Chapter 174: Letting Go

The area where seven‑petaled green calyx flowers grow is a vast swamp, and poisonous barriers drift over it from time to time.

Fortunately, there are three suns in the sky right now; if there were only one, the poisonous barrier smoke might not be dispersed.

Jiang Tu discovered again that its consciousness was compressed, even shorter than the range of the second layer, only one li.

The only thing that made it feel a little better was that, unlike Jiang Yu whose consciousness was compressed back into the chain of Qi, it could see clearly.

At this moment, it is Jiang Yu's eyes, and the Xuantang ahead doesn't believe it: "Strange, when cultivators mention the junction of the second and third layer heavens, they all choose a road due east and walk it to the end."

Apparently the southeast direction is so difficult to travel.

"We haven't seen due east either." Jiang Yu grasped a bunch of bamboo joints; when she reached a place without water plants, she tossed them into the water and used a bamboo joint to leap lightly. She didn't expect that this swamp, surrounded by barrier qi, prohibited flight.

But Xuantang Xingjun could float without his feet touching the ground, saying, "Turn right, and after another ten or so li you'll arrive."

Jiang Yu nodded, then swallowed a Detox Pill and an Ice Dew Pill to prevent poisoning.

To be honest, the places she passed had a few extremely rare poisonous plants, guarded by poisonous insects and venomous bees; she decided to be a discerning hero.

"Jiang Yu, the area ahead looks like colored barrier qi? Find a hard spot to rest a moment.

Or enter the void." Before Jiang Tu finished speaking, his consciousness saw a male and a female cultivator leaping.

It couldn't help but look a bit longer, and upon seeing them, was greatly surprised: "Foundation Establishment ghost cultivator!"

"How far?" Jiang Yu immediately unfurled her fan for defense; this Thunder Bamboo Fan is simply her best treasure right now.

Unfortunately, the thunder isn't her own spiritual energy; it relies on the fan's violet‑golden thunder bamboo strips to sustain the attack.

But when the thunder energy in all the strips is exhausted, the fan must rest for an indefinite period before it can regenerate thunder.

"I don't need you." Jiang Tu turned his gaze to Xuantang Xingjun, who whooshed toward the two ghost cultivators.

In a few breaths, a wailing sound came, and Jiang Tu chuckled twice, "See, how useful."

"Can ghost cultivators even enter the Great Luo Heaven?" Jiang Yu had never heard of ghost cultivators in Dongzhou, especially low‑rank ones wandering outside.

The returning Xuantang Xingjun answered her: "They're not external ghost cultivators; I searched the souls and found they were cultivators who once died in the heavens, and by chance in a place where yin qi gathered, they turned into ghost cultivators.

Hurry up and leave, lest we encounter other cultivators again."

There are other cultivators, but once they approach this swamp, they think of retreating and taking another route.

If Jiang Yu were here, she would see among the departing group Wan Xiyue and Senior Sister Gu.

But the bold ones, especially poisonous cultivators, love entering the swamp to hunt toxins.

Jiang Yu's travel here is only three or four li, and she encounters a black‑clad cultivator wrapped tightly from head to toe.

The other had just slain a poisonous snake; upon seeing her, he immediately unleashed a top‑grade magical artifact to attack.

Jiang Yu's bamboo fan slipped from her hand to meet the attack; the crackling thunder shattered a poisonous sword into fragments in an instant.

Just kidding, a supreme treasure versus a magical artifact is a crushing‑level match.

The black‑clad cultivator saw this, ignored the snake corpse, turned and fled, yet he saw no female cultivator pursuing.

He hesitated for a while; after all, the poisonous plants were too tempting, and he wanted to return to see if Jiang Yu had taken any.

He didn't expect that upon returning, not only were the poisonous plants still there, but the snake corpse hadn't moved at all.

He couldn't help but be overjoyed, scanned the surroundings for people, and hurriedly harvested them.

Jiang Tu lamented the recent poisonous snake, "Jiang Yu, why don't you go forward and take it?"

"A fourth‑tier poisonous snake, I'd still have to leap diagonally more than ten zhang away—no interest." The key is that poisonous plant; without the supreme ice‑silk gloves, even touching a leaf would poison her.

"Instead of gathering the poisonous plant, better collect the antidote from that plant.

It's said that within ten steps of a poisonous plant there must be an antidote." Of course, that was just a figure of speech; the antidote happened to be right by the path Jiang Yu was walking, and she collected it effortlessly into her bag.

"Jiang Tu, stop interfering with her, let her catch up quickly." As the hiding place came into view, Xuantang Xingjun accelerated ahead.

And he enthusiastically cleared obstacles for Jiang Yu, such as a poisonous insect that his soul fire burned into ash.

Jiang Yu didn't walk slowly; her Seven‑Star Step let her leap across the swamp, exceptionally useful.

There's no other reason; it can trigger her rapid reflexes, requiring her to pre‑judge the safety of the first three footholds.

Fortunately, with Jiang Tu as a guide, the ground within a li was pre‑scouted with his consciousness.

Soon after, Jiang Yu finally reached the spot, but before her lay a vast expanse of grass and water—wait, could there be a formation!

She sped her spirit energy to scan the area, but unfortunately even with her sight she could not detect any formation ripple.

It turned out this was why Xuantang Xingjun wanted to find it quickly; he feared a cultivator entering the swamp would notice the formation.

He then formed several techniques, striking a few key nodes, and a formation of light flashed.

Just as she stepped into the formation gate, Jiang Yu instantly saw a three‑foot‑high earthen mound surrounded entirely by Green Calyx Flowers; without using her consciousness, she already saw traces of previous harvesting.

Moreover, she also saw two companion White Mandarin Grasses, pitifully only one of which was mature.

Jiang Yu took a few steps forward and neatly uprooted the two grasses along with their accompanying Green Calyx Flowers.

Immature ones are fine; she'll take them back to Plant at Year‑Start Peak, later to sell or give away, either way works.

She was pleased with the spirit herbs she gathered, while Xuantang Xingjun's face grew so grim it could drip water; he floated into the flower cluster, his soul‑force condensing into a blade that slashed the earthen mound.

Jiang Yu turned back and saw another formation gate open, revealing a stair‑lined passage.

Immediately after, three male cultivators appeared at the bottom of the steps, each holding a magical sword.

"Grand Ancestor!" shouted Senior Brother Xing, Min Chi Yuan, and Cheng Ziguai. They almost leapt up, bowing in unison.

Only then did Xuantang Xingjun turn his anger into a smile, "Not bad, you found it before me."

The hidden Jiang Tu transmitted again, "These few people, unbelievably fast.

Hmph, it must be that when they were in Dongzhou, Old Xuan told them how to quickly locate the Seven‑Calyx Flowers; you'd better be careful!"

"Heh, Xuantang Xingjun, I'll now release the bound spirit sword, and I won't go inside any longer." With that, Jiang Yu released a Handle‑less Spirit Sword, and two talismans simultaneously struck the sword's blade and Xuantang's body.

Meanwhile, Jiang Tu silently affixed another talisman onto Xuantang.

At this moment, pursuing anything that doesn't benefit her, she must leave quickly.

Thus, as the three formed a perfect formation surrounding her, she smiled, "Senior Xuantang, you're breaking the contract."

Several people need to see clearly what talisman is stuck on your old ancestor's body.

As long as I leave the formation, I'll immediately release him.

"Let her go." Xuantang was hit again; he never thought that, despite all his defenses, his final move would be ambushed by Jiang Tu.

Senior Brother Xing hesitated: "Ancestor, the sword?"

"I will release the master bond and give it to you." Jiang Yu can forsake the sword.

Xuantang's brow twitched: "You can bear to?"

"I can bear to." Life is more important; from now on, however many times we meet, we'll count each other as enemies.

Xuantang again said, "Let the person go," Jiang Yu safely withdrew from the formation and immediately severed her bond with the spiritual sword.

Then she threw the sword far away…