Most Qiankun Bags belonged to cultivators. So many cultivators had perished here, which was enough to show how dangerous this place was. Simply cutting these flowers into pieces probably wasn’t the solution.

As soon as Zanxing thought of this, she felt the sweet fragrance in the air becoming even more intense.

Not good!

A thought flashed through her mind. It seemed that destroying these flowers wouldn’t make that alluring, sweet fragrance disappear, but would instead intensify the scent’s dispersion. Those flower petals were only millimeters in size, glowing brilliantly as they covered the ground. Thus, the entire cave was filled with that sweet aroma.

“Thud—”

Mu Cengxiao seemed unable to resist this wave of sweet fragrance, covering his chest as he half-knelt on the ground. Sweat dripped from his forehead, flowing down his cheeks into his neck before disappearing into his chest.

Zanxing watched with alarm—this atmosphere was very dangerous.

She gripped the Panhua Stick in her hand, swallowed her saliva, and asked carefully: “Senior Brother, are you alright now?”

Mu Cengxiao didn’t speak.

This flower fragrance didn’t have much effect on Zanxing, but it was different for Mu Cengxiao. At this moment, the young man was half-kneeling on the ground, veins bulging on his neck, as if he was struggling with all his might against the restless agitation within his body.

Zanxing couldn’t help but retreat two more steps.

This flower’s appearance was too contrived. She turned to look at Mimi, who was already lying flat on the ground with her belly exposed, limbs stretched out, expression relaxed, unsure if she was also affected by the flower’s influence.

Zanxing felt something was very wrong.

If this flower made people generate desires and impulses for pleasure, why did those people still die? After death, they became flower fertilizer, their bones continuing to nourish these flowers’ vigorous growth. Even if cultivators engaged in dual cultivation under this flower’s influence, it couldn’t solve the problem at its root—those destined to die would still die.

Mu Cengxiao was the protagonist, so naturally, he wouldn’t die. If Meng Ying had fallen here today instead, she definitely wouldn’t have died either. Perhaps these flowers and grasses could even promote a major advancement in their relationship, with both leveling up after dual cultivation. But now it was she who had fallen here, who knew if she would end up with the same fate as those skeletons in the flower grove.

More importantly… Zanxing looked down at her palm.

Among Mu Cengxiao’s eight wives, there was no place for her. If she engaged in dual cultivation with Mu Cengxiao, occupying a spot that shouldn’t be occupied, this flower would probably drill out from her hand, and she might immediately face heavenly thunder strikes.

She absolutely couldn’t engage in dual cultivation with Mu Cengxiao!

As soon as Zanxing made this firm decision, she heard a muffled groan from over there. Turning back, she saw Mu Cengxiao holding the Mieshen Saber in one hand, with his arm bleeding.

He had stabbed himself.

Fresh blood continuously flowed from his arm into the soil beneath him. Mu Cengxiao’s face was flushed, his breathing heavy with gasps, as if it was very difficult to suppress the impulse in his heart.

Zanxing gripped the Panhua Stick, hiding far away, speaking with a grave expression: “Senior Brother, has it gotten to this extent?”

A layer of shame and annoyance appeared on Mu Cengxiao’s face as he said with difficulty in a hoarse voice: “Junior Sister, stay away from me… This flower fragrance is more powerful than I imagined.”

“I’m already very far away.” Zanxing’s back was pressed against the cave wall, with nowhere to retreat, watching his movements as she said: “Listen to me, Senior Brother, you must stay calm. Think about Miss Liu and Senior Sister Meng. You wouldn’t want to waste your precious purity on me, so Senior Brother, control yourself.”

“I know…” Mu Cengxiao’s eyes were already turning red. He asked: “But why doesn’t this flower affect you?”

Zanxing was on the verge of tears: “I don’t know either! Maybe it’s because it only affects men and not women?”

Her fall into this place was truly an accident. Between her and Mu Cengxiao, there was neither the lingering romantic feelings that were just a step away from being expressed, nor the marriage bonds forced by a master that couldn’t be shaken off—only the Xiaoyuan Pearl in her chest that worked intermittently. This flower fragrance does not affect her might be because the Xiaoyuan Pearl could absorb the toxicity brought by the flower fragrance, or perhaps because she was originally an “error” outside the plot. No one could explain the reason clearly, but the result was still dangerous.

Especially now—a man and woman alone together. Whether there was dry kindling was unclear, but the fierce fire was about to burst uncontrollably.

Just as she was thinking, suddenly a strong wind swept toward her. Zanxing was startled to find her wrist already grasped. Mu Cengxiao, who had just been over there stabbing himself to try to regain his sanity, had somehow already approached her. His eye sockets were red, his gaze confused, like a drunk man about to unleash his bestial nature.

Zanxing asked in a trembling voice: “Senior Brother?”

“Senior Sister Meng…” he murmured.

……

“Senior Sister!” In the cave above, Tian Fangfang shouted: “Master Uncle, the Liuhuan ants are moving!”

The Liuhuan ants that Gu Baiying had placed on the ground earlier had wandered around on the ground for a long time as if they had lost their direction, but finally began to come to their senses and crawl in one direction. Tian Fangfang, who had been crouching in the corner playing with the ants for a while, was invigorated upon seeing this, sighing that her effort hadn’t been wasted after all.

Meng Ying and Gu Baiying both gathered over.

Earlier, they had tried to use spirit artifacts to split open the spiritual domain’s entrance where Zanxing and Mu Cengxiao had disappeared, but couldn’t find the entrance. Now these Liuhuan ants were slowly crawling toward one place—perhaps their destination was the spiritual domain where the sacred tree was located.

“It’s been so long already,” Mendong anxiously tugged at his hair bun, “haven’t those two already engaged in dual cultivation? The Liuhuan grass’s toxicity is overbearing—even someone with a Master’s level of cultivation couldn’t resist it. Yang Zanxing has certainly gotten her wish. She’s been coveting Senior Brother Mu for a long time anyway, but the Qin Chong seed is still on her. Now we haven’t even seen the sacred tree fruit, and if the Qin Chong seed is lost, wouldn’t Master Uncle’s efforts be all for nothing?”

“Qin Chong?” Meng Ying and Tian Fangfang spoke simultaneously.

Tian Fangfang asked puzzledly: “What is Qin Chong?”

The next moment, with a “boom,” Gu Baiying struck his spear toward the corner where the Liuhuan ants had disappeared, saying coldly: “Found the entrance.”

……

With a “boom,” the Panhua Stick met the Mieshen Saber. The blade struck the stick’s body, and the already tattered stick immediately showed another old scar.

Zanxing was forced back two steps by the saber qi, hurriedly looking ahead.

In the darkness, Mu Cengxiao held the Mieshen Saber in one hand, his reddened eyes staring at Zanxing like a wolf eyeing prey with nowhere to escape.

Mimi rolled over, sleeping soundly and unconscious.

Zanxing said urgently, “Senior Brother, calm down.”

How things had developed to this point could be traced back to a quarter-hour ago. At that time, Mu Cengxiao, bewitched by the fragrance of the glowing flowers, had red-rimmed eyes and was calling out Meng Ying’s name while his bestial nature erupted. In her panic, Zanxing had struck him with her stick, but this seemed to stimulate Mu Cengxiao even more, causing him to completely lose his reason and begin fighting with Zanxing in this place.

If this had been ordinary sparring between senior and junior disciples in the sect, it would be nothing, but the current Mu Cengxiao seemed to have only hunting instincts left, striking without mercy. Zanxing had initially been afraid of hurting him—after all, there was still the Xiaoyuan Pearl in her chest—but now, retreating step by step, she had no choice but to take it seriously.

With a “clang,” the Mieshen Saber fell to the ground.

Zanxing was stunned.

The young man seemed to find the spirit artifact in his hand bothersome, so he simply threw away the Mieshen Saber and lunged straight at Zanxing. Catching her off guard, he almost knocked her to the ground. In her panic, she gripped the Panhua Stick and struck down forcefully. Layer upon layer of flowers instantly flowed from the stick, engulfing Mu Cengxiao, then brilliant light bloomed within the sea of flowers.

She had already mastered the first two levels of the “Qing E Nian Hua Gun” to perfection. Although the Panhua Stick wasn’t much to look at, here underground, it was more than adequate for dealing with Mu Cengxiao, who had lost his reason and only had instincts left.

Mu Cengxiao was instantly sent flying, falling to the ground and spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood.

The Panhua Stick’s power was still quite considerable.

Zanxing looked toward the sacred tree. In the darkness, the sacred tree’s fruit gleamed golden. It seemed that even if someone went through countless hardships to reach this place and find the sacred tree, once they picked the fruit, those glowing flowers would bloom, and those who inhaled the flower fragrance would lose their reason, ultimately becoming flower fertilizer to nourish these poisonous grasses.

A perfect symbiotic relationship.

Fortunately, she could still subdue Mu Cengxiao now, preventing things from developing to an irreversible point.

Zanxing gripped the Panhua Stick again, and suddenly she felt pain in her palm. Looking down, she saw the flower mark on her hand had become even deeper, and a piercing pain spread from her palm. This pain was more intense than before, almost making her faint.

Was it because she had not only changed the plot but also injured Mu Cengxiao, who was the protagonist?

This damn Heavenly Dao!

Zanxing thought hatefully, struggling to stand up, when suddenly a huge impact force rushed toward her. Mu Cengxiao grabbed her and threw her to the ground, pressing down on her. Zanxing’s Panhua Stick fell to the side, and weakened by the severe pain in her palm, she was completely unable to move, only able to turn her head to avoid Mu Cengxiao as much as possible.

However, Mu Cengxiao didn’t continue his actions.

The young man’s hands were braced around her, and at the crucial moment, he seemed to have regained some reason. He looked down at Zanxing, his eyes showing changing expressions, as if he was struggling desperately against his body’s instincts.

“Senior Brother, think about Senior Sister Meng,” Zanxing tried to awaken him: “The one you like, the future sect leader of our sect, white dress and black sword, with stunning beauty. Look at me—I’m not Senior Sister Meng, I’m that junior sister you don’t like.”

She turned her head slightly, letting Mu Cengxiao see the black scar on her cheek. The black scar left by “Yu” was now very faint in color. If she applied cosmetics, it would be invisible unless examined carefully.

As Mu Cengxiao looked, his gaze gradually changed, and some of the heated passion in his eyes dissipated.

The two were in a standoff, lost in thought, when suddenly there was a loud crash from outside.

A silver streak of light shot in.

Zanxing didn’t even see clearly before that silver light appeared before her eyes. Countless flowing snow danced everywhere, the spear tip cold and sharp, carrying fierce anger as it blasted Mu Cengxiao away.

Gu Baiying’s face appeared before her eyes.

The young man pursed his lips, his usually nonchalant expression looking somewhat pale. He looked down at Zanxing in his arms, his gaze cold yet somewhat concerned, and spoke: “Yang Zanxing.”

Being called by him made Zanxing’s heart tremble, and inexplicably, a wave of self-reproach and guilt surged in her heart.

Oh no, she had made Little Master Uncle worry.