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A large, pale pink flower suddenly appeared in Blue Silver Emperor's hand.
It had no leaves, a stem three feet long, and an enormous flower with a diameter of about a foot. Each petal looked as if it were made of crystal, translucent and sparkling. The stamens were a light purple, resembling purple diamonds embedded within the flower.
It stood there like a graceful and noble lady, exuding a unique fragrance that filled the tent.
"What a beautiful flower. Looking at it feels like gazing at a noble princess. And this fragrance is the most unique I've ever smelled—so refreshing," Bibidong said as she looked at the Fragrant Silk Immortal Herb in Blue Silver Emperor's hand.
For a moment, she was so captivated that she took a deep breath, her eyes filled with admiration.
Unable to resist, Bibidong reached out and touched the crystal-like pale pink petals.
"This flower feels so cool!"
"Sister Ah Yin, is it really that miraculous? Since it's a bane to all poisons, can it cure any toxin?" Bibidong asked after letting go of the petals.
"Not exactly. While it can neutralize all toxins and counteract poisons, it doesn't have the ability to detoxify. It's more accurate to say that it's the best spirit herb for preventing poisoning."
"And in our current situation, using it to guard against miasma is undoubtedly the best choice," Blue Silver Emperor explained as she put the Fragrant Silk Immortal Herb away.
"By the way, Xiao Ming, should we all go down tomorrow, or should we leave half the people here? After all, we're not sure if the fallen ones are in the Hundred Insect Valley. If they are, we don't know their strength. It might be good to have some people stay outside as backup," Blue Silver Emperor then asked Lin Yongming.
"Right. Tomorrow, half of the Spirit Hall knights and half of the city guards will stay outside. Having backup is a good idea."
Considering fairness, Lin Yongming decided to leave some members from both the Spirit Hall knights and the city guards outside to avoid accusations of favoritism.
So, when Blue Silver Emperor made the suggestion, Lin Yongming agreed.
"Alright, that's it for now. With over a hundred people outside, we don't need to take turns keeping watch. Let's sleep," Lin Yongming said, lying down.
"Xiao Ming, the tent isn't that big. What do you mean by lying in the middle?" Bibidong glared at him, clearly annoyed.
"Stop fussing. It's late. Let's sleep," Lin Yongming said calmly.
"Hmph, you're so bad!"
With that, the three of them lay down in the tent. Lin Yongming slept in the middle, with the two women each holding one of his arms as they drifted off to sleep.
"Today, we will venture into the forbidden land spoken of by the villagers—the Hundred Insect Valley. We don't know if the fallen ones are inside, so half of the Spirit Hall knights and half of the city guards will stay behind to provide support."
"At the same time, if any fallen ones try to escape, they can intercept them outside."
"Deacon Fang Yan, Centurion, you two will decide who stays behind."
Early the next morning, Lin Yongming explained the plan they had discussed the previous night.
"Yes, esteemed guests!"
After the assignments were made and breakfast was eaten, Lin Yongming and the others, about a hundred people in total, descended the steep cliffs to the entrance of the Hundred Insect Valley.
Once they reached the bottom, they looked up and saw that the area where they had camped the previous night was now obscured by the dense tree canopy and the mist above, making it impossible to see anything from below.
"Esteemed guests, it's so damp here, and there's a strong smell of decay," Deacon Fang Yan said to Lin Yongming.
"Most importantly, there are many insects crawling under the leaves and on the trees. I think these are the poisonous insects of the Hundred Insect Valley," Bibidong observed as she looked around.
"Everyone, be careful," Lin Yongming nodded and reminded the group. "Ah Yin, bring out the Fragrant Silk Immortal Herb."
"Alright," Blue Silver Emperor nodded, and the Fragrant Silk Immortal Herb appeared in her right hand.
Immediately, a unique fragrance spread outward. Wherever the scent reached, the insects quickly moved away from Lin Yongming and the others.
The surrounding mist was pushed back by the fragrance, making the dark valley slightly brighter.
"Esteemed guest, what kind of flower is this? It smells amazing," Deacon Fang Yan asked, taking a deep breath and looking at the Fragrant Silk Immortal Herb with astonishment.
"It's just an herb that repels insects and guards against poison. Within the range of its fragrance, poisonous insects and miasma won't come near. Everyone can walk safely, but don't let your guard down," Blue Silver Emperor replied casually.
"No wonder the three esteemed guests dared to enter the forbidden Hundred Insect Valley. You've thought everything through so thoroughly and prepared so well. Truly worthy of being the Three Heroes of Wuying," another deacon said, his tone somewhat flattering.
"Alright, enough chatter. Let's move in. Try not to make noise to avoid alerting anyone," Lin Yongming instructed before leading the way.
Blue Silver Emperor and Bibidong exchanged a glance and tacitly stood on either side of Lin Yongming.
Behind them were Deacon Fang Yan and the others, meaning Lin Yongming and the two women were leading the way.
Before long, as they ventured deeper into the valley, the variety of poisonous insects increased. Centipedes, scorpions, and other venomous creatures were everywhere.
A crisp crack sound reached everyone's ears. Lin Yongming, walking at the front, seemed to have stepped on something.
Bibidong looked down and saw a long-corroded skeleton. The part Lin Yongming had stepped on had crumbled into dust.
"It's a wild boar skeleton. It's been gnawed so clean that only the bones remain," Bibidong said in surprise.
"Esteemed guest, there are more skeletons over here," a Spirit Hall knight on the left called out.
"Esteemed guest, there are some here too!" someone on the right also reported.
"It seems we're getting close to the depths of the valley. The villagers' tales of people turning into skeletons after entering the forbidden land aren't unfounded," Deacon Fang Yan said, somewhat shocked.
Ahead of them lay a path littered with animal skeletons.
"Esteemed guest, I found a human skeleton!"
"What!"
Bibidong rushed over and saw that it was indeed the skeleton of an adult.
"It seems we're likely to find something in the Hundred Insect Valley. Let's keep going!" Lin Yongming said, his mind's eye already seeing a path of skeletons ahead.
As the group continued deeper, they encountered more and more skeletons.
"This place shouldn't be called the Hundred Insect Valley. It should be called the Valley of Skeletons," Bibidong said, her expression grave.
"The trees are thinning out, but the area is becoming more desolate. I also noticed that the sky above this area is covered by a layer of miasma-like clouds."
"Fortunately, we have the Fragrant Silk Immortal Herb, which keeps the miasma away from us," Blue Silver Emperor said, looking up at the grayish-purple clouds overhead.
"Right. With so many skeletons here, it's clear that many creatures made it this far before collapsing, unable to go any further," Lin Yongming nodded.
"Esteemed guests, come quickly! Are these human footprints?" Deacon Fang Yan, who had been carefully inspecting the area, called out to Lin Yongming.
Lin Yongming and the two women walked over and saw some relatively fresh footprints on the ground. They couldn't have been more than a few days old, and the chaotic pattern suggested they weren't made by a single person.
"Some of these footprints have collected water, and given the terrain here, they were likely made no more than five days ago," Bibidong said after crouching down to examine them.
"So, these aren't our footprints. That means there are other people in the valley."
"Being able to move around in such a harsh environment suggests they're not ordinary people. It's highly likely that the fallen ones are hiding somewhere in the valley."
Lin Yongming analyzed the situation based on Bibidong's observations.
Note: So far this story is published up to chapter 257 on my patreon, go check it out and remember that if we reach the goal of 85 power stones I will publish the next chapter.