Magical Beast Mountain range, a lush basin filled with medicinal herbs.
Rustling sounds came from the bushes, and four figures, a man and three women, pushed aside the dense foliage and arrived at the spot. Several paths led in and out, along with some footprints, probably left by passing mercenaries.
These four figures were naturally Yan Qingshan's group, who had come to the Magical Beast Mountains.
This basin was located outside the mountains, and deep within was a secluded small valley filled with dense energy, an excellent place for cultivation.
High above, a blue eagle circled and landed, chirping and nuzzling against Xiao Yi Xian. After she gave it a small treat, she proudly said to Yan Qingshan, "Brother Qingshan, isn't this place great?
This small valley is completely isolated from the outside, and the sky is covered by thick fog, making it extremely hidden. If Xiao Nan hadn't accidentally stumbled in here, I probably wouldn't have discovered this miraculous place."
"This place is indeed wonderful. Xiao Nan has done a great job!"
Yan Qingshan felt the dense aura of vegetation around him. In the misty valley, various rare herbs grew, and the aroma of medicinal herbs mingled with the mist, refreshing the mind.
The concentration of spiritual Qi of all attributes here far exceeded other places, with the wood attribute Qi being the highest, making it a paradise for him.
The Xiao Nan Eagle at Xiao Yi Xian's feet chirped happily, as if asking for praise. This first-rank blue eagle had been rescued by Xiao Yi Xian after Yan Qingshan left. Although not yet an adult, it already had the strength of a first-rank magical beast and a wingspan of over two meters, capable of carrying people, indicating a high potential for growth.
Yan Qingshan gave the Xiao Nan Eagle a piece of Yellow Lotus essence and then said to the others, "Let's stay here for a while! Once the miteer family sends the Dou Qi methods, you can switch to them and save time."
Neither Xiao Yi Xian nor Qing Ling had completed the ninth stage of Dou Qi cultivation and were still some time away from becoming Dou Zhe. This was a good opportunity for them to cultivate diligently.
Xue Lan also needed to familiarize herself with the cultivation methods to condense Dou Qi, preparing for her next transition.
After all, her previous Dou Qi method was only Huang-rank, and its accumulation and quality were average. Directly switching to a higher-rank Dou Qi method could lead to a significant drop in cultivation level.
The cultivation of Xiao Yi Xian and Qing Ling would probably be easier than that of Xue Lan and Yan Qingshan. Their physiques were extraordinary.
Whether it was the Woeful Poison Body or the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils, they were top-tier physiques capable of quickly achieving combat strength, far superior to ordinary imperial clan bloodlines.
With so many precious herbs here, Yan Qingshan could prepare new cultivation plans. The valley was secluded, accessible only by Xiao Yi Xian's Blue Eagle, and communication with the outside world could also be done through the Blue Eagle, preventing them from being disturbed.
Xiao Yi Xian nodded with a smile, blew a bamboo whistle to the Blue Eagle, letting it fly freely, and then led the others to a corner of the small valley. She pointed to a thatched hut there, their temporary residence.
…
The southern foothills of the Magical Beast Mountains, a place of stunning scenery. The ten-mile landscape was filled with pink blossoms, and peach trees swayed in the breeze, petals dancing in the wind, surrounded by a rich floral fragrance and beautiful scenery.
A figure with dark purple wings slowly landed outside the peach forest, and a petite figure jumped down from his arms, none other than the lovable Qing Ling.
Yan Qingshan and Qing Ling had arrived in the early morning, when the scenery was at its best. Under the peach trees, by the flowing stream, fallen peach blossoms floated on the water, a mix of light and deep red.
The surrounding pleasant pink color was intoxicating, giving a feeling of being in a fairyland.
The morning sun rose from the clouds, and the pink petals contrasted with the light yellow stamens, appearing particularly delicate. Clusters of blossoms covered the branches, and countless bees and butterflies danced among the flowers, busily gathering nectar.
The vast peach forest reflected the red afterglow of the morning sun, pink like the dawn. Pink petals swirled in the air, creating a pink ocean from afar.
"Qing Ling, summon Chi Lian."
Yan Qingshan looked at the beautiful scenery before him, but his eyes were full of vigilance as he surveyed his surroundings. Qing Ling was equally cautious.
At Yan Qingshan's words, a flash of green light appeared in her eyes, and the Twin-Headed Flame Spirit Serpent appeared beside them, immediately spitting its tongue and cautiously surveying the surroundings.
This ten-mile peach forest, though beautiful, was actually a dangerous place in the Magical Beast Mountains. In the vibrant peach forest, besides the butterflies spreading pollen and the bees gathering nectar, there were no other insect or bird sounds.
Moreover, apart from these two creatures and the peach blossoms, no other animals or plants were visible in the entire peach forest, including the stream, which had no fish, shrimp, frogs, or crabs. Something was definitely wrong.
Amidst the hissing sounds, the snakes within several miles were summoned by the Twin-Headed Flame Spirit Serpent and gathered. Yan Qingshan and Qing Ling followed behind the Flame Spirit Serpent.
The peach forest, covering many acres, was surrounded by a faint red mist. The peach-colored mist filled the air, rising and spreading like a beautiful cloud from the ground.
The peach-colored cloud rolled continuously, and a faint fragrance filled their nostrils, with a sweet and intoxicating scent.
"Awoo..."
Suddenly, a faint howl came from deep within the peach forest. Yan Qingshan and Qing Ling led the snakes to quickly approach. They saw a pink peach fruit on a peach tree, glowing red. The dense peach-red mist around the tree had almost condensed into liquid.
A magical beast, probably a wood-attribute wolf, twitched its limbs, trying to leave the thick mist, but failed. It had probably been there too long and had little strength left. Its howls were low and weak.
The wolf's fur, originally light green, was now covered in black and red blood, as if it had been burned by fire, with only a little flesh connecting its skin.
The wolf's body was corroded, with large patches of flesh turning white and festering. The ground beneath it was covered in corroded pus. Its head was relatively intact, but one eye was a bloody hole, and the other eye was almost bulging out, extremely ferocious.
Even more terrifying was that the wolf, despite its severe injuries, was still alive, maintaining a strange excitement. Its lower body was mostly corroded, but it was making indescribable movements on the ground, like a maddened teddy bear.
"Peach Blossom Miasma, truly terrifying."
Yan Qingshan looked at the peach fruit on the tree. This strange natural treasure was one of the sources of danger in the forest, a peach fruit capable of emitting Peach Blossom Miasma.
Peach Fruit, a spiritual fruit containing strange energy with a wide range of uses, only grows in special peach forests. It secretes a mist called Peach Blossom Miasma for self-protection.
Low concentrations of Peach Blossom Miasma, also known as Peach Blossom Mist, were the faint red mist Yan Qingshan and the others had encountered outside.
It was not dangerous and, on the contrary, beneficial to the body, refreshing the mind and clearing the eyes.
But the Peach Blossom Miasma around the peach fruit, almost viscous, was not only too potent, inducing lustful thoughts, but also extremely corrosive, easily taking the lives of those without sufficient strength.
Yan Qingshan's palm shot out a cyan Dou Qi, and the swaying peach fruit fell to the ground. The viscous Peach Blossom Miasma was rapidly condensed and absorbed as if caught in a whirlpool. Soon, only a red-glowing peach fruit remained on the ground.
Yan Qingshan squatted down and carefully collected the peach fruit. Once away from the peach tree, the treasure was like a rootless source, and the Peach Blossom Miasma would naturally dissipate, posing no danger.
The peach fruit was the size of a fist, looking just like a peach, with a pinkish red glow. This high-grade medicinal material was quite precious and rare, used in various mid- to high-level pills, but it was not Yan Qingshan's primary purpose.
"Hiss... Hiss..."
Yan Qingshan and Qing Ling continued on their way. The deeper they went, the denser the peach mist, and the more peach fruits they found.
Yan Qingshan unceremoniously collected them all, showing no respect to the owner of this place. As they reached the depths of the peach forest, the snakes suddenly hissed in one direction, seeming to be in disarray.
"Master, they say that direction is very dangerous, and Chi Lian also senses it."
The senses and detection abilities of magical beasts are almost innate instincts, something even Yan Qingshan couldn't match. He was better at close-range subtle discoveries, but he was lacking at longer distances.
"Let's go take a look!"
Yan Qingshan and Qing Ling continued forward with the Flame Spirit Serpent. The snakes, having completed their task, retreated like a tide. This place was their forbidden zone, and they wouldn't approach it unless absolutely necessary.
Yan Qingshan and Qing Ling continued for a while, reaching a dense part of the peach forest. In the middle was a simple clearing, with almost no other peach trees within ten meters.
A huge peach tree grew vigorously in the center, laden with peach fruits.
Each peach fruit glowed faintly red, like a lantern. The three peach fruits at the top of the tree were very different, as if they were burning. The Peach Blossom Miasma was extremely dense, surging like burning flames.
A huge beehive hung on the peach tree, with busy bees constantly flying in and out. At the bottom of the beehive was a small hole, and a simple stone jar was placed on the ground below, where honey dripped continuously.
Stone jars were scattered around, some empty and some full. A strange beast, with a bluish-pink coat, was sleeping nearby, its head resting on a stone jar, occasionally smacking its lips in its sleep, swallowing the honey it had chewed.
The strange beast looked like a canine, resembling a bear and a wolf, a hybrid of the two. It was three to four meters tall, with powerful limbs and a bluish coat, but it was burning with pink flames, just like the three peach fruits at the top of the tree.