A vast, surging river stretched across the path before Jiang Chen and Huang'er.
The river had once boasted a bridge, but from ancient times until now, the structure had long since fractured into several segments. The broken remains stood amid the water like rocky outcrops, each pier overgrown with all manner of vegetation, jutting up one after another from the middle of the current.
"I can see the river." Jiang Chen's spirits soared. "Once we cross, the destination won't be far."
Huang'er had studied the map as well, and this river was clearly marked on it. Beyond it, after passing through a few more areas, they would reach the location of the Soul-Calming Wood that He Hongshu had recorded.
"According to He Hongshu's notes, there are certain creatures in this river with some offensive capabilities, but nothing too powerful."
From ancient times to the present, a place that had never been excavated by the outside world—even if spiritual energy of heaven and earth naturally condensed there—would inevitably give rise to many formidable beings.
Heaven and earth nurtured all things, and without external interference, even plants born with extraordinary constitutions could develop spiritual awareness and give birth to intelligent life.
Both of them had refined the Golden Cicada bloodline. Activating their Golden Cicada Wings in unison, they soared toward the opposite bank.
Although He Hongshu had provided them with information, Jiang Chen did not simply follow his predecessor's experience to the letter. While crossing the river, he heightened his vigilance.
Times change. When He Hongshu had crossed, he might have been lucky—only minor creatures coming to harass him.
But this river ran fierce, its dark green waters bottomless, stretching like an ocean, giving one the feeling that its depths were unfathomable.
It would not be the least bit surprising if some powerful creature lurked beneath the surface.
Caution is the parent of safety. So close to the destination, Jiang Chen absolutely would not let his guard down and risk throwing everything away at the last moment.
It had to be said—Jiang Chen's instincts were remarkably sharp.
When the two reached the middle of the river, a sudden anomaly erupted from one of the bridge piers below.
The forest, which had seemed perfectly calm, erupted without warning. Green mists shot upward in plume after plume, and within the fog, countless green fleshy tendrils—like an army of enormous green serpents—lashed madly into the air, sweeping toward them.
The green mist contained a peculiar force, something akin to powerful binding energy, which drastically slowed the flight of Jiang Chen and Huang'er's Golden Cicada Wings.
And those tumor-like tendrils spread outward like a celestial maiden scattering flowers, instantly sealing off the surrounding hundred-meter radius.
Jiang Chen laughed in his fury. These tendrils were actually reminiscent of his own Ice Fire Demon Lotus.
With a flicker of thought, the Ice Fire Demon Lotus within him activated instantly. Countless demonic lotus vines surged outward without hesitation, slamming straight into the fleshy tendrils.
Simple. Direct.
Ever since Jiang Chen had developed the Ice Fire Demon Lotus, its form had continuously evolved, and its growth momentum had not diminished. Now, with no more than a casual activation, several hundred vines rose to meet every single tendril.
Massive petals, like the gaping maw of a ravenous beast, opened wide to receive the incoming tendrils.
At the same time, Jiang Chen and Huang'er both unleashed their energy, sweeping away the encroaching green smoke. Their bodies shot upward, climbing to higher altitudes above the clouds.
When two forces meet on a narrow path, the braver one prevails.
The Ice Fire Demon Lotus was truly a treasure of the Myriad Heavens Planes, and with Jiang Chen's continuous nurturing, its devouring power had become terrifying. These fearsome tendrils, which would have been a nightmare for ordinary cultivators, were swallowed by the Demon Lotus's enormous, suction-cup-like petals as easily as eating noodles—drawn in continuously, no matter how desperately they struggled.
ROAR!
Suddenly, the bridge pier cracked apart, and a green monster emerged—its entire body covered in green spots resembling eyes.
The ends of those fleshy tendrils connected directly to these spots.
"What kind of creature is this?" Huang'er frowned.
This wild frontier was truly bizarre. The monster looked utterly hideous, yet it had managed to conceal itself so perfectly among the vegetation that even Jiang Chen had failed to detect its presence.
Jiang Chen swept his Heavenly Eye Divine Pupil across the creature and immediately discerned a clue. "Look at its main body—doesn't it resemble a Green Stinging Ginseng?"
The Green Stinging Ginseng was a type of spiritual medicine, one that Huang'er had heard of before.
Looking more closely, its true form really did look like the legendary Green Stinging Ginseng. But the largest Green Stinging Ginseng in existence would not be bigger than an infant.
Yet this monster was a full seven or eight zhang long and two or three zhang wide—an absolute hundred- or thousandfold magnification of the plant.
Moreover, even though the Green Stinging Ginseng was a spiritual medicine, it was not supposed to possess life.
"It must have gestated in this wilderness for a hundred thousand years, undergoing morphological evolution to develop a spiritual body and become an intelligent creature."
Seeing this, Jiang Chen sighed in amazement.
However, although this Green Stinging Ginseng had evolved into an intelligent being, the threat it posed to him—Jiang Chen—was not particularly great.
Furthermore, the creature appeared to have only recently awakened. Its offensive power was strong, but its methods seemed far from cunning.
Spraying poisonous mist, sweeping with tumor-like tendrils.
These attacks would be lethal enough for ordinary cultivators, but Jiang Chen was far from ordinary.
As he spoke, the Green Stinging Ginseng's tendrils were being continuously devoured by the Ice Fire Demon Lotus, and the creature let out agonized howls. Having only recently developed intelligence, it was like a human infant—when confronted with pain, it could only wail and cry.