound light, and descended upon the iridescent light. The light struggled to resist but was steadily repelled, eventually suppressed and vanishing without a trace.

Just by observing this silent battle, Qin Sang felt his heart race with tension. The Nascent Soul cultivator effortlessly extinguished the seemingly formidable iridescent light with a single tortoise shell, filling Qin Sang with yearning.

The iridescent light was extinguished.

That Nascent Soul cultivator retrieved the tortoise shell, while the other leaped downwards.

A moment later, the latter returned. After seemingly exchanging some words about the treasure they obtained from within, the two sped off towards the depths of Boundless Valley, departing swiftly.

One hour later.

Only after confirming that the two Nascent Soul cultivators had left were Qin Sang and Master Yunyou brave enough to emerge from the hillside.

'Did you recognize the identities of those two Nascent Soul cultivators, Senior?' Qin Sang asked, glancing sideways.

It was unclear if the two Nascent Soul cultivators were intentionally concealing their identities; not only were they fully cloaked in black robes, but they also didn't use any incantations when breaking the restriction. Only the one who became impatient with the persistent iridescent light revealed the tortoise shell, which might offer a clue or two.

Master Yunyou shook his head with a bitter smile.

'Brother Qin, you think too highly of this old Taoist,' he said. 'With my meager cultivation, I only hear rumors and hearsay. How could I possibly know the secrets of the Nascent Soul realm?

'However, true Nascent Soul experts in our Little Cold Domain are few and far between. I hear their relationships aren't very harmonious. I wonder what treasure could make two Nascent Souls join forces...

'Never mind. These matters are unrelated to us, nor are they within our ability to uncover. Fortunately, the path of those two Nascent Soul cultivators diverged from ours. Let's continue on our way.'

Qin Sang nodded, glanced back, and followed Master Yunyou, his mind still replaying the recent battle.

Due to the numerous dangers and their weak strength, their progress was slow.

Another half-day passed in this manner.

Turning past a mountain stream, Master Yunyou's face lit up with a hint of joy at the sight before him, and he stopped. 'Brother Qin, this is the place.'

Before them appeared a small patch of dense forest, a sight uncommon in the fragmented inner valley.

Qin Sang, whose nerves had been taut, relaxed slightly and carefully observed the scene.

There were only a few towering trees in the forest, mostly interspersed with man-high bushes, allowing one to see clearly to the end. It was exceptionally quiet inside, with no sound of insects, as if no living creatures resided there.

'This is actually an ingeniously crafted illusion,' Master Yunyou said with admiration, 'but if you don't find a way to break it, these will feel very real!'

Master Yunyou strode forward, navigating the forest with practiced ease, unafraid to touch the vegetation.

An illusion?

Qin Sang was greatly surprised. He reached out and snapped off a branch; milky-white sap flowed out, exuding a fresh, grassy fragrance. It felt completely real!

Master Yunyou stopped in the middle of the forest, his gaze shifting as if searching for something.

A moment later, Master Yunyou's eyes focused. He walked to an ancient tree, knelt down, and looked at an inconspicuous small plant growing beneath it.

He raised his hand, placed it over the small plant, and spiritual energy surged from his palm, flowing into it.

The next moment, the forest vanished, and the scenery drastically changed!

A mountain, split in half, formed a valley.

The fracture was smooth as a mirror, making one wonder if the mountain had been cleaved apart by a single strike.

Countless vibrant flowers bloomed in the valley.

These flowers, varying in color and form, all bloomed simultaneously and were in full bloom, forming a sea of flowers dancing gracefully in the gentle breeze.

At this time, a person wearing a grey robe and a bamboo hat was walking through the sea of flowers.

Despite the enchanting beauty of the flowers, the grey-robed figure showed no appreciation. His expression was unusually solemn, as if man-eating beasts lurked within the floral expanse.

Even when flowers brushed against each other, releasing pollen, he would swiftly dodge, careful not to let any pollen touch him.

This person had evidently spent an unknown amount of time within the flower sea, possessing an intimate knowledge of the flowers and executing evasive maneuvers with extreme proficiency.

Just then, the grey-robed figure accidentally brushed against something. A flower next to him drastically changed form, transforming into a malevolent ghost that opened a gaping maw, its sharp fangs biting savagely towards him.

The grey-robed figure reacted instantly, retreating rapidly. As he pulled back, he struck out with both palms, sending forth streams of spiritual energy.

This spiritual energy did not harm the relentlessly pursuing ghost; instead, it gently suppressed and slowly appeased it until the malevolent spirit's eyes became clouded, and it reverted to its floral form.

The grey-robed figure skillfully defused the crisis and was about to continue forward when he seemed to sense something. He looked up, staring at the distant, kaleidoscopic sky.

An expression of surprise appeared on his face.

After a brief moment of contemplation, the figure instantly transformed into a wisp of green smoke, darted out of the flower sea, and vanished deep within the layers of restrictions.

Only a surprised murmur remained, slowly fading away.

'Heart-devouring worm?'