Chapter 210: Delving into Black Wind Mountain

This Black Fog is really terrifying.

Xia Yurou tightly furrowed her brows, feeling that even breathing was a bit difficult.

Feng Ying's complexion grew even paler, her body trembling slightly, as if enduring great pain.

"Miss Feng, are you alright?"

Xia Yurou asked with concern.

"I'm fine, just feeling a bit cold."

Feng Ying's condition was worse; her face was ashen, her lips had lost all color, and her body swayed slightly.

"Miss Feng, perhaps you should go back; this Black Fog is affecting you too much."

Jiangnan frowned at Feng Ying, his tone carrying a hint of worry.

"No, Qingcheng is my disciple; I must help."

Feng Ying's voice was weak, but her gaze was unusually steadfast.

"Alright, then stay close to me; tell me immediately if anything feels off."

Jiangnan nodded, no longer forcing it.

The three continued forward; the Black Fog grew denser, visibility dropped, and one could barely see a hand in front of them.

The surroundings were silent, only the wind howling at their ears, the atmosphere oppressively suffocating.

Suddenly, an excited shout came from ahead, breaking the night's silence.

"Found it! Found it! Glowing Mushroom! It's really Glowing Mushroom!"

It was the voices of those few people from earlier.

Jiangnan and the two others exchanged glances, quickened their steps, and felt toward the direction of the sound.

After passing a pile of scattered stones, the view suddenly cleared, revealing a cave.

The cave was small; its entrance was hidden by dense vines, making it very concealed.

Around the cave entrance, a few mushrooms emitting a faint blue glow were scattered—exactly Glowing Mushrooms.

Those few people were gathered around the Glowing Mushrooms, dancing excitedly, their faces full of greed and ecstasy.

"We're rich! We're rich!"

"So many Glowing Mushrooms, this time we'll really get rich!"

"Hahaha, with these Glowing Mushrooms, breaking through realms will be just around the corner!"

"Quick! Harvest quickly! Don't let anyone notice!"

The few people eagerly took out tools and began picking the Glowing Mushrooms.

Xia Yurou watched those mushrooms emitting a faint glow, a hint of curiosity flashing in her eyes.

"Is this the Glowing Mushroom? It looks so beautiful."

"Beautiful things are often the most dangerous."

Jiangnan said lightly, his gaze carrying a hint of caution.

Feng Ying's expression grew solemn as she looked at those Glowing Mushrooms,

as if recalling something, her brows furrowed tightly.

At that moment, an anomaly suddenly erupted.

The few people who were picking the Glowing Mushrooms,

suddenly halted their actions, their bodies stiffening in place.

Their faces still bore traces of excitement and greed,

but their eyes were wide with terror and disbelief.

Immediately afterward, their bodies began to shake violently,

and they emitted garbled roars from their mouths.

"Ah… Ah… This is…"

"What's happening… My body…"

"Help… Help me…"

Their voices grew ever weaker, and their bodies began to twist and deform, as if being torn by an invisible force.

In only a few seconds, their bodies completely lost life, collapsing limp onto the ground, eyes still wide open, dying without closing them.

The air was filled with a faint putrid smell, making one feel nauseous.

The Glowing Mushrooms, which had once emitted a faint glow, had also lost their luster, becoming dim and lifeless, as if they had drained the victims' life force.

Xia Yurou was stunned by the sudden turn of events, her face turning pale, her body rigid, unable to utter a single word.

She stared wide-eyed at the twisted corpses on the ground, her stomach churning as if a storm, nearly vomiting.

Feng Ying's complexion also turned unusually grim; she stared fixedly at the corpses on the ground, her eyes filled with shock and bewilderment, seemingly unable to comprehend what had just occurred.

"What… what on earth is happening?"

Xia Yurou asked in a trembling voice, her tone full of fear and unease.

Feng Ying shook her head, her pale face saying:

"I… I don't know either…

I've never seen anything like this before…"

Jiangnan's complexion also grew unusually solemn; he slowly walked to the corpses, crouched down, and began a careful inspection.

The surface of the corpses bore no wounds, yet their skin displayed a strange bluish‑purple hue, as if poisoned.

Jiangnan extended his hand, testing their breath; they had completely ceased breathing, their pulse entirely gone, confirming their death.

He then examined the Glowing Mushrooms on the ground, noticing that their surfaces seemed to have acquired a faint black pattern, emitting an unsettling aura.

"These Glowing Mushrooms… there's something wrong."

Jiangnan said in a deep voice, his tone carrying a hint of certainty.

"Something wrong? What kind of problem?"

Xia Yurou hurriedly asked, her voice still trembling.

"These Glowing Mushrooms have been tampered with."

Jiangnan spoke slowly, his eyes cold.

"Tampered? Who did it? Someone from the Qijiu Sect?"

Xia Yurou let out a gasp, her complexion turning even paler.

Jiangnan nodded, his sharp gaze scanning the surroundings, and said in a low voice:

"Most likely, this is a trap. The Qijiu Sect members deliberately spread news of the Glowing Mushrooms to lure others here, and then…"

He did not continue, but Xia Yurou and Feng Ying both understood his meaning.

The Qijiu Sect members,

probably intend to use these tampered Glowing Mushrooms to achieve some unspeakable purpose.

Thinking of this, Xia Yurou's body couldn't help but shiver, her heart filled with fear and dread.

If Jiangnan hadn't discovered the anomaly in time, they might have, like those people, been killed by the Glowing Mushrooms.

"Then… what should we do now?"

Xia Yurou asked with a trembling voice, her eyes full of confusion and helplessness.

Feng Ying also looked at Jiangnan; Jiangnan stood up, his cold gaze fixed on the depths of the cave,

his tone calm, yet bearing an undeniable authority.

"Since the Qijiu Sect set a trap, we will play along and see what trick they intend to play."

"Let's go, let's go inside and see."

Jiangnan finished speaking and led the way into the cave.

Xia Yurou and Feng Ying exchanged a glance; though their hearts were full of fear, they gritted their teeth and followed.

The three proceeded cautiously into the cave.

Inside, the cave was far more spacious than imagined; the stone walls were covered with moss and vines, giving a dark, damp atmosphere.

The air was filled with a faint musty smell mingling with the previously sensed foul stench, making one feel very uncomfortable.

Deep within the cave, total darkness prevailed,

Jiangnan walked at the front, conjuring a ball of True Qi Flame in his hand, illuminating the path ahead.

By the flame's light, scattered disordered footprints could be seen on the cave floor, likely left by those earlier people.

The footprints stretched all the way to the cave's depths, seeming to lead somewhere.

Jiangnan and the two others followed the footprints, continuing deeper into the cave.

The farther they went, the deeper and darker the cave became, and the surrounding temperature dropped, chilling to the bone.

Xia Yurou and Feng Ying clung tightly behind Jiangnan,

daring not even a breath, fearing any sound might awaken hidden dangers in the darkness.

Suddenly, Jiangnan halted his steps,

his gaze heavy as he looked ahead.

"There's movement ahead."

He whispered, his tone carrying a hint of vigilance.