Chapter 198: Poisonous Mist Ground

On the journey, Lu Fang walked beside Jiang Yuan and asked, "Just now you mentioned that unknown small upper realm—it seems very secretive. How did you discover it?"

Jiang Yuan glanced at Lu Fang and let out a light laugh.

"I stumbled into that place by accident. After many attempts, I realized it was because of an item I had obtained earlier."

"With this item in my possession, I can find the place, as if guided by some unseen force."

"Without it, even if I remembered the exact location, I could never find it again. But don't worry—if we go together, we can still reach it."

Lu Fang nodded and asked, "What does this unknown small upper realm look like?"

To his surprise, Jiang Yuan shook her head. "It's shrouded in mist. You can barely make out a barrier glowing with spiritual light, but you can't see what's inside. Whenever you try to approach, it's like a mirage—you can never get closer."

Lu Fang understood: Jiang Yuan had only found the outer edge of the small upper realm, never entered it.

She didn't know what lay within.

Jiang Yuan glanced back at Lu Fang, who was lost in thought, and reassured him:

"Entering the small upper realm is too dangerous, and there's no clear entrance. I've long given up on going in. This time, we're going there mainly to watch out for each other and gather the celestial treasures. There are many there—but the only problem is, the demonic beasts are too strong."

As they talked, the four moved quickly, growing ever more remote, surrounded by barren mountains and wild lands, not encountering a single soul all day.

Night fell without notice.

Before the campfire.

"Brother Fang, you said you're a Confucian scholar from Da Zhou. Is the night sky there as long as this one?" Wu Fu Beitian flipped the roasted meat on the branch, asking casually.

Lu Fang ate his own demonic beast jerky and replied, "Da Zhou's night sky has many stars, but not as long as here."

Jiang Yuan, drinking water beside them, chimed in: "I've heard the nights in the Scorched Lands are the longest in the world."

She paused, then turned to Lu Fang curiously. "Da Zhou is so prosperous. Why did you come here? To cultivate and raise your realm?"

Lu Fang evaded, "Yes. The Scorched Lands are full of opportunities. Cultivating here might help me break through to the next level."

Outside, someone like Jiang Yuan, in her twenties, reaching the fifth rank, third tier, would be considered extraordinarily gifted—no doubt her rapid progress was due to this place's unique nature.

Jiang Yuan gave him a knowing look. "Hurry and eat some dried rations, rest a bit. I'll relieve Wu Jie on watch. This journey is long—we must all stay alert and conserve energy in case of danger."

Wu Fu Beitian nodded. "Alright, you go first. I'll nap a bit, then take over. We'll rotate rest and then push forward at full speed."

Lu Fang didn't argue—he knew it would be his turn eventually.

After using a message talisman to confirm that the "Invincible Army" had encountered no trouble, he finally relaxed, closed his eyes, and rested.

…

Because the nights in the Scorched Lands were so long, after resting for half a day, they pressed on under the cover of darkness.

Normal vision would be useless at night, but they had no such concern.

As long as they didn't encounter powerful demonic beasts or hostile bandits, their progress remained smooth.

They traveled like this for three days, finally reaching their destination.

An ordinary-looking barren mountain—yet as Jiang Yuan walked slowly forward, a path formed ahead, woven from mist.

"Is this the entrance? Hahaha, incredible!"

Wu Fu Beitian hurried forward eagerly.

Wu Jie the monk and Lu Fang also quickened their pace onto the misty path. As they stepped upon it, it felt as real as an actual road—unbelievably tangible.

"Be careful. Once you enter, you'll encounter poisonous mist. If you have antidote pills, take them now."

Jiang Yuan warned without turning around.

Wu Fu Beitian and the ascetic monk Wu Jie exchanged glances, each pulling out pills from their storage pouches and swallowing them—clearly prepared in advance.

Lu Fang also took an antidote pill. Because he frequently ingested the fragrance of scholarly qi, his physique was exceptionally strong, especially resistant to toxins—he wasn't worried.

Even if he encountered a deadly poison, he could always use the fragrance of scholarly qi to neutralize it.

He walked at the rear of the misty path. After about an incense stick's time, the scenery before him suddenly changed.

The barren mountains vanished. In their place stood a vibrant mountain valley, filled with towering trees of unknown species, piercing the clouds.

Directly ahead in the distance was a barrier wrapped in mist.

Lu Fang estimated that if he flew at full speed, he could reach the barrier in a dozen breaths—this must be the small upper realm Jiang Yuan described, the mirage that could never be approached.

But someone didn't believe it.

The moment Wu Fu Beitian saw the small upper realm, he said nothing, instantly transforming into a streak of light and dashing toward the barrier.

"Don't run off! That area has extremely toxic mist!"

Jiang Yuan warned.

Throughout their journey, Lu Fang had noticed the personalities of the three—Wu Fu Beitian was clearly reckless.

As soon as they entered, he sensed poison in the air.

Unless he stopped breathing, he couldn't avoid it.

Clearly, Jiang Yuan's warning about the strong poison wasn't an exaggeration.

While Lu Fang observed his surroundings, Wu Fu Beitian, who had rushed fastest toward the misty barrier, suddenly screamed.

"Ahh… my face! My hands!"

Beitian frantically pulled out antidote pills and shoved them into his mouth like they were free.

His exposed skin began to swell with pus-filled sores. His body burned with unbearable itch—he couldn't resist scratching, and the moment he did, the condition worsened.

"Don't scratch!"

Jiang Yuan rushed over, grabbed a handful of large-leafed grass, crushed it into a ball, and handed it to Beitian. "Swallow this quickly—it'll ease your symptoms. If the itching becomes unbearable, rub the juice of this grass on your skin."

Beitian swallowed the ball of grass whole and immediately felt the poison recede. Then he frantically tore more of the grass, squeezing its juice onto his skin.

At this moment, Lu Fang and Wu Jie also approached.

The misty barrier that should have been here was gone. In its place lay an open clearing thick with greenish poisonous mist.

The misty barrier now appeared behind the poisonous ground, still seeming close.

"This poisonous ground is so deadly—how do we cross it?" Wu Jie frowned.

The five-precept monk frowned.