Chapter 71: Chaos is Imminent
The newcomer waved his jade fan lightly, and several runes flowing with a clear light precisely entered the brows of the two disciples.
At the same time, he flicked his finger, and a jade-green pill fell to the ground, turning into a cloud of white mist with a "poof." The mist quickly spread out, and the sweet, exotic fragrance was neutralized as quickly as ice and snow melting upon contact with it.
The two disciples shuddered, the crimson in their eyes rapidly fading. They froze in place, their faces blank and bewildered, staring at the swords in their hands as if they didn't understand what had happened.
"Thank you, Senior Brother!" Fang Li exclaimed in surprise when she saw who it was.
Xie Chen, dressed in green robes and holding a jade fan, appeared gentle and composed, as if he were not the one who had just averted the crisis in the blink of an eye.
"Wow! Brother Xie's move was amazing! He's like a timely rain, Song Jiang reincarnated!" Fang Li thought to herself, giving him a huge thumbs up.
"He's handsome... but didn't you notice he 'just happened' to be passing by? This place is in the middle of nowhere, I bet that fox was already lurking nearby!" The system grumbled.
Upon hearing the clear and crisp cry of "Song Jiang, the Timely Rain," Xie Chen couldn't help but smile slightly, a hint of pleasure flashing in his eyes. He looked at Fang Li, his tone gentle: "It's good that Junior Sister is alright."
Ji Qianqiu, standing to the side, snorted angrily, his face sour, and bluntly exposed Xie Chen: "Pretending to be something you're not! Why didn't you do this earlier!" He was annoyed by Xie Chen's perpetually nonchalant demeanor, especially since Xie Chen had stolen his chance to shine.
Xie Chen completely ignored Ji Qianqiu's complaints. He spoke gently to the two still-shaken disciples, "Were you two junior brothers bewitched by the fragrance of the Dream Flower? How are you feeling right now?"
"Thank you so much for your help, senior brother..." The two disciples were filled with shame and quickly bowed to express their gratitude.
Xie Chen nodded slightly, his movements continuing. Several small jade talismans had appeared between his fingers, and he flicked them out with practiced ease, sending them accurately to several points around him. A soft, clear light flashed briefly before disappearing.
“I have set up a simple calming and tranquility array to ensure the safety of this place for the time being,” he explained.
Beyond the secret realm, before the water mirror.
Master Qingxuan beamed with delight, stroking his beard with pride: "Excellent! Chen'er's Illusion-Breaking Talisman technique—the timing, the force, the precision—is a true testament to my teachings! Look how beautiful it is!"
Hua Qianmei chuckled softly: "Yixing Peak of the Tianyan Sect does indeed possess some real skill. It's a pity that while he can break through the fragrance of the flowers, I wonder if he can break through the 'beautiful scenery' that follows?"
The profound meaning in her words caused the elders to frown slightly.
Inside the secret realm, Xie Chen calmed his two disciples down, then turned his gaze to an area deep in the valley shrouded in a seven-colored mist, his expression becoming slightly serious.
He lightly raised his jade fan and pointed in that direction: "If I am not mistaken, the source of that strange fragrance, and the root cause of this commotion, is that 'Dream Valley.' Such a strong bewitching power means that either a great treasure has appeared in the valley, or... it is full of deadly traps."
Ji Qianqiu then shouldered his massive mountain-splitting axe: "Whatever the valley, let's just charge in and see what happens!"
The colorful mist at the entrance to the Valley of Dreams was thicker and more viscous than what was seen from afar. It flowed slowly as if it were alive, carrying a sweet and cloying fragrance that permeated everything.
Without saying a word, Ji Qianqiu raised his foot and was about to rush inside.
"Wait." Xie Chenyu waved his fan horizontally, blocking his way. "The fog here is strange; we must not act rashly." He held a bright yellow talisman between his fingers and gave it a gentle shake. The talisman spontaneously combusted without fire, emitting a clear and cool aura that briefly dispelled a small patch of fog around them.
"Follow my steps closely, and do not touch any flowers or plants," Xie Chen instructed, taking the lead. His steps were peculiar, sometimes winding, sometimes pausing, as if he were avoiding something unseen.
Fang Li and Ji Qianqiu, along with the two disciples who had regained consciousness, immediately held their breath and followed closely behind.
Upon entering the flower valley, the scenery changes abruptly.
Everywhere you look, there are exotic flowers and plants you've never seen before. Some flowers are as big as millstones, their colors so vibrant they seem to flow with blood; some vines are as thin as hair, shimmering with a metallic sheen, silently wriggling on the ground; in addition to the alluring fragrance of the flowers, the air is filled with tiny spores of various colors, shimmering with a faint glow.
[To the left of the host! The leaf of that big red flower moved! It was definitely trying to entangle your foot!] The system exclaimed loudly.
Fang Li jumped back in surprise. Just as she left her spot, a seemingly harmless, fuzzy little grass suddenly sprayed out a cloud of pink mist.
"Hold your breath!" Xie Chen shouted, waving his jade fan to disperse the powdery mist. The mist landed on a nearby rock, immediately corroding several small pits into its surface.
Ji Qianqiu felt his scalp tingle and his fists clenched so tightly they cracked: "What kind of hellhole is this!" He would rather fight ten raging monsters than stay here looking at three steps ahead for every one step he takes. He was so frustrated.
The two disciples turned pale and followed closely behind, afraid of making a mistake.
Xie Chen remained calm, his jade fan occasionally emitting talismanic light to break through the thorny vines that suddenly appeared in front of him; at other times, he flicked his finger to shoot out a jade talisman, which would be nailed to a certain spot, temporarily restoring the distorted light around him to normal.
[Tsk tsk, this fox's skills are really impressive. His method of breaking through formations is so practiced.] Tongzi commented while remaining vigilant.
Fang Li focused intently, condensing chaotic spiritual energy at her fingertips. She discovered that the flow of spiritual energy within these natural illusion arrays and traps was exceptionally clear to her. Every time Xie Chen intervened to break through the stalemate, she could vaguely catch the fleeting fluctuations of spiritual energy.
After a few close calls, we proceeded for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, and then the valley suddenly opened up.
A small, crystal-clear spiritual pool appeared in the center, its waters shrouded in a faint spiritual aura. And in the heart of the pool, a spiritual plant quietly bloomed.
It is shaped like a lotus flower, with petals that have a semi-transparent texture, shimmering with light and color, and faintly showing seven kinds of rosy light alternating.
Most remarkably, it seems to possess a living heart, pulsating slightly and emitting a calming and elegant fragrance, completely different from the alluring floral scents of the valley.
"The Seven-Aperture Exquisite Heart Lotus!" A knowledgeable disciple nearby exclaimed in surprise, his eyes filled with longing: "This item can temper one's divine sense and greatly enhance comprehension! It's a treasure that even Nascent Soul cultivators crave!"
However, a transparent, water-like barrier enveloped the spirit pool, protecting the lotus within.
“A natural restriction.” Xie Chen observed for a moment, then pointed to a few locations with his jade fan: “The restriction nodes change with the flow of the rosy light. You need to attack all three core nodes at the same time to break it. Junior Brother Ji, attack the dimmest spot in the lower left corner with all your might.”
He then looked at his two disciples: "The two of you work together to attack the node on the lower right where the flow is slightly slower."
Finally, his gaze fell on Fang Li: "Junior sister, your spiritual power is special, so you can provide support from the center. Watch where my fan tip points, draw a talisman to break the barrier, and strike the point where the radiance is strongest."
The arrangements were made, and Xie Chen waved his jade fan, guiding the clear light.
"break!"
Ji Qianqiu had been holding back for a long time. He roared and his blood surged. He threw a punch, and the fierce and unparalleled fist wind slammed into the lower left of the restriction!
The two outer disciples also unleashed their full spiritual power, their sword light and palm wind whistling as they went.
Fang Li's fingertips pulsed with chaotic spiritual energy, quickly outlining a strangely structured rune. The rune carried an aura of inclusiveness and the ability to dismantle all laws. With a flick of Xie Chen's jade fan, it precisely struck the center of the restriction!
"Buzz—Click!"
The restriction fluctuated violently, emitting a cracking sound as if it could no longer withstand the pressure, and vanished instantly like shattered glass.
A refreshing lotus fragrance filled the air, invigorating the spirit.
"Quickly retrieve the treasure!" Xie Chen urged.
Fang Li reacted extremely quickly. With a light touch of her toes, she gracefully swept across the surface of the pool, carefully lifting the Seven-Aperture Exquisite Heart Lotus by its roots and placing it into the jade box that had been prepared beforehand.
The moment the jade box lid was closed, although the radiant light of the Heart Lotus was blocked, the precious light and exotic fragrance that had been released when the seal was broken and the lotus was picked had already soared into the sky!
Almost simultaneously, the sound of rushing air and hurried footsteps came from several different directions!
"The treasure is born!"
"The glow of dawn is there!"
"quick!"
In the blink of an eye, three teams rushed out from different directions of the mist almost simultaneously, surrounding the small spirit pool.
On the left, a group of people dressed in brightly colored clothes, both men and women, were outstanding in appearance, and their eyes were full of charm. The woman in the lead had a pink ribbon wrapped around her fingertip, and she was a disciple of the Hehuan Sect.
To the right was a group of richly dressed cultivators, adorned with numerous magical artifacts. Their shrewd eyes were scrutinizing the jade box in Fang Li's hand, as if assessing its value. They were from the Myriad Treasures Immortal Sect.
Directly in front of them was a group of young people dressed as scholars, holding books or writing brushes. They had a refined and scholarly air, but their gazes toward the jade box were equally fervent. They came from Bailu Academy.
All three groups of people fixed their gazes on the jade box in Fang Li's hand.
The atmosphere in the arena instantly became tense.
Ji Qianqiu immediately stepped forward, blocking Fang Li's path, his tiger-like eyes wide open, his whole body radiating fighting spirit: "What are you looking at! The stuff is ours!"
Xie Chen gently waved his jade fan, his warm smile unchanged, but he quietly moved his feet, forming a pincer movement with Ji Qianqiu to protect Fang Li in the middle.
Two disciples of the Tianyan Sect also nervously drew their swords, standing back to back, alert to all directions.
The woman from the Hehuan Sect, whose fingertips were entwined with pink ribbons, glanced over Xie Chen's handsome face before turning to Fang Li with a sweet, almost cloying smile: "This little sister from the Tianyan Sect is truly beautiful. In the secret realm, treasures are shared, right? That Heart Lotus in your hand smells so alluring; would you be so kind as to part with a share for your elder sister?"
The pink ribbon in her hand moved without wind, its head slightly raised like a venomous snake, shimmering with an ominous light.
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