Chapter 633 - 640: Flower Clan’s Forbidden Ground

The Flower Clan Leader had no desire to become the subject of their gossip.

So he promptly told them to leave.

But the visiting Demon Cultivators were not happy about this.

"Flower Clan Leader, what is the meaning of this? We all came to watch the competition. Why are you suddenly kicking us out?"

"That’s right! We’ve just been sitting here. We haven’t even wasted a single grain of the Flower Clan’s food!"

Everyone was still waiting to see the final results and had no intention of leaving.

Upon hearing this, the expressions of those who had successfully passed the trial also turned grim.

’If everyone else leaves while we’re taken to the forbidden ground, who knows what tricks the Flower Clan might pull?’

’What if it’s a trap?’

The crowd grew restless, on the verge of causing a scene.

The Flower Clan Leader, however, simply furrowed his brow coldly as a strange fragrance suddenly emanated from his body.

With a casual wave of his hand, the clamoring Demon Cultivators immediately fell silent. They all looked dazed and lost, as if their very souls had been seized.

The Flower Clan Leader’s expression was grim. With a single thought, those Demon Cultivators were instantly sent through a teleportation portal and cast out.

The area instantly fell quiet. The Demon Cultivators only regained their senses after they were gone.

A cold sweat immediately broke out on their backs.

’The Flower Clan Leader had taken complete control of them. How terrifying.’

’If he wanted to kill them, wouldn’t it be effortless?’

Their faces turned pale with fright. No longer daring to protest, they scurried away in terror.

Back in the square, Song Wanning watched the move the Flower Clan Leader had just pulled, and a glint flashed in her eyes.

’That technique... is something else.’

’I wonder if that fragrance from earlier was poisonous.’

"Hehehe..."

The Flower Clan Leader slowly rose to his feet. Although he was smiling, his eyes held a clear warning.

"Today, my Flower Clan has invited you all here to save a junior of our clan. As long as you do your best, I will certainly not make things difficult for you!"

"But if anyone tries to play any tricks, don’t blame me for being ruthless."

With that, he turned and led the group toward the forbidden ground.

The ten finalists followed behind him, all of their initial ease gone from their faces.

The Pill Master from the Wolf Clan looked particularly anxious. For safety, he actually walked over to Song Wanning’s side, attempting to form an alliance with her.

’After all, most of the remaining finalists were Human Cultivators. The Demon Cultivators should stick together. Facing danger as one was their only path to survival.’

Song Wanning glanced at him and rejected his invitation.

’This guy would only hold me back.’

The Wolf Clan Pill Master hadn’t expected to be rejected, and his expression instantly turned ugly.

"Don’t you regret this!"

He warned in a low voice from behind Song Wanning, then reluctantly went to seek an alliance with the other Demon Cultivators.

’Sister,’ the Golden Small Sword sneered, its mischievous voice ringing in her mind, ’don’t you think he’d jump out of his skin if you revealed your true cultivation?’

A Body Integration Realm cultivation was too conspicuous no matter where one went, so Song Wanning had concealed hers at the Out-of-Body Stage.

The Wolf Demon had only sought an alliance because he saw her cultivation was decent. He never expected Song Wanning to show him no respect at all, which left him furious.

Hearing this, Song Wanning’s lips curled into a smile. She couldn’t care less about his reaction.

She was only interested in the injured junior.

...

After about the time it takes an incense stick to burn, the group finally arrived at the Flower Clan’s forbidden ground.

The Flower Clan’s forbidden ground was a swamp, overgrown with thorny brambles, yet not a single flower was to be seen.

The swamp contained a strange energy. Faint wisps of light could be seen overflowing from it, only to quickly vanish again.

The Flower Clan Leader’s expression was solemn as he carefully approached the swamp.

After he performed a series of maneuvers, several strange whirlpools appeared in the swamp, exuding a vibrant life force.

"Everyone, please follow me."

"Rest assured, I will not harm any of you."

The Flower Clan Leader said flatly before slipping into one of the whirlpools.

The remaining Cultivators looked at one another, hesitating.

It was Song Wanning, however, who stepped forward first and followed him in.

When she emerged on the other side of the whirlpool, she saw the Flower Clan Leader looking at her meaningfully, a faint smile playing on his lips.

Song Wanning said nothing, merely giving him a slight nod.

Soon, the remaining Cultivators entered one by one.

The whirlpool led to a long passageway filled with so much life force that one could feel the qi and blood in their body quicken.

The path through the tunnel was lined with flowers, all of them purple.

Bathed in a faint light, the scene looked absolutely dreamlike.

As she walked, Song Wanning suddenly snapped back to her senses to find that her surroundings had abruptly changed.

There were no flowers, only withered branches and decaying leaves that gave off a foul, rotten smell.

Song Wanning’s heart sank. ’I fell into an illusion just now without even realizing it.’

’This Flower Clan... there’s more to them than meets the eye.’

’Was the purpose of this competition really to save someone?’

Doubt began to sprout in her mind.

Just as this thought crossed her mind, she felt the Flower Clan Leader’s gaze on her again from up ahead.

Their gazes seemed to pass right through the others, colliding head-on.

For a moment, the air seemed to crackle with tension.

It wasn’t until Li Qingya also broke free from the illusion that the tense atmosphere finally dissipated.

The others also began to wake up one by one, their gazes toward the Flower Clan Leader now filled with even greater apprehension.

"Hehehe, there’s no need to worry, everyone. This is merely an illusion inherent to the forbidden ground. It is harmless."

The Flower Clan Leader explained with a chuckle, then resumed walking forward.

Everyone felt uneasy, but at this point, there was no longer any chance to back out.

They could only brace themselves and follow.

Finally, after two hours, the group truly passed through the tunnel and arrived in an unfamiliar place.

Before them were not flowers everywhere, but a boundless blue sky and groves of towering, ancient trees stretching as far as the eye could see.

The moment Song Wanning saw the great trees, a strange feeling arose within her.

’Didn’t the Flower Clan’s relationship with the Wood and Grass Clan fall apart?’

’But at a glance, you can tell these great trees have been meticulously cared for.’

’Moreover, a spiritual aura had formed around the trees. Even if they couldn’t take human form, they had already gained sentience.’

’In other words, the Flower Clan’s forbidden ground was hiding so many members of the Wood and Grass Clan.’

’It’s truly bizarre.’

She concealed the surprise in her heart, maintaining a calm expression as she walked alongside the others, curiously observing her surroundings.

While everyone was still looking around in curiosity, the Flower Clan Leader led them into a hollow in one of the great trees.

In the deepest part of the hollow, a flower that looked as if it had been snapped in two lay quietly in the soil.

Song Wanning was also very familiar with that soil. It was Living Soil.

She had once used it to infuse her avatar, and seeing it again now, she felt an unexpected sense of familiarity.

Yet, even with the Living Soil, the small flower remained lifeless, which showed just how severe its condition was.

’There was almost no hope of saving it!’

Song Wanning’s expression grew grave. The others had apparently also recognized the Living Soil, and their reactions varied.