CHAPTER 824: THE POISON ENVIRONMENT

As the group flew toward the Poison Valley, the avatar observed the distant valley that kept getting closer. The Poison Valley, sometimes called the Valley of Death by many, was a valley region located in the southern part of the Barevisk family’s territory.

The vast valley separated the southern region of the territory from the other powers of the planet. Because of the existence of this region, anyone who wished to travel traditionally without using a warp gate from the southern powers had to take a longer route by circling around it.

The Poison Valley, just as its name suggested, contained poison, and it was not ordinary poison. The poison within this place could even kill a peak pseudo-immortal stage cultivator. That alone was enough to deter many from entering the region.

However, as it always is in the world of cultivators, not even the most dangerous places could stop everyone from venturing in. There were still some who tried their luck in this region, seeking opportunities for their cultivation or wealth, whether to find rare herbs or uncover lost treasures.

Just like many dangerous places in the cultivation world, this place indeed contained treasures for cultivators, even rare ones. Especially for those who had comprehended poison laws, this place was practically a heaven for them, if they did not push themselves too hard of course.

The Poison Valley was divided into three regions to differentiate the danger zones. The first and safest was the outer region, which contained poison tolerable even for a Marquess stage cultivator. Next came the inner region, which was dangerous even for Emperor stage cultivators.

The last and most dangerous was the core region.

The core region had never been fully explored, not even most parts of it, because of its harsh terrain and the deadly poison that spiked greatly compared to the other regions. The poison in this area could easily kill someone like Munez, which was why it was called the Region of Death, named for how lethal it was.

As for the location of the so-called miracle herb, the Celestial Angel Flower was located within the core region, not far from its border with the inner region.

"I received a report that the one who saw the herb said that he wanted to try entering the core region at that time. Mind you, this guy was a low pseudo-immortal cultivator who had comprehended poison laws. He was actually from the Purple Ring Planet and came here seeking adventure," Munez explained as they continued flying.

"He flew for about five minutes into the core region before he had to land because he became disoriented by the poison fog that obstructed his view. While he was trying to find a way out, he happened to see the Celestial Angel Flower."

"That man said the flower was surrounded by a giant red-headed cobra with middle pseudo-immortal stage cultivation. From the looks of it, the cobra seemed to be protecting the flower, maybe it wanted to consume it, waiting for the right time, though we don’t know for sure."

"Because the poison became unbearable for him, he decided to turn back. He was lucky he didn’t lose his way due to the limited visibility caused by the fog."

"We’ll be meeting him shortly at the place we agreed upon near the outer region. At this moment, the group led by Ilona has already secured an area near the core region as a safe zone. That will be our starting point." Munez then stopped speaking.

A few moments later, they finally arrived at a line of hills that seemed to act as a barrier for those who wished to enter the Poison Valley region. The moment they flew past the hills, they could finally see the terrain of the valley and the white fog in the distance. The fog rose high into the sky, as if merging with the clouds.

The avatar could also feel the change in the surrounding atmosphere. He began to sense that the oxygen and the heaven and earth energy were mixing with some kind of harmful substance.

"We are starting to enter the region of poison. Although we have not yet arrived at the Poison Valley, this is a sign that we are almost there," Sir Ferix said through voice transmission.

The avatar gave a slight nod. It had taken them six hours to fly from Iberi Town to reach this point, quite close considering the normal flying speed of someone at the Immortal Transition Realm. As they continued toward the valley region, they finally saw three figures ahead.

One of them was Ilona, another was a member of her group, and the last was a pale-skinned man with a bald head. The avatar could not use his system, so his "investigation tools" were quite limited. He could sense that this bald man indeed possessed cultivation at the low pseudo-immortal stage.

He was said to have comprehended poison laws, and his pale skin might have been a side effect of experimenting with poison. Some poison users were known to have eccentric and reckless personalities. They often consumed poisonous substances to advance their poison comprehension and strengthen their resistance.

"Patriarch," Ilona greeted Munez with an expressionless face as they arrived. Munez smiled and asked,

"How is the situation? Is there anything I need to know?"

"There is nothing, Patriarch. The area is secure, and no one has entered our safe zone. We can proceed as soon as possible," Ilona replied.

The avatar, who watched their interaction, couldn’t help but commend Sir Ferix and Ilona’s patience. He could only imagine the humiliation they felt, having to show respect to the man who had made their lives miserable. They must have felt bitter, disgusted with themselves, wanting to do something all this time but unable to act.

"You’re the one who said you found the Celestial Angel Flower, Godard Lizenski?" Munez asked the bald man.

"Yes, I am. It’s truly an honor to meet the patriarch of the Barevisk family directly. I’ve already heard about your reputation, and I didn’t expect you would come personally," the bald man replied.

"That’s nothing, Mister Godard. Well, without wasting any time, let’s go. We’ll head to the safe zone first, then discuss how we’ll proceed to enter the core region," Munez said.

They continued flying, and after another ten minutes, they entered the outer region of the Poison Valley. The avatar observed the valley below. The terrain was harsh, filled with steep cliffs and uneven ground. The land was covered in sharp, rocky paths that would be troublesome for anyone unable to fly.

The poison in the air kept growing thicker as time passed, forcing everyone to cover themselves with a thin layer of energy to protect their bodies from the poison seeping in. The poison could enter not only through inhalation but also through the skin.

After flying for more than three hours, they finally reached the inner region. The poison here was truly deadly for anyone below the Emperor stage, and even Emperor stage cultivators had to remain cautious. The air felt heavier, and their surroundings began to change, covered by a thin layer of white fog.

As time passed, the poison even began to affect those at the pseudo-immortal foundation stage. Without covering themselves in protective energy, they would feel a burning sensation on their skin and in their lungs. With prolonged exposure, they could begin to hallucinate, and their skin would gradually develop burn-like scars.

If they underestimated the poison, they would suffer a slow and painful death, their skin and internal organs corroded beyond recognition. The avatar, observing the poison in this place, realized that its properties were a mixture of hallucinogenic and corrosive effects.

As they drew closer to the core region, everyone gradually noticed that one person among them seemed completely unaffected by the poison. He flew calmly, without any visible discomfort, as if moving through a normal environment. Even the bald man did not dare underestimate the surroundings and had already activated his energy barrier for protection.

They glanced toward the avatar and saw that he had not formed any barrier. They assumed he must be a master of poison, his body naturally resistant to toxins of this level. Still, they did not think much of it and continued to fly.

Perhaps, they thought, he had simply never visited this place before and was underestimating its poison.

Too bad for them, the reason the avatar did not create any energy barrier to protect himself from the poison was simple—he did not need to.

His body, composed of a congregation of golden energy, was the bane of any poison. He even believed that if he entered the core region right now, he could do so without much trouble. The golden energy within him could neutralize any poison after all, something that others would find truly absurd.

The avatar had no intention of explaining anything and continued flying in silence.

After another three hours of flight, they finally arrived at the edge of the inner region bordering the core region. Before them was a thick fog, which was actually a dense congregation of poison. They were greeted by members of Ilona’s group, who had been waiting for them atop a high ledge beside a cliff. This was where they needed to land.

Once everyone had landed, Munez finally spoke.

"Alright, from this moment onward, we move according to plan."