Chapter 493

Chapter 494: Infatuated with the White Bone Gate

"Quickly, search quickly!"

"But we've been walking for so long, and we haven't seen any high-grade treasures at all."

"This forbidden area, protected by such a grand heavenly array, shouldn't just contain these things after breaking through the defenses!"

"I only found a few eighth-grade Huo Xi Lingyao."

"Me too, just a few scattered medicinal herbs, and nothing else in sight..."

The crowd rushing madly into Ling Rong Ze began to calm down slightly.

By now, they were not far from the deepest part.

Yet, the treasures that appeared were still so few, not enough to go around among everyone.

Moreover...

"Look at those huge footprints on the ground; the guardian here must be a massive beast!"

"Are those footprints?"

Someone stared at the deep pit in the ground, lost in thought.

"Yes, you can see the toe impressions at the top, though it's hard to make out clearly because they're so deep, but the owner of these is definitely a hulking giant."

"Those scattered spiritual herbs around might be what's left after it trampled them."

"What a waste of heavenly resources..."

A low hum vibrated through the air.

The ground trembled gently.

Those with keen perception finally noticed this subtle detail.

"Listen."

"Could this mean that big beast is coming back?" someone asked in alarm.

"It's possible. The explosive sounds stopped a few hours ago, which means the battle has ended."

"Whoever's coming now, it's either the guardian of this forbidden area or the one who defeated it."

"They mean trouble!"

"The key is, judging by the ground shaking, it's definitely that massive beast. Has the guardian returned?"

The crowd started to panic a little.

The guardian of this place must be incredibly powerful.

If it came back and caught them, especially if it was that owner of the huge footprints, wouldn't they all be crushed like ants?

"Look at those two!"

Amid the sighs, someone with sharp eyes spotted two figures still charging determinedly in one direction through the confused crowd.

They didn't even pause for the seven or eight-grade spiritual herbs along their path.

"Are they in that much of a hurry? Rushing to their deaths?"

"No, they're so focused; maybe these two know some inside information?"

"Oh? Interesting..."

"Follow them!"

The idle crowd was suddenly drawn to the pair, Yu Zhiwen and Xu Xiaoshou.

Some sensed the icy power and were tempted to follow the wind.

But if too many people headed to the icy area,

The spoils they could divide would surely be much less.

In this situation, if those two speeding ahead knew some secrets,

Perhaps following them would mean a bigger share for everyone?

"No time to think; let's charge!"

The increasingly intense tremors made everyone act without hesitation.

Now, it was either tag along behind the big shots and scramble for the icy treasures,

Or trust those two with their determined goal and share in an unknown prize.

"The icy area has too many people."

"And those two guys..."

"Are they not very high in cultivation?"

That man is hard to tell,

But that woman is only at the peak of Xiantian.

In front of several major teams led by Zongshi experts, that's really not much.

"Let's go see where those two are secretly rushing off to and what they're up to."

"Heh, I love shining bright like this."

"Charge!"

"Xu Xiaoshou, someone's following us."

Yu Zhiwen quickly noticed the crowd's attention shifting to them.

Clearly, their determination had caught the notice of some shrewd observers.

"It doesn't matter."

Xu Xiaoshou didn't even turn his head.

"It's best if they follow."

"I've already felt the ground trembling; that Bai Gulu is definitely coming back."

"As soon as the array broke, it got so panicked it didn't even care about sleeping. That just proves there's something good in its lair."

"With these people coming along, if we really run into that big beast, at least we won't be the only ones facing it."

Xu Xiaoshou chuckled: "They can distract it, and we'll run faster."

Yu Zhiwen was stunned for a moment.

"How vicious."

She didn't say it out loud and just quietly followed Xu Xiaoshou, like a beautiful accessory.

"Received slander, passive value +1."

"Received suspicion, passive value +23."

"Received pursuit, passive value +34."

"We're here."

From "Perception," the scene at the end showed the dwelling of the Bai Gulu that Xu Xiaoshou had glimpsed earlier.

Back then, he was only drawn to the massive creature,

But he still remembered some familiar landmarks around it.

Now, getting closer, Xu Xiaoshou finally saw the situation clearly.

On the uneven ground, clearly stamped out by the Bai Gulu, stood a massive castle built from piles of stark white bones.

Calling it a castle might be an exaggeration.

It was only as tall as a castle,

Tall enough to accommodate that huge beast.

But its appearance was truly hideous.

Various secret treasures, weapon fragments, and iron ores were mixed with pieces of Bai Gulu bodies, haphazardly melted together with high heat and stacked into a massive bone gate.

The bone gate was over thirty zhang high.

Tall enough for even that massive Bai Gulu to walk through without bending.

For humans, it was like a southern heavenly gate made of white bones!

"So tall."

Yu Zhiwen, behind him, was also shocked by the bone gate.

Judging by its height, you couldn't build it without stacking thousands upon thousands of ordinary Bai Gulu.

That meant the big beast must have grown to this level by crawling out of a mountain of bones.

"A spirit tree?"

Shifting her gaze from the bone gate, Yu Zhiwen sharply noticed something off.

Beside the bone gate, a cluster of towering mutated Gao Yan Feng trees stood tall.

The dense fire-attribute spiritual energy they emitted nonstop

Was clearly more than just seven or eight grades.

They might even approach five or six grades.

"These are Zongshi-level spirit trees, and so many of them?"

Yu Zhiwen was shocked.

This patch of mutated Gao Yan Feng was like a wild trove of fire treasures!

And looking at the quantity...

These Zongshi spiritual medicines, which could fetch sky-high prices even for the smallest ones, were not only growing in clusters but each one was so tall.

"If we take this whole grove, wouldn't we strike it rich?"

Even though Yu Zhiwen was wealthy,

Faced with this mutated Gao Yan Feng forest, she felt the urge to stop and chop them down.

"Xu Xiaoshou..."

Before she could call out,

Yu Zhiwen's eyes dropped lower, and her face showed even more shock.

What grew on the ground, completely overlooked because of the Gao Yan Feng,

Weren't weeds at all.

Instead, in this sacred place rich with fire attributes,

These things that looked like weeds were, one by one, fire spiritual medicines no less than the mutated Gao Yan Feng.

And in quantity...

Wherever the Gao Yan Feng forest extended, the small spiritual medicines on the ground spread just as thickly!

"Xu Xiaoshou..."

Yu Zhiwen murmured unconsciously.

Breathing in the scents in the air, her fair face started to flush, as if her heart was racing.

"Qing Sheng Hua, a fifth-grade peak mutated spiritual medicine. Flowers with five petals, each one stirs passion. Orally, it's sweet, but don't take too much. Effects: Strengthens yang, nourishes yin, tonifies kidneys, enhances endurance."

"Chao Qi San Leng Pin, a fifth-grade peak mutated spiritual medicine, shaped like a three-edged arrow, useful for breakthroughs. Hard texture, not for oral consumption, bitter taste, can be used in soups; the soup's effects are very strong and has aphrodisiac properties."

"Duoluo E Guo, a fourth-grade peak mutated fire demonic medicine with intense fire toxicity. Fragrant, crispy on the outside, tender inside. Extremely yang, not suitable for men, perfect for women; it can instantly soften even a Wangzuo."

Scanning roughly, Xu Xiaoshou felt something was off.

For the first time, the information in his mind was unusually consistent.

Not only were the spiritual medicines around the bone gate almost all fourth- or fifth-grade fire types, but they were all mutated varieties.

Their potency was probably a grade higher.

"Doesn't that mean they're all Wangzuo-level spiritual medicines?"

Xu Xiaoshou was shocked.

Without his "Culinary Mastery," he probably couldn't even name a single herb right now.

After all, the jade slip from Sang Lao only mentioned a few dozens spiritual medicines that could be included here.

But the number here...

"We're rich, we're rich! Thousands upon thousands of Wangzuo spiritual medicines—this was definitely worth coming for!"

"But..."

Xu Xiaoshou hesitated.

Why were these spiritual medicines' common traits all related to their aphrodisiac effects!

Even the most useless fifth-grade one

Had descriptions in his mind that included "aphrodisiac" or implied it.

"Is this what mutation means?"

"Could it be that because of the Bai Gulu's Bai Yan cultivation here, it caused these spiritual medicines to mutate in that direction?"

"But if it's because of Bai Yan..."

Xu Xiaoshou panicked a little.

The jade slip from Sang Lao didn't mention any side effects like this for Bai Yan!

But if there weren't any...

He suddenly thought of that old man's bony, emaciated frame and his perpetual dark circles.

"This..."

"Could it be..."

For a moment, Xu Xiaoshou had a slight doubt about whether to cultivate Bai Yan.

"Xiao Yu."

Glancing back,

Xiao Yu's face, hazy like she was drunk and shrouded in a misty red fog, left him staring in a daze.

The air seemed to carry a faint feminine fragrance.

Xu Xiaoshou immediately sensed something was wrong.

"Damn it!"

"It's the medicinal scent from these spiritual medicines!"

Thousands upon thousands of Wangzuo-level spiritual medicines.

Even without ingesting them, just inhaling their collective fragrance was probably equivalent to absorbing several Xiantian or even Zongshi pills right now.

And they were aphrodisiac pills at that.

"Xiao Yu!"

Xu Xiaoshou shouted, catching Yu Zhiwen's body as it seemed to go limp.

"Mm."

"Received resistance, passive value +1."

Xu Xiaoshou: "..."

Is it that bad?

This is a Xiantian peak expert!

And she's already this affected just from the scent?

"So hot."

The scorching heat from his palm made Xu Xiaoshou's heart race.

"Xu Xiaoshou, I... I feel a bit off..."

Yu Zhiwen spoke softly.

As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized she had changed.

Not just her voice, but her whole body...

She felt weak all over!

Especially when Xu Xiaoshou held her, a special desire surged to her spiritual sense, almost shattering her clear mind.

"I..."

"Don't struggle!"

Xu Xiaoshou held the soft form in his arms, indicating he could still hold on.

He was at the Zongshi level.

He had a will forged like steel by the Jin Zhao fire seed.

But that was only if the beauty in his arms stayed still.

In this environment of spiritual medicine scents,

If Xiao Yu kept talking and moving like this,

What man could resist?

"Huff."

The "Breathing Technique" worked wonders.

With just one exhalation, Xu Xiaoshou expelled all the medicinal effects from his body.

He checked Xiao Yu's forehead.

"You're running a fever."

"Mm."

"Don't moan."

"I..."

"Received curse, passive value +1."

Yu Zhiwen finally came to her senses.

Something was very wrong with this place.

In that kind of way!

Realizing this, her whole face flushed even redder, tempting like a Red Fuji apple.

Xu Xiaoshou turned his head away, not daring to look anymore.

Shifting his gaze, his "Perception" showed the crowd that had followed them in even worse shape.

Some were already embracing each other.

"The world is declining, morals are corrupting..."

Xu Xiaoshou had just sighed when his face stiffened.

He felt his waist being wrapped in an embrace.

"Let go of me, Xiao Yu. You have to control yourself."

Xu Xiaoshou said, looking down.

"Mm."

"It's not right with outsiders around..." Xu Xiaoshou's face turned bitter.

"Xu Xiaoshou!"

Yu Zhiwen's voice suddenly grew clearer.

She seemed to want to resist.

But after calling out, she clung even more tightly, like she was intoxicated, to the fatally tempting body in front of her.

"Received embrace, passive value +1."

"Received temptation, passive value +1."

"Received seduction, passive value +1."

"Oh my god..."

Xu Xiaoshou froze completely.

He had never been held by a woman in such an intimate way under the broad daylight, especially with people watching.

Even though they were all lost in confusion and paid no attention,

He was still being held!

"Wake up!"

Xu Xiaoshou pulled the person at his waist upright.

Yu Zhiwen's condition was even more serious.

She was like a drunk shrimp, limp all over.

Hearing the call, she lifted her small face.

Xu Xiaoshou was instantly lost!

Her eyes, flowing with charm and glistening with a brilliant mist, were like the most exquisite gems in the world, radiant amid the red fog.

Her delicate nose tip, beaded with fine sweat,

Shone crystal clear against her flushed cheeks.

Her red lips, slightly pouted like a sulking girl, exuded a deadly allure at that moment.

"I..."

"Gulp."

Xu Xiaoshou swallowed hard, speechless.

Yu Zhiwen tilted her head, her hair cascading down.

He felt the world lose its color, leaving only the stunning sight before him.

"Thump-thump!"

His heartbeat accelerated.

"Boom-boom!"

The ground trembled.

But hardly anyone could hear it.

Xu Xiaoshou was suddenly jolted awake.

He hadn't expected that entering Ling Rong Ze, the greatest danger would come from Yu Zhiwen.

"Wake up, Xiao Yu, wake up. This isn't the place... That big beast is coming..."

As he spoke, Yu Zhiwen, lifted into the air, could no longer maintain her composure. She breathed heavily, her hands hooking around Xu Xiaoshou's neck.

Her face pressed against the young man in front of her.

Near his ear, he heard her slightly rapid breathing.

Against his chest, he felt the intense heartbeat of the person in his arms.

Xu Xiaoshou's words were cut off.

In this moment, there was really only one way to resolve it completely.

"Inhale!"

He had to use the "Breathing Technique" to draw out the fatal toxin from Xiao Yu's body!

But how?

Xu Xiaoshou hesitated for a moment.

"Forgive me."

He didn't think long and quickly decided.

One arm wrapped around the woman's waist, the other lifted her feverish face. Staring at those tempting red lips, Xu Xiaoshou took two deep breaths.