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The River of Tears had several tributaries, and the flow of the river rapids reached each of these. Chen Mo used Divine Hawk Eyesight, finding a thin white string inside the water. This white string was very much like the gu that Miaoling used, so he began his search by following the white thread.
After swimming a long time, the white string extended from the river onto the riverbank, finally leading to a gigantic, closed flower bud that resembled a Venus flytrap.
The tremendous jaws of that Venus flytrap were currently wriggling.
These Venus flytraps had a name in Nan Jiang, “Fallen Pearls.” They were approximately three meters tall and possessed sensitivity towards any moving thing. If there was prey that it could catch, then it would release a long vine to roll prey into its pincers, then use digestive fluid to start corrosion and digestion.
However “Fallen Pearls” were cowards. They could only eat insects or the weak, elderly, or disabled. Against a powerful warrior, they would firmly shut themselves and pretend to be background scenery.
When Chen Mo saw that Miaoling was being eaten by this Venus flytrap, he rushed up the bank, blooming his Three Flowers Overhead. The horrified Fallen Pearl endlessly trembled, but it seemed to have tasted the Saintess’ sweetness, nevertheless remaining unwilling to spit out the beautiful flavor in its mouth. Its stem shook. The barbs growing around its pincers suddenly fired a hundred green and red pearl-like objects.
This was the trump card of the Fallen pearl. These pearls contained a paralytic venom. Once stuck into prey, it would very quickly render them immobile, however, these “Paralysis Pearls” were fruits grown over time. After firing them, it would need some time to reaccumulate.
Normal Fallen Pearls would be unwilling to fire these Paralysis Pearls.
Chen Mo stomped with his foot, his Qi-blood like fire, and his True Qi surged. Before the incoming Paralysis Pearls even got close, they were disintegrated by the aura of a Saint of War.
His figure blurred, and Chen Mo instantly arrived beneath the Fallen Pearl. Several vines attacked to entangle Chen Mo, who remained unmoved. The Fallen Pearl used all its strength, but it was unable to pull Chen Mo in the slightest.
The Fallen Pearl continued to rock, its venomous vines, pearls and fluid attacking in succession.
A mere Rank Three Demon Grass was no problem to Chen Mo. Its attacks were entirely unable to approach Chen Mo’s surroundings. Exercising the Northern Dipper Great Overflow, his power could pierce through even mountain rock. Chen Mo growled, pulling the Fallen Pearl up by the roots. Once he cut the lobes open, this Demon Grass promptly lost its life.
When the other Fallen Pearls in the surroundings saw its compatriot die, they immediately restrained their presences, shutting their lobes, pretending nothing had happened.
Chen Mo paid them no heed, stepping in front of the lobes. His hands forced the closed petals open.
As expected, he saw a beautiful young girl’s body curled up inside. Her whole body was sticky with digestive fluid. Fortunately, she had not been “eaten” by the Fallen Pearl for too long, so there were no injuries at all.
Chen Mo carried Miaoling out of the Fallen Pearl and set her flat on the ground. He saw that Miaoling had clearly been poisoned, her whole body a purple color and her expression pained. The poison fog lingering in the Unexplored Region had continued to enter her nose.
“Miaoling, quickly wake up.” Chen Mo slapped the girl’s cheeks, once again imbuing True Qi.
Miaoling was not conscious at all. Her breathing also became weaker and weaker.
Chen Mo wanted to feed her the Clear Mind Wine, but the mouthfuls he poured for her spilled out. Seeing that this would not work, Chen Mo wrinkled his brow. Not caring that much anymore, he could only do this the old-fashioned way.
Containing the wine in his mouth, Chen Mo’s mouth pressed against the girl’s soft and supple lips. Using his tongue to open her teeth, he gently delivered the wine. A Three Flowers Gathered Overhead Saint of War was already capable of controlling every part of his body as he pleased. His tongue was like a valve, sending the wine into the girl’s mouth. He gently injected and applied force, nudging the wine down into her stomach.
After Chen Mo repeated the process a few times, slowly, Miaoling also began to respond to this sweetness, unconsciously using her lips to suck back.
Miaoling blearily opened her eyes, feeling that her lips were brimming with an odd sensation, as if a kind of indescribable warmth was sucking her soul out from her body.
For the first time in her life, Miaoling had the urge to yield. Her blurry vision was becoming clearer, and she finally saw the reason for this warmth.
A man was currently laying on top of her, their lips pressed together.
Her eyes suddenly widened. Miaoling was stunned.
“You fainted just now, I helped you drink the wine.” Chen Mo left her side, pursing his lips as he explained everything that just happened.
“Th-th-that was but My first kiss.” Miaoling felt her lips, incredulous.
“How can you care about this at such a time.”
Miaoling indignantly wanted to retort, but her vision suddenly dimmed, and her body went limp. Chen Mo swiftly caught her. “Is the poison still not cured?”
“I’ve been stricken with a gu.” Miaoling groaned.
“A gu?” Chen Mo was taken aback. He stayed vigilant of the surroundings: “Don’t Gu Arts need a Gu Master to be used?”
Miaoling shook her head. She was not sure what had happened. According to her understanding of gu arts, it was very difficult for the majority of Nan Jiang’s gu to affect her, however, the Unexplored Region was full of countless odd bugs. Some of these natural environments were exceptionally good places to raise “gu,” so it was not strange that were were a few formidable gu bugs.
Chen Mo did not understand a bit about gu. Even with his hand stuck to her body, he was unable to sense any abnormality.
“I’ll dispel the gu, but I need materials.”
“Point the way, I’ll take you there.” After Chen Mo placed her on his back, wherever Miaoling pointed, he ran as swift as flying into the depths.
Chen Mo was alone in the Unexplored Region. Miaoling asked: “What about the others?”
“Qin Shaoxu and the rest have gone to take Lingering Impurity first. Don’t worry about them.”
Miaoling grunted.
The girl lay against Chen Mo’s back, feeling particularly safe. She recalled that whenever she came to the Unexplored Region on her own, she would always be scared and on edge, but now, in her heart, these kinds of emotions were absent, as if this broad back was a safe place. However, when she remembered Chen Mo’s intentions, the girl’s eyes somewhat dimmed.
“Why so quiet?” Feeling that the little one on his back was not uttering a noise, Chen Mo posed the question.
“I want to help Master pick the Lover Flower.” Miaoling said.
Chen Mo was silent for a moment, “Okay, then you hang in there.”
“Thanks.”
“But don’t cry when you can’t pick it.” Chen Mo smiled.
“As if.”
After several hours, a patch of weeds appeared in front of them. These weeds were all sorts of colors, as if paint had been splashed over them. Some stood more than two meters tall. In the Unexplored Region, they formed a sea of trees. Dense underbrush like this was the perfect place for danger to hide.
Chen Mo released his Divine Intent, instantly charging into the messy foliage.
An endless cloud of fine particles floated in the air above the underbrush. Once it clung onto the skin, a person would feel great discomfort. Chen Mo could sense these particles pass through his clothes and stick to his skin. His pores were like shut dams, even unable to circulate Qi-blood. Upon discovering this, Chen Mo was shocked.
“Quickly get away from here.” Miaoling opened her eyes, somewhat worried.
Chen Mo grunted, knowing that this place was especially dangerous.
But the dust increased in quantity. Chen Mo soon felt his body become heavy, and his speed slowed more and more. Only by activating Star Energy did he finally dispel this heavy feeling. But Miaoling on his back did not have Star Energy. Her breathing became increasingly labored.
All of a sudden.
A strong gust blew past the pile of grasses. Countless particles sprinkled over, saturating this area. Chen Mo’s body stopped. He was startled to find that his body had become incomparably stiff, surprisingly unable to budge.
Whoosh!!!!
An intense wind blew from faraway. A pair of terrible eyes appeared in front of them, opening suddenly. A strange Demon Bug flew in midair. This Demon Bug possessed an enormous centipede body, but spread across its back were furry, moth-like wings.
It flapped its fuzzy wings. Countless particles sprinkled down from the wings, twinkling as they filled the empty space.
“Hundred Rigor!!”1
Miaoling, with great difficulty, spat out the name of this Demon Bug.
Not needing her warning, Chen Mo had already guessed as much. To be able to make even his body, which was Saint of War level, instantly rigid and immobile, the strength of the Demon Beast before their eyes could only surpass Saint of War.
Chen Mo bit open the tip of his tongue and circulated Star Energy, finally dispelling the stiffness in his body.
At the same time, the Hundred Rigor sensed the presence of a living thing. This Demon Bug that was neither moth nor centipede let out a shrill screech, retracting its wings and pouncing towards Chen Mo.
Chen Mo quickly used the Cool Breeze Bright Moon Escape to duck into the underbrush. From beside him came the sound of the vegetation being ripped apart. The Hundred Rigor dove into the grasses, beginning its search for prey.
The omnipresent dust endlessly floated down onto Chen Mo’s body. Even if he used the power of his Saint of War level Qi-blood, it was difficult to ward off. If there was any hesitation, Chen Mo could feel his bodily functions completely stop. He would be stiff as a wooden dummy.
By just using this kind of “powder” this Demon Bug was able to turn a Saint of War into lunch. The Demon Bugs in the Unexplored Region were unfathomable indeed.
The grasses oscillated as if a lawn mower was going through them. The Hundred Rigor’s pursuit was accelerating.
“Don’t run, stop.” Miaoling impatiently said.
Chen Mo halted his advance and hid in a low-lying place.
Miaoling flicked her wrist, and the silver bell let out a crisp sound. A black and white flower patterned butterfly flew out. “This is the Concealment Gu that Master gave me. Stick it on your body, and as long as you don’t move, it can erase your presence and figure. No one will notice you, no matter what.”
“Then good. Hide yourself well. I’m going to face this Demon Bug.” Chen Mo said.
“Don’t tell me you still want to go kill it?” Miaoling was angry enough to stamp her feet. A Three Flowers Gathered Overhead warrior was fundamentally unable to kill this Rank Seven Demon Bug.
The girl grabbed Chen Mo’s collar, not letting him move randomly. Then, before Chen Mo could understand what was happening, Miaoling reversed their positions this time, kissing him on the lips.
The Concealment Gu landed on Miaoling’s forehead. It fluttered its wings slightly and stopped. Chen Mo suddenly tasted an indescribable sweetness from Miaoling’s lips. Then, the surrounding dust, poison fog, even the air and flow of wind all vanished without a trace.
Chen Mo immediately realized that Miaoling used this method to also bring him into the Concealment Gu state.
Miaoling opened her bashful yet obstinate eyes. Those beautiful windows seemed to transmit the words of her innermost heart, You kissed me once, so this time, it’s my turn to kiss you. Now, we’re even.
Chen Mo held back a smile in his heart, so as to avoid dispelling the Concealment Gu’s effect, wasting her effort.
After several moments, an enormous shadow loomed over them. The Hundred Rigor had already leapt above them. Chen Mo could almost touch it as he sized up this Rank Seven Demon Bug, discovering that it was frighteningly long.
The centipede’s hundred feet were constituted of countless fibrous smaller insects able to hear their cries.2
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Man, these local guides are clearly trash. Come upon a clearly extraordinary patch of grass, and barge in without comment. Then, when the patch of grass starts releasing paralytic poison, then Miss Saintess suddenly remembers to warn, “this is dangerous! Don’t go in!”
I wonder how easy Chen Mo’s quest would be without all this manufactured difficulty…
Yeah, I took issue with some of the things that have happened so far in this arc, and from what I can see looking ahead, I’ll be complaining some more about the plot progression. Realistically, I consider this a filler arc. Imagine that, a filler in a WN.