Bei Bei spoke with a grave expression, "We don't have any elixirs that can resist the poison gas either. I estimate that soul tools won't be effective against this gas."
Xu Sanshi sighed, "To think it can kill a Soul Sage. If we had known, we wouldn't have come and ended up holding you back."
Jiang Nannan's face also looked rather unsightly. She had intended to help Bei Bei and the others; who would have thought that this toxin would be so potent.
Ma Xiaotao, positioned in the center, looked solemnly at the deep green poison gas ahead and said, "Bei Bei, Nannan, and San Shi, I will blow away this poison gas in a moment. You must quickly follow me."
Qian Yu spoke from beside her, "Sister Xiao Tao..."
He was just about to say that his tenth-grade spirit guidance device could withstand the poison gas...
But before Qian Yu could speak, she released her Martial Soul, and a mighty Phoenix wreathed in intense flames materialized behind her, as seven soul rings slowly rose beneath her feet...
Then, the second soul ring lit up...
The Second Soul Skill, Phoenix in Fire!
In the next instant, the Phoenix behind her erupted in a burst of enormous fiery light, raising the temperature by several tens of degrees!
With that, Ma Xiaotao flapped the dual wings of the Phoenix, and countless gusts of fierce wind began to sweep forth, charging like arrows released from their bows into the heart of the area saturated with thick poison gas...
All the poison gas that approached Ma Xiaotao was scattered by the intense flames and the swift winds, temporarily carving out a safe passage for Bei Bei and the others.
Bei Bei called out, "Now, go!"
As he spoke, the four of them burst forth with their greatest speed towards the safe passage ahead...
By the time they had sprinted through, the poison gas that Ma Xiaotao had dispersed started to merge back together, clearly indicating that the gas had the ability to regenerate.
Under Ma Xiaotao's lead, not one of them was touched by the poison gas as they ran deeper into the interior....
.
"Roar!!"
"Hiss"
However, just after passing through one area peacefully, a tremendous roar of soul beasts suddenly arose within the entirety of the Sunset Forest.
Ma Xiaotao, who was at the front dispelling the poison gas, looked down upon the scene as her beautiful eyes suddenly narrowed...
On the ground, there were about four or five soul beasts gathered, each of them possessing at least fifty-thousand years of cultivation, seemingly waiting there especially to block their intrusion.
The fifth soul ring at her feet shone brightly!
The Fifth Soul Skill, Phoenix Screaming to the Heavens!
Without any warning, a massive column of magma erupted around the gathered soul beasts, and the tremendous impact completely tossed them into the air.
But when these soul beasts landed after taking a direct hit from the Phoenix Screaming to the Heavens, there were no substantial injuries on their bodies.
Ma Xiaotao clenched her teeth; she had to clear the way for Bei Bei and the others, so she couldn't stop. She called out to Qian Yu who was behind, "Qian Yu!"
Qian Yu, with his gaze fixed coldly on the four or five soul beasts ahead of Bei Bei and the others, immediately pulled out a ninth-grade close combat soul guidance device, a light blade,
Bei Bei and the others, running behind Qian Yu, instinctively turned their attention to the white light blade in Qian Yu's hand...
Xu Sanshi's face was full of curiosity, "What is this? The power it radiates makes my heart race."
Bei Bei said gravely, "It must be a ninth-grade close combat soul tool that Qian Yu created, with extremely strong offensive power!"
Jiang Nannan's beautiful eyes flickered with astonishment, "A ninth-grade soul tool? Even the Sun Moon Royal Soul Guidance Academy doesn't have many of those, do they?"
Even the level 9 soul tools at their academy were swindled from the Sun Moon Royal Soul Guidance Academy.
The next moment, Qian Yu gripped the several-meters-long light blade tightly, and his entire body suddenly accelerated, slashing towards the four or five soul beasts blocking their way....
"Roar!" As Qian Yu charged towards them, the soul beasts roared fearlessly and collided into him with their toughest parts....
However, when the several-meter-long light blade collided with their bodies, it emitted a sizzling "hiss hiss hiss" sound...
Immediately after, the light blade effortlessly pierced their tofu-like bodies, and upon looking again, the bodies of the soul beasts were all split in half, bloodily falling to the ground...
Five deep black Soul Rings slowly condensed above their corpses...
Xu Sanshi's gaze was stunned as he stared at the soul beasts lying in the pool of blood, "Hiss, to think that a single slash resolved four to five soul beasts with a cultivation level of fifty thousand years. If this thing were to slash a person's body, that feeling..."
Jiang Nannan chuckled lightly, "It's just a pity for so many Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Rings, they all look like they're of good quality."
Bei Bei nodded, "Mhm, let's move quickly. It will be troublesome if the path Sister Xiao Tao cleared gets engulfed by the poison fog again."
....
Only when he saw the surrounding poison fog as if it were isolated outside, no longer pouring into their current area, did it stop.
Ma Xiaotao then slowly retracted her Martial Soul and landed on the ground, wiping the cold sweat off her forehead...
Continuously releasing soul skills over such a long journey without a pause, even she was a bit overwhelmed...
Following that, Bei Bei and the others had already rushed over...
Xu Sanshi scratched his hair, somewhat embarrassedly saying, "Sister Xiao Tao, I'm sorry you had to clear such a long path!"
Qian Yu, looking at the sweat on Ma Xiaotao's forehead, said gravely, "Sister Xiao Tao, what's wrong with you? Did you inhale some poison gas?"
Ma Xiaotao shook her head, "No, I just used a bit too much Soul Power. Qian Yu, you lead the way from here."
Qian Yu nodded, "Okay!"
Immediately after, his gaze turned to the overly spacious pitch-black cave in front of them, rapidly releasing his Divine Power into the cave to explore...
After a while, his entire Divine Power had scanned the cave's interior...
Inside, he did not sense any soul beasts, but rather faintly perceived various unique scents...
Bei Bei asked in confusion, "Qian Yu, what's the situation inside?"
Xu Sanshi shrank back in fear, speaking cautiously, "There wouldn't be some horrifying soul beast of a hundred thousand years guarding it, right?"
If that was really the case, that would just be too tragic!
Jiang Nannan and Ma Xiaotao also fixed their gaze on Qian Yu, trusting greatly in his sense of perception.
Qian Yu spoke seriously, "Inside are all Immortal Herbs, I didn't sense the presence of soul beasts, but we should still be careful. Some of the Immortal Herbs have properties that can destroy a Soul Master."
After saying this, Qian Yu took the lead and stepped into the cave, "Let's go."
The others followed Qian Yu's steps, scrutinizing their surroundings with utmost caution...
...
As they passed through the winding tunnel and reached the depths of the cave, everyone's eyes suddenly brightened...
In front of them, the scene was like a miniaturized canyon!
There were cliffs, lakes, deep pools, lava...
Everywhere, even each spot, was filled with countless plants brimming with vitality, their branches and leaves constantly emitting an alluring glow...
Xu Sanshi rubbed his eyes in disbelief, "This... Are all these Immortal Herbs? So many!!"
Bei Bei's eyes focused on the footprint indentations next to some of the Immortal Herbs, pondering, "Many people must have come to this place before, but they only picked the Immortal Herbs they needed."
Ma Xiaotao nodded, "In that case, let's start picking separately too."
.....