Chapter 377: Poisonous Miasma Mutation

Xie Liushu's face was filled with apprehension. The poisonous mist before him felt extremely dangerous. He no longer had the absolute confidence he once did about surviving long enough to extract the Seven-Colored Profound Ice.

Xue Wanzhong's eyes also grew serious, and he said with dissatisfaction, "Elder Lu, even with my Ancient Giant bloodline, I might not be able to withstand this poisonous mist. This is vastly different from what you described in your message."

Jiang Fan looked at the constantly shifting poisonous mist. He, too, showed a hint of caution. Even with the Nine Poisons True Scripture, lingering too long in such dense mist would be unwise. However, extracting the Seven-Colored Profound Ice shouldn't be a major issue.

Lu Xiunian shook his head. "As a dignified Elder of the Supreme Sect, why would I deceive you two juniors? When I sent word to you, the poisonous mist was indeed very thin. But the mist inside that Seven-Colored Profound Ice has been continuously overflowing, reaching its current state in just three days."

He was deeply worried. If they delayed any further, who knew how dense the poisonous mist would become? If it seeped underground, this mining area would be completely ruined.

"Gentlemen, what do you think? Are you willing to give it a try? Please give me an answer," Lu Xiunian urged. Xie Liushu hesitated for a moment, then said, "Since we're here, of course, we must try."

Xue Wanzhong snorted, "I also want to challenge the limits of my bloodline and see how long I can endure." Seeing that the two people he valued most had committed, Lu Xiunian showed a look of relief.

Finally, he glanced at Jiang Fan, almost as an afterthought, and asked, "What about you?" In his opinion, whether Jiang Fan went or not didn't matter. With the previous two, success was guaranteed.

Jiang Fan stroked his chin. "Going, of course, isn't a problem. However, I have two questions. First, with the poisonous mist so dense that we won't be able to see beyond a few feet once inside, how will we navigate and find the Seven-Colored Profound Ice? Second, if we fail, do we have any contingencies to help us quickly escape the mist and avoid misfortune?"

These two questions made Xie Liushu secretly alert. Jiang Fan was indeed more thorough. It was easy to enter the poisonous mist before them, but difficult to get out. He had almost overlooked two crucial issues.

Lu Xiunian looked at Jiang Fan with a surprised expression. Although he didn't particularly like the young man, his careful approach was clearly far superior to that of his peers.

He nodded slowly. "Since I, this Elder, invited you here, I naturally intend to ensure your safety." He immediately produced three palm-sized compasses. The needles on them emanated chills and displayed a spectrum of colors. "These are needles crafted from Seven-Colored Profound Ice," he explained. "Seven-Colored Profound Ice has a unique property of mutual attraction. The direction the needle points will be the location of the Seven-Colored Profound Ice. You just need to follow the needle, and you won't go wrong."

So, they had already prepared. The navigation problem was solved.

Next was the safety issue. How would they escape after failing or successfully extracting the Seven-Colored Profound Ice?

From his sleeve, Lu Xiunian took out a bundle of glossy black fine silk. "This is soft silk crafted from an extraterrestrial meteorite," he explained. "It's tough, impervious to water and fire, and not afraid of corrosive poisons. When you enter the mist, tie one end around your waist. When you want to return, just follow the silk thread back."

Xue Wanzhong's eyes widened in surprise. "There's such a thing? It's somewhat similar to the Tianshan silkworm thread of the Joyful Union Sect Master." He picked up a section and pulled it with both hands. His fingers were left with faint red marks, yet he couldn't break it. His surprise grew even stronger. "What a truly wondrous item."

Lu Xiunian said with a hint of pride, "Naturally. Although this Black Iron Soft Silk isn't as good as the Joyful Union Sect Master's Tianshan silkworm thread, it's one of only two such soft silks on the Nine Sects' land, with infinite uses. With this, you can enter and exit without worry!"

With that, Xie Liushu and Xue Wanzhong were completely at ease. Both navigation and safety issues were guaranteed.

Now, it was up to whoever had the skill to withstand the Seven-Colored Poison Mist and successfully extract the Seven-Colored Profound Ice. Jiang Fan crossed his arms and asked, "There are three of us. Should we go down together, or individually?"

Xie Liushu and Xue Wanzhong also realized this problem. If all three went together and simultaneously extracted the Seven-Colored Profound Ice, who would it belong to? They couldn't exactly split it three ways. But if they went individually, who would go first and who would go later? Those who went later would naturally be at a disadvantage, as the earlier ones might have already retrieved the Seven-Colored Profound Ice.

"This..." Lu Xiunian was also stumped. The original plan was to invite Xie Liushu first. If he succeeded, great. If not, they would wait for Xue Wanzhong. Unexpectedly, both arrived around the same time, and then there was Jiang Fan as well. Deciding who went first among the three became a problem. Everyone wanted to be first, and no one wanted to be last. In this predicament, Wang Yunguo said, "Master, for fairness, let's draw lots. Whoever goes first or last will be up to luck, and no one can complain."

While it wasn't an ideal solution, it was the only feasible one. "What do you think?" Lu Xiunian looked at the three. They exchanged glances; naturally, none of them wanted to back down. But other than relying on luck, there seemed to be no better way.

Seeing their unspoken agreement, Lu Xiunian picked up three small twigs of varying lengths. He clenched them in his fist, only showing the tips of the branches. "The longest one goes in first, and so on," he announced.

"Me first!" Xue Wanzhong pushed Xie Liushu aside and quickly grabbed a twig. Xie Liushu rubbed his arm, which had been painfully bumped, and quickly took another twig. Jiang Fan, having no choice, unhurriedly took the last one. He calmly said, "For something determined by luck, it doesn't matter who picks first or last. Why bother fighting over it?"

However, when all three revealed their twigs, Jiang Fan's face turned green. He muttered, "What kind of rotten luck is this?" The twig in his hand was the shortest! Xue Wanzhong's was next, and Xie Liushu's was the longest.

"Pfft!" Qin Wangchuan couldn't hold back and burst out laughing. Having been with Jiang Fan for so long, this was the first time she had seen him so flustered. She teased, "Still calm next time? Hahaha!"

Jiang Fan glared at her. "The one who laughs last is the winner. They might not even be able to retrieve the Seven-Colored Profound Ice."

Xie Liushu proudly shook the twig in his hand. "Brother Xue, Brother Jiang, I won't be polite. I'm going in first!" With that, he tied one end of the Black Iron Soft Silk around his waist and leaped into the dense poisonous mist.

The Seven-Colored Poison Mist seemed like a living entity, immediately writhing and surging towards him. Those standing outside could roughly see Xie Liushu's position by observing the movement of the mist. They watched as he ran towards the center of the mist.

Lu Xiunian's eyes lit up slightly. "As expected of the Nine Sects' most skilled disciple in the way of poison, he can move freely within the mist, seemingly unaffected." He lowered his gaze to his bandaged index finger. Even he, an Elder, had his finger unfortunately corroded when he jumped in, relying on his powerful spiritual energy. Yet Xie Liushu seemed completely unbothered, truly demonstrating his profound mastery of poison.

Suddenly, Xie Liushu, who was moving swiftly, seemed to sense something. He abruptly stopped and ran back quickly towards where he came from. Faintly, he cried out in terror, "Pull me out! This poisonous mist isn't right!"