CHAPTER 826: INSIDE THE CORE REGION

The group finally entered the dense fog, and the moment they stepped in, they could immediately feel an extreme burning sensation spreading across their bodies. Their bodies tensed, knowing this was the moment they had to be extremely careful not to let even a trace of the poison seep inside.

Although they had already swallowed special poison resistance pills, they did not entirely depend on them. Their bodies remained tense and ready, prepared to protect themselves in case the poison suddenly entered their bodies.

They had already stepped into a killing zone. If something went wrong with their pills effect or if they ran out of energy here, then they could say goodbye to their lives.

Even a small amount of the poison fog entering the body could cause extreme agony, enough to make even a pseudo immortal stage cultivator lose control of their energy flow and even rupture their meridians.

Munez also wore a solemn expression. He knew he could not underestimate this place, as it could easily kill him. Even his spiritual sense could not pierce through the dense fog, for it was being corroded by the poison, and at most, he could only sense two kilometres around him.

The only one who remained calm despite the poisonous environment was Aldrian in his avatar body. He flew without using any barrier at all. Although he could still feel a pricking sensation on his skin, once the poison entered his body, it instantly disappeared.

At this moment, he was also protecting Sir Ferix from the poison by creating a really thin layer of golden energy around him.

When he detoxified the poison from the pill inside Sir Ferix earlier, the pill’s effect might have been weakened and might not provide the protection Sir Ferix needed here. That was why Aldrian had to actively protect his body.

With visibility reduced to no more than two meters, they could not see all the members of their group. They had to fly in a tight formation so that no one was left behind.

They flew at the same pace as Godard, not too fast and even slightly slower. It seemed that Godard was trying to fly at the same pace as he had during his previous visit here.

After five minutes of flight, Godard finally landed, followed by the others. They descended slowly, and once they touched the ground, they were greeted by flat rocky terrain littered with sharp stones that could easily cut through flesh.

"From here, I just didn’t know where to go and simply wandered forward. I had to change direction many times, so I don’t really remember the exact path. I walked for about two hours before I found the Celestial Angel Flower, so the location must be about two hours from this place," Godard said to Munez.

Munez nodded and looked behind him. The only ones he could see were Sir Ferix and Aldrian, while the others were hidden behind the fog.

"From this point, we have to proceed on foot. Just as we planned, spread out with your groups. The Celestial Angel Flower should be located two hours from here. Be careful of anything in this place!" Munez shouted.

"Yes, Patriarch!" more than fifty people shouted before spreading out in different directions. The sound of their footsteps, initially noisy from so many gathered together, gradually faded into silence as they dispersed according to instinct.

The atmosphere turned eerily quiet, leaving only Aldrian, Sir Ferix, Munez, and Godard remaining in the area.

"Let’s go. We also have to move. I think we should head forward first and see if we can find anything later," Munez said.

Without saying much else, they began to walk.

As a minute passed and Aldrian continued forward, the terrain beneath his feet proved truly unpredictable. Sometimes it was rough like sharp stone, and other times it felt slippery, as if covered by moss. If they were not careful, they might slip and fall among the jagged rocks.

Aldrian observed everything he could within the limits of their visibility. The place was utterly barren, and he had not seen a single creature, not even the smallest one. The poison was also becoming stronger.

Still, although this place was truly dangerous, it would be a good place for any poison cultivator to deepen their comprehension, if they liked a challenge.

He already possessed a deep understanding of the poison laws, thanks to the comprehension he had absorbed from his past followers within the core region of the Eternal Sanctuary Forest. He knew that the poison here was different, strange, even.

For the entire region to be engulfed in such deadly poison, there must be something sustaining it, something hidden deep within this valley. Although the poison here could have formed naturally, it would need something massive to cover the whole region.

For example, there might be a vast field of poisonous plants, or perhaps a poisonous being large enough to cause all of this.

However, the problem with these two possibilities was that he had seen no signs of either since stepping into the fog. He had not seen any indication of a large field of poisonous plants. He had only seen or sensed a few small poisonous herbs.

As for a being capable of producing enough poison to cover the entire region this vast, it would have to be far stronger than a pseudo immortal stage cultivator, something impossible to exist within the First Heaven.

’There are still two other possibilities. The first is that an extremely poisonous material might have fallen from the higher heavens and coincidentally landed in this region. The second is that this is a deliberate act by someone—someone who created this region to be this way,’ Aldrian thought to himself.

If someone had truly created a region like this, they must have built a large scale formation as complex as the one that covered the entire Eternal Sanctuary Forest. In other words, it could have been made by a god.

Aldrian suddenly felt intrigued and wanted to explore deeper into the valley. What kind of mystery did this place hold?

As they walked deeper, they eventually came across a high cliff.

"Wait, I didn’t encounter this cliff before. Let’s take another route," Godard said as they stood before it. They turned in another direction and continued walking. Their journey was accompanied only by silence, yet none of them seemed to mind.

They had already been walking for an hour, and while Aldrian continued to observe their surroundings, Sir Ferix spoke to him through voice transmission.

"What do you think, Your Majesty? Why hasn’t Munez done anything when we’ve been inside this place for so long?"

"I think he’s waiting for something—either the right time or the right place," Aldrian replied.

"That Godard is also suspicious. Although he looks like he’s searching for the flower’s location, to me it seems more like he’s leading us somewhere. It’s highly possible he’s involved in this."

Sir Ferix nodded. His body remained tense and wary as he waited for his older brother to reveal his true face to him.

As they continued walking, they eventually heard the sound of flowing water. Hearing this, Godard said, "I passed a river before. I think we’re heading in the right direction."

They followed the source of the sound, and as it grew louder, they finally reached a flowing river. The water was murky, its surface tinted blackish brown, and Aldrian could sense a strong poison emanating from it.

The water passing through this area was already heavily contaminated with poison, turning its once clear color into the color it now carried.

They decided to fly across it, gliding just above the surface. The current was swift yet calm on top, a sign that the river ran deep.

Aldrian kept his eyes on the surface. He could sense the depth of the water and everything within it clearly, and deep water often hid surprises, most of them undesirable, such as ambushes from water beasts.

As he prepared to react to anything, something moved beneath the surface.

’Speak of the devil...’ Aldrian thought, and suddenly—

Splash!

A giant mouth suddenly emerged from beneath the water, attempting to swallow them all. It was filled with terrifyingly sharp teeth capable of shredding anything into pieces. Aldrian was about to evade and take Sir Ferix with him through teleportation, but before he could act—

Swish!

Munez swept his hand, and the enormous mouth instantly split in two. The creature, which carried the aura of a low pseudo immortal, was revealed to be a giant fish. Its body, along with the water behind it, was cleaved apart so deeply that Aldrian could see the riverbed below.

The split stretched for nearly six kilometres, even parting the poison fog before both the water and the mist rushed back to fill the gap.

Black blood splattered everywhere, hissing as it contaminated the water, evidence of its deadly properties. The once calm atmosphere erupted into chaos as waves crashed outward on both sides.

Aldrian, watching Munez’s strike, shifted his gaze toward Munez’s hand. He held a spear formed entirely from his energy, its surface coated with powerful force that Aldrian immediately recognized.

’Spear intent, huh,’ he thought.