Chapter 1396 - 705: Devouring Demon Vine Tribe (Extra - for Absolute Plate Goods and He Shi Bi)

The Soul-devouring Arrow was used by her to deal with Yin Jiu You in Bai Yujing. Afterwards, she entered the God Demon Prison to release Changtian. This treasure matched her even better than Tusk and surprisingly followed her back to the God Demon Prison at the brink of life and death. Only after her demise did it fall out again. This time, as she awoke from the Sea Eye, Changtian returned the Soul-devouring Arrow to her.

High-grade Magical Artifacts have their own temperaments. Compared to the lively and restless Tusk, the Soul-devouring Arrow is gentle and silent, usually without any movement. Precisely because of this, Ning Xiaoxian had a particular interest in the peculiarities behind Xiaohecang, because at this moment the Soul-devouring Arrow became unusually lively, emitting waves of affection and longing. The last time it was so "excited" was when Ahua stole the arrow tail of the Soul-devouring Arrow from the Prince’s Mansion.

So, this time, even though time was pressing, she was determined to investigate.

Hei Hao understood his duty, and without saying much, he, along with two other Hidden Guards, guarded Ning Xiaoxian and Zhai Mo securely in the middle.

The deeper they went into the mountains, the more intense the invisible pressure in the air became. The forest grew quieter, without even a single noisy bird, as if no living creature dared to disturb the tranquility. Yet, for humans, this silence was indescribably eerie.

The vegetation ahead grew more lush, and mortals reaching here would find it difficult to move without swinging large machetes to clear a path; but this certainly posed no difficulty for the demons of Hidden Stream, who could still walk swiftly. This was very strange, as although it was early spring, the outside was still a world of ice and snow.

After walking for fifteen minutes, Zhai Mo suddenly managed a bitter smile and said, "Lord Ning, I can’t go any further."

She turned to see Zhai Mo’s face turning pale. His Protective Gang Qi was faltering, and she knew he couldn’t withstand the pressure here. Without forcing him, she nodded and said, "Then you should go back and report everything about Xiaohecang to General Chi Bihu."

Zhai Mo respectfully saluted her, retreated a few steps before turning to leave. He was a dedicated Pill Master of Hidden Stream, and his cultivation was not as deep as Ning Xiaoxian’s and the other Hidden Guards. He was the first to succumb to the pressure here, indicating the path ahead was no friendlier to cultivators.

However, to Ning Xiaoxian, who had experienced the Evil Qi of the underground palace, this pressure didn’t seem like a major ordeal.

The further they delved into the deep mountain forest, the denser the canopy grew, casting a cold shadow over the woods, revealing that at least no one had come here for more than a decade; naturally, there was no path. With Hei Hao leading, the Hidden Guards didn’t know which direction to head for, but Ning Xiaoxian would stop after every few dozen meters, appearing contemplative, and then point out their next direction.

The Hidden Guards all found this peculiar, not knowing how she determined the way.

By this point, she no longer needed a guide. The Soul-devouring Arrow, flapping excitedly, was already indicating the direction. It’s unfortunate this artifact couldn’t speak; if it could articulate what lies ahead, it would save her much effort.

As they continued, various herbs became abundant in the mountains, ginseng, saffron, astragalus, etc., especially given the damp earth and air, many plants that shouldn’t grow here were flourishing, with astonishingly long maturity that even surprised her. She knew the actual potency of these herbs was even more incredible. If not for limited time, she’d wanted to take them all back home at once.

Soon, they encountered a narrow pass ahead, just wide enough for three or four people to walk side by side. Hei Hao went in first to inspect. After approximately several tens of seconds, he returned to report, "Inside is a valley, empty of people, without any other beasts or demons."

Everyone entered one by one and carefully surveyed the surroundings, only to realize the place they were in was a large oval valley, surrounded by mountain walls like a wooden barrel enclosing it completely, with the only passage for entry and exit being the small path behind them.

Upon entering, the invisible pressure intensified, even making the Hidden Guards struggle to stand. Hei Hao’s face flushed red, while both other guards were worse off, their bodies trembling, yet all three stood firmly.

Ning Xiaoxian thought to have them return to guard the pass, but despite persuasion, none of the three were willing to move even a step away. The Hidden Guards were loyal to the point of stubbornness, so she no longer insisted.

If there remained traces of ice and cold outside, the valley inside seemed like early summer, with Hundred Flowers competing in brilliance, in a magnificent riot of red, orange, yellow, and purple, blooming exuberantly, covering the entire valley with a giant floral tapestry that made one unwilling to tread upon.