22: A deserted island with eerie vines, a terrifying rainstorm.

Before Lin Xuan's voice had even faded, a shrill, terrified cry for help suddenly erupted from the dense jungle deep within the deserted island—it was Gongsun Yu's voice!

Immediately following it came the violent roar of thunder and the strange sound of some plant being torn apart!

"Over there!"

The expressions of the three changed simultaneously. Ignoring the need to regulate their breathing, they immediately transformed into three streaks of light and rushed toward the jungle.

The light inside the jungle was dim, and the vegetation was unusually dense and tall. Many strangely shaped, dark-colored plants emitted a faint, lingering Demonic Qi. The air was filled with the scents of dampness, decay, and a faint, cloying, fishy sweetness.

Following the sound and the fluctuations of spiritual power, they quickly arrived at a relatively open clearing in the forest. The sight before them made all three of them gasp.

Gongsun Yu was trapped in mid-air. Countless pitch-black vines, covered in eerie suction cups and resembling giant pythons, were wrapping around her limbs and waist from all directions, binding her tightly!

These vines were incredibly tough. Even though they were scorched and smoking from being electrocuted by Gongsun Yu's thunder light silver ring, they still held on tightly. Furthermore, those suction cups were constantly writhing, attempting to drain the spiritual power and blood essence from her body!

Gongsun Yu's small face was pale, and blood spilled from the corner of her mouth; clearly, she had suffered internal injuries. She desperately drove her thunder techniques, with snakes of electricity slithering around her body to resist the erosion of the vines, but she was at the end of her rope, and her protective thunder light was growing dimmer and dimmer.

In the center of the clearing, a massive, monstrous plant about as thick as three people could embrace was rooted there. It had no leaves, and its main trunk resembled a twisted ghost claw, extending countless numbers of those terrifying black vines.

At the top of the monster plant bloomed a huge, brilliantly colored, seven-colored exotic flower that radiated a rich, mentally seductive aura! Deep within the flower's stamen, sticky liquid could be faintly seen dripping.

"A variant of the Soul-Bewitching Konjac? Watch out for its mental attacks and devouring vines!" Qu Feiyan, who was the most knowledgeable, immediately warned, her seductive eyes filled with gravity. This type of monster plant was extremely troublesome; its fragrance could bewilder the mind, its vines could devour spiritual power, and its main body was incredibly tough.

"Save me!" When Gongsun Yu saw the three of them, a glimmer of hope erupted in her eyes.

Without needing to say more, Lin Xuan took the initiative! He pressed his fingers together like a sword, and a golden Sword Qi, extremely condensed and containing the sharp aura of a Golden Core, shot out from his body, accurately slashing at the thickest vines wrapped around Gongsun Yu!

"Sshla!" The vines snapped in response, spraying dark green, foul-smelling sap from the broken ends. However, even more vines, like living creatures, surged wildly from all directions, moving even faster!

Su Wanqing drew her ice sword, and her Moonlight Power Domain instantly unfurled. A cold, chilling intent permeated the area, and frost formed on the ground. The speed of the attacking vines visibly slowed as a thin layer of ice covered their surfaces. Her sword light, like a ribbon, specifically slashed at the vines slowed by the freezing, with high efficiency.

Qu Feiyan moved erratically, like a red phantom, weaving through the gaps in the vines' attacks. She did not clash head-on with the vines; instead, she formed seals with her hands, casting beams of pink spiritual light. These beams of light, like maggots clinging to bones, adhered to the vines, actually interfering with the circulation of their internal Demonic Power, causing them to become twisted, out of control, and even entangle and attack one another.

The trio's coordination showed initial success, greatly alleviating the pressure on Gongsun Yu.

But the monster plant was clearly enraged! The seven-colored exotic flower at its top suddenly bloomed with an even more dazzling and psychedelic light, and an immensely powerful mental wave spread in all directions like a tide!

Gongsun Yu, bearing the brunt of the attack, saw her eyes instantly become unfocused, and her struggling movements slowed. Su Wanqing and Qu Feiyan also shuddered, their eyes showing a momentary trance, and their sword momentum and spells slowed by a beat!

Only Lin Xuan, whose Early Golden Core Stage Divine Soul was far more stable than the Foundation Establishment Stage, coupled with the absolute control over his Physical Body from the Nine Revolutions Golden Body Art, merely frowned slightly and resisted this mental shock. But seeing the state of the three women, he secretly thought, 'Not good.'

"Wake up!" His tongue blossomed like spring thunder, and his shout, containing a trace of Golden Core Divine Sense pressure, exploded in the three women's ears like the evening drum and morning bell, instantly shocking them awake from their illusions!

The three women came to their senses, all feeling lingering fear.

"Attack its main body! That flower is the key!" Lin Xuan shouted. At the same time, his figure erupted, ignoring the annoying vines and charging straight for the main trunk of the giant monster plant! Golden light condensed on his fist like a small sun, and he smashed it down ferociously!

The monster plant sensed a fatal threat. All the vines retracted frantically, weaving together into a thick black vine shield to block the front of the main trunk. At the same time, the seven-colored exotic flower shone even brighter, attempting to focus its mental attack on Lin Xuan alone!

"Hmph!" Lin Xuan snorted coldly. His Golden Core Divine Sense guarded his spirit center, and his fist momentum did not waver!

"Boom!!" The golden fist print smashed fiercely onto the vine shield! The extremely Yang and rigid spiritual power clashed violently with the sinister Demonic Power of the monster plant, producing a deafening roar! The vine shield dented violently, a large number of vines snapped inch by inch, and dark green sap splashed everywhere!

But this punch failed to completely smash through the vine shield! The defensive power of this monster plant was beyond imagination!

Just at this moment, Su Wanqing and Qu Feiyan also seized the opportunity. Su Wanqing poured all her Moonlight Power into her ice sword, the blade humming as it transformed into an ice-blue rainbow that pierced through heaven and earth, stabbing straight at the seven-colored exotic flower! Qu Feiyan pressed her hands into the void, and a huge blood-colored lotus, composed entirely of pure seductive essence and blood-evil Qi, suddenly appeared at the base of the monster plant and exploded with a roar! An attack from both inside and outside!

"Hiss——!!" The monster plant let out a shrill, piercing hiss. Under the impact of the ice-blue rainbow, the petals of the seven-colored exotic flower shattered and withered one by one! The explosion at its roots caused its massive body to shake violently!

Lin Xuan seized this fleeting opportunity, and his second punch followed immediately!

"Break!" The golden fist print, like a hot knife through butter, finally completely smashed the tattered vine shield and slammed fiercely onto the twisted main trunk of the monster plant!

"Crack!" A tooth-achingly sharp cracking sound rang out. A huge hole was blown into the monster plant's main trunk by the punch, and dark green sap gushed out like a fountain! All its vines instantly went limp, losing their vitality, and the tattered exotic flower also withered and dimmed rapidly.

The vines binding Gongsun Yu loosened powerlessly. Gongsun Yu fell from mid-air and was caught by the quick-witted Su Wanqing.

"It's okay now." Su Wanqing comforted her softly, passing a trace of gentle spiritual power to her.

Gongsun Yu was still shaken. Looking at the destroyed monster plant and Lin Xuan's tall, upright back, her eyes turned red, and she said with a sobbing tone, "Thank you… thank you all…"

Lin Xuan slowly withdrew his fist. Looking at the monster plant that was rapidly losing its vitality, his brows did not relax. This deserted island seemed inconspicuous, yet it hid such a bizarre monster plant; it was definitely not a safe place. He walked to the remains of the monster plant, and his Divine Sense swept over it. Deep within the shattered main trunk, he seemed to sense a trace of a faint, extraordinary energy crystal.

He broke open the scorched main trunk with his bare hands and took out a crystal core the size of a pigeon's egg, pitch-black, yet with seven-colored light faintly flowing within it.

"This is… the crystal core of that monster plant? What a peculiar aura." Qu Feiyan leaned over, her seductive eyes filled with curiosity.

Lin Xuan sensed the pure yet bewitching energy within the crystal core, and his heart stirred. This item might be of some use. He put it away and cast his gaze deeper into the jungle.

"This is not a place to stay for long. Let's first find a safe place for Gongsun Yu to heal her injuries, and then we will plan our next move."

He had to figure out as soon as possible what this place really was, and… how to leave this godforsaken sea area.