Tang San's plan was simple. By using the mushroom sausages' extreme-speed flight effect, they could quickly pass through the miasma zone and deal damage to the "Pink Ladies" outside, thereby resolving their passive situation.
It took the better part of half an hour before Oscar, having nearly exhausted all his Soul Power, finished producing twelve flying mushroom sausages. After a brief rest, the group immediately set their plan into motion.
After eating the mushroom sausages, everyone rose into the air. To prevent anyone from falling into the miasma zone due to inconsistent flight speeds, Tang San released his Blue Silver Grass, wrapping a strand around each person's waist. Using the length of his Blue Silver Grass to control the distance between himself and the others, he then accelerated rapidly, locking onto a direction and flying at full speed.
Traveling on the ground wasn't impossible either. The "Pink Ladies" weren't particularly fast, but moving along the forest floor would mean constant obstruction from trees. Visibility would be poor, and even with Tang San's guidance, an eleven-person team couldn't maintain uniform speed. The miasma was now even denser than before, and Tang San absolutely did not want anyone accidentally inhaling it and causing unnecessary trouble.
This type of stimulant toxin was extremely difficult for even him to counteract.
With the improvement of Oscar's strength, the flying mushroom sausages had not only increased in speed but also extended their duration by roughly ten seconds. Though still not long, that time was more than enough for them to fly straight out of the miasma zone.
The pinkish miasma was parted by the aura of the Fragrant Cloud Lily. Thick layers of toxic fog swept past on either side, and when the mushroom sausages' flight effect had been used up by roughly half, the view before everyone's eyes suddenly cleared. The surrounding landscape became instantly sharp and distinct — they had burst through the miasma's encirclement.
Liu Erlong let out a sharp cry. Her waist twisted as she broke free from the Blue Silver Grass around her, her body plummeting toward the ground like a meteor chasing the moon. Before she had even landed, a massive burst of flames had already surged outward, and shrill screams immediately erupted from below.
Everyone looked downward and could clearly see the dense horde of Soul Beasts beneath their feet — the true appearance of the "Pink Ladies" was finally revealed.
Just as the Great Master had described, they were crystalline pink scorpions, each one looking as though it had been carved from pink crystal. Every scorpion measured roughly two feet in length, gliding across the ground while constantly emitting a faint pink gas that drifted forward and condensed.
Liu Erlong had been in a foul mood ever since last night's incident, and being trapped in the miasma for half the day had only made things worse. Now that she was out of the toxic zone, she could no longer hold back. Though she didn't go as far as last night by unleashing her True Body of the Red Dragon, she still charged into the scorpion swarm like a blazing fire demon. It was entirely one-sided slaughter — her very first wave of flames melted through the bodies of at least ten "Pink Ladies."
"We should head down too," Flandre said, afraid Liu Erlong might come to harm. He nodded toward Tang San.
Tang San recalled his Blue Silver Grass, and the group controlled their flight abilities to descend from the sky.
"Don't slaughter too many," the Great Master called out sternly. He wasn't just speaking to the Shrek Seven Devils — more importantly, he was speaking to Liu Erlong.
Liu Erlong kicked a "Pink Lady" beside her flying, glanced back at the Great Master, and let out a cold snort before accelerating once more. Though she outwardly didn't seem to agree, in truth she still held the Great Master's words in the highest regard. Those poor scorpions that went flying were at least left clinging to a breath of life.
Dai Mubai murmured in Flandre's ear, "Dean, didn't you say you were going to let us handle the Soul Beasts this time? Look at Teacher Erlong — she's…"
Flandre replied helplessly, "A woman with hormonal imbalances cannot be judged by normal standards. Xiao Gang, why don't we leave this area first? These 'Pink Ladies' may not pose a threat, but getting entangled with them is troublesome enough."
To Flandre's surprise, the Great Master shook his head. "No rush. Let's wait a bit longer."
Just then, a piercing cry rang out from the miasma zone, and immediately after, a ball of pinkish light shot out of the fog with a whoosh, opening its mouth to unleash a dense cloud of toxic mist straight at Liu Erlong.
Liu Erlong's heart lurched. She slapped both palms forward and her body leaped backward instantly, but she still couldn't entirely avoid catching a whiff of the miasma. Fortunately, the miasma-purification pills Tang San had given her earlier provided a degree of resistance against the toxic fog, and with her deep cultivation, a small amount of miasma was unlikely to cause real harm.
"Erlong, fall back. Xiao San, you lot — move in. Don't kill it. Leave it breathing." The Great Master issued his command with calm authority.
Emerging from the treeline was an enormous "Pink Lady." Its size was comparable to that of the Earth King Liu Erlong had thoroughly thrashed the day before. The pink coloring on its body was far deeper and richer, and its entire form was covered in a layer of fine, dense scales. Six dark-red eyes glowed on its head, gleaming with a cold, eerie light.
Liu Erlong's sudden retreat to dodge the miasma it had sprayed clearly enraged it even further. Its scorpion tail slammed against the ground, and it surged in Liu Erlong's direction.