Chapter Ninety-Eight: The Irritating Fragrance

Thunderclap and his companions, riding upon the bed of white jade, followed Little Bold Lizard as it wove through the gray, misty underground. This subterranean realm was a vast expanse of chaos, its composition unknown, and their journey lasted five whole hours.

Thunderclap did not realize that his strategy not only saved time, but also allowed them to avoid countless dangers: nameless demon beasts and omnipresent spatial rifts, those living fissures capable of devouring a person in an instant, or whisking them into other worlds—as had happened to Thunderclap when he was randomly transported to the Kingdom of Elves.

The further they pressed on, the heavier the pressure became. Thankfully, Thunderclap and Blue Xi hid within the protective shield of the Azure Veil artifact, for without it, the chaos would have crushed them. At that moment, Thunderclap furrowed his brow, the blue gleam in his eyes flickering ever faster, but to his frustration, even the unstoppable blue light could not pierce the gray haze, nor could his spiritual sense, even when fully unleashed. Their location was impossible to discern. Thunderclap pondered for a moment, then retrieved a serpent-shaped magical tool from his storage pouch. The head of the serpent was a sphere the size of a ping-pong ball. He formed a spell with one hand, and the serpent artifact vanished on the spot; in the next instant, its head emerged from the gray earth. The sphere rotated thirty degrees, clicked open halfway, revealing a bulging eyeball which began to spin in all directions. Seated cross-legged upon the white jade bed, Thunderclap could now clearly see the surface above.

Grayness.

Through the eye artifact, Thunderclap saw only the same chaotic gray, devoid of any landmarks. The end of the trial drew near, and Thunderclap was at a loss.

Suddenly, Thunderclap opened his eyes from meditation, sensing a change in Little Bold Lizard through the Nine Treasures Lotus Staff. The massive creature trembled all over—whether from fear or excitement, he could not tell.

After traversing another dozen yards, Little Bold Lizard suddenly burst out from underground, launching itself into the air.

Thunderclap quickly formed a spell, sensing the lizard above ground; it was flying forward heedlessly, though nothing lay ahead. Had it lost its mind? Suddenly, a thought flashed through Thunderclap’s mind.

After a moment's deliberation, Thunderclap decided to follow and see for himself, urging the white jade bed to pursue underground. After about twenty more miles, an alluring fragrance began to waft to them—sometimes present, sometimes absent, but always enticing. At times it was the fresh scent of flowers, at others the rich aroma of aged wine, and then, miraculously, the savory smell of cooked dishes. Blue Xi’s cheeks were flushed, her eyes glazed, her limbs uncertain where to rest; she was utterly intoxicated by the fragrance.

Thunderclap, too, distinguished the scents of fish-flavored shredded pork and vinegar-glazed clover among the aromas of the meal. He even tasted the difference between Song Auntie’s fish soup and pork stewed with vermicelli—two dishes from north and south, stirring his appetite so fiercely he forgot everything else. Only one thought remained: to find the source of the fragrance and sate his craving.

Suddenly, a voice sounded in his sea of consciousness—not loud, but to Thunderclap it was like a thunderclap, jolting him awake. He gathered his senses and broke out in cold sweat; this beguiling fragrance was truly perilous. Even one of his strong cultivation could nearly fall prey to it. Fortunately, Zhu Chi had used “Stunning Goose’s Eclipse” to awaken him, and Thunderclap kept his mind tightly guarded, relaxing his body until the fragrance faded away. Yet his body felt weak and powerless.

Thunderclap recognized this as a side effect, but he was delighted—indeed, exhilarated—for he knew the goal was near. Blue Xi, only just awakened, looked at him in confusion. She could not comprehend how moments ago she was running across a brilliant flower-strewn hillside, chasing the romantic source of the scent, and now had fallen into emptiness. Which was reality?

Thunderclap had no time to explain. He was wholly focused on guiding the white jade bed, desperately chasing Little Bold Lizard underground, determined not to lose track.

Ten miles, twenty miles—

The fragrance grew ever stronger. Blue Xi fell into another frenzy, and even Thunderclap had to continually consume mind-clearing pills and rely on his powerful spirit to barely escape the fragrance’s grip. He understood they were drawing closer still.

Indeed, after several dozen more miles, Thunderclap sensed Little Bold Lizard had stopped. Using the serpent artifact’s global eye, he was startled to spot other elves: tall, green-haired elves of the Green Elf Tribe, and petite female elves of the Azure Elf Tribe—and to his surprise, Mu Qingchun was among them. All of them stumbled forward as if drunk, yet pressed on with unwavering determination.

Ahead, suspended in mid-air, a thick vine had appeared, atop which sat a colossal blossom, as large as a house and ablaze with color. It stood in stark contrast to the surrounding gray haze. Was this the Soul Guiding Grass Thunderclap sought so desperately? Where, then, were the beasts that guarded such treasures? It was said that each rare spirit herb was watched over by formidable monsters, and the souls drawn by the Soul Guiding Grass invariably met their end in the maw of such guardians.

Thunderclap, observing through the global eye, saw Little Bold Lizard’s eyes dart between the elves and the vibrant flower. It lingered, then suddenly lowered its head and vanished back underground.

Thunderclap was caught off guard by this turn; he had not expected the timid creature to resist the alluring fragrance and abandon the Soul Guiding Grass. After a brief pause, Thunderclap withdrew the Nine Treasures Lotus Staff, letting Little Bold Lizard escape, for his objective had been found, and he could always seek another lizard after leaving.

Now, Thunderclap focused all his attention on the Soul Guiding Grass. The elves, in this flight-forbidden void, were speeding toward it, which shocked him—how did they possess flight ability? He had to stop them, or the Soul Guiding Grass would be lost.

But as Thunderclap burst from underground, entering another patch of void, he realized that flight was forbidden here as well. The Soul Guiding Grass’s blossom generated a forceful suction, drawing the elves toward it, not by their own volition. Thunderclap’s blue gaze flickered, but he saw no guardian beast. He tossed the Nine Treasures Lotus Staff skyward.

The staff expanded without limit, standing like a pillar that held up the heavens, upright in the gray void. Thunderclap, riding the white jade bed, reached out to seize the staff, then took out a Binding Immortal Rope to lash the bed tightly to the staff, ensuring they would not be sucked away. He then activated the third level of Green and Yellow Unbalanced Divine Skill; his arms, charged with immense strength, reached out and grabbed two of the flying elves.

Thunderclap managed to save only two; the others were sucked at full speed into the massive Soul Guiding Grass blossom. The flower snapped shut, forming a globe, and the suction vanished. Without the staff’s support, they would have fallen. The great flower-ball opened and closed again, then spat out fragments of broken artifacts and shreds of beast hide garments.

A man-eating flower?

Thunderclap was stunned to realize that the Soul Guiding Grass itself devoured flesh and blood, needing no guardian beast. How terrifying. In fact, every Soul Guiding Grass had its own beast guardian, but when fresh blood was scarce, the grass would consume its guardian as well—such was its savage nature. Thunderclap forced himself to remain absolutely alert, communicating with Zhu Chi in his sea of consciousness: how should he harvest this Soul Guiding Grass? The answer was unknown; Zhu Chi had no idea whether it was best to collect the flower, the stem, or perhaps the pollen.

Having just fed, the Soul Guiding Grass was digesting and thus relatively stable, its fragrance now barely detectable, allowing Blue Xi to slowly recover. When she realized what had happened, she sighed deeply. “Now is the best time to harvest the Soul Guiding Grass, but which part should we take?”

A mellow voice spoke, “Take it all, then press it for juice and dry it.” The speaker was Mu Qingchun, one of the elves Thunderclap had just saved, of the Azure Elf Tribe.

“How do you know?” Thunderclap, his magic restored and true appearance revealed, was easily recognized by Mu Qingchun.

Mu Qingchun bit her lip shyly. “Thunderclap, I must thank you once again for saving me. As for the Queen of Azure, we won’t seek vengeance—she was tyrannical, and our tribe suffered under her. Besides, your cultivation has soared in such a short time; we have no power to avenge her.”

She hadn’t answered his question, but explained so much—why? Thunderclap’s mind turned and he grasped the gist. “Teacher Mu, why so polite? Do you need something from me? Or do you wish to share the Soul Guiding Grass, which is why you know it so well?”

Mu Qingchun blushed and nodded. Thunderclap thought, for such a large Soul Guiding Grass, sharing a portion was no issue; it would compensate for the slaying of the Queen of Azure. But now, how to harvest it?

Mu Qingchun quickly produced a pouch and a roll of colored silk. “The harvesting tools must not be metal, but rather my silk Luoluo band. I’ll collect the grass, and take one-fifth as my share.”

Seeing Thunderclap nod, Mu Qingchun flicked the silk Luoluo band, winding it around the flower stem. But the Soul Guiding Grass, which had been quietly curled into a bud, suddenly snapped open like a blood-red maw, instantly sucking in the silk band. Its petals closed, writhing like a wife’s pursed lips, then opened again, emitting a powerful suction, threatening to drag Thunderclap and the others inside.

Seeing danger, Thunderclap quickly drew the Nine Treasures Lotus Staff, leaping and hurling it into the flower, while tapping the white jade bed with his toe to retreat. The suction still gripped the bed, but as the staff was sucked inside, Thunderclap flashed a tigerish grin and changed his spell—instantly, the staff expanded, stirring the heart of the giant blossom.

A howl erupted from the Soul Guiding Grass, followed by its utter destruction, as clusters of emerald blood rained from the sky. Mu Qingchun, at Thunderclap’s signal, used her cloth pouch to collect the grass from below.

In moments, the great blossom dissolved completely. Thunderclap retrieved the staff, and Mu Qingchun, with her shortened silk band, wrapped it around the flower stem and pulled it out with one arm.

Suddenly, from the gray sky, a thunderous shout rang out: “Courting death!”