Chapter 1252: Progress is impossible

Seeing people die so inexplicably, everyone started to panic. The crucial point was that no wounds could be found on their bodies!

Someone crouched beside the corpses and reached out to examine their condition. "They weren't poisoned... Huh, it feels like all their vital essence has been drained?"

As soon as he said this, everyone looked at Ma Huang, who flinched and quickly waved his hands. "It has nothing to do with me! Many people can testify that I've been right here the whole time, with no opportunity to act."

Prince Silver Shark also spoke, "I can vouch for that. I've been keeping an eye on him, and he indeed didn't make a move." He had just witnessed Ma Huang drain the giant alligator into a dried husk, and with his own injuries, he was wary of Ma Huang harboring ill intentions towards him. So, he had been carefully on guard, unexpectedly ending up testifying on Ma Huang's behalf. As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted it. He should have taken the opportunity to eliminate this dangerous individual, not only to free himself from worry but also to reduce the number of people sharing the treasure later. Unfortunately, once the words were spoken, there was no turning back.

Fortunately, at that moment, another person raised a question: "Even if it wasn't him, perhaps some of his clansmen are hiding in the shadows. Otherwise, who else could drain all their vital essence?"

Upon hearing this, everyone drew their weapons against Ma Huang, while also cautiously eyeing unfamiliar people around them. Everyone feared becoming the next victim, so they preferred to kill by mistake rather than let anyone dangerous go.

Ma Huang's expression changed drastically. "Do you think I'm afraid of you all?!" Having always roamed freely, he had never endured such indignation. He likewise drew his weapon, ready to retaliate at any moment, bringing both sides to the brink of conflict.

"In times of crisis, it's often human hearts that falter first. I didn't expect the demon race to be any different," Yun Jianyue remarked with a hint of sarcasm, her tone detached. The danger before them was indeed unsettling, but it couldn't intimidate her.

Yan Xuehen also observed dispassionately. As Grandmasters, their insight was extraordinary; they had long since understood what was happening. However, these individuals were demons, so there was no need to worry about them.

Just then, Princess Soren stepped forward. "Everyone, don't be impulsive. After being drained of vital essence by a Blood Clan member, the entire body turns into a desiccated corpse. But look at these bodies – their skin is intact, and outwardly they look no different from when they were alive. It's just that the vital essence within them has withered to nothing."

Everyone nodded in agreement. It truly didn't resemble the methods of the Blood Clan.

"What's this?" Princess Soren's gaze suddenly sharpened. Following the direction of her finger, everyone looked and discovered faint green sprouts, like mung bean sprouts, subtly emerging from the ears of the corpses.

"Here too!" Others cried out in surprise, noticing these tiny saplings emerging not only from the ears but also from the nostrils, mouths, eyes, and even the tops of the corpses' heads. Their leaves shone bright green, and though small and tender, no one dared to underestimate them.

"They weren't there a moment ago!" Someone then cut open the clothes of the corpses, revealing that in many places on their bodies, the skin had also ruptured, with countless tiny green sprouts breaking through.

It turned out they had been drained of their vital essence by these tiny saplings!

"Why would they have these saplings inside their bodies?" A question arose in everyone's mind.

"Could it be they were poisoned earlier?" Someone suggested.

"Many of them don't know each other, so why would they all be affected by the same poison?"

At this point, someone timidly spoke, "Don't you think these saplings look... very similar to the leaves of the large trees nearby?"

Everyone looked closely and, sure enough, despite being many times smaller, their shape and veins were identical. A chill ran down everyone's spines. So it was these trees that were the source of the trouble!

They looked again at the dense forest around them, and a chilling thought suddenly occurred to them: With so many trees, would every single one have a victim underneath? Would they themselves be the next batch?

The group discussed amongst themselves, unable to figure out how these trees were delivering their poison.

"It's not poison, but seeds," Yun Jianyue explained to Zuan and the others. "These trees disperse their seeds everywhere in the air. The seeds are already exceptionally tiny, and with the dense fog providing cover, they're very difficult to notice. As long as one's cultivation is high enough to protect their body with primal energy, or they possess a protective artifact that shields them from even a speck of dust, they'll be safe."

The few of them were all deeply cultivated, already possessing many artifacts, and were powerful. The seeds seemed to know they were not to be trifled with and did not bother them.

People nearby overheard their conversation, and the information spread rapidly, allowing everyone to finally understand what was happening. Many glanced at her in surprise, having initially thought she was merely a concubine brought along by a rich young master. They hadn't expected her to possess such insight.

Those with artifacts activated them, while those without burned their vital energy to create a barrier, preventing the surrounding seeds from approaching them. Some, worried they might have already inhaled seeds, quickly circulated their energy to expel impurities from their bodies. And surprisingly, they actually found some.

Those with higher cultivation quickly employed various secret techniques to remove the seeds that had rooted and sprouted within them. The less powerful, however, had no such means; they could only struggle to hold on, but ultimately, they could not withstand the seeds' tenacious vitality. They were literally drained dry, their bodies covered in tree sprouts breaking through their skin, dying horrific deaths on the spot.

The other demons had no intention of helping. The law of the jungle was deeply ingrained in them; they did not believe in concepts like friendship or mutual aid. Coming out to seek treasure meant putting one's life on the line; losing it was perfectly normal. Moreover, it also served to weed out some competitors, so why not?

Having found the culprits, some, unable to stomach it, decided to vent their frustration on the large trees. They swung their weapons, intending to cut them down, knowing how immense a cultivator's strength was and how simple it should be to fell a tree.

However, the trees were made of an unknown material. They chopped for half a day, only managing to inflict wounds of varying depths, and the trees seemed capable of regeneration, their wounds constantly healing. In the end, after expending half a day's effort, not a single tree was cut down.

Others attempted to use elemental power, trying to burn down the forest with fire. However, the fire elemental energy automatically dissipated upon reaching the trees, and the flames quickly extinguished. There was no way to set them ablaze.

Watching their stunned expressions, the fat Daoist priest Wu Liang, hidden in the shadows, cursed under his breath, "A bunch of fools! This forest is a special array laid down by that individual, drawing upon the power of the earth's meridians. As long as the earth's energy flows, the array won't be destroyed. Let alone you, even a Grandmaster might not be able to destroy it."

Zuan and his group naturally also perceived the abnormality of the place and, unwilling to stay with the other demons, turned and walked deeper into the forest. Along the way, some loose cultivators had sensed their extraordinary nature and hastily followed, as if doing so offered a greater sense of security.

The other demons, seeing their efforts were futile, also stopped. No one was willing to waste valuable energy here, especially since they still had to compete with these people for treasure later.

With their defenses up, the seeds from the large trees could no longer parasitize them. Of course, some with lower cultivation or lacking protective artifacts could only retreat helplessly. Although the treasure was important, one needed to be alive to spend it.

Zuan and the others walked ahead. Due to the dense fog, they could no longer see the sun or moon, and didn't even know if it was day or night. The few of them frowned. When they had looked across from the swamp previously, the forest hadn't seemed this large. By their usual pace, they should have already passed through it.

"This must be a labyrinth, and a highly sophisticated array has been set up here," Yan Xuehen stopped. She was losing her sense of direction the further they walked, and such a thing was impossible for high-level cultivators. All around them was quiet, save for the rustling sound of everyone carefully stepping on withered branches and fallen leaves on the ground. In the quiet, empty night, the sound carried far, making the atmosphere rather eerie.

"I don't think we should go any further; the direction here seems problematic," Princess Soren also spoke up.

Jin Shi also nodded. "That's right. If we keep going like this, we'll only get more lost and waste our vital energy for nothing, eventually falling prey to these demonic trees. It's better if we retreat first. I just noticed that this forest shouldn't be very big; we can bypass it by going around the shore."

His suggestion was met with widespread agreement. The endless mist exerted too much psychological pressure on everyone. After leaving this strange forest, given their pace, they could easily bypass dozens or even hundreds of miles.

Soon, a group of people put the plan into action.

Yu Yanluo looked at the people beside her. "Should we continue deeper or leave?" A hint of worry also appeared between her brows; she didn't want everyone to risk their lives for something intangible that might only benefit her.

Yun Jianyue said dismissively, "We've come all this way; there's no reason to turn back now." Even injured, she was still a Grandmaster, far more courageous than ordinary people.

Yan Xuehen also nodded. "I also agree to continue deeper, but we can't blindly wander. We should first figure out the pattern of this array."

Zuan mused, "The person who designed this maze probably won't let those who entered retreat so easily."

At this moment, exclamations came from the other side:

"Huh, why does this feel different from the path we just took?"

"Wait, why are the markers I left along the way gone!"