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墨書 Inktalez
The man and woman smiled awkwardly; at first glance, they did not seem particularly remarkable. However, upon closer inspection, Qi Xiao noticed that the man had already reached the peak of Foundation Establishment, making him a decent practitioner among the disciples. Strangely, he had never heard of these two before.
Zhao Bao'er smiled and said, "We mean no harm; we just want to join you."
Qi Xiao was slightly surprised. "I thought all the teams were already formed?"
Zhao Bao'er scratched her head, looking even more embarrassed. "Our original team leader was Cheng Yufeng. Cheng Yufeng and Bai Zonghua were suddenly disqualified from this month's assessment and were sentenced to the Cold Cave, leaving their teams caught off guard."
The two teams were thrown into disarray and restructured due to the large number of participants. Zhao Bao'er and her brother found themselves ostracized by others, leaving them alone in the end. They managed to gather a third disciple but that disciple fell ill after consuming low-quality elixirs and was sent to the Apothecary Hall.
With that person receiving treatment, it was impossible for them to compete together. Elder Chang pondered for a moment before allowing them to find a temporary team.
Qi Xiao's doubts deepened. The siblings had arrived earlier than him; logically, they should have connections and not struggle to find a team.
Tong Liu leaned closer to Qi Xiao and explained quietly, "These siblings have a special background; they possess a family inheritance of poison techniques, which makes other disciples reluctant to team up with them. Rather than being ostracized, it's more about fear—who knows when they might accidentally get poisoned?"
Moreover, these siblings had previously been associated with Cheng Yufeng, whose notorious reputation among the disciples was well-known to Qi Xiao. The fact that these siblings had been with Cheng Yufeng made them seem even less trustworthy.
No one knew if they had ever assisted Cheng Yufeng in any underhanded deeds, so out of caution, everyone tacitly avoided them.
Zhao Bao'er quickly stepped forward. "Please don’t worry; we really have no other intentions. We just want to form a temporary team for the competition."
She lowered her voice. "And I have a complete map of Thunderwind Valley."
The three exchanged glances before pulling Zhao Bao'er and her brother into a corner to hear them out.
"We’ve been to Thunderwind Valley before," Zhao Bao'er continued. "Although we haven’t ventured into the deepest parts of the valley, we know everything about its outer areas! If you take us along, it will save you a lot of effort."
"You two have participated in so many trials; you must understand how important it is to have a complete map!"
Tong Liu and Wang Hu did not deny it.
Indeed, the inner sect trials used jade tokens as counting tools. These jade tokens were usually hidden in resource points within the valley, such as places where certain herbs grew or in the caves of specific beasts.
If we had a complete map, we could plan our route in advance, saving time and effort, and we would be able to find the hiding places of the jade tokens earlier than other teams, thus avoiding competition with them.
Zhao Bao'er smiled proudly, "That's right! Choosing us is definitely a good deal for you! Besides, both my brother and I are at the peak of Foundation Establishment; we won't hold you back."
Qi Xiao's eyes flickered. "Alright, but after we register with Elder Chang, you need to get that map out immediately."
"No problem."
An hour later, Qi Xiao and the others boarded the flying boat provided by the sect and gathered together to discuss strategies.
"The northern entrance is the worst one," Qi Xiao stated.
"Why?"
"There are large patches of spirit-rich flowers and plants growing nearby, which means there are toxic bees buzzing around all year round. The key is that these bees consider this entrance their territory; once they detect intruders, they won't hold back."
"Moreover, there's miasma permeating this area. To pass through safely, we need to prepare detoxification pills. If those other disciples aren't ready, just the miasma and toxic bees at the entrance will be enough to give them a hard time."
Qi Xiao's eyes flashed. "Do those toxic bees have any particular characteristics?"
Zhao Bao'er frowned. "Their biggest characteristic is that they are particularly fond of flowers. The richer the spiritual energy and the older the flower, the more they like it! By the way, I remember there’s a century-old Soul Condensing Grass next to their nest; they have always regarded it as a treasure."
"The toxic bee clan has been guarding this entrance to drive away outsiders; I think it's mostly for that Soul Condensing Grass."
Before Qi Xiao could finish his sentence, Zhao Bao'er interrupted him urgently. "Absolutely not! The bees' senses are much sharper than ours; as soon as we enter their nest, they will detect us immediately. Facing their siege, even if we manage to steal the flower, they will catch up with us right away—it's a fight to the death!"
The Poison Bees, while individually weak, could become a formidable threat when gathered in numbers, often causing even Nascent Soul cultivators to feel a headache. Thus, very few cultivators would provoke them unless absolutely necessary.
Qi Xiao smiled and said, "Don't rush; let me finish."
Two hours later, the group stealthily arrived at the edge of the pond without alarming any creatures. Zhao Bao'er stared in disbelief, her eyes wide.
"How did you know that mixing Dragon Bone Grass with the juice of the Stinking Water Bug would render the Poison Bees' senses ineffective?"
Although the combination created a foul-smelling, acidic mixture that clung to their bodies like vomit, it was still better than being stung all over by the Poison Bees.
Zhao Bao'er couldn't help but take a sniff and nearly retched.
"I read about it in a book," Qi Xiao explained. "Poison Bees have keen senses, so to avoid being overwhelmed by overly stimulating odors, they instinctively block out these sources of irritation. This isn't a matter of pharmacological conflict; it's an instinctive choice based on their bloodline."
Zhao Bao'er’s eyes brightened as she pondered this revelation. "So that's how it works."
In the pond, there was nothing but a single plant that was entirely white and emanated a faint glow, its slender leaves covered in a thin layer of frost.
Qi Xiao quietly entered the water and swam to the center of the pond. As soon as he touched it, he felt his fingertips go icy and numb, as if doused with cold water.
Enduring the intense chill, Qi Xiao submerged and pulled up the Soul Condensing Grass by its roots. The others on shore kept watch and quickly helped him back up when they saw him swimming toward them.
Holding the Soul Condensing Grass tightly in his arms, Qi Xiao's face turned pale from the cold. He trembled as he quickly stuffed the plant into his jade ring.
"Hurry! While the Poison Bees can't detect us yet, they'll soon realize that someone has stolen the Soul Condensing Grass. Whether our preparations will still be effective then is uncertain!"
Qi Xiao pulled out a small bottle filled with the mixture and poured it over himself without hesitation. The others nearby quickly distanced themselves from him as they caught a whiff of the smell.
Before long, a buzzing sound filled the air—like countless Poison Bees converging toward them. The expressions on their faces changed dramatically.
"Are they returning this quickly?"
At this rate, it was uncertain whether they would successfully bring back the Soul Condensing Grass.
Qi Xiao hesitated for a moment but ultimately made up his mind to pour the remaining mixture over the Soul Condensing Grass.
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